One20 Public House

More often than not, the ol' dingy pub is a thing of the past.  Sure, they still exist and believe me, I've been to some...  never to return.  In this day and age, most watering holes have transformed themselves into gastropubs and social houses.  Case in point, the ol' Whaler on Scott Road became the One20 roughly a decade ago.  I've been there on several occasions in the past, but not recently.  It was about time to return as they have rejigged their menu and the overall feel of the place.

To go with my brew, I had to get the obligatory Salt & Pepper Wings (it's like going for Dim Sum and not ordering the Shrimp Dumplings).  These were indeed pretty large in size as advertised on the menu.  They were cooked a bit longer than I would've preferred though, yet they weren't too dry.  There was enough salt and pepper coating the crispy exterior though.  Inexplicably, Hot Mama had the One20 Two-Egger (breakfast???).  Well, it wasn't a bad choice though because it was well-prepared with 2 runny poached eggs and crispy hashbrowns.  The bacon could've been crispier though.

For myself, I had the Short Rib Beef Dip dressed with crispy onions, pickles and cheese on a soft ciabatta bun.  This in itself was a hearty enough sandwich which didn't require the dip.  The meat was melt-in-my-mouth tender with a noted braised essence.  As for the side of fries, they were fresh-cut and fried crispy.  Zamboni Guy went for the standby being the Classic Bacon Cheddar Burger served with the same crispy fries.  Interestingly, the burger was better the second time we visited.  This particular one was a bit dry in terms of the patty and the overall burger.  The bun was toasted up nicely though.

Moving away from beef, the Asiago Chicken Club looked to be just as hearty with grilled chicken breast, avocado, lettuce cheese and crispy bacon on a crusty roll.  Although the chicken wasn't juicy, it wasn't dry either.  Combined with all of the other ingredients, the sandwich was flavourful with different textures.  The Buffalo Chicken Wrap was pretty standard, yet well-executed in general.  It wasn't exactly spicy, but did feature plenty of crispy chicken with onions, cheese, lettuce and tomato.  Again, this was study of different textures.

As mentioned, I had returned shortly after to try the Braised Lamb Shank with mashed potatoes and peas.  The meat itself was quite nice being tender while still a touch firm.  The accompanying braising liquid was rather thin and too mild-tasting though.  The mash could've been creamier, but the pop of the sweet peas made me forget about it.  Overall, I rather enjoyed my 2 visits to the recently revamped and rebranded One20 Public House.  With the new menu and new chef, the food may not be perfect, but it is more than acceptable for this type of restaurant.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Decent portions
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Decent eats, but don't expect Cactus Club quality