Match Eatery & Public House Delta (Game Day Wings)

You've probably heard me yammering on about how good the wings are at Match Eatery all the time.  Sure, you might chalk that up to me being invited to eat there every now and then.  Well, for those who read this blog often, they will know that I put my money where my mouth is!  I've dined just as many times at Match on my own coin because I genuinely like the place!  So when they invited me out to try their Game Day Wings menu, they didn't have to ask twice!!!

So you can get this menu on "NFL game days" as the name suggests.  We were here for a Sunday morning to catch the football action and to enjoy the wings!   The first one I'll discuss is a favourite of mine in the Nashville Hot Spiced.  Now, this time around, they toned down the spice with less dry rub.  For me, I would ask for more of it, but I get that they have to appeal to a wider audience.  So, if you eat it like I do, you will get some sweet heat to go with the pickles.  If you can take spice, highly recommend you ask for more rub!

One of their new flavours is the Buffalo Blues featuring a hot sauce laced with real blue cheese.  Normally, the dip on the side is the blue cheese, but in this case, it was garlic ranch dip.  Hence, the blue cheese pungency was all in the real chunks of cheese.  The hot sauce itself was mild with some tanginess.  The wings themselves were not dry and the skin was completely rendered and crispy.  Instead of carrot and celery sticks, we found matchstick versions.

One of my favourites of this tasting was the What's the Dill Yo?  This featured crispy wings tossed in dill pickle seasoning.  Hence, the wings were tangy and mildly salty.  There was also some sweetness.  To drive the point home in terms of impact, we found sour dill pickles and dill pickle chips.  If that wasn't enough flavour bomb for us, we also dipped everything into the spicy dill dip.  This was like a chunky tartar sauce that had a kick.  Would love this on my fish sandwich!

The absolutely most tasty dish was the Rising Sun Togarashi with a soy drizzle that was both sweet, salty and tangy while accented by the aromatic sesame seeds.  This was perfectly complimented by the creamy and sweet nori-kewpie mayo.  This had some vibes related to a blast from the past in the Thai wings from Milestone's in their heyday.  Definitely a must order and it really does the Asian fusion justice in its flavour profile and execution. 

Last wing creation was the Stadium Nacho with wings tossed in taco seasoning and served with a nacho cheese sauce topped with salsa.  We also found some tortilla chips and pickled jalapenos.  So this was essentially nachos with some chicken.  However, this worked as a the flavour profile was cohesive.  I enjoyed dipping both the wings and chips into the nacho cheese.  The taco seasoning was definitely there but not enough to make things salty.

So if you see in the background, we also had a the Game Day Beer in the Gridiron 24oz Budweiser for a great price of $10.50!  You can have this as a Bud Light for the same price.  It was served ice cold and naturally went well with the wings.  I think it particularly paired best with the hot wings and taco wings.  For those who can't finish so much beer, there is an $8.00 option for a 16oz.  But honestly, go for the 24oz, it is a better deal!

We ended up ordering a few more items including the Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Jack cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion and house mayo.  This was fantastic as the chicken was truly blackened giving off nutty smokiness.  At the same time, the meat was still moist and tender.  Crispy bacon and melted cheese added texture and more flavour.  It was served on a perfectly toasted potato roll.  

We also had our usual in the Game, Set, Match... Burger with all the same fixin's as well as pickles on toasted brioche.  As per usual, the smashed beef patty was nicely seared while still moist and tender.  The bacon was crispy, so each bite wasn't a struggle (with flabby bacon).  Also, the texture was appealing.  The brioche bun was soft, but toasted enough to hold everything together.  We got the side of breaded onion rings and they were great!  

Since we were there during brunch, our dessert was the Sweet French Toast Bites.  We've had this dish before, but this time around, it was perfect!  The cubes of brioche were crispy on the outside (while not being greasy) and the inside was still soft and fluffy.  They tasted great on their own with aroma, but the side of Kentucky Bourbon Caramel Dip was money.  So rich and sweet.  Another tasty visit to Match and we overloaded on the wings.  Not a bad thing to happen to us!  Come for the games on the big screens and order the wings as well as some inexpensive beer!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- New wing flavours are great, especially the Rising Sun and What's the Dill Yo?

- Great beer special for the 24oz

- The rest of the food is great too, especially the burgers

The Bad:

- Not really a bad, but you'll have to ask for more rub on the Nashville wings because the new version doesn't have enough

Match Eatery & Public House Burger Bender 2024

Here we are again...  Another year, another Burger Bender!  Yep, I look forward to this every time Match Eatery & Public House invite me to try all, and I mean all of their featured burgers for this event (which runs until February 25th).  I believe that Match serves some of the best burgers amongst the chain restaurants in the Lower Mainland.  Actually, they compete pretty well with all burgers in general.  I visited the Ladner location in Delta as usual since this is the newest of the bunch.

Let's start off real strong with their ode to Anthony Bourdain with the "No Reservations" Burger with a 6oz smashed patty, griddled mortadella, white ribbon cheese, dijonnaise, lettuce and red onion on a croissant roll.  This was so delicious with a nicely charred patty that was still moist inside.  The mortadella did its best impression of bacon while cheese was definitely noticeable.  What brought the whole thing together was the croissant roll as it was crispy, flaky and light.  For the side, we had the Breaded Onion Rings (thick cut too) and they were on point as usual.  I feel this is the only way to do onion rings because the breading is crunchy while the onion still retains its shape and texture.

Close behind in our favourites of the bunch was the Seared Tuna Burger with lemongrass seared rare ahi tuna, Asian slaw, avocado, wasabi aioli, sprouts and wonton crisps on a black sesame brioche bun.  The large and thick piece of tuna was cooked to perfection being rare in the middle while charred crispy on the outside.  It was smoky and aromatic while the Asian flavours such as the sesame oil in the slaw and the wasabi were the right compliments for the fish.

So another winner was the Italian Stallion Chicken Parm featuring 2 pieces of crispy breaded chicken thighs with spicy marinara, fresh mozzarella, pesto, butter lettuce and roasted garlic mayo on a herbed parmesan panini.  This was a properly executed sandwich where the chicken was super juicy while the breading was crispy.  Nice tang and spice from the marinara while the cheesiness really came through.  The bun was nicely toasted with a crunch but also soft and flavourful.  We had a Green Goddess Salad served on the side and the dressing was creamy and herbaceous.

The hits kept coming with the Mighty Mushroom with the same 6oz smashed patty with sauteed cremini & button mushrooms, Boursin, dijonnaise, tomato, red onion and lettuce on a brioche bun. This was not devoid of impact since there was plenty of woodsiness from the mushrooms while the boursin did its cheesy herb thing.  Lots of crunch from the fresh veggies and all encapsulated in a aggressively toasted bun.  The side of fresh-cut fries were crispy and plenty potatoey. 

Onto the Burger Bender 2023 Champion, we had the French Onion Big Dipper.  This thing sported the same smash patty with a crispy onion ring, caramelized onions, double Swiss, dijonnaise and arugula on brioche.  However, the one thing that put this over the top was the side of French onion soup serving as a dip for the burger.  Beyond the already deliciously cheesey and onion-forward burger, the dip was rich and sweet without the usual saltiness associated with the soup.  The side of Yam Fries were crispy and sweet.

Lastly, we had the Veg Head and yes, I know what you are all thinking...  But really, I enjoyed this!  The house-made wild rice and black bean patty was super crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Compliments included avocado, red onion, tomato, jack cheese, sprouts and house mayo on a multigrain bun.  The side of Dirty Fries was a meal in itself with cheese sauce and bacon bits.  As you can see, there is a little of something for everyone at Match's Burger Bender.  Nice job on creating 3 new ones for this year with my favourite being the "No Reservations".  That one is definitely worth trying.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- They put in the effort to create some unique burgers

- Each one is very distinct from each other

- On point execution

The Bad:

- Still longing for their donut burger from 2 years ago, are they bringing it back?

Match Public Eatery (Pitmaster BBQ Menu)

Yes, here I am at Match Public Eatery again (specifically at the Delta location in Ladner) for their Pitmaster BBQ Menu.  Honestly, I look forward in coming out to Match and the last few times, it was on my own coin.  They have really good wings (came for their wing night last time) and their burgers are also on point.  This time around I was invited to try their Pitmaster BBQ Menu that features 2 unique wing flavours and also some fried apple pies.

To begin, before we got to the food, we tried 2 of the featured beverages from the Pitmaster BBQ menu.  We had the Tennessee Lemonade as well as the Spicy Rosé.  I really enjoyed the refreshing lemonade that featured Jack Daniels, triple sec, lemon-lime soda and lemon juice.  Even though it was refreshing, that didn't mean the alcohol didn't come through.  It really did!  As for the Spicy Rosé, it consisted of BASK rosé and fresh jalapeño.  This was light and had a bit of spice.  We mashed the jalapeño to get an extra kick.

Onto the food, we started with the Southern BBQ Wings with BBQ sauce, white lightning sauce drizzle, pickled onions, cornbread crumble and cilantro.  Like many times before, the wings were a decent size and fried until the skin was well-rendered and crispy (even with sauce all over it).  We found the sauce to be sweet with a bit of tang.  Not sure why I ate all of the cornbread "croutons" (because they filled my stomach), but I liked them. As for the meat itself, it was still moist.

We also had the other wings on the menu in the Nashville Hot Spiced Wings featuring a Nashville rub, sweet honey toast, coleslaw and sour dill pickles.  As much as the BBQ wings were good, these were really good!  First of all, since it was a dry rub, the skin was super crispy.  As for the rub, it was impactful with lots of spice.  It was smoky, tangy and sweet.  I would so have these again if they had them on the regular menu (on wing Thursday of course!).

Off to the main event, the BBQ Pitmaster Platter, it sported roasted half chicken with white lightning sauce, half-rack BBQ back ribs, farmhouse sausage, mac & cheese, pitmaster baked beans, coleslaw, jalapeño cornbread and pickles.  I thought the ribs were quite good being tender and moist with lots of BBQ sauce cooked right into them.  The sausages were meaty and well-seared.  The dark meat for the roasted chicken was quite good but the breast was predictably a bit dry.  Sides were quite good where the cornbread was fairly moist and that spiced butter was delicious.  Mac & cheese was not overcooked while bathed in a creamy cheese sauce.  Beans were tender with some bite left while being deeply sweet.  Fresh and crunchy, the coleslaw was a nice break from the heaviness.

Just for kicks, I added the BBQ Ranch Hand Burger (on my own coin) for good measure since I love their burgers (and it is featured on that menu too).   This did not disappoint with a well-charred burger patty that was still moist inside.  With the addition of cheddar, coleslaw, onion ring, pulled pork and spicy BBQ sauce, this was full-flavoured and robust.  The pulled pork was tender and nicely sauced (not sure why they didn't include it in the platter, it would've been good!) and provided a real jolt of flavour and texture.  The pretzel bun was firm enough to keep everything together without actually being too dense.  As for the fresh-cut fries, they were crispy and hot.  Really good.

Onto dessert, we were served the Crispy Apple-Cinnamon Hand Pies with vanilla bean ice cream and Kentucky bourbon caramel.  Oh man, this was absolutely the bomb!  It may of looked heavy, but the puff pastry was super light and crispy.  Inside, the apple filling was delicate, just sweet enough and equally tangy.  Yes, the creamy ice cream complimented this well and I could've eaten another order of this!  Overall, the Pitmaster BBQ Menu sports some pretty tasty eats.  I would've added the pulled pork into the platter since it was so good.  I think maybe just having BBQ chicken legs would've been more consistent in texture.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Dry rub wings were money (their wings are usually quite good in general)
- OMG those pies!
- Burgers are typically really good

The Bad:
- Chicken breast was dry

Little Italy @ Match Public House (Delta)

Ever since my first visit to Match Public Eatery last year (yes, it took me that long to try it), I've liked the place.  I truly believe they have some of the best wings around and their burgers are consistently good.  However, I'm not going to talk about either of these things this time around (even though I did order them).  I was recently invited to try their Little Italy promotion that features a special menu with an appie, pastas and a dessert.  Naturally, I was here to try them all!

The featured appetizer on the Little Italy menu is the Cheesy Fried Ravoili served with house-made spicy marinara and alfredo dipping sauces.  These crunchy little pockets were tossed in garlic butter and the aroma and flavour would've been enough.  However, the dipping sauces were on point.  Balanced and not too tangy, the spicy marinara had some background sweetness as well as a kick.  The creamy alfredo had a nice aroma and cheesiness.

Off to the pastas, we tried the Garlic Shrimp Alfredo first.  This was quite good with al dente tagliatelle pasta bathed in a creamy alfredo that was further amped by the bounty of garlic butter shrimp.  Hence, there was no absence of impact from the sauce even though it was the mildest of the 4 pastas we had.  The shrimp varied in size from small to fairly large ones.  They were cold-water crunchy and buttery in texture.

Our next pasta was the Chicken Pesto Cavatappi with grilled chicken breast with pesto, oven-roasted artichokes, sundried tomatoes and pesto cream.  This was pretty rich and delicious with the herbaceousness of pesto and of course a touch nutty too.  The pasta was firmly al dente while the chicken was nicely charred.  Adding in sundried tomatoes and artichokes afforded some tanginess to break up the richness.

Onto a tomato sauce-based pasta, we tried the Pappardelle with Italian Sausage Ragu.  These slippery ribbons of pasta were also al dente, yet a bit more tender.  We didn't mind that as it had good mouth-feel.  The sausage ragu was meaty and appealingly tomatoey.  There was also a background fennel finish due to the sausage. The addition of Boursin added a cheesy creaminess to the dish.  

Our last pasta was the most typical of the bunch being Nonna's Spaghettini & Meatballs.  I actually snuck a few strands of this first so I didn't get to it last. Yes, the pasta was al dente but due to it being thin, it became softer a bit later (eat it right away!).  The San Marzano tomato sauce was balanced with a good mix of tanginess and sweetness.  Adding in a parmesan cream helped cut the tomatoness of the dish.  To my surprise, we found 8 meatballs!  Even though they were small, the meat was juicy and tender while completely flavourful.

For dessert, we had the ginormous Tiramisu Cake.  So when they say cake, they really meant it.  Instead of lady fingers, we found moist and not-too-sweet coffee soaked sponge layered with mascarpone cream.  It was purposefully sweet with mild coffee notes.  The cream wasn't too heavy where the cake was fairly light.  Overall, the Little Italy menu at Match is delicious and they mean business with legit ingredients.  Prices are reasonable and portions are healthy.

The Good:

- Well-executed dishes

- Reasonably-priced

- Well-portioned

The Bad:

- Possibly another option for appetizer and dessert?

Britannia Brewing Ladner

Although there are 2 locations of Britannia Brewing in the Lower Mainland, I've never had a chance to visit either spot.  It finally took the Dine Around Delta to get me out to the Ladner store.  For those who don't know, Dine Around Delta is their version of Dine Out Vancouver.  It is running until March 19th and Britannia Brewing is offering a 3-course meal for only $40.00.  We came out here to try all of the options for that as well as adding in a few extra dishes.

There are 2 choices for appetizers including the Brant Lake Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Dijon shallot aioli, fried capers, arugula and parmesan.  This was a large portion of thinly-sliced beef that was tender, yet retaining a meatiness.  It tasted great by itself where the creaminess of the aioli provided moisture while the fried capers and parm added saltiness (personally I could've done with even more saltiness though).  Even by itself on the regular menu, it is only $14.00!

The other option was the Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with pickled red and golden beets, whipped goat cheese, pistachio granola, gremolata and extra virgin olive oil.  This was another winner where the beets were tender, earthy and full of tanginess.  There was a considerable amount of creamy goat cheese accented by the gremolata.  To add texture, the crunch from the granola was welcomed.

We added an appie from the regular menu with the KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower) with spicy gochujang sauce, sesame seeds and lime.  Loved how the cauliflower was cooked through without becoming mushy.  The exterior was lightly crispy, but softened by the sauce.  There was just enough of it where it clung onto each piece without being saucy.  It was tangy, spicy and sweet.

Onto the mains, we had a choice of 2 including 1 lbs of Salt Spring Island Mussels in a Adrift blonde ale broth with double-smoked bacon, tomato, garlic, cream and fries.  The mussels were cooked beautifully being plump and tender.  The broth prepared well where the ale had been cooked down enough and the plethora of garlic and bacon added aroma and flavour.  The side of fries were starch-covered and crunchy. 

The other main offered in the Dine Around Delta menu was the Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank atop Mediterranean pearl barley, winter carrots and rosemary & garlic jus.  That lamb shank was perfectly braised where it fell off the bone.  Gelatinous and moist, the lamb was not too gamy.  At first, I thought it could've used more salt, but the olives and tomatoes in the barley helped add bursts of flavour.  Loved the roasted carrots as they were crunchy with a smoky char.

We added the Truffle Mushroom Fettuccine from the main menu just for kicks and it was a good decision.  First of all, the pasta was perfectly al dente.  Secondly, there was enough crimini and portobello mushrooms for woodiness as well as texture.  Lastly, there was the right amount of cream to cling onto each noodle without being too saucy.  The amount of truffle oil was restrained, which was a good thing.

Onto dessert, we were given 2 choices including Cinnamon Sugar Churros (with chocolate ganache) and Sticky Toffee Pudding with caramel sauce.  The 2 churros were crunchy and naturally sweet due to the dusting of sugar.  We found the sticky toffee pudding to be surprisingly not too sweet.  That is what we prefer as most versions are far too sweet.  This one had nice smoky sweetness while being moist.

Of course we couldn't forget the drinks where we had a Flight consisting of Peach Witbier, Adrift Blonde Ale, Amber Lager and Stout.  Really loved the stout as it was smoky with a coffee caramel finish.  For our cocktail, we tried the Westham Sour consisting of Empress gin, egg white, lemon juice and cranberry bitters.  Naturally, this was fruity and light.  It went down really smooth even though it was a sour.  So overall, this was a solid meal and considering the reasonable prices, it is somewhat of a rarity these days with such high food costs.  I would definitely come back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- Some dishes could use more salt  

Burger Bender @ Match Eatery & Public House (Delta)

Last year, I visited the Queensborough Match Eatery and tried every option (including sides) in their Burger Bender menu.  All the burgers were really good and I absolutely loved the one with the house-made donuts.  Well, Burger Bender is back and with a few new options including some ol' favourites.  Since I've not visited the newly opened Math Eatery & Public House in the Cascades Casino out in Ladner, I selected that location when I was invited out to try all the burgers.

Love the new spot as it is modern, yet not overdone.  The casino itself is beautiful with plenty of parking.  Onto the burgers, we dug into one of the new creations in the Mighty Mushroom.  This huge burger sported a 6oz chuck smash patty, sauteed crimini and button mushrooms, Boursin, dijonaise, lettuce, tomato and onion on brioche.  Suffice to say, this was pretty messy and plenty flavourful with the cheesiness of Boursin and the plethora of mushrooms.  On the side, we had the Dirty Fries topped with Cajun butter, chip dip, hot sauce, parmesan and bacon.  Lots going on here including spice, tanginess, sweet, salty, smoky and cheesy.

My personal favourite was the French Onion Big Dipper that featured a side of French onion soup.  Beyond the already delicious combination of beef patty, onion ring, double Swiss, caramelized onions, arugula and dijonnaise on a toasted brioche bun, the trick was to dip it into the soup.  One might think that that's just too much onion for one burger, but it was just right.  The sweetness of the caramelized onions were nicely complimented by the mild saltiness of the soup (that had slivered onions in it as well).  Add in the crunchy and slightly more sharp onion, we found layers of onion flavour.  On the side, there was a Caesar Salad that had plenty of parmesan and a house-made creamy dressing.

Also featured on the previous Burger Bender menu, the BBQ Ranch Hand is one monster of a burger with a steak spice beef patty, pulled pork, fried onion ring, cheddar cheese, coleslaw and spicy BBQ sauce on a pretzel bun.  This was bold and full-flavoured with spice, tang and sweetness.  Naturally, will 2 types of meat, it was also quite filling.  Love the use of a pretzel bun as it stood up well to the rest of the ingredients.  The side for this burger was the Hand-Cut Fries.  These were crispy with plenty of potato goodness inside.

Onto something without beef, the Filet-O-Crispy Fish featured a beer-battered haddock filet that was twice the size of the bun.  The batter was crispy and light while the fish was flaky and moist.  Being a brioche bun, it was soft enough to not impede the delicate texture of the fish.  Add in the shredded lettuce, tartar sauce, Old Bay mayo, pickles and coleslaw this was a much more deluxe version of a similarly named sandwich.  Plus there was much more fish!  On the side, the breaded Onion Rings were crunchy where the onion was not mushy. 

So of course we also found the Nashville Hot Chicken on the menu too.  It sported a double-breaded chicken thigh with coleslaw and pickles on a soft potato roll.  As you can see in the picture, the chicken was legit dipped into spiced oil (like it should be, rather than merely drizzled with sauce).  I could taste the spices, but could've done with more heat.  I would suggest you ask for spicier (if you can handle it that is).  The chicken was super juicy and moist while having a crunchy exterior.  Bun was a perfect match for this sandwich as it was soft with some density unlike a brioche.  Crunchy coleslaw with a sweet tang completed this sammie.  This came with a side salad that was full of different veggies and featured raisins as well. 

Now onto something with no meat at all in the Veg Head.  This consisted of a wild rice and black bean patty with avocado, red onion, Jack cheese, spouts, lettuce, tomato and house mayo on a multi-grain bun.  To be honest, I normally do not order veggie burgers, but this one wasn't bad.  The patty was not as dense as I expected and it had a bite even though it was made of beans.  I thought the choice of bun was good as it added more body and density to the burger.  The side for this was the Tater Tots and really, who doesn't like crunchy tater tots?

The last burger was sneakily one of the best being the Green Goddess.  This featured a grilled chicken breast with avocado, goat's cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, sprout and green goddess dressing on a multi-grain bun.  If you wanted something a bit lighter and "healthier", this would be your best bet.  However, it was also delicious with a slightly smoky (from the grill) chicken breast that was still moist.  Lots of impact came from the creamy goat's cheese where the richness was cut by the pickled red onion.  This came with crispy Curly Fries which was great to dip into the side of ketchup, but also the creamy dip that came with the onion rings.  So as you can see, the burgers at Match during their Burger Bender event are not only creative, but quite large.  You need to bring your appetite and maybe a bunch of friends to try them all.  My personal favourites were the French Onion Big Dipper and Mighty Mushroom.  The others were good too, but these 2 new offerings on the menu are real winners.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Beautiful location (nothing like this in the area too)
- Burgers are huge and well-priced
- Lots of parking

The Bad:
- A little hard to get to during rush-hour
- Nashville Hot Chicken could've been spicier (but I understand that they need to keep it approachable for everyone)