Jeff Jedras: Eating up the Hill: Finally a brunch that's more lunch than breakfast

As faithful readers will know, I'm a regular at the Parliamentary Restaurant's now near-weekly (they need the revenue, I think) open to the masses Friday buffet brunches. And if I have one regular complaint, it's that these brunches are often more breakfast than lunch. And for me, that's an issue. I'm a lunch guy.

I don't like eggs, so that eliminates like 80+ per cent of the more exciting or even standard breakfast options. Rather than an all-day breakfast, I'd be excited about all-day lunch. That's why I liked breakfasting at Denny's while travelling -- I can order off the full menu in the morning, I'll eat pancakes if I have to, or french toast in a pinch. But when it's going on noon, show me the lunch.

Always start with salad.

So I was quite pleased when, not only did the Parliamentary Restaurant offer a "Fire and Ice" buffet on my birthday a few weeks back, they broke with the usual tradition and offered a more lunchy, meatier fare.

The highlight was definitely the buffalo chicken wings. Now, I like me some chicken wings. The best I've ever had are definitely Duff's Famous Wings, which has several Greater Toronto locations. Nothing in Ottawa compares (am open to suggestions). The Hill cafeterias have wings in their regular menu rotation -- they are crap and should be avoided. So I was pleasantly surprised these were a different wing all together. A bit of crisp and not overly saucy, but flavourful and cooked right -- I ate many.

Unlimited chicken wings = unlimited awesome.

I passed on the chili because chili without beef is ridiculous. The spicy beef and vegetable stir fry wasn't particularly spicy or saucy, but it broke up the rounds of chicken wings. The cheese and bacon scones were fine, but I really enjoyed the grilled pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon. I like me some pineapple.