THE BIG QUESTION: WHAT IS GENIUS HOUR?
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO FIND OUT WHAT GENIUS HOUR HAS TO OFFER
THE PICKLE PROJECT
This here is an introduction to the Pickle Project. It will outline the specifics of what I will be investigating and sharing with you over the next few weeks.
For my Genius Hour Project, I will be investigating where to find the best deep fried pickles in downtown St. Catharines. The reason for pursuing this topic stems from my unfamiliarity with living in a new city. Thus,I was eager to take on a
project that would allow me to explore my new surroundings. Given the number of
restaurants downtown, I thought it would be exciting to start my journey
investigating the food: In particular, the deep fried pickles. Quality, sauce,
cost and experience will determine which of the four locations chosen has the best deep fried pickles in town. Documenting my findings via blogging is a great way to share my findings and reach
new audiences. It has also provided me opportunity to expand on my technology
skills while communicating with my viewers online!
As a future educator, it is important to be confident around the use of technology and incorporating its purpose and online resources into lesson plans and activities. This project, accompanied by
many other skills learned throughout this course, will lead me on the path to become a
successful instructor in the future.
I am excited to share my findings with all of you. Stay tuned for
updates on my hunt for the perfect pickles!
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| Merchant Ale House.(2018).Logo. Retrieved From:http://merchantalehouse.com/ |
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| Agostino, Julia. (2018), Merchant Ale House: Deep Fried Pickles |
QUALITY:
To my surprise, I have never encountered a deep fried pickle that appeared to resemble a spring roll. As you can see in the photo, the outer shell of the pickle is a smooth breading. Although it was fairly unusual, I was open to a new experience.
The pickle itself was fairly large and very juicy. However, the breading around the pickles was a heavily battered; Therefore, masking the pickle taste.
SAUCE:
Typically most places serve deep fried pickles with a classic side of ranch, blue cheese or chipotle mayo. To my surprise, this dish was served with a curry mayo. In my opinion, the curry mayo did not compliment the pickles well. Considering the thickness of the batter, all you could taste was the sauce: It was simply too strong.
COST: $8.99
SERVICE:
It took approximately 10 minutes for the pickles to be delivered to the table. Overall, I was impressed with the service.
LOCATION 2. FIDDLERS POUR HOUSE
QUALITY:
Fiddler's Pour House.(2018.Logo.
Retrieved From
:https://www.fiddlerspourhouse.com/
These beer-battered pickle spears were quite a treat. Again, I was surprised by the smooth outer layer surrounding the pickle. In comparison to Merchant, the batter was much thinner, making the experience much more enjoyable. You could actually taste the pickle this time around... and they were good!
SAUCE:
I was impressed to see these pickle spears were accompanied by a more traditional sauce. Although the ingredients in their "loaded dipping sauce" are considered top secret, the flavour was similar to ranch, with a bit of heat added to it.
COST: $11.00
SERVICE:
Aside from the quality of the pickles themselves, the service was sub-par. It took over 35 minutes for the server to deliver our dish. Was the wait really worth it? I guess we'll find out come the end of our journey.
Agostino, Julia. (2018). Pickles at Fiddlers.
LOCATION 3. THE WORKS
Just Stuff. (November 25, 2014). The Works Logo.
FINALLY! SOME PICKLES WITH TRADITION!
QUALITY:
I was very impressed to see some traditional breaded deep-fried pickles. They were simply amazing! I was happy to get away from the heavily battered pickles I had previously experienced. These crispy dills had a firm, yet thin breading on them. The crispiness of the breadcrumb shell was close to perfection. Not too heavy, but just enough to add a little extra crunch!
SAUCE:
Agostino, Julia (2018). Pickles At The Works.
I appreciated that there was a variety of dipping sauces offered when ordering. However, a traditional ranch sauce is always the way to go. I can confidently say, it did not disappoint.
COST: $9.98
SERVICE:
Servers were very friendly and willing to provide quick service. I appreciated how they let the customer decide which the dipping sauce appeals most to them. Most restaurants decide for the customer unless they remember to inquire about the options available.
LOCATION 4.KULLY'S ORIGINAL SPORTS BAR
QUALITY:
WOW. Now Kully's definitely served some high quality pickles. Their Reuben Pickle Spears were loaded with surprises. Typically, I'm all for a traditional deep-fried pickle, but these here were a tasty surprise. These dills were wrapped in corned beef, swiss cheese, breaded and fried to perfection. I initially thought so many ingredients would be overwhelming, but they were quite the opposite. They exceeded my expectations. There was just enough cheese and corned beef to add a little extra flavour, but not enough to overwhelm the pickle. The breading was well held together by the swiss cheese and perfectly crisped.
SAUCE:
The pickles were accompanied by a Thousand Island dipping sauce. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. This wouldn't have been my choice of dippings but since the pickles too were rather untraditional, I figured it was worth a try.
COST: $9.99
SERVICE:
Overall, the service was average. The food came relatively quickly, so no complaints there. Servers were friendly and very helpful when ordering.
AND NOW...TASTY FILMS PRESENTS: THE PICKLE PROJECT
CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR THE PICKLE PROJECT BELOW!
LOCATION 2. FIDDLERS POUR HOUSE
QUALITY:
|
| Fiddler's Pour House.(2018.Logo. Retrieved From :https://www.fiddlerspourhouse.com/ |
These beer-battered pickle spears were quite a treat. Again, I was surprised by the smooth outer layer surrounding the pickle. In comparison to Merchant, the batter was much thinner, making the experience much more enjoyable. You could actually taste the pickle this time around... and they were good!
SAUCE:
I was impressed to see these pickle spears were accompanied by a more traditional sauce. Although the ingredients in their "loaded dipping sauce" are considered top secret, the flavour was similar to ranch, with a bit of heat added to it.
COST: $11.00
SERVICE:
Aside from the quality of the pickles themselves, the service was sub-par. It took over 35 minutes for the server to deliver our dish. Was the wait really worth it? I guess we'll find out come the end of our journey.
 |
| Agostino, Julia. (2018). Pickles at Fiddlers. |
LOCATION 3. THE WORKS
 |
| Just Stuff. (November 25, 2014). The Works Logo. |
FINALLY! SOME PICKLES WITH TRADITION!
QUALITY:
I was very impressed to see some traditional breaded deep-fried pickles. They were simply amazing! I was happy to get away from the heavily battered pickles I had previously experienced. These crispy dills had a firm, yet thin breading on them. The crispiness of the breadcrumb shell was close to perfection. Not too heavy, but just enough to add a little extra crunch!
SAUCE:
 |
| Agostino, Julia (2018). Pickles At The Works. |
COST: $9.98
SERVICE:
Servers were very friendly and willing to provide quick service. I appreciated how they let the customer decide which the dipping sauce appeals most to them. Most restaurants decide for the customer unless they remember to inquire about the options available.
LOCATION 4.KULLY'S ORIGINAL SPORTS BAR
QUALITY:
WOW. Now Kully's definitely served some high quality pickles. Their Reuben Pickle Spears were loaded with surprises. Typically, I'm all for a traditional deep-fried pickle, but these here were a tasty surprise. These dills were wrapped in corned beef, swiss cheese, breaded and fried to perfection. I initially thought so many ingredients would be overwhelming, but they were quite the opposite. They exceeded my expectations. There was just enough cheese and corned beef to add a little extra flavour, but not enough to overwhelm the pickle. The breading was well held together by the swiss cheese and perfectly crisped.SAUCE:
The pickles were accompanied by a Thousand Island dipping sauce. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. This wouldn't have been my choice of dippings but since the pickles too were rather untraditional, I figured it was worth a try.COST: $9.99
SERVICE:
Overall, the service was average. The food came relatively quickly, so no complaints there. Servers were friendly and very helpful when ordering.
AND NOW...TASTY FILMS PRESENTS: THE PICKLE PROJECT
CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR THE PICKLE PROJECT BELOW!
I was hoping to reach a final conclusion by the end of this project; but unfortunately I am not ready to announce the winner of the deep fried pickles. I will say that Kully's Reuben Pickle Spears were definitely a good time: An explosion of flavour. The Works on the other hand had the most traditional deep fried pickles and they did not disappoint. That being said, there are still so many locations in downtown St. Catharines that need to be explored! And so, I have decided to continue the journey. When I feel I have tackled every deep-fried pickle in town, I will then let the people know the truth.
Where are the best deep fried pickles in town? Stay tuned to find out the truth.
TED TALKS are growing in popularity these days, so I decided to give it a shot! Here goes my very first Ted Talk!
This is hilarious! I personally don't like pickles, but I never thought I needed to know where has the best deep fried pickles... until now! I'm so curious to find out which one you decided. A couple friends of mine love deep fried pickles so I want to take them to whatever place you decide! I love the different photos you took and you really seemed like you enjoyed doing this project.
ReplyDeleteThat trailer was hilarious. I loved that this project highlights the downtown core of St. Catharines and hits up some of my favourite spots! I think I've even seen some deep-fried pickles atop a Caesar somewhere too. And Sheehan's has pickle shots. Did you not claim a favourite for a reason? Or did you just want to give opinions without making a final decision?
ReplyDeleteHi Julia, that trailer was awesome! Very creative! The awards won was a nice touch. I also like how you incorporated videos and pictures in your trailer. I personally am not a fan of pickles, so I am curious, are you satisfied with the places you have gone to or do you feel that you would want to continue exploring to see if other cities offer better deep fried pickles?
ReplyDeleteJulia, that trailer was jokes! I found it very similar to something you'd see on t.v despite being about pickles. I think you used the perfect mix of video and text which is something I regret not doing.
ReplyDeletePersonally I didn't know how I'd like deep fried pickles, but after having the pickles from the works I'm forever a fan.
Your Ted talk is hilarious! I love the unique genius hour topic and your quest to finding the best pickles in town. I'm also new to town here so it was good to hear where I should and shouldn't go to get pickles. I appreciate that your ted talk is straight forward and easy to follow along and that you made it creative with your style of talking and insert of humour. Good work!
ReplyDelete