Hidden among a bevvy of suburban gems is a local pub that is worthy of a mention. As you walk toward Edgar’s Inn of Ainslie you can’t help but be enchanted by the scent of freshly-brewed coffee during the day, and the hum of conversation as the hours edge further into the night.
The sun-lit venue welcomes summer dining with a wall of concertina doors that brings the outside in, to conjoin the interior with the venues alfresco dining. A community hub for breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee on-the-go, we couldn’t help but be excited for the dishes to come as we walked in to dine at Edgar’s Inn.
Every great local pub must have two things; a perfectly cooked steak and a delicious mountain of a burger – and Edgar’s came out swinging with some of the best in the capital!
The Deluxe Burger was the first dish placed on the table, and boy was it a beauty. Jam packed with layers of deliciousness, the pub classic encased crispy bacon, a fried egg, pineapple, lettuce, tomato, a beef patty, tomato sauce and mustard relish inside a lightly grilled bun served with a side of shoestring fries.
The meat-to-sauce-to-salad ratio is too often misunderstood by local chefs. However, Edgar’s hit the nail on the head with a char-grilled burger that has a good slathering of sauce, crisp salad, a tang of beetroot, a sweet and juicy slice of pineapple and that all important runny egg that is sure to delight burger fans from the very first bite!
Moving on to another pub classic – the T-bone. Ordering a steak at a new venue can be a daunting prospect, but rest assured that Edgar’s can cook a medium-rare T-bone sure to satisfy event the fussiest of critics. Served simply with roast potatoes, grilled corn, rocket salad with an orange dressing and béarnaise sauce, you definitely won’t leave hungry! The creamy house-made béarnaise is the perfect complement to the smoky flavour of the steak and the citrus element of the orange dressing drizzled atop the peppery rocket salad is a lively component that really freshens up the entire dish.
With the warmer weather well and truly upon us salads are a must! And Edgar’s is putting a spin on the summer favourite with the Roast Veg Salad. Turning winter veg into a summer plate is a difficult premise, but in this salad, Edgar’s combines gently roasted potato, sweet potato, carrot, beetroot and spinach with the sweet summer flavours of sugar snap peas and lemon to it all to life. These flavours are brought together through the addition of a rich, creamy horseradish dressing with roasted almonds adding a crunchy, earthy element to the dish.
Although Edgar’s Inn is at heart a local pub, you can also find a pop of class nestled between the classic favourites – one of these can be found in the simply named, Salmon. The pan-fried fish is contrasted by the crispy skin, served with a lemon bure-blanc and seasonal greens. The meaty fish is juicy and heightened by the buttery, lemon bure-blanc that the fish is placed upon. The seasonal greens consist of lightly grilled asparagus that adds a smoky flavour while keeping a crisp and fresh element to the dish.
To finish off the meal, we ended with one of my favourites, the Pineapple Fritters. Although it is named as such on the menu, I would define these golden rounds as ‘pineapple doughnuts’. Served with a sweet maple syrup, vanilla ice cream and walnut crumble, the warm, sweet fruit inside each doughnut is lifted by an undertone of cinnamon, nutmeg and a sprig of mint to accompany the cool vanilla component of the dish.
Open Monday to Friday from 7am till late, and Saturday and Sunday from 8am till late, make sure that you drop into the Ainslie local for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
