Me-N-Ed's Pizza Parlor

One Friday, equipped with our Entertainment Book, we decided to try Me-N-Ed's Pizza. We've had take-out from there, but for some reason we'd never visited the restaurant before, even though I grew up in the area. The Coquitlam location is located in the main drag of Austin Avenue, near the Safeway a bunch of little neighborhood stores.

We arrived on a Friday evening, and the place was really busy. There were lots of families and teenagers. Even though the restaurant has been there for as long as I could remember, the place looked pretty decent and felt new. There were wooden booths, and a large, open fireplace right in the middle of the restaurant. All in all, the atmosphere is extremely cozy and comfortable.

For an appetizer, we ordered the hot wings ($9.45 per dozen). Unlike a lot of places, the wings from Me-N-Ed's were baked, not deep-fried. This made the wings have a very soft texture which was different from the usual wing experience. However, the sauce wasn't very hot--the wings could have used a ton more hot sauce, but then again, that's my personal preference.

For the pizza, we ordered a half/half large ($26.55). Shane chose the Soprano (Bocconcini, fresh tomatoes, capicollo, onions), and I chose the Roasted Garlic and Smoked salmon (roasted garlic, smoked salmon, goat cheese, capers, dill). The pizza came piping hot and looked really good. I loved the Smoked Salmon half--the smoky saltiness of the salmon, the briny saltiness of the capers, the creaminess of the goat cheese, the sweetness of the roasted garlic. It was so, so good. I was less impressed by the Soprano (though it was Shane's favorite)--the whole thing tasted a little bland to me, but then again, I prefer stronger flavours.

What's unique about Me-N- Ed's pizzas is their crust. It's quite thin and crunchy, but there were crisp layers to the crust, almost like phyllo dough. It gives the pizza a really crispy texture. It's not at all 'doughy'.

We would come back to Me-N-Ed's for sure for their pizza (not the wings though). Our experience was only marred by really slow service--we must have waited about 25 minutes for the wings to arrive. The pizzas themselves are on the pricey side, but then again, the product is different from the usual pizza joints.

The restaurant does quite a feat for distinguishing itself from its competitors.