Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson visits Dantessa

Geneviève Brisson (Twitter) is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

I had been meaning to pay Dantessa Italian Restaurant & Bar a visit for a while now, and an online voucher promotion was the little push I needed to finally make my way over to try their pizza.

My boyfriend and I had made a reservation for a Friday night this past January, but realized upon our arrival that it had been unnecessary, as the restaurant was only about a third full. (Perhaps the location is to blame? While Dantessa is situated in the Golden Triangle, it is a block off Elgin Street with its many restaurants.)

As we found out, the restaurant and the adjoining hotel share the use of the washrooms, which may explain why Dantessa serves breakfast and lunch in additional to dinner. Dantessa’s dinner menu is quite extensive, featuring a large variety of pizza, pasta and meat entrées as well as appetizers and desserts.

After some deliberation, we started with the calamari alla grigli, grilled calamari with market greens, which was listed on the menu as a house specialty.

I found the calamari too tough, and it also left me wanting in terms of taste; blobs of tangy pesto on the plate helped to liven up its flavour. The salad, on the other hand, was crisp and fresh, and nicely dressed in its simplicity.

Grilled calamari

For our entrées, we naturally gravitated towards the pizzas. There are two styles of pizza on offer, and we went with the Old World thin crust pizzas without hesitation, after seeing that the New World medium crust ones were limited to your typical takeout pizza toppings. The individual-size thin crust pizzas range in price from $11 to $15, and can be made on gluten free dough for those with a sensitivity.

I chose the Napoli pizza, which was dressed with tomato sauce, pesto, roasted red peppers, artichokes, grilled Portobello mushrooms, Fontina cheese, and fresh basil. It was delicious! The flavours were in harmony, the toppings of good quality, and the mushrooms and artichokes exceptionally tender and meaty.

Napoli pizza

My boyfriend, going for the obligatory meat, went with the Siciliana with its tomato sauce, pepperoni, smoked prosciutto, Bocconcini cheese, sundried tomatoes and spinach. Again, it was absolutely delicious. I don’t think I would have changed much about that pie.

Siciliana pizza

The pizza crusts were thin and nicely crisp throughout, with barely-there edges as the toppings spread almost to the extremities of the circle of dough. Both pizzas had been dusted with fresh Parmesan cheese – a nice touch.

From a wine list populated with international choices, but necessarily heavy on the Italian options, we opted for the good value house red wine, a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It was perfectly pleasant, and a nice accompaniment to the pizzas.

To end the meal, since I am almost unable to resist a little something sweet, we decided to order a dessert. We split the housemade tiramisu, which was delightfully light and creamy, if a little lacking in the presentation department.

Tiramisu

Service at the restaurant was welcoming and courteous, although a little uneven at times, our order having to be reconfirmed by the staff on a few occasions during the evening for instance.

The large restaurant space is classy, and offers a good variety of seating arrangements, from small and large booths, intimate tables, large tables for groups, and seats at the bar.

The next time you venture in the direction of Elgin Street, consider walking a block east towards Dantessa if you are in the mood for a quiet dinner over delicious pizza and wine.

We love your reviews Gen, thank you so much for sharing!

Mangia! Gen goes dishcrawling on Corso Italia

The latest Dishcrawl took place on Preston's Little Italy

Geneviève Brisson (Twitter) is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene. 

Here at Local Tourist Ottawa, we love discovering our city’s food establishments. And so, naturally, we love our Dishcrawls.

Since June of this year, when the very first one was held in Ottawa, Dishcrawls have become so popular with foodies here that the latest one, in the Little Italy neighbourhood, sold out within a few hours. In fact, there was so much demand for this event that the organizers decided to do a repeat of it a week later.

I had jumped at the chance to crawl Preston Street, in part hoping to savour some gourmet pizza. Alas, there was none to be had that evening, but I was certainly not disappointed after having tasted the many other Italian-inspired dishes that were in store for us.

Our meeting spot, emailed to us a couple of days before the event, was Allegro Ristorante, a Corso Italia establishment for about 20 years. While Dishcrawl participants usually meet outdoors (so as not to spoil any surprises regarding locations to be visited), the organizers had us meet at the first restaurant due to the cooler temperatures. Good thinking, given that last Tuesday was a very chilly night. The cozy second-floor room of Allegro became packed shortly after my friend and I arrived, what with approximately 50 eager dishcrawlers squished in. Nevertheless, people were chatting away, eagerly awaiting the official start of the crawl.

After a brief introduction by the organizers, Allegro’s owner presented plates of his restaurant’s most popular hot and cold appetizers: fried calamari and zucchini; prosciutto, provolone and melon slices; marinated vegetables; and, sausage bites. The sausage, nicely spiced, was the standout for me. With the food served buffet style, we helped ourselves, and I made sure to leave enough room for the numerous plates I knew were still to come.

Appetizers at Allegro Ristorante

Dishcrawl participants then left in two cohorts, my group leaving with our enthusiastic guide Sarah.

In spite of the cold outside, the atmosphere on charming Preston Street felt festive and inviting, lined as it was with small tree decorated with white lights. It provided a nice backdrop as we explored this neighbourhood’s food.

As we headed north up Preston Street, my anticipation mounted until we reached DiVino Wine Studio. I was ecstatic, having wanted to try this place for a while! We entered the attractive space, passing a wine rack covering an entire wall to our right, and settled in a private room at the back of the establishment. The sommelier spoke to us about DiVino: more than just a restaurant, it also offers room rentals for events, cooking classes, seminars, and even culinary tours of Italy.

We were then taught how to taste our olive oil using a piece of bread before small plates arrived. First came a tuna tartare with greens, orange aioli and crostini, followed by gnocchi in a tomato sauce. The tuna was fresh and delicate, and the gnocchi – all pillowy goodness and melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness – was like none other I had ever had before.

Tuna tartare at DiVino Wine Studio

Gnocchi at DiVino Wine Studio

We crossed path with the other group on our way to our third restaurant of the night: Il Primo. There, we were greeted warmly by the owner, and then served a single plate with multiple components: a Ceasar salad topped with a garlic crouton, bocconcini and fig wrapped in prosciutto, a piece of breaded chicken with a pesto-like sauce, and a roasted potato with rosemary. It was satisfying and hearty food.

Mixed plate at Il Primo

As we left for our last stop, I found myself almost wishing that it was far down the street, since I think we all could have used the walk to digest a bit at this point! We walked into La Roma for dessert. There we were given an olive oil and orange cake, accompanied by a scoop of olive oil ice cream with a balsamic drizzle. Innovative and delightful, it was a great way to finish the evening.

Dessert at La Roma

Upon leaving the restaurant and bidding adieu to our guide and our new friends, we were given a little surprise treat: macarons from the new Macarons et Madeleines. I had tried macarons a couple of times in the past, but absolutely nothing compared to these ones. I had a raspberry and a chocolate one, both filled with a mix of jam and buttercream. They were so fresh and soft – simply divine. I am still dreaming about them.

Treat from Macarons et Madeleines

The four restaurants, plus the French pastry shop, featured during this Dishcrawl of Little Italy Dishcrawl were all new discoveries for me. I will return soon, Preston Street. Ciao!

Dishcrawl Ottawa is hosted a SOLD-OUT repeat event on Preston Street tonight, but keep your eyes peeled for the next event — coming soon to a community near you!

Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson attends Pizza Night at Art is in Bakery

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

News that Art is in Bakery was hosting a Pizza Night had me bubbling with anticipation.

While I had been a huge fan of their bread for a long time (like most people in this city who have had a chance to sink their teeth into its goodness), I had only very recently visited their retail location, where I savoured a truly magnificent sandwich for lunch… and had also been unable to leave without a small box of croissants and cookies. Needless to say, I was very much looking forward to tasting the pizza that this now-famous bakery would cook up.

On the evening of Sunday, November 6, I made my way to Art is in Bakery’s nondescript location. It was dark and chilly outside as I approached the place, but as soon as I opened the door, a flood of light and warmth washed over me and I was greeted with live music, animated chatter, and delicious aromas.

Given Art is in Bakery’s popularity, I expected it to be a busy event… and indeed it was! The small space felt a bit chaotic, but it was a space filled with happy people enjoying each others’ company over food, drinks and music. An almost constant stream of customers of all ages – families, friends, couples – came in and out the door as waiters moved about efficiently, calling out people’s orders, cleaning up tables, attending to customers’ needs in a warm and attentive manner, and at times stopping for a brief chat.

The menu of the evening featured three pizzas ranging from approximately $13 to $15, plus one starter and one dessert. Beer from Mill Street Brewery and wine from The Small Winemaker Collection was also on offer.

Since trying to find a spot to sit or stand to eat proved to be a bit of a challenge, I ended up taking in some of the live jazz and enjoying the atmosphere for a while before taking my pizza home to eat, as several other people seemed to be doing as well. Driving back, the pizza’s delightful smell filled the car and I grew eager to arrive at my destination.

I had opted for the pizza with fennel sausage and caramelized onions, which had a tomato-based sauce below its cheesy surface and came decorated with a few basil leaves. I found the medium-strong cheese to be a tad salty for my taste and the onions not at all prominent, but the meaty pieces of fennel sausage were nicely spiced and very flavourful. And while the pizza was quite oily on the surface, its overall flavour was still agreeable. The crust was quite thin, which made the dough nicely crisp on the outer periphery of the pizza, but a bit mushy towards the center. As for the edges of the crust, they were of a pleasantly airy, chewy and soft goodness.

Pizza Night was the first event of its kind held at Art is in Bakery, and judging by the turnout, it seems to have been quite a success! A portion of the evening’s proceeds were also going to a good cause: leukemia research. The staff mentioned that they would like to see more happenings similar to this one in the future – the type where food and art meet for people’s enjoyment.

Count me in.

Thanks for the post! Want to read more about Gen’s pizza adventures? Click here. Have a must-eat pizza suggestion for her? Comment below. 

An evening of delicious discovery at SPOON

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

Last Tuesday, I spent the evening sampling, sipping, shopping, and sharing stories when I attended “SPOON – Food Your Mama Fed Ya!” at the sleek and hip Sidedoor Contemporary Kitchen and Bar.

SPOON: Food Your Mama Fed Ya!

The event, put on by Cherry Pie’s Catherine Landry, was billed as Ottawa’s first gastronomic showcase of women in the food and wine industry.

With its promise of being a gathering of women who live, eat, sleep, breathe, sweat and dream food and wine (I could identify!) in celebration of the region’s female culinary elite, I simply couldn’t resist splurging to be present at the event.

My ticket included a glass of sparkling wine, two glasses of wine, appetizers from Sidedoor, and food samples from the many businesses in attendance.

Glass of sparkling wine from Sidedoor Restaurant

SPOON was more a showcase than a networking event. It featured female farmers, producers, bakers and chefs along with their products – everything from meats, cheeses, vegetables, teas, as well as various savouries and sweets!

One of the many food purveyors, koko chocolates

I spent the evening talking with the multitude of amazing food purveyors, learning about their companies, their products and how they got where they are today. It was great to discover some new businesses, and to meet the women behind some of the ones I had heard about in the past. It was also a chance to chat with other foodies in the area such as myself.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the sampling of delicious food! Here’s a small snapshot of what was on offer.

On the savoury side, there was a smoked trout spread from The Red Apron, an olive tapenade with goat cheese from the Three Greek Sisters, and my favourite bite of the night: seared albacore tuna with Savoy cabbage slaw, tomatillo and truffle oil on a deep fried wonton from The Whalesbone Catering.

Smoked trout spread from the Red Apron

On the sweet side, we were treated to mini cupcakes from Geek Sweets and The Cake Whisperer, donuts from Suzy Q, and truffles from koko chocolates.

Cupcakes from Geek Sweets

In addition to all those samples, various hors-d’oeuvres emerging from the Sidedoor kitchen were passed around throughout the night: spicy beef tacos, prawns tempura, mushroom spring rolls, mini meatballs in sauce, and various types of donuts. Everything was delicious, but I found the tacos to be the real stand out.

Spicy beef taco from Sidedoor Restaurant

The evening left me thoroughly, and pleasantly, wined and dined. Most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to discover some wonderful businesses and meet the remarkable women behind them.

At the end of the night, unable to leave empty-handed, I picked up a box of four of the most beautifully decorated cupcakes I have ever seen – from Geek Sweets – to bring home with me.

Keep your eyes out for upcoming events such as SPOON – we’ve been told they want to make it a biannual affair!

The (delicious) Taste of Preston Street

LTO's Genevieve, Jessey and Amy at Ottawa's Taste of Preston Street

Last weekend, the lovely folks over at Savvy Company invited Local Tourist Ottawa founders Amy and Jessey, as well as our pizza-loving contributor Geneviève, to attend La Vendemmia’s Taste of Preston Street Food and Wine Show. As I’m sure you can imagine, we were thrilled.

Celebrating the abundance of Preston Street’s Italian and international restaurants alongside some really nice wine, we’re not ashamed to say that between the three of us we sampled just about everything.

It was glorious.

Of course, there was wine...

and pizza....

...and so much more.

A plate of sweets from Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana & Simply Biscotti

The Prescott's famous meatballs (they're famous for a reason)

Delicious deliciousness from Stoneface Dolly's

Amazing clam chowder from Big Easy's Seafood and Steak House

Seriously creative treats from Reggina Pastry

More from Reggina Pastry

The greatest Italian pastry of all, again from Reggina Pastry

Local Tourist Geneviève, who headed straight for the pizza...

Butternut squash soup, clam chowder, escargot, biscotti, ravioli....

A huge thanks to the organizers of this event for including LTO, and for working so hard to put together such an incredible showcase.

It was wonderful to sample the huge diversity of food that Preston Street has to offer, as well as rub shoulders (and clink glasses) with other local bloggers and foodies.

Of course, we also got to meet Geneviève, one of our very favourite Local Tourists, in person for the first time!

What’s your favourite restaurant on Preston? 

Geneviève Brisson visits The Flatbread Pizza Company at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market

Ottawa Farmers' Market at Landsdowne Park (via Flickr)

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

On a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon this summer, my boyfriend and I set out on our first ever visit of the Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Lansdowne Park.

http://www.flatbreadco.ca

Since I have been exploring the local foods available to us more than ever this year – what with a backyard vegetable garden, a bi-weekly basket of produce through Community Shared Agriculture (CSA), and visits to various farmers’ markets in the area – a trip to the very popular Ottawa Farmers’ Market was a must. Another draw of this particular market for me was the chance to try a wood-fired pizza at The Flatbread Pizza Company.

The Flatbread Pizza Company prepares and cooks their pizzas on site using a wood-burning clay oven on wheels. The Sunday we were there, they had three choices on offer, priced between $8 and $10 for an eight inch pizza.

Wood-fired pizza from The Flatbread Pizza Company

You basically place your order, pay, and walk away five minutes later with a beautiful pizza strait out of the oven! And while you wait, you can watch your pizza being made or wander around the nearby stands.

We opted for a pizza of local summer squash, heirloom tomatoes, fresh rosemary and goat cheese. The crust had a nice slightly crisp bottom, with light and airy edges. The goat cheese was creamy, and the squash and tomatoes gave the pizza an overall delightfully fresh flavour. My only disappointment was with the general absence of rosemary; I only spotted of one leaf of the herb.

To savour our pizza, we sat down at a plastic table in the (thankfully!) shaded tent area, where we looked around at all the people, many of them families. Everyone, big and small, seemed to be having a good time. A magician then came over to our table and performed a few tricks for us, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Magician Elliott Smith was great at entertaining both kids and adults.

rootsdown.ca

We then walked around the entire market, talking to some of the vendors and ogling all the produce, meat, baked goods and various products at their stands. We purchased new potatoes from Roots Down Organic Farm as well as lamb and dandelion cheese from Canreg Station Farm & Pasture Dairy to take home for dinner.

Our experience at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market was quite enjoyable! The atmosphere is friendly, and the market has an incredible variety of vendors, which means that there truly is something for everyone. I also loved that we could both satisfy our immediate hunger by eating there, and bring home some fresh, local food to enjoy later.

The Ottawa Farmers’ Market ends at the end of October, so there is still time to go explore it one Sunday and try a fresh wood-burning pizza from The Flatbread Pizza Company for lunch.

The Ottawa Farmers’ Market is hands down one of our favourite autumn gems. Thanks for the great post!

Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson visits La Dolce Vita

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

La Dolce Vita (180 Preston St.)

A warm Tuesday evening at the beginning of July simply called out for a lingering dinner on a patio. And so, my exploration of gourmet pizza restaurants continued with a visit to La Dolce Vita in Little Italy.

We called ahead to make sure that their patio was in fact open, and were assured that it was and that there was plenty of room. Upon our arrival at the restaurant, my boyfriend and I thus settled at a table outside. The patio felt a bit more intimate and private than your average spot, being located below street level.

La Dolce Vita (180 Preston Street, 613-233-6239) offers an impressive selection of pizzas. You can choose from 25 different gourmet pizzas which come in three sizes: the small ones ranging in price from about $15 to $17, the medium ones from $21 to $26, and the large ones from $25 to $29. Celiacs should note that all pizzas can be made gluten-free upon request, at an extra charge. The menu also has a good assortment of appetizers, other typical Italian fare like pasta and calzones for main courses, as well as desserts.

To start off our meal, we had a salad of chickpeas, romaine lettuce, bruschetta tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese with an olive oil and lemon dressing. It was fresh and flavourful, and had a wonderfully crispy texture. Plus, I found the feta cheese especially pleasing – creamy without being overly salty.

Chickpea salad

Now on to the pizza! We opted for a large with half the verdi (lamb, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese) and half the cinque formaggi (hazelnut pesto, fresh tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms and five types of cheese). Note that choosing a half/half pizza will set you back a negligible $3. The verdi had caught our eye with the rare topping of lamb, and the pizza itself had a good, robust mix of flavours. As for the cinque formaggi, the freshness of the tomatoes and red onions nicely balanced out the appropriately cheesy pizza. But for me, the real standout was the hazelnut pesto: nutty, crunchy and deeply flavourful! Also, both types of pizzas had a generous helping of toppings.

Half Verdi (top) and half Cinque Formaggi (bottom) pizza

The pizza crust was moist, with a nicely crisp bottom. However, it was thicker than I was expecting – it seemed like an Old World crust trying to conform to the perceived New World preference for thick crusts. As a result, it was pretty filling. A few pizzas on the menu were explicitly listed as thin crust, so I would recommend you to choose among those ones or ask to have your pizza made with a thin crust, if you favour slimmer crusts.

To keep hydrated on this warm evening, my boyfriend opted for a German beer on tap, a dark Warsteiner, while I had a glass of the house red wine, a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This medium-bodied wine was pleasing and easy drinking.

Our meal ended with the homemade tiramisu. It was light in texture, but also creamy and decadent, and tasted of good espresso and rum. Simply fabulous!

Homemade tiramisu

The service was friendly and attentive to our needs: Sensing that we were in no hurry that evening, they let us linger and go at our own pace.

La Dolce Vita is a little gem in Little Italy that has a wide selection of gourmet pizzas and caters to people with gluten sensitivity. The restaurant also does takeout and delivery.

All in all, our evening at La Dolce Vita was just that: pleasant and sweet.

Yum! Do you have a pizza place suggestion for Geneviève? Leave a comment below!

Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson visits Piz’za-za

Piz'za-za

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

Piz'za-za is located at 36 Rue Laval in Gatineau

I should start this entry by confessing that I have a weak spot for Piz’za-za. I had indulged there several times with my boyfriend when he lived in Old Hull; however, ever since he moved to the Ontario side of the National Capital Region over a year ago, I am sad to say that I had not paid a visit.

My exploration of gourmet pizza restaurants was therefore the perfect excuse to head over to Old Hull, for a dinner at Piz’za-za on a Wednesday evening at the end of April.

Piz’za-za calls itself as a restaurant and wine bar, and it does not disappoint on either end. In addition to the pizzas, the menu has a good selection of appetizers, a few pasta dishes, and numerous desserts choices. When it comes to the pizzas, there are over two dozen on offer, and with the option of choosing from a variety of ingredients to add your pizza (at an added cost), the possibilities are literally endless. Across the board, the prices are very reasonable, with the individual-size pizzas ranging from about $8 to $13.

Another highlight here is the wine selection. The restaurant features an extensive wine list with an ever-changing selection of guest wines. There are many options by the glass, the half bottle, the half litre and the bottle in a good range of prices. Plus, the place holds wine seminars about once a month.

We began our meal with the generous plate of antipasto, which came with slices of baguette.

Antipasto from Piz'za-za

The plate was piled with cured meats (calabrese salami and prosciutto), cheeses (brie and provolone), artichoke hearts, palm hearts, marinated mushrooms and peppers, tomatoes, pickles, black olives, and a sliced hard-boiled egg, served with a side of pesto. This antipasto was clearly made with high-quality ingredients, and had none of that canned taste to it which I have encountered elsewhere. It was deeply flavourful and utterly satisfying.

Next came the pizzas. I find the topping combinations at Piz’za-za to be inspired; there are not very many typical combinations here and trust me, that’s a good thing.

Paysanne pizza from Piz'za-za

I selected the paysanne pizza, which was dressed with tomato sauce, mushrooms, prosciutto, figs, and provolone cheese. The balance of sweet and salty flavours was divine.

Frijoles pizza from Piz'za-za

My boyfriend went with the frijoles pizza, which had a mixture of black beans, hot salsa, smoked chicken, red onions, jalapeños, and mozzarella, accompanied by sour cream. I must say that I found it a little dry. You should also be warned that this pizza was very spicy! They certainly did not skimp on the jalapeños, but could have been more generous with some of the other ingredients.

The pizza crust was very thin. The edges had a nice crispiness to them, but the crust was a bit soggy towards the centre of the pizza. Nevertheless, I believe the toppings wholeheartedly made up for this slight mushiness.

To drink, I started with a light, sparkling apple cider from Quebec called Mystique, while my boyfriend chose the St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. We then opted for a Spanish red from the guest wine list, which accompanied our pizzas quite nicely.

To conclude this so far delicious meal, we shared the made in-house torte au massepain for dessert.

Torte au massepain from Piz'za-za

The pastry had a light texture and a delicate almond flavour, and its strawberry coulis added a nice freshness. We were pretty full by this point, so this dessert was the perfect way to finish the meal on a not-too-sweet and not-too-heavy note.

The atmosphere at Piz’za-za is reminiscent of an inviting, casual French bistro. Lights are dim, perfect for a lingering evening with a lover or friends. Oenophiles will enjoy taking a trip up to the second floor of the restaurant to have a look at the impressive wine cellar.

Piz'za-za offers a wide selection of wine and beer

Service here is hospitable while always remaining professional and attentive. The staff is French, but all of them appear to speak English as well.

We were at the restaurant on a Wednesday night and had no trouble getting a table. In my experience though, weekends are very busy and, because the place does not take reservations unless you are a large party, be prepared to wait.

Piz’za-za is well worst the trip over to charming Old Hull, not only for its delectable pizzas, but also for its extensive wine list and pleasant ambience.

Yum!! We can’t wait to try out this place!

Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson visits Zazaza

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

My exploration of gourmet pizza restaurants in the National Capital Region continued as I visited Zazaza with my boyfriend at the end of last month.

This small place in New Edinburgh offers an experience similar to the one you will find at The Works, but with pizza instead of burgers.

Zazaza’s menu features twenty-five different pizzas in two sizes – the small ones ranging from about $10 to $12, while the large ones are roughly $17 to $19. Only a few starters and two desserts are on offer, and this should right away be taken as an indication that you come here for one thing: the pizza.

Feta salad from Zazaza

We started our dinner by sampling the feta salad. It was disappointing: the entire salad was uninteresting, on top of being excessively cold and overly dressed for my taste.

We then moved on to the pizzas, which were without a doubt the best part of dinner.

After agonizing over the long list of choices, I opted for The Sweet Glide pizza, which had a beautifully balanced mix of delicious toppings: pesto sauce, mozzarella, brie, prosciutto, shrimp, pear, pecans, and arugula.

The Sweet Slide Pizza from Zazaza

My boyfriend went with the Curry Crazy pizza, which had a tomato tandoori sauce, mozzarella, tandoori chicken, roasted red peppers, in addition to what I think made the whole thing really stand out: cashews and a generous drizzle of yogourt speckled with coriander.

Curry Crazy pizza from Zazaza

The pizza dough was just the right thinness, resulting in a crispy crust that was nor too brittle, nor too dry. And while our pizzas were topped with numerous ingredients, these all harmonized really nicely and made for a mouthful of flavour in every bite.

With so many interesting topping choices and such well-executed thin crust pizzas, we will definitely make a point to come back to try more varieties.

From the couple of wines available, I had the house red – a perfectly ordinary and acceptable French wine, which came served in a casual-looking stemless glass. Out of two local beer choices on tap, my boyfriend opted for the Steam Whistle. Interesting to point out that many people around us had soft drinks served with a straw out of old-fashioned small glasses bottles.

Cake from Zazaza

While I was very much looking forward to our choice of dessert, a chocolate, peanut butter and banana cake (a match made in heaven!) I must say that I was quite let down by it. It tasted stale and a little bland.

The tiny restaurant has a slight quirky and retro vibe, a nicely laid-back atmosphere, and some good tunes. The walls are a deep shade of red, adorned with an array of modern art, including one of a revolving kaleidoscope-like motif emanating from a projector!

The restaurant seems to want the open-concept kitchen to take center stage, by framing it in theatre-style red curtains. However, the opening is too high from the perspective of the customer, sadly making it impossible to see the chef working his pizza making magic.

As for the service, it is friendly and efficient, especially given that there is only one waitress on staff that night.

If you eat at Zazaza, my advice would be to stick to the pizzas. They are the definitely the highlight, and well worth it. The pizzas can also be eaten in or taken to go. So, if the small space happens to be full or if you are simply craving a nice gourmet pizza (without the effort!) in the comfort of your home, consider a take-out pizza or two from Zazaza.

Once again, let me know if you have any suggestions of gourmet pizza restaurant in the National Capital Region for me!

Do you have any suggestions for great gourmet pizza in the Ottawa area? Leave a comment below!

Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson visits Tennessy Willems

Wild boar sausage wood-oven pizza from Tennessy Willems

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

Pizza. A quintessential food of the Canadian diet – for better or for worse. I recently decided to embark on an exploration of gourmet/specialty pizza restaurants in the National Capital Region to discover pizzas that have character…and pizzazz!

I visited Tennessy Willems with my boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. This Hintonburg wood-oven pizza place just opened in December of last year.

When we came in from the cold on a Tuesday night of this month, the place was full, so we were offered a spot at the bar. Sitting at the bar turned out to be a really nice and casual way to spend dinner, not to mention that we had a good view of the mesmerizing pizza making techniques of the chef. Great entertainment!

The focus of the menu here is of course the pizzas, with about a dozen on offer ranging from $10 to 18$, but you will also find interesting appetizers, a few salads and other entrées, and three desserts. I also saw a soup being brought out of the kitchen during the evening, but none was listed on the menu (I questioned if the staff forgot to mention it to us).

We started our meal with a nice cheese plate of three Canadian cheeses, crostini, chutney, and caramelized nuts. My only complaint is that we could have used more crostini to finish the cheeses.

Cheese plate from Tennessy Willems

We then split the wild boar sausage pizza with caramelized apples, sage and old cheddar, which was brought with a bottle of chilli oil and a small bowl of chilli peppers to use at our pleasure. The pizza’s thin crust had slightly charred edges and a pleasant smokiness from the wood-burning oven. Delightful!

To accompany the pizza, I had a glass of full-bodied Italian red wine from the short but interesting wine list, which went beautifully with the pizza. My boyfriend, excited by the local beer offerings on tap, went with a Beau’s.

For dessert, I couldn’t resist ordering the lemon tart. It was fresh and tangy, and the crust had a good texture (not too crumbly). Simply fabulous.

Lemon tart from Tennessy Willems

The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and cozy.

Light strands decorate the windows, colourful art adorns the white walls, and the wood planks serving as table tops give off a sleek but warm feel. And I just love the wood pile by the kitchen.

Service is perhaps the slight low point of the place; it’s familiar and friendly, but still working out some kinks.

Given that I was there on a Tuesday night and the place was packed from the time we got there to the time we left about two hours later, I would maybe suggest making a reservation, especially on the weekend. You can also get pizza to go, but I would recommend eating at the restaurant for the nice atmosphere.

So, in the coming months, I hope to visit and revisit some of the gourmet pizza restaurants in the National Capital Region. Don’t hesitate to give me your recommendations!

Do you have a pizza place suggestion for Geneviève? Leave a comment below!