Sweet wonder: Pearl gets a taste of Lowertown’s Maison Chaloin

Pearl Pirie is a local arts enthusiast who arrived in Ottawa about 20 years ago for university. She blogs about the city’s literary events — in both word and image.  Her second full-length poetry collection is coming out this fall.

It’s been a good summer for Ottawa foodies – two exceptional businesses opened – Luna Gelato Cafe in Old Ottawa South and Maison Chaloin in Lowertown.

Apt 613 gave the lowdown on Luna, which has possibly the creamiest texture of gelato in town and the best presentation, but my money’s more often on another sweet spot.

I’d been watching the spot near Dalhousie and Gigues since their Chocolatier sign went up in mid-June. I suggested to friends that we welcome them by a sleep over on the sidewalk on their opening day to welcome the new business to town, except I had no takers. On July 19th we went by and the Ottawa location of Maison Chaloin was open.

It’s a fourth generation chocolatier from Creste, in Provence, near Avignon with a three-year-old shop in Gatineau at 546 Saint-Joseph. The Quebec location has been getting good reviews on The Urban Spoon.

They bring their patisseries to this side of the river each morning. They have local gelato using organic brown sugar, sundaes, truffles of various kinds, meringues and macaroons in various colours and flavours, as well as bottled goodnesses like lavender-apricot jam or salted caramel. There’s a crepe menu too. They are open for breakfast.

What they do different than some is a linen tablecloth and a plating of french pastries. You can buy them to go, or just singly or you can get a display with a sample of sorbet and a mini meringue, fruit reductions and the pastry of your choice. It looks and tastes luxurious. I’ve taken a few friends there to verify it.

On our most recent visit, hubby and I tucked into their lemon crepe:

They vary from just over $5 for a plain crepe to $11.80 for one with Grand Marnier and tropical fruit.

We tried the triple chocolate mousse pyramid as well. It was airy and rich, not overly sweet with a mix of textures of the fresh base and the chocolate shell.

You can get all kinds of gift boxes of truffles but this time we managed to just have two to take with us?

One even got all the way home.

It’s a small place but friendly. It seats 15 at small cafe tables. The food is a treat because it is done so well and presented so well.

For more photos of Maison Chaloin, click here.

Yum. Thanks Pearl!

The best cookie in Gatineau? Adrian Larose visits Gaïa

Cookies from Gaïa

Adrian Larose, a born-and-bred Ottawan, loves to eat and cook and write and explore, sometimes in that order. Escaping life’s grind for the pleasures of the great outdoors located mere minutes away is one reason Ottawa tops his list of places to live. He’s also passionate about environmental issues, and how those issues connect with food and social justice topics.

What brings me back to my favourite eating-places again and again is the dessert – the baked goodies. Most food places I love, it’s the goodies that stand out.

Gaïa restaurant and café, a teensy vegetarian operation in Gatineau, has cookies that keep me coming back, and that’s no small thing. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies are among my favourite selections. Giant ones, that is, so full of PB they just melt in your mouth.

White Chocolate Oatmeal cookie from Gaïa

For the adventurous, there is usually a day’s special cookie on the rack, too (perhaps White Chocolate Oatmeal?). You have a large choice of teas or some coffee to dunk in. If you’re staying for lunch – do you still have room after that cookie? – Gaïa boasts an impressive selection of Quebec beers, for the restaurant’s small size.

Walking down Laval, I passed all manner of shiny restaurants with patios, but kept on going. The good stuff – Gaïa – is a full block past all the other Laval restaurants. (Located in Hull, it’s just a short walk from Promenade du Portage and the Place du Centre shopping mall.)

And the lunches are worth the quick trip north from the Portage Bridge. Gaïa has the old “sandwich with a soup or salad” combo. Boring and familiar, right?

Except here, some sandwiches are crammed with roasted veggies and sprouts, others with apples and brie melted just so. Many emphasize tangy goat cheese, and all are squeezed tight between thick slices of hearty bread. A sandwich alone is a real meal.

On a recent lunch break – since I work a short walk away, in the mother ship that is Place du Portage, Canada’s largest federal government office complex – I ordered a salad for about 10 bucks. Gaïa’s bandana-wearing chef/waiter/do-it-all employee, who would prefer that you parlez Francais (but yes, la carte is available en Anglais), brought a giant feast to the table just a few minutes later.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk cookie from Gaïa

All sorts of mixed greens formed a base, grated carrots added crunch and colour, sprouts upped the ante, and a generous handful of sunflower seeds plus salty tamari tofu topped it off, all crispy and fresh. It could have been dinner. The café also serves hot main-dish specials, which I still need to try.

If you find the prices a bit higher than you expect, it’s because of the serving size! Even the cookies are huge and share-able.

Be warned: Ambiance is not the point at Gaïa. The look is basic café style, with simple tables and chairs in an open room, no romance or privacy to be found. I have rarely seen it busy, though, so noise has not been a problem.

For a summer afternoon, why not just take your cookie (or two!) with you and walk down the hill one block to the big public park that’s right nearby? Sit and read at a picnic table, or play some soccer and Frisbee to run off the sugar high.

And enjoy every sweet bite.

Café Gaïa, corner of Laval and Frontenac, Gatineau (Hull –across from the hotel Les Suites Victoria). Call to confirm hours – usually lunch through dinner – 819-777-9019. 

Welcome to Local Tourist Ottawa Adrian….we can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve …and in your lunch bag!

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!

City of Ottawa launches app: Discover Ottawa

Karen is a wife to Matt, mom to Brandon and works full time at an awesome social media job she doesn’t talk about online. She is the author of Karen’s Chronicles and co-founder of Losing it in Ottawa.

One of my goals for 2011 is to get out and around greater Ottawa more and really experience the things it has to offer.

I’ve relied upon various friends, Kids in the Capital and Local Tourist Ottawa to give me ideas of what is going on or interesting to see around the city. But many of my resources are dependent on people already knowing about what’s going on in advance. And it’s sometimes hard to keep up with my blog reading. Actually, it’s a constant challenge these days.

When I heard that the City of Ottawa was launching an app called Discover Ottawa I was skeptical, but really hoping that it would end up being a good resource for my personal mission.

The name seemed to be promising. The app was developed locally by Purple Forge. I downloaded Discover Ottawa onto my iPhone a few days before the official launch and was amused to find that the databases still had test data in them. It was understandable since I was peeking into something that really wasn’t quite ready for public consumption.

My first impression?

It’s a pretty app. And easy to navigate. It’s a little slow to load, but when you factor in that there is data from quite a few sources – the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, more than a dozen BIAs, the Ottawa Airport Authority and shopping centres. Since the launch, two of the times I opened the app, I’ve had to download updates to the database. I like that I’m getting up-to-date information so frequently.
So, what does it do? A lot! You can find information on or browse:

• Accommodations – hotels and B&Bs
• Airport arrives/departures
• Attractions
• Chamber of Commerce
• City of Ottawa flickr account
• City of Ottawa Twitter feeds
• Current weather conditions from Environment Canada
• Doctors
• Events – all over the greater Ottawa area, including Gatineau – and you can add them automatically to your iPhone calendar.
• Information about Ottawa – extensive about Ottawa, from local business organizations to profiles on elected officials, lists of embassies and a general overview of the City and its history.
• News from City of Ottawa – PSAs, media advisories and news releases
• Parks
• Restaurants
• Shopping
• Some integration with Facebook and Twitter for users who want to share what they’re doing and where they’re going.
• Tourism services
• Tours
• Transportation – taxis, buses, airport shuttles, traffic news

Finally, users can document their adventures in and around Ottawa with the personalized postcard function. At first, I thought it was a little too hokey for my liking, but then I did one for this post and it’s actually fun. You get to choose the theme, a picture of your own from your device, a stamp and include a message. When you’ve finished customizing your postcard, you can save it to your device and/or share it via email, Facebook or Twitter. It’s a fun way to commemorate a particularly memorable event with some Canadian/Ottawa-themed content.

I’m impressed – really thoroughly impressed with the amount of information in this one little app. It’s hard to find fault with it, but it is a first release and as such, there are a areas for improvement.

The biggest omission that I noted was in the section labeled “Here I Am!” I saw the emblem and immediately thought it would be a way to share with Twitter or Facebook (or Foursquare) where I am. But it’s not. It just opens an email with a link to your location and a blurb about the app. I can’t really think of a reason I’d ever want to email someone where I am like that. That type of sharing is typically used for more instantaneous mediums – such as Twitter and Facebook. I think this section could be built out a bit better to cater to those users who like sharing this type of information.

I also found that the list of restaurants is nowhere near complete. I hope that over time more and more will be added.

Another downside – though not for me – is that the app is only available for Apple products at the moment – that includes iPod, iPhone, iPad users (note that there isn’t an HD iPad version, but it upscales decently well). Blackberry and Android versions are slated to be released later this year.

As someone who is not native to Ottawa – or Canada, for that matter – I rely heavily on personal recommendations of friends for ideas of what to do and where to go.

Thanks to this app, I have a great resource at my fingertips when I have nothing planned and want to get out and find something new and interesting to do.

Thanks Karen! What do you think of the City of Ottawa’s new app?

Through a photographer’s eyes: looking at Ottawa from a different angle

Justin Van Leeuwen is an Ottawa-based event and portrait photographer who, in his spare time, takes pictures without people in them. Many of the images seen in his LTOttawa posts can be purchased as limited edition canvas prints through his website.

Ottawa photographer Justin Van Leeuwen

Ottawa is a lovely city.

If you live here, you might not be appreciating all of the wonderful sights there are, simply because you are used to them. We may not have the appeal of the “BIG” Canadian cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal (the former of which I lived in most of my life), or the exotic feel of a foreign land… but remember: more than seven million tourists come to our city every year.

They’re obviously seeing something – so what are we, as locals, missing?

This is our nation’s capital, and there are many unique opportunities, locations, and events every week, thanks to bodies like the National Capital Commission whose “job, simply put, is to plan, develop and use these properties as a source of pride and unity for Canadians.“

Do you know what this means? It means the city is clean, it has monuments, museums, art galleries (all with great architecture), and more than 60 festivals throughout the year, winter, spring, summer and fall. Those are, of course, the obvious examples. But as an outsider looking in, I can appreciate how “normal” or boring your every-day city looks.

But think about it; what is it that almost every tourist, but few locals, marvel at the minute they pass by: our parliament buildings. They are simply STUNNING!

 

Parliament Hill (JVLphoto.com)

And that stagnant body of water running right beside it. You’ve seen it a thousand times right? Let’s revisit this…the Rideau Canal is something not just unique to Ottawa but to the history of Canada, and honestly, it’s not like it’s Toronto’s Don River.

It’s a lot of fun to photograph under the right light:

The Rideau Canal (JVLphoto.com)

And is even more dynamic during Winterlude:

The Rideau Canal (JVLphoto.com)

From there we can travel down to the ByWard Market, which maintains a local, home-grown feel about the vendors within the area – and doubles as a great spot for people watching (if you’re into that sort of thing).

The ByWard Market (JVLphoto.com)

Jumping back onto tourist attractions, there is always the recently renovated Museum of Nature. My boys, ages three and one, absolutely marveled at it’s offerings.

Of course, while they were fixated on the dinosaur bones, I took in the lovely glass-lantern tower which, despite it’s apparent simplicity, seemed to present more photographic opportunities than I could work out of it in a single day.

The Museum of Nature (JVLphoto.com)

After moving here three years ago, I took it upon myself to thoroughly explore my new home, on foot, so that I could immerse myself in some of the things that would too quickly become commonplace to me. It took me a long time to actually see the O-Train, despite crossing over it’s bridges twice daily, and even longer to photograph it.

OC Transpo's O-Train (JVLphoto.com)

Further North of the O-Train tracks (no longer connected, but part of the same line) lays the Alexandria Bridge. While there are “no trespassing” signs, and I have heard tales of fines being issued for a careless few, this bridge is explored, traversed, and photographed often. You can quickly cross it and go all the way to Quebec and back – my favourite view of it and the Ottawa River, comes at sunset (protip: most of your good light for photographs will come at the extremes of the day, so make a habit of taking a walk just a few hours before sunset).

The Alexandria Bridge (JVLphoto.com)

I should mention, I didn’t “see” the images I’ve shown here the first time I stumbled upon a location. But I did note them for their potential to photograph, either alone or as a backdrop to one of my portraits, just under different circumstances. Even after living here for three years, there are places I pass by every day -  places many people I know have passed by even more.

If you just take the time to look at things differently, from a different angle, you might see Ottawa in a way nobody else has before.

The Glebe (JVLphoto.com)

The Elmdale Tavern (JVLPhoto.com)

World of Maps (JVLphoto.com)

I encourage you to explore your neighbourhood, your block, your city.

Do it with your family and friends, or go alone – just get out and spend some time actually seeing, opening your eyes, and observing this wonderful city we live in.

It will surprise you.

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful photography in such a thoughtful post. We hope to see more of you soon!

Do you have a photo of Ottawa you’d like to share? Send us a note!

Daddy blogger Thomas Lynn takes his family on a Winterlude adventure

Winterlude runs until February 21, 2011

Thomas Lynn is a proud father of three young sons, and can be found exploring the region looking for that next ‘special adventure’. Using his blog and twitter feed to share his stories, as well as topics that are affecting his boys, Thomas is currently building his ‘daddy blogger’ reputation.

Thomas' son at Winterlude

Like many parents, my wife and I are always looking for something to entertain the kids during weekends. But with three boys under five years of age, the options can be fairly limiting, if not too expensive.

Luckily, the National Capital Region welcomed Winterlude last weekend: the annual celebration of Canadian winter! We were excited for the opening weekend and took the boys out to enjoy two of the main family activities the annual festival offers.

Our first stop was an evening visit to Confederation Park and the Rideau Canal. It had a fantastic atmosphere that started the second we walked into the park. We entered at the gate on the corner of Laurier and Elgin, and it was like entering a different world.

There were smells of campfire and BeaverTails lofting through the air, music playing, children yelling and looking at the ice sculptures (parents yelling at the children to not touch the ice sculptures) and wonderful displays of talent everywhere we turned.

When we first walked into the park, on the right hand side was a breathtaking carving with Koi fish on it. We continued along the paths, stopping for photos and to ‘ooooh’ and ‘aaaah’ at the precision the sculptors were demonstrating while working with chainsaws to sculpt their designs.

Ice sculpture at Winterlude

The next stop was the canal. This was the first time the boys skated on it this year, and they weren’t entirely sure what to make of it until we arrived. But after seeing all the people, I couldn’t get their skates on fast enough. It was like my five-year-old was possessed. He was swinging his arms and skating like a mad man! Unfortunately our three year old is more of a tippy toe skater and his speed was lacking in his brothers’ eyes – so of course that meant I skated and carried him at the same time.

We all made it down to the first corner, just past the University of Ottawa, but decided to turn back to ensure sufficient time to consume our required dose of BeaverTails. After a great time, a hot chocolate spill and a freak out in response to the hot chocolate spill, it was time to go home.

Our next Winterlude stop was to Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Parc on the Gatineau side. If you have never taken your children, or even gone for a fun date, GO… NOW! This place is beautiful. With downtown Ottawa as the backdrop, the organizing team has put together a setting that is screaming Canadian fun. From giant snow sculptures, to horse drawn sleigh rides, to the giant snow mountain that is home to countless ice slides… there is plenty to keep you and your loved ones laughing and smiling for an entire afternoon or evening.

Thomas' son at Winterlude

The highlight for the boys (and me) had to be the ice slides. The kids were a little nervous but built up the courage (“I’ll get you both a treat later”) and we went off to the little slides first.

“Can we do that daddy?”

“Yes. We. Can.”

So off we went. Even though the line was all the way out the back, it moved very fast. The slides look huge from the bottom, but because of their design, there is nearly no way to get hurt. Five-year-old went screaming down the hill in burst of speed and then my three-year-old and I went tearing after him. It was great.

The overall theme of Winterlude? Fun. The beautiful scenery and fantastic job done by the organizing team has created an atmosphere that is truly amazing.  Take the kids, take some friends, go alone…whatever you do, go. It’s a free event (minimal charge for some things… like BeaverTails) and an amazing family adventure.

Who knows, maybe we will go back there this weekend too!

Taking your family to Winterlude? Tell us about your favourite parts!

Surprise in the mail: Capital Dining by Anne DesBrisay!

I love mail!

When I arrived home from work today, I had a mysterious package waiting for me from a good friend and business colleague: a signed copy of Capital Dining by Anne DesBrisay, third edition.

I’m not sure there is a better way to say happy new year than to encourage friends to get out and enjoy the delicious food and wonderful dining atmospheres this city has to offer – so a big thanks to Derek!

The book serves as Ottawa’s 2011 restaurant guide, featuring more than “200 top restaurants, casual eats, and gourmet stops in Ottawa, Gatineau and the Valley.” DesBrisay has been sampling restaurants and chronicling her experiences in a weekly Ottawa Citizen column since 1993, and is the senior culinary judge for the Gold Medal Plates in Ottawa-Gatineau.

I’m excited! What do you think – just flip the book open to a random page every weekend and see where it takes me?

If you want to join me on my culinary adventure you can pick up the book in area book stores and specialty food shops , as well as through General Store Publishing House.

Cheers!

The view from the other side …

As sunny — but cold — weather has been teasing us in Ottawa this week,  I thought I’d share one of my favourite spots in the city.

Very-centrally located, but hidden behind the National Art Gallery, the Samuel de Champlain look-out , fittingly, casts its gaze over the Champlain Bridge connecting downtown Ottawa to Gatineau. But the vistas offered from the spot where the famed explorer sits can make you feel like you’re the one discovering a new land … and all in our very own city!

The most prominent view is the back of the Parliament Buildings, offering a different take on Ottawa’s most popular attraction. A stone ledge at the base of the statue juts out in the direction of the Hill — in my opinion, the best seat in the collective “house” of this city.

Even better though is the fact that the site doesn’t attract the gaggle of tourists who ramble up to the front of the Parliament buildings, offering a peace-and-quiet version of a sightseer’s day out. (Plus an awesome fireworks spot come Canada Day …)

I’ve spent many an hour with a good book, cup of coffee and my thoughts under Samuel de Champlain’s watchful eye … Hopefully my show-and-tell doesn’t change that!

Do you have a favourite solo spot to share with LTOttawa? Send us a note and tell us about it!

Hey Mena G. – welcome to Ottawa!

Mena G. is a fundraising consultant who moved to Ottawa in August 2010…and it all started because of a conversation in a British pub, with an old school friend and her Canadian husband.

We were so delighted when my friend from her school days said she was coming home for a visit.

She had moved to Canada the previous year and had just relocated from Nova Scotia with her new husband to Ottawa.  As we sat eating our meal in the Bumblebee (yes, it’s the name of the pub) in front of a roaring fire, they talked about Ottawa – a city that they described as a delightful mix of city excitement and facilities surrounded by beautiful lakes and countryside. They told us tales of skating on the canal, going to ice hockey games, husky sledging, Bluesfest… and well…by the end of the conversation, we’d decided to move.

So for a last reality check before I became too firmly fixed on the idea, I asked my friend, “Okay, be really honest, what DON’T you like about living in Canada?”

She said, “the cold.”

“And that’s all?” I asked.

“Yep, that’s about it,” she replied matter-of-factly.

Needless to say, it didn’t put us off. So just under two years later, after much form-filling, travelling back and forth, buying a house, setting up accounts and various other things… here we are.

My husband moved over two months before me to organize the house while I finished up my job back home, and I still remember clearly the first night I got here.  It was a warm summer evening and rather than give in to the jetlag, we went for a walk down the street where we live and I was amazed by how many people were out the front of their houses.  Whether they were tidying their lawns, playing with the children or chatting to the neighbours, it was a real difference from the fortresses we tend to build for ourselves in the United Kingdom, from which we only venture out of to put out the rubbish or get into the car to go to work.

Since that first night, we’ve travelled a bit further than the street where we live, around the lakes of Gatineau, explored downtown shops, the ByWard Market and of course the Parliament buildings. But for me, my favourite experience so far, and one that I imagine we will repeat many times, is barbecuing on Petrie Island. Who’d have thought it – a beach in Ottawa!

Our next adventures we hope will include camping in Gatineau forest, hiring a cottage on a lake and indeed, skating on the canal.

As for the one thing my friend said she didn’t enjoy – the cold – I’ve yet to discover what that will be like.  But, I’m starting to get a taste of it, and I think I might end up agreeing with her!

Are you new to Ottawa? Share your first impressions with us!