Ottawa’s gluten-free pizza: Melodie visits Bella Vista Restaurant

Melodie Cardin (Twitter) has lived in the National Capital Region since 2000. A 2007 graduate of Carleton University’s school of journalism, she’s now the Manager of Communications for a small project assisting Canadian researchers to collaborate internationally. Melodie has also blogged at Losing It In Ottawa, and plays roller derby with the Rideau Valley Roller Girls.

I began suffering from migraines in my early twenties and discovered that gluten is a major trigger. I went more or less gluten-free in 2009 (I can still have the odd bit, but I try to avoid it as much as possible.)

Four years ago, it was hard to find gluten-free alternatives in Ottawa. Now, Ottawa has become almost a haven for celiacs and others who suffer from gluten sensitivity.

In particular, the options for pizza have really taken off; even chains like Pizza Pizza and Gabriel’s offer gluten-free crust options, and plenty of the nicer, gourmet pizza places do also.

So for those poor souls out there who can’t just eat “normal” pizza – who makes the best?

There are a few in Ottawa I’m partial to, and lots more I’m ready to try.

Bella Vista’s gluten-free pizza

My starting place is Bella Vista Restaurant, and this is partly because Bella Vista is one of the few places that has had gluten-free for a long time. (Also partly because I was at a party in the South end, so it was convenient.) It’s a bit off the beaten track for downtown folks like me, but it has a few things that set it apart.

Particularly, crust thickness. While many GF crusts are thin, (it’s hard to get a thick crust to hold together) Bella Vista’s is thick. I enjoy thin crust gourmet Italian-style pizzas very much, but I also enjoy a thick crust American-style pizza once in awhile, and this is what you’ll find at Bella Vista. Nothing inventive particularly inventive on this menu – combination, Greek, Hawaiian. I ordered a combination. It comes nicely cooked with the right amount of cheese – I’m usually a fan of more cheese, but I don’t like pizza that’s too greasy. The crust is crispy on the bottom, soft inside. It is a little denser and has a slightly more crumbly texture than a regular version, but it’s a very respectable facsimile. It’s sort of like having pizza on a ciabatta.

The gluten-free version is a little more expensive than the regular, but you can still get a large for under $30.

I do not like cold pizza, but I do like it reheated, so I partly judge a pizza on how well the leftovers warm up. (I heat it in my toaster oven, or even in the large oven, rather than the microwave, which I find makes the crust too soft.) Bella Vista’s is still good the next day although the slightly bizarre texture does become a bit more pronounced.

Bella Vista also gets points for doing take-out, delivery in the South end, and having a big eat-in restaurant that also offers gluten free pasta and lots of other options.

It’s not fancy – but it is family-friendly. I should mention that although they are knowledgeable and have been catering to GF needs for a long time, their kitchen isn’t dedicated.

Bella Vista: 7.5/10

Thanks Melodie! We’re sure the GF community will appreciate your recommendation. 

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!

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!

Best of Barrhaven: Stuntman Stu defends his suburb

Photo Credit: Gamma-Ray Productions, via Flickr

Stu Schwartz (blog/Twitter) can be heard weekday mornings on Majic 100 FM with Angie Poirier, and is the PA announcer for the Ottawa Senators. Stu is also, a proud Barrhavenite!

Stu Schwartz

Boringhaven, babyhaven, bbqhaven, farhaven are some of the ways Barrhaven has been decribed to me over the years when I tell someone I live there. When I got married I wanted to live in Stittsville, she wanted Barrhaven.

Well she won, we had kids, and now almost 10 years later I’m it’s biggest booster.

Here are five things that make Barrhaven the place to be:

• Got a problem with a neighbour or have a gripe about the city? You can always email your councillor. Or there’s a good chance you’ll run into Jan Harder at the grocery store and she doesn’t give you the typical rhetoric. She splits part of the ward with Steve Desrosches, only because we’ve just passed the two-million-homes mark in Barrhaven.

• Hungry? Barrhaven has more pizza joints than New York City.

• Speaking of food, after years of begging, “The Works” is finally opening up on Fallowfield next to the beer store this summer.  Local Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod will have you believe she made it happen, but we all know it was the Stuntman who made the call. I’m now working on a proposal to see Walt Disney open up a location behind the Home Depot on Strandherd. May have to call on our MP Pierre Poilievre for some Federal assistance.  I’m sure he’ll want nothing more than cutting the ribbon with Goofy and Mickey.

Photo Credit: Gamma-Ray Productions, via Flickr

• Shopping for groceries? Come to Barrhaven. We have Loblaws, Ross’s Independent, Sobey’s and Farmboy all within five minutes of each other. Had you told me 10 years ago I’d be bragging about a grocery store on a blog, my response would have been “what’s a blog?

• Going to Montreal or Toronto? Hop on the Barrhaven VIA station. Don’t have one of those in Kanata now do ya? Barrhaven is also a $14 cab to the airport ($9.75 if it’s before 6 am and you tell the cabbie you’re late for your flight.)

Photo Credit: Gamma-Ray Productions, via Flickr

Barrhaven continues to grow and with a bridge connecting us to Riverside South next year, we’re ready to welcome you. Just bring gifts!

Thanks for the inside glance at Barrhaven, Stu! Stittsville should be sorry it lost you! Please everyone take the time to support Stu in his CN Cycle for CHEO.

Wanna share a bird’s eye view of your own neighbourhood? Contact us!

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!

Ottawa Date Ideas blogger shares her top Beechwood Village spots

Catherine is a sociology student at the University of Ottawa, working towards becoming an urban planner. In the mean time, she does another form of urban planning by suggesting date ideas in Ottawa through her blog, Ottawa Date Ideas.

Crazy Horse pizza from Zazaza Pizzeria

As we finished our pizzas, my date says to me: “This was worth braving the rain for.”

I agreed.

It was pouring outside, my boots were soaking wet but I was happy eating my Crazy Horse pizza at ZaZaZa Pizzeria. This is one of Beechwood’s many great restaurants and date locations.

I love Ottawa for this. Since last summer, I’ve been keeping a list of things to do on dates in the Capital on my blog and it opened my eyes to the ton of hidden little places and forgotten activities the city has to offer. We have so many distinct neighbourhoods with their own particular style of shops and restaurants. I’ve loved the Beechwood avenue area for years now but had yet to really experience it in a romantic way. Because of the range of great restaurants in the neighbourhood, planning our date was a difficult task, but we settled on a mix resulting as a relaxed pleasant Saturday night.

Zazaza Pizzeria's menu

We first headed to ZaZaZa, the lovely “The Works-style” pizzeria situated at the east end of Beechwood Avenue. In spite of the cold rainy night, the restaurant felt warm and inviting.

We picked the Hot Hot Hot pizza and the previously stated Crazy Horse. The first one was a classic spicy pizza and the second was a refreshing mix of goat cheese, spinach, caramelized onions, mushrooms, chicken and pine nuts. Delicious! This laid-back restaurant is perfect for no-fuss, sure to be a hit, casual date.

We then made our way to Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar, located at the other end of the street, for some after-dinner drinks.

Cappuccino from Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar

The first thing we noticed was that the crowd was definitively more mature than the one at ZaZaZa’s. Although that didn’t stop us from enjoying the amazing live jazz duo (there every Saturday) and discovering some impressive wines. As if the pizza wasn’t enough, we decided to order the risotto and were not disappointed. One of the great things about Farbs is that it’s a classy restaurant with a relaxed lounge vibe that doesn’t come off as pretentious. This is certainly because of the charmingly friendly staff with whom we had the opportunity to chat with while sitting at the bar.

Stuffed with great food and a great time, I grabbed a flawlessly fluffy cappuccino, feeling satisfied and happy to have found another great Ottawa date idea.

Looking for more to do in Beechwood Village?

Check out Arturo’s Market, Fraser Café, New Edinburgh Pub, and the Dale Smith Gallery.

Thanks for the post Catherine! Do you have a place you want to write about? Send us a note!