Ottawa’s newest restaurant Gezellig opens today

Gezellig is located at 337 Richmond Road.

Sometimes we feel a little spoiled. 

On Friday, a group of Local Tourists were absolutely delighted to be invited to the pre-opening party for Gezellig – entrepreneur Stephen Beckta’s brand new restaurant. 

If you’re a fan of Play Food & Wine (as we are) or Beckta (also delicious) you’re probably already trying to get a reservation at Gezellig – and we can wholeheartedly tell you that it is absolutely worth a pop by.

Wondering what’s on the menu?

Click for a bigger glimpse.

We tasted the beef tartare, squash risotto, Alberta strip loin, seafood chowder, chicken salad roll, mussels, and probably the greatest dessert ever tasted by a human being – some sort of chocolate, peanut butter, caramel….piece of heaven.

It was fantastic to be welcomed into the kitchen to chat with executive chef Michael Moffat and chef de cuisine Che Chartrand: offering up this behind-the-scenes glimpse was a really special touch.  

The staff – and there’s no surprise here – were also fantastic; all night we felt like we were chatting with great friends.

Inside Gezellig (this used to be a bank!)

So!

A formal review will come once we get our butts over for the full experience, but in the meantime if you’d like a closer look at the food..head on over to Ron Eade’s blog at the Ottawa Citizen. 

Thanks again for inviting us to this wonderful launch, Gezellig!

Gezellig officially opens for dinner today, October 22. The resto will begin offering lunch on October 29, and brunch (Ottawa’s most important meal of the day) begins November 3.  

Let us know what you think!

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!

Gourmet vegan heaven: a visit to Ottawa’s Zen Kitchen

Zen Kitchen is located t 634 Somerset Street West in Ottawa (Photo courtesy of zenkitchen.ca)

Hillary Lutes is an inherently cheap vegetarian journalist-in-training at Carleton. She consumes copious amounts of coffee and chocolate to fuel her writing endeavors and public-transit trips across the city.

Zen Kitchen on Somerset Street West is nothing short of amazing. Hands down, it has been the best gastronomical experience I have had in this city.

We had a vibrant array of delicious, intricate and healthy dishes that were satisfying and a serious testament to vegan cooking.

A perfect spot on the patio with amuse bouche baguette and garlic truffle oil dip.

Of the many things I love in life, food and free stuff has to be near the top. Therefore, I was ecstatic when we were gifted with beautifully crafted amuse bouches, including a starter of fresh, multigrain baguette with a dipping sauce of creamy garlicky fabulousness that had truffle oil in it. I know it was introduced with a mouthwatering rendition of the ingredients, but sometimes it’s hard to listen when I’m hungry and food appears.

Beautifully presented, an endive leaf with chickpea and potato salad, sea vegetable caviar, and garnished with a fresh sprout

When the server brought out chickpea and potato salad on an endive leaf with sea vegetable caviar, I believe he said the complimentary vegan bites were because Chef Caroline was not in house. By the time a sampling of dehydrated kale chips, picked daikon, and kimchi, a vinegary combination of cabbage and other vegetables appeared, I was too busy stuffing my face to ask questions.

Fig and balsamic pizza with caramelized onions, with complimentary kale chips, daikon and kimchi in the back

For my official starter, I ordered a personal pizza. But far from being your ordinary pizza, this gluten-free flatbread (called a crostada rustic pasty) was spread with slightly gooey fig jam and balsamic reduction with a swirl of cashew-based ‘sour cream’.

There was a generous pile of caramelized onions, which tasted like candy, and an occasional smoky bite from tempeh. To top it off, there was a petit mountain of baby greens in the centre.

My main course was the ‘Indian-inspired coconut curry’ on a bed of basmati rice. My newly discovered favourite lentil, the French puy du style, was a dominant ingredient, blended with sweet potato, thin slices of carrot and cauliflower.

A mountain of curry with onion and tempeh ravioli in the back

The dish was garnished with picked red onions, which I decided against sampling, since I’d had enough vinegar with the daikon and kimchi. There was also a piece of chickpea pakora, which was the one thing I wasn’t keen on – I found it a bit too floury. Overall, the dish was a perfect balance: it wasn’t heavy on curry or coconut, but was a fresh blend of flavour.

I also had a bite of my date’s ravioli, a house-made pasta filled with a smoky tempeh and served with sautéed vegetables and tomato sauce.

One of the things I loved about Zen Kitchen was the absence of fake meat or processed soy products. I was awed by the chef’s ability to create mouth-watering dishes while staying true to the flavours most vegetarians and vegans want, which is generally not meat.

Photo courtesy of zenkitchen.ca

Since I had eaten so much for dinner, dessert was out of the question. That didn’t stop me from salivating over the menu of spicy chocolate cake with berry coulis, or a nut-crust lemon pie with whipped ‘cream’ made from coconut.

I did get a taste of chocolate to round out my palate when our bill came with mini chocolate-orange truffles. They were cold and soft and the most decadent blend of orange and cocoa.

My evening at Zen Kitchen was exactly what I needed after a hectic weekend at Westfest. If you were there, you probably saw me walking blindly down Richmond Street as one of the abnormally large-headed mascots from a CBC children’s show. You also know what kind of food I ate all weekend – pizza from Newport’s, veggie burger from the Works, gelato from Truffle Treasures – which is calling for a serious eating-habit overhaul this week.

I rolled out (almost literally: my food baby was the size of a basketball) of the restaurant ready to nap and head back at the next possible excuse.

Wow, thanks Hillary! Thanks for providing such a wonderful snapshot of Zen Kitchen! We look forward to your next adventures…

Do you have a favourite space in Ottawa that you’d like to feature? Send us a note!

Tea and brie at The Tea Party

The Tea Party Cafe

Hillary Lutes is an inherently cheap vegetarian journalist-in-training at Carleton. She consumes copious amounts of coffee and chocolate to fuel her writing endeavours and public-transit trips across the city.

Ethiopian food was supposed to be next on the vegetarian bucket list, but Sunday afternoon tea with a visiting friend and roommate was in order.

I was ravenous, so the Tea Party’s large banner across the front of its converted house-to-café digs advertising their vegetarian lunch menu was a welcome sight.

My sandwich choice was easy: I saw the words ‘brie’ and ‘guacamole’, and the contest was up. This toasted guacamole tomato sandwich was stuffed with tomatoes, peppers (one half was green, the other half was red), creamy avocado spread and melted brie.

Melted brie and pesto soup

Quite simply, this creation was delicious and filling. I might be biased, since I consider cheese melted with avocado to be the best culinary combination ever, but it was perfectly grilled with a generous amount of ingredients.

This sandwich inspired me to make the (possibly unwise) purchase of a wheel of brie at the grocery store later that day. Brie is always a dangerous purchase, because obviously one is required to gobble the full wheel in as short a time frame as possible. I proceeded to eat replicas of this sandwich at home for two days, until the brie was devoured.

Visiting friend Nikki tried a tandoori tofu sandwich. “They know what they’re doing with spices,” she said, but thought the tofu could have been cooked a little longer.

All sandwiches come with a choice of soup or salad. There were two soups of the day: a vegan spicy sweet potato, and a pesto soup with tomatoes and macaroni. We ordered both, and were sadly very disappointed with the dishes.

$7 soup and sandwich combination

Both soups tasted water-based, instead of broth. We all agreed the spicy sweet potato would have been much better if it was a puree of the rooty vegetable, as the thin consistency was unsatisfying, even with the spicy kick.

I was expecting the pesto soup to be a bowl of mozzarella-basil goodness, but sadly it was also watery. I recommend going for the salad option to accompany your meal – roommate Hilary had it and said it was very fresh. 

While we were there, the café was bustling. There was a baby shower in full swing, with balloons and ribbons, and an amazingly elegant pregnant guest of honour. I suspect the spot is usually quiet and cosy – the dining area is small but stacked with an assortment of small tables and couches lending an image of peaceful tea-drinking and relaxed conversation.

As the name suggests, the Tea Party is all about the tea, with an entire wall of loose-leaf blends in large glass capsules. There is also a considerably smaller wall of coffee options located behind the display case of baked goods.

Wall of loose-leaf teas

I didn’t even know where to start, so Nikki and I started grabbing the jars to get a whiff of the leaves. I was searching for something that smelled like fruity candy, which lead me to a lemon mango blend that poured a vibrant, fragrant pink.

Steeped lemon mango goodness

Nikki and Hilary both had roobios blends: Georgia peach for Nikki and Bourbon Street vanilla for Hilary.

Tea comes by the pot for $3 and was a delicious accompaniment to our vegetarian sandwiches.

Next time you’re in the mood for a classy cup of tea, a fresh baked good, or a delicious sandwich, York Street has a cute lunch destination waiting for you!

Thanks Hillary! We can’t wait to see what’s up next! Do you have a vegetarian suggestion for Hillary? Leave a note 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!

Johanna Read stops by Ottawa’s Sidedoor

Sidedoor is located at 20 York Street

Johanna Read is a long time collector of advice on where to eat around the world, and has recently decided to start sharing it beyond her family and friends.  You can follow her @TravelEater on Twitter or by visiting her blog.

Ottawa is blessed with many Vietnamese pho eateries, some traditional Thai restaurants, and some OK Japanese and Korean spots.  Ottawa needed an up-market Asian-fusion place to enjoy a cocktail and great eats in a hip space, and not be restricted to one country’s food.  Now we have one — Sidedoor Contemporary Kitchen.  The great concept and food at Sidedoor remind me of Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, one of my favourite Vancouver restaurants.

Sidedoor’s leads, Chef Jonathan Korecki and Executive Chef Matt Carmichael, know how to make great Asian food.  Our server tells us that Carmichael recently returned from a cooking tour of Southeast Asia and it shows.  Tastes are authentic.  Flavours are complex.  The use of aromatic kaffir lime leaf and herbs is phenomenal.

The menu at Sidedoor is fun and interesting (and it ends with ”make tacos not war”).  All plates are meant for sharing.  You can choose from soft-shelled mini tacos ($9 for two, although the online menu says $14), and 8-12 choices each of veggie, seafood and meat dishes.  The salt and pepper calamari ($13) was very nicely textured and flavoured and not a bit greasy.  The seared scallops ($14) sang of Thai basil and lime leaf, and the scallops themselves had that complex sweet buttery taste that is only there when they are perfectly cooked.  The crispy prawns in betel leaf ($12 for 3) were amazing – light, crisp, flavourful and succulent.  The taste transported me immediately back to Cambodia.  Every dish was just-made and was served piping hot — particularly essential for anything fried.

A king erynegii spring roll

The cocktail list is pretty good ($10 each, featuring premium spirits such as Sailor Jerry spiced rum and Hendrick’s gin).  There are a number of beers, sakes, aperitifs and digestifs to choose from.  I like a wine list where everything is available by the glass (here in both 3 and 5 ounce pours) and by the bottle.  There is good choice here, but beware the spicier dishes may not be very wine friendly.

When dessert is brought to any table, it attracts a lot of attention.  Sidedoor specializes in doughnuts, served slightly warm.  Many people order the sharing plate ($14) – a plank of 2 chocolate dipped, 2 white chocolate dipped with cranberry, 2 cinnamon sugar, and 1 chef’s feature (for us, bright pink spring rhubarb filling, dipped in white chocolate (which it didn’t need), and sprinkled with a lemon grass-infused sugar.  Gelato from Pure Gelato is also available.

Sidedoor’s space is beautiful.  It is in the basement of one of the Byward Market’s historic buildings, but because of the glass atrium looking out onto a square, you don’t feel any basement-ness.  The decor is minimalist and beautiful, suiting the Asian menu.  The kitchen, toward the back of the restaurant, is partially open and you can get a quick glimpse of the magic on the way to the washroom.  The restaurant and bar areas feel spacious and have a nice ambiance (although I can do without the TV in the bar – is that what kind of place this is trying to be?).

But while the food and feel of Sidedoor are excellent, key aspects of a great restaurant experience are lacking.

Lobster curry

I found the prices outside of the “good value” range for the type and amount of food on the plate.  I know that Asian food can take a lot of work, as herbs and spices need to be crushed and combined perfectly and ingredients sometimes come from afar.  But at the size provided, customers need a number of sharing plates to make a meal, and the prices of those dishes adds up very quickly.  $28 for a sharing plate of striploin with shallot jus is excessive.  And charging an extra $4 for rice to go with the $28 lobster curry is gouging, as tasty as they both were.  While many will come in to try Sidedoor’s excellent food, I predict they won’t be back as often as the food deserves unless the prices are dropped a notch.  There is food just as good, and much better value, elsewhere in the Market.

Regardless of price, Sidedoor’s concept and food deserve a service level that matches.  Our server was pleasant and punctual, but there were problems that should not happen at this price point: Servers didn’t know who ordered which drinks or dishes; our water glasses sat unfilled too often and for too long; no one thought to replace our plates or wipe up the table after a succulent but messy curry; and wine glasses should be carried on a tray, not by the bowl.

Typos and spelling errors on the menu show a worrisome lack of attention to detail (Piper Heidsieck, not “Heidsek”; betel, not “betal”; Greece has two Es; Campari is from Italy, not France).

I worry that the disconnect between the front and back of the house mean that Ottawa won’t be able to enjoy Sidedoor for as long as we would otherwise want to.

Sidedoor Contemporary Kitchen and Bar is located at  20 York Street, and reservations can be made at  613-562-9331.

Vegetarian Ottawa: Hillary Lutes visits Green Earth

Ottawa's Green Earth

Hillary Lutes is an inherently cheap vegetarian journalist-in-training at Carleton. She consumes copious amounts of coffee and chocolate to fuel her writing endeavors and public-transit trips across the city.

On paper, I am the perfect hippie.

Local Tourist Hillary Lutes

A vegetarian for nearly five years, I practice hot yoga religiously, ride my bike to campus, and even work at a health food store. In reality though, I am a full-time, super-cheap student with a disdain for eating things that once had a pulse. But don’t get me wrong – I’m no holier-than-thou, granola-munching Birkenstock-wearer. Heck, I don’t even particularly like carrots.

My vegetarianism started with a concern for the environment. I read statistics comparing the amount of land and resources needed for an animal-based diet versus a plant-based diet. In my mind, rainforests were bulldozed while Ronald McDonald looked on and chuckled.

I consider myself a strict vegetarian: I don’t eat red meat, poultry, or fish. Also on the no-no list is gelatin, created by boiling hoofs and bones, used in many chewy candies and yogurts. I do eat eggs and dairy, which makes me an octo-lovo vegetarian.

Now, since I am admittedly the cheapest of the cheap (hey, student life), I’m by no means an expert on vegetarian cuisine in the capital. Most days, I carry enough food in my purse to sustain me for a week. But since the weather is nice and my schedule is a (little) bit more open, I’m making it my mission to meet more veggies and acquaint myself with mouth-watering meatless dishes and a variety of patios across the city (brews and sangria are definitely vegetarian).

Inside Green Earth (photo credit: greenearthveggie.com)

My first foray into Ottawa’s vegetarian scene was at Green Earth on Preston Street for the lunch buffet – for $10, the price was right to binge on tasty veggie food. Although the restaurant describes itself as “vegetarian cuisine”, the menu is actually fully vegan.

Fresh fruit and salad from Ottawa's Green Earth

With a choice of white or brown rice, salad, soup and a number of main dishes, there was a lot of variety. The rice was sticky and perfect to combine with the mix of dishes I piled high on my plate.

My favourite was deep-fried cauliflower, something I’d never had before. It looked like Chinese food chicken balls, with a crispy shell and a surprisingly creamy center. I didn’t particularly enjoy the chow mein, which was mostly noodles (a bit dry) and sparse vegetables. There were also large hunks of very bland tofu thrown in, which took away from the dish.

A heaping pile of vegetarian goodness from Ottawa's Green Earth

The one dish I found downright weird was the mushrooms: they were cooked in a sauce that resembled and tasted like loose-leaf tea. It had a distinctly floral flavour with a spicy aftertaste. I enjoyed the soup, which had a rich combination of tofu and vegetables in an oily, peppery broth. I don’t know what kind it was, and neither did the server. The salad was hearty, with a generous combination of mixed greens and sprouts with a sesame dressing.

I found overall that the food could have been warmer: you choose your meal from the open buffet trays, which lose heat fairly quickly.

The buffet at Ottawa's Green Earth

Green Earth’s regular menu is heavy with soy protein and tofu instead of meat. As a general rule, I’m not big on fake meat, so I would ask for a vegetable substitute.

I had actually stopped in at Green Earth to pick up a snack on my way to class the night before and tried chocolate vegan cheesecake for the first time. I was astounded. It was delicious. I didn’t know soybean curd could taste so creamy, chocolately and cheesecake-like. As frugal as I am, I shelled out $4.50 for a slice of tofu cake – but it was worth it.

Creamy, delicious "cheese cake" from Ottawa's Green Earth

Even if you’re an animal-eater, I recommend a meatless meal every once in a while. And if you have it at one of Ottawa’s veggie-friendly restaurants, bonus!

Up next: I will be giving Ethiopian cuisine a taste test at Horn of Africa. The Ethiopian diet is traditionally very vegetarian friendly, plus you get to eat with your hands!

Thanks for joining our roster of Local Tourists Hillary! We’re sure our vegetarian audience is as happy to have you as we are!

Date night: Now that’s a burger

Super cheese burger from Burger & Shake, located at 5510 Limebank Road in Manotick

Shelly Lyonnais is a local elementary school teacher who has been living in Ottawa on and off for 20 years.  She spends her weekends in search of Ottawa’s great date night dinner locations.

Sometimes you just need a low key kind of date night… even better if you have a date night where you can wear your comfy clothes and take the dog!

We recently had one of those nights. We considered the fast food options in our area (nearly non existent) and decided that if we have a hankering for a burger, why not go somewhere that has really good burgers instead of the ones that will inevitably give us a belly ache.

Not far from our subdivision is the Burger & Shake, a little shack on Limebank near St. Mark’s highschool in Manotick.  It is surrounded by a mini putt, a driving range, a picnic table area and soccer fields.  I had read reviews about the awesome burgers and fresh ingredients so I was really excited to try it for myself.  

If you like the indoors there are a few tables inside the small restaurant where you can dine, but if you enjoy the outdoors there are picnic tables and tables with chairs outside.  We opted for taking our dinner home… although the picnic tables would have been very nice had it not been raining all day.

Come on...you know you love it. Where's your favourite place to get poutine in the city?

Dinner is ordered from a counter which is opened to the grill behind so that you can see the magic happen as you wait.  The staff is really friendly and patient as your eyes inevitably pour over the list of burgers, fries, poutine, shakes, ice cream and more.

We ordered a super cheese burger with the works: ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers and onions.  

This patty was monstrous and it wasn’t even the largest size! Seriously??  Look at that burger!  I cannot believe that we were considering  a drive thru!  I will take this opportunity to thank the lovely people at the Burger & Shake for wrapping this burger really well (in wax paper and then in the container pictured above) because on my way out of the car I dropped this beauty and it held together beautifully.

Along with the burger we also purchased a small poutine. This poutine contained fresh cut fries, gravy and cheese curds that still squeaked (a true sign of freshness).

As if the above mentioned items were not enough, we ordered one more thing to share: a vanilla shake that didn’t make it home.  The milkshake was creamy and thick, my only complaint is that I didn’t get my own.

This was a great meal for a low key Saturday night when the most important thing is a little family time and not necessarily dressing up and going out on the town.  

I have a feeling that this little place will be our local place this summer… what is yours?

Thanks Shelly!

Small-town feel, big time taste: Stephanie Brooks visits Westboro’s Milagro Grill

Milagro Grill is located at 357 Richmond Road, Ottawa

Stephanie Brooks is an Ottawa journalism student. Originally from “the country,” she is now discovering the places and faces of her new Westboro hometown.

It’s a miracle an old diner and ice cream parlour was transformed into a trendy and picturesque dining room, bar, patio, and one of Westboro’s most popular eateries.

Brenda Freije and her co-workers from previous Mexican restaurants opened Milagro Grill in March 2006, to offer a unique atmosphere and dishes not found elsewhere in the area.

“Westboro was ideal. We’ve been trying to get in here for a very long time and finally found a perfect spot,” says general manager Freije.

The name “Milagro” – “miracle” in Spanish, just seemed to fit.

The 100-year-old hardwood floors, Latin decor and dimly-lit lanterns hanging above each table illuminating the exotic flavours on plates make the space reminiscent of a quaint Mexican café.

For more information on Milagro, visit http://www.milagrogrill.com

Located in the heart of Westboro Village between Churchill and Roosevelt Avenue, Milagro’s motto is “Mexican with attitude” – but the friendly service and staff on-hand have anything but.

Maybe that’s what keeps their regulars coming back. Or, it could be Milagro’s extensive and original menu, that features South American, Latin and Mexican flavours.

Whether it be the restaurant’s distinctive Kronenbourg or Tuborg beers, famous classic margaritas, or anything from the Milagro salad to the Brazilian Shrimp Stew, this restaurant has something for everyone. Sports fans can sit at the bar on one half the restaurant, families can enjoy one of the many booths, and candlelit corner tables are perfect for dates.

Freije says sandwiches at lunchtime are very popular, as it’s a go-to spot for local businesspeople. Their specials, she says, are also a big draw.

Milagro's motto is "Mexican with attitude"

“Our Brazilian chef, Lino, is always putting great specials together,” she says.

Others opt for my personal favourite: the never-disappointing Milagro Special – three enchiladas of beef, chicken, or cheese (or a combination), with beans, guacamole and salad.

“That’s the nicest if you want to try a bit of everything,” Freije says.

When the warm weather finally hits, two large garage doors will open up onto bustling Richmond Road for extra patio dining, adding to the 78 seats they have available.

During Westfest, Westboro’s annual outdoor weekend art and music festival, Milagro will join plenty of other vendors and open up their service onto closed-down Richmond Road. From June 10 to 12^th, Freije says they will turn down their menu in order to accommodate the orders, and have seating available for 65 on their extended patio.

So what’s next for the owners of Westboro’s little miracle? Trying to pull off another – right across the street.

“Churchill’s” will be opening in a couple of weeks, offering pub fare in a relaxed setting. Freije says they, too, are hoping to open up the patio onto the road for Westfest.

So if you’re strolling the street for a great meal with an inviting atmosphere and authentic Latin flare, you can’t miss the aromatic flavours coming from Milagro’s kitchen – or the colourful mural on its exterior.

Thanks Stephanie! We hope to see you around here again soon!

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!