I’m not sure how to explain it, but I felt like I was dining in a Parisian story-book…I will go even further to say that it almost felt like we were dining at the residence of the “Old-Lady-Who-Lived-In-A-Shoe” character.

The whole place is a bit whimsical, rustic and very warm;

The food carries the same character: very rustic and hardy. The plate sizes are perfect and each bite you take fills you with rich flavors.

They make their own fresh bread in-house, offer wood-fired pizza’s, lots of interesting salads, as well as rich fish and meat dishes.

I should say that they have a fairly small menu with lots of interesting choices…This is a great place to go if you’re a vegetarian too! ***Try the vegetarian mushroom/nut pate, its amazing!!!***

I absolutely recommend it.

Bon Appetit!

XoXoX

Located At:
1087 Wellington Street, West
For Reservations: (613) 695-2999

Photo credit: http://julielalonde.ca/

I can’t believe that I have never been to this fantastic little spot before. It’s amazing how small Ottawa is, and how many little hole in the wall restaurants there are. When people say there’s nothing to do here, I always think – “Use your imagination, dude.”

Mezzanote is a beautiful, upper scale spot where you will find the city’s taste makers and trend setters dine. The decor is absolutely stunning – especially the gorgeous textured back-lit walls (this incredible makeover was done by my good friends at FinalTouchCarpentry), the seating makes you feel so comfortable that you’ll stay for hours (I sure did!) and the music is tasteful and appropriate. I especially liked the respectful volume levels. I really hate it when you’re trying to have a deep conversation over dinner while trying to compete with the volume of the music.

Photo Credit: http://julielalonde.ca/

I really liked their glassed in table towards the back of the restaurant as well – where you would be able to host a private dinner for any occasion.

The menu is a contemporary Italian cuisine with lots of choices ranging from lamb, veal and especially pleasing for seafood lovers such as myself.

I would absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a really nice way to spend an evening enjoying great food or drinks. Thanks for introducing me to this place Genny! <3 *** I especially invite you to try the “Antipasto alla Melanzana” – Eggplant stuffed with ham, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and ricotta cheese, topped by mushroom white wine sauce. AMAZING!

BON APPETIT!
XoXoX

Menu ranges from: About $10 – $25

Hours:

Sunday to Tuesday
11:30am – 10:00pm

Wednesday to Saturday
11:30 – 11:00pm

Address

50 Murray Street
Byward Market
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 9K1

613-562-3978

I can honestly say that this spot is on my top 5 favorites of 2010…and what a way to end off my culinary experiences to roll into a new year full of new favorite spots.

We had heard about this restaurant numerous times, the hype and our curiosity got the best of us. We reserved a table and went in for the culinary kill.

Not knowing what to expect in terms of dress code, we thought we’d go in dressy casual. As you walk into this unassuming house-turned-restaurant you are greeted with a smile and a coach check. (Which is nice because I really hate hanging up my jacket on the back of my seat or having to go to an unsupervised coat rack.) The lighting is romantic and the ambiance is very homey and inviting. (Despite some of the reviews we heard about Beckta’s ambiance, I can assure you there is nothing pretentious about this place!)

I found that every detail at this little spot is looked after. From the greeter pulling out the table for us to squeeze into our little booth, to the very tactful nature of each waiter. (They actually wait until you finish your conversation until they ask you if everything is going your way.)

The great thing about the food at Beckta is that most of the ingredients are sustainable, local and organic. Now, onto the mouthwatering menu.

We started with APPS:

1.) Tuna Tataki - tandoori dusted, jalepeno and yellow pepper rings, edamame mash and lime curd.

2.) Oyster Po’oy Sandwich – fried oysters, in house smoked chipotle remoulade, napa slaw, caramelized onions, double smoked bacon and sunchoke chips.

For Mains We Chose:

3.) House Made Gnocchi - Trio of mushrooms, baby zucchini, roasted ciplollinis, wild ramp & sorrel sauce and 5 year old provolone.

4.) Magret Duck Breast – Spaetzle “stuffing”, roasted turnips, snow peas, house-made sauerkraut and cranberry ginger chutney

EVERYTHING was amazing. Fresh, full of multi-layered flavors and immensely satisfying. It’s really important to also mention that I was also really encouraged to see a diverse mix of diners: young couples in jeans on casual dates, mature couples dressed up celebrating anniversaries, families and groups of foodie friends. This just shows that there is an underground market of sophisticated tastes in this town we call Ottawa

*Side Note: Our knowledgable waitress recommended a new liquor for me which I instantly LOVED. If you enjoy ice wine you will LOVE Lillet. It’s a brand of French  aperitif wine. It is a blend of 85% Bordeaux wines and citrus liqueurs made from a variety of sweet and bitter oranges and grapefruit peels.

I give this place 10/10

Check them out HERE or call to reserve your table here: 613 238 7063

Beckta Dining and Wine
226 Nepean Street
Ottawa, ON

Bonne Appetit!

XoXoX

Share This ]]> http://www.lexxxy.net/tasty-tuesday-beckta-dining-and-wine/feed/ 0 http://www.lexxxy.net/play/ http://www.lexxxy.net/play/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:23:12 +0000 lexxxy http://www.lexxxy.net/?p=765

Picture Credit: www.playfood.ca

Checked out “PLAY” last night with a small group of friends for a new experience. I heard good things about this little spot and curiosity got the best of me.

Located on 1 York Street, this spot holds intrigue for foodies like me – who love to try bite sized treats for a reasonable price. When you walk into this spot, the architecture is noticed right off the bat – it reminded me of cafes I’ve been to in New York or Montreal (just a little more casual however). Greeted by the first floor (thinking it was tiny and wouldn’t be able to accommodate us on a busy Saturday night) – we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the loft style staircase leads us to Play’s 2nd floor where we were seated.

The decor is simple, intimate and casual…and the food matches that as well as the name of the restaurant very well.

The most important thing to know about this place is that every plate is of appetizer proportion. If you are really hungry you must at least order 2 plates.

The menu is actually really fun and I really want to find myself back at this spot more than a few times

Picture Credit: www.playfood.ca

How many times have you really wanted to just get out of the house but your not really hungry? This place is PERFECT for those occasions! Its a great place to go on a date or socialize with your friends over wine and a few delicious nibbles! You could even go for dinner – just combine a few plates to create a satisfying meal!

Check out their menu HERE

The plates range from $8 – $19

They have an extensive wine list. Check it out HERE

And cheese plates too! Check that out HERE

Visit Play at 1 York Street 613 667 9207

Bon Appetit!

XoXoX

Went to the 4 diamond Perspectives Restaurant at the Brookstreet Hotel. For those who don’t know or haven’t had the chance to ever check out the hotel – its fantastic. If I’m not mistaken it’s Ottawa’s Premier Luxury Hotel…and the food isn’t far from that either.

Truth be told, I’m usually not into fancy restaurants mostly because I LOVE to eat and the portions sizes (almost always) fall short for me…But this place pleasantly impressed me and left me completely satisfied.

Our 3 course meal was from the restaurant’s “Table D’hote: B Indulged” menu which is only $39.95 per person.

We were seated and served fresh warm petite baguette style bread with a choice of 3 flavored, whipped butters (chipotle, horseradish and regular) including a carrot-salmon salad teaser.

My appetizer came out shortly – I chose the flank stake with bean salad and corn coulis.

For my main, I chose a grilled salmon and halibut cake plate which also came with veggies.

And for dessert we had one choice: peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream (Honestly, my least favorite part of the meal but that’s all I can say because everything else was great!)

Overall the  meal was fantastic! The restaurant is upscale, elegant and modern…and at the same time you don’t feel like it’s a “must” to dress up (but if you want to make a fancy night out of it, this spot accommodates that as well.) (By the way – if you choose the same 3 course dining experience, you have a choice between 2 apps and 2 mains.)

The service is impeccable – all of the staff were very attentive and friendly.

The best part is that the menu changes on a monthly basis based on season….So I’ll be back once a month for sure!

Bon Appetit!

XoXoX

Photo Credit: www.canvasrestobar.ca

What a MASTERPIECE this spot is!!!

Canvas is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to in terms of taste of food.

I quote their website:

“Canvas prides itself in being an inviting little neighborhood bistro in the ever growing Wellington West area of Ottawa. Our goal is to keep everything as fresh and locally sourced as possible. This means a menu that is always being re-invented and developed according to the seasons and availability.”

First of all – I LOVE the idea of an ever changing menu with each season. I think that this is the ONLY way to go with any GREAT restaurant. It just makes sense to me that a good restaurant would carry food that is available by season. (As a side note, I also believe that not every resto should be the same…although I love the idea of “self-sustainable” – I also like having the choice of eating a variety of foods at any time of year.) With that said – it’s a food fact that eating foods that are in season taste a milli times better than foods that have been shipped half way across the world….But that’s a whole othaaa blog!

So, lets get to it.

As I was saying – if you LOVE food as much as a I do, this place is a MUST for many reasons:

1. Its elegant and cozy inside – appropriate to celebrate a special occasion, have a date OR just chill on any night of the week
2. The staff is INCREDIBLE. When I was there, it felt as though every person who I talked to had their heart pouring into every part of the restaurant…If someone asked me to guess who the owner was, I’d guess that they’re ALL owners by the way they treated us and handled each dish.
3. The food is INCREDIBLE. When I say you can taste love in every bite, believe it baby.

Everything from the most simple green salad or mashed potato to the most exquisite lamb plate, had LOVE. It tasted as though there was a “secret ingredient” in every bite. Even the way that the waiter served us was with love.

I can’t even get into the dishes we had because then, I’d have to recommend something…and its too hard to chose! Let’s just say that we tried the lamb, cornish hen and steak…and they were the best cuts of meat any of us ever had.

Photo Credit: www.canvasrestobar.ca

Canvas is open for lunch and dinner and Sunday brunch.

The prices are VERY decent. Apps are between $6 – $12 and mains are between $23 – $32

This place is such a special treat…You really leave with a full belly, a smile and another reservation.

Canvas
65 Holland Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 729-1991

Bon Apetit!

XoXoX

Just checked out this South American spot and I must say I really liked the ambiance of this place! I’m always saying that there aren’t many places in Ottawa that are cozy and nice to go to – this place is a “neighborhood” joint that is really cute, cozy and best of all – has a great little second floor patio! Roof top patios are my FAVORITE and there aren’t many in Ottawa!

The menu is composed of different Latin influences and is a good size. A lot of the time (in my personal opinion) when I eat at Latin restaurants  (like Mexi’s or something) I feel like there isn’t a whole lot to chose from. This place has authentic snacks like Empanadas (Savory Latin stuffed turnover), Flautas (Four rolled corn tortillas stuffed with chicken), Chimichanga (yummy stuffed tortilla) but also gives you the option of more sophisticated dishes like Swordfish or Brazilian shrimp stew or even tasty sandwiches  (Cuban, Latino, Frita).

They also specialize in all sorts of different tequillas! (wink wink nudge nudge) Just don’t get too carried away! We had a couple of shots of Patrone and felt it for the rest of the afternoon

Milagros Grill is in the centre of Wesboro (pretty much across from Bridgehead). Check it out if your looking for a place to go to on a nice day or for a nice dinner with a Latin twist!

Buen Apetito!

Milagros Grill
357 Richmond Road
Ottawa, Ontario K0A 1B0
(613) 722-8011

What you will need:

1/2 Container of organic chicken/veggie broth (whatever kind you want)

Crushed tomatoes in a GLASS jar. *Tomatoes that come in an aluminum container are subject to toxins that line the aluminum. I would suggest to only buy tomatoes in glass jars.

1 stick of celery

1 carrot

1 Medium red pepper

2 Cloves of garlic

1/4 Onion

1 teaspoon of oregano

Hand full of coriander

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Grate the red pepper, onion and garlic (on the smallest part of the grater). Set aside

2.) Bring the broth, stick of celery and carrot to a boil

3.) Pour the jar of crushed tomatoes in the pot and lower the heat

4.) Add the grated veggies 

5.) Stir

6.) Garnish with your favorite spices (oregano or cilantro work really well) as well as your favorite croutons!

And VOILA! BON APPETIT! This recipe takes no more than 15 minutes…and its DELICOUS! The soup turns out to be quite hearty and no need to add any salt – there’s already salt added into the crushed tomatoes. 

Let me know how yours turns out!!!

XOXO

This sushi experience was one of my best. Your food is prepared right in front of you by a detail-oriented sushi chef with a quick hand. If your ordering take out (which I strongly suggest) call 30 minutes before you pick it up.

We decided on the Sushi Lover I platter which dazzled us with a huge variety – 46 pieces…Just enough for 3 hungry girls!

The variety included: Nigiri, Cali, Kami, Salmon,  Mango, Crazy,  and Mini Rolls.

Every peice was SPECTACULAR!!! There were so many flavours that melted together beautifully, that we could not even pin point which one was our favourite!

The prices are very reasonable – our platter of 46 cost about $50. And the average combo platter (6-10 pieces) costs between $8 – $10. And having said that – these are NOT tiny rolls…these are quite sizey compared to other places I’ve dined at!

 KOCHU
361 Elgin Street, Unit 5
Ottawa, ON K2P 1M7
Canada

613.56SUSHI (78744)

Stoneface Dolly’s

This is one of my favorite spots to go for brunch on the weekends. I have to warn you upfront that it gets busy, so try and make it early and don’t come when you’re starving because there’s an occasional wait…that I believe is worth waiting for.

This casual café serves home-style gourmet food with an international twist…I find the food to be well thought out and quit original. They serve lunch, brunch, dinner, dessert and have an extensive wine list. 

You can find your classic favorites such as Eggs Benedict, pancakes and French toast but for the more adventurous taste buds, there are amazing brunch dishes like: 

*(Brunch is served between 7:30 am – 10:30 am)

Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes (Two pancakes served with lemon curd and whipped cream) 

Omelet (No. 3) Roasted red pepper pesto, smoked salmon, spinach and goat cheese.

Also a few tasty lunch items:

Greek Burger
With your choice of a lamb or beef burger on an olive tapenade, topped with bruschetta, feta, and yogurt raita.

Chicken or Tofu Babotie
A traditional South African dish. Island spiced ground chicken pie topped with banana and yogurt raita served with mixed greens, fruit chutney and yam chips

Grilled Vegetable Panini
Black olive tapenade, grilled zucchini, pesto oven roasted tomatoes, artichoke hearts & goat cheese

I really enjoy the atmosphere of this café, the prices are great and you can always choose very healthy, hearty meals here. Also, I want to point out that there are really tasty sides to choose from which make every meal complete – from fresh fruit salads to homemade bread to veggie mushroom patties.

Stonefaced Dolly’s
www.stonefacedollys.com
416 Preston Street
Ottawa, On
613-564-2222