Good Food Ottawa

Wow! I hadn't realized that I haven't posted since 2009. As I run 2 blogs for work and am on the computer 12 hours a day, suffice it to say inspiration for food posts just hasn't been enough. It's not like I've stopped taking food pics or notes of noteworthy yummy-ness however - so, expect a bunch of back issue posts coming up. Some of them will probably be way out of date - you know how the resto biz is - the only thing that's constant is change ...

Anyhow, I have been inspired to blog once again ... firstly because my cousin Abe has just started a new Go To Geek blog: http://geekomnivore.blogspot.com/ for all you movie/tv/comic/toy et al lovers out there! And GFT was linked so what's a girl to do?

Secondly, my good friend, Jayro, a masterful home chef recently sent me an email about the amazing ricotta and spring pea gnocchi, tossed with butter and pancetta (omg, drooling) he made recently, pictured below:

"I should have made the gnocchi smaller, and used fresh nutmeg, but it was pretty good." 

Jayro's rendition of gnocchi

I am not sure if it's a recipe from the Sunset Magazine cookbook that I love love love ... but it does make me think of the amazing ricotta gnudi at a local restaurant (definitely one of my all time faves as well) in my neighbourhood (and yes, PS I have relocated to the nation's capital) Town Gastropub. If you are an Ottawa foodie, you may have heard that chef Steve Wall (who's signature dish is that heavenly gnudi) has taken a new position at Luxe in the Byward Market starting in a couple of week (here's the article link on that story).

Buttery bacon-y goodness - gnudi from Town

Well, just wanted to say hello and to watch out for more food stories here. Drop me a line if you come across anything delectable anywhere - I want to know!

Burger Club

I just read an article from XYYZ.ca about "Charlie's Burger" a sort of Fight Club for chefs, except it's more like eyeballing a searing Kobe beef steak rather than holding a cheap cut over a bruised eye. I'm half salivating and half annoyed.

Here's the article: http://www.xyyz.ca/thewyre.php?wc=4&wid=1291

photo of kobe striploin from prawnco.com

Wonderful Weezie's

Toronto Restaurant Review on Weezie's, 354 King Street East (at Power Street).

Sample of the lunch menu:

Frissee Salad $9
Salmon Nicoise
Burger
Mac & Cheese

(no substitutions)

I had the Frissee, which is why I remembered how much it cost, but all of the dishes were under $15.

It was exactly what I wanted - which can be difficult to achieve all of the time. I was wondering just what it meant that the egg was poached and fried and once it came, it all made sense. It was a poached egg coated in panko and fried! YUM! The expertly dressed homemade dressing made the a lettuce such as frissee, which is usually bitter and uninteresting save for it's shape, all crunchy, tangy goodness. The lardons were very salty and so, per the server's suggestion to incorporate the egg fully (most of her clients who order it save it for last), would have worked much nicer if I had better headed the advice (it was more broken into pieces than mixed togeter).

My P-I-E (partner in eating), Rebecca, had the salmon salad and the fish looked just as I like it, just a touch undercooked in the middle, not raw, but not well-done (I actually prefer raw salmon to cooked) and she pronounced it as scrumptious!

wonderful service - perfect timing - perfect execution. No wonder it's a neighborhood fave! Will certainly be back.

If you would like to try a similar poached egg salad at home, I've found a recipe from the What's Cooking America website: The image above is also from the site -- it looks much like the salad I had, except image the egg pretty in panko.

Andros Taverna (previously Mesogio) on Yonge

Andros Taverna, Greek restaurant, 2029 Yonge Street

I know I haven't had time to blog at all with the full time job this past, what 6 or 8 months, but I had to make a quick post about this restaurant. With a lot of little choices - you know when you've exhausted all your work lunch take-out options - one gets excited about a new place. Well, in our case, we had dropped by Mesogio a few times and found it to be both delicious and of good value. We've tried the chicken breast salad, and trio of dips lunch special (I think it was $8.95) and had a tender 4 or 5 oz of meat on a fresh salad of crisp greens with a generous sprinkling of feta. Well, that was then.

The place is under new management now, along with being renamed and although we were promised the same menu, the quality of the food has suffered greatly. Although the price has dropped to $7.50 (pre-tax), they gave a measly amount of lettuce much like a handful of after thought for the chicken salad; although no real complaints about the chicken itself and a thumbs up for decent quality olive oil. However, the accompanying pita was burnt and the pork souvlaki "tasted funny" and was tossed out, unable to be finished.

What a disappointment - looks like Sobey's Urban Fresh around the corner is even a better bet for a Greek salad (under $4) and you can get a nice piece of panko-crusted breast at the deli, charged by weight.

TOMI-KRO Restaurant

After sunset, with candlelight casting interesting shadows in a monochromatic room, and the deep bass of a house dance track playing, Leslieville's TOMI-KRO certainly feels more like a lounge than a resto. Add to the mix arty-looking servers table hopping, and it feels like a night out even though we're here to eat.

Read the rest of my review.

Asian Legend

Asian Legend has a large menu of banquet dishes and every time I go I think about trying a new dish - but never do. I always get the usual suspects because not only are they not easy to find foods, they are just so superbly done.

Read the rest of my review.

Witches' Table

Previously "Soban" (which is what my receipt print out said), now "Witches' Table" (the name itself says so much more clearly my attempt to evoke it's K-popness) - this is why I'd recommend against eating the Korean dishes - but look at this picture - one of the tastiest, plumpest, and most colourful spicy salmon rolls EVER.

My full review.

Gio's

Finally a post!

La Tortillaria

Latest (and last?) TasteTO.com review

Akane-Ya Review

My latest review.