Ottawa Foodies

Love this place! Ordered the deep fried smelts (it wasn't overcooked and it was tasty) and antipasto (a good selection of salami and cheese) for appetizers and they were delicious! I had half a serving of carbonara pasta (they are pretty close to the real thing) and hubby had the Nina pizza with a little drizzle of spicy oil (a good choice to order if you like olives and heart of palm, and there are three different sizes to choose from). I was disappointed with my dessert though. I ordered the creme brulee with raspberry sauce (it was good and I thought it will be more like a raspberry sauce swirled in the creme brulee but it was raspberry coulis on the side) and the special; strawberry cheesecake was light and not too filling. We had a really friendly server and there was a guy playing the accordion - it was a lively atmosphere, we really enjoyed it and we would definitely go back again!

Had our Friday night dinner here last week (slow to get around to the review again). Overall we were impressed with the old world atmosphere (the live accordion music was nice). I hadn't dined here in ages. My parent's used to love this place years ago but it has changed somewhat and may have changed hands as well. The service is still good though.

I started with the caprese salad. A little disappointed that there was no fresh basil instead of the dried oregano served. The flavour was nice but gotta love the fresh stuff!! Also the portion was humungous, almost too big. Better to be shared by two. My sister-in-law had the house salad, hubby had the chef’s salad and my brother-in-law had, what? Oh yes, the escargots Sicilianna (with garlic and mozzarella). I think he scored the winner for appetizers.

I had the homemade ravioli stuffed with meat, veal and pork. I think it was good but the standard red meat sauce they topped it with was a little burnt tasting and not very exciting. It covered up the taste of the meat so it should be deemed as average. Hubby had the piccata (chicken I believe). Not bad but not great. Too bad because that’s what I used to order all the time. I can’t for the life of me remember what my sister-in-law had but my brother-in-law scored again with the lamb. It was succulent and juicy and very fresh given the absence of the boiled wool flavour. Stunning!! Desserts of crème brulee, gelato and a lovely delicate torta alimone were had with coffee to round out the meal.

Worked out to be an average of $70 each with ½ litre of house wine with appetizers, a fair bottle of Chianti with dinner and tip. Not too bad but will order some form of meat or fish next time instead of pasta. Again, love the lively atmosphere though and great mix of clientele!

The food and atmosphere here are great! The service is excellent. My favourite dishes are the bruschetta and primavera pasta. They have an incredible wine list. I don't think I'd be exagerating to say that there are a couple hundred wines listed.

I highly recommend this place.

I always joke that this restaurant is the equivalent to Ian Holmes' restaurant in the movie "Big Night". Serve the customer what he wants, and that's what this place does.

The pasta is good, the chicken on the grill with a side of fettucine alfredo was my guilty pleasure. It's a heart-attack on a plate, but oh so good. Start the whole thing off with their house salad. That dressing, yum yum.

Their pesto is pretty good too, and the mussels and pizzas are yummy.

My family has been going to Trattoria since I was a little girl, since my brother was a baby, falling asleep on the chair while he waited for his meal. We go there for our birthdays, for any semi-special occasion, just to be out as a family.

To note: Sima, our favourite waitress, is dying to marry off one of her daughters to my older brother. Good times!!