Ottawa Foodies

Had a business lunch with a friend of mine at the Wellington Gastropub. I've had this restaurant on my go-to list for a while now, so this was just what I needed (I love knocking them off!).

I love it in there. It's so cozy and just begs you to sit back, sip wine and spend a few hours. Of course I didn't. I had to go back to the office. But I did manage to squeeze in a glass of Gewürztraminer.

Although much of the time was spent chatting, we did take moments to appreciate the exquisite presentation of the plates as they arrived, and to savour the quality of the food we were eating.

The first plate served at the table was some light and airy Art-is-in bread – a bowl of golden Ontario extra-virgin cold-pressed canola oil served alongside for dipping.

We both ordered the salad of baby beets, crispy Pingue capicollo, pickled radish and goat cheese with a black currant-vanilla dressing. Each ingredient was so fresh and tasty that I was happy the dressing was as mild as it was.

For his main, Graham ordered the rare B.C. Albacore tuna with roasted fingerlings, olives and mushrooms, summer squash and caper-almond vinaigrette. I got to try a bite and these fat slices of seared tuna were so fresh and heavenly!

I was equally excited by my main. I almost couldn't take a shot of this mouthwatering vision fast enough – my brain was being challenged between either grabbing my fork or my camera. Plump meaty scallops with crisp, golden edges and sinful crushed potatoes smothered in sour cream and caramelized onion. Vivid green and yellow beans added a nice touch of colour, livening up the whole plate. Everything was brought together by a guanciale vinaigrette – I'm sorry but bacon in any form, even a vinaigrette, just takes a dish from great to amazing! Especially one prepared with pig's cheeks.

The service was impeccable, ambiance cozy and relaxing. I found the prices to be teetering on the expensive side, especially for lunch – between $6 and $12 for apps, $12 to $16 for mains. But I'd love to go back for dinner. It's a great spot.

The "apple cider beer starting with W" you mention is likely Ontario's own Waupoos cider, and I agree it is top-notch!

I finally went to the Gastropub tonight with 2 friends, it was nice but didn't blew me away.

For appetizer I had the tuna tartar with crostinis, it was AMAZING! My friends shared the risoto, they were pleased but not ecstatic.

Main course I had the sea scallop with fried black rice and bok choi. The sea scallops were cooked to perfection, but to me this dish resembles seafood fried rice at the Fortune Express in Kanata, for less than half the price! So a little disappointed there.

My friends again ordered the same dish: the mahi mahi. Both of them are very disappointed, they fish was too dry and had no taste. I took a bite and agreed with them.

If I were to cook this dish, I'd rub sea salt over the filet first, lightly sear it, then pour Lee Kim Chee's Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood over heated olive oil and sprinkle some diced green onion on top, that's it.

For dessert, I ordered the white chocolate cheese cake and my friends had Adriana's ice cream, both were fairly good.

Oh I had the beer sampler for drink, it was very good, particularly the apple cider beer (weird name starts with a W), I'd order that beer next time around.

They did however mixed up our reservation: I sent the reservation by email last week, somehow it didn't get noticed, so we didn't have a table when we arrived. They were pretty good about it, our table was ready in about 10 minutes.

Their service was very nice too, waiters/waitress were very courteous and attentive. The waitress asked us several times on how the food was, and when she saw that I still had a small portion of tuna tartar left, she immediately asked if I wanted to have more crostinis. I was very impressed with that.

Food service was a bit slow when it comes to the main course, which allowed us to chitchat. Portions were OK for me, my husband would probably want bigger ones though. The price was reasonable too.

All in all, it was a nice restaurant, not sure about the hype, but decent food. I'd probably go there again.

Ribeye steak

One of the best steaks ive had in ottawa. Nicely aged, cooked to perfection. It was laying on a bed of spetzle noodles and green beans.

The spetzle was very nice and probably simply tosted in butter.

Scallops!

Pan seared scallops on a bed of lentils and baby bok choy.

Veggy option! Cous the cous!

Couscous overflowing with multiple different types of olives and peppers. A few tempura styled cauliflower pieces were also added... TASTY!

Thai Fish Cakes! Yum!

The Cakes where topped with a nice mango chutney and a few pieces of cucumber.

Underneath the caked a spicy ailoli for a bit of bite.

The fish cakes where soft, a bit mushy... I would of love to have had them crusted for a change in consistency.

A friend and I went to the WGP on Monday. Our experience was very positive. We both had the Arctic Char for lunch. It was served 'on' a bacon and leek chowder with bok choi. A substantial portion for a lunch item, partly because of the size of the piece of fish and also because of the richness of the chowder. No room for a dessert for me! We enjoyed the full attention of our server since it was a Monday, typically not a busy day of the week for most restaurants I assume. I have been there in the evening and the loft feel really bounces the sound around when the place is full up. The noise level for our lunch was just right for quiet conversation. The Art-is-in bread (white organic and also multi-grain fennel) was served with dipping oil and salt. And we were told that we could have more when the first slices disappeared so quickly. Without hesitation, we both said we would go back.

Full Review can be found on my blog here: ottawafood.blogspot.com

Butterscotch pudding!! Absolutely wonderful, especially the caramelized banana on top, which was a very nice touch.

one of the delicious soups at the Wellington Gastropub. This was a veggie/carrot concoction (I can't remember exactly which as I've had several soups there recently). Love the oil (truffle, I think) & and sour cream dollop on the top...tasty!

Ottawa's own beer finally, Kichesippi on tap. Full aroma and a tad on the spicy side...highly recommended!

I particularily enjoy saddling up to the bar at the WGP. The service is always friendly and helpful.

Trying a flight of beer is a nice little journey into the Ontario breweries and a comparison of the tastes and smells and sensations of each one.

I have enjoyed plenty of great discussion about local products and sipped a few new beers whilst doing so at the WGP.

Highly enjoyable from my perspective!

The beer I chose was an ale from the Robert Simpson Brewing Company out of Barrie, ON which is one of the many beer microbrewed beers they serve. I like the fact that they serve beers from local Ontario small breweries and in being a gastropub, compliment the food you eat as well.

We ordered beers with our meals and this was the bf's choice. St. Peter's English Ale which is brewed in Suffolk, England and is organic. The bottle was the coolest bit....we were allowed to keep it! Very good beer.

While not really a comment on beer from this vendor, I just had to respond to FF's comments on Guinness. If you don't like the relative harshness of Guinness, you should head over to Ireland. The Irish all swear it doesn't travel well, and I thought they were full of it. But it's true. Guinness in Ireland is as you describe: heavy, dark, but smooooooooth and creamy. It's just the perfect drink. Though "perfect" is a dangerous word when talking about taste.

The really big Irish fans insist it has to be sampled in Dublin, near the brewery, as even trucking it to the outer counties reduces the quality. This might be going a little too far, so to speak.

I really enjoyed the Amsterdam Two-Fisted Stout (presumably from Toronto's Amsterdam brewing company). Although the waiter "warned" me that it's dark like Guinness, this beer is the way Guinness *should* be. Heavy and dark, but with a smooth and delicious flavour. No overpowering bitter burnt flavours like Guinness... A pint of Guinness is too much (hence the existence of Black and Tan). A pint of this Two-Fisted Stout is spot on!

The only downside of their beer selection is that the other four draught choices tonight were all yellow beers: three lagers and one pale ale. The beers I love most always seem to be red (or at least orange).

The owners took a broad range of input when coming up with the beer menu, including the opinion of some local craft brewers. They serve an excellent selection of Ontario Micro Brews and British Ales which attracts beer geeks from all around the Ottawa Valley. Definitely go here for the beer.

I sampled a glass of the Shingleback Shiraz (South Australia) and enjoyed its sweetness and complex fruitiness. I'm generally one to sip my wine between courses rather than with the food, so this worked out well. Unlike most wines it even went well with dessert. Anyways, I have yet to meet an Australian Shiraz I don't like.

They have an extensive selection of wines by the glass here, so if you like to sample a few different ones it's a great place to be!

Everyone knows to try the Beef Tartare at the Gastropub. So if you haven't already done so, unless you are planning a visit to restaurants on Boulevard du Montparnasse in Paris, there are no other places in Ottawa that will offer the same (tasty) quality Tartare. A must!

Success!

I believe it was "beef tartare with crostini and truffle oil" on the menu.

Generous portion, marries well with their "house"-level Pinot. Were I to make it at home I'd probably boost the acidity a bit (maybe more capers?), but this was full of beefy goodness.

We've had the steak tartare here. We thought it was very tasty, and the portion was quite large (so large that, had I been eating it alone as a starter, I would have been too full for my main -- but, perfect for sharing).

I can't give unilateral "yay" or "nay" on the steak tartare here yet, because it wasn't available on the menu when I went. They did, however, make some up for me right special. It was good, but I'm not sure if it was the recipe they normally use.

For lunch, yesterday's Ice cream selection was:

Cranberry sorbet, raspberry chocolate, and get ready for it, Banana caramel!

The cranberry sorbet would have been the perfect palate cleanser... a bit sour and very refreshing.

The raspberry chocolate was rich. I have never really enjoyed the chocolate/raspberry mix. But I ate all the ice cream in my bowl.

The chunky monkey carmel was the perfect mix for desert. Once again nice and rich, I could of had a full bowl of this ice cream only and would have been happy.

I love that they serve the ice cream in cold bowls. Pretty sure they put them in the freezer so that the ice cream won't melt while you eat! Very nice attention to detail.

Here is the photo showing "3 small scoops of exquisitely delicious gourmet ice cream" that zymurgist describes. I had raspberry, Tiramisu, and vanilla. They are creamy and yummy!

They do the ice cream in house but I no longer make it for them since February

We've had the ice cream from Wellington twice now...the first time was in late May; we had caramel, something forgettable and banana (the banana was lucious!). We went again last week and had strawberry-rhubarb sorbet that was a bit icy...black currrent ice cream and peanut butter ice cream; we also ordered a chocolate-caramel pot de creme; probably the best dessert course I have ever had. YUM!

She was making it. I'm not sure if she still is. I can ask on Sunday =)

I've heard that their ice cream is homemade, and I've also heard that Pascale's (now with the Piggy Market) was making it. Can someone verify this for me?

their homemade ice cream is amazing! well worth the price.

I hear they make the ice cream in house. Every time we've been there, we've lucked out since they made peanut butter ice cream on those occasions! Delicious!

For 7 bucks you get 3 small scoops of exquisitely delicious gourmet ice cream. Extremely yummy!

This is the tuna tartare ($12) that my friend ordered. Tuna mixed with spicy yuzu mayo. My friend is a picky diner and she told me that the tuna was good, but didn't blow her away though.

Note: Talking about yuzu, have you ever picked up a glass jar of Korean yuzu (called yuja in Korean) from any Chinese grocery stores (e.g., New 168, Kowloon Market, or T&T)? It looks like orange jam. In the winter time, I use about 1 or 2 tablespoon of yuzu syrup to stir in a cup of hot water (sometimes I add small amount of honey) to soothe my throat. I remember that few years ago, a popular Korean TV series (called Dae Jang Geum) was aired in Hong Kong and the drama series has fascinated many Asian TV audience as well. The story talks about the first female Royal Physician in Korean history. About every episode involves making delicious food presented to the king and the stress of herbal medicine.

We all like this baguette-type bread. I was told that the bread is supplied by their neighbor Harvest Loaf, Harvest Loaf. I wish that I also live next to a bakery so that I can have fresh bread daily.

However, I am extremely surprised and disappointed that they don't have balsamic vinegar when I asked for it!

When it came to order our second courses, I was hemming and hawing between the walleye and the chicken. Our server noticed this, and asked what I was trying to decide...when I told him, he immediately said the walleye. And wow, was I glad! Although I'm sure the chicken would have been just as good but he had said that this was the right season to have walleye since it takes a few years before the fish are good to eat again from the lakes. Or should I say, BEST to eat again. This fish (we call it pickerel mainly in SK) is not 'fishy' tasting at all and flaky. It was served on a bed of duck sausage (delish) potatoes, and beets. Sooooo goooood!!

Went here for the first time on Sat. night for my birthday! This was my 1st course....I wanted to quote from the menu but since their menu changes regularly, they just have a sample menu on their website so I'll try as best I can.
Albacore tuna with pickled ginger, tiny pieces of watermelon, and roe. It was cooked nicely, leaving the middle a touch undercooked, which I believe is the best way to serve tuna in this manner. The roe was wonderful with this, and the ginger gave it an extra zing with the bits of watermelon adding cool freshness.

My friend ordered their Date square with vanilla ice cream and toffee sauce. I tried a bite and told my friend that I like her Queen's date cake more.

This is the Chocolate terrine with raspberry sauce ($6). My hubby enjoyed it very much!

My bf's second course was the parpadelle pasta which is similar to lasagna noodles but half the size. It was served with roasted red peppers, oyster mushrooms, and padano cheese. I'm sure there were other bits and bites in it but these were the main items. Very delish and the portion size was just right.

Sorry this pic isn't the best since it was getting darker and the table was only lit by a small candle. Quite romantic, really!

This was the bf's 1st course...chicken fricasee with corn,oyster mushrooms, and truffle oil served on a herbed crepe. I'm sure there was other goodies in here but I'm recalling from my memory a few das later. I had a bite of it and it was served warm (I thought it'd be cool, don't know why) but wow, this was amazing! Even though my tuna was excellent as well, I was wishing I had ordered this instead!

Two of our friends ordered their Angus ribeye ($30) with brown butter cheddar potato puree. The menu states that the dish accompaniment includes Le Coprin mushrooms. But I don't see any mushrooms in the photo. I think it would be nice to add some vegetables on the side to accompany the big steak (very good portion!). My friends told me that the steak they had was tasty.

Sea scallops are always our favorite dish, so delicate. However, scallops are often overcooked and become a rubbery dish. Our sea scaloops were cooked to perfection. The accompaniment (lentils, Nagano bacon, savoy cabbage, overnight tomatoes, corn relish) was also very delicious.

Note: We didn't order this as our main. Instead, we ordered this dish ($25) as our appetizer for the group to share (since many of us ordered the soup of the day). My girl friend who went here for dinner the next day also ordered the scallops as her main. She said the same thing - "the scallops are cooked perfectly!"

This is the Nagano pork loin that my husband and one of our friends ordered. The meat was very tender and juicy. The meat does not have the texture like the typical Canadian pork. My friend (used to be an expat in Japan) told my husband that when you eat the Nagano pork meat, you have to cut it in a smaller portion, put the small piece in your mouth and detect the fine texture to enjoy this type of meat. Then you will see the difference. Nagano pork does not taste like pork at all. So, when you order this dish, try to eat it slowly to enjoy the taste and fine texture.

I told my another friend about this dish. She brought her husband with her to try our recommended dish the next day. Her husband also likes it.