Ottawa Foodies

Still on cloud 9 after our dinner here last night.

Got a nice cozy table in the corner, and happily the pleasant knowledgeable server we had the last time.

Started with cocktails: glass of Prosecco for me and a bottle of Sagres Portuguese beer for Mr. KSW.

This being our third time we decided to try a new selection of plates (with one exception).

Our plates were:

1. Tirokafteri Dip: A unique blend of Dodonis Feta cream cheese, lemon, and spicy peppers served with warm Greek pita

It was very tasty but not as spicy as I would have thought. I would have been fine with more spicy peppers.

2. Aginares Souvlaki: Charred eggplant & artichoke skewers with splash of Tzatziki

Only slightly charred (a good thing) and great combination with the tzatziki

3. Biftekia: Kefalograviera (cheese) stuffed miniature Greek hamburgers finished with e.v.o.o and lemon

Wonderful spicy flavour with just the right amount of cheese filling

4. Vlaxika Patatakia: Yukon gold fries with melted Kefalotiri cheese and garlic-mint aioli

We had this last time and Mr. KSW loved it so we got it again this time. Generous portion and amazing flavour combinations

5. Kataifi crusted pork: tender with sautéed shitake mushrooms and chili plum sauce

This was the star of the show. The pork is wrapped in little crispy bundles of filo pastry strings and the plum sauce was to die for - perfectly sweet and spicy with the pork

Sadly 5 plates was all we could manage since we also wanted dessert. I have already picked out which plates I want the next time we go :)

To accompany our plates we both had a glass of Greek red: 2003 Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ampelou Gis, Messinia, Greece

For dessert we had the "Heavenly Trio": Baklava, Kataifi, Halva. However, I really wanted to try the Honey Lavender ice cream from the "Mediterranean Magic" trio so I substituted it for the Halva. The server was happy to do this for us.

Mr. KSW had a cup of decaf organic coffee with his dessert.

Our meal before tax and tip came to $91.50.

Absolutely fabulous meal that I hope to repeat very soon.

I second everything that Big Mouth said and would just add the following…

It is so nice when your dining expectations are not only met, but exceeded. I spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals and fantasizing about my next lunch or dinner out. More often than not I'm a little disappointed. That’s what happens when you build up your expectations too high. This was not the case with my lunch today at A'roma Meze, which I have been planning for some time. In fact, I was delighted with the experience.

I ordered from the “Meze Flight Lunch” menu and chose the Aginares Souvlaki (charred eggplant and artichoke with tzatziki), Kotopoulo Avgolemono (chicken breast filled with spinach and feta), the char grilled stuffed calamari (stuffed with orange, olives and feta) and the Dolmades. I thought I ordered the Dolmades with beef but was given the veggie version which are topped with sheep’s milk yogourt instead.

All was delicious. The stuffed calamari was an explosion of suprising, vibrant flavours. I have never eaten olives and orange together before and never would have considered it, but it was incredible and bursting with flavour! The stuffed chicken was tender, moist and filling despite the small portion. The grilled eggplant and artichoke were meaty and flavourful. I didn’t care for the dolmades as much as I liked the other dishes, but only because I was expecting meat and didn’t get it. They were still very good, although I found the sheep’s milk yogourt a little sharp for my taste.

For dessert we shared the ice cream/sorbet sampler – perfect for sharing. It came with a rich and creamy olive oil ice cream that I will be dreaming about every night for weeks to come. The blood orange sorbet was also stunning, both in colour and flavour.

The service was friendly, helpful and attentive. My companions and I chose to eat on the patio as it was a beautiful, sunny day and, if it hadn’t been for the noise of the construction across the street, we could have easily imagined we were on holiday in the Mediterranean.

I dined for the first time at Aroma Meze today. What a splendid experience -- a combination of culinary delights, excellent service and beautiful weather!

My friends and I had been checking out their (flight) lunch menu for over a week. The lunch menu presents a sampling of hot and cold tapas-type dishes, comprising both Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. You choose a selection of four samplings. We began with the tzaziki dip with warm fresh-out-of-the-oven-homemade pita bread. It was so fresh and laid the groundwork for our meal ahead.

I ordered the Eggplant Roulade (thin slice of eggplant stuffed with feta and speech, topped with a tomato sauce and cheese), the Kotopoulo Avgolemeno (chicken breast scaloppini filled with spinach and feta), the Keftedes (meatballs with a base of roasted garlic puree), and -- at the suggestion of the server -- the Loukaniko (greek sausage with caramelized fennel and orange zest). If your mouth is not already watering, I don't know what to say. ( ;

All were delicious! Of my selection, I most enjoyed the Eggplant Roulade (melt-in-your-mouth) and the Loukaniko (a lovely tangible sweetness). The presentation was also beautiful. I had been concerned the portions would not be adequate for lunch but was pleasantly satisfied.

For dessert, the three of us shared (and I DO love the name!) the Ecstasy, Frozen in Time which comprised four ice cream/sorbets: extra virgin olive oil (e.v.o.o.), halva, blood orange and pomegranate, and spiced orange and honey. One might think e.v.o.o. ice cream to be quite a detour but it was absolutely wonderful -- creamy yet light! All four scoops were elegantly presented in their own tiny chocolate teacup moulds; a real bonus! The platter was the ideal end to a superb meal!

I tried googling the greek transliteration for "delicious" but wasn't very successful. If I had found it, I would have certainly began my review that way. On second thought, I may have tried to look up the term "yummy" as well.
There is no doubt that I will be back to this resto for more samplings.

Just a tiny footnote: for consumers of sweet ice tea (like me), Aroma Meze serves the cold tea variety rather than the type we are otherwise use to.

I love this place! My regular dinner companions include vegetarians, food allergies and picky eaters. We are all accomodated here--to very nice service and if you request it a few days ahead the nice room (seats 6 or 7). Love all the selection and the friendly service.
We showed up (no reservations, Sat. night 7 pm!) after a girls day at The Nordic Spa--just wanted a glass of wine and a little bit of food. They were so nice! They gave us a table for an hour and 15 minutes and were so prompt--we were happy. The server suggested we keep the menu--unfortunately it fell over and knocked over a glass of wine (barely sipped!). It was happily replaced and we were served nicely and did not feel rushed. The owner helped us with our jackets (we were very mellow after an afternoon at Nordic Spa!--btw--excellent cheese platters at the spa!)
Also go here with my young people--sometimes dressed...not for a nice restaurant and have always been welcomed.
Do love this place--we had lamb, calamari 2 ways, meze platter (dips with breads) and salad--all excellent.

My friend and I decided to come here last night so we could relive our vacation to Greece from last year. This restaurant had been on my 'to-try' list for some time since everything looks so good in the pictures.

We ordered the Hortiatiki (village salad), Kolokithokeftedes (crispy zucchini with tzatziki), Saganaki (flaméd cheese), Eggplant Roulade (stuffed eggplant with tomato sauce), and the Tirokafteri (feta, cream cheese and spicy peppers) dip. We each ordered a 5 oz. glass of wine, her the house white, me the Carmenère (red) from Chile.

We were both very impressed. Everything was fantastic. The food was so good that I want to go back here as soon as I can (well, to Greece, too, but that's another story). The food was just as impressive and flavourful as what I had in Greece itself, but with better presentation. We didn't touch the Roulade right away as we wanted a picture!

For dessert we each had an order of the Chocolate Explosions. They are mini-tiramisu balls covered in chocolate, served still slightly frozen. They were to die for.

As for the restaurant itself... the staff were friendly, polite and knowledgeable, without being intrusive. The service was quick. The food presentation was very nice. I'll make separate comments about the other impressive parts of the meal in the individual sections on this page.

The total, with tip, came to $45 each. We both felt that was reasonable, given the quality of the food, wine and our experience.

This one is on my "save up and try list". I helped install the sound system here. The lady doing the faux marble painting at the time was awesome.

The owner was really nice to all the workers there. He was trying new menu items with a consulting chef ( not for ingredients but for looks/presentation). The workers were the guinea pigs for taste. MMMMMMM.

I wonder if the Greek Salad in the hollowed out cucumber sections made it to the menu? Anyone ?

This is a lovely restaurant best enjoyed in the proper context. For me I like going with a group, ordering lots of wine, and staying for hours. Eat slowly and enjoy.

Oh, and if you need more dish recommendations, try a taramosalata to start, the stuffed majdool dates, and the fantastic coarse lamb sausages.

To reply to what tnt said, from what I remember:

- The lima beans were in a tomato herb sauce, and were indeed tasty.
- The other dessert was the Heavenly Trio. It had halva, kataifi and baklava.

I gave a more full review in our food blog: www.epicureanottawa.com

I would go again for sure, and feel the food is well worth the money.

Finally we had two desserts - My big fat Greek dessert (in the picture) and another trio of desserts which I believe had Baklava in it (I can't remember now). The food was delicious, the service was attentive and knowledgeable, there was lots of great wine and excellent company. This is one of our favourite restaurants.

By the next round the photos got a little less regular. (I think we were on bottle number three of the Greek wine we ordered)

We had a spinach and cheese dip with some warm pita, an order of Yukon Gold fries with cheese and aioli and deer medium rare. Mmmmmm Bambi. It was so tender and delicious, with a white juniper & red peppercorn sauce.

Delicious and the staff know their wines.

It' s a very nice restaurant. I really suggest this restaurant for all the foodies who like mediterranean flavours and atmospheres. Very interesting wine list with many good sicilian and greek wines that match very well with all the plates. Even the service at the tables is good and that's a real rarity in Ottawa. I feel always at home in this restaurant

This really should read 'Wine' instead of European wines. Their extensive wine list features a good selection from the Mediterranean, but also Canada, the US and South America. The wine list has a comment on it saying that is a work in progress, so it's constantly changing. And there is a very good selection of wines by the glass.

The wine service here is excellent. The Carmenère I ordered was at a good temperature, slightly chilled so it wasn't too overdone.

First off, they have the proper glasses for white and red wines. That impressed me, as you don't see that all too often, let alone good quality red and white wine glasses.

Secondly, when you order a wine by the glass, the server brings the bottle to your table and pours it in front of you. I really liked this as I could see how old the bottle was (as in it hadn't been open long) and that I was really getting the wine I ordered.

A'roma Meze has a good selection of Spanish wines. Montecillo Crianza Roja 2003 is one of these. 100% Tempranillo grape, dry, full body, peppery with low tannin and a medium-long finish. Aromas of red cherry, strawberry and black spices in the mouth. To try with lamb chops. Cheap and good!

Good selection of wines from all the Mediterranean Countries. Their wine list has many unknown bottles but very interesting for wine lovers. Red Xinomavro from Nemea and white Assyrtiko from Santorini island are good choices for many Greek dishes at the right price. The super traditional Greek Retsina is for who wants to play safe but, don't forget to drink it in the smallest glass(a greek version of short).

There's a picture on this page of the Saganaki being flambéd. The cheese was very good quality - a strong flavour and not over-cooked, nor rubbery. It was really good.

We went to A'roma again last week with fellow foodies Candice & Mendel - so they can help out with the "review". Really we just wanted to show the photos of some of our favourites.

We began with the saganaki cheese...