Ottawa Foodies

1

To each his own mystersys. I love the caneles at art is in and get some anytime they are available. I love the thin beeswax layer and the caramellized sugary coating. Perhaps they are an acquired taste, but they are definitely something that I seek out specifically.

en.wikipedia.org

2

Been here a few times now and have tried an assortment of treats.

Bread - is fantastic as it should be from here. As a single gal I never quite finish a loaf of bread no matter how good it is though. The baguette was fine but nothing spectacular - but having had incredible ones in Paris no surprise there. The potatoe dill one was mind-blowingly good. Potato chunks unexpected but delightful. They also made fantastic bread crumbs for use in future recipes. It's everything people raved about and more

Lunch - The sandwiches were tasty. I went on a Monday a while back and there was a soup and sandwich combo that was reasonably priced. I fell in love with the clam chowdah. I returned on a different day expecting the same combo price and was shocked at the price. I actually haven't been back since. Because although it was good, the soup wasnt filling enough on it's own but the price of both is outrageous at regular price.

Macarons - It was pretty to look at. That's about all I can say. Try Macarons et Madeleines for something Parisian comparable

Raspberry Scones - I wouldn't really call it a scone per say. Nothing like the kind I've had in England, Montreal or Scone Witch. Still tasty but very sweet. Not a fan of rolled in sugar things.

Passionfruit truffles for Valentine's day were yummy and I gobbled the whole bag in one sitting - which is extraordinarily rare for me.

Cannele - Just gross. I couldn't eat it. There is far superior in this city for a more reasonable price as well. (See Macaron comment)

Lemon Tart - Was tart...and lemony. Shared it with a friend and didn't mind so I guess it wasn't that amazing since I could still share

Doughnut - Nothing extraordinary - but perhaps more because there were 2 flavours and I didn't get to choose.

I would certainly go back. Things are delicious, but will only go on occassion (when disposable income is readily available as I tend to spend too much money in one shot here.)

The walnut and fig bread has become my favourite.. Should give the raisin and hazelnut bread a whirl sometime.

A lot of bread came out while I was there. I think the demand at farmers market Friday was smaller than they thought.

4

Art-is-in is an excellent eatery. Their double chocolate mousse melts in your mouth. Everyone already knows about the bread... to die for. I love having lunch here, be it a grilled cheese and soup or some other delicious sandwich creation.

My only gripe is the attitude I have noticed. It's not particularly friendly and I find them often snobbish. Has anyone else noticed this? Just curious...

3

1

Went for lunch today at 1:50, they had a sign up saying they would be closing at 3pm for a private event.

Just as we were sitting down they started to set up for the event and we were slightly rudely asked to sit elsewhere "we're setting up for a private event, could you sit at one of those other tables over there? But if you really want to sit here then I'll leave you to it'....I don't know it's my second time having an issue with attitude/service/atmosphere here.

The food was amazing! I will always recommend them as an awesome lunch or breakfast/brunch spot. Today I had the Tandoori chicken sandwich (pic) YUM! the chutney that was one it was perfect!!!

Picked up some great sour dough today, they really do make my favourite I've had in quite some time.

4

Brioche french toast with foie gras, bacon and egg. Triple decker pulled pork sandwich. Breakfast gnocchi. High brow take on a McMuffin made with cheddar biscuit and sausage made in house. Foie gras made into a terrine with hazelnuts. Still more foie gras made into a breakfast BLT. Quinoa salad for those of you with a conscience. With a liquor licence in the works, hopefully a spicy caesar will soon complete their lazy weekend offerings. :o)

Art-is-In currently OWNS Sunday brunch in Ottawa. Nuff said.

5

So no one will be surprised that I'm singing the praises of Art-is-in again, but today's lunch was magnificent. This is the picture that came through my facebook feed and lured me from the west end for lunch today.

Rustic Foie gras, pear and hazelnut terrine! A generous portion that had to be at least half a pound and would have easily fed two of us. Every element of this plate was special. The sumptuous terrine, the toasted buttery brioche and the house made apple jelly and armagnac mustard. A variety of pickled vegetables served as garnish, including my favorite thinly sliced bread and butter pickles. The apple cider onion rings were hot, crispy and had a distinct apple flavour that I really enjoyed.

All this artistry was available for only $14.95.

And BTW they were smoking brined chickens on the BGE for whatever will be on offer tomorrow...

1

Honest Tooth: Someone gave you thumbs down eh, but it wasn't me though! I smiled when I found your comment:)

Becon I.V : Because "very good" doesn't mean "Excellent" in my dictionary. Very good is very good, nothing more or less. Average doesn't mean anything negative.

Aisu, I was exaggerating about the speaking out against :P I was more or less pointing out that calling their product "average" is probably the most negative thing said about them in awhile and may trigger a defense mechanism or two.

I find the obsession a bit out of line because, frankly, it's not the best bread I've had, and it used to be far better than it has been recently.

I mean, you look at a place like OZ Kafe, and they're barely on the public radar despite being one of the best places in town. Case in point, 2 posts on their OF page since this time last year compared to how many posts for Art-is-in?

I will, however, take up that challenge of having something besides the bread and maybe I'll see what all the fuss is about.

@argula - there is also the Farm Boy on Richmond Road.

4

There's always (d) go somewhere else for your bread.

1

So what this means in effect is that if you live in the Westboro/Civic area, your choices are the Farmboy on Merivale (a real joy of a trek on a Saturday), the extra long line-ups at the Ottawa Farmers Market (which will be a lot longer now) or the bakery itself with the dysfunctional service counter? These are my choices?

I recently had the jalapeño chive and cheese bread from Art-is-in and it was fantastic! i loved every bite. The chucks of jalapeño were big which made it spicy too. I also bought a rosemary garlic loaf which was not my favorite. The bread was very tasty but I didn’t get any rosemary (my husband got one piece) and I didn’t get much garlic flavor either. It seemed like there was garlic powder just sprinkled on top, but none baked in. Either way, we happily finished both loaves and I will be going back soon!

4

roasted garlic and rosemary loaf

picked it up fom the lansdown market Sunday and cant stop eating from it . toasted a piece for brekkie and it was perfect, garlic bread with cheese for dinner . 10 / 10 i will be there early on Sunday to reload

4

Best bread in the city

1

The bread is awesome. Picked up potato and dill bread. There are individual bits of potato inside. Very moist and tasty - made a great hearty sandwich. The bits of potato are interesting, as I've made and had bread made with potato water, and sometimes some mashed potato in the dough, but never chunks.

I hate to be the one to point it out but most of Lil review have been equally poorly received.

7

And I would ask lil legume, which loaf did you try? I am loving the Levain bread recently, and the brioche bread. I have never been disappointed, so would be interested in which one specifically you were dissatisfied with. No offense, but the lack of info makes me a little suspicious of your criticism. In my view there are only a small handful of decent places to buy bread in Ottawa and Art is In is at the top of that list.

11

compared to what 'lil legume? white italian loaves? french stick? there are a million different types of bread, looks mean nothing! the shape of a loaf has absolutely no affect on the bread's taste. round loaves, baguettes, sandwich loaves, flat breads, pitas, injera, yeast bread, yeast-free breads...

ugly does not mean the loaf did not rise properly. i make baguette by hand and just hand shape it, instead of using a baguette pan. still that same thing, still tastes the same, just a different shape.

it sounds like you just don't like the flavour of bread you tried. that is fine, to each their own. you shouldn't lump all of art-is-in bread into one catergory because you didn't care for one particular flavour. try a white next time, or a beau's or sour dough, or something more traditional. read the information kevin has available explaining why his bread is the way it is, you might learn something really interesting and new to you.

3

So I heard from a little bird that the aiib baguette is questionable because it is too tasty -- due to the oil content.

The little bird said that it is very possible that a layer of oil has been brushed on each baguette before baking them on a very high heat (500F).

Any oil is bad when heated at a very high heat.

Anybody can confirm this?

I picked up a baguette today at the Ottawa Bagel Shop and I'm a little annoyed. It was definately not fresh. I thought it felt a little bit hard but thought maybe the crust was a little on the thick side. When I left the store, I ripped the end off to sink my teeth into some fresh bread and they almost couldn't sink.

I really should have turned around and took it back but I just kept thinking, maybe the ends got over baked. Things did not get any better further into the loaf and it became apparent that it wasn't so fresh by the texture of the inside. $3.50 to the green bin.

I certainly don't blame Art is In for what happens to their product after it leaves their care. I'm just disappointed that the shop would sell it.

I definately like their bread. The quality is very consistent.

Their baguette is rather rich when compared to a traditional french baguette. This is not a bad thing but I think putting butter on it might be overkill.

1

At a weekend BBQ, I snapped up a piece of baguette for my dinner plate. I took one bite and... deliciousness...*swoon* :)

I asked the hostess and low and behold it was an Art-Is-In baguette.

A different fermentation process is used for the recipe, yielding a slightly salty, moist, rich flavour. And amazing texture!

Initially I thought that they used parmesan cheese in the bread, but no; it was simply a mature pre-ferment process.

I second Fresh Foodie's sentiments, incredible!

2

We picked up a small Art-is-in baguette from Thyme & Again (Thyme And Again) on Saturday, and we were not disappointed! This bread lived up to all our expectations and then some. I had planned to enjoy some good salami with it but ended up eating it as is. Definitely the tastiest baguette in Ottawa!

The crust is thin and crispy with a delicious salty sheen to it, as though it had been brushed or sprayed with brine during the baking. (Good breads are usually cooked in a steam-injection oven to develop a great crust. Maybe they use salt water here??)

The crumb is just incredible! Wonderfully chewy, with a perfect balance of airiness and moisture, and a rich, almost buttery, flavour.

I should warn you that this is not a normal baguette! It has certain characteristics in common with focaccia and croissants -- it doesn't need any toppings (not even butter). Superior though it is, I would choose a less rich tasting baguette (like Première Moisson or ACE) if I were making sandwiches.

For me, good bread is the ultimate comfort food. I'm thrilled to have a new source for it!

On Tuesday they only had the regular croissant left and I bought one.

It was decent but not really worth the $2.50 since it is not quite as good compared with the ones I had in Paris the week before for 1 Euro or 1 euro 20. With the high fat/butter content of the croissants, it is an indulgence I want to save for something a little better.

On Wednesday, realizing that they might ran out a lot of stuff with March break, I called at lunch and asked them to set aside 3 chocolate almond croissant in addition to the double chocolate mousse cake I had ordered. With my Mom's birthday dinner, I am pretty sure we will have some takers. My niece misses the pastries from Paris and my sister forgot the little bag of hand carried goodness / care package under the footrest in the plane back on the Jan trip.

The chocolate almond croissant is a almost as good as the ones I had had the week before and a good deal at $2.95 considering the amount of work that goes into it and these tend to be 2Euros or more in Paris. Decent amount of chocolate, almond paste and sliced almonds with flaky pastry. I rather have these once in a while as a treat rather than the tarts, truffle, scone, and regular coissant I had tried in the last 2 days.

We finally got to the new location last week, twice! Everyone loved the almond croissants - they were definitely the favorite. I also had a chocolate croissant and it was very nice.

2

tried a croissant from here for the first time. it was great. definitely my favourite croissant in the centretown area so far. time will tell how consistancy is though.

i had another pastry - a kugelhopf - as well (it was mother's day afterall). it was really disappointing. i had one previously (though can't seem to find my review on here) and it was wonderful. i don't know that i will try again. the prices are just too high for my pocketbook for me to take too many chances.

3

Definitely my new favorite croissant in town.

I came to Art Is In to try out their lunch sandwiches (delicious) and discovered my new favorite place to enjoy a croissant and double espresso. I can't wait to try out the rest of the inventory!

10

I find it amusing to read the various comments on this forum from posters chiming in about croissants, some of whom go so far as to claim authority from having travelled to distant faraway lands such as France where we're told they bake the real McCoy. Having eaten my fair share of both trash and treasure in this fabled gastronomical Shangri-La, I'd like to say that there as many styles of croissants in Paris as there are bakeries, with long queues of their respective devotees.

This empirical data suggests that the best croissant is possibly the one you enjoy best. Given that, I'd like to throw some gas on the fire and flat out denounce the croissants from the French Baker. I was introduced to these more than 20 years ago by a Parisian no less, and while once upon a time I would have agreed that they were very, very good, over the past few years they've become inconsistent, greasy piles of Pilsbury dough, and with all the finesse of a lead weight. I used to buy these from Herb & Spice on Wellington and when I complained was told that the quality varies depending on which baker has been on the night shift. Thanks for the explanation.

I'm told that even Herb & Spice got tired of the complaints so recently switched to Art-is-In and I have to say that I really enjoy their offerings: airy puffs of pastry, with a good amount of buttery flake, light inside, equally good warmed or as is... salvation at last, to have croissants in the neighbourhood that do justice to my husband's scrambled eggs, and make Eggs Benedict worth the effort.

To put my remarks in proper context, my holy grail of local crossaints hailed from the long defunct "Blue Moon Cafe" on the corner of Bank St at MacLaren. While Art-is-In croissants are not quite on par — this little bistro made them every morning and served them hot & fresh with the most amazing omelettes — they are a fairly close second and will have to do until I retire in Provence and play petanque with the locals while we drink pastis and debate which baker makes the best croissants in the Vaucluse.

(As a side note, my favourite baker in the city is currently True Loaf and I wonder when and if they will start to offer their version of the mystical croissant.)

4

The cross-sectional view, after tearing in half. Just beautiful!

4

Finally!!! Ottawa has a source of truly authentic Croissants! These are without question the BEST I've had outside of Europe, and are (as far as I can recall) exactly the same as the great croissants I enjoyed in Montreux.

They strike that perfect balance between crisp flakiness, chewy butteriness, and light airiness. This is what I've been talking about, folks.

Reading the "About" page on the Art-is-in Bakery website, I see that Kevin Mathieson has work experience in Paris, Monaco, and Zürich. It all makes sense now.

I am ecstatic!

$2 per croissant makes this a pricy treat, but certainly one worth experiencing -- if only to save yourself a trip to Europe. ;-)

5

Smokey pulled pork from The Big Green Egg, creamy slaw with pear shards, jalapeno spread, spicy dip, crispy toasted bread.

Absolute Masterpiece !

Most Delicious Sandwich! oh my, I wish they would let me live in their store.
This is the AAA ANGUS STRIPLOIN sandwich. The meat was so tender and flavorful. The entire sandwich, from first to last bite, was a thing of beauty.

4

Here is the infamous Spicy Crispy Pickle Melt Sandwich.

Yes, it's as good as others have reported in other areas of Ottawa Foodies.

The spiced aioli and caramelized onions make this puppy sing.

Save room for the bread pudding.

1

Tracinho - I've devoured my pickle melts so quickly that I'm not the best source on what makes it so delicious, but the sauciness seems to come from a chipotle mayo. I was actually there for lunch (again) today and thought it best to order something else, as my regular order of "pickle melt and bread pudding, please" was getting kind of embarrassing. I had the buttermilk chicken caesar instead, which was very good, but... it's no pickle melt. The sandwich also seemed to be missing some of its previous spiciness. Not sure if they've tamed down the cheddar jalapeno bread or if it was just the slices I was dealt today.

AAA angus striploin sandwich - yum, yum.

Dying to try the Spicy Crispy Pickle Melt.

2

We visited Art-is-in for lunch today and split a Spicy Crispy Pickle Melt and an AAA Angus Striploin sandwich. Both were great, but the spicy pickle blew us away.

The genius of the latter sandwich is twofold. First, the pickles. They were sliced into strips, breaded and fried. The pieces were big enough to be toothsome and crunchy, but not so big that you felt like you were taking on a gigantic pickle with each bite. Second, the spice was handled with a deft hand. There was enough of it to get your attention and hold it, but not so much that it overwhelmed the sandwich. A great lunch.

Can anybody share what's on this spicy pickle melt? I make dills and would love to have some new ideas on how to use them up. I also don't work near Artisin so might not be able to try it for lunch for a while. Thanks...

1

I tried the spicy fried pickle sandwich last Thursday and am still talking about it to anyone who will listen. If this sandwich had been around when I was pregnant, I would have been a goner. I normally don't like a lot of fried foods but this wasn't heavy or greasy, had a nice tang that didn't overwhelm and each mouthful made me love it more.

Here is the Angus Steak Sandwich. It had a garlic sauce, arugula, havarti and tomato. Served on Multigrain fennel bread. Amazing!

3

Wifey wanted to try this and we both loved it! Crusted with toasted almond slices, this is a great croissant. The filling is relatively dense and not super flavourful but we found it to be satisfying and nice. This is an excellent way to turn your morning coffee into a Western European breakfast.

3

Stopped in this morning for an almond croissant and some macarons on my way to school. Yes, I did have half a croissant and half a macaron for breakfast. (Shame).

While I've never had a bad experience with their almond brioche, nor with their regular croissant, the almond croissant was a strange breed of crispy and caramelized on the outside, and very wet on the inside. I suspect the 'wet' was due to a thick amount of the almond paste, but to be honest it didn't taste much like almonds, more just of a general oil. I wanted to like it as much as I loved both the brioche and the regular croissant, but I couldn't.

In the meantime, I have quite the sugar headache. Oatmeal for me tomorrow.

4

These are awesome! And the closest thing you can get right now to their Bread Pudding...

They are shaped a little like a cinnamon roll but have no cinnamoniness. Excellent pastry, topped with pecans, and soaked with a heavy syrup. Verrry nice!

3

"I'm not sure why there's all kinds of hype over this burger."

@AD_2: Because for many it's the best burger in the city?

Had my first Art-is-In burger of the season last weekend but alas, no pink for me!

However I did get 200 grams of bodacious burger goodness, cooked medium rare with a customized "we're back from our Mexican holiday" treatment of guacamole, black beans and in-house green salsa made from tomatillos.

Is it obvious how much I like Art-is-In? To quote the diner next to me, "You pay at least twice as much to eat elsewhere and rarely get half the quality."

1

Agreed, I'd love it pink. But I'm sure they'd accommodate AD_2 if he asked for it to be cooked more.

4

Kevin grinds his own from striploins youu could probably eat it raw without any problems. Mmmmmmm pink!

3

I could only dream of the burger I had there having some pink in the middle...

1

Had the burger today. It was fine, but if this is what everyone is raving about - wow. It was an average burger. The meat tasted fine, although in places it was un(der)cooked and still pink. The cheese was fine, but nothing special. The pickles were good. The tomatoes were fine. The bacon was delicious, but hey, it's bacon. The mustard was bland. The aioli was fine. The bun was very good. No clue why there was a big dollop of guacamole on the plate. Slaw was good. Put it all together and it was decent, but not great (and not terrible either).

The bun shouldn't be the best thing about the burger.

I'm not sure why there's all kinds of hype over this burger. It's an average restaurant burger. The fact that it's cooked at a hyped bakery on a hyped piece of equipment might play into the hype around the burger, or not. I don't know. I do know I can do much much better at home. Too bad though, I really wanted to like it. And for $13.95 it should have been more pleasing.

The berliners are still amazing though.

4

And the winner is Art-Is-In for best burger in Ottawa. Hands down Kevin has the best burger leaves all other in the dust none even come close to this creation. I was the first today to order a burger the egg was just to temp and you could smell the char coal goodness in the air. The burger melted in your mouth it had such a great texture. It is so great to leave it up to the chef what was to go on it. Cheese bacon mayo lettuce pickles yummm. Kevin came over to say he put his heart and soul into that burger and it showed. We chatted about his technique and the type of beef he grinds in house simply a man on a mission. Well mission accomplished! On our way out I had to go for a close up look at the meat and he was pleased to show me. Wow a nice patty with an ample amount of fat to be rendered down into huge flavor. A burger for the purist no need to mix anything into this just quality meat.

2

OMG!!! it really IS the best burger EVER. I wish I had taken a photo but I started eating and couldn't stop. From what I know they use the big green egg ..the flavour of the hamburg meat is unreal., followed by maple glazed bacon, cheddar cheese, arugula , seedy mustard, garlic aioli on a cheese bun. at almost $10.00 a pop, you will not be disappointed. Every meal should be this amazing.

3

This smoked burger is hands down the best burger out there!!!!! THAT IS ALL!!!!

2

I finally had the chance to try this today. I think I have died and gone to heaven. Oh my.

This is the bread pudding I enjoyed yesterday. As dropofh2o says, the sweetness builds up over time. I suggest accompanying it with an Americano, but with less sugar than you might normally choose. Eaten by a single dedicated individual, this makes for a super filling breakfast.

I also agree it could have been hotter. Holding the bowl in my hand for at least 5 minutes while waiting in line to pay didn't help the situation.

This photo sure looks different from the one I posted earlier this year. I guess the product varies over time. I think I prefer it with bigger chunks and a little more custard.

Had this last week. It was very tasty and surprisingly not too sweet. I found it to be quite creamy and each bite of bread pudding would just melt into your mouth. By the end, I found it was cloying due to the large portion size and the richness so you may want to share it with somebody. The one minor complaint would be that I would like it to be served at a higher temperature as I found it to be almost lukewarm.

2

Available again, as of today! So it looks like a fall/winter/spring thing. Fair enough, I can go 3 months without. I guess. :-)

No longer available!? I got a quizzical look when asking about it. Maybe it's a winter thing...

I am drooling. Had the bread pudding a few weeks back when they first added it to the menu and it was sublime, but now I see all that enticing caramel drizzle that can only be an improvement!

3

This stuff is quite amazing! Very sweet -- great with an Americano. It's made from a bunch of chopped up pastries and sweet breads, soaked with custard, and drizzled with caramel. Worth getting fat for. ;-)

1

So guess where I had breakfast today? ;o)

Love on a plate aka the "Bellissimo Breakfast": perfectly crisped potato rösti... topped with a grilled medley of just picked corn, zucchini, yellow beans, peppers and caramelized onions... topped with a giant ravioli stuffed with a bolognese sauce made with sirloin... topped with more of the grilled veggies... topped with a fried egg... garnished with hollandaise sauce... surrounded by bits of maple bacon and crumbled maple fennel sausage.

I repeat: love on a plate. ;o)

3

Burgers, tacos, pizza, brunch... I think one of the successes of Art-is-In is the constant rotation of what's on offer.

My weekend stops at Art-is-In tend to be for the burger on Saturday. I also make a pretty good hollandaise so don't usually think to go out for eggs benedict, but this past Sunday it was nice to have someone else take care of it, particularly when that someone is Kevin.

My husband had his with maple fennel sausage and I had maple bacon; there was also a smoked salmon option (smoked in-house on the Big Green Egg). Both were served with the best potato rosti I've had in ages, deliciously crispy and filling, I actually skipped the English muffin and had my egg directly on the rosti.

Hollandaise sauce in most restaurants is usually on the thin side but this one was thick and rich the way I like it, and with an extra kick compliments of some white wine I was told. My husband was ooohing and aaahing over his maple fennel sausage which Kevin mentioned he'd been upgrading and the result spoke for itself: this sausage patty was juicier and richer than we remembered, so much so that my husband wasn't sharing very much.

Outdoor weekend brunch at Art-is-In: another must on any serious foodie's summer To Eat list. ;o)

It looks like there are usually 3 or 4 offerings for weekend brunch. When I was there they had eggs benny, croque madame, and gnocchi. I'm assuming the breakfast sandwich was also available.

1

Tried Kevin's magical chowder for lunch on Friday. Very, very good. Lots of clams, dill and bacon. The base was delicate not gummy like some chowders can be. The carrots and potatoes were cut quite large and were a bit undercooked. I'd like to see smaller chunks so I could eat them in one bite.

While their bread is what made this wonderful venture what it is, the soups are truly magical. My top two favourites would have to the clam chowder (just smelling it, makes you want to order a second batch) and the spicy squash.

If you're gonna have it, remember there is chili in the bottom so you need to dig in to have chili with every spoonful.

Delicious mac and cheese, however like every one I've had in a resto, not nearly enough cheese. Nice textures and tastes, I liked the croissant crumble on top.

Also, another knock, pricey at $10.95.

Still, thumbs up given it was so tasty.

Inkling - Kevin himself called them taco-burritos when he delivered them to our table yesterday. He said that he calls them tacos because officially both sides are fried like a taco and "people around here seem to like tacos". All that said, I second everything that has been written about this wonderful addition to the menu. I love this place.

3

I find it interesting that they call them tacos at Art Is In. What was served to me today seemed more like what I would call a burrito. With the rice it seemed to be almost a textbook Mission Burrito. Semantics aside, they are quite good and a good deal at $9.25 or whatever it was that I paid. It's a very filling lunch for one, or an inexpensive decent sized lunch for two.

5

I'm thinking that Kevin will do for tacos in Ottawa what he did for burgers. Happiness is finding out that this will be a regular feature at Art is In on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

As previously mentioned, this is a flour tortilla that bears no resemblance to the 'meh' massed produced crap you usually find, this one had a great texture, further grilled on both sides for a soul satisfying crunch in each bite. Pico de gallo, guacamole, black beans, sour cream, cheddar cheese and Mexican rice were lovingly wrapped inside with a rich and deeply flavoured pork confit and served with in-house salsa made from grilled vegetables. While I was tempted by the vegetarian option made with wild mushrooms, the pork confit left us eating in a silent awe, with just enough spice enough to warm the palate.

Ten dollars for this uber taco is an absolute steal; I split this with my husband along with a pastry and it was plenty for lunch. (Then again, I make him split the burger with me so YMMV!)

This simply kills all other Mexican food I've tried in Ottawa, no need to name names. I'm not one to make dramatic statements ;o) ... but you've seriously got to rethink your foodie status if this taco isn't immediately added to your Ottawa To Eat list.

1

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH

4

So OSM you may commence hating me now too. This is the BEST taco I've yet tasted in Ottawa, possibly anywhere. The tortilla has the kind of soft texture that you don't get from the store bought rubbish at other places. The fillings were all top quality and the pork had a rich flavor and slight sweetness that wasn't cloying. Kevin asked me if I tried the salsa - I hadn't because I'm not a huge fan of salsa - but when he told me that he made it especially to complement the taco I tried it, and it made that delicious bundle even better. It had a nice bite that worked so well with the sweet pork. It is huge, and all this for the price of the smaller, poorer examples on offer at Tacolot and sidedoor.

haha OSM. I kinda hate myself right about now for allowing myself to be hooked by Art-is-in yet again! I can't wait til Wednesday.

In case you`re wondering BaconIV now i hate you too.

FreshFoodie`s post takes the edge off tho`...

9

They just mentioned on Twitter or Facebook or somewhere that Tacos would be available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Urgh!

I wasn't able to go, darn work. sigh next time.

Kevin - if you're reading this please please pretty please bring back the tacos.

6

Your hate is well-placed, OSM. if I hadn't heeded Lovetoeat's advice and stayed at the office, I'd loathe him as well. But I love him!

Amazing taco! So authentic Mexican, I didn't wanna drink the water ; )

The pork is this buttery, fatty, flaky meat perfection. All the textures amazing, great little sour cream coating on the perfectly toasted soft tortilla. Rice, guac, cheddar, romaine. A dollop of pico de gallo sauce on the side, some chives to sprinkle, a cup of salsa.

Everything was so fresh. No taste overpowered any other; I don't recall any sandwich with so many ingredients having so much balance. This is hands down the best taco I've had since living in the states. Packed too, chunks of meat, felt like there was a pound of pork in there. I'm stuffed. $9.25 is money well spent for this beast.

Been awhile since I last went to Art-is-in, but if this item becomes a regular, so will I again. Took the last large loaf of Dynamite White. Took the last taco, got there just in time I guess. A monster croissant and sticky bun for dessert later this aft, and I'm a happy, happy man.

2

The $9 price tag on this loaf has kept me from adding it to my grocery bag up to now, but a couple of days ago I splurged and do not regret it. This loaf has such a buttery taste and rich texture! The crisp crust is perfectly square in section, and we were able to slice it very thin and toast it to make a perfect foil for duck rillettes. The square shape made the toast points very attractive.

We have enjoyed this elegant loaf in various ways for two days now, and I know that what is left will make amazing french toast tomorrow. Well worth 9 bucks!

i got a big sized loaf cut thin on monday ,, it was called Crazy grain .. it might be the best addition to breakfast since the egg ,, lol ,, this bread is so very delicious and it has replace all bread for brekkie and i catch myself toasting peices for no reason all day and eating them 10 / 10

2

I love this bread for breakfast, cut thick and toasted with a touch of butter and honey. It's a beautiful dark brown colour (wheat, rye and spelt with molasses) and you can buy a smaller loaf for $5 and a large loaf for $7.

3

blubarry - we were there at the same time. I was sitting in the main section at the middle table.

We really do need some sort of foodie pin/symbol.

lovetoeat, we must have been there at the same time. We enjoyed the tourtiere around 1:30 this afternoon. It is as good as you noted, and loved the homemade ketchup too. The salad on the side was full of all kinds of good things; brie, walnuts, apples, cucumbers, fresh dill. A great deal for $8.95. Also enjoyed the borscht and a delicious pecan tart that had a melt in your mouth crust.

2

Oh my oh my! I had a late lunch there today and enjoyed the tourtiere served with Kevins homemade ketchup.

The meat is moist and has hints of clove, cinnamon and maple in it. The pastry stands up to the dense generous filling without taking over the flavour. It's better than my grandmothers tourtiere.

It was so good I had to bring a whole pie home with me.

Lunch served with a generous side of arugula salad was 8.95. The whole pie was 24.95. Both I felt were fair prices for the quality and quantity.

Was offered a complementary scone to take away and try when I picked up the double chocolate cake, 3 chocolate almond croissants and an order of smoked rib. Added to the crazy bread and 3 desserts the previous it has been very Art-is-in couple of days.

A decent scone and not too sweet. A little big for my taste since it is a lot of white carb.

I would probably prefer a 6 pack of smaller scones to share, maybe half the size of these individual scones.

Now if I can find the Clotted Cream and some of the nice jams I had when I did tea at Fortnum and Mason, I will be set.

As is, the chocolate almond croissant has this beat every time.

1

Raspberry scones! Compliments of my friend Ziggy. What a good way to start a Friday morning.

It is a good scone. Nice and moist, not too sweet. I personally would like to see more raspberry in in.

On the whole it is a very nice little scone and definitely worth eating... but I wouldn't go out of my way to find one.

hehe... I know Chimichimi can take it because I have nothing but respect for his knowledge! :-)

We had the scone vs. scawn debate here: ottawafoodies.com/forum/646

psst... it's "scawn" ;-)

FF that was a righteous burn on chimi, but I'll have to admit I had NO IDEA that a scone and biscuit were considered one in the same.

A quick google for recipes does yield results indicating that scones have baking soda added, but boy was I surprised to see those wikis!

Here's a better debate - is it "s'cone" or "scawn"?

Foodie: I think the major difference is that a scone contains a baking soda/powder combo, where biscuits (to me, anyway) just contain baking powder. This results in a different taste and texture. Minor differences are that scones are sweet or savoury, where biscuits are typically plain or savoury.

Martha: I definitely agree that these are probably the best commercially available scones in Ottawa, along with Scone-witch. I just would have preferred some more berry in my scone! :( I think I got a bad one, since my raspberry scone was packed with berries

Well I am by no means a scones connoisseur so my review is not very legit! These are probably the first scones i've had in a few years! Nonetheless I was very pleased with them! Chimichimi, after reading your review, thinking back they definitely weren't buttery but I was told that art-is-in bakes their stuff with a lot of oil and less butter. I guess it's just a matter of taste? Anyways, this isn't really a review but I just wanted to comment back. What makes a scone a good scone? What a weird name.

Chimichimi, to help me understand your comments can you tell me what do you consider to be the difference between scones (en.wikipedia.org) and biscuits (en.wikipedia.org)? Thanks. :-)

I had some scones from Art-is-in as well, and it's really hard to judge since my partner makes the best scones... ever. While I found the scones to be good, they were maybe a little heavy on the baking powder/soda, and not as flaky/fluffy/buttery as I like them to be. Also, the berries weren't plentiful enough in the blueberry scone I had. Overall though, very good and I'd say better than Scone-witch scones (I almost find their scones to be like a biscuit?! Am I nuts? Still good, nonetheless)

1

I bought the blueberry scones today from the farmers market at Lansdowne. They are to DIE for!

1

I picked up a loaf of Art-is-In sourdough at the Lansdowne Farmers Market yesterday. The bread is very moist and made a delicious tomato sandwich with the tomatoes I picked up from the Acorn Creek stand. The loaf is huge and so delicious I have a feeling it won't last in my fridge for very long-;)

As Jagash mentioned, The Piggy Market is now the exclusive distributor of Art-is-in's Beau's Sourdough bread.

The loaves are 12 inches in diameter, and use 1 liter of Beau's per loaf. It's pretty crazy. We picked a quarter loaf (selling for $7.50!) at The Piggy Market on Saturday, and enjoyed it with raclette.

It's airier than most sourdoughs, and wasn't really conducive to sandwiches or much other than dipping into oil, or eating as an open faced sandwich with a knife and fork.

However, it had a very rich flavour to it. If I could eat that much bread without the help of nine friends, I'd buy it more often.

I purchased an Americano to go with my pastries. The quality was stellar -- sugar was optional! Suffice it to say that I'd need to do a side-by-side comparison with the offering at Morning Owl Coffeehouse to determine if there's a difference...

1

Their pumpkin doughnuts (Berliners) are awesome but I feel like a chump paying three dollars for a doughnut. As good as they are, they are still just a doughnut. Definitely worth trying however.

2

Kevin Matheson is an evil culinary genius.

Buttermilk mashed potato doughnut.

Looked like a ordinary glazed raised doughnut but it's exterior was deceptive. Tender and fluffy and a slight buttermilk taste. With just enough glaze to compliment but not too sweet.

This was a supersized doughnut that was more than enough for two to share.

2

I purchased some Hot Cross Buns from Art-Is-In Bakery on Easter Monday and was less impressed then usual. While they matched the definition of the baked good, I found them a touch denser then my preference and lacking in the icing department. Good, but not to the high standards of which I hold Art-Is-In-Bakery to.

1

Picked up the ordered double chocolate mousse cake for my Mom's birthday. This is the dessert of the 3 course meal we are having for the birthday dinner.

A flourless chocoate cake with a huge layer of dark? chocolate mousse and a thiner layer of white chocolate mousse and topped with a dark choclate ganache and some nice cholate bits. Writing done on top.

You can definitely get 8 healthy servings or 12 more portion controlled serving out of the mid-sized 8"in cake here. I think 6 servings would be far too much sugar in one sitting.

The chocolate mousse is rich and creamy and I prefer the dark mousse but the white is good for contrast. The thin cake layer on the bottom was moist and tasty.

Overall a good very good chocolate mousse cake but need to hear how my Dad's sugar level is tomorrow to see if we would do this more regularly for special occassions.

I have been looking for a new bakery for the special occassion cakes after the issue with the Cake Shop last year.

Did not see cakes on display on my visit but asked about it and was given a list. My eyes immediately went to the double chocolate mousse cake but they also had cheesecake, carrot cake, black forest cake and a bunch of other types.

Pricing as follows (need to check tomorrow):
6.5 in 3-4 people $20
8 in 6-8 people $32
10? in 10-12 serv $50

The largest sized cake need 7 day advance notice. I asked if it is possible to get the mid-sized double chocolate mousse cake for the next day i.e. 24 hrs notice for my Mom's Bday. The staff checked with Kevin and he said it was possible so thumbs up for that :D

Will post a phote tomorrow and feedback on taste.

3

In light of yesterday's adventure to get a macaron from French Baker, I thought I would stop by Art-Is-In this morning to get a six pack for a friend's birthday and to compare their raspberry to the one I had yesterday (on the recommendation of a friend).

I was disappoint. The exterior was crunchy and crumbled all over when I bit in: no delightful chewiness. Neither the filling nor the cookies taste like much of anything, except sugar.

I'm hoping that the gift box fares better with my friend and that this was only a matter of taste. :S

1

I work in Hull and every Thursday during the summer there is a market on Laval street.

This is the first summer that there has been an Art-Is-In stand - so fun!

I bought a package of 6 macarons for $10 - 2 chocolate, 2 strawberry and 2 pistachio.

I haven't eaten any of mine yet but I did taste a pistachio that they had samples of and it was really tasty. Crunchy on the outside and moist and gooey on the inside.

Can't wait to dig in to the rest tonight :)

To qualify: All the products my wife and I have ever purchased from Art-is-in Bakery have been awesome. The quality, the taste, the presentation is second-to-none.

The issue I want to identify and clarify refers to the label "gluten-free". This label can be applied in two contexts. The first is implying the product is made without any gluten-based ingredients. The second denotes that the product contains no gluten-based products, was prepared separately from any gluten-based products, and is racked/stored/packages with an eye on preventing any cross-contamination.

My wife has Celiac's Disease and it is important to us that the second label holds true. A granule of gluten no bigger than a grain of salt is enough to trigger a reaction. Prior to today we had been buying "gluten-free" products from Art-is-in Bakery but after our last purchase and my wife had a reaction she decided to inquire further about their preparation and packaging.

It was clarified that Art-is-in does make its gluten-free fare without gluten-based products but it is prepared in the same space as the gluten-based products and they are packaged/stored without special consideration for preventing cross-contamination. This was confirmed by the clerk who, unfortunately, remarked with disdain that they "never guaranteed" that their gluten-free products have never come in to contact with gluten.

So, if you are just trying to eat gluten-free (like me) and don't have any concerns with cross-contamination I highly recommend Art-is-in Bakery. The products are awesome.

If you have a health concern like my wife you should not buy any gluten-free products there because their labeling only applies to the products used to prepare the item and does not represent a guarantee that no cross-contamination may have occurred.