Ottawa Foodies

Finally got here for dinner (see Lunch Review of May 7, 2008). It was a very hot summer night and we managed to get one of the last tables on the patio. “The Man” was pleased to discover that since our last visit they've added Beau's Lug Tread to their beer line-up, I decided to have a glass of their featured Pinot Grigio. Unfortunately the waitress returned with just the beer, stating that they were now sold out of the Pinot Grigio. After checking out the other light white wine offerings, I settled on a glass of the Rosemount Sauvignon Blanc.

The menu has changed since our last visit… evidently they like to shake things up here regularly. The wonderful Smoked Salmon Sandwich I had in the Spring, has now been deconstructed and appears as a dish on the appetiser menu… all the ingredients are there just served separately. LOL

“The Man” chose a Sirloin Steak ordered Medium Rare, and I the Salmon Asparagus, both from the Mains. In the mean time our friendly waitress stopped by with a basket of buns and some awesome “topping”. At first I thought it might be “maple butter” but upon asking I was informed that it is just regular butter melted down and just as it turns from golden to brown it is whipped. It was delicious.

“The Man’s” steak was done perfectly, and was drizzled with a Red Wine and Shallot Sauce (he had a choice of 3 sauces). The sides were Roasted Potatoes (yum-yum) and Mixed Sauteed Veggies (lots of variety in the fresh mix). My Salmon came topped with Asparagus and Pickled Shredded Onions and the same Mixed Sauteed Veggies, along with a White & Brown Rice Medley. It was great!

Overall the food was tasty, and service was good. It was fun to sit on Manotick’s Main Street and watch the world go by… Nothing beats the luxury of being able to drive to the outskirts of Ottawa and have big city food in small town Ontario.

Went here on Sat night for dinner with family; 4 of us in total. I have been wanting to try it for a while esp since we live not too far away. I checked the website and there was no recommendation for reservations so we just went in at 7 pm and found the place was already busy and looked full. To our pleasant surprise they did have room for us. We got one of the tables in the upstairs converted porch area whcih I thought was one of the best spots....surrounded by windows.

Decor is relaxed and friendly but slightly upscale. People were wearing everything from jeans to business casual. Server was very pleasant, smiling all the time and helping us with the menu. It was hard to decide since everything sounded great.

We started with apps - I had the pate which was a huge serving of wild game pate, fresh vegs and a mangoe sauce. It was a bit difficult to eat since the plate was so full and piled vertically but loved it none the less. One person had the soup special - do not recall what it was but she liked it and size was good. Another person had the calamari, which I had to taste a couple of times....was surprisingly very fresh and the mayo sauce was light and very tasty...one of the better calamaris I have had in a while. Do not recall what the fourth app was.

The wine selection was average. Mostly items you can get from LCBO. I hear the beer choices are very good but we all watned wine that night.

For the mains we avoided the beef since we planned on having a BBQ the next day, so 2 had the Gorgonzola chicken pasta, one had the salmon pasta and I had the terriaki salmon. All were great. The gorgonzola was not subtle by any means and you better love blue cheese to eat it ...which they did. Neither of them could finish and ended up taking half home...made great lunches the next day. I did not try the salmon pasta. My terriaki salmon again was very good. Salmon was cooked just perfectly and not overdone. Very moist and the sauce a great accompiament - not too sweet nor salty. It was served with a bed of mixed wild and white rice and roasted vegs.

For dessert we all had capps or lattes and shared a mocha buzz betweent the 4 of us. A wonderful light mouse on a cake base whcih was all we had room for.

Overall decent prices..about $250 for the 4 of us with 2 bottles of wine. Definately above average quailty food. Good service in an unassuming location. Not a place to expect white table cloths or pretentious peolple. A very good friendly restaurant with fresh, borderline gourmet, food and a recommendation from these foodies.

Having heard about this place from two different sources in the last couple of weeks, we decided to check it out. Sort of an upscale pub / bistro in Manotick on Main Street. Nice patio, partially covered extends from the front courtyard along the side of the building towards the back. The Bistro inside features one large room on the main floor with a centre bar and 2 rooms upstairs. The smaller of the two rooms upstairs seems to be converted from at one time being a porch over the front entrance, this room has windows all around, perfect for people watching on Main Street and has two tables which can sit 4 people each. The room also has a door, so it might be perfect for an intimate dinner with friends or family (remember it only accomodates 8 people). The music playing in the background throughout the restaurant and patio is the blues, and we have been assured that this is the “music of choice”.

As it was late afternoon on a nice warm weekend, we chose to sit on the patio. The menu at the Black Dog is fairly extensive, and mouth-watering. Salads, Appetizers, Middles (light fare), Mains and Desserts. As well there is a decent wine list (most are available by the glass) including a few featured selections from Strewn in Niagara. Beer on tap – including some small craft breweries (but alas no Beau’s), as well as a few imports, a fun martini line-up, including dessertitini’s (rich concoctions). I ordered a glass of Lindeman’s Pinot Grigio, “The Man” had a glass of Creemore Springs on tap. Then it got down to the difficult task of deciding what to eat.

In the end we settled on Middles, each selecting a sandwich plate, so we could share. “The Man” picked the Mediterranean Chicken Burger with Matchstick Fries, and I chose the Smoked Salmon with Garden Salad. Heather, our server stated we would not be disappointed! Both meals showed up in a matter of minutes. The Mediterranean Chicken Burger featured a grilled chicken breast topped with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, sweet red onion and cranberry mayonnaise on grilled pita bread. The Matchstick Fries came served in a large café au lait cup (cute) and were done to perfection. The Mediterranean Chicken Burger was fantastic, and we would have been quite happy with just it; had it not been for the Smoked Salmon. This our second sandwich was served on lightly toasted rye bread accompanied with capers, dill cream cheese and thinly sliced red onions. The taste was devine! (We've been talking about it ever since).

Service was wonderful, Heather checked on us a few times, and offered lots of information about the restaurant and menu. We noticed a lady (who must have been the Owner) chatting to several other customers, and before we left she came by and asked how everything was. We told her we’d be back (afterall we are now very curious about the other items on the menu). Our gem of a late lunch, in a gem of a spot came to $ 43.00 (tax and tip in).

Have heard many negative things about this place, but I had a steak after a golf game on the patio... and it's just fine... for what it is... bar food...

We have eaten here a few times and it has been beyond great each time!! A great little place in Manotick. The staff is always smiling and the food is always wonderful! We have told friends about it and they have raved about how good it was as well. Highly recommended

Probably the worst place I've eaten in Ottawa. Ordered the "Thai Curry". It was sweet and sour chicken on linguini. Beautiful! I actually own a black dog, I wouldn't let him eat here.