Ottawa Foodies

2

Those bar seats... yes, I've sat in them a couple of times and there is a slight tilt forward which, combined with the polished finish, means you have to brace yourself against the bar.

A bit awkward but as Ken said you could be happy standing to eat here ;o)

You are so right Isabelle the seats at the bar look uncomfortable. We sat at the tables in front of the bar and they were uncomfortable as well. The food is so good here I would probably stand and eat if I had to. I think the seats at the back are different soon to be encountered.

4

I was alone for dinner last night so, on impulse, I decided to visit this place and see if it was as good as everyone says.

It is!

I sat at the bar. I guess the only negative points in my visit would go to the seats at the bar, which apparently don't agree with me... slippery plastic, with a slight tilt towards the front, so I had to wedge my knees against the bar to avoid sliding out. But the drinks, the foods and the great service made me forget that inconvenient quickly.

The lady at the bar was very nice. She also clearly makes her own cocktail recipes or own adaptations of classic recipes, and the results all look very good. The "coffee cocktail" was excellent, and the cucumber soda was nicely refreshing.

For food, I had the catfish, the cornbread and the string beans, then the lavender buttermilk tart. Everything was just great.

With that kind of food available late at night, I'm pretty sure I'll be back soon with my husband. Fried chicken and lamb ribs... should be easy to convince him ;-)

2

Thanks Johanna... like my thrown-in-a-tupperware-this-am sack salad with canned tuna on it wasn't untempting enough already....

8

My apologies for not posting sooner -- suffice it to say it's the start of something beautiful when you visit an establishment five times in their first two weeks of business. ;o)

My first visit to Union started off with boiled peanuts (nothing to say here, one must experience these oneself) and then a bowl of chilled corn & chile soup topped with a dollop of mascarpone and lobster roe, and it was every bit as creamy and delectable as it sounds. While it may not seem like a large bowl at first, it is rich, scrumptious and, like everything at Union, the amount served was more than filling.

8

The remainder of my lunch was half a Seed to Sausage muffuletta -- I recall really enjoying the original muffuletta at Central Grocery in the French Quarters of New Orleans, but as I told the Union's chef, Chris Lord, this one kills the original, due in no small part to Art-is-In's pain levain and Seed to Sausage's pastured deli meats: a thick slab of country ham, a juicy, well marbled slice of capicolla, hunter salami and the crown jewels of any mufuletta, olive salad and slice of provolone cheese.

Heavenly but once again filling, so I split this with my husband, thought about it for the rest of the day, and then went back the next to repeat it for lunch a little more than 24 hours later.

9

Second lunch at Union was a chance to try a piece of the buttermilk fried yard bird with in-house hot sauce on the side: having tried quite a few things from the menu, I'd have to say the piece de resistance at Union is this fried chicken with its crispy cornmeal coating.

The meat on the inside is juicy and tender, so much so that one easily forgets to douse it with some of the hot sauce. I've never been big on fried chicken but Union has changed that, and for the better. ;o

6

Union is very much about communal eating and I appreciate being able to order a main dish and then add sides to order.

Dinner on a subsequent evening the first week saw us sharing a number of items including the deviled eggs, shrimp boil macaroni salad, cheese & roasted garlic grits , battered pumpkin flowers, smoked turkey & mustard greens, and the cornbread with brown butter, which in itself was reason enough to return at least twice, the next time for the catfish with creole remoulade and another side of cornbread.

The catfish was yet another winner but for my money the chicken edges it out. I would also like to try one of their weekly pork dish courtesy of a Castor River hog, but there are only so many meals to eat in any given week, and some have to be at home!

7

The infamous pig's ears with in-house 1000 islands dressing: tasty but rich, rich, rich! Great as a late night bar snack, however I wouldn't have these again as a starter simply because they are so rich... but your mileage may vary!

6

The cocktail list changes weekly and it consistently delivers inspiring implementations of classic and modern drinks.

Pictured here is the "Gin Auld Fashioned" from this week, involving Botanist gin, housemade Earl Grey syrup, orange blossom water, and Spanish bitters. It was so good that I went out and bought a bottle of Botanist gin soon after. Drinking here isn't just a pleasure -- it's an educational lifestyle enhancer! ;-)

Ottawa has a limited selection of dessert places, so Union: Local 613 fills an important niche with its late night service hours and excellent desserts.

Delizioso, I also had the fluffernutter dessert on my last visit but I was underwhelmed to the point of not even mentioning it in my comments here. It was clever to be sure, but no more pleasurable to my senses than an actual PBJ/fluffer sandwich would have been. Just thought I'd add a counter-opinion to the glowing ones here, for balance. :-)

I absolutely *loved* the cheesecake parfait here. Definitely one of the best desserts I've had anywhere.

2

FLUFFERNUTTER!! Best thing, I've ever eaten. The food, drinks, and service were great as everyone else has mentioned but the dessert was the high point by far. I would go back and just order this dessert. I cannot say it enough, BEST DESSERT EVER....Maybe even best dish EVER!!!

Cardamom describes it accurately, so I won't repost the description. But it's a must try dish for sure.

3

Pretzel shaped beignet with lime glaze, dark chocolate sauce, sea salt and chile bits. Suzie Q who?

I heart Union. Right now the plan is to order 3 of these next time around, one as an app, one as a main and one for dessert, naturally ;o)

1

After previously stating that I'm not overly keen on the desserts here, it looks like I might have to change my tune. A girlfriend and I shared their new fluffernutter dessert last night (peanut butter mousse, marshmallow fluff, brioche french toast sticks and Concord grape jelly) and seriously went speechless after the first bite. It was so perfect. I haven't felt this way about a new dish around town since Art-is-in's fried pickle melt :) It just hits all the right notes and is delicious and inventive without being at all pretentious: salty/sweet, melting softness/crunchy peanut, comfort food goodness/pig-shaped jelly... you know, all the usual stuff you'd expect from a great dessert. Anyways, try this one. I need to go back to try their new peach and buttermilk tart.

Also, thanks FF for the gin old fashioned tip. That was one enjoyable drink. The Earl Grey simple syrup was a subtle twist that really worked. I had another great drink there a couple of weeks ago with ginger syrup and basil, but that one was on the sweeter side.