Ottawa Foodies

3

First time in a while back at BCB and it was a wonderful evening. Started off with nicely crafted bourbon old fashioneds and our favorite grilled octopus in ponzu sauce. Enjoyed the slight charring and the tangy sauce - it is always a reliable choice and the composed salad on the side was a nice complement. My main was thai mussels in a spicy coconut broth. Deliciously sweet, plump and just barely cooked enough to retain their fresh, perfect texture. Served with frites and spicy mayo.

I've found that at BCB the daily special is always a good bet and the dinner special was seared scallops and pork belly with apple slaw. It was outstanding. The scallops were sweet and cooked just enough, and both they and the delicious maple glazed pork belly were seared to a caramelized crispness.

Dessert was a rhubarb coconut cheesecake served layered in a mason jar. So good - and not sure what the cheese was, but it was pleasantly devoid of the cloying sweetness of cream cheese that I dislike in most cheesecakes. The cheese had a pleasant tang that was offset by the sweetness in the other ingredients.

Service was pleasant and informative and the wine by the glass suggestions really enhanced the mains. The atmosphere here is pleasant, modern and cleanly elegant without fuss. We were celebrating and opted for a booth, which does provide for more of an intimate dining experience.

All in our meal was $180 including two cocktails, three glasses of wine, taxes and tips in. Really nice experience, good service, nice atmosphere, exceptional food.

4

I was unfortunatelly really disapointed with my experience tonight at the Black Cat Bistro. I had high expectations which were not fulfill. Service was okay and management (owner) did not seem to care for custumer satisfaction.

I had the Halibut (32$)and as a big fan of fresh and tasty fish, this peace was way to cooked and too dry for me. My partner had the BCB steak (34$) with fries, and altough the meat was cooked at his taste, it lacked flavour and the plate looked a bit empty. We are both big foodies and had the same thought that we could have done the same at home...at that price, we were hoping for more.
For dessert we shared the lemon tart (their speciality). Let's say it was just a tease and again I was expecting more.

Overall, I'm suprised that this restaurant was voted best of Ottawa this last year.

P.S. The bread was good!;)

Black Cat has new house wines, specially made for them by Ravine Vineyard in Niagara.

The house Red is a Meritage, and the house White is a Chardonnay. $9 a glass, making them the least expensive wines on their menu.

Tried them both last night. They're both really good! The Red is quite smooth; the White is a good balance of acidity and toasty oak flavours.

I'm more than happy to support one of my favourite wineries in one of my favourite restaurants. I hope they sell it by the boatload.

3

Can't believe it has taken me this long to try out the Black Cat Bistro. We were walkins tonight and lucky to get a table. Suffice it to say that we were delighted with the service and the food. Apps included foie gras with a delicious brown hazelnut butter and blueberry compote. I could be happy eating only this for the rest of my life. Also tried the chargrilled octopus (see picture) which was really spectacular. Perfectly cooked, tender, succulent, and served with fresh olives, artisanal cheese, house mayo and a Yuzu dipping sauce that was spicy and addictive. My main was the steak with sage frites which was properly cooked and very tasty. I was craving beef, but I wish now that I had ordered something more interesting, because my friend had the veal sweetbreads, and they were outstanding: Crispy fried exterior wrapped around the delicate meat and served with shitake mushrooms and a delicious puree of rutabaga that was slightly sweet. If tonight's meal and service were typical, BCB provides excellent, inventive food at reasonable prices. Our meal including 1/2 litre of wine was
$160 including tax and tip. The desserts looked impressive too, but we will have to save room for them next time.

1

Our Friday evening out started at Tennessy Willems
but walk-ins are not welcome so we decided to head over to the Prescott before spotting this place and wandering in. They offered a few beers on tap that made it hard to make a decision. After trying Kichesippi last week I couldn't resist. We started with the special off the board Pork Terrine and the Alberta Beef Carpaccio. The pork terrine with the sour cherry sauce and house pickels was not really our taste with everone snapping up the carpaccio. Not a big selection of mains tonight. The menu is different from the online pdf,with the steak being a strip and no burger I went with the chicken breast with black pepper spatzel,oyster and shiitake mushrooms,squash and lemon jus pretty unremarkable for the price. The other mains at the table were much better with the lamb loin being the big hit of the evening. The atmosphere was a bit rigid for me after our last outing at Fraser cafe but for some probably right on the mark,just not a place for me. I guess having our hearts set on pizza the change was just too much of a shock. We will have to conform and start reluctantly making reservations it's just so hard when you are a last minute craver.

4

Dined for the first time at BCB last night. What a great experience.

I'll start from the beginning ...

When I arrived, my friend was already seated. I was surprised that she didn't yet have a menu nor water. But shortly after my arrival, the server came to bring us both.

The highlight of the evening: the service! Our waitress was exceptional. Big thumbs up all the way. I am such a sucker for great service and that is exactly what we got.

Our server raved about the complimentary bread. Neither my friend nor I thought there was anything great about it, although we were both big fans of the maple butter.

We started our meal with:
- Joe's Shredded Duck Confit Salad: The salad is comprised of arugula and as the name suggests, duck confit. I currently can't eat goat cheese so I had to forego it. It was quite tasty although pricey for what it actually is. There was a LOT of arugula on the plate with shredded deck interspersed and crisp fried shredded onions as a garnish. The dressing was very appealing. A very nice tasty dish overall.
- Local Heirloom Beet Salad: this was my friend's order and the plate looked divine.

For our mains:
- Truffled Quebec Chicken Breast: BCB certainly doesn't skimp on their portions. The piece of chicken was substantial and perfectly cooked and seasoned. It came on a very generous bed of spatzle cooked with mushrooms and squash. There was so much that I had to pack up half my plate.
- BCB Signature Steak Frites: my friend had to send her dish back since the first steak was to well done. The second attempt was a bit better although half of it was still more done than she would have liked. She didn't complain again but the server (exceptional as she was) was adamant that she would speak to the manager. In the end, BCB removed her main from the bill. WOW! I'm all about restaurants being responsive to the patron but even this I found overly generous. Big thumbs up.

Dessert:
- While I was stuffed to the rafters, my friend enjoyed the Flourless Chocolate Pave. It was a dense and smooth brick with delightfully yummy-looking accountrements. I had a little nibble from the corner and it was definitely rich and decadent.

Drinks:
- I stuck with my usual virgin caesars. BCB does this up alright, nothing great but nothing bad either.
- I'm not a wine girl but my friend enjoyed a regular caesar as well as a red with her steak.

A few comments on the aesthetics ... The restaurant is beautifully decorated. The plates themselves were a hit or miss. The beet salad and chocolate pave were gorgeously plated. The other dishes less so. But taste beat out looks so it really wasn't important.

All in all, a wonderful meal.

Will I return to BCB ... you betchca!

1

I saw this on their website:

An Advert for Burger Tuesday:

special different burger every Tuesday!
WHEN: starting March 1.
WHO: a new creation every Tuesday by our talented kitchen.
*Richard's burger still being served Monday – Thursday

5

Very pleased with The Cat tonight! We've been wanting to come here for a long time and finally managed it. First, some bullet points, then more about the food:

* Nice decor, comfy chairs, but wifey was a little chilly next to a cold brick wall.
* Service was appropriately attentive and efficient. Water was refilled promptly.
* Sold out of the famous Richard's 8oz Angus Burger by 7:30pm on a Saturday! Wifey was hoping to order it...
* Appetizers were pricy but beautifully presented.
* Mains were generous yet presented more simply than the apps.

And now some details:

Bread
Soft, somewhat chewy with a thin crust and good flavour. I'd prefer plain butter to the maple version offered, but enjoyed the maple one for what it was. A quirk: they serve bread using chopsticks. While unique, it's a little awkward -- especially when the server is right handed and the bread plate is on a diner's left side. I love chopsticks but for serving bread I think scissor tongs just work better.

Drinks
We weren't in a winey mood, so we mostly stuck to water. I noticed Negroni on the drink menu and opted for one, as I've never had it professionally prepared. I was pleased at the portion -- certainly in excess of the 1.5 oz advertised in the drink menu. A 1.5 oz negroni would be pathetic so good job on that! BTW, it does make a spectacular aperitif if you enjoy bitterness (Campari).

Smoked & Charred Octopus
Wow wow wow!!! My wife is Portuguese and an octopus connoisseuse; she was absolutely thrilled with Chef Larkin's cephalopod appetizer. The flesh is beautifully tender and has a fantastic smoky bacon flavour. I don't care if you like octopus or not -- you will love this! Our only complaint is that you don't get much. The plate is nicely adorned with tasty sauces and garnishes, but there were just two tentacles -- one medium and one small. If you approach it like you would a strong, smoky sausage, and carve thin slices off each tentacle, then it feels like a decent amount. Driving home, my wife said she wished they offered a more generous meal-sized octopus dish.

Country Pork Terrine
I thought I'd give this chalkboard-special appetizer a shot. Again, beautifully presented and served with thin-sliced mini baguette. The big hunk of chive-topped terrine was wrapped in thin bacon and had a friendly (i.e. very mild) flavour. Also on the plate were dollops of catalina-like dressing laced with microgreens, pickled gherkins and elongated onions, mild yellow cheese (gouda?), and a mound of grainy mustard. Probably other stuff too, but suffice it to say that the sour notes perfectly complemented the terrine's richness.

BCB Signature Steak Frites
My wife had this. After reading other comments here we were surprised by the generous size of this striploin. Tender and tasty, with a delicious bordelaise sauce. The frites were piping hot, and served in a lined ceramic cone. Loved it!

Truffled Quebec Chicken Breast
I never order the chicken, but I did this time. A giant portion of incredibly succulent and tender chicken! The truffle flavour was pronounced and worked well to make chicken interesting. The black pepper spätzle and mushrooms were great and in good portion. The small-portion complainers must have ordered something else or are used to eating at Lone Star! ;-)

Classic French Lemon Tart
Perfect! Sweet, tart, everything it should be. The thin brûléed sugar top is a nice touch.

Flourless Chocolate Pavé
Sure, the rich dark chocolate cake was good, but I'm not into those much. What I really wanted was the hazelnut-espresso soil and the creme anglaise. The "soil" was absolutely incredible -- especially with the vanilla gelato melting into it! I wanted to lick my plate. The creme anglaise was fantastic, but it's a garnish only (maybe 6 mL total) and doesn't deserve mention on the menu. :P

All in all, a big thumbs up from us both! Highly recommended for a special meal out.

3

A friend and I dined at the Black Cat on a rainy Wednesday night in early October. We warmed up with a corn soup with bacon and parmesan espuma. I had no idea what espuma was but knew I couldn’t go wrong with anything made with bacon and parmesan. Espuma turned out to be a foam of sorts, and worked well in this soup, though the bacon and parmesan flavours were a tad too subtle. We loved the soup though, and thought the popcorn “croutons” were a nice cheeky touch.

But what we were really there for was Richard’s 8 oz Angus burger. I love a good gourmet burger, but so few places can really deliver on them. Richard’s did not disappoint. Moist, tender, juicy, pink inside (cooked Medium as recommended by the chef). It was dressed with smoked bacon, sharp cheddar and secret sauce. I was highly dubious about the sauce, but it was excellent and surprisingly did not detract from the beef. In fact, it added to the wonderful messiness of the whole affair. (And if your burger’s not messy, it’s probably not worth eating.)

There was something unique about the fries. I must confess that I don’t remember them. I just know that I gobbled them all up in the rapture of devouring the burger. I will be back.

I had the Santa Margherita Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Doc Brut. It's a good Italian Sparkling wine from Veneto Region. It was a good choice for my appetizer, The Black Cat Dips( foie gras Torchon, slt cod pate', goose rillettes, and olive tapenade). Very clean nose, pleasantly fruity, with hints of apples and peaches blossoms. Delicate and crisp. $ 10 by the glass.

1

One of the best crème brulée in town, IMHO.

2

Dropped in here to try out their Burger Tuesday event – every Tuesday chef Larkin invents a new burger creation which is offered on that day only.

The night I visited the “everything bagel burger” was on offer – a beef patty on a toasted brioche bun topped with cream cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, avocado, horseradish and bacon. All burgers are accompanied by a cone of delicious skinny cut fries and a side of mayo.

When the burgers arrived at the table we wondered how we were going to open our mouths wide enough to take a bite (we somehow managed). They were excellent and VERY filling. To find out what the burger will be each Tuesday you can check out @BlackCatOttawa on twitter - they range from traditional to pretty distinctive - vegetarian, bison, turkey, scallop & shrimp.

I think this is an excellent way to experience the fabulous ambience of this elegant restaurant without breaking the bank.

2

Richard's 8oz Angus Burger is definatly my favourite burger in the city. Cooked medium with traditional topings I have yet to find a better burger in Ottawa.