Ottawa Foodies

I went there for brunch with some friends recently and I was initially disappointed when I found out that the slow roasted boar eggs benedict was no longer on the menu. My disappointment was short lived when I found out the menu changes based on local ingredients!

The pulled red deer and pork breakfast sandwich was delicious and my only regret was that I didn't follow our server's recommendation to try the steak & eggs though I made up for that by stealing some from my friend's plate.

Also the boar bacon and boar sausages were well liked by everyone at the table.

I removed the website link.

1

As a followup to zymurgist's post below of over a year ago, clicking on the website link brings up a huge warning page for me that I am about to enter a reported attack site. Yeah. I'd say that's a huge hindrance to people getting to your information.

I hadn't been to the Tomato in a while but I recently enjoyed a great burger at this place. The meat was from O'Brien's and was beautifully smoked with a lovely pink smoke ring on the burger. The bun was great and the patty was topped with some local bacon. There was a lot more local content on the menu than I remember and the service was great.

2

Oh man, major website fail. Ouch.

3

Wow, I used to love this place but it's changed. I had the pasta, my friend had the special (squash soup and hen). It was on average about $30/entree. A lot more expensive than it used to be (a surprise, but fine), but the quality of the food was not worth the inflated prices. I'm not a picky eater, but if I pay $30 for my meal, I expect something above the average cheap restaurant. There was also NO AIRCONDITIONING, and I was dying of heat and sticking to the chair. What kind of place has this become? If you are going to charge for a good meal, offer one and make your clientele comfortable. Very disappointed, I very rarely complain, but I have to in this case.

2

Last night was my boyfriend and I decided to try the Black Tomato.

We started our evening off with the baked brie appetizer. The brie was melty perfection and the caramelized onions that came on the side balanced the flavours perfectly. That being said, I saw a few other patrons with the same appetizer and theirs seemed overcooked and resembled more of a melted dip/goop in a bown; regardless, ours was delicious and the best part of our meal, hands down.

For mains, I ordered the chicken puttanesca and boyfriend ordered the duck confit.

For my dish, I'd have to say that the best part was the garlic bread. It had been grilled to perfection. But that's more or less where the awesomeness stopped. The chicken was on the dry side, the noodles slightly overcooked and the sauce did not taste fresh at all - the lack of flavour reminded me of something that came out of a can. I had to ask for extra cheese to try and add some kind of flavour to my meal. Worst of all, there was still a beard on one of my mussels. That being said, it was a generous helping and I had enough for lunch today.

Boyfriend's meal was better. His duck was well cooked, and his potatoes and beans were also nicely done. Personally I found his dish to be a bit bland as well, but he enjoyed it enough.

We were too full for dessert, but perhaps they could have redeemed themselves there. I will say though, that they have a fantastic atmosphere. We sat on the back patio where a jazz trio played in the middle of the courtyard. Surrounded by all the stone buildings and the lovely music, it was incredibly romantic.

All in all, I wouldn't go running back but if someone asked me to join them at the Black Tomato for an evening, I would not object. In the future, I think I would maybe stick to their starter dishes - like a salad or the charcuterie plate; the other patrons who had these around us seemed to be enjoying their dishes immensely.

2

So I have been to The Black Tomato twice, and both times I have been pleased with the service, promptness of seating, selection of yummy "girly" drinks, and, of course, the food.

I also think they have a really nice ambiance going on inside. I love the shelving unit near the door with random CD's for purchase and other neat stuff, fun to browse while waiting for your seat.

Anyway, the first time I went to the Black Tomato I ordered a type of focaccia type pizza thing with feta cheese, black olives, tomatoes, and artichokes (name is failing me and it is no longer on their menu) that was very good. I did find the artichokes overpowering, though, and in too large pieces. But if I navigated my "pizza" carefully, I was able to enjoy it thoroughly without the sudden assault of artichoke. Very fresh and light.

During my second visit I had a pulled pork sandwich type deal (also no longer on their menu, though I scanned very briefly). It was much better than the focaccia item I'd had before. The pork was absolutely delicious, and the bun was great. Heavier and yummier.

Also, both drinks I had on each separate occasion were equally pleasing to the palate. I would offer the names, but I forget - they were listed on a chalk board over the bar - and I can't seem to find them on the website.

2

I visited the Black Tomato tonight and until now it has been my hands down favourite restaurant in Ottawa. In the past the mediocre service has always been overlooked because of the good food at reasonable prices.

Sadly both of those are gone. The menu has changed and offers a very limited dinner menu with options that are now in a higher price range. Since none of the nine entrees were what I was craving tonight, I ordered a Warm Pecan Crusted Chevre Salad for $14. It left me hungry and not impressed - very little greenery, very few mushrooms and cold goat cheese.

Sadly I think this Ottawa mainstay is gone and the only thing that remains is the name - which is just misleading.

I've only been here once about 5 or 6 years ago and the selection was good. But the venue is well-known amongst local homebrewers as a spot for great beer.

Besides the usual suspects, the Black Tomato usually has a few gems from nearby microbreweries available on tap (notably Church Key and Scotch Irish).

I had brunch here several weeks ago. They do a table d'hote brunch menu.
The day I was there the options were:

Black Bean Soup OR
House Made Granola

Breakfast Burrito OR
French Toast with Bananas and Chocolate Sauce

Choice of Dessert

I opted for the Granola, followed by the French toast.

I had a latte to start, and the granola which was really good, and fortunately in a small portion because it's pretty heavy as a starter. It was nicely carmelized and really tasty.

The french toast was unusual...it was a large wedge of brioche type bread that had been coated in oats before frying. It came with sliced bananas and chocolate sauce, 2 large pieces of thick cut bacon that were a little too crunchy for my taste and 2 sausages that were slightly longer and thinner than the standard breakfast sausage, and a lot less greasy. I wish I knew where they get them. There was also a nice salad on the plate, and fried potatoes (not deep fried, either!).

Upside: The latte was included in the price, which was about $17 so there was a lot of food for the price. And almost everything was tasty. I had to have them box my dessert (Peanut Butter Pie) to go, as there was no way I could eat it after all that.

Downside: This is not the place to go if you have plans after. I was seated shortly after 12:00 and had my bill dropped at 1:40. Also, it is a lot of food, so go hungry, or with someone who has a bigger appetite than you. Also, I liked the table d'hote format, but probably wouldn't have if they'd offered choices that didn't appeal to me.

All in all, I'd go again.