ottawa foodies

Well, this is cute ... if not somewhat repetitive.
Of all recommended Top 10 restos this year, eight are the same from 2008. EIGHT.
Deja vu? Friend of chefs you critique? Catering someone's wedding?
Meanwhile, Ottawa Mag is still "watching" the same 5 restos as they did last year.
THE SAME FIVE. Don't know about you, but I am getting bored. Some should retire when they're too worn, too friendly. Same, same, same ...
Too much incentuous Ottawa, not enough arms-length analysis.
BTW, This list will seem very silly very soon, to show you how parochial it really is. It truly is a sophormoric list. See www.roneade.com on Wednesday 9:30 a.m.
Ron

For anyone who doesn't get Ottawa Magazine with their Ottawa Citizen... came with today's issue (Sunday, October 25, 2009), I provide the listing:
.
.

TOP TEN
1. Domus Cafe - Domus Cafe
2. Beckta Dining & Wine - Beckta
3. Restaurant e18hteen - e18hteen
4. Navarra - Navarra
5. Le Baccara - Le Baccara
6. The Wellington Gastropub - The Wellington Gastropub
7. Allium - Allium
8. The Urban Pear - The Urban Pear
9. Benitz Bistro - Benitz Bistro
10. Juniper Kitchen & Wine Bar - Juniper

Like Omnivore's Ottawa statements above... I was ummm bored... there were no surprises on this list. Which is sad. I can't believe that this is ALL there is in Ottawa considering in recent years the food here has improved so much.

This years list did have a "special category" which was added

SOLO ACT
And the honours went to Atelier - Atelier

Evidently he wanted to rank it in the Top 10, but thought that "our small-town parochial... (where have I heard that word before?) attitude towards dinner out" just made us unable to handle the concept say vs "Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and maybe even Calgary" (and that is a Quote folks).

If you want to refresh your memory on Last Years Top Ten (and the discussion) that ensued check out OF Topic "Ottawa Magazine - Chris Knight's Top Ten" = ottawafoodies.com/forum/1362

Interestingly, again this year (as pointed out last year by Daft-Diner) neither Murray Street - Murray Street Restaurant nor Fraser Cafe - Fraser Café made the Top Ten... instead both of them again fall into "The Ones to Watch" and "Four that Matter" categories.

For the record last year's list was:

1. Beckta Dining & Wine
2. Domus Cafe
3. Le Baccara
4. Restaurant ei8theen
5. The Wellington Gastropub
6. Benitz Bistro
7. Allium
8. The Urban Pear
9. Les Fougeres
10. Signatures by Le Cordon Bleu

So as mentioned 8 Returnees... Les Fougeres - Les Fougères and Signatures - Signatures by Le Cordon Bleu fell off the list to be replaced by Navarra and Juniper

Here then the rest of the categories covered by Chris Knight (all in alphabetical order):
.
.
.

THE ONES TO WATCH (Open less than 2 Years, or under new Chefmanship)

Black Cat Bistro - Black Cat Bistro
Le Cafe - Le Café
Le Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures - Signatures by Le Cordon Bleu
Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar - Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar
Fraser Cafe - Fraser Café
The Grand Pizzeria and Bar - Grand Pizzeria and Bar
Play Food & Wine - Play Food and Wine
Zen Kitchen - ZenKitchen

FOUR THAT MATTER (Not regular restaurant kind of places)

107 Fourth Avenue Wine Bar - Fourth Avenue Wine Bar
Murray Street Kitchen Charcuterie Wine - Murray Street Restaurant
Savana Cafe - Savana Café
The Whalesbone Oyster House - The Whalesbone Bank

HIGH STEAKS

Absinthe Cafe Resto Bar - Absinthe Café Resto Bar
Luxe Bistro - Luxe Bistro
Sterling - Sterling

I for one don't understand at all this seperate category for steak... if not just to mention a few places that didn't get covered elsewhere? Bizarre.

Ok, now a couple of comments... as stated these are the same places rehashed from 2008. And there is a tendency for all of these spots to be "upscale" and primarily downtown. Now I know here on Ottawa Foodies we often amongst our foodie travels have found great spots that are neither expensive nor downtown... infact a lot of great stuff is happening in the Neighbourhoods and Surburbs these days (afterall since Amalgamation, Ottawa is a big city, part of an even greater National Capital Region... out of 25 listings, only 2 are from the burbs, and in both cases from Hull).

So is the list biased? Or does Mr. Knight never venture farther than say Preston Street (and even at that, I think he missed a couple of new spots along there that are turning heads).

Any thoughts?

j. jonah jameson twists peter parker's arm all the time to write stories to cater to the daily bugle's top advertisers and to cater to the appeals of their readership.

as in any top 10 list there may be merit but with the rehash, it may suggest undertones/overtones of editorial influences and/or nepotism. whatever. i don't read the Ottawa mag, nor any other publication or newspaper but would be interesting to find out how many of the top 10 listers advertise in the respective publications. would you advertise in a publication that trashes you? waitaminute i see chris knight wrote: "our small-town parochial... ...attitude towards dinner out" doesn't that sound like he just insulted ottawa's dining population? dear editor: take a guess at whether i'll be buying this issue of Ottawa Magazine.

looking forward, if things continue the way they are, publications, newsprint and local TV are looking at a not-so-bright future with advertisers and readership at a low as well as parent companies indebted in the m/b/zillions. the new way forward should be embracing online advertising, on-demand media and advertising directly to social media. this is another topic that can be discussed elsewhere and can go on to great lengths.

a publication's top 10 list is just a SMALL PIECE OF THE PIE in marketing. undoubtedly, the best top 10 list is THE ONE YOU MAKE FOR YOURSELF. and it should be every restaurant's main goal to do what they do best consistently, build the solidarity of their customer base and do the best they can to be on EVERY CUSTOMER'S TOP 10 LIST. THIS IS THE BIG PIECE OF THE PIE.

regarding the solo act classification:

el bulli, per se, alinea, the fat duck are reviewed and classified all the time by many publications as among the top 10 in the world. if the ottawa mag food reviewer doesn't know how to classify 'Atelier', there is something
to be said about his ability to form solid opinions, decisions and openness based on his frames of reference. he's entitled to his opinion and he's just one opinion. it is hard to come by but we need reviewers with extensiveness and world-traveled experience in restaurants as a customer, free of influences and politics and with wider frames of reference.

i find Atelier as much or even more a tasting menu restaurant than Le Baccara which also offers surprise multi-course dishes every night. eighteen also offers chef's blind tasting menu. if Le Baccara and eighteen fit in the list, Atelier DESERVES to be included. and that's just MY opinion. you only have one life to live so be your own critic, go to these restaurants and make your own opinion and make your OWN list. i have my own top 10 list that i keep to myself and it is completely different from that of Ottawa mag and it is a spans from small ma & pa shops to upscale, from downtown ottawa to the edge of the city's outskirts. that's all i care about and that's all where i put my money on.

As above,
This is a v-e-r-y tired Top 10 list. Yes, I put my name to that statement. Ron Eade, Ottawa Citizen.
The List is by a man who is friends/is former employer with (some of) the chefs he reviews. Look in the same magazine and see the personal connection in the fine print. See who is catering his wedding.
I know this is going to cause me grief with Mr. Knight, whom I respect, who is a very intelligent and qualified and talented man, who I've known 20+ years. But there are limits ...
He should recuse himself from judging due to his personal connections, if only for the observance/appearance of impartiality. I have been saying as much for years, but so far have gotten no where... No one seems to care.
BTW, he is also judging 2 of these same chefs (I mean, friends, former employees) on Wednesday at Gold Medal Plates at Hilton Lac-Leamy.
Yeah, I have an optical problem with that. I believe judges should be absolutely detached.
But, after 3 years carping ... and carping ... on the issue, I have gotten no where.
Ron

thanks for clarifying and the sincerity, ron. every community has nepotism, politics, cliques and buddies making names for themselves for fame and celebrity status which does not equate to true success. you can win gold medal plates or whatever medals and you can also be gone tomorrow. take the focus away on what matters MOST is the power of those who directly determine your economic viability or hardship. and that is the CUSTOMER BASE.

i can name you some chefs over the years who made it to whatever lists and they are now nowhere to be found. again, fame and notoriety are just small snapshots in time and are not the true measure of success. do you really remember david letterman's top 10 lists? what about GQ's, or Cosmo's or Maxim's top 10 lists? exactly. pam anderson did a recent gig not looking so great at a seedy ottawa club and did you know she's indebted in the millions and currrently crashing in a trailer park? i hate to mention it but there are a number world famous and celebrity chefs (including gord r a m s a y) with multiple michelin stars now on the verge of bankruptcy and funny, publications nor the Food Channel do not mention these things. also, el b u l l i, most often regarded as one of the top wouldn't be around today if they didn't expand the business to focus on cookbook and culinary product sales. on the other hand, there are plenty of smaller or lesser known or family-run restaurants who will never make it to this top 10 list, when asked about chris knight or other reviewers (including ME) and respond "who cares?", are good at what they do and have come to a level where they are are rammed with loyal customers, debt free, owning fancy cars and expanding into other ventures, so much so that the owners and chefs get to regularly travel the world on vacations and explore new cuisines bringing them back home. these being said, it boils down to being a success with each and every customer. everything else, 15 minutes of fame, awards whatever are just icing on the cake. i could go on about this discussion but another time and place...

just my 2 cents. everyone should make their own lists, support and indulge in the foods and people that nourish your soul and if we all cross paths, let's all give each other high fives.

To be honest, I joined OF to learn more about food. I've always enjoyed eating out, but I am one of many who don't know alot about food styles. I am of a certain age, where I have the financial means to dine out, but I may not have the adventurous gene to explore something on my own.. I need to hear from other's experiences before I discover something new. Ottawa Foodies provides that info to me. On the other hand, I am probably one of the most wine forward folks on this Forum... I am constantly experimenting and trying new wines be they Canadian or International.

I don't think I am alone in Ottawa in my basic knowledge about food... infact I know a lot of folks who would like to know more, but they classically state that there is a "snobby food" movement... I am not sure if I agree with that statement but I certainly understand it.

The Top Ten List as revealed in Ottawa Magazine today does little to appease that statement.

Is great food in Ottawa truly only accessible to the food snobs?

As for Omnivore's Ottawas statements about Mr. Knight, let me just give any of you who aren't up-to-date on your readings on the social pages:

1- As per "Telling Tales" from Ottawa Magazine

"It promises to be one of the most glamourous weddings of 2010. Chris Knight, television producer, cookbook author, and food writer for Ottawa Magazine, will marry Taryn Manias on May 29, with their reception on the rooftop of the NAC."

2- Gold Plates Ottawa takes place Wednesday, October 28th at the Hilton Lac-Leamy, competing Chefs this year include:

Yannick Anton - Signatures, Le Cordon Bleu
Ben Baird - The Urban Pear
Michael Blackie - National Arts Centre
Matthew Carmichael - Restaurant E18hteen
Duane Keats - Luxe Bistro
Kenton Leier - Capital Dining Room, Delta Hotel
Marc Lepine - Atelier
Michael Moffatt - Beckta Dining and Wine
Rene Rodriguez - Navarra
Warren Sutherland - Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro

Well then...what should they be? I'm reading a lot of criticising but I'm not seeing anyone saying what the lineup should be, if not those listed. The high end restaurant scene is pretty small in Ottawa. I would be gobsmacked if there was a completely new top ten every year. At the same time I also disagree with him sticking Atelier in the ghetto, and might quibble with a few on the list but between the top ten and accompanying lists (Ones to Watch etc.) that looks to me to be a pretty solid rundown - certainly a valid opinion from one person. Maybe the problem really is that we need more Chris Knights and more diversity of opinion, not that there's anything wrong with Chris' perspective.

Inkling - To be honest, I'm just playing Devils Advocate here... I agree there are only so many BEST OF restaurants to go around... but are there not some signficant spots that OF members have discovered this past year that didn't many "any" list. I for one can think of a couple... Lago, The Moonroom, Sweetgrass, Castlegarth etc.

Plus, if you look at the list... several of these spots have fallen out of favour with OF Members, this past year... E18hteen & Urban Pear for example don't seem to be getting as much hype as they used to.

Food & Think and Omnivore's Ottawa:
It seems you our slaughtering Chris Knight's list with venom. A couple of questions to help with understanding your comments. Regarding his top 10, when was the last time you were at these establishments? Have you been at all of them in the last year? Just curious.

There is a natural attraction to try the new thing in town when it presents itself. It doesn't mean it will stand the test of time, even if that first time out was a good experience. Creating top 10 lists for restaurants is hard, if you haven't tried the majority of what is going in town. I am sure people can throw the same amount of venom at your top 10 list too. But why? Who really cares? What service are you really offering with that kind of dialogue?

Food is fun. Stop making it seem like someone violated the Geneva Convention.

So you are bored. Too bad, so sad. The top 10 listed seem like fine establishments in my experience and from what I have heard from others. Be careful that your criticism isn't taking credit away from them. Because it sure comes across that way.

Food is supposed to be fun. Chill a bit.

Food Is Fun - Sorry, but I don't agree (at least in regards to my input to this topic... Ron is free to speak for himself). If you've seen the magazine, then you know that my input above is mostly quoting from the magazine (including reproducing the lists, and various other quotes).

Other than that, what I did say, is the list is pretty much the same as last year (fact). And as an OF Member that mystifies me... because food is an evolving thing, not a constant... anyone who participates here in OF knows that there have been many great finds this year, and several disappointments (the Review pages are filled with both). I don't think that Ottawa Magazine's Top Ten List reflects that... other than the addition of Atelier (and even then it didn't make "the" official list... which is sad, because I'm not a big foodie by any means, but I do know that it is getting talked about in spots like Montreal, Kingston and Toronto).

Anyways, as stated, it is just one man's opinion, and just one list... like Inkling said, perhaps what we really need in Ottawa is more opinions, more food writers, and more lists.

Is it possible that Chris Knight simply has his blinders on? I liken it to ultimate frisbee, because I know that well. There are some handlers (throwers) who will always want to throw to two or three people on the field because they know that these people will do with the disc what is expected. On the other hand, there are up and coming players who play the disc just as well as the others, run just as well as the others, but get looked off simply because the person with the disc doesn't think highly of them (yet).

I think it comes down to Chris Knight's view of the Ottawa food scene as changing at a much slower pace than many others feel that it actually does. Food and Think is right, he does provide eight of the ten entries from previous years, but he ranks them slightly differently which I find rather interesting to be honest.

I agree with Mr. Eade's statement that Chris Knight's decision to rank Atelier separately from the other ten was poor, however I qualify that more on the ground of Pej and Food and Think's statements--why have a separate category for steak? Le Baccara does small plates. Surely, it's even competition.

On the other hand, I'm curious about Ron's motives, given that he's the one who is starting this topic. I have no doubt that you have respect for Chris Knight, but I find it difficult to believe that you respect his opinion in this case. Furthermore, to imply that his connections are what drive his list may be accurate, but some analysis shows that your writing is just as biased, Mr. Eade.

Part of what I enjoy so much about Ottawa Foodies is that it is several minds. To be completely honest, I find the food critics in Ottawa to be snooty and boring as all get out. My enjoyment of reading professional food reviews in Ottawa only extends as far as Ottawa xPress' Simon Osborne and Colleen Johnson.

I've never been a fan of Knight's reviews. If you approach every restaurant review assuming nothing in Ottawa could ever be as good as something... well... anywhere else, what's the point? The Ottawa food scene has been through so many awesome changes in the past 5 to 10 years, it deserves some respect (respect I see it is receiving from enRoute on Ron's blog). There's a difference between being critical and being a jerk, and Knight often leans too far into the latter. It confuses me why a food writer who seems to despise the food in Ottawa SOOOO much would stay in the city.

“Judges should be absolutely detached”. Senior judge at GMP this year is Anne DesBrisay, dining out critic for the Ottawa Citizen. Panelist for the En Route article was Ron Eade himself who recommended Atelier (location of his first Supper Club) and Murray Street Bistro. That’s all I’m sayin’. Blackie (would anyone book a bad chef for their wedding if they can afford Blackie?) was not on the Top Ten last year, and he isn’t on it again this year because he hasn’t been at Le Café for over a year (one of Knight's pre-reqs to qualify). So much for nepotism.

Thanks for asking, Inkling. My Top 10 would be, based on my dining experiences (I haven’t eaten everywhere Mr. Knight has) and in no particular order: Perspectives at Brookstreet, Urban Pear, Murray Street Bistro, Black Cat, Navarra, Fraser Café, Whalesbone, Allium, Domus, Eighteen.

Create your own list based on your tastes and your pocketbook. Knight’s 13 restos are mostly higher end (except The Grand –a pizzeria- and Fourth Ave Wine Bar that serves ~warm~ reds). It’s his list so he can draw the line in the sand wherever he wants.

Interestingly, two Ottawa restaurants made En Route's "Canada's 10 Best New Restaurants". Even more interestingly, they were two that were left off the Ottawa Magazine list:

enroute.aircanada.com

To Ottawa@Heart -- Just so there is no confusion: while I was one of 2 people in Ottawa who recommended various new restaurants for enRoute to consider this year, neither of us had any involvement in the selection procedure for the recommended Top 10 list by the writer of the magazine article. In fact, I didn't even know when he was in town to sample the food. That, to me, is detached involvement.

user_icon

Toasted marshmallow

newbie
It is such a shame that Chris Knight didn't have the insight to list Atelier or Murray Street on his top ten list. It's embarrassing actually. These two restaurants were just announced as being the fourth and fifth best new restaurants in all of CANADA by En Route magazine. Why can't our own Ottawa food writer recognize what is right under his nose? Nice of him to at least mention them though. I'll give him credit for that.
I agree that all of the ten on Knight's list deserve to be there, but seriously...room for two more please? Maybe Murray Street should hire a water sommelier, and throw down some white table cloths. Maybe then they would make the Ottawa list. Doubtful. The times, they are a changin'. Watch out. Don't even get me started on who was invited to Gold Medal Plates this year. I can tell you who wasn't...Ooops. Another oversight perhaps?

I don't see the big deal between the two lists. Knight's list was for the best restaurants in Ottawa. The Enroute list was for best NEW restaurants. I'm sure if Knight did a list for the best NEW restaurants he would have had both Atelier and Murray Street included in it (and he did if you include the One's to Watch section). The fact that Atelier and Murray Street made the list for Canada does not mean they are better than Knight's top 10 restaurants because none of those restaurants are new (actually, I think Navarra might be "new"). Anyways, my point is that these two lists are looking at two different things. One is for the best restaurant and the other is for the best NEW restaurant.

Who cares what these writer's think? Use their lists as a guideline and then try these places out for yourself. Then you can make your own decisions. I really don't understand why people get so bent out of shape for these beauty pageant/popularity contests.

My two cents.

I personally like reading those top 10 lists just to see what others think. Although some nice restaurants were included on the list the only thing I find questionable is that this year's list closely resembles last year's list - is the author implying the restaurant scene in Ottawa has not changed since last year? I can't speak for the Ottawa tourism industry but I visit Toronto fairly regularly and I enjoy picking up Toronto Life's equivalent before I go. I like to explore neighourhoods when I go to TO so I tend to pick a restaurant wherever I happen to be at lunch or dinner. (I plan on checking out the Distillery District and Little India on my next visit.) So most of the restaurants I frequent are not likely to appear in Toronto Life's best restaurant issue. (Maybe in Toronto's cheap eats guide however-;) However I like to treat myself to one nice (read: expensive) dinner while I'm there so that's where the magazine comes in handy. Actually a few years ago the hotel I stayed in had the magazine in my hotel room. I'm not sure what kinds of magazines are available in the Ottawa hotel rooms but it might be geared towards someone new to the city and not familiar with the restaurant scene here.