So bf just got a bonus.... [General]

2007 May 24
paid off all his debt, and wants to take me to a fancy dinner :) Where should we go? I really want to try Domus Cafe, Merlot (the revolving restaurant), Juniper, and Cordon Bleu. Do any of those stand out? Or does anyone have any other recommendations? We've been to and love Beckta, but want to try something new.

2007 May 24
Domus Cafe. Simon (the chef de cuisine) is one of the great chefs I have met. He and John (the executive chef) really take alot of pride in their food, seeing as it's a personal business. I highly reccomend it. :)

2007 May 24
Domus and Cordon Bleu... Juniper is great also, but Domus and Cordon Bleu are really an excellent bet! Enjoy.

2007 May 24
You could always check out the top ranked restos on this site I heard about... it's called ottawafoodies.com or something. ;-)

Domus is great! I haven't been to Signatures (Cordon Bleu) myself, but I understand it's rated very highly. When I last checked, they had a sample menu posted online and it looked like it should give bf's pocketbook a better workout than any other place in town. :)

2007 May 24
Another push for Domus here. Pure/minimalist. Superb. Delicious.

2007 May 24
I also happily recommend Domus. Wonderful food, great wine menu, and attentive service.


2007 May 24
I'll throw my vote in for Beckta or Signatures.

2007 May 25
I would warn against Merlot. I went there for a work function and the food was passable but nowhere close to the quality that you should expect.

2007 May 25
FreshFoodie: Cute ;) If you'll notice, I did take my picks from the top rated!

McSheffrey: Yes, I've definitely heard that you're paying for the view at Merlot. I'll probably take my mom there next time she's in Ottawa.

All: Domus it is - thanks for your input! I'm very excited.

2007 May 25
Sa-weet! Get ready for a flavour explosion. I reccomend brining a camera. The presentation is really quite awesome :)

2007 May 25
I just seen an episode on The Great Canadian Food Show where he went to Domus and The French Baker....and I mentioned to MY bf that Domus is the next place I would like to try!!

Looking forward to your reviews and your pics!

2007 May 25
ooh I'm under pressure now to bring my camera :) I'll definitely have to ask permission, as it's a not-so-subtle Nikon D50 with a ginormous lens. hee! this should be fun.

2007 May 25
hahaha.. if you do that you've got way more guts than I do! I have a tiny discreet camera that I use inside restaurants. I'd love to use my DSLR instead, but it's so conspicuous!

2007 May 26
The best advice I can offer is to have the person on the other side of the table smile as though posing for you; pick off a shot or two of your boyfriend before the food if need be, to make it less obvious that you're, well, taking pictures of your food. I feel silly doing it even in casual places...

2007 May 27
As promised, photos and my little blurbs are up on the Domus page! we had a wonderful time and will definitely be going back.

2007 May 28
This is what we need...

www.spygadgets.com

2007 May 28
Oh, thank you for the pictures!

"Too many places make you ask for water." Indeed. People here who do or who have waited tables: is there some reason for that? Barring the obvious, like when things are v busy. Or, when one works in a chain restaurant that's all about 'upsell'; I tend to assume there's some paranoia that bringing me a glass of water will make me think 'Ah, now I have water -- I definitely don't want that overpriced wine I was going to order!'

2007 May 28
I've waited tables at a restaurant owned by the former executive chef at the Chateau Laurier and he was always adamant that we greet our customers by pouring them an ice cold glass of water as soon as they sat down. It must be a "class" thing!

I also learned at that restaurant that you should never pour any drinks into a glass or cup that is sitting on the table - always take the glass and pour over the floor, away from the customer. You wouldn't believe how many waitstaff in this city pour drinks (especially coffee!) while your cup is still on the table. It's the little things!

2007 May 31
Glad to hear that Domus went well. I haven't been yet, but I plan on it being my Next Big Restaurant Thing. Especially since they have Stratus/Wildass wines on the menu. (I'm such a fanboy.)