ottawa foodies

I see that a new place is going into the Walmart mall on Baseline/Merivale: Zaki's Broast & Grill (Halal).

That's about all I know about it. Opening soon.
Yes, it says 'broast' on the sign.

It makes me laugh because there was a show on television a few years ago called Better Off Ted and one of the segments was a character reporting back to one of his friends when asking the kitchen staff what they meant by 'broast chicken'.

"Apparently broasting is a combination of roasting and get the hell out of our kitchen."

I first heard of broasted chicken on chowhound and thought it was a typo-;) Apparently it's pressure fried chicken. More info is about half way down this thread: chowhound.chow.com I can feel my arteries clogging already-;)

Broaster is a company who makes commercial pressure fryers from my recollection. I spent ages researching pressure fryers before I bought my home one.

It would be exciting if they were going to do real fried chicken with spices, and flavors.

Mmmmm, broasterie.

We are totally going to check this out. My wife tearfully reminisces about Al Baik's pressure-fried chicken from when she lived in Saudi Arabia.

I've had broasted chicken in Massachusetts and if Zaki's is half as good as that it will be a frequent stop for me.

Momomoto,that logo (Al Baik's?) of the happy chicken giving a tip 'o the hat is classic!

New food cart at Bank and Fifth (in the parking lot, bien sur, to evade our food cart rules). It is called WannaWafel and sells Belgian (Liege) style waffles for $4 and then toppings (ice cream, whipping cream, banana, chocolate...) for a couple bucks more.

There is a sign up at Southkeys, Mucho Burrito opening soon. I haven't been to any of the locations yet, I hope its yummy!

Brothers Beer Bistro in the market on Dalhousie...read the article, sounds interesting. www.ottawamagazine.com

Mia's Indian Cuisine.

In the old Scott's Chicken Villa Kentucky Fried Chicken spot on the corner of Richmond Rd. and Woodroffe Ave.

Just spotted this am.

Liquor license notice in window. Seems open ... or damn near ready.

Just read about Mia's yesterday in the paper. A nice story, I hope the owner does well.
www.cbc.ca

Zaki's Broast & Grill on Baseline/Clyde across Walmart.

We went for dinner yesterday, it's a deep fried chicken and east-indian/pakistani style grill.

We ordered the 8 piece chicken combo, which was 8 very large pieces of chicken, an insane amount of fries, 4 toasted buns, and a 2litre pop. Along with various sauces. I asked for half of the chicken to be spicy, and the rest as normal. The skin is really nice and crispy, and the chicken incredibly moist. Incredibly. Does not taste oily or greasy at all, circa KFC.

The three included sauces are garlic, red home-made sauce, and a chutney. The chutney was very good, the other two weren't. I had experience (being in love with) an amazing carribean chicken place that closed, but the chef used to lightly brush on hot pepper sauce right after the chicken came out of the oil. This cooked the sauce right into the skin, I recommended this to the chefs after. As the spicy chicken they had didn't have any flavor much above the normal. They agreed it was a good idea and will try it. I suggested they try with their chutney as it was very tasty and had a kick. I hope to give it a spin the next time I'm there.

The prices are very reasonable, service is good. It's definitely worth visiting , the menu has a bit for everyone. The place has a nice clean and crisp decor. Honestly, it's refreshing, gives me hope for Ottawa's simple family meal scene.

I took a few snaps of the menu, which I can putup if a new vendor entry is created. Along with a photo of the biggest plate of fries ever lol.

@Ravi : It exists! Zaki Broasted Chicken and Grill

PB&A whoops. wow. lol will post there. Thanks!

Tried MIA'S INDIAN CUISINE last night.

It is excellent Indian food, easily on par with the city's best if not better than most. And yes, the CBC had it right - the Naan bread is to die for.

The butter chicken was delicious - not a radical take on the classic but all good. The eggplant bhaji was exceptional. The samosas were pure fried doughy potato and veg filled goodness. The rice dish with the fruit and veg and fried onions may be the single best Indian food dish i have even enjoyed.

Humble setting but the food is totally worthwhile. Will be back. Will send others. Will snarl at them when crowds start to gather and i regret telling anyone about it.

Adeline's is a new restaurant where Lorenzo's pizza used to be in Little Italy (it is on Adeline St).

www.facebook.com

Tried their pizza. It is not as greasy as Lorenzo's was. They are updating the restaurant and their menu is leaning towards more interesting options. They have just started a slice & beer for $8 night on Wednesdays. Hope it does well. Even though Little Italy has tons of restaurants, a really simple pub with affordable pizza would be nice.

Simply Raw Express is now open on Wellington in Hintonburg (beside Suzy Q). Stopped in yesterday to pick up some takeout. Small selection and a couple of tables to eat-in if you want. They do smoothies and juices as well and they have desserts. I'll post a review within the next couple of days.

MONA'S Snack Shack
Is open and it's located at 3798 Bank st. On Capital Golf course you can't miss it, it's a bright orange trailer. New owners with great tasting food, hot crispy fries, poutine with gravy and curds throughout, nice big burgers and more!

Anybody know anything about the Main Street Bistro, open at Pretoria and Main (where Babbo's Italian Food Shop was)

ChrisB I passed by there this morning on my way to the Main Street farmers market. They don't have the sign up outside yet but there was an "open" sign in the window and a menu. There were only 6 or 8 items listed - onion rings, poutine, shawarma and the like. I was a little disappointed since Babbo's sandwiches have now been etched permanently in my mind. The menu of the new place looks like a bit of a let down IMO so hopefully they will change/add to the menu.

The Brothers Beer Bistro will be open this Friday May 25th. We are now accepting reservations at 613-282-9452. The bistro is located in the Byward Market at 366 Dalhousie St. Focus is on our locally derived seasonal menu and a great selection of craft beer. Hope to see you soon!

The sandwiches at Babbo's were great, but the place was always empty. I'm guilty as much as anyone, it's round the corner from me but I rarely went.

I'll go and check out the new place today or tomorrow and let you know what it's like.

Les 3 Brasseurs is opening on the corner of Bank & Sparks...decent beer and food

Anyone know when they will be open? I have had a friend enticing me about this place for months now.

I hope the experience will support the anticipation.

ddueck The only info I could find is on their menu - Ottawa opening summer 2012: les3brasseurs.ca

I've been to the downtown location of les 3 brasseurs in Montreal. It was ok. Food was good - middle of the road (maybe upper middle). Beer was ok, but I didn't get to try many beers. The food has an Alsatian bias to it - with Flammekueche, sausage, kraut. It was a difficult place to get anything gluten free for my wife, as everything had beer in it or was dough based.

Beer Brothers is opening tonight.
www.brothersbeerbistro.ca/

Cant wait to try brothers beer...it might be my favorite new spot for beer. I was at festibiere and ask the lady serving the beer for 3 brasseurs and she said that the Ottawa location will be openong in October/November.

The place on the northeast corner of Parkdale and Wellington that has been newspapered up for what, 8 years now, finally has a new tenant. Brand new signs up (I think the old one was Gonzo's World Cafe or something like that?) and the name escapes me right now, but it looks like it will be an Italian-y sandwich and gelato shop. I may have that wrong, will double-check next time I'm by.

Cozmo's

Thanks! Relieved to know I was at least in the right ballpark, because it seemed too ridiculous once I typed it out..

Talking to the Trois Brasseurs people at the Festibière, they indicated they won't open until mid-autumn.

Beer brothers looks like they have some interesting beers that you don't get in a lot of places - Dieu du ciel on tap, Rogue and Anchor bottles...

Cassel Brewery finally has their production license and is putting on their first batch for sale!

Mario makes some fantastic beers - so stay tuned for the grand opening in June!

WannaWafel on bank and fifth has belgium style waffle for $4. Toppings such as chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, ice cream, whipped cream, fruits, extra.

Added: Just remembered the creator was on Dragons Den maybe 2010.. I guess this is a franchisee.

At council today is a consideration of a new tenant for the former Fresh Fruit Company location in the Market - it will be Olive and Chiles, serving prepared foods (i guess take out prepared meals?)

Edited: It appears that the owner is the same individual who owns Moulin de Provence

An Ottawa Sun article says Olive and Chili Food Family Inc. may be moving into that spot pending council approval. Discussion will take place at the next finance and economic development committee meeting next Tuesday. Sadly it looks like The Sausage Kitchen is up for sale. The full article is here: www.ottawasun.com

Information on the Olive and Chili establishment is here: ottawa.ca

And information on The Sausage Kitchen is here: ottawa.ca

Sad about The Sausage Kitchen. I always pick up a couple of different selections when I am in that area of town.

The Sausage Kitchen is probably my favouritest place in town. But the owner is retiring so the business is up for sale. I noticed they are hoping to sell to a business specializing in natural meat products. Hopefully the new owners will offer the same or similar products.

I really like the Sausage Kitchen's products, but I'm rarely in the Market during the day. If they were a little out of town I'd probably frequent them far more often.

Hi everyone,
I'm not sure if this is the right spot to post, if it's not I'll remove it. Today is the first day of the season at limmeydale farms (corner of Hawthorne and Huntclub). We have our own green peas, Ontario tomatoes and Quebec strawberries. Full discloser: I work here.
Cheers,
Maria

Merry Dairy, the frozen custard truck, is operational! Got some vanilla (currently only flavour) frozen custard with strawberry sauce when it was parked in Tunney's Pasture. It's pretty good but there's a slight hint of gumminess in the aftertaste. It's $3.00 for the frozen custard and 50 cents for toppings (strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and something else I don't remember).

As a side note, I'm not sure if the truck can actually park in Tunney's Pasture.

Heard the Merry Dairy truck go up and down my street a number of times.

It seems to go by so fast no one has a chance to run out of there house to stop it it.

Oh Well.

Merry Dairy, the frozen custard truck, is operational! Got some vanilla (currently only flavour) frozen custard with strawberry sauce when it was parked in Tunney's Pasture. It's pretty good but there's a slight hint of gumminess in the aftertaste. It's $3.00 for the frozen custard and 50 cents for toppings (strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and something else I don't remember).

As a side note, I'm not sure if the truck can actually park in Tunney's Pasture.

ZaZaZa opening on Wednesday in the Glebe (Bank and Holmwood) - I saw the interior, looked quite nice.

I drove by Mrs. Le on Carling Avenue yesterday and noticed that there's a completely new exterior and new name: Kim Restaurant, Vietnamese and Chinese food. There had been a sign saying "closed for renovations" but I wasn't expecting a massive overhaul like this. Anyone have the story on the new place?

Mr. Le chatted me up a couple days before they closed (i was a regular), noting they were retiring and had sold the building to a "young guy" who was already running a place on Sommerset somewhere. On the basis of one take-out (and a bit of eavesdropping), i'm guessing Kim's a family biz named after the friendly matriarch who was hosting that evening.

Fairly big menu, inc. Chinese, Vietnamese (several Pho's) and a few Thai dishes. My selections (hot 'n sour soup and Singapore noodle) were decent enough, but probably not a good measure of Kim's competence - reserving judgement other than to say an alternative to the nearby Holy Pow is much welcome.

If anyone is going to Westfest next weekend there will be a new food truck there. It's called Relish and more info is here: www.ottawamagazine.com

@Pasta.. why does that name sound familiar? This is literally beside my house, normally I hide from westfest as it's crazy chaos. but this is going to make me head out this year for sure. I still haven't been to Bite this.. so perhaps two stops.

"He’ll be testing out everything he’s learned at Westfest on June 9 and 10 when he debuts his new blue and orange truck called Relish The Flavour. The menu will include smoked trout and bacon guacamole with homemade cumin chips; a crispy fried green tomato sandwich with tomato-basil mayo, smoked mozzarella, pickled red onions, and homemade potato chips; beer battered haddock with tartar sauce and fries; masa cakes with pulled jerk chicken and mango-apple salsa. For dessert he’s making fresh mini doughnuts filled with homemade strawberry sauce."

Ravi A little investigative skills show he has an account with ottawafoodies and goes by the handle Street Gourmet.

He has already posted twice on ottawafoodies concerning street food and truck locations:

Forum - Food Truck Location

Forum - New Gourmet Food Truck

I too hide from Westfest since I don't like crowds. Hopefully they will set up a truck on private property somewhere similar to what Bite This and Stone Soup Food Truck does.

Tried the Relish truck for lunch today and appreciated having such a tasty and healthy option at Westfest, albeit more expensive than some other places. We had the smoked trout and bacon guacamole with cumin chips ($7), masa cakes with jerk chicken and mango-apple salsa ($9) and mini doughnuts ($4, I think). The smoked trout in the guac was surprisingly good. It imparted a nice smokiness but wasn't fishy, as I'd kind of feared. I wished the chips had more of a cumin flavour, but they had a nice texture and went great with the guac. The masa dish was also good. The jerk is not very spicy (at all), so if you like it hot, perhaps there's a way to ask them to spice things up - not sure. But the flavour was good, chicken wasn't dry, and the salsa was a refreshing addition in the heat. I liked the masa cakes too. They're small coins of dense corn bread, but more of the Latin American (and I imagine Caribbean?) variety. The doughnuts (3 Timbit-sized balls) were perfect little bites of summery goodness with the strawberry sauce.

When I first read the descriptions of what they'd be serving, it seemed overly complicated. But the food itself is simple, summer fare. I get the sense they're playing it a bit safe with the flavours (e.g., could amp up the spice) but I'd frequent this truck if it was nearby.

I drove to Westfest just to try the food at Relish truck and it was worth it.

Ordered the Smoke trout...i am a big fan gaucamole and it was perfect leaving nice junks of Avocados and the bacon was a nice touch which i never would of thought. Jerk chicken plate was delicious, flavours were all there however like cardamom mentioned above, could of use some eat but my partner was happy with it since she`s not a big fan of spicy stuff, overall this was well done and i will definitely be back...seriously, i was soooo happy eating quality food from a food truck...just like in NYC.

Also met Paul the owner, very nice guy...offered me and the gf a table in the back to indulge this great food oh and spot for the dog. I really wish him the best. Permanent location is still TBD.

Jerk chicken with Masa Cake

Sorry about the bad pics...:S

Here is the new spot for "relish ... the flavour":

Relish ... the flavour

FF may want to consider moving over these 'relish' reviews fro here.

Thanks Captain Caper. I wasn't sure how to do that.

A Tutti Frutti will be opening on Rideau Street next door to Ken's Japanese Restaurant.

Shafali Bazaar going in on Bank in the Glebe (btw 4th and 5th, next to Vons) advertised as Fine Indian Food and Spice Market - not sure if the other Shafalis also have a Spice Market

Shafali provided me with the worst apology for an Indian meal I have ever eaten in my life. My less than complimentary review can be found in the vendors section.

I attempted to test out Big Rig on Friday, but it was jammed. There was a 45 minute wait at 11:40am. I later heard that they had to shut the place down after an electrical fire in the dishwasher that caused roughly $30,000 in damage. Not a great day for Big Rig. Apparently they would reopen on Saturday at 5pm. I'll probably head back in a couple weeks, once the initial rush dies off a bit.

Real Sports Bar will be opening at 90 George in October: blogs.ottawacitizen.com They are a Toronto based sports bar and this will be their first location outside of Toronto.

Found this out from the liquor license application in the newspaper..

St Martha's Brasserie d'Orléans, opening September 2012, on Centrum blvd.

I'll let Facebook do the talking: www.facebook.com

Being originally from Orléans, I really hope this works out!

I've been to the Real Sports Bar in Toronto a number of times; it's absolutely huge, and the food is remarkably good by sports bar standards. It's also extremely expensive by sports bar standards. It will be interesting to see if they'll be able to prise people out of their favourite places - I suspect I'll go to Real on occasion, but St Louis will remain my default venue for watching games.

There is a new South African resto on Somerset where Bulalo House was located. I "think" it's called Aziz.

Mello's Pop Up kitchen on 290 Dalhousie. Not sure after this week it will be open Sun-Tues or Mon-Weds or Sun-Wed from 6:00pm (basically those days where Mello's Diner closes at 1:30pm)

Only access cash at the moment. Several of us went there separately to try it and review in the review section.

There is a new resto going into the old pizza place next to Merivale Fish. Looks like a complete reno. The sign says paninis and gelato bar.

Luigi Panini now open next to the Merivale Fish Market.

Tacolot is doing a rotating chef thing on Sundays. This Sunday it'll be Matthew Carmichael of Mello's Pop-Up Kitchen.

Attached is this of dates and chefs.

Heard there is a new restaurant called Union going into where JOY restaurant used to be on sommerset. A few guys from the gastropub i think.

Email from Mario at Cassel Brewery

--- snip ---

I'm excited to announce that we will be opening our doors on july 14th!

The batch we are about to bottle tomorrow is nothing less than awesome,
very happy!

Hopefully we wont run out, we'll about 600 growlers filled and it has to
last us for 2 weeks until next batch is ready to bottle :D Hard to gauge
the response we will get...

I will post more information on our website by tomorrow afternoon, hours
and location.

They had the postcards about Tacolots guest chefs in Mellos Pop Up last week. I would guess Matthew Carmichael would be doing the fish taco from his menu.

I started a SPorts Bar thread in January, the real intention was to leak the REalsports news back then. The company I work for assisted with that deal.

There were legal issues with me releasing the info at first, and then I forgot. Anyways it should be good, and in the future when we lease or sell to a new restaurant I'll try and post sooner.

There's a new burger/fish & chip place that opened up in Byward Market Square (the same building as the Moulin de Provence). Anyone know anything about it? I barely noticed it while walking by and was kind of distracted so I didn't pay attention, but now I'm craving a burger. I want to say that it replaced the Moroccan place, but again, I was really distracted.

Walked through the place last week.

Was going to post a pic here of the horrible looking spot that's trying to look like an old diner/burger joint.

Horrible blue and white paint scheme. Cheap plywood seating.

The air was reeking with inferior cooking oil (Esso 10W30?).

The place turned me off so bad, I did not stop for a burger or to take a picture.

How the city let them build such a monstrocity and give tourists a fright, is beyond me.

Anybody else see what I saw ?

It definitely looked like a weird, slightly shoddily done oldschool diner. I'll take a closer look when I walk by tomorrow, and will probably try it unless there's something outright scary because I'm desperate for a decent burger place downtown.

Rideau Beach & 8 Locks Flat

Passed by this place today and took a photo (thank you ChrisB for the info on what this place was going to be). As I was stopped, two men were about to go in and one commented with concern to the other: "I don't see beer. Do you think there's beer?".
Not sure if there is beer (yet) but it looks great...beyond the obvious need for substantial rain. :)

A video of Colin Goodfellow, the proprietor, talking about his new venture located along the Rideau Canal near the Corkstown footbridge at Somerset Street.
www.ottawacitizen.com

Spotted the Trailer Pork Boys food truck on the new parking lot where the old Lucky Key Chinese Restaurant used to be (Corner of Carling Ave. and Merivale Rd.)

Didn't get a chance to snap a pic. Was on my way to ... ottawafoodies.com for a Lobster Panini.

Will check these guys out soon.

The food truck business is finally looking up in the 'ol O-Town !

Here is Metro's wright-up from yesterday : metronews.ca

... and there Facebook entry : www.facebook.com

(I trust that Ricky looking guy isn't selling Green Buds out the back door of the food truck !)

Alice's Village Cafe opened in Carp last weekend. Great coffeehouse. The usual pre-made sandwiches on Art-is-in bread, ready for the panini grill. Wonderful baked goods.

Same proprietors as The Cheshire Cat Pub at Richardson Side Road and Carp Road.

don't forget cassel brewery's grand opening today - 10am til 5pm

stuck my head in the door here the other day. Said they are opening on tuesday, should be awesome

union613.ca/#home

Looks like a shawarma place is going in where the Tucons was at Bank and Hunt Club. Sign said Shawarma and lebanese food. Wow just what that corner needs another shawarma place:(

Beyond the Pale is a new brewery opening up in the heart of Hintonburg on Hamilton Ave near the Parkdale Market. A good friend of mine has been working on this for a while now and they are set to open in October.

You'll be able to go in and sample up to to 12 ounces of each and then purchase growlers and half growlers. His creations are some of the most delicious beers I've ever tried, I won't give away any surprises but the one I sampled yesterday called "The Darkness" is going to blow some minds!

www.beyondthepale.ca/

It is not JUST a Shawarma place opening up where Tucsons was - It is a Shawarma Palace!
I really hope the quality matches that of their west end location

Boy, when I moved to Ottawa 5 years ago, there was Heritage Brewing and Clocktower for local stuff.

Since then, we have added Beau's, Kichessippi, Hogsback (are they brewing locally yet?) Broadhead, Cassel, Mill Street, Big Rig, and now Beyond the Pale.

Hintonburg is rapidly becoming my favouritest neighbourhood ever.

Carmello's italian something something, Coffee, mixed Nuts, Gelato, chocolate.

Merivale road, next to Shaan.

Silk Road Foods opening soon on Merivale road next to the Goodwill store.. sounds exotic!

Driving down Merrivale road this afternoon saw a sign Menchies coming soon. The new building on corner across from Grace O'Malley.
Looks like the yogurt wars are about to begin in Ottawa. Wonder if Yo-yo's s are far behind.

On Bank, a block south of Fifth (where Alex's Bread and Deli was) will be "Original Burger Joint" according to their liquor licence application

Eugh.

I should have known better, but I was craving a burger and went to the new place on Byward Market Square, Catch 55, and this is the shit that I got. Premade (or possibly WAY overworked) patty, mealy tomato, untoasted bun, unmelted processed cheese, iceburg lettuce, jar pickle. If this burger was $2-3, then whatever, but I was charged just under EIGHT DOLLARS for it.

I almost want to create a page for this place castigating them, but that is more effort than they are worth.

afinekettle : I knew it. I just knew. And others have smelled a rat with this new place as well.

For my words ... click this link --> ottawafoodies.com

The new taco place at the other end of the market building looks good, smells good and serves up good fresh food ... whether you like tacos or not.

Come on ... burgers are NOT hard to get right.

Can anyone shed light on how these guys made it into a precious landmark of a spot ?

The sad thing about this IMHO, is the number of tourists, visitors, convention goers and national meeting types .. getting a negative food experience in Ottawa's primo food place, the Byward Market ... and telling others about that bad experience.

It takes a lot to weed out a crappy food place in the market because they can depend on the 'non-repeat' business to keep them alive .. just like at Oregano's . (link ---> restaurantthing.com )

@Cpt Caper.. What new taco place?! Do tell. After having the total garbage from Tacolot I've had a hankering for real tacos.

Corazón de Maíz

Is the one I was talking about and

Los Tacos de Mauro

Is another close by. Check out there reviews.

Both of those are worth your appetite and dollars. (Corazon is fairly new, so we're on-topic too!)

Catch 55... I haven't eaten there yet but i walked by twice, looked around... it's more eye catching than the Lebanese place it replaced, but i can't say anything i saw on peoples' plates drew me in. For what it's worth most people seemed to be having fish/chips as opposed to burgers. But I want everything in the Market Mall to be awesome and this just screams 'tourist trap'. I hope this is just start-up pains.

The worst part is that I was there for almost forty minutes and there was a hotel pan full of raw fish out on the counter the entire time. As a former cook, their food safety hygiene was absolutely horrifying.

I've been to Corazon a bunch of times, and the first few times right after they opened were AWFUL but the food has been much better since then. I've been getting pork tacos with habanero salsa and jalapeno garlic salsa.

I think I prefer the tacos/condiments at Los Tacos de Mauro, but the service is so awkward (and the included soup/salad kind of sucks) that I've just been going to Corazon de Maiz for lunch lately.

Went to Trailer Pork Boys! Enjoyed the Pulled Pork Sandwich, fellow foodie had the Cuban and he enjoyed it as well. The fries were ultra fresh, looked to be fresh cut?

The bun was great, good size, soft and tasty. The slaw was ok, could have been creamier but certainly wasn't a negative. The pulled pork itself, I was genuinely happy with it. Not fatty, greasy, or bland. They had the right amount of sauce on it, and the sauce has just enough of a bite to keep me content. It was well flavored. I think because I do tend to like pulled pork very saucy, I'd get a line of sauce on it next time, just because I want to enjoy more of the kick the sauce has.

We missed out on the ribs because we were there too early, 11:20 or so. They open at 11. Next time! I have high hopes, given the flavor of the pulled pork.

See the single photo before.. well. Before it was devoured. =D
goo.gl/F56G2

Ok goo.gl/MW9y1

Is the 2nd trip to Trailer Pork Boys. The meatballs were great, good taste to them. Honestly they're just like I wished I had everytime I try meatballs somewhere. Impressed. They ran outta everything, save for meatballs and two pulled porks. So we had the pulled pork, sans slaw as they ran out of that as well. Piled on the meat! Which didn't have the taste or zing, or very much sauce at all. I'm going to peg it as being as a result of the last sandwiches of the night. This was about 7:15. So if you want ribs, or anything else. Head there for 5ish he said. They were super busy. Oh, I should mention, I wasn't a big fan of the fries though they were fresh last time. But in a poutine today? Top notch.

Friendly service again as well. They even gave the other fellow his meatball sandwich on the house, as it was the last sandwich of the night and he wanted pulled pork.

THIS is the kinda food and service we need in Ottawa.

A gourmet grilled cheese place called Melt has opened on Dalhousie at Rideau (near Smoke's Poutinerie).

Saw a sign "Red Sea Cafe" on Holland near The Foolish Chicken.

What's Read Sea Cafe ?

Ooo! Here's hoping it's Ethiopian in the 'hood again! I miss Habesha! :)

Whoops forgot to mention I went back to Trailer Pork Boys last week for Ribs and a Cherry Pepsi! There was a huge lineup at lunch, the word is definitely getting out. They would benefit significantly from a large menu sign posted on the side of the trailer. I noticed a significant amount of people still deciding on their order at the cash, the handwritten sign has visibility at about a five feet.

Service is super friendly. The girl at the cash I noticed asks many clients how their day is going, and surprisingly has genuine conversation vs idle chit chat you'd expect. They're hammered busy, so her and the other staff still being friendly is commendable.

I asked for extra sauce on the ribs, and am glad I did. I do really enjoy their fries with some sorta sauce/gravy. They're good fries! Just better with sauce.

The ribs were decent, but I'd probably upgrade them to quite good if they'd been cut. To me it's pretty obvious to cut ribs up, or provide knives in this scenario, but I'm sure they'll get there, if they already haven't.

The ribs isn't fall off the bone, or, pull off the bone. It was more tear off the bone (which resulted in my shirt and pants enjoying said extra sauce lol) But surprisingly, the meat wasn't tough, Or chewy or gristly. Which I'd associate with someone saying tear off the bone. They seem to use very high quality ingredients, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're paying a premium for the ribs. If cut, I think these would be much better. As you'd get a portion of the top, and inside in a bite.

The sauce is good. They seem to do really well with the sauces, the meatball sauce, the gravy, this rib sauce, and the pulled pork sauce.

VERY unusual to find a place that's doing well across the board.

I think Smoque on a good day is better yes, and Baton Rouges slide off the bone saucy ribs have a special place in my heart as well. But these are certainly a great option if you're craving summery, rib festival style ribs.

Oh! The coleslaw was AMAZING this time. It was creamier, just a hint of sugary taste. Might of had rasins, and given the variety of veggies in it, I'd rate it a 9/10 for coleslaw. I'd buy slaw from them if they sold it in containers. Heck, sauce as well.. hrm.. here's to hoping.

For those who follow this thread, and have been on the fence about Zaki's Broast or have gone before and need an excuse to revisit. I say go for it. I wrote a brief update on their vendor page. Didn't think to get a photo, was too eager to try the chicken.

Something has changed in their chicken, both regular and spicy, for the better!
Spicy is using a new sauce, Lousiana sauce, and regular now has a slight bit more seasoning. Enough that I'll get regular next time.. oh and extra pieces for leftovers.. =D This isn't KFC, the next day its mint.

The red sauce (spicy ketchup as someone calls it) is great now, and the garlic seems to have changed as well!

It goes to show, that places that just open,and which are still stretching their legs can improve nicely as they get into the groove of things.

To state, they already did very well at open, so improving on that is a good thing.

I'll end with.. their green chutney rocks. I want to buy some. We harboured ours and ate it with pizza the next day. lol.

I just ate at Catch 55. Good basic fish and chips, good fries, nice crisp batter. Others say the burgers are lousy, but the fish was very good IMHO.
It is run by the guy who owns Cafe 55 at the end of the market building.

Looks like a new brewery will be opening in Hintonburg called Beyond the Pale Brewing Company. They are planning on opening this fall: beyondthepale.ca/

There is a new wine bar on Somerset where Benitz used to be: 327winebar.ca/

In the space on Preston formerly occupied by Lindenhof will be a new bistro-bar called two six {ate}. Apparently to open mid to late September and run by one of the sous-chefs from Allium.

Suya Spot is now open. It is in Hintonburg, at 1104 Somerset - where Indian Express used to be.

www.facebook.com

Caramello's now open on Merivale between Shaan Curry House and Da Santino Restaurant. Quick browse inside revealed gelato, beautifully arranged chocolates and fresh nuts. Looks to be the kind of place that will do wedding favors as they had a few pieces of giftware as well. The chocolates and nut/nougat sweets were lovely and elegantly wrapped. There were three older guys in the store today who were very welcoming and eager for me to try their wares. I bought some salted hazelnuts which were quite nice and I had a taste of the pistachio gelato which was creamy and positively filled with whole pistachios. Will be going back to sample some of their other offerings.

Does anyone know what is going up in the old TD at the corner of Churchill and Richmond. Forgive me if it's already in this thread... I scanned and didn't notice anything...

I saw there is a new place going in where louisiannies was in stittsville. Didn't catch the name as I was driving by, anyone know what's coming?

Just checked out the buzz section and got the info on louisiannies. Guess I should have checked there first. Oops.

Chopper - that is going to be Steve Becktas' new place Gezellig. I think there is a thread somewhere with pics.

Louisiannie's is now NOLA, relatives of the former owner. Similar menu, a little more refined. Been open for a few weeks, but the grand opening is his Friday.

(I haven't been yet)

Not sure if anyone posted this, but The Fresh Food Co building in the market will have a new tenant. I believe it's called "Chili & Olives". Or vice versa. The banner says Homemade Food! Eat-in, take out, take home.

At least it's not an empty building anymore. Let's see how they do.

I believe it's owned by the the guy who owns le moulin bakery in the market!
Apparently they are also baking all the bread for Farmboy now as well.

Really? That's too bad. I have been consistently disappointed with Le Moulin's bread. Hopefully there will be marked improvement with the take-away foods they will be offering.

Hot off the heals of last summer's pop up dinners Mellos is now starting a supper club. (Edit: Matthew Carmichael is not involved with this venture. A chef from Toronto has been brought in for the supper club.) Martin Fremeth, the owner, and Michael Frank, the chef, were interviewed on CTV Ottawa Morning this morning. They will be open for appetizers from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm followed by two dinner seatings at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. They hope to eventually offer a late night menu. The supper club debuts tomorrow night and I believe it will continue as long as there is a demand for it. It was also reviewed in The Citizen: www.ottawacitizen.com

There is a sign for YKO Charcoal BBQ Chicken up on Gladstone (between Bay and Lyon). Have they moved?

LuLux Not sure if they moved there yet but the Gladstone location you saw will defintitely be their new digs.

Looks like YKO Chicken is open.

Shawarma Palace going in where Tucson's used to be at Bank and Hunt Club.
Which makes me sad as a live music fan but excited as a Palace fan.

Not new but Burrito Borracho is reopening Sept 21

The place on the north-east corner of Wellington and Parkdale (former Kosmoz) has stalled for a pretty long time now, or so it seems anyway.

Anyone know what is up?

says "coming soon" for like 3-4 months now

Must be like the Thai fusion corner of Huntclub and Merrivale
Has been under construction for over a year!
Now have an opening soon sign up in the window!!
Who knows how long that will be!!!!

two six {ate} is opening this Friday, Sept 29! They will serve small plates - "contemporary variations on classic munchies" - inspired by local, fresh, sustainable products. Open Wed-Mon to 2am with DJs most nights. Will be nice to have another later evening option in the vein of Moonroom, Trio etc. Menu is up on their website.

twosixate.com/

Was actually dissapointed to see a 3 Brasseurs opening up. I've been a few times in Montreal (not by choice, but rather but celebration invites) and have never been impressed. I'd put it in the same vein as pubs or perhaps East Side Marios....

Huh! I really enjoyed the one time I went to 3 Brasseurs. The beer was great, and the flammekueche was decent.

We were supposed to be going to the Brasseurs du Temps in Gatineau on Saturday, but the reviews for the food on Urban Spoon have been uniformly awful. Going to try Brothers instead, I think.

Article on two six {ate}, which is opening on Preston St. It has been looking really great.

www.ottawamagazine.com

twosixate.com/

I would also vouch for Brasseurs du Temps.. the beer was outstanding and the fries were great on my only visit to date. I remember a couple people at our large table not being crazy about their food orders, but the beer was the main attraction and more than made up for it. I've wanted to go back but haven't made it yet.

O-Dot captures the dining environment in Hintonburg with spoof of new restaurant opening...

www.theodot.com

Dying of laughter at the $30 mac & cheese in an upside-down pylon...

Went to two six {ate} last night. I'll write a review in the Vendors section, but suffice to say it was excellent - wine was good, food was very good, decor and ambience is perfect, service was very good in the context of it only being their second night open, and the price was extremely reasonable. Highly recommended and a great addition to the Preston St scene.

I added a vendor entry for them as there didn't seem to be one, but I'm sure it's missing things (including pictures, but I don't do taking pictures of food). I've put a review in though, perhaps you can let me know if there's something else I'm supposed to do for the vendor page.

Première Moisson will be opening a location at the new social sciences building at UOttawa on Oct 22.

The old Cafe Paradiso will now become "Vetta," an osteria. Could be interesting... Wonder who's behind it ?

Steve Wall is opening a spot called supply & demand on the corner of Ross Avenue and Wellington St. W.

oh and this...........weird!



She goes na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na She's got the look

Have any of the Ottawa Foodies been to The Red Sea Café yet ?

www.ottawamagazine.com

Hang 10 (sister of Tacolot) are opened on Bronson and Gladstone...wonder if the price is sky rocket for a taco like tacolot...

There is going to be a new thai restaurant in Carp (former Stonehouse Grill). I hope it's good and can draw a big enough clientele to survive in West Carleton.

More of a re-opening, the Bifteque Steakhouse and butchery on Cote de Liesse in Montreal next month.

Westboro Fish opened on Richmond Rd. yesterday - blogs.ottawacitizen.com

Illume Espresso Bar at 1433 Wellington Street hopes to open the beginning of December.

JR's in Almonte has re-opened 'under new management' after a two day renovation.

Yeah, JR's, it has changed hands twice now in about two years, I think? Quite the controversy in lil olde Almonte.

Does that mean JR's looses its "you have to eat here" TV endorsement? :)

Well, I'm not sure if they still serve the roast beef wrapped in Yorkshire pudding... they should... it was awesome! Unfortunately the staff have turned over a lot, so I'm not sure if they could retain that claim to fame anymore.

Heard that Whalesbone are opening another joint in Westboro were the Elmvale tavern was...

Re JR's and the roast beef Yorkshire pudding..last time I was at Cheshire Cat in Carp they have a hot roast beef served in a giant yorky pudding. It is delicious and its not too far from Almonte.

Original Burger Joint in the Glebe. It has opened beside the Glebe Meat Market and gets all it's meat directly from them.

The website has nothing on it, but here is a little info from the Metro:
metronews.ca

Delightfully, Ho Lee Pow seems to have closed up (sign's gone) and a "Leased" sign is on the lawn. Don't know what is going in. Hopefully not another "creditor ditching" re-branding as Po-Lee-How or similar.

To follow up on my last post, Peter Hum gives a good review in today's Citizen to the new spot where Ho Lee Pow was. It's now called Robz Bistro, but is really a take-out sandwich shop, with some really tasty sounding selections! Apparently it has been open for a few weeks already. Smoked/pulled/roasted/sliced beef, chicken clubs, pulled pork, pulled beef poutine... A large sandwich + slaw & pickle is only $6.50. I will definitely be stopping by here soon.

robzbistro.com

On 2nd, just off Bank, Unrefined Olive Oil, an olive oil and balsamic tasting bar was to have opened on November 15. I haven't been by to confirm.

Hao Sushi is now open on Merivale in the old Sakura location near Kardish/XS cargo. There are opening specials until Nov 27th. Yesterday we went for the AYCE lunch which is normally priced around 14 bucks but is now discounted. Everything was fresh and good quality with friendly service and an owner who circulated to see how patrons were enjoying the food. Different types of soups, sushi maki, nigiri and other dishes all available on the AYCE.

According to their website, Menchie's is opening a second Ottawa location soon at 80 George St in the byward market.

Here is the Citizen's weekend article on Unrefined Olive Oil in the Glebe.

www.ottawacitizen.com

FAUNA - Opening in January 2013 at Bank and Gladstone is a new restaurant by the chef from Taylor's. Walk by the construction everday and thought I'd look at the permit posted outside and do some research to see what it was going to be.

www.ottawamagazine.com

Two new things. Another Olive Oil & Vinegar store, but on Wellington, where Booster Juice used to be.

A sandwich shop on Preston, beside Pub Italia. I can't remember the name, but the menu on the door shows a Cajun twist with Po'boys and pulled pork sandwiches. Shop is still under construction, but moving quickly.

Fauna sounds great, although I'm a self-confessed junkie for anything with an association to John Taylor.

Off-topic but sort of related, re: Fauna, does anyone know if Vassili (from Hackett's) got out of the business, or is he fixing shoes elsewhere? He did good work.

Does an Olive Oil & Vinegar store sell things other than oil and vinegar ?

Sounds like a bit strange to me that a business so narrow could survive.

But then again, tea shops with lots of expensive teas seem to make a go at it. Although tea is probably consumed at a much faster rate than oil and vinegar.

Is fancy-pancy (isn't that a Zym term ?) Olive Oil and Vinegar shops as hot as Small Plates, AYCE Sushi spots, Tacos, and stocking caps for Hipsters ?

I went into the olive oil and vinegar place and can confirm that this is all they sell. Single estate olive oils, flavoured oils (done at a mill in california) and different vinegars. I was kind of sceptical, but it is well done. Good quality ingredients, well presented.

Emulsion is the name of the new oil/vinegar shop in the old Booster Juice spot. I tried four vinegar flavours: espresso (very rich and earthy), mango (would be killer in a Thai preparation), white honey/ginger (spicy and sweet) and pumpkin pie (drizzle over cheesecake?). They have a lots of food pairing ideas listed on each "keg" of oil. The 8 mini bottle selection would make for a great gift or as individual stocking stuffers for your Ottawa Foodie friends.

I was walking on Somerset between Bank and O'Connor and noticed a new place called Fare Blend in what used to be the Full House Restaurant. The sign mentioned that it was something along the lines of a "music and culinary combination."

Somebody has been tweeting about this place (Fare Blend). It will have a dress code ("neat appearance" no sneakers or jeans) and be very pricey ($110 for the set seafood menu, and $99 for the set roasted chicken menu). Also, they call their sides "compliments" not sure if they have deliberately misspelled complements or not...

twitpic.com/bfv01g

That doesn't look like a $100 menu.

Just to follow up, the new sandwich place on Preston (beside Pub Italia), is called Zydeco. The menu is in the front window of the shop.

Regarding that "Fare Blend" place - who had the bright idea to create a very high-priced new restuarant with a dress code? Certainly nobody with experience in this city. (Probably the same person who put a course named "Culinary Masterpieces" on the menu - Roast chicken breast with vegetables? C'mon. Hilarious.)

This has to be a joke, right? Especially since there are two appetizers to choose from (one of which seems to just be a combination of two of the 'compliments').

Fare Blend has the same address as the old Full House Restaurant.

Also, the name "Fare Blend" sounds like a budget grocery store. This has to be some kind of wind up.

Perhaps the dinner fee includes the "musical" experience? Either way, the price seems exorbitant given the menu description. I can't imagine it lasting very long based on the information we currently have.

Between the "compliments" misuse, the "Culinary Masterpieces," and the redonkulous prices I'm about ready to sing them Deck the Halls using all "HAs."

they are using basa fish too....cheap ass fish

Hahaha... yes, that has to be a joke or a troll! Vague terminology like "citrus mousse" and "toasted nuts" and "slightly sweet vinaigrette". Simple fare, prices around quadruple what would be reasonable. $11 premium for basa over chicken. It looks like a placeholder -- the Lorem ipsum of menus.

Otherwise... Watch out, Atelier and Le Baccara!! You have competition in the ~$100 table d'hôte market! ;-)

Anyone remember Barf Burgers? :)

The inconvenient convenience store (that was rarely open) by our place, closed ages back and I've been watching the place get fixed up for a while now and it looks good. I saw the notice on the window. It wasn't all that specific but a kid that lives next door said that it was going to be a Mexican food place. It looks like it should be ready to open soon. The name and decals have been recently added to the the door and windows is "MITLA". (Mitla is in Oaxaca, Mexico, so I am guessing the kid was right.) Excited to try them out when they open. It would figure this is happening just as I am leaving the area. *sigh*

Location 62 Barrette Street (at Loyer). Behind the Metro on Beechwood near Vanier.

Someone just reported on the brewers list that it smells like brewing at bank and sparks, and the windows are all steamed up at 3 brewers ...

Guess I didn't search well enough...turns out they have a Facebook page. www.facebook.com/mitlaottawa I'm drooling.

Just got back from Marianne's Direnzo Deli and Sandwich(previously Quizno's). It's in the plaza on the corner of Baseline and Prince of Wales. Same menu as Direnzo's in Little Italy and I actually commented on that to which the lady behind the counter responded that they are the same family. No surprises here, same sandwich, same value.
I do have to say that I visited Luciano's for a sandwich a couple weeks ago and I find a notable difference in the quality of the poultry used. Luciano's wins hands down.
Also noticed some action in the spot where the short lived M.I.C. used to reside. The sign above the entrance says 'Apollo'. No other signage or information up from what I saw. Lots of work being done inside.

The owner of Kanata Noodle House told us last week that he's going to open a new location at Bank and Walkley. He plans to call it Ottawa Noodle House.

This is good news for Alta Vista residents. The soups (both Phở and Hủ Tiếu) at the Kanata location are some of the best in town.

The Quiznos at Bank and Catherine (that shared space with the Harveys) is gone, now something called 'Gringo Burrito'. Couldn't quite determine whether it was open yet on the drive-by.

I guess there is no vendor page for MITLA yet? On their www.facebook.com/mitlaottawa they are now selling fresh tortillas... awesome!

"We will be serving these with meals at Mitla and also we will offer them for sale by the kilo, just like the tortillerias in Mexico! They are vacuumed packed in 50's so they last up to 17 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer. With this special packaging you won't damage your tortillas when freezing them. These packaged tortillas are slightly under-cooked so when you heat them up they are moist and not dry.

When we open our doors on Saturday morning at 9:00 they will be fresh and ready. The pricing is likely 15$/kilo (around 50 tortillas). These tortillas are not available anywhere else in the city, they are simply the best you can get.

OSoloMeal - You mean Bronson and Catherine. It was supposed to open end of November, but something went wrong with their grill.

www.burritogringo.com/

Yep - error mine, tnx for the catch and link.

Caffe Zucchero at Queen and Lyon is gone and a Nate's Deli has replaced it.

That is sad. I used to love Zucchero when I worked at the Archives

I liked some elements of Zucchero, so sorry to see it go.
Otoh, hey Nate's is back! And downtown!

There will be a new brasserie opening in Westboro in April 2012 where the Newport is now located: blogs.ottawacitizen.com