Contrast in dining in Ottawa and in Europe [General]

2007 Oct 18
Hi, I'm the newcomer to Ottawa and I'll be working here for a few years. Thanks for the great source of information. I just wanted to wonder, why the culture of dining, eating and probably food in general is much poorer than it is in Europe. I mean, most restaurants here look poor, have unceremonious service and are a bit ragged. I'm speaking about Ottawa, where I found just very few places to eat (most with help of this resource). The picture is better in Montreal for sure... I was shocked by the local tradition not to change the flatware for each dish. So, this message is not to offend the local scene, but to find out if I'm mistaken and, if I'm not, why there's such a situation. Thanks in advance, I really trust most things people write here.

2007 Oct 18
You're not the first person to discover that things over "here" are different than things over "there", wherever here and there may be.

I'll leave the why to someone else. :)



2007 Oct 18
Hi Moscovite, welcome to the site. I'm going to take a stab at answering your difficult question. :)

Probably the biggest difference between North America and Europe is that we are more casual. The way we dress, the way we speak, and the way we eat. It could be a remnant of the Wild West -- more cowboy than culture to some extent. Europe has a long heritage and has had thousands of years to refine itself. North America was populated by adventurous Europeans just a couple hundred years ago who were willing to abandon their old culture and had to struggle just to survive. Old buildings in Europe are 10 times older than old buildings here. Tradition and formality seem to go hand in hand, and neither seems as prevalent here as in Europe.

My wife spent her formative years in Europe and the Middle East. Upon returning to Canada for university, she would test restaurants by leaving her fork on the salad plate. The better restaurants would quietly bring her a new fork. Most would remove her fork and put it on the table before removing the plate. Others (ottawafoodies.com) have the nerve to demand that the diner remove it herself!

Our excellent and formal restaurants (e.g. Baccara Le Baccara) would even impress a European. They serve appropriate cutlery for each course separately.

So that's my answer. More formality means a higher chance of having your cutlery replaced between courses. North America is less formal.

Incidentally, North Americans are shocked when they request water in Europe and are charged for it. We're used to getting it for free, with ice and a slice of lemon! My advice to you is to ignore the little things that bother you and instead seek out food that tastes great. When it comes to culture, vive la difference!


2007 Oct 18
"Different" does not necessarily mean "poor" in my opinion - for example, not changing the flatware between courses may be shocking to you, but to me it means less dishes to do which is more environmentally friendly - pros and cons.

As far as the service, well, waiting tables is looked at as a CAREER in many parts of Europe, and I know in France you actually go to school for it. Here it is perceived as a job you do until you get a REAL job. Not sure where and when that divide happened, but it is why you are more likely to get a high school student who is not highly trained in customer service waiting on you.

As far as the food being, for the most part, "poorer" here than in Europe (which is a matter of opinion of course), well, I imagine it may have to do with local produce. It can be quite difficult (and expensive, in the case of seafood, since we are not on a coast) for restauants here to get fresh local produce, particularly during the long winter months. Some restaurats start using non-local produce during the winter and then it is simply easier to continue doing so through the summer rather than looking for all new suppliers. Seeking out restaurants who have a commitment to local ingredients will no doubt add to the food quality, rather than going to a seafood restaurant and expecting it to be as good as the "We fish it out of the ocean for you" place you ate in Normandy. It is also dependant on what dishes YOU are ordering - ordering dishes that contain ingredients native to Canada - say choosing the Bison steak instead of the Kobe beef - can also enhance the food experience.

Another thing that divides North America and Europe is the whole "convienience age". Europe still opperates, in many places, on a "slower pace" - such as towns that close down in the afternoon for a nap, 4-day work weeks, 4 weeks+ of vacation a year etc. When you compare that to the fast paced 12-hour-days-6-days-a-week, 2-weeks-vacation-a-year workaholic values of North America, it makes sense that people would rather spend 30 minutes for a quick dinner rather than spend 3 hours at a lovely dining establishment on a regular basis. As a result of this demand for lower-end restaurants which specialize in quick, cheap, tasty-but-not-great food, these restaurants have become increasingly common, so you have to look that much harder for a truly special experience.

2007 Oct 18
Thanks to everyone, who has answered. Your arguments and ideas are already helping me to understand the local reality :)) As for food and dining, I hope that ottawafoodies will help me to find the best I can here :) Do you ever organise something like gourmet gatherings - forum meetings? And besides that I tried to look throgh the local dining guides. I found Ottawa Citizen not bad. I've also heard about something like CheapEats which should be in 2007 edition, but I can't find it anywhere. Thanks again!

2007 Oct 18
Collected Works - little bookstore at the corner of Wellington and Holland should have "CheapEats" in stock. Also, try the "Where to Eat in Canada Guide" - should be available in most bookstores.

2007 Oct 20
Moscovite....you're right. I had the same shock!!! Anyway, there are a couple of places that can be considered good restaurants in Europe: Aroma, Ambiente, Beckta and Restaurant Les Fougères.
A big problem is the lack of skilled restaurant owners and waiters.