Foods from Mariposa Farm
Comments

2012 Feb 22
The food and service were just excellent. Ian, his staff, and chef Anna March made the whole experience just impossible to forget. I am looking forward to going back there.

My mother was visiting from abroad, and she couldn't believe how good the food was.

The home-made bread, the perfectly cooked canard confit, the foie gras, and the pork were to die for. The relaxed atmosphere, and the attention the owner had given us was unprecedented from any other restaurant in town. I wish there would be more restaurants and farms like Mariposa around Ottawa.

Highly recommended!

2011 Sep 6
Over the years, I have read a lot about this place and have eaten tons of their fare from the menus of places around town so it was with great anticipation that I drove into the parking lot of Mariposa Farms off County Road 17 a couple of Sundays ago for lunch/brunch (you really have to watch for the sign on the river side of the road).

The restaurant, including open kitchen, is in a beautiful room with windows on all sides looking out onto the farm. The feel of the room is not fancy but very relaxed and inviting. I particularly liked the different vegetables in vases used as decorations at each table. We had a garlic bulb but there were also beets, carrots, etc.

Don’t be fooled by the atmosphere though – they are serving sophisticated food. There are three choices for appetizer, main and dessert (everyone gets one of each for $38/person + taxes, which I consider reasonable for what is offered). I believe at least one of the choices is always either duck, goose or foie gras for the appetizer and main (this makes sense as these are the things Mariposa is known for). They explain each of the dishes to you at the front counter, you pick and then are seated at your table. The tables have white table clothes but everything else (plates, cups, etc.) is mis-matched, kind of like at a cottage (or farm!). To add to the relaxed atmosphere, you serve yourself coffee and tea.

The dishes were served by the friendly owner and his daughter. To start we ordered corn chowder and the foie gras plate – delightful. The chowder was extremely flavourful and obviously made with the freshest ingredients (a theme throughout the whole meal), the foie gras excellent. Next came the duck and venison, both perfectly cooked with a mix of seasonal vegetables. The meal ended with a platter of three local cheeses and a (perfectly sweetened) peach and blackberry panna cotta. The mix of this calibre of food and the comfortable atmosphere makes this place a real gem.

They don’t serve beer or wine but you can bring your own.

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to walk around the grounds after eating, which many people were doing – maybe next time!

2011 Sep 5
Tried this place early summer with some friends and perhaps one of the most enjoyable dining experiences. Everything we ordered was delicious and the "visual menu" was a nice touch as was the open kitchen as you had a chance to witness chef March in action.

I had the foie gras, pulled pork and maple pecan pie. All were very tasty. As it was a few months I don't remember everything but no one was disappointed with their meal and we all left satisfied.

I'm pretty sure the menu changes week to week but I'm sure the quality remains high. If it wasn't for the distance, I would consider dining weekly. The atmosphere is also great as the dining area is surrounded by the farm.

Highly recommended.

2011 Apr 4
Looks like there is a new chef: Anna March
Also to update the thread the table d'hôte is now $38/person + taxes but I think this may have been raised before Anna came.

As always there is a choice between three entrées (always Foie Gras on the menu), three main courses (always duck or goose on the menu), two desserts or a cheese plate. Home-baked bread, tea and coffee are included.

Their website says "Reservations are recommended" I'd say, they're a must.

2010 Sep 13
We made the leisurely drive out to Mariposa Farms yesterday for an alternative brunch experience that turned out to be well worth the hour-long trip. It's a bit hard to find, marked by a brown sign off the side of the highway that you could easily miss if you didn't know to look for it.

Still, there are clearly a lot of folks in the know because they were totally sold out and you have to book at least several weeks ahead to get in for their once-a-week Sunday lunch spread. Very reasonably priced at $35 plus tax for an organic, locally grown and produced three-course meal. We had our choice between three appetizers (tomato soup, tomato salad or foie gras); three main courses (bison, goose or chicken); and three desserts (cheesecake, hot apple crumble or an assortment of Quebec cheeses). You order what you want ahead of time at the counter and then get served at your table; tea and coffee are self-serve, and wine or beer is strictly bring-your-own. Owner Ian Walker seated and served all the tables that day - he's owned the place for 30 years.

I chose the tomato salad (divine, flavourful, with loads of goat cheese and lip-smackingly good basil pesto sauce we sopped up with bread afterwards). My dining companion had foie gras, which was absolutely perfect in mousse-like consistency and not too liver-y tasting as I sometimes find it can be in other places. It was difficult to finish our main entrees of bison and goose as the helpings were generous (I did prefer the bison and the cheesy mashed potatoes it was served with as I found the goose, although fall-off-the-bone tender, to be a little lacking in flavour). The hot apple crumble went very well with a gigantic mug of cloudberry tea (chosen among a range of Inuit teas, which was a nice Canadian touch), and the cheesecake had a great homemade flavour to it.

After dining, we took a little walk around the grounds to see the rows of tomatoes and beets, flocks of geese, and several pigs with many baby piglets. It would be a great place to take older children for an afternoon outing, or out of town guests. I can't believe it took me three years to learn about the place!


2009 Aug 29
actually just wanted to say a couple of things about your comments food film director....im the chef at mariposa and appreciate you saying the food was fantastic....just so you know....we only serve goose in the fall, so it must have been a duck terrine, definately not braised bison as we grill all of our meets over charcoal and lastly you would have gotten a tour of our duck and goose barn as we only have a couple of turkeys(hopefully to be gone soon...lol...yummy)...please do give us another try and im sure we'll make your TOTAL dining experience more pleasurable....

2009 Jun 22
My family went here for Father's Day brunch. Although we all had a variety of items, I had the goose terrine with garden salad as an app, braised (I think) bison with savoury bread pudding and rhubarb chutney as a main and a Quebec cheese plate for dessert (this included a raw milk cheese). The food was fantastic although the service was something else. First they lost our reservation (more problematic considering it was very busy for Father's Day), then the mains came before the apps and the water jug was dirty. It appeared to be the fault of some members of the staff who couldn't take the pressure of a full dining room. The owner of Mariposa Farm was very apologetic for the service. To make up for the mistakes, he gave my family a tour of his turkey barn (apparently turkeys like to listen to CBC...who knew?!) and gave my dad 2 small kale plants. Take from this review what you wish.

2009 Apr 10
kind of funny actualy, I live maybe 15-20 minutes from the place and only found out about it last year. I've heard good comments about it and for shure I will check it out.
Just to note. Mariposa is only opened on sundays

2007 Aug 8
Sunday lunch at Mariposa is well worth the drive. It is such a dynamic place and the food is excellent.


1

3

2014 Aug 17
My husband and I had a wonderful lunch at this gorgeous farm today. We took a 1pm reservation as we are not really breakfast or brunch type people. The place is charming. (I've been there before but just to buy fois gras) My husband had the asparagus soup, which was light and delicious. I had the fois gras and goose terrine, which was spectacular with the crunch from pistachio's. My main,I stuck with their specialty, which was smoked goose breast and a duck leg confit....brilliant. My husband had the rabbit loins wrapped in bacon and stuffed with liver and other goodies.
Dessert was equally wonderful with Bob having a mixed fruit crumble type dessert and I went with a raspberry, beet and chocolate pate/mousse frozen creation. Wow.
This is a very special place with incredible food. Even better the prices for fois gras lobes is well, it left me speechless. An entire lobe for $34. Gonna be a nice mousse down the road. You must check this out. Worth every penny of the $45 prix fix!