Foods from Culinary Conspiracy
Comments
2011 Apr 29
Had a great lunch at Culinary Conspiracy today. Their daily homemade soup and sandwhich combo is super. Today was asparagus soup and grilled chicken wrap. Yum, My friends had a curried chick pea wrap which they really liked. On the way out I picked up home made croutons for salad, Art Is In bread and house made pate. Its a great asset to the neighbourhood.
2010 Sep 17
Stopped by at lunch for a curry chickpea sandwich that was filling and flavourful. Everything tasted fresh and veggies were crisp.
Also tried the mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and horseradish, which were also solid.
Couldn't resist the dessert offerings.. the caramelized fig cheesecake (or a name resembling that) was amazing. The conspiracy rubble chocolate cake, to me, was just alright.. when there's a cake that only has chocolate in it, it really has to be incredible to stand out. It was pretty good, and the texture/look was fun, but I would try something else next time.. maybe the strawberry rhubarb with brown sugar icing cake?
Will go back, but yes, prices are a touch high. But it's one of the better lunch options in the area, and the store is nice and the staff friendly.
Also tried the mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and horseradish, which were also solid.
Couldn't resist the dessert offerings.. the caramelized fig cheesecake (or a name resembling that) was amazing. The conspiracy rubble chocolate cake, to me, was just alright.. when there's a cake that only has chocolate in it, it really has to be incredible to stand out. It was pretty good, and the texture/look was fun, but I would try something else next time.. maybe the strawberry rhubarb with brown sugar icing cake?
Will go back, but yes, prices are a touch high. But it's one of the better lunch options in the area, and the store is nice and the staff friendly.
2010 May 4
Fair enough.. however, I wasn't going to leave empty handed, I wanted to try something. thus I got one of the more affordable menu items. For 9 bucks I just expected a little more. And the interac machine still prompted me for tip, for what!?!?
And yes, the price of the chickpea may be similar to an Indian place, but it was quite small, and not mind blowing. So am I wrong to say that it wasn't worth 9 bucks? No! I would have classified the chickpea dish as a side and it should not have been more that 5 dollars tops. If the 9 dollars included a simple salad, piece of naan, a little more food, or ANYTHING else, that would have been reasonable. And if you read my post, I am mainly talking about the general prices. I didn't say the place was bad. I thought I was quite fair in my post - mentioning that I had not tried the other items, and that they looked very decent.
Maybe I should have clarified, lunch menu - items at the "aforementioned places".
Domus's Lunch Prices - The most expensive of the three
***Daily Market "Beking Farms" 2 Egg Frittata 18
House chutney,Terre a Terre greens and roasted organic potato
House Smoked Trout and Yukon Gold Potato Rosti 22
Terre a Terre greens, Vers Jus mustard crème fraiche and sweet corn relish
Canadian Coast to Coast Land Selection
examples for winter include Braised Lamb Shanks, Beef Liver and Berkshire Bacon, House spiced Sausage "Bangers and Mash" and our "meatamation" Mixed grill.
Canadian Coast to Coast Sustainable Fish Selection
Examples for spring include Lake Pickerel, Wild Halibut, B.C Quantum beach Scallops
Le Coprin Organic Cultivated Mushroom Risotto 18
Permesean cheese, fresh rosemary, chives and truffle oil
Suntech Eggplant and Tomato "Caponata" Pappardelle 18
Roasted tomato, fresh thyme and shaved permesan cheese
Kerr Farms 7oz Sirloin Burger 18
House Smoked Heritage bacon, fingerling potato, 7 year pine river cheddar, rustic tomato catsup and greens
Spiced Honey Glazed Bobwhite Quail 18
Grilled Potato, Suntech eggplant, Micha goat cheese, spinach with smoked tomato relish
Double Smoked House Pastrami Sandwhich 20***
Maybe slightly more expensive, but fresh, delivered with impeccable service. etc etc. So I think my comments are at least partially valid.
Why are you folks so sensitive? Essentially, even if my comparison is "incorrect", I still think its far overpriced for refrigerated and reheated food.
relax
And yes, the price of the chickpea may be similar to an Indian place, but it was quite small, and not mind blowing. So am I wrong to say that it wasn't worth 9 bucks? No! I would have classified the chickpea dish as a side and it should not have been more that 5 dollars tops. If the 9 dollars included a simple salad, piece of naan, a little more food, or ANYTHING else, that would have been reasonable. And if you read my post, I am mainly talking about the general prices. I didn't say the place was bad. I thought I was quite fair in my post - mentioning that I had not tried the other items, and that they looked very decent.
Maybe I should have clarified, lunch menu - items at the "aforementioned places".
Domus's Lunch Prices - The most expensive of the three
***Daily Market "Beking Farms" 2 Egg Frittata 18
House chutney,Terre a Terre greens and roasted organic potato
House Smoked Trout and Yukon Gold Potato Rosti 22
Terre a Terre greens, Vers Jus mustard crème fraiche and sweet corn relish
Canadian Coast to Coast Land Selection
examples for winter include Braised Lamb Shanks, Beef Liver and Berkshire Bacon, House spiced Sausage "Bangers and Mash" and our "meatamation" Mixed grill.
Canadian Coast to Coast Sustainable Fish Selection
Examples for spring include Lake Pickerel, Wild Halibut, B.C Quantum beach Scallops
Le Coprin Organic Cultivated Mushroom Risotto 18
Permesean cheese, fresh rosemary, chives and truffle oil
Suntech Eggplant and Tomato "Caponata" Pappardelle 18
Roasted tomato, fresh thyme and shaved permesan cheese
Kerr Farms 7oz Sirloin Burger 18
House Smoked Heritage bacon, fingerling potato, 7 year pine river cheddar, rustic tomato catsup and greens
Spiced Honey Glazed Bobwhite Quail 18
Grilled Potato, Suntech eggplant, Micha goat cheese, spinach with smoked tomato relish
Double Smoked House Pastrami Sandwhich 20***
Maybe slightly more expensive, but fresh, delivered with impeccable service. etc etc. So I think my comments are at least partially valid.
Why are you folks so sensitive? Essentially, even if my comparison is "incorrect", I still think its far overpriced for refrigerated and reheated food.
relax
2010 May 4
I'd like to mark this as ridiculous, because you say in stroke that the prices are similar to Murray, Domus (!) etc. then go on to say you bought a $9 chickpea casserole. That price is pretty much on par with most Indian takeout places for a chickpea curry... and $14-20 is nowhere near the aforementioned restaurant prices for main dishes. Not really a valid comparison.
2010 May 4
I have seen so many positive reviews of the culinary conspiracy, so tonight I thought I would see what the fuss was about.
The place seems interesting, yet it had a cafeteria type vibe to it. They had all sorts of goodies to choose from on the "savory side". However the first thing I noticed was how *ridiculous* the prices were. Considering that places like Murry Street Kitchen, Sweet Grass and Domus have similar prices, I thought this was a little over the top for a take out kitchen.
Of course good food isn't cheep, and I wasn't expecting McDonalds prices, however since its not really a restaurant, I cannot in good conscience spend what they were asking. Some people on the other hand don't mind 14-20 dollar (per person) price tags on take out, so do not let my post keep you from trying this place.
What I did have however, was a "chickpea casserole". It came in a little metal tray. It clocked in at 8.99 for chickpeas! Pretty much the cheapest "main" on the menu. And it didn't come with a side. It was not that great, yet it wasn't bad either. It smelled amazing and flavorful, but it wasn't as tasty as I imagined.
It had a whole bunch of chickpeas, cauliflower, broccoli, red and yellow pepper, a yellow sauce - obviously spiced with turmeric. I believe there were some anise seeds in it, and probably a little cumin. It was okay. It needed a good dose of salt and pepper.
Again, don't take my post to heart, as there seems to be all sorts of nice things at Culinary Conspiracy. They had pork tenderloin, mariposa chicken, and a bunch of side dishes. All of which looked of high quality, and nicely seasoned. My main qualm is that the food is refrigerated - although I reckon they make fresh food on a daily basis, for the price they are asking, I would much rather go to a restaurant, and get served with food fresh, piping hot from the kitchen. They had roast potatoes in the fridge among other refrigerated sides.
In all honesty, even if the potatoes were made in the morning, once refrigerated, it's like eating left overs. Not that I had their potatoes, that is just from experience. Roast potatoes are only good fresh.
I don't think I'll try this place again. It is intriguing, probably pretty delicious(although my chickpea dish was blandish), but 1) refrigerated "leftover", is not my kind of thing, and 2) definitely not worth the money.
My two cents.
2/5, Cheers, Robert
The place seems interesting, yet it had a cafeteria type vibe to it. They had all sorts of goodies to choose from on the "savory side". However the first thing I noticed was how *ridiculous* the prices were. Considering that places like Murry Street Kitchen, Sweet Grass and Domus have similar prices, I thought this was a little over the top for a take out kitchen.
Of course good food isn't cheep, and I wasn't expecting McDonalds prices, however since its not really a restaurant, I cannot in good conscience spend what they were asking. Some people on the other hand don't mind 14-20 dollar (per person) price tags on take out, so do not let my post keep you from trying this place.
What I did have however, was a "chickpea casserole". It came in a little metal tray. It clocked in at 8.99 for chickpeas! Pretty much the cheapest "main" on the menu. And it didn't come with a side. It was not that great, yet it wasn't bad either. It smelled amazing and flavorful, but it wasn't as tasty as I imagined.
It had a whole bunch of chickpeas, cauliflower, broccoli, red and yellow pepper, a yellow sauce - obviously spiced with turmeric. I believe there were some anise seeds in it, and probably a little cumin. It was okay. It needed a good dose of salt and pepper.
Again, don't take my post to heart, as there seems to be all sorts of nice things at Culinary Conspiracy. They had pork tenderloin, mariposa chicken, and a bunch of side dishes. All of which looked of high quality, and nicely seasoned. My main qualm is that the food is refrigerated - although I reckon they make fresh food on a daily basis, for the price they are asking, I would much rather go to a restaurant, and get served with food fresh, piping hot from the kitchen. They had roast potatoes in the fridge among other refrigerated sides.
In all honesty, even if the potatoes were made in the morning, once refrigerated, it's like eating left overs. Not that I had their potatoes, that is just from experience. Roast potatoes are only good fresh.
I don't think I'll try this place again. It is intriguing, probably pretty delicious(although my chickpea dish was blandish), but 1) refrigerated "leftover", is not my kind of thing, and 2) definitely not worth the money.
My two cents.
2/5, Cheers, Robert
2010 Apr 21
can't say enough great things about this awesome restaurant. I can always count on them to have the freshest most flavorful meat or vegetarian salads, creative daily specials and friendly staff. Unfortunately I haven't tried the sandwiches, soups or stews yet, but the lamb stew looked incredible last time and I regret not taking some home!
There's a nice whimsical vibe to the cafe that I like as well - it's like instant relaxation when you walk inside. lol at least that's how i feel.
Highly recommend Culinary cuisine, its one of my favorites.
There's a nice whimsical vibe to the cafe that I like as well - it's like instant relaxation when you walk inside. lol at least that's how i feel.
Highly recommend Culinary cuisine, its one of my favorites.
2009 Nov 30
Last weekend after spending a busy day shopping and being too tired to cook I decided to pop into Culinary Conspiracy for some take-out.
Upon entering the store you can choose between visiting a coffee bar on the right or a small restaurant/take-out place on the left. The restaurant has several jars of soups, relishes, etc. that are made on the premises and arranged on display shelves along one side of the store. The take-out dinners are displayed in a counter near the entrance. Everything looked so good I had a hard time deciding what to order. The staff was really friendly and they were kind enough to walk through the items and explain what they were. (Some of the items were not labeled so their assistance was appreciated with the products I was not familiar with.)
On this visit I decided to try the New Zealand lamb shank braised with red wine. The cost of the meal includes one side so I chose the ginger scented rice pilaf with scallions. I also added ratatouille for an extra fee. The lamb was very lean and moist and it just fell off the bone. The red wine reduction had a nice flavour to it. The ratatouille included red and green peppers, onions, zucchini, and eggplant sautéed in olive oil and oregano. The rice pilaf was made with jasmine rice and garnished with scallions and black sesame seeds. My only quibble – and a very minor one at that – is that I didn’t taste any ginger in the rice pilaf. All in all the meal was excellent and reasonably priced at $20.
Their menu changes every two weeks and the information is updated accordingly on their website. I will definitely keep my eye on the menu and plan a future visit.
Upon entering the store you can choose between visiting a coffee bar on the right or a small restaurant/take-out place on the left. The restaurant has several jars of soups, relishes, etc. that are made on the premises and arranged on display shelves along one side of the store. The take-out dinners are displayed in a counter near the entrance. Everything looked so good I had a hard time deciding what to order. The staff was really friendly and they were kind enough to walk through the items and explain what they were. (Some of the items were not labeled so their assistance was appreciated with the products I was not familiar with.)
On this visit I decided to try the New Zealand lamb shank braised with red wine. The cost of the meal includes one side so I chose the ginger scented rice pilaf with scallions. I also added ratatouille for an extra fee. The lamb was very lean and moist and it just fell off the bone. The red wine reduction had a nice flavour to it. The ratatouille included red and green peppers, onions, zucchini, and eggplant sautéed in olive oil and oregano. The rice pilaf was made with jasmine rice and garnished with scallions and black sesame seeds. My only quibble – and a very minor one at that – is that I didn’t taste any ginger in the rice pilaf. All in all the meal was excellent and reasonably priced at $20.
Their menu changes every two weeks and the information is updated accordingly on their website. I will definitely keep my eye on the menu and plan a future visit.
2009 Nov 21
Been walking by this place for almost 4 months now curious about what it has. After reading some of the reviews decided to try it out last night. We order for three of us, to take out and bring home. For the main we got an order of the New Zealand lamb shank braised with red wine and fresh thyme with a whole grain mustard butter, pan seared fillet of pacific salmon with a cracked wheatberry crust and lavender scented blueberry compote and mariposa farm chicken breast roasted with crab apple glaze stuffed with toasted walnuts and chevre with apple brandy jus. Now looking at the names alone and the descriptions pretty much sold us. But upon digging in to our respective dishes each of us was slightly underwhelmed. I found my salmon was a little lacking the blueberry compote was amazing but the crust on the salmon was too much for my liking my that is just my opinion. My boyfriend seemed satisfied with his order of lamb, but not thrilled. Finally his mom's order of chicken was probably the winner, it was the best out of the one's we tried.
All and all I think its a nice option to have something like this in Ottawa, but I am not rushing to go back anytime soon. In the meantime I think I will stick to making my own salmon and lamb as I like how they turn out better.
Good option if you are looking for something healthy and homemade instead of the usual Friday night take-out.
All and all I think its a nice option to have something like this in Ottawa, but I am not rushing to go back anytime soon. In the meantime I think I will stick to making my own salmon and lamb as I like how they turn out better.
Good option if you are looking for something healthy and homemade instead of the usual Friday night take-out.
Older
2009 Aug 18
Culinary Conspiracy supplies Planet Coffee [ottawafoodies.com/vendor/1112] with their daily soup. I've never had a soup I didn't like from there; all are very full flavoured!
ilikerealfood
Today they were offering a beef kabob, filet Mignon and salmon cakes for the main, meat dishes. None of these jumped out at me. Also, I would never buy a steak that was grilled hours earlier.
I tried one of their sandwich offerings today which consisted of an art-is-in bun stuffed with turkey breast (cold cut style), spinach, havarti cheese, pickled eggplant, roasted red peppers and horseradish mayo. This sandwich was friggin good! I really enjoyed it.
The sandwich was paired with a red cabbage coleslaw, which I must say, was not good at all! The slaw had no flavour, no vinegar, nothing. It was just plain weak. I actually took 2 bites and threw the rest out. There were no saving qualities to the slaw. It’s not that I didn’t like the flavour, it’s more of a fact that there was no flavour.
This meal was 10 bucks, which is not too bad of a price. Although I enjoyed the sandwich, there was nothing unique about it that I would attribute to Culinary Conspiracy. I could have made the exact same sandwich at home - in every last respect.
Maybe I’ll try Culinary Conspiracy again a year from now. Until then, my opinion is mixed and leaning towards indifference.