Foods from Trella Bar and Grill
Comments
2011 Mar 29
I’ve been at this spot enough times now that I can confidently say that they {more than} deserve an honorable mention. Trella has apparently been in little Italy for quite some time, but it took them moving to a relatively new building for me to notice. I’ll be honest – I’m really weary of Italian spots…I’ll tell you why: in my experience many of these Italian restaurants can be outdated, the food quality can be poor and the price you pay sometimes just aint worth it. HOWEVER…Trella Bar & Grill is none of the above.
This is such a modern, chic, affordable place, that I just CANNOT stand by and not say anything. I LOVE this spot and I can’t get enough. The food there is FANTASTIC and the prices are surprising! Their menu is quite eclectic – with an Italian spin of course, they combine modern cuisine and traditional elements. The selection is quite rich as well:
They feature classically delicious appetizers like crab cakes, bruschetta, anti pasto, mussels etc
And have a huge range of main dishes: from meal sized hearty salads (absolute favorite is the Trella Salad: Greens, grilled chicken, artichoke, avacado, etc), grilled meats, fresh fish, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches etc.
Their dessert menu changes daily as they receive their cakes and pastries fresh daily.
I really like this place also because of their conscious use of local ingredients.
Trella also has a full bar as well, as it turns into a “supper club” on Friday and Saturday nights (10pm -2:30am) – hosted by my good friends at Ebony&Ivory. Last time I was there, there was an amazing African drum group drumming to the beat of the dj’s music. The atmosphere was great!
This is such a modern, chic, affordable place, that I just CANNOT stand by and not say anything. I LOVE this spot and I can’t get enough. The food there is FANTASTIC and the prices are surprising! Their menu is quite eclectic – with an Italian spin of course, they combine modern cuisine and traditional elements. The selection is quite rich as well:
They feature classically delicious appetizers like crab cakes, bruschetta, anti pasto, mussels etc
And have a huge range of main dishes: from meal sized hearty salads (absolute favorite is the Trella Salad: Greens, grilled chicken, artichoke, avacado, etc), grilled meats, fresh fish, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches etc.
Their dessert menu changes daily as they receive their cakes and pastries fresh daily.
I really like this place also because of their conscious use of local ingredients.
Trella also has a full bar as well, as it turns into a “supper club” on Friday and Saturday nights (10pm -2:30am) – hosted by my good friends at Ebony&Ivory. Last time I was there, there was an amazing African drum group drumming to the beat of the dj’s music. The atmosphere was great!
2011 Feb 17
We went to Trella to sample the vegan menu. We were so excited that my husband was going to be able to get pizza at a restaurant. I make homemade pizza with Daiya, but we were jazzed to eat at a restaurant without being in fear of hidden dairy.
We showed up at 5:15, and there was one other group of people there. Unfortunately it took about 10 minutes to get some water and the vegan menus. It took another 10 to place our orders (A Diablo pizza, a "meat" pizza, and bruschetta).
Bruschetta - Divine. Crispy and light baguette with savoury garlicky tomatoes and a few shreds of unmelted Daiya mozarella. Perfect.
Diablo - I wish I had realized earlier, but they got the veggies wrong on this pizza. After eating a few bites I realized that there were no artichokes, hot peppers, or onions. The pizza had Daiya (cheddar), faux chicken, bell pepper, olives, and mushrooms. Not at all what was ordered. With that said, the crust was light and crisp, there was a generous amount of Daiya, and the size was good. The faux chicken was far from the best I've had but it was ok.
"Meat" pizza - faux ham, pepperoni, and sausage. Of the two it was the better pizza. The pepperoni and ham were tasty, although the sausage was mushy and cinnamony in flavour. Strange.
Overall - If you make good homemade pizza, you will not be totally impressed by these pizzas; however, if you're looking for more than the typical salad/plain pasta options on a menu as a non-dairy or vegan person, this may be a nice change. To be honest, even if you don't cook, getting an Amy's cheeseless pizza and adding Daiya will get you pretty close to the flavour. We gave the pizza a 7/10.
Service - Horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. We had to ask for water mid-meal and it came about 10 minutes later (this is after waiting 20 minutes to get it initially). It took another 15 to get our leftovers wrapped up and to get our bill. The worst part is that the place was almost empty. When we arrived we were the second table, when we left there were 9 tables total. The waiter literally just disappeared and could have cared less that we needed service.
The manager did a tour of the tables and actually apologized that they had to use cheddar Daiya instead of mozzarella. We didn't think this was a problem, but it was nice that he mentioned it.
Vegan menu - Absolutely, it's nice that vegans have true options. The menu itself is just the regular menu with green stickers showing which items can be veganized. At the end of the day, it just shows where faux meat and Daiya can be subbed for real meat and cheese, plus some salad options. They're swap-outs as opposed to different dishes, but if the service was better I'd say it's a good step; unfortunately, with apathetic servers who make you wait for absolutely no reason, I'll keep making pizza at home.
$50 for 2 pizzas and bruschetta. No tip. We will not be back.
We showed up at 5:15, and there was one other group of people there. Unfortunately it took about 10 minutes to get some water and the vegan menus. It took another 10 to place our orders (A Diablo pizza, a "meat" pizza, and bruschetta).
Bruschetta - Divine. Crispy and light baguette with savoury garlicky tomatoes and a few shreds of unmelted Daiya mozarella. Perfect.
Diablo - I wish I had realized earlier, but they got the veggies wrong on this pizza. After eating a few bites I realized that there were no artichokes, hot peppers, or onions. The pizza had Daiya (cheddar), faux chicken, bell pepper, olives, and mushrooms. Not at all what was ordered. With that said, the crust was light and crisp, there was a generous amount of Daiya, and the size was good. The faux chicken was far from the best I've had but it was ok.
"Meat" pizza - faux ham, pepperoni, and sausage. Of the two it was the better pizza. The pepperoni and ham were tasty, although the sausage was mushy and cinnamony in flavour. Strange.
Overall - If you make good homemade pizza, you will not be totally impressed by these pizzas; however, if you're looking for more than the typical salad/plain pasta options on a menu as a non-dairy or vegan person, this may be a nice change. To be honest, even if you don't cook, getting an Amy's cheeseless pizza and adding Daiya will get you pretty close to the flavour. We gave the pizza a 7/10.
Service - Horrendous. Absolutely horrendous. We had to ask for water mid-meal and it came about 10 minutes later (this is after waiting 20 minutes to get it initially). It took another 15 to get our leftovers wrapped up and to get our bill. The worst part is that the place was almost empty. When we arrived we were the second table, when we left there were 9 tables total. The waiter literally just disappeared and could have cared less that we needed service.
The manager did a tour of the tables and actually apologized that they had to use cheddar Daiya instead of mozzarella. We didn't think this was a problem, but it was nice that he mentioned it.
Vegan menu - Absolutely, it's nice that vegans have true options. The menu itself is just the regular menu with green stickers showing which items can be veganized. At the end of the day, it just shows where faux meat and Daiya can be subbed for real meat and cheese, plus some salad options. They're swap-outs as opposed to different dishes, but if the service was better I'd say it's a good step; unfortunately, with apathetic servers who make you wait for absolutely no reason, I'll keep making pizza at home.
$50 for 2 pizzas and bruschetta. No tip. We will not be back.
2011 Feb 13
I had a FABULOUS vegan pizza at Trella last night. The crust was awesome, thin and soft and the Daiya cheese was delicious. It was creamy and cheesy and satisfying without leaving that heavy greasy feeling. I am so impressed that they have added vegan options to their great menu. Now there is something for everyone.
2011 Feb 12
Trella is working with the National Capital Vegetarian Association to improve its vegan menu offerings.
Don't fret carnivores, nothing changes for you, but now vegans can also enjoy many of Trella's dishes too through the use of faux meat and cheese. So next time you have a veg dining companion, Trella is a place where they can eat more than a salad.
For a review on some of their vegan offerings, please visit our blog:
vegottawa.wordpress.com
Don't fret carnivores, nothing changes for you, but now vegans can also enjoy many of Trella's dishes too through the use of faux meat and cheese. So next time you have a veg dining companion, Trella is a place where they can eat more than a salad.
For a review on some of their vegan offerings, please visit our blog:
vegottawa.wordpress.com
2011 Jan 30
DISAPPOINTED - Overall, our visit to Trella today was very disappointing. Not because of the food (which was very average) or the wait staff (who was very friendly), but because the owner refused to accept valid coupons for our meal. Prior to our visit we received a $10 off Trella coupon from valpak in the mail. The fine print read "One coupon per guest". I therefore subsequently printed off 2 more coupons - one for my wife and her mom. There was 3 persons at our table and we reasonably attempted to use one coupon per guest, as per the restrictions written on the coupon. The owner refused to allow this and coldly told us as such. His refusal to honour the coupons and his cold response really ruined our lunch experience. Buyer beware if you intend to use any type of coupon at this very average establishment. We will not support this business again with our patronage.
2011 Jan 10
last Saturday, while it was storming out there, my husband and I walked in Trella bar and Grill..
It was wonderful!
We sat and enjoyed a great wine while looking at the storm...
The staff was amazing! I had a craving for seafood and was puzzled between two dish.. when i asked the waitress, she strongly recommended the sambuca shrimp although i am not so crazy about sambuca.. SHE WAS RIGHT! It was simply delicious!
I cant wait to return again and try their appetizers.. and their patio!
Thanks to Trella to making this stormy cold Saturday night into a pleasant and pleasurable evening!
It was wonderful!
We sat and enjoyed a great wine while looking at the storm...
The staff was amazing! I had a craving for seafood and was puzzled between two dish.. when i asked the waitress, she strongly recommended the sambuca shrimp although i am not so crazy about sambuca.. SHE WAS RIGHT! It was simply delicious!
I cant wait to return again and try their appetizers.. and their patio!
Thanks to Trella to making this stormy cold Saturday night into a pleasant and pleasurable evening!
2011 Jan 9
I don't know what this guy is complaining about.
I have been a couple of times and tried tons of things on the menu. Everything I have had has been fantastic. Service and speed are great. Nice atmosphere. No complaints
Sounds like this guy may be a hater that lost out on a free meal and got upset.
I would definitely make my visits regular.
I have been a couple of times and tried tons of things on the menu. Everything I have had has been fantastic. Service and speed are great. Nice atmosphere. No complaints
Sounds like this guy may be a hater that lost out on a free meal and got upset.
I would definitely make my visits regular.
2011 Jan 3
Too funny! Suposedly they have new owners yet again you mention they remembered you from their first opening! Nice try!!! Did you take the description of the food off the menu??? I can bet that the citrus soy dressing is nothing like once before! Let's try again and have some real reviews on here and not Staff or Managers!!!
Older
2008 Jul 21
New User 1144, I have to ask. Did you point out any of your concerns to the waitstaff? It sounds like most of them would have been addressed quite readily.
Underdone eggs would likely be replaced. Unless it's a Montreal-style deli, not having rye bread on hand doesn't seem too surprising. It seems quite accommodating of them to offer a bagel or english muffin when the toast selection was not what you wanted. Since they gave you special treatment in this sense, it's really no surprise that the butter slipped through the cracks. I'm sure if you'd asked for some they would have obliged!
The twice-baked bacon isn't really excusable (and certainly couldn't be fixed). But I'm guessing many higher end restaurants that serve breakfast or brunch have a different set of staff, standards, and (hopefully) prices for those meals compared with dinner. Anyway, Mediterranean cultures are not really known for their bacon and eggs breakfasts! I don't think I'd want Kalamari from a North American pancake house either... ;-)
Underdone eggs would likely be replaced. Unless it's a Montreal-style deli, not having rye bread on hand doesn't seem too surprising. It seems quite accommodating of them to offer a bagel or english muffin when the toast selection was not what you wanted. Since they gave you special treatment in this sense, it's really no surprise that the butter slipped through the cracks. I'm sure if you'd asked for some they would have obliged!
The twice-baked bacon isn't really excusable (and certainly couldn't be fixed). But I'm guessing many higher end restaurants that serve breakfast or brunch have a different set of staff, standards, and (hopefully) prices for those meals compared with dinner. Anyway, Mediterranean cultures are not really known for their bacon and eggs breakfasts! I don't think I'd want Kalamari from a North American pancake house either... ;-)
2008 Jul 21
Hmmm... I'm surprised by your experience. We went for breakfast a week ago and were quite pleased. Nothing mind-blowing, but reasonable prices, a great patio that's so large you're practically guaranteed a seat, a plethora of choices ranging from standard breakfast fare to more creative items, and pleasant and efficient service.
I had a 3-egg veggie omelet with a large helping of breakfast potatoes and 2 slices of buttered toast. My husband had the traditional breakfast and found the bacon to be on par with most other places in the city. His eggs were also poached to medium as requested. As a side note, all breakfast entrees come with a "starter" fresh fruit plate, which I thought was a nice touch -- the fruit took the edge off while we waited for our orders, and the fruit didn't get warm as it often does when served on the same plate as a hot breakfast.
We won't be rushing back, but we will make it a regular stop as its only 2 blocks off the bike path at Dow's lake so a great stop after a morning bike ride -- just park your bike right outside the patio.
In the spirit of objective reporting, please do comment on your "VERY enjoyable" dinner at Trella -- we've been curious about the dinner menu so would love to hear your experience!
I had a 3-egg veggie omelet with a large helping of breakfast potatoes and 2 slices of buttered toast. My husband had the traditional breakfast and found the bacon to be on par with most other places in the city. His eggs were also poached to medium as requested. As a side note, all breakfast entrees come with a "starter" fresh fruit plate, which I thought was a nice touch -- the fruit took the edge off while we waited for our orders, and the fruit didn't get warm as it often does when served on the same plate as a hot breakfast.
We won't be rushing back, but we will make it a regular stop as its only 2 blocks off the bike path at Dow's lake so a great stop after a morning bike ride -- just park your bike right outside the patio.
In the spirit of objective reporting, please do comment on your "VERY enjoyable" dinner at Trella -- we've been curious about the dinner menu so would love to hear your experience!
2008 Jul 21
So Trella is right across the street from our house, and I have been there for a VERY enjoyable dinner. We figured that we would check it out for a Sunday breakfast. BIG mistake.
I must admit that I am quite particular about my orders, I had worked in the service industry for many years, and I know that it is not THAT difficult to get orders right.
At Trella, I had ordered your basic 2 eggs (over medium) with bacon and toast - nothing spectacular. What I received was not what I expected for this place. My eggs were runny, REALLY runny. I poked the yoke and it bled all over my plate. I order OM for a reason. I traded eggs with my boyfriend who had the bagel sandwich and therefore had cooked eggs. When ordering, I had requested rye bread and was unfortunately told that my options were white or brown, I was then offered a bagel or an english muffin (which I chose) as a substitute. My english muffin arrived with no butter, yum. My bacon was twice baked. Most restaurants (except real breakfast places) bake their bacon prior to opening, so all they have to do is warm it. This makes for shite bacon, which Trella served.
For this place - "upscale", I was severely disappointed in their breakfast offerings and unfortunately will not return for this meal EVER.
I must admit that I am quite particular about my orders, I had worked in the service industry for many years, and I know that it is not THAT difficult to get orders right.
At Trella, I had ordered your basic 2 eggs (over medium) with bacon and toast - nothing spectacular. What I received was not what I expected for this place. My eggs were runny, REALLY runny. I poked the yoke and it bled all over my plate. I order OM for a reason. I traded eggs with my boyfriend who had the bagel sandwich and therefore had cooked eggs. When ordering, I had requested rye bread and was unfortunately told that my options were white or brown, I was then offered a bagel or an english muffin (which I chose) as a substitute. My english muffin arrived with no butter, yum. My bacon was twice baked. Most restaurants (except real breakfast places) bake their bacon prior to opening, so all they have to do is warm it. This makes for shite bacon, which Trella served.
For this place - "upscale", I was severely disappointed in their breakfast offerings and unfortunately will not return for this meal EVER.
typicallydia
Will be looking for the chef and menu from Trella elsewhere :)