ottawa foodies

Babbo's is now closed. I passed by on my way back to the office and the resto is empty and the windows are papered up.

Stopped by for lunch on a rare weekday where I had 2 hours to spare for a meal; highly recommended if you are in the area. My companion and I both had grilled panini, which were superb considering they were pre-made and touched up on the grill. Same thing for the sides, pre-made but delicious. For a little place with only a few tables, I expected to pay up front when ordering at the counter but was told I could settle my bill after my meal, which was a nice surprise. Another nice touch is the selection of italian sodas (limonata, aranciata et al). Finished off with a cannolo which (I confirmed as this is crucial for cannoli) had been made that same morning. You could tell as the shell was nice and crunchy.

If they still do brunch, I will definitely visit on a Saturday.

I drove by this place a couple years ago and I immediately thought I would have to try it out. The first time I went I was not dissapointed.
The service here is incredibly friendly and accomodating. They use Art-is-in bread to make their paninis which give it that extra edge. They have really nice orzo, couscous, vegetable etc. salads. They usually have some new kind of salad everytime I go.
They have something like 5 different types of paninis. I really like the chicken parmesan but they are all good. They make them nice and crispy on their grill as well, which I like.
You can also choose to make your own sandwich with tons of different options of meats. cheeses, veggies.
I will go out on a limb here and say that this place sells THE best paninis in Ottawa. To be honest I really haven't had a lot of panini experiences in Ottawa but, I still stand by my word.
Definitely worth going to for a quick, delicious, healthy lunch for very reasonable prices. They also make a mean chocolate chip cookie

I am just moving into this area, My sister and I are becoming frequent visitors, often to pick up the Art-is-in bread and the KoKo truffles, but Thursday we decided to try one of their hot sandwiches. I ordered the chicken parmigiana with prosciutto (I think?) on white bread. This is seriously delicious but also extremely heavy,we shared the sandwich and both felt like we needed a nap. The chicken was perfect (not dried out like many other places) and the tomato sauce on top was awesome with just a little heat. The one thing I would recommend is putting fresh veggies in to lighten the flavors. The place is often packed but while I wait I like to check out the goodies on the shelves and drool over the desserts. The cookies look amazing, I can't wait to try one on my next visit!

Last Saturday I spent a relaxing morning shopping at the Main Street farmers market. I decided to stop in at Babbo to pick up a sandwich for lunch on the way home. I had been by a couple of times after hours and I was intrigued by their offerings of an assortment of items including sandwiches, soups, and pasta dishes. When I stopped by last Saturday the only items they had out was an assortment of sandwiches. Although I was expecting a greater selection of items the sandwiches in the counter looked yummy. I decided to try a grilled vegetable Panini. The bread was lovely (Art-Is-In is always a favourite) and it was filled with sliced cheese, roasted red pepper, hot peppers (nice touch), and eggplant. My only complaint was that the eggplant was a tad on the undercooked side for my liking. I would have loved to see some soups out as well (maybe tortellini, minestrone or stracciatelli) or some salads (maybe an artichoke salad would be nice). Having said that the sandwiches were just flying off the shelf while I was there so they are definitely a hit. Babbo is a new restaurant on Main Street so I am hoping the owners will expand the menu eventually.

...and Pesto chicken with mozzarella and roasted peppers again on the cheddar-jalapeno

both very yummy

oh my bad on the breakfast hours
I guess it's till 10 mon - sat and not at all on sundays but they are open *thumbs up*

hmmmm
love this place
Chef/Owner Mark Dalipaj and his wife (sorry, I've forgotten your name) has really got alittlen gem here

now they do brunches on the weekend 9-4 Sat and 11-4 Sun and do a few breakfast paninis in addition to their regular menu

meh, did not wake up early enough to enjoy any of those but P and I split and shared the Meatball on cheddar jalapeno AIN rolls......

fantastic place for great freshly made paninis