ottawa foodies

I work near Carp so Alice's Village Cafe has been a welcome addition to the village. I have been in several times and the service has always been friendly-and getting more organized with excperience! I have tried the cheddar chive and the sundried tomato and oregano scones, both were fresh and delicious. There is always a gluten/dairy free soup (butternut squash each time I've been there). There are quiches, wraps and sandwiches/paninis/pizzas, all changing (maybe not daily-I haven't been in 2 days in a row.)I have tried the curry chicken and the broccoli cheddar soup. The chicken was very good-medium heat with lots of vegetables; it was more like a stew than a soup. It unfortunately was served with a too dry scone. The broccoli soup was good but could have stood more seasoning. Having said that I would rather add pepper than have it be too salty. I brought home a fudge brownie cupcake and a carrot walnut cupcake. Both were good and very fresh but a little too sweet for our liking. My lunch date on one occasion had a muffin which she enjoyed. I always have tea so can't comment on the coffee. They have a few beers (including Beau's) and house wines. Overall quite a nice spot with good food. Also they have a huge harvest table which every time I have been in has been occupied by a group-I think reservations would be recommended for a group.

I brought my family here on a sunny Sunday morning for a treat-breakfast of pastries. Three of us had (and enjoyed) the Big Nasty cinnamon roll. My wife had a lemon poppyseed muffin, which she found to be all right.

We still hadn't received our hot drinks (two cappuccinos and a dark hot chocolate) by the time we finished our pastries, so I inquired and found that our order had been misplaced. What followed was a sort of comedy of errors involving the delayed cappuccinos, a further delay in receiving the hot chocolate, and then a final delivery of milk hot chocolate instead of dark hot chocolate.

Along with our cappuccinos, they gave me profuse apologies and a voucher for a free coffee. Then, just as we were leaving, they handed us some takeout boxes with a selection of complimentary pastries, including the lemon tart pictured here. In terms of making amends for a problem-fraught experience, they performed wonderfully! As a result, we count ourselves as happy customers and will definitely return.

These pastries are all of high quality for a cafe. Not quite at the level of Ottawa's best bakeries, but hey this is Carp and they're doing very well.

I stopped the other day to discover a nice little cafe with some excellent looking food. Overwhelmed by choice, the decision was made easy by a helpful staff member who informed me that the smoked meat sandwich was made using meat from Seed to Sausage. Sold! The sandwich was served hot off a press on a swirly rye bread with a sharp cheese and absolutely delicious smoked meat. I have never had anything but delicious offerings from Seed to Sausage and this smoked meat just melted with the right amount of fat. My only complaint was the use of a very tangy mustard. If I had to guess, I would say it was a beer based mustard. Now I use beer based mustard on occasion and they do have their uses but they can often dominate the flavours of a sandwich. I had the same experience at the Piggy Market when one of their excellent sandwich's flavours were blown away by the mustard.

This cafe is a must if you are in Carp.

I had to check out Alice's Village Cafe this weekend...and it was well worth the drive out to Carp. That $3.00 Big Nasty is freaking delicious, as was the Cafe au Lait (made with bold brew). The cinnamon bun was soft (no crusty crust at all), big chunks of walnut, and a lick-your-fingers sauce. Comparable to Three Tarts, for sure.

The decor is pretty slick -- kind of reminds me of a place in Prince Edward County (Buddha Dog, Acoustic Grill sorta place). We didn't have a chance to sit in and enjoy their sandwiches (which looked delicious), but maybe this weekend...

Went here for lunch today. Hubby had the truffle/mushroom flatbread which was very good but would have been great had it baked for another few minutes. I had a turkey panini which was excellent. They were both 9$ each. I don't think I would want to be there when it is full though, as even half full, it was quite loud as there is nothing to mute the sound.

Alice's Village Cafe opened in Carp last weekend. Great coffeehouse. They use Equator beans out of Almonte. Pre-made sandwiches ready for the grill. Soup, potato salad. Wonderful baked goods.

I loved my latte so much I went right back for a second. The mister was pretty pleased with his dark roast. He had The Big Nasty - a hefty cinnamon bun. I tasted it. Really good. I had a lemon muffin. Also, really good.

I thought the pricing was very fair.

A new building but done in an style that suits the rural heritage of Carp. Nicely decorated and roomy for seating inside, looking out to the back and on the porch.

Being so close to the Farmers' Market, they should have a booming business on the weekend.

I did up a post with lots of pictures.

ottawafood.blogspot.ca

The Big Nasty is tasty and very good. Personally, I'd rank it third in Ottawa, behind the Sticky Buns from Three Tarts and Art Is In Bakery.

This Seed-to-Sausage Capocollo, Manchego cheese, and eggplant panino blew my mind. Sure, I was hungry, but I think it just might be the tastiest panino I've encountered. They try to do everything local: bread from Art-Is-In, cheeses from Serious Cheese. Kudos for celebrating our high quality local products!

$9 + tax seemed a little steep for a sandwich until I took my first bite. The sporadically rosemary-seasoned home crisps are a nice touch too.

I couldn't bring myself to have a Big Nasty cinnamon roll in addition to this gorgeously gooey sandwich, so now I'm eagerly anticipating my next visit!

I thought this was a pretty decent cappuccino. My wife found it too bitter for her taste, but she's used to my home-roasted espresso drinks. :-)