ottawa foodies

Kanata is not a place I often frequent and definitely not an area of town I think of for fine dining. But Aperitivo is a gem of a restaurant.

The food was great, the service was top-notch, and the overall feel was very inviting with the chef and staff visiting tables and talking to patrons.

We ordered, and shared:
- Shaved Brussels - well balanced with mix of savoury and sweet
- Vegetarian pakoras - the size was impressive although I didn’t find them anything too special
- Seared scallops - immense, plump, sweet and cooked to absolute perfection!
- Fish tacos - spicy and tasty although my friend enjoyed them more than I did
- Sticky Date Toffee Pudding - perfect to share given the sweetness level, and recommended by the chef as the menu is seasonal and the pudding would be taken off in short order

The plating was beautiful. The portions were generous. The chef was a delight to chat with.

A lovely evening spent at Apertitivo with plans to definitely return.

We went here last night before a movie date. The food here is really good. Almost all the food is gluten free with a few exceptions (gnocchi can be replaced by a gluten free pasta). The interior is modern, service was very good.

We ordered mostly tapas, plus one large plate. We had beef tartar, calamari 2 ways (grilled and fried), fish tacos, beet salad and the large plate duck with potato and brussel sprouts. I had a decent bourbon sour, and a broadhead stout. My wife enjoyed a white wine.

All the food was really really good. The fish taco's (2 for 10) were really tasty, a little bit spicy and included cabbage and a cilantro cream. The beet salad included red and golden beets, served on arugula and goats cheese. I hear beet salad is passe these days but this was a really good version. The fried calamari was good, but the grilled calamari was excellent, topped with fried garlic, tomato and olive oil. The duck dish has apparently won some awards, and it was quite tasty, and a bit different. It was served with a chai reduction, which was like a savory caramel. The only down note was the tartar. It was ok, but I found it overly seasoned. Other menu items arriving at other tables all looked good too, especially the johnny cakes, served with rapini and a poached egg.

We finished off with an amazing gluten free sticky toffee pudding. Wow great dessert considering it was gluten free. Usually the only thing available is a flourless chocolate cake, so this was a great change.

I'd highly recommend aparitivo for Kanata dining, whether you need to eat gluten free or not.

This is the place that replaced Bin 790 in the Kanata Centrum.

There is a review in the citizen on this place. It sounds (and menu looks like it could be) gluten free.
citizen review here: www.ottawacitizen.com