Eating my way through Ottawa

The Best Thing I Ate This Month – June 2026
Philly Classic cheesetseak

Philly Classic from Skinny George’s Smash Burgers, 2241 Saint Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Skinny George’s Smash Burgers operates out of Milano Pizza at 2241 Saint Laurent Boulevard. Which is where things begin to get complicated.

The sign outside says Milano Pizza, because it is Milano Pizza. There is also a Skinny George’s sign because it is also Skinny George’s Smash Burgers. Some people are eating pizza because, naturally, this is a pizza place. Others are eating smash burgers because it is also a burger joint.

And twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it becomes something else entirely.

That’s when the cheesesteaks come out.

Not with fanfare. Not with a sign. Just handwritten notices taped to windows and counters, which in this case you probably should count as signage.

The phones ring like a telethon. These sandwiches are made in limited quantities, and every order is announced like an auction.

“Seventeen left.”

A few minutes later.

“Sixteen left.”

Suddenly it feels less like ordering dinner and more like trying to get World Cup tickets.

The atmosphere behind the counter appears chaotic. Phones ringing. Orders flying. Staff moving with what seems at first glance like chaos, though appearances can be deceiving. Everyone knows their role. Nobody seems worried. The operation hums along with the confidence of people who have done this hundreds of times.

At one point, a customer shouted toward the counter while heading to the washroom.

“We’re still here!”

Without missing a beat, someone behind the counter shouted back.

“Stay as long as you want. You’re family here.” (more…)

The Best Thing I ate This Month – May 2026
Hai Phong crab spring rolls from La Nhau Viet Kitchen & Bar

Hai Phong crab spring rolls from La Nhau Viet Kitchen & Bar, at 108 Murray Street, Ottawa, ON

Every month there is usually one dish that refuses to leave my brain. Not the most expensive thing. Not the most elaborate thing. Just the thing that keeps resurfacing days later, nudging aside newer meals and reminding you who actually won the month.

This month, it was nem cua bể, the Hai Phong style crab spring rolls, at La Nhau Viet Kitchen & Bar in Ottawa’s ByWard Market.

A friend had read an enthusiastic online review, which I decided to follow as a guide. Normally, I prefer making my own mistakes, but this seemed like a reasonable exception.

One of the first dishes to arrive was the spring rolls. I thought little of it. Spring rolls rarely announce themselves as the best thing you will eat all month. Then these arrived.

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The best thing I ate this Month – January 2020
Lost in the Woods Pizza, Art-is-In Bakery

Lost in the Woods Pizza, Art-is-In Bakery – Maple fennel sausage, caramelized onions, cremini mushrooms, sun-dried tomato jam, warm honey, whole milk Mozzarella, basil, sesame crust.

A family member had been steadfastly hounding me to try Art-is-In pizza. Ottawa pizza? Meh. I’m admittedly a pizza snoot. Nothing comes close to New York pizza with its thin, foldable crust, ooey-gooey mutz and slices as big as your head. In my opinion, it’s peerless.

Then I tasted Art-is-In’s Lost in the Woods pizza. What do you know? New York pizza might have a long lost Canadian cousin, eh? (more…)

Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken, Coconut Lagoon restaurant, Chef Joe Thottungal | Photography by Christian Lalonde

With its tranquil beaches, lush mountains, and incredibly delicious cuisine, Kerala, located in southwestern India, is often called paradise on earth. It’s a place where traditional dishes are born of
a unique geography and enhanced with spices such as mustard seeds, curry leaves, and coconut milk. In fact, it’s one of India’s most exciting culinary regions.

Coconut Lagoon by Joe Thottungal, a collection of 80 easy-to-make recipes designed for home cooks. The cookbook features authentic regional dishes such as mango pickle, dosa, Malabar parathas, biryani, Thrissur-style fish, and banana fritters, as well as more widely known Indian recipes that are loved around the world, such as chai, butter chicken, and poori. You’ll even find traditional vegetarian dishes that are served at the Onam sadya, the annual harvest festival. (more…)

Marc Lepine’s Atelier: The Cookbook
Marc Lepine, Atelier: The Cookbook

Photography by Christian Lalonde

Marc Lepine’s debut cookbook, Atelier, is a celebration of fine-dining culture in Canada. It begins with “Origins,” which traces Lepine’s expansive career-from his relationship with food at an early age to his formal training in Europe and, eventually, the US at Michelin-starred Alinea to the opening of Atelier. (more…)

Restaurant Review: Anthony’s 

Rustica – Cherry tomatoes, mozza, arugula, shaved parmesan and prosciutto

I am not a believer in the “All pizza is good pizza” motto. I’ve turned my nose up at many a tasteless and cardboardy mess masquerading as good pie. Anthony’s wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza is authentic, toothsome and peerless.

Apart from being quite tasty, many of Anthony’s pizzas are visually arresting. It’s hard to avert your eyes from the frescos of greens and reds. Owner Anthony Balestra has found a wide canvas on which to express himself, using pizza as his medium.

The emphasis is on clean flavours and fresh ingredients. The classic Margherita, with the sparest of adornment, allows the flavours of the San Marzano tomatoes and fresh basil to come through.

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Interview with a Chef: Sheila Lynch of Three Tarts Bakery

White Chocolate, Cranberry and Toasted Pistachio Tart

I discovered Three Tarts Bakery a few years back. It started with one tart: White Chocolate, Cranberry and Toasted Pistachio. You would think that the sweetness of the chocolate would overpower the other flavours. Wrong! The tangy cranberries make themselves heard and the pistachios lend a nice crunch allowing an insinuation of nuttiness.

I then began my exploration of the cookies. While chocolate chip, oatmeal and shortbreads cookies generally get all the glory, I prefer the less vaunted “decorated cookies.” Three Tarts is a temple to the art of decorated cookies. Miniature edible masterpieces done in artful symmetry. There’s something about biting off a bunny’s ear or chomping on the tail of a whale that just fills me with joy. (more…)

Interview with a Chef: Chef Ric Watson of the Ottawa Mission

For the last 15 years, Chef Ric Watson has been at the helm of one of the busiest kitchens in the City, the Ottawa Mission Homeless Shelter. He was propelled toward the profession by a childhood determination to learn how to cook well. But, his stellar achievements at the Shelter were attained through a combination of hard work and an unwavering passion for those less fortunate.  It was a passion fostered by empathy, having himself overcome a perilous life of drugs, alcohol and homelessness. The Mission kitchen now offers him a platform on which to marshal the support of the community and to champion the benefits of a good, well-prepared meal. I sat down with Chef Ric recently to discuss his humble culinary beginnings, his groundbreaking food training program, the insane cost of celery, and the upcoming February 20th fundraiser, Coldest Night of the Year. (more…)

Family Recipes: Tourtière

I’ve come to realize that many of us have been bequeathed a cherished family recipe—a dish so delicious that we instinctively know it would be universally beloved. It may be elaborate and require the skills of a culinary savant to assemble it, or so simple, so unfussy, that even the most hardened of hacks can prepare it with ease. But when it is served, it is the unmistakable, reliable star of the meal, whether celebrating triumphs, comforting woes, or keeping family memories and traditions alive. It seems almost cruel to withhold such heirloom recipes from the world at large. Hence, I am championing the cause of the family recipe. I will entice the people in my universe to share favourite, nostalgia-infused family recipes, and I will give one of them centre stage in this very space on a monthly basis. In the end, we are all family, and these recipes represent the legacies of our shared passions. First up, the recipe for my mom’s tourtière. Enjoy!

A tourtière is a very traditional French-Canadian dish served by generations of French-Canadian families throughout Canada. As a child, I remember the smell emanating from the kitchen—that smell was a sure sign that the holidays were near. Not near like next week near, but near-ish like next month. Or the month after that. You see, tourtières are generally prepared early, weeks, even months before the holidays. And, then they’re frozen so that they can be enjoyed well into the new year. Also, they’re prepared in bulk. To muddy things further, my mom, the holder of the recipe, is not beholden to an actual written recipe. Thankfully, she has committed one to memory, just like her mother before her. But, that’s where the lineage ends. There is a faint recollection of the recipe belonging to this or that aunt, or perhaps, her great-great-great grandmother. But, since everyone aforementioned has departed this earth, origin cannot be verified.

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Restaurant Review: Wilf & Ada’s

While a small crowd huddles in the portico, some stragglers linger out front. Others, like myself, skedaddle and exploit the “we’ll text you when a table is ready” offer. You see, Wilf & Ada’s doesn’t take reservations. Waiting is the only option and there’s no way around it. Is the food worthy of such effort? Affirmative. This place should be on your “must get-to” list!

When you do finally get a table, try the “Eggs in Purgatory.” They will deliver you immediately to heaven. This dish is a carefully conceived idea with delicious results. Picture a small cast-iron skillet containing two eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, covered with a light dusting of Grana Padano, and topped with a heaping of arugula. Toast and homies ride shotgun.

You could also go for the breakfast hash. This particular one I tasted off the “specials” menu was made-up of a trio of roasted root vegetables—beets, squash and yams—tossed with caramelized onions, some crumbled sausage and Parmesan. The mélange was topped with two eggs and a side of toast. An unfussy breakfast, yet beautifully articulated and belly-filling.

What else is worth the wait? The servers. Instantly lovable, gabby and dedicated to ensuring that you have the best experience. The décor has the sparest of adornment yet is fitting for the space. And while the wait is a bit of a bummer, the food at Wilf & Ada’s earns high marks for sticking to the old rule book: make as much of the menu in-house, from scratch and source the best quality ingredients using local suppliers and products whenever possible. And, make it delicious!

Wilf & Ada’s is on 310 Bank Street in Ottawa and is opened 7 am-3pm on weekdays and 8 am-3 pm on weekends.

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