Eating my way through Ottawa

The Unrefined Olive

In recent years, olive oil and balsamic vinegar have reached a status once reserved merely for wine. Appraised for their aroma, complexity of flavour and bouquet, these oil and vinegars are often infused with herbs, espresso, lemon, chocolate, peppers and even pomegranate. Everyday cooks have become connoisseurs and with that, demand for more sophisticated products has emerged. Enter The Unrefined Olive, Ottawa’s first olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bar.

151 A Second Avenue, Ottawa, ON, 613-231-3133

Located in the heart of the Glebe, on the corner of Bank Street and Second Avenue, The Unrefined Olive carries olive oils from around the globe and currently feature ones from California, Chile, Australia, and Tunisia.

Knowledgeable staff take you on a tasting tour, itemizing the different ingredients, characteristics and flavour combinations. You are lured in with a shot and as you swirl, smell, sip and swallow through the different oils and vinegars. Eventually your taste buds reach sensory overload, but the overall experience is quite pleasant. It’s not often that you get to taste-test something before you buy it.

There are three sizes: 200 mL for $12, 375 mL for $19 and 750 mL at $32. Production dates are clearly labelled so you know how old it is. For $16, you can get a sample gift bag, containing 2 oils and 2 vinegars. A pretty good gift for the host of your next party.

Sample gift bag – $16 for four bottles

Specialty oils are also available. Prices differ.

The Fig Balsamic and Mushroom Sage Olive Oil are two of my personal favourites. Pair them for bread dipping, on salads and marinades. Check out The Unrefined Olive’s website for hours of operations and for store directions. Go to their Facebook page for recipes or pairing suggestions.

Sorry but I can’t hear you over the Kung Pao Shrimp you’re eating

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I could barely make out what she was saying. ”You’re party has already been seated,” the hostess pointing toward the general vicinity of a table occupied by my patiently waiting friends. No, it wasn’t yet time for me to get fitted for hearing aids. I had just walked into a Chinese restaurant.

Anyone who’s ever stepped foot inside a busy Asian dinning establishment knows that fireworks, shuttle launches and rock concerts have nothing on the auditory levels of a Chinese restaurant. Dishes clang, children whirl about, food sizzles and conversations occur at such a high decibel level that it’s possible to scream and not be heard. If a tree fell in a Chinese restaurant, would anybody hear it? No. No they wouldn’t. But that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes dinner in a thundering environment is in order. As was the case with my recent visit to Yangtze Dinning Lounge.

As enticing plates of Fried Lobster and Steamed Pickerel whizzed by our table, we settled into the tried and true: Straw Mushroom Egg Soup, Springs Rolls, Kulu Chicken, Thai Basil Beef and Kung Po Shrimp. At Yangtze’s, even the basics are fantastically prepared. It may not be the ultimate location for intimate conversation, but Yangtze’s is a great place to eat. For all it’s loudeness, it’s the perfect establishment to bring your kids. They can hoot, holler and run around and no one will even notice. Heck, you can hoot, holler and run around and no one will even notice. Welcome to Yangtze’s!

Get your goat

Did you know that goat is one of the most widely-consumed meat on the planet? It is. And if you live in Ottawa I found the perfect place to get your goat on. It’s called Fishy’s Tropical Grill. Tucked away in the corner of a generic strip mall on Montreal Road in Vanier, Fishy’s is a Caribbean/Jamaican restaurant serving traditional Island food. Curry goat, fried dumplings, ackee, salt fish and more. And Fishy’s just also happens to be a Halal restaurant. Check it out. Friendly service and scrumptious food await you!

Fishy’s famous roti with island veggies and plantain. Delicious!

Never Can Say Goodbye

Saying goodbye is the worst but often made easier by good food and cool people. It was time to bid adieu to some longtime well-loved colleagues. A backyard BBQ on a perfect autumn day was in order. Not much more to say here except that topping off ribs with gourmet doughnuts was genius. Thanks Suzy Q Doughnuts. And so long dear friends. Goodbye is not forever.

Why you should always spiral-cut your wiener (a.k.a BBQ #6)

I have a buddy that’s the coolest guy around. He’s also hilarious and extra kind. He and his wife both. And my buddy just happens to be a pro with the BBQ. You see, he owns a Weber so you know he’s serious. I am lucky enough to score an invite now and again to partake in his grilling extravaganzas. Yes, I am blessed.

Quite originally, he spiral-cuts the hot dogs. You heard me. Check out this video. The spiral-cut improves the wiener-eating experience by increasing the surface area of the frankfurter, thus resulting in a better grilled wiener and an extra tasty hot dog.

My hands are a bit shaky so the image below appears blurry. But there’s no mistaking that the hot dog was delicious.

The burgers looked like steaks on the grill and were juicy and delectable. The salad and the corn was just the right touch to finish off this meal. My friends really take care of me when I come over. I was stuffed. Oh, and if you haven’t already noticed, I like ketchup.

It’s late September and this might be the end of BBQ season for me. Unless I get a few more invites. Here’s hoping!

Very Merry Dairy

When I was seven years old the sound of an ice cream truck used to stop me dead in my tracks. The melodic chimes would send my pals and I into a mad frenzy, scurrying to find some money, any money, that would allow us to partake in this summer ritual. Many years later, not much has changed. My iPhone rings out with a tweet from The Merry Dairy ice cream truck signalling its arrival. The promise of ice cream still elicits the same sweaty palms, increased heart rate and mad dash to find cash.

Merry Dairy doesn’t serve run-of-the-mill ice cream. It dishes out frozen custard. According to its website, frozen custard was invented in Coney Island, New York in the 1920s. Today frozen custard is available throughout the US, but is almost unknown in Canada. Thankfully, The Merry Dairy is bringing this delicious ice cream to the Ottawa masses. Made fresh daily, hand scooped and sold from a truck, its uniqueness comes both from the quality of ingredients (cream, sugar and pasteurized egg yolk) and the machine that makes it.

I can attest to its deliciousness. The menu is simple. Chocolate or vanilla custard served up in a cone or a cup and topped (for a little bit extra coin) with your choice of toppings (chocolate, caramel, strawberry or raspberry sauce, Oreo crumbs, dutch chocolate or rainbow sprinkles). I chose the chocolate custard and xnayed the toppings. I promise to be a little bit more adventurous next time up but I wanted to savour the full flavour of the custard without any distractions, however tasty.

Part of the fun and excitement of Merry Dairy is that it’s a moving target. Here today, gone a little later today and not to reappear for a week or so. An easy way to keep track of the truck is to follow it on Twitter. Check out the upcoming schedule to learn when the truck will be in your neck of the woods. I don’t have any inside deets but I can’t imagine that Merry Dairy will be with us for much longer. As summer turns to fall and fall turns into frozen tundra, I would suggest that it’s best to catch The MD while you can. Carpe Diem and get your frozen custard. The 7-year-old in you won’t regret it.

Lunch at Allium signals the end of "Birthday Month"

My boss and a few colleagues took me out for my birthday lunch. I chose Allium Restaurant because of its proximity to work and also because I enjoy it there.

Allium’s mix of Canadian cuisine and classic French techniques often lands it on various top 10 lists of best restaurants in the city. The menu changes on the first Thursday of every month and often includes your choice of duck, foie gras, salmon, steak, sandwiches and pastas.

I had the Mushroom Tagliatelle which was both tasty and filing. If I have one critique for Allium is that its portions are generally on the smallish side. Not this time. My plate contained a hearty portion of ragù which left me quite satisfied.

Mushroom Tagliatelle brought together slow roasted pork shoulder, tomato confit, bacon,
mushrooms, roasted garlic, chili and eggplant.

The rest of my party had the Club Sandwich. I received a chorus of approving nods when I inquired about how they liked their meal.

Club sandwich and potato salad

Allium is refined yet approachable. It carefully and quite adroitly straddles the line between casual and fine dinning. The menu offers regional and farm-to-table ingredients spun in interesting combinations like the Duck Fat Fried Eggplant with chili and garlic or the Scallop Salad that combines blueberries, nectarines, oranges, pickled red onion, spiced peanuts with a cilantro-parsley dressing.

I highly recommend Allium for anyone looking for bistro fare done right. It is located at 87 Holland Avenue in Ottawa.

I’m glad that I got to finish off my birthday month at Allium. It’s been a quite enjoyable to spend time with the cool people in my life. I’m a very lucky dude indeed. I’m already looking forward to next year!

"Birthday Month" – My dinner with Humphrey

My uncle is a fascinating guy. Apart from being an admirable person, he loves Paris the way I love Boston. Hard to imagine, I know. He spends oodles of time in France hanging out with his friends. He fences (with a sword!) He’s a wine aficionado and a proficient chef. He has the ultimate green thumb. He’s a skilled photographer. He’s kind to my mom (his sister), to me (his godson) and he’s a supportive father to his two great kids. And if that wasn’t enough, he has the raddest dog on the block, Humphrey.

I always enjoy spending time with my uncle and I was happy to snag an invite to his groovy abode. Not much to report but suffice it to say that it was a nice evening, with some fine wine, some good food and a cool dog. Sometimes, that’s all that matters. Enjoy the pics below.

My boy Humphrey

A jade plant

Another jade plant. This one is humungous.

I think this is an azalea. I’m not a plant guy so I can’t be sure.

A funny birdie

A pensive Humphrey

Stuffed tomatoes

Chicken brochettes, potatoes and stuffed tomatoes. Delicious!

The darkening sky as seen from the backyard

"Birthday Month" – My peeps take me out

My employees mean the world to me. If you met them you’d understand. Smart, funny, talented, hard working, good looking and they even smell good! Quite frankly, I’m the luckiest guy around to have the privilege of managing these terrific people. In addition to being great, they are also quite thoughtful and favour a good old beer and burger combo now and again. So with that, my birthday lunch was set at The Clocktower Brew Pub in trendy Westboro.

The Clocktower Brew Pub Westboro, 418 Richmond Road, Ottawa

This new location in Westboro is stellar. It’s also the largest of its four Ottawa locations. We took advantage of a sunny day to sit out on the patio. A big plus of the Clocktower is that they brew their own beer. Their website states that “attention to detail, authentic ingredients, no preservatives, no additives and small batches ensure our enjoyment.” They also have some cool imported beer. I had Kölsch, a lighter German ale. It tasted great.

House brewed Kölsch is a refreshingly crisp light blonde ale.

I ordered the Rise & Shine burger. Anytime I can incorporate breakfast items into my meal, I’m in! Eggs and bacon on a burger? Brilliant.

Rise & Shine Burger had a sunny side egg, crisp bacon and HP sauce.

One of the crew had a burger with goat cheese, banana peppers and spicy mayo with some soup on the side. His plate was wiped clean so I’m guessing he was pleased with his choice.

Angry Goat Burger: Herbed Goat cheese, banana peppers and spicy mayo.

Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, fish & chips and steak & frites make up the majority of the menu. You can also find some unexpected items like the Kung Foo Noodle Bowl, the Chicken and Leek Crock Pot and a Hummus Platter. But in the end, my table went with the tried and true pub grub and we all left full and satisfied.

I wasn’t feeling the greatest that day but it was made better by hanging out at a great new spot with some of my fav people. This birthday month is really about spending time with the people in my life that mean the most to me. And if I get to celebrate at a great place like The Clocktower, then I’m all for extending my bday into September!

"Birthday Month" – BBQ #5

My family knows how much I dig birthdays. Lucky for me they’re always willing to do it up big. This year’s celebration included gourmet burgers, salads and make your own sundaes. Sweet! My family is pretty fly. I’m a very lucky guy. Check out the party pics below.