The New York Times reported recently that the price of lobster has hit a 40-year low. A combo of warm weather and good conservation techniques has led to a record lobster harvest. An abundance of inexpensive lobster is a gift that doesn’t come around too often. Why not take advantage of this lobster bounty by serving your guests a knockout dish?
Dating back to 2008, this recipe is courtesy of the always brilliant LCBO Food & Drink magazine. Lobster, mango, avocado, cilantro, mint, lime and a host of other ingredients make up Thai marinated lobster with avocado and hearts of palm. I’ve served up this recipe on a number of occasions and it has elicited infinite praise and even marriage proposals. One guest proclaimed it to be the best thing he ever ate. Try this recipe for yourself and let me know what you think.
Listen, I don’t like to say not-so-nice things about food establishments that are clearly putting forth an effort. But TacoLot is not so fantastic. I agreed with my friend’s statement, “I really wanted to like this place.” I really did. But I ended up disappointed. TacoLot’s got much going for it. It’s in the getting trendier by the minute Hintonburgh area. It’s a hut on a lot. It’s an easy to walk to neighbourhood joint. And it serves the ever popular tacos. But the aforementioned tacos are pretty unspectacular. So bland that even a hot sauce couldn’t spice up. The tortillas were dry and almost crusty. The rice was unexpectedly sticky. Even the pico de gallo was flavourless. I’m willing to chalk this up to a bad night and give it another try maybe later on this summer. But for now at least, I’m left dreaming of a better taco. Any suggestions?
They are five brothers from the Washington D.C. area.
Where is Five Guys Burger?
It’s in 46 states and in 6 Canadian provinces, including the Ottawa location at Train Yards. An Orleans Five Guys is coming soon.
What’s on the menu?
Hand-formed burgers, dogs, sandwiches and fresh-cut fries. For the burgers and the dogs, you can choose as many free toppings as you want. Munch on salted peanuts in the shell as your wait for your order.
Is the food any good?
It’s not terrible. I had the burger and it was tasty. The price was a little disconcerting. Over $14 for a burger, some fries and a fountain drink. You do get an inordinate amount of fries but it all gets thrown together in a paper bag that gets very greasy. I don’t think I will be going back. In my opinion, you can get this kind of meal at any food truck for half the price. Try FGB and let me know what you think.
If you’re travelling to the west coast of America or to Texas, go to In-N-Out burger. Sweet Baby Jesus that’s the best burger anywhere. How I miss that burger. It makes you weak in the knees. Say a prayer that one day In-N-Out will come to Canada.
I can have breakfast pretty much any time of the day. There’s something intrinsically comforting about breakfast food. When I was a kid I used to sneak Eggos into my room for a quick snack. Cereal is still a go-to for an anytime-of-day nosh. Croissants, bagels, donuts, marmalade, jam, grits, oatmeal, omelettes, sausages, yogurt…I love them all.
My favourite breakfast place in Ottawa is Eggspectation. I go there fairly often with a friend and order pretty much the same thing. It’s always some combo of eggs, bacon and french toast or pancakes. If you want to check out Eggspectation, it’s on Bank Street near Laurier.
French toast, poached eggs, bacon, potatoes and fruit.
I’ve never been to Africa. I’ve never eaten African cuisine. So when my friend suggested Habesha Restaurant on Rideau Street, I was all in.
This tiny restaurant holds 7 tables at the most. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in warmth, friendliness and amazing food. Our server was the owner and he couldn’t have been kinder. He was a good-hearted, funny and well mannered kinda of chap.
My friend’s buddy comes to this restaurant frequently and so we were well armed with a list of his favourite menu items without really knowing exactly what we were ordering. For me, that’s scary. I’m not a dolt but certainly never the first in line for the tasting menu. I like to know what I am about to eat. In this circumstance, I relied on my trusty friend and his buddy. And man am I glad I did.
Habesha Restaurant, 574 Rideau Street, Ottawa
Before us appeared a circular platter not unlike a pizza pan that acted as the serving dish. All guests eat from this one platter. The platter held an injera, the pancake-like bread of Ethiopia. On top of the injera was placed an assortment of stews, meats and salads. Extra injera bread was served on the side. You take a piece of the bread, scoop up the food and then pop it into your mouth. Traditionally, Ethiopians eat most food with their hands, no utensils required. I was more than happy to oblige.
I foolishly didn’t retain the names of the dishes. Next time I visit, I’ll get it right. Apologies.
Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture.
The flavours of the food were outstanding. Ingredients such as red chilies, fenugreek and ginger enriched the flavours of the dishes. The bread was a standout for me. Soft and spongy, it reminded me of a crêpe. It took a little practice to eat with the injera but I eventually got the hang of it.
With a full belly and a kind handshake from the owner, my African adventure was complete. I will be going back to Habesha cause I am now a full-fledged fan.
More than once we looked at each other and said “this place is cool.” We were sitting on the patio of the Mill St. Brewery, surrounded by trees, the nearby river, what seemed like hundreds of people and a curious rabbit. If you like beer, this is the place for you.
Mill St. is housed in the 140-year-old former Mill restaurant out on Wellington Street near the War Museum. I met up with the crew a little bit late and they were already well settled into the palates of beer. Being a brewery, this place is all about the cold ones. They have 14 taps that include Tankhouse Ale and some brews designed especially for their Ottawa patrons. While you’re there, you may want to take a free tour of the brewery or drop by the retail store to take home some beer samples and Mill St. merch. It’s like beer wonderland!
Beer palate
The food is classic pub fare. Sandwiches and burgers, some flat breads, mussels, salads and wings. The food incorporates Mill St. beer into many of the menu items. I had the daily special, the ribs and french fries. While the ribs were a little on the ordinary side the fries were definitely a standout. They were soft which is not the usual texture for fries. They tasted sweet and spicy. And they were addictive. Maybe they were also cooked in beer. I forgot to ask. Next time. The gang sampled the angus burger, fish and chips and the club. No complaints and most everyone cleaned their plates. While the food is good, it’s definitely not the draw. And that’s ok.
The Mill St. Brewery is slick and screams atmosphere. There’s no other place like it in Ottawa and because of that, it’s going to do really well. Expect long lines to get in all summer long. I’l be there for sure.
Go to Town! No, seriously. Go to Town. It’s one of the most “with it” restaurants I’ve frequented of late. It’s got it’s act together for sure. Of note is their service. Attentive yet not overly so. The servers are knowledgeable and serve without hovering. I love that.
The food was quite impressive. Don’t be put off by my poor photography skills. I had their trout ala nonna. Pan seared trout with lentils, bacon, pearl onions, tomatoes, enochi mushrooms with a guanciale (bacon) vinaigrette for $24.
My pal had the half-chicken under a brick. Black garlic jus, mascarpone mash potatoes, butternut squash, Brussel sprouts and chestnuts for $25. I was graciously allowed a sample and found it to be quite delicious. I might order the chicken next time.
You’ll need a reservation. They have 5:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. slots available. When I made the reservation, I was told that we would need to leave before 7:15 (annoying). But we managed to eat, drink and talk plenty before finally leaving at 7:30 pm. There was nary a peep from server. I would definitely recommend Town. I hope to go back soon to sample the chicken and maybe the ricotta stuffed meatballs. It’s supposed to be their signature dish.
Town is located at 296 Elgin in between Browns Cleaners and Money Mart.
I’m not an lobster roll aficionado. But Neptune Oyster‘s lobster roll has been touted as the best in New England. So why not try it? It came on a toasted brioche with whole pieces of tail and claw drenched in buttery goodness accompanied by a mound of fries. It was wicked tasty. Next time I’ll try the more traditional cold version mixed with mayo. And I should have sampled the Oysters for Pete’s sake. It’s called Neptune Oyster. Not sure what I was thinking.
Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem Street, North End, Boston, MA
It was raining. It was cold. I needed chowder. I just happened to be at the most opportune place to fill my craving: Quincy Market. For those of you who have never been to Boston, Quincy Market is near Faneuil Hall and houses an endless food court filled with pizza, seafood, BBQ, sweets and tons more. I went to Boston Chowdah, a pretty reliable source for authentic New England chowder. Except on this occasion, someone must have dropped a box of cornstarch into the cauldron cause this chowder was barely edible. Thick, floury and kinda gross. I scooped up the seafood chunks and dumped out the rest. On a more positive note, the oyster crackers were pretty delicious.
I made it safe and sound. It had been a while since I’d driven to Boston and driving here is probably not something that I will repeat anytime soon. It was a long and dull commute. But enough about how I got here. Lets get to the important stuff. Food!
When I think of Boston. I think of a few things. Red Sox, Harvard and Upper Crust Pizza. UC is a boston based pizzeria with the badest sickest pizza there is. Everyone thinks they know who has the best pizza and let me tell you, if they don’t say Upper Crust, they’re wrong. Fresh ingredients, sweet sauce, thin crust all made to order makes for one tasty pizza. The people at UC work hard and help give the place a great vibe. Whenever I get to Boston, I run to Upper Crust.
Little slice of pepperoni pizza heaven at Upper Crust Harvard Square
