gourmande
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Posts posted by gourmande
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Since this is a Central Canada thread also - there is more to Ontario than TO
- how about El Meson on Beechwood in Ottawa. Offers very good, rustic Portugese and Spanish... -
Thanks Alex... I knew La Cuisine was to reopen but François (why did I call him Michel in my previous post
) could not or would not tell me much about the new chef(s).I second your recommendations for The Mini, it's one of our favourite places!
Other favourite haunts of ours include:
Canadian/American cuisine
Porcino
Chatham Street Grill
Plunkett's (casual, bar/bistro style atmosphere)
Aldo Goldberg's (casual)
Italian
Spago Trattoria
La Zingara
(there are MANY other good Italian restaurants, we just visit these two more often)
Asian
The Mini - Vietnamese
Wah Court - Chinese
Koto Buki - Japanese
Pub food
The Nisbett Inn
The Kildare House
The Butcher and Banker
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We ended up having half of our car filled with a large group from Ottawa who ended up being loud and obnoxious the whole trip. The only blemish in an otherwise great experience.
ouch! How unfortunate for you. One would have though they would have given a large group their own car!
I hope you let the operators know that your experience was marred by this oversight.
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Welcome to eGullet, weaver.
I'm sorry I can't help you, but I'm posting in solidarity. We hit Windsor on many the long trek between Chicago and Ottawa, and I'd love to hear about a good Italian place.
Or Greek place, or French place or Vietnamese place or pizza place or Thai place or breakfast place.
Well, you get the idea.
The one and only French restaurant just closed after 25 years. The chef owner (michel) has packed up and returned to France - I am relatively new to Windsor so I am indeed sad about the void now left. The only good thing about him closing shop was that I inherited his remaining stock of duck fat (due to my continuing praise of his confit de canard)
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I'm from Windsor and can safely say that there is no shortage of Italian eateries here, and just about all of them are on Erie Street aka via Italia. Depending on when you're planning to dine out, reservations could be necessary as Erie street is especially popular with diners from across the border.
Weaver, what type of Italian eatery were you looking for (cuisine, atmosphere)?
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... I very much doubt that visiting gourmands would be dissapointed with any of these restaurants.:
Chinese / Thai: Mandarin Ogilvie, off the beaten track but exceptional!
French: Le Pied de Cochon (Gatineau-Hull), my favourite!
Other French: Café Henry Burger (Gatineau-Hull), Signatures - Cordon Bleu (a bit stuffy, very formal), Le Laurier-sur-Montcalm (Gatineau-Hull), Le Baccarat (Casino du Lac Leamy), le Tartuffe (Gatinau-Hull), Les Fougères, and l'Orée du Bois (Chelsea, Québec)
Contemporary / Fusion: Beckta's (new and very good! Try the seafood chowder.), Domus
Italian: La Strada (try the rack of lamb, mmm-mmm!) Mamma Teresa's (OK food, an old standard)
Sushi / Japanese: Kinki (trendy and fun!)
Portuguese: Casa Churrasco (el re del frango!)
Greek: Pilos
Spanish: El Meson (lamb osso bucco!)
Morroccan / North African: La Gazelle (Gatineau-Hull), Dar Tagine
Pizza!: La Favorita (on McArthur Road)
Bon appétit, les amis!
I agree with most of your recommendations, FilmPainter (there are 1 or 2 that I haven't tried yet - next visit perhaps) and I would like to add a few more to the list of noteworthy restos in Ottawa:
The Black Tomato (ecclectic menu with good veggan choices)
Le St O (classic and new French)
Ichibei (Japanese)
Fiori's (traditional Italian)
el meson (good Portugese and Spanish fare)
Corainder Thai (classic Thai)
The Green Door (a vegetarian institution)
There is much to celebrate in Ottawa...
Edit: ... to keep this on topic, I have yet to experience Beckta but look forward to it upon my next visit, which will probably be early Fall, 2003.
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Whenever I'm in Montréal, a stop at Schwartz's is a must! I've never been disappointed and only wish I could get that quality of smoked meat here in Windsor
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Pleased I can help, Grill-it. Now I will look forward to your review of the Riviera Club experience!
First, yes, plan to stay overnight in Ottawa or Hull. The train leaves at 6:30, it's about a 2 hour train ride from Hull to Wakefield, a 30 minute stop, then about 1 1/2 hours back to Hull (in the dark by this time so the view is a non issue). That puts you back at the station by 10:30 - 10:45. You won't want to drive the extra 2+ hours to Montreal after such a relaxing evening. BTW, the train station is about a 3 or 5 minute drive from Casino Lac Leamy and there are a number of big hotels on the casino site... if you like that sort of thing.
Second, when reserving, ask for a table on the right side of train (as you face the front - is that port side?). That is the side from which you get the view of the river as the train follows its banks on to Wakefield. We were on the other side, but still enjoyed it as our view was not completely obstructed (the booths in regular cars are offset - nice touch). The view is nothing like travelling through the Rockies, of course, and you do go through a lot of forested areas, but the occasional glimpses of the river, cottages and lanscape are nice and not at all distracting. It is quite relaxing. If you want to up the viewing pleasure, plan a trip when the Fall colours are at their peak. It would be best to email the operators and ask them what the optimum time is for this. Another note on seating. If you travel Riviera Club, you can ask for a private salon and these are on the right site of the car. I suspect that is what we will do next time.
I placed a link to the website in my first post, you should be able to get reservation info etc directly from the site.
Have fun and let us know how you enjoyed it.
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Ok, I've never had a Blizzard but... while in St Louis in June, I had a "concrete" at Ted Drewes on old Route 66. The treat is so named because it is a thick, and I mean thick mixture of soft ice cream (they call it custard) and whatever "aggregates" you choose to add in. Anyway, according to local lore, the DQ Blizzard's creator got his inspiration after sampling one of Ted Drewe's concretes. Anyone here have the real "scoop" on this one?[
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Having plenty in the garden right now, I too am trying to use them in as many ways as possible.
Thursday I made a rosemary oil/paste to marinate chicken... very tasty.
Earlier in the week I made an oregano pesto to toss with pasta.
I'm looking forward to more fresh ideas in this thread: thanks for starting it, malcomjolley. BTW, your mint and pea combination reminds me of one of my favourites: mushy peas!
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grill-it, if there's anything specific you'd like to know, please feel free to email/pm or ask on the board. I realize that a review can sometimes feel a bit "cold" so please... ask away
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a barley sandwich... ok, ok...
I'm havin' a Blue
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hey grill it... Who would have thought that on my first day here I would be able to offer some advice
Anyhow, here is a copy of the review I posted on FoodMuvment:
Sunset Dinner Train
While in the Ottawa area, Dale and I enjoyed a romantic dinner aboard the Sunset Dinner Train. (Please do visit the site to learn more about the various packages offered, the region and the train itself.)
We arrived at the station at 6, and within minutes were shown to our car (the Chelsea) and to our table by friendly, impeccably groomed young attendants. The table was set with crisp white linens, patinated silverware, oil candle lamp and fresh flowers: a setting reminiscent of travel in days gone by. While we waited for the train to leave, relaxing in our spacious booth, Dale ordered white wine for himself and I enjoyed a kir royal. At 6:30 sharp, the sound of the steam whistle signaled our departure, and the train slowly made its way out of the station and began its winding path through the Gatineau Park.
As the wait staff busily but discretely prepared plates at their stations, a couple of young musicians (acoustic guitar and stand-up base in tow) set up in an open area of the car and entertained us with some smooth, soft jazz. As it turned out, there were about eight groups of talented young musicians on board and each would make its way from car to car, usually switching just before the next course was served, to regale us with a wide range of music styles. While enjoying the music and our aperitifs, we considered the limited selection of wines and decided on a muscadet (La Sablette, 2001), which was brought to the table seconds before the servers appeared with baskets of bread and the first plates of the evening; our sunset dinner was now underway.
First course:
“Oriental shrimp salad on seasonal greens, mandarin-almond vinaigrette”
The salad was very fresh and light, the shrimp were spicy and perfectly done, the rice noodles were excellent and the vinaigrette subtle enough not to overpower the tender baby greens.
Second course:
“Classic Vichyssoise with fresh herbs”
Served at a perfect coolness, it was velvety smooth. Apart from the sprinkling of minced chives, I couldn’t detect any other herb flavour in the soup itself, which I found to be somewhat under-seasoned.
Main course:
“Seafood medley with scallops, shrimps, mussels, salmon and halibut
In a lobster cream sauce, roast garlic mousseline potatoes
And seasonal vegetables” (Dale’s selection)
Dale was delighted with his choice. I can’t tell you how it tasted but it certainly looked lovely with the potato mousse piped around a generous serving of seafood (I forget whether or not he had any accompanying vegetable.)
“Braised Brome lake duckling with citrus fruit sauce, wild rice,
And seasonal vegetables medley” (my selection)
The duck was absolutely succulent. Once again, the sauce was delicate, well portioned and the perfect complement to the tender, juicy duckling legs. The rice, a mixture of long grain white and wild rice was a bit over-cooked, I thought, but moist with some bite left and well seasoned (of course, I should be the last to criticize given my track record with rice.) The vegetables, a mix of roasted baby corn, zucchini, red pepper and carrot, were nicely seasoned, and tender crisp.
As the saying goes, timing is everything, and it certainly applies to this excursion as we entered the quaint village of Wakefield - our destination - only a few minutes after everyone had finished their main course and the dishes had been cleared. The twenty-minute stop allows just enough time for a stroll around the station and a quick visit to the general store, and, of course, for the locomotive to be manually turned around on a large turntable - a fun watch in itself - and hooked up to opposite end of the train for our journey back to Hull. Returning to our car, we notice the lights suitably dimmed, the candle lamps flickering on each table, which had been reset with fresh napkins, desert silver and cups and saucers, and in our case, the bottle of wine we hadn’t finished and our glasses. While we enjoyed the rest of our wine, our server came around with a bottle of Bailey’s, for those who might wish to enhance their coffee - we did - followed by another server with offerings of tea and coffee. Tea is usually my after dinner beverage of choice (and there was a nice selection), but the aroma of the coffee and Bailey’s won me over, and as we sipped on our spiked coffee, dessert was served.
Dessert course:
“Classic crème brûlée with red berry compote and ginger tuile
Coffee, tea and butter cookies”
Garnished with a plump ripe strawberry, the crème brûlée appeared to be the perfect ending, but I was soon disappointed by the soft brûlé. For me, part of the pleasure is in breaking the surface of the crunchy sugar topping and enjoying the textural contrasts of this classic. When I inquired, I was told the desserts had been torched hours before at the restaurant and reheated on the train before serving, hence the soft top. The custard itself was like silk on the tongue, and I detected a hint of almond, which paired nicely with the berry coulis. The delicately crisp ginger tuile almost made up for the soft brûlé. Following dessert, a young man in chef’s whites came around with a basket of freshly baked shortbreads roughly shaped like locomotives – very cute. The buttery crisps were melt-in-your-mouth good.
For the remainder of the trip, we simply sat back and enjoyed the music, sipped on some Grand Marnier and relaxed: a perfect way to end our day!
Would we recommend this excursion? Absolutely. The food and service were very good to excellent, and the train trip alone was great fun. That said, some day we will try the “Club Riviera” class, which offers a superior setting with optional private rooms, a more varied à-la-carte menu prepared on the premises, a few more courses, complimentary bubbly upon boarding and other little perks (it is fully described on the website, we just didn’t see it when we reserved.) We happened upon this “first class” car while strolling aboard the train. After further study we decided that the extra $50 per person would have been worth it.
For those interested, the cost per person was $109.10 including tax and gratuities, but did not include bar service. The bar prices were pretty much what you would expect in any restaurant.
Local Lamb Ottawa/Hull
in Ontario: Cooking & Baking
Posted · Edited by gourmande (log)
You may wish to call first, but when I lived in Ottawa, I was able to get local lamb at Aubrey's Meats in the market area. I'm certain there are other sources but you may have to make a few calls.