The new Little Italy burger joint takes the Five Guys burger experience up a notch

Happy National Burger Month!

What — you didn’t mark your calendar?

Okay, technically it’s an American holiday, but I bet there are plenty of people in the National Capital Region who would be willing to join in the festivities. We do love a burger.

It’s no surprise to see new burger joints popping up like crazy, even as we gear up for the invasion of a new fleet of food trucks to help diversify the world of fast-food eating in this city. The burger trend is indeed mushrooming (mmmm, mushrooms are great on burgers) and shows no signs of burning out. Ottawa’s own burger chain, The Works, at 19 locations and counting, has apparently had about 600 franchise requests from across Canada. Holy cow!

I wish I could find some local statistics on our burger consumption habits, but I suspect we’re in line with the results of a recent foodservice consultancy survey of more than 2,250 online US and Canadian consumer: it revealed that 91% of people that responded said they eat a burger at least once a month, and 44% said they consume burgers at least once a week. The report claims: “burgers are one of the hottest trends on today’s dining scene.”

Again, no surprises there.

I had TWO burgers last week. Both of them were from the new Little Italy gem, Beech St. Burger.

The charming eat-in/take-out shop was formerly called Danni Panini. The amiable owner (Danni?) is still behind the bar, but he replaced the diner-style breakfasts and Italian deli meat sandwich shop with a classic American-style no-frills burger joint. And while business hasn’t quite picked up to what it was (presumably we eat more sandwiches than burgers per week), he seems pleased to be bringing something new to the neighbourhood.

Chatting while he cooked, he told me he had originally planned to go with a charcoal grill but then realized that all of the tastiest burgers he tried were made on a griddle. He says he uses fresh local beef for the patties — nothing but pure meat. It’s what I’ll call “meat forward” — in other words, it’s a burger that’s about the taste of the meat, not the toppings (only the basics on offer here). There’s no brand name-dropping going on, but it’s delightfully apparent that the meat is treated with respect.

I’m guessing one of Beech St.’s inspirations is the mega-franchise Five Guys Burgers and Fries because it’s practically a clone — and slightly better. Buns are still industrial-squishy, cheese is processed and orange, and each patty is flattened with a heavy press so it cooks evenly and gets a fantastic sear on the surface. There is no pink left in the centre of the patty (it’s not trying to be that kind of burger) but it remained juicy, properly seasoned and the flavour was really good.

Also Five Guys-esque is the way a regular burger (here it’s called Beech Size) is actually two patties, while a single burger is called Baby Size. Both rings and fries are excellent: crisp, hot, and solid. There’ a black bean veggie burger on the menu for, well, you know.

Cost: Beech St. cheeseburger $7.75; fries $2.50; rings $3.25

Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Beech St. Burger, 40 Beech St., 613-237-1641.

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Lots of Vietnamese restaurants make their salad rolls ahead. At Chez Bien, they're made to order — and that makes all the difference.

By Anne DesBrisay

Chef Bien of Chez Bien used to cook in Italian restaurants on Preston Street. My first visit was lunch, but if you come back for dinner (recommended) you should give his Asian marinated lamb (lemongrass, ginger, garlic, star anise) served with Italian style roast potatoes (rosemary, garlic, olive oil) a try. Pretty successful fusion fare!

But on the first summer-like days of the year thoughts naturally turn to summer rolls. Goi Cuon, also called salad rolls, of softened rice paper circles wrapped around grilled meat, greens, vegetables, noodles and fresh herbs. Lots of Vietnamese restaurants make these, and make them ahead. At Chez Bien, they’re made to order and that makes all the difference.

The grilled pork is warm and fragrant, the vermicelli at room temperature, the vegetables fresh and crunchy in their sweet and sour marinade, while the chopped mint lends a burst of summery vigour to the package.

You have a choice at Chez Bien of a peanut sauce to dunk the rolls into, or the ubiquitous nuoc cham, the Vietnamese dipping sauce used for all kinds of things. I chose the former, where the crushed peanuts are mixed with a dollop of green mung bean paste. Très bien!

Two rolls per order, and quite filling, but if you’d like to start with soup, I recommend the canh chua ga, a shrimp soup, sweet and tart and slightly spicy, with tomatoes, bean sprouts, scallions and celery, the broth aromatic of tamarind and lemongrass, the whole gently reviving. Much like these summer days of spring!

Cost: $3.95 for two rolls; $3.95 more for a small soup. 

Hours: Open Tuesday to Friday for lunch; Tuesday to Sunday for dinner.

Chez Bien, 277A boul. St-Joseph, Gatineau, 819-775-9558.

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Mexico's answer to the sandwich, tortas start with a crusty white roll stuffed with fresh goodies and it all gets grilled on a panini press.

By Shawna Wagman

For me, Mitla is a classroom. I go there to learn about the flavours of Oaxaca, Mexico, from someone who lived there and immersed herself in its food culture. I also go there for a damn fine lunch.

I immediately fell in love with agua de fruta ($3), cold refreshing “fruit water”— in this case, it was mango; the other option was passion fruit — beloved in Mexico for helping to beat the summer heat. I found the amount of sweetness, and the appealing consistency — thirst-quenching drinkable sorbet — just right. I polished it off before my lunch arrived.

Entering the festive red shop (blue from the street) nestled in the heart of residential Vanier, it feels like I am having lunch at the kitchen table in someone’s colourful little home. That someone is owner Ana Collins, who was flying solo in the Oaxacan-inspired kitchen on the afternoon I recently visited for lunch.

Looking up at the chalkboard menu, I quickly noted that many of the Spanish words were unfamiliar and details are few so I asked Collins for some direction. She recommended the torta ($5), a Mexican sandwich — chicken, chorizo or veggie — grilled into crusty-gooey submission on a panini press.

I also wanted to try something made with her homemade corn tortillas so I opted for a pair of quesadillas ($3), intrigued by the cactus and cheese option.

In Mexico--and at Mitla--quesadillas are served for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Fillings can include mushrooms and herbs, cactus and cheese, beans or meat.

It was my first time encountering cactus as anything but a house plant and I’d describe it as a cross between okra and pickles — tangy with a bitter edge. Not my favourite, but it was satisfying when wrapped in the fresh white corn wrapper, melded with cheese and dollops of homemade green and red salsa.

As for the torta, Collins tells me the fresh vegetable toppings are less typical of what is served in Mexico. She gave me the sense that she has been feeling pressure to alter her recipes slightly to satisfy her customers’ tastes and expectations. It’s a story we often here from food businesses from around the world that set up in the capital. I can imagine it’s a frustrating position to be in; the battle between authenticity and marketability.

Authentic or not, this is a sandwich worthy of attention. The texture of the crusty rolls is unique (Collins bakes the bolillos herself but is looking to outsource that task), and the lovely lime mayonnaise is also homemade. The soul of the dish is a smear of slow-cooked black beans infused with garlic and herbs that meld together in the hot press with slices of seasoned chicken, fresh cilantro, slivers of raw onion, creamy avocado, and tomato. Collins has chosen two different cheeses to replicate the flavour and meltiness of a cheese from Oaxaca not available here.

Thanks to Collins, I can now say I have tasted cactus, an icon of Mexican cuisine. But it’s Mitla’s torta that will keep me coming back.

MITLA, 62 Barrette St., 613-842-9058.

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The warm avocado salad included a quartet of grilled shrimp with a half ripe avocado, a pile of greens, and a warm stew of onion, tomato, and cilantro smothered on top

By Anne DesBrisay

I’ve been packing up my sons and putting them in boxes. Removed from shelves and walls, they’ve been protected with bubble wrap, labelled, and stored on a basement shelf. This is a process real estate agents call “depersonalizing” and apparently it’s necessary before you sell your house. De-clutter and get rid of the boys, they tell me. I’ve been quite enjoying it, I must say.

One of the framed photos I stashed away was of my youngest, in an infant seat at Cyranos. I knew it was Cyranos because behind him were the giant murals of fruits and vegetables that plastered the walls of this Bells Corners Mediterranean restaurant.

I’ve no idea who took the picture, or why, but there you go. Both kid and restaurant were pretty brand new.

The kofte special included three grill-marked ovals of lamb, veal, and pork

Cyranos hasn’t changed much in those 16 years. Here still are those murals, the booths beneath them, the open kitchen and long bar.  It’s still dark inside — the price of blocking out the view of the Bell Mews — and the service remains maternal and kind.

I dropped in for lunch with my youngest son, now well out of the infant seat and into the driver’s.

I could have used a stiff drink, but settled for the warm avocado salad, which included a quartet of  grilled shrimp, well-seasoned and in fine shape, with a half ripe avocado, a pile of greens and a warm stew of onion, tomato, and cilantro smothered on top. It was pretty good.

My lad had the kofte special, three moist, grill marked ovals of lamb, veal, and pork, seasoned, herbed, and very tasty, resting on a mound of boring rice and served with a tossed salad.

Neither rocked our world, but Cyranos doesn’t tend to do that. It’s been a reliably good restaurant for many years, in a part of town that needs those, and it carries on in that vein.

Let’s hope it’s a long way away from having to be put on a shelf.

Cost: Shrimp salad, $15; kofte special, $18.

Open: for lunch, Monday to Friday; dinner, Monday to Saturday.

Cyranos, 39 Robertson Rd., 613-721-0510.  

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Back in 2007, the original Cheezy Luigis transformed the main street in Wakefield, Quebec into a major pizza destination. That location has since been sold and remains a pie joint renamed Pizzeria Mama Gen. However Cheezy himself (a.k.a. Luigi Meliambro, also a partner in the new Bootleg Portchetta Co.) continues to hand-toss his excellent homemade pizzas in a charming bright yellow painted house on Chelsea’s main road.

It’s a perfectly pleasant 18-minute drive from the Byward Market and happens to represent an excellent afternoon excursion in the fine weather; a delicious urban diversion that offers with it a medicinal dose of fresh country air. I speak here from experience.

I love the charming homey ambiance of Luigi’s shop in Chelsea as well as the creative and fresh topping combinations on the pizzas — catering to preferences for thinner or thicker crusts (don’t we all prefer thinner?).

I also appreciate the fact that there’s a “bambini” option so that the junior eater or afternoon snacker can have their very own wee-size pizza for 4-bucks rather than the $14 investment that other gourmet pizza places tend to charge for a one-size-only minimalist Margherita.

A slice of Luigi's Secret -- the secret is out!

On a recent visit, I discovered what the buzz is about when it comes to the popular Magik Mushroom and Verona pizzas that attract devotees with local organic mushrooms and lusty truffle oil.

I was even more delighted by what’s called “Luigi’s Secret”: herb-flecked thin crust pizza crowned with capicollo ham (crisped from the oven’s heat), kalamata olives, hot peppers, and portabello mushrooms. Spicy, savoury, earthy and sweet, with great crisp crust and just the right balance of everything, from cheese to toppings to tomato sauce. Great for a picnic in the park or gobbled up on the patio or informal indoor seating.

La Cigale, Chelsea’s beloved homemade ice cream shop, used to exist in this very spot but has since relocated up the road — a two-minute stroll away. How convenient! The new larger digs offer more lovely outdoor lounging opportunities around an equally eye-catching painted house situated across the street from the Visitor’s Centre for Gatineau Park.

Choose the homemade waffle cone (defaulting to the regular or sugar cone is just wrong) and a scoop or two of their fresh, original flavours. I adore the tangy lemon ice cream (not sorbet) and Strawberry and Sour Cream, but there are many more—from Ginger Snap & Chai and Raspberry Champagne Sorbet to Coconut Cashew and Brownies and Cream.

It’s the simple things done right that make a springtime jaunt to Chelsea feel like a mini-vacation.

Cheezy Luigis Pizza, 241, ch. Old Chelsea, 819-827-2882.

La Cigale, 4, ch. Scott  Chelsea, 819-827-6060.

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A pound of beautiful mussels bathes in a rich and righteous coconut cream sauce. Paddling in there, onions, capers, cilantro, and chopped kale crisped up with lots of garlic

By Anne DesBrisay

The captain’s chairs have the gnarly look you want from a place that calls itself a tavern. So do the checkered linoleum floors and the beat-up table bases.

But where did the white linen napkins come from? The reclaimed wooden table tops? What about the luscious beurre noisette in the butter pot? That same noon hour at the Elmdale Oyster House & Tavern, sitting in front of me was a stainless steel bowl with a pound of the best mussels I’ve had all year. If this is the tavern for the modern age — with a kitchen and a bar that shucks oysters — I’m for it.

'Clamghetti' – al dente spaghetti wrapped around a generous number of fresh clams, their shells mined for the roasted garlic, good oil and tendrils of crisped kale trapped within

It was big news when the team behind The Whalesbone Oyster House took over the historic Elmdale Tavern. There was the usual groaning about gentrification of Hintonburg. But there was also a real sense of loss amongst live music fans. The new management has scaled back the Tavern’s six night-a-week schedule with an eye to beefing up the weekend musical lineup. Time, as they say, will tell. The principals behind The Whalesbone  — Joshua Bishop, Peter McCallum, and executive chef Chloe Berlanga — run restaurants, after all, as well as a catering and seafood supply business. This is their first musical tavern. We shall have to see how it all shakes out.

For now, piped in Springsteen gets me through lunch. Glory Days. And lunch is very good. The kitchen is in the hands of Phil Denny, formerly of the tiny Jak’s Kitchen on Bronson. His style always struck me as honest and forthright. Which ought to suit the Whalesbone team to a tee.

No separate lunch menu for the moment; I’m told one is being considered. For now, there’s just the regular one pager on offer and what’s offered is pretty straightforward: Oysters on the half shell, mussels and lobster by the pound, four small plates, six bigger plates, and a few sides.  Among them, the former Elmdale Tavern’s anchors: pickled eggs and brined cheese.

Two big plates to crow about. A pound of beautiful mussels bathed in a rich and righteous coconut cream sauce. Paddling in there, onions, capers, cilantro, and chopped kale crisped up with lots of garlic. These treats (which photograph very badly – my apologies) were finished with crispy fried shallots. Full marks. We also liked the ‘Clamghetti’ – al dente spaghetti wrapped around a generous number of fresh clams, their shells mined for the roasted garlic, good oil and tendrils of crisped kale trapped within. And every so often, a sweet and chewy lardon. Further flavouring the pasta were capers, roasted red peppers and lemon zest. Some salty Pecorino Romano at the finish. A simple, immensely likeable dish.

I’ll be back for more of those mussels. And if there’s a side of music, all the merrier.

Cost: mussels, $12; pasta, $20

Open: Monday and Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Wednesday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The Elmdale Oyster House & Tavern, 1084 Wellington St. W., 613-728-2848. 

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Trout — tangy, sour, spicy, and sweet. The flesh remained soft within its crisp crust and the sauce was simply joyful

By Anne DesBrisay

I wouldn’t ever do this in my own kitchen. This is a dish you leave home for.

Pla Sam Rot: described on the Thai Flame menu as “Deep fillet crispy topped with sweet and sour sauce.” Translated literally, pla sam rot means “three flavour fish,” generally cooked whole and smothered in a bright and lively, colour-charged topping that simply banishes winter.

It was looking for the old Taste of Japan restaurant in a little strip mall on Robertson Road (its windows sadly papered over) that led me here. I had had a sense that Taste of Japan was gone, possibly long gone, but I couldn’t remember. Sure enough, there it was, lights out, but (now) not forgotten and now with a neighbour worth exploring.

Thai Flame is a newish Thai restaurant, two doors away from the old Japanese, run by a Laotian couple who once ran the That Luang restaurant on Wellington West.

I asked for fried fish for lunch, with something tangy, sour, spicy, and sweet and this is what arrived. Trout, fried whole to crisp, and covered with a sauce sweetened with pineapple, sour with tamarind, salty with fish sauce, hot with Thai red chiles, and green with Thai basil and cilantro. The flesh of the trout remained soft within its crisp crust, and the sauce was simply joyful. I ordered some rice and managed to make a bit of a dent in the dish. But most of it came home, with extra rice provided from the kitchen.

It became a spring supper for one, my boys all still at that wintry game of night hockey. No plam sam rot for them.

Cost: $13

Open: Monday to Friday for lunch, daily for dinner.

Thai Flame, 1902 Robertson Rd., 613-695-9188. 

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The Nicastros closed Caffé Ventuno and transformed the negozio into a gourmet food emporium and espresso bar with casual cafe seating.

Last summer, Mike Nicastro told us about his family’s plans to shut down the restaurant Caffe Ventuno after 7 years and then to expand the “negozio” part of the business — the Italian food emporium — to include a traditional espresso bar and café under one banner: Negozio Nicastro.

I like to think of it as mini Eataly.

The renovations have opened up the space to take advantage of the natural light pouring in (the dividing low wall has been removed) and a small seating area remains next to the window. Customers can also seat themselves at the handsome new zinc-top bar with a grand espresso machine as the focal point. Nicastro says he’s hoping the casual neighbourhood vibe makes the place feel “even more of a little slice of Italy right here on Wellington.”

So imagine the corner café, deli, grocery, pizzeria, and pastry shops in Italy — all rolled into one. Nicastro opens up early in the morning (say buongiornoto an expertly made cappuccino starting at 7 a.m.!) and the doors remain open all day for whatever snacks, meals, beverages, ingredient,s and take-out food you need.

Freshly shaved rare roast beef remains a house specialty. Simple panini with fresh ingredients done right.

The decision to increase the number of take-out/eat-in prepared food offerings is a response to the changing needs of the neighbourhood, with its trendy condos and food-obsessed (and time-pressed) professionals and young families.

He says, “As time goes on and as the neighborhood continues to change, we really do hope to become a place that is frequented on a much more regular basis; sort of the “go-to” place for the locals.”

Which brings me to lunch. Sure, there’s the excellent made-to-order (or grab-and-go) cold deli sandwich menu that have always been on offer, but now we can choose from a list of pressed focaccia sandwiches (on homemade rosemary bread), including house-made traditional porchetta or a grilled cheese with caramelized balsamic onions.

Customize your side dishes, everything sold by weight

As well, we can choose from the new prepared-food section in the centre of the shop — with its fresh baked focaccia, meat dishes, grilled vegetables, and salads — any item can be purchased by weight (as much or as little as you want) and served in the café. And they’ve added a selection of in-house sweets, pastries, and desserts too.

And did I mention the liquor license? So a late-day snack can easily turn into pre-dinner aperitivowith a glass of wine ($6.25) or a beer.

For my lunch last week, I had the house-made rare roast beef with provolone on a grilled whole wheat panini and a trio of colourful sides from the take-out counter: beet salad with cider vinaigrette, roasted sweet potatoes with herbs, and a scoop of fresh rotini Greek pasta salad.

The tiramisu cupcake with marscapone icing pairs perfectly with an excellent espresso

To accompany my espresso (bravo for heating the cup with hot water before pulling the shot!) I chose the tiramisu cupcake — moist, not too sweet, and tasting as close to its namesake dessert as I could imagine.

Cost: Pressed focaccia $4.99-$7.99; panini classico $3.99-$6.99

Negozio Nicastro, 1355 Wellington St., 613-729-9100.

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Fine fish: The roasted cod wears a thick and bumpy blanket of toasted nuts, finely chopped and mixed into a chunky tomato and garlic sauce.

By Anne DesBrisay

In the 20-some years I’ve been walking into El Meson I’ve never not been greeted by José Alves. He’s been very much the man in charge of this rock steady Iberian restaurant for 25 years.

So it was something of a shocker to find myself face to face with a kid last week. Not much else was off. The place looks the same — there’s been no stripping tables down to the veneer, no hauling up of carpet, no reclaimed modernist overhaul. The lunch menu seems largely unchanged, and I certainly recognized my server from years past.

Looking around at the noontime clientele — a table of men in suits, a few of the New Edinburgh elegant elders — the crowd seemed ’bout right. But there is news at El Meson. Big news. José and Maria Alves retired last spring (and may I use this page to thank them and wish them all the very best).

The Alves have sold the restaurant to young André Cloutier, owner of Arturo’s Market on the other side of the street. The fact Cloutier was decked out in a suit indicates he probably doesn’t plan on changing the pitch of the place. El Meson, though never stuffy, has always been terribly proper.  No keeping your fork for pie in this joint…

Lunch proved that the chef for some 16 years, Thomas Moore, was still in form. I chose the featured fish: roasted cod with almonds and pine nuts. The white fish came as a juicy filet timed to perfection such that it yielded with the barest touch of my fork. It wore a thick and bumpy blanket of toasted nuts, finely chopped and mixed into a chunky tomato and garlic sauce and it came with sides: turned and boiled potatoes, a silky purée of parsnip, roasted green beans and spinach. An accomplished dish from an accomplished restaurant entering its second quarter of life with some new faces.

Buenas noches, José. Buenos dias, André.

Cost: Pescado del dia, $18.

Open: Monday to Friday for lunch; Monday to Saturday for dinner.

El Meson, 94 Beechwood Ave., 613-744-8484.

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Chicken fried snails were as strangely delicious as it sounds.

Sometimes you just want a proper lunch. Nothing too fussy or elegant, but something for one of those days when making it until noon without going back to bed is reason enough to treat yourself to something special. Something, preferably, that doesn’t come on a bun. Or with a side of french fries.

That’s why it was so nice to see fewer sandwiches on Allium’s lunch menu last week and more inspiring ideas for the midday meal. To add even more variety to our day, my friend and I decided to share three plates.

I was told on my way out the door that the lunch menu will be changing up for the month of March sometime this week, so these particular dishes might not be available.

I don’t encounter snails very often, so when I spotted crispy fried snails, I couldn’t not order them. Our server told us they were chicken fried — not sure if that means fried in chicken fat or just treated like fried chicken. Either way, these melt-in-the-mouth baby beignets were divine (banish any thoughts of rubbery or briny specimens) — especially when used to mop up the sticky honey-garlic sauce at the bottom of the bowl reminiscent of the sweet dip for springrolls. Together with the swath of Sriracha mayo painted around the wide rim of the bowl and confetti of baby cilantro leaves, there was a cleverly unexpected Thai twist to the dish.

Not the prettiest but the tastiest toast in town, smothered with creamy mushrooms and nutty parmesan

If ever there was any doubt that mushrooms can be a satisfyingly meaty and umami as a great beefy burger, the decadent dish of Le Coprin mushrooms swimming in cream and Parmesan, all smothering a slab of garlic toast, will make anyone a believer.

I loved the super-lemony dressing on the big leaves of lettuce, topped with almonds, cranberries, and fingerling potatoes served alongside the toast, although it did nothing to improve the aesthetics of the plate; a real Ugly Duckling.

Sweet scallops, smoked beets and salted cucumber; the creative contrast that Allium is known for

Looks matter little when it all tastes so good, but it was delightful to see the seared scallops and beets — smoked and pickled — were arranged into a little work of art: a real looker.

Further contrast came in the form of salted cucumber, broken pecans, and a few dabs of grilled scallion relish. I cannot recall eating a sweeter, more succulent carmelized scallop.

As for offering a half banoffee pie at lunchtime — brilliant! Perhaps the best $4 you’ll ever spend.

Hours: Lunch served 11: 30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Tuesday to Friday.

Cost: Crispy fried snails
 honey-garlic/spicy mayo ($9); mushrooms on toast with salad ($14); seared scallops, 
smoked beets/pickled beets/salted cucumber/ranch dressing/pecans/
grilled scallion relish ($16)

Allium, 87 Holland Ave., 613-792-1313.

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