Byward Market | Ottawa Magazine

Articles Tagged ‘Byward Market’

SHOP TALK: Lost Marbles

Photo by Angela Gordon

Take a break from the typical and enter a world of pushing-the-line humour and cutting edge originality. Simply put, Lost Marbles is a toy store for adults who are looking for unusual gifts and a hit of pop culture déjà vu. With items ranging from ninja shaped cookie cutters to giant microbe stuffed plushies, the store is a great place for those looking to get a little off-beat with this year’s Secret Santa gift. If humorous gifts aren’t your thing, the store also carries a variety of art books, puzzles, and board games, products that are a little more low-key, but no less unique. The loft store in the ByWard Market is stocked floor to ceiling with items sure to please the pickiest of stocking stuffers this holiday season.

PLUS: Fans of graphic art are in for a treat this week as Ottawa-born, San Francisco-based artist Dirty Donny comes to town for the Canadian launch of his new coffee table book, Monster Revolt! A book signing and poster show is happening on Thursday, Dec. 2 at Babylon (317 Bank St.). Come out for a night of unconventional fun and punk rock karaoke, featuring the talents of Remi Royale and Major Entertainer Mike H.

The Look: creatively quirky; tongue-in-cheek humour

Perfect for: someone who has everything

USP: designer vinyl toys you can’t get anywhere else

55 William St., 809 Bank St., 315 Richmond Rd.; www.lostmarbles.ca

Ottawa Magazine Staff | November 30, 2010 at 10:50 am

FOOD BUZZ: Courtyard celebrates re-opening with a dose of humour to “appease the fire gods”

The Courtyard Restaurant has turned misfortune into opportunity by re-opening after a fire with an innovative new menu by Chef Michael Hay. Photo: Savour Ottawa

The staff at The Courtyard Restaurant either have a great sense of humour or they know how to make the best of a bad situation. Why else would they arrange for performers to entertain guests at their grand re-opening party last night with an acrobatic fire show and ghost stories? The restaurant reopens today after being forced to close for the last three months due to a fire back in July (the third fire in the building’s history, by the way). When the ventilation unit in the kitchen on the main floor burst into flames, it was devastating news for dozens of brides who had plans to hold their weddings at the restaurant venue. Staff scrambled to help everyone who had booked special events make alternate arrangements and then turned their energies towards rebuilding and renovating.

The Courtyard celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year and Chef Michael Hay hopes to ignite interest in the next chapter in the kitchen’s history. Party guests were invited to sample several items from the innovative new menu including: an appetizer of roasted beets, goat’s cheese coulis, frosted walnuts, and golden beet pickles; crispy pork roulade topped with celeriac remoulade; and 48-hour braised beef short ribs with cauliflower coulis, king oyster mushrooms, and coffee spaetzle. For dessert, pastry chef Quinn Davis created a riff on the creamsicle by playing with a variety of textural elements alongside the classic cool confection: orange blossom gel, crumbled pistachio-fennel cake, and a licorice cream.

On the eve of the reopening, General Manager Genevieve Rochon joked with a room full of guests that she hopes this “marks the end of our combustible history.”

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UPDATE: City Bites has just learned that another restaurant re-opens today after a kitchen fire. Fuschian Vietnamese Restaurant (726 Somerset St W. 613-230-6815) is a favourite of Ottawa Magazine’s editor-in-chief Sarah Brown.

Shawna Wagman | October 27, 2010 at 8:43 am

WEEKLY LUNCH PICK: Benny’s serves up French decadence in a cool backroom cafeteria

Salmon gravlax with a sunnyside up egg and warm potato salad makes for a fine midday meal

The Place: Tucked in at the back of The French Baker, a small bread and pastry shop in the heart of The Byward Market, sits a small unassuming bistro that serves rather elaborate modern French fare with efficiency and without white tablecloths.

The Deal: Start with a Mimosa or a sparkling Kir Royale to set the mood for a lunch of rich indulgences featuring the kind of dishes we’re more accustomed to seeing served in the evening. The seasonal menu changes often: recent choices included oven-roasted boneless quail, a daily special of duck confit, and a homemade acorn squash tortellini with roasted mushrooms, pine jelly crème fraiche, and a truffled white balsamic vinaigrette. There’s always a fresh seasonal soup and a daily sandwich option.

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Shawna Wagman | October 25, 2010 at 10:03 am

RESTAURANT BUZZ: Twitter, Facebook, and a glimpse into dining in the iPhone age

When Josh Greenberg, a Professor of Communication Studies at Carleton, and his wife celebrated their wedding anniversary at Play Food & Wine, he placed a comment on the restaurant’s facebook page the next day. At 3:33 p.m. he wrote, “…cheese plate was delightful, the scallops best ever and I’d come back just for the chocolate pate. Terrific service — helpful and attentive. Thanks!”

At 4:39 p.m. the following comment appeared: “Really glad you enjoyed it Josh. Don’t worry, the chocolate pate will be around for a bit, in one form or another. Hope to see you before your next anniversary. —Grayson”

Grayson McDiarmid is Play’s sommelier and wine director. He is also the restaurant’s de facto social media guru in charge of its facebook page and twitter account. When Greenberg decided to return to Play a few weeks later with some colleagues, he tweeted his intentions en route. Meanwhile McDiarmid, who continuously monitors the restaurants tweets on his iPhone and various macbooks around the restaurant, recognized Greenberg from his facebook photo from their last exchange. McDiarmid approached Greenberg’s table, introduced himself and thanked him for the tweet.

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Shawna Wagman | October 8, 2010 at 9:32 am

SHOP TALK: Tivoli Florist

An elegant oasis for all who crave a little leafiness in their life — and who doesn’t? This local florist carries potted plants, home décor items, and, of course, cut flowers. With attentive staff and a wide variety of flora to choose from, Tivoli is a great spot to pick up a centrepiece for your Thanksgiving table. Owner Michael Corbeil suggest calling ahead with all the details (table size and shape, setting colours, etc.). The Tivoli team will then create a fitting autumnal display. Fancy a pumpkin on your dining table? Relatives squabbling over flowers vs. fruit? Tivoli brings it all together, incorporating dahlias, orchids, berries, even miniature eggplants, into a bountiful harvest centrepiece.

The Look: The Secret Garden (but less overgrown)

Perfect for: impressing the in-laws

USP: staff that know their plants and aren’t afraid to make suggestions

282 Richmond Rd.; 18 Clarence St.; www.tivoliflorist.com

Dayanti Karunaratne | October 5, 2010 at 4:19 pm

SHOP TALK: Victoire

Photo by Angela Gordon

This cute boutique focuses on vintage-inspired pieces, bringing a coy style to designer dresses, upcycled duds, and pretty jewellery. You’ll also find plenty of draped tops, perfect for hittin’ the clubs. The addition of a second location earlier this year on Wellington West suggested the Victoire gals are in no way resting on their gold-plated laurels, and this fall they are continuing the momentum with a number of shopping events. Visit the Dalhousie Street store on October 9 for a double whammy: the annual Chatte Bottee Shoe Sale and the brand new Some Like it Hot Vintage Lingerie Sale. Whether it’s pumps or a pinup look you’re after (or a hot little outfit that brings together both), you’d be well advised to get there early.

The Look: Mad Men meets Jersey Shore

The Labels: Valerie Dumaine, House of Spy, Dace

Perfect for: demure gals with a wild side

USP: fun events that bring vintage shoes (not to mention intimate apparel) from Montreal and beyond to Ottawa

246 Dalhousie St. and 1282B Wellington St. www.victoireboutique.com

Dayanti Karunaratne | September 22, 2010 at 10:07 am

Shop Talk: Roadtrip

(Photography: Angela Gordon)

The carefree days of summer are here and this new store offers cheerful ways to bring a little style to your beach scene, cottage party, or wherever it is you find yourself whiling away the warm season. Trustfund’s much-anticipated sister store is more price-point driven, making it a great place to pick up something for that impromptu summer bash.

The look: edgy urban meets cottage chic

The labels: Kensie, Matt by Matt & Nat, Lucy Love, BB Dakota

Perfect for: guys and gals who love colour and are tired of mall shops

USP: roadtrip-inspired vibe and killer location (beside Planet Coffee)

24B York St., www.roadtripclothing.com

Ottawa Magazine Staff | June 1, 2010 at 8:00 am

Best Restaurants 2009

The top 10 places to eat right now. Plus an insider’s guide to 16 additional must-try eateries. by Chris Knight, photography by photoluxstudio.com/Christian Lalonde

Scientists will tell you that which separates us from all the other beasties is the opposable thumb and conceptual thought. I think that what really makes us different from your average bear is that we cook our food. I braise, therefore I am.

I sweet potato, therefore I yam (sorry, couldn’t help myself). There is a direct anthropological link between when we began to char and when our brains got bigger and our jaws got smaller (easier to chew and digest a sabre-toothed bunny rabbit once it was spit-roasted and served up with a side of frog). The other big whoop on the evolutionary timeline was when we stopped chasing migratory animals and settled down to grow stuff. Give up your nomadic ways, and suddenly you’re building huts to last, latrines, Pilates studios, row housing and suburbs and eventually adding condos with fees. Apparently, maize was all the rage back then: easy to grow, easy to store, lots of serving options. See where I’m going? It’s all about the food, baby. Moses might have spoken to a burning bush, but what he really said was “Who wants theirs medium-rare?”

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Chris Knight | May 10, 2010 at 9:00 am