Articles Tagged ‘Little Italy’

WEEKLY LUNCH PICK: Delivering on the promise of a real, big, messy burger at Beech St. Burger

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.

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  |  May 13, 2013 at 8:35 am

INTRODUCING: The Zydeco Smokehouse, Little Italy’s friendly new take-out sandwich shop

Greg Delair (right) came out of semi-retirement to share his love of meat from the smoker mopped with his own secret BBQ sauce.

Greg Delair likes to think of his new take-out sandwich counter as a food truck without the wheels. Open since December, The Zydeco Smokehouse is simple, crowd-pleasing food, made to order and served up fast, with an emphasis on Southern-inspired barbecue meats that have been left to linger for hours in the smoker.

His slow-cooked fast food is all made from scratch, he says. “The only thing that comes from a package is the potato chips.” He slices up the cabbage for his sweet and crunchy (blessedly mayo-free) coleslaw fresh every morning, saying, “Day-old coleslaw just doesn’t work for me.”

The sandwiches — pulled pork, pulled chicken breast, and Andouille sausage are staples on the winter menu — featuring hickory, maple and apple wood chips, respectively. There’s no deep-fryer, so rather than fries, sandwiches can be ordered with a side of Delair’s smoked Mac & Cheese or his chipotle and molasses baked beans with smoked pork belly. He makes his own version of “poutine” by topping those beans with house smoked bacon, pulled pork, and cheese curds.

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  |  January 18, 2013 at 9:31 am

SPOTLIGHT: Inside the impressive workings of the Bridgehead Roastery

By Shawna Wagman

This story appears in the October edition of Ottawa Magazine. Buy the magazine on newsstands or order your online edition.

If you’re one of those non-believers who think a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee, well, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee! The city’s coffee culture is taking off in a powerful way with a new wave of coffee shops dedicated to the craft of making the popular brew.

In June, local café darling Bridgehead infused the burgeoning scene with its biggest jolt to date, opening its very own roastery. The creation of the new company HQ and coffee shop location number 15, set in a historic building in Little Italy, puts the process of bean to cup on eye-dazzling display.

Caffeine fix: Ian Clark (centre), Bridgehead's director of coffee, is dedicated to helping each customer find his own private coffee nirvana. Photography by Doublespace Photography.

The bells and whistles in the impressive $3-million facility are anchored by the showstopper of a centrepiece: a 6,000-pound coffee-bean roaster. But the new roastery serves not just as a cool place to grab a beverage and a bite but as an opportunity to see the whole story of your ultra-fresh cuppa joe come to life (especially when you take a Saturday-morning tour of the facility).

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  |  October 15, 2012 at 10:00 am

THE INSIDER: Hussein Rashid on moving Ottawa Fashion Week to Preston Street

OFW founder and executive producer Hussein Rashid says the Sala San Marco venue allows more space for creativity.

Shop Talk is written by OM senior editor Dayanti Karunaratne and Sarah Fischer, OM account executive and fashion maven.

When we first heard that Ottawa Fashion Week (OFW) was moving to Sala San Marco, we were confused. Sure, we could pull up an image of the Preston Street hall in our mental map, but it involved memories of lunch dates, not runway shows.

So, as OFW takes their presentation out of the downtown core for the first time in its history, we chat with one of the original visionaries behind the show: founder and executive producer Hussein Rashid.

“It’s all about really getting more involved, it’s about taking the event to the community,” explains Hussein. “We wanted a space that people live near.” The venues available downtown, he says, have restrictions that his team found difficult to work around.

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  |  October 11, 2012 at 4:08 pm

INTRODUCING: two six {ate}, Preston Street’s new late-night munchies joint opens on Friday

First-time restaurateurs Emily Ienzi and boyfriend Steve Harris have transformed the former Lindenhof restaurant into a hip new small plates spot

It’s the mom-and-pop shop re-envisioned by a new generation. You take a front-of-house girl whose family comes from Italy’s Puglia region and a boy who cooks with roots in Nova Scotia and you give them access to an urban garden and an 80-seat restaurant; toss in a coin-operated vintage Ms. PAC-MAN machine and a DJ and you’ve got the ingredients for a fun-loving new Ital-Canadian snack food joint on Preston Street called two six {ate}.

It opens officially on Friday. When I stopped by for a sneak peek of the place on Monday, the full face-lift, which began on August 17, made it unrecognizable from its former occupant, the Lindenhof restaurant.

It’s got all the hallmarks of the new breed of hipster hang-out: the tattooed chef, the reclaimed barnboard walls, the old-school cocktails, the funky lighting, and the playful menu offering an upscale twist on trashy kid food like Pogos and poutine. Words like foie gras torchon, sashimi, and heirloom tomatoes add heft to a menu that is a giddy mix of snack food nostalgia and Italian classics. There’s a kitchen that won’t quit until the wee hours of the morning, talk of nose-to-tail and seasonal cooking and a commitment to keeping it affordable — so far nothing on the menu is over 20 bucks.

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  |  September 25, 2012 at 8:52 am

COLD COMFORT: Anne DesBrisay’s pick for the best pistachio gelato in the city

Mippy Goodfellow models a fresh batch of Gelatini's pistachio gelato

When it comes to ice cream I am a bore of long standing. I like vanilla. I like it more than just about anything else. It has to be really good vanilla, black speck flecked and all that, and it has to be rich and creamy with none of the chemical aftertaste of commercial ice cream.

The only exception I make to my vanilla default is when there’s promising looking pistachio on offer. And there was exactly that at Gelatini, the two-year-old gelateria on Preston Street. (Read Ottawa Magazine‘s 2010 interview with the owners here.)

I’m declaring it The Best Pistachio Gelato in the City.

Why so good?

I asked Mippy Goodfellow, who is manning the fort while owners Monica Pilotti and Christopher Hiscock gelato around Italy, and she suggested it might have something to do with hand shelling the nuts. “Monica thinks the shelling machines impart a mechanical flavour to the ice cream that takes away from the purity of the pistachio flavour,” she explains. “So we shell the nuts ourselves during quiet times.”

None of the green food colouring found in most pistachio gelato either. This is pure and gloriously meaty, rich and luscious: a perfect summer treat.

A regular cone of the stuff is $3.50. I sprung the five bucks for the waffle cone.

Gelatini Gelato, 344 Preston St., 613-235-8050, www.gelatini.ca.

Open: Monday to Friday from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

  |  July 27, 2012 at 8:38 am

FOOD BUZZ: Two new Fratelli restaurants opening soon—both spots hot on the authentic wood oven pizza craze

Robert Valente stands on the site of the wood-oven pizza joint to open on Preston Street in the fall

Forget what you’ve heard about a casual fish restaurant coming to Westboro, the brothers behind the Fratelli restaurants have decided to move closer — not further — from their Italian roots. Think authentic thin-crust pizza and simple, traditional regional dishes like rabbit and pastas like caccio e pepe. Chef Adam Vottorel is returning to the Fratelli kitchen after five years spent as head chef at Domus.

The Valente brothers, Richard and Robert (fratelli means brother in Italian), recently bought the building at 309 Richmond Rd. (one block from their restaurant at 275 Richmond Rd.) and will take the opportunity to modernize the concept and the menu when they move into the new space later this summer. They are hoping to see some of the hype around Hintonburg’s dining scene moving westward in the coming months.

“It’s an evolution after 16 years,” says Richard Valente, the front-of-house half of the team. “We want to keep it exciting for our clients but also for ourselves.” Chef Robert Valente admits the menus have skewed towards crowd-pleasing dishes and customer favourites rather than the type of Italian food that he and his family like to eat at home. He plans to pare back the menu considerably and take off some items that have been there forever like fried zucchini and the veal marsala. “We’ll probably put it back on a week later after people complain,” he jokes.

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  |  June 26, 2012 at 8:45 am

OPENING! Nutty Greek Bake Shop rewrites history with soon-to-be-famous baklava cheesecake

The charming Papadopoulos family brings nutty sweetness to Little Italy

Warmth, sweetness, comfort, pleasure. These are the feelings inspired by three simple ingredients: lemon, cinnamon, and honey. Add a bunch of nuts and you are half way to understanding the magic of this new, big-hearted bakery in Little Italy.

In Greek baking, walnuts are revered in the same way that pistachios rule the kitchen in Lebanese pastries. So in the Nutty Greek Bake Shop (apparently Ottawa’s first Greek bakery in 26 years!) you’ll find walnuts that are crushed and rolled, layered upon, and sprinkled overtop many of the dozens of treats on offer. They are outstanding, for instance, as the crumbly adornment for a traditional moist, cake-like cookie called the Melomakrona (say it with me: meh-loh-mah-KAH-roh-nah). Dipped in honey syrup and flecked with orange zest, I could’ve eaten a thousand of those things.

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  |  March 20, 2012 at 8:45 am

THE WEEKENDER: Lots of wine, a flash mob, and maybe a bit of MMA action

 

 

ALL YOU CAN EAT ICE CREAM SUNDAE BAR
Celebrate the sweet taste of summer one last time at this funky fundraiser.  We’re told ice cream plays a leading role in the Company of Fools play A Midwinter’s Dream Tale, which is part of the 2011-2012 season at the Great Canadian Theatre Company. So a sundae bar is a natural fit — right? Always surprising, ever the innovator, this is one Ottawa group that’s worth the brain freeze. Proceeds go toward a new set for the show. Sunday, Sept. 25. 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. $20 per person suggested donation, $15 per person for families of three or more. Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, 1233 Wellington St. W. www.fools.ca

THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA
Billed as a “sweaty night of criss-cross tropical funk rhythms that explode with badass,” this Ottawa standby never disappoints. The Souljazz Orchestra offers an exuberant and spiritual experience that transcends genres and warms from the inside out, so arrive early and well-hydrated for hours of dance floor revelry. (If you’re a groupie, or just previously engaged on Friday, the band is also playing with DJ KYOU at Les Boubards in Montreal on Saturday, Sept. 24.) With DJ Zattar. Friday, Sept. 23. 10:00 p.m. Babylon Nightclub, 317 Bank St. www.souljazzorchestra.com

FLASH MOB
Become a Youtube sensation at “Ottawa’s First Official Flash Mob” (the mayor will be there, so it really is official). Organized by Black Belt Excellence Martial Arts Academy for their 25th anniversary, this is a fun opportunity for people of all ages to dance their pants off. The organizers are hoping to draw 300 to 500 people (so if your dancing isn’t top notch, don’t worry!) before breaking it down for the big performance. RSVP on their Facebook page, where you can watch videos of last week’s rehearsal and learn the steps. Sept. 25, 11 a.m. 62 Stonehaven Dr.

LA VENDEMMIA
Little Italy’s annual celebration of food, wine, and culture is back, so whether you’re an oenophile, a foodie, or an arts lover, there’s something for you. The event kicks off with a Moveable Feast on Thursday, where groups explore the culinary diversity in this neighbourhood and try gourmet dishes. There will also be a charity wine auction (Friday), a farmers’ market (Saturday), an outdoor art sale (Saturday and Sunday), and a food and wine show (Sunday). On Sunday there’s also the Sakto Corporation’s Grape Stomp, which features a timed relay race that’s unlike any other — obstacles include pizza dough tossing, pasta cooking, table setting, and grape stomping. This portion raises funds for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Sept. 22 to 25. Price varies by activity, some activities free. Preston Street. www.lavendemmiaottawa.com

FALL WINE AUCTION
Wine lovers get your bidding cards ready. Music & Beyond teams up with Savvy Company for a charity wine auction fundraiser. Savvy’s sommeliers will be on hand to answer questions on the wines. This auction kicks off with a sommelier-led Italian wine tasting paired with hors d’oeuvres made by the chefs at Trattoria Caffe Italia. Guest auctioneers are Mario Bouchard, Laurence Wall, and Debbie Trenholm in a 142-lot sale that includes ready-to-drink wines for every day as well as collector bottles. $50 (ticket price will be credited towards the purchase of wines at the auction). Friday, Sept. 23. 6:30 p.m. onwards. For more info and to see the wine catalogue, visit Music & Beyond’s website. Location: Trattoria Caffe Italia, 254 Preston St.

CHELSEA HARVEST FESTIVAL
The creative types up there in the hills can’t get enough festivals! They’ve launched the Chelsea Harvest Fest, with lots of food, music, art, creative workshops, buskers, and games for the kids. The Friday, Sept. 23, program runs 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and includes an outdoor musical show with the likes of The Flats, Eko, PIVI et les Malpris, and Godlalune. Saturday, Sept. 24, sees events from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. with lots of events for kids until 5 p.m. and musical shows throughout the evening. Some 20 local artists will also be exhibiting their work inside at the Chelsea Arts, Culture, and Heritage Centre during the fest. Location: behind Chelsea Arts, Culture and Heritage Centre, 212 Old Chelsea Road, Chelsea.

LET’S GET IT ON!: A BOOK SIGNING
Now you might not go out of your way for this one — unless you’re a serious mixed martial arts fan, that is — but if you’re in the Market on Sunday afternoon, you might just want to pop into Chapters on Rideau to check out the action. Could be a most unusual book signing. Rumour has it that “Big” John McCarthy will be signing his new memoir, Let’s Get It On!: The Making of the MMA and Its Ultimate Referee. McCarthy, the sport’s top ref for close to two decades, promises fans a rare view from inside the Octagon. As they say, “no holds barred!”  Sunday, Sept. 25. 2 p.m. Chapters, 47 Rideau St., 613-241-0073.

  |  September 21, 2011 at 12:15 pm

WEEKLY LUNCH PICK: Le Kim Chi’s bibimbap and black sesame ice cream

From order into chaos with delicious results. A dozen distinct elements combine and transform after vigorous stirring and the heat of the hotpot.

I was looking for something light and refreshing for lunch on a recent steamy summer afternoon. And while Korean food — with its stir-fries, bubbling broths, and spicy stews — might not be an obvious choice, I was glad I took the gamble. Le Kim Chi, Little Italy’s foray into the world of Korean cuisine, is gaining a reputation as one of the best places for it in town. A menu of $12.95 lunch specials beckoned me in from the heat. I was soon rewarded with a warm greeting and a tall glass of plum honey ice tea.

Next to arrive was a small iceberg lettuce salad with a surprisingly addictive dressing made from pineapple puree and diced fresh strawberries. There were small side dishes (panchan) including kim chi and sweet crunchy cucumbers. I sheepishly confessed to my server that I have yet to acquire a taste for kim chi. She laughed and said, “Don’t’ worry. I feel exactly the same way about blue cheese!” This set me at ease as I prepared to devour the signature Korean dish, bibimbap, which arrived in a searing hotpot.

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  |  August 8, 2011 at 8:42 am

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