Ottawa Magazine’s Top 10 Restaurants List 2011

The much anticipated November/December issue of Ottawa Magazine hit the stands at Brittons in the Glebe today. Inside it’s cover is the 2011 Top 10 restaurants list by food editor, Shawna Wagman. Apparently I was customer number 3 to scoop up this hot edition.

The cover bore such catchy phrases as: “WHERE TO EAT RIGHT NOW” and “10 RESTAURANTS WITH IMAGINATION”. A hint of what would be revealed inside.

Here is the list (and it appears to be numbered):

1. Black Cat Bistro (Patricia Larkin)
2. Navarra (René Rodriguez)
3. Town (Interesting, there was no talk of who is doing the cooking now. Steve Wall recently moved to Luxe)
4. OZ Kafe (Jamie Stunt and Simon Bell)
5. Canvas Resto Bar (Charles Beauregard)
6. Fraser Café (Fraser brothers)
7. Restaurant E18hteen (Matthew Carmichael)
8. The Whalesbone Oyster House (Charlotte Langley)
9. Murray Street Kitchen Wine Charcuterie (Steve Mitton)
10. Sidedoor (Matthew Carmichael and Jonathan Korecki)

Repeats from last year: Town, Fraser Café, The Whalesbone Oyster House.

Returning from the 2009 list: Navarra, Restaurant E18hteen.

I have munched at them all but Sidedoor. And I have been holding off for all the reasons Shawna outlined in her piece, making it quite a surprise pick for a Top 10 list. She is upfront about Sidedoor‘s “uneven quality of the food” and the sense that “the service has gone from bad to worse”. Not mentioned by her are the grumblings about the prices. The choice leaves me wondering. I liken it to then newly minted President Obama receiving the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize before the work was done.

There are others on this list that have been “uneven quality” in my first hand experience. Though I do try to abide by the ‘try 3 times’ rule before making named declarations.

I almost always order seafood when I eat out – app, main or both. For me, it has been a steady test of the mettle in the kitchen. Perhaps a theme for next year’s article.

I am not as familiar as I would like to be with good eateries on the other side of the river. Bistro St-Jacques was a wonderful addition to last year’s list. (I made it there 3 times already over the past 12 months.) I had been secretly hoping that Shawna had mined another nugget from across the way. It just can’t be a barren eating wasteland, can it? (Nice to see the nod to Marysol Foucault’s Edgar.)

This list is a mixed bag alright and I am still trying to make sense of it.

For me, any kind of Top 10 list for such a significant city as the Nation’s Capital, would be a list of ‘home run’ picks – not necessarily high end (in fact a mix is nice), but a ‘pride and joy’ list. If someone’s coming to town, then you would hope they wouldn’t leave without giving a selection of them a try.

Maybe this list fits the “restaurants with imagination” tag (though the write-up on Canvas seems to contradict), but for my buck I still want solid value each and every time. A number fit that bill in my experience but certainly not all.

For anyone asking, Allium (on Holland) is still my favourite in this town.

Pick up the magazine. The article is a great read. Shawna has given you fair warning and has quite accurately depicted the pros and cons of her 2011 picks.

Are you looking for adventure? Then you now have a decent list to start from.

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Canadian Celebrity Chefs Event – Were You There? Who Should Have Been?

The first Canadian Celebrity Chefs Event held on Monday evening at the NAC had star power. Not just the well-known names playing on the Food Network, but also a select group of chefs from here in Ottawa that are considered on the top of their game. The idea for the event was the brainchild of NAC’s Chef Michael Blackie. Host for the day was the ever energy-buzzed, Kevin Brauch, also from the Food Network.

The full day of culinary demonstrations gave us a hint as to what would be hitting our taste buds throughout the evening’s reception. Were you there? Could you imagine it would be like this?

By the way, since you are asking, my favourite dish of the night was the presentation by Chefs Bear and Lyness of lobster and sweetbreads (larger description with picture below). No wishy washy answer from me that “I loved them all and just couldn’t pick one”. I know what I like. And I loved the balance of flavours, colour and texture. So complex. So bright. I did taste all 8 plates and hung in through to the very last morsel.

There has been quite a build up over the past few months in the foodie world as the details of Monday’s event unfolded. There has been much attention for the NAC, the visiting celebrity chefs and the hosting chefs from Ottawa.

As I survey Ottawa’s culinary landscape, it struck me that there really was a strong talent pool to pick from to make this a memorable first annual Ottawa event.

I reviewed Ottawa Magazine’s Top 10 List of Best Restaurants for 2010 put together by Shawna Wagman last October and here is who was missing from Monday night’s lineup.

Castlegarth
Town
The Wellington Gastropub
Fraser Café
Bistro St. Jacques
Absinthe
Taylor’s Genuine Food & Wine Bar (same chef at Domus Café)

I reviewed the Gold Medal Plate contenders from last November’s regional competition and here is who was missing from Monday night’s lineup.

The Urban Pear
Zen Kitchen
Murray Street Kitchen
Les Fougères
Narvarra

I reviewed a running list I have of restaurants that have or have had ‘buzz’ that do not have mention on Shawna’s list or GMP, and here is who was missing from Monday night’s lineup, just to name a few.

Benitz Bistro
Farbs Kitchen *
Restaurant Le Baccara *
Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro
Restaurant Ei8hteen *
Allium
Black Cat Bistro *
Courtyard Restaurant
Social
Luxe

(* Participants of Juniper’s upcoming Duelling Chefs competitions for 2011)

As the names of Brookstreet, Vittoria Trattoria, The Whalesbone Oyster House, Empire Grill, Atelier Restaurant, Beckta Dining and Wine, Juniper Dining and National Arts Centre continue to come to mind in the days ahead, consider that there really is a much, much larger list of great restaurants known for a top-notch dining experience in the Ottawa area. Create your own ‘Must Try’ list. Venture out. Savour the flavours. This town does have a lot to offer.

And now my question to you. If Chef Blackie tasked you with creating the list of 8 hosting Ottawa chefs, is there a particular name that you want to see on it?

** Monday night’s food presentations in the order of my likes **

Ray Bear (MIX, Halifax, NS) | Clifford Lyness (Brookstreet)
Poached Atlantic lobster | Bridge sparkling wine beurre blanc
corn flan + watercress sprouts | black olive purée
Le Coprin mushrooms | sweetbreads with candied fennel
08 Eagle Tree Muscat, Jõst Vineyards, Nova Scotia

Michael Lyon (Hotel Eldorado, Kelowna, BC) | Michael Blackie (NAC)
Sweet grass cold smoked Charlevoix veal | crisp potato girdle
Clarmell on the Rideau feta + sage infused retention
firecracker spotted prawn crisp | Cloud Horse mead-­‐lychee sting
08 Cloud Horse, Meadow Vista Honey Wines, Kelowna, British Columbia

Anthony Walsh (Canoe, Toronto, ON) | Michael Moffatt (Beckta Dining and Wine)
Drunken squab + Newfie screech | tatin of sunchokes | foie gras crepinette

09 Cabernet Franc Sabrevois, Domaine Perrault, Navan, Ontario

David Rocco (Dolce Vita, Toronto, ON) | Cesare Santaguida (Vittoria Trattoria)
Beet risotto | crispy pig cheek | seared Qualicum beach scallop | Granny smith slaw
08 Archangel Pinot Noir Rosé Sparkling VQA, Angels Gate Winery, Niagara, Ontario

Paul Rogalski (ROUGE, Calgary, AB) | Robin Bowen (Empire Grill)
North country bison hash | Quebec goat cheese + cauliflower ravioli
Preserved lemon + rendered bacon hollandaise | ancho chili plum gastrique
07 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vine Dressers,Petit, Verdot Pelee, Island VQA

Mathieu Cloutier (Kitchen Galerie, Montreal, QC) | Marc Lepine (Atelier Restaurant)
Oyster | honey flavor roasted foie gras terrine | marrow bones + chardonnay vinaigrette |
bacon foam
08 Ice Cider, Domaine Pinnacle, Québec

Brad Long (Café Belong, Toronto, ON) | Charlotte Langley (The Whalesbone Oyster House)
Shiitake poached pickerel | beurre noissette | dressed grains + greens
Crispy crème fraiche oyster 08 County Cuvée Pinot Noir VQA, Rosehall Run Vineyards, Prince Edward

Michael Howell (Tempest Restaurant, Wolfville, NS) | Norm Aitken (Juniper Dining)
Transverse Nova Scotia sea bass
crispy seared | citrus cured
cool fennel + citrus salad | warm gold beet purée + hay
brown butter | dulse and beetroot coulis | applewood smoked mussel bridge
09 Reserve L’Acadie, Domaine de Grand Pré, Nova Scotia

Ottawa Magazine’s Top 10 List 2010 by Food Editor Shawna Wagman

Shawna Wagman of Ottawa Magazine has taken on a different twist for coming up with Ottawa Magazine’s Top Ten List for 2010 – Where To Eat Right Now. You will need to get the magazine to read her thinking on the Ottawa food scene and why she made these picks.

I was lucky enough to be the first person in Ottawa to put down coin for the November issue, which was made available at Britton’s in the Glebe today. What timing for deciding that today was the day I needed veal stock from the Glebe Meat Market! The magazine will be widely distributed tomorrow.

Here is her coveted list:

Castlegarth
Town
The Wellington Gastropub
Fraser Café
The Whalesbone Oyster House
Atelier
Play Food & Wine
Bistro St. Jacques
Absinthe
Taylor’s Genuine Food & Wine Bar

I have tried them all except for Whalesbone and Bistro St. Jacques and know that those on this list are strong establishments.

Only 4 from this list are going to the Gold Medal Plates competition in November. Fraser Café, Whalesbone, Atelier and Play.

The Gold Medal Plates contenders not making Shawna’s list are: The Urban Pear, Zen Kitchen, Murray Street Kitchen, Les Fougères, Harvest (actually in Picton) and Narvarra.

Missing from last year’s Top 10 is: Beckta Dining & Wine, Domus Café, Le Baccara, Restaurant Ei8hteen, Benitz Bistro, Allium, The Urban Pear, Navarra and Juniper. In fact the only one of the Top 10 to stay on the list into 2010 was The Wellington Gastropub.

Some may also wonder about The Black Cat, Le Café, Farbs Kitchen, Sweetgrass Aboriginal, Perspectives, Social and Luxe as contenders in the past for top recognition in the city, whether on the Ottawa Magazine’s 10 Ten List, formerly constructed by Chris Knight, or some that have gone to Gold Medal Plates.

Well, the politics is out of the bag. And in a city that seems to know politics best! Enjoy the buzz on this topic over the next week.

Although I have a soft spot for Allium and thought it should have made Shawna’s list, what I see when I pull back and take the broad view on this, is how lucky for us to have so many great choices brimming over on our lists of stellar eateries here in Ottawa. What a nice problem to have.

Get the magazine! This article in particular is a great read.