Edible Ottawa

01/08/2024

Quite quickly as you leave the city to the east of Ottawa, subdivisions turn to farmers’ fields. Drive a little further and the cash crops that line the highway towards Montreal give way to smaller family farms nestled in the folds of land off the dirt roads. It’s on one of these 196-acre parcels of land, not far from Maxville, that you’ll find Kirkview Farms, where Mike MacGillivray looks after the pastures, the woodlands, the wetlands and the animals that live there.

Read "Back to the Future" by Hattie Klotz, from our July issue:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/back-to-the-future

Photos by Amy Zambonin.

29/07/2024

Great for anyone thinking about setting up more neighbourhood gardening spaces.

Save your spot in this virtual workshop today! We'll see you tomorrow at 6:30pm 🌱

29/07/2024

Decanter PEC has become a bit of a hub in the County. People stop by at the start of their visit, and often come back at the end of their day. They might have a glass of wine to kick off the day or to end it — or both. People also drop by because it’s a central place to pick up some wines they’ve liked during winery visits, if don’t have time to go back to the wineries.

The shop carries only Ontario products with wines from across the province of Ontario, and beers and ciders almost exclusively from Prince Edward Co. It also sells locally made soft drinks, jellies, snacks, crackers, cheeses, chocolate and sausages and some glassware.

Read the full article from our July issue here:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/decanter-in-the-county

Visit The County

As M.J. Macdonald and Angie Jewell offer a tour of Decanter, their retail wine shop, wine bar and event space on Wellington’s Main Street in Prince Edward County, they’re talking about the wines, spirits, ciders, beers and meads they carry. This one is from Prince Edward County; that one’s fro...

25/07/2024

Chef Yannick Anton didn’t used to worry about food waste nearly as much as he does now. An instructor and executive chef at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, he has spent his career working at high-end restaurants, from Michelin Star establishments in his native France, to working with Montreal chef Martin Picard at Le Globe and opening the storied Le Baccara at the Casino Lac Leamy. And for his work in producing fine French cuisine and sharing French culture in Canada, the U.S. and France, he was recognized in June with an award from the French government.

Read "There's Nothing Like the Mediterranean" by Jennifer Campbell from our July issue:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/there%27s-nothing-like-the-mediterranean

Photos be Sasha Rogers.

22/07/2024

Tizita Bekele has been selling injera from her bakeshop on Booth Street for 16 years. After moving to Ottawa (via Winnipeg and Ethiopia), Bekele was making injera for her son’s birthday party and guests clamoured for her to sell the Ethiopian flatbread. “Friends were paying more than market price,” Kebbede laughs, “they wanted to encourage her.” Bekele reminisces fondly about that time as those same friends would bring her large buckets from Costco to mix ever increasing volumes of dough to help her start a kind of injera pilot project from home. Buoyed by that encouragement, Bekele and Kebbede began looking for a storefront, and, in 2008, they opened the doors to Tizita’s Bakeshop in Centretown West.

Read about Tizita in "Injera for All" by Katie Shapiro: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/injera-for-all

Photos by Melody Maloney Photo.

18/07/2024

On a sunny day, driving north along Route 105 from Wakefield into the expansive rural landscapes of Quebec, one can't help but notice the serene beauty that surrounds. To the right, the Gatineau River meanders peacefully, while to the left, McGoey's Market & Bakery signals a stop worth making for fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade pies. Nestled amidst these rolling farmlands, a tiny green building captures the eye, promising a delightful pause: La Cigale, Ice Cream Shop - Old Chelsea Quebec ice cream hut.

Read our July edible excursion "A Sweet Escape" by Rochelle James:

On a sunny day, driving north along Route 105 from Wakefield into the expansive rural landscapes of Quebec, one can't help but notice the serene beauty that surrounds. To the right, the Gatineau River meanders peacefully, while to the left, McGoey's Market & Bakery signals a stop worth making for fr...

10/07/2024

Méli-Mélo is an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Ottawa and beyond. Get the latest — from the this-just-opened and give-backs, to new bites and libations and don’t-miss events.

Our July spread features Ventuno inside Il Negozio Nicastro, chef Justin Daniel Tse heads the kitchen at Gather, Wander the Resort, Jamaican food at Run2Patty, a new market on Bank St. - Take5 from Arlington Five & royal bees at the Fairmont Château Laurier.

Read all about them here:

Méli-Mélo is an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Ottawa and beyond. Get the latest — from the this-just-opened and give-backs, to new bites and libations and don’t-miss events.

09/07/2024

07/07/2024

Summer is definitely here. Does it seems like all the plants are growing like crazy this year. It you need to take a break from the heat, grab a cold drink, find a shady spot (or a shop with AC) and sit down with a copy of our July issue.

Here's what you'll find:

- Méli-Mélo features aperitivo at Ventuno inside Il Negozio Nicastro, chef Justin Daniel Tse heads the kitchen at Gather, Wander the Resort, Jamaican food at Run2Patty, a new market on Bank St. - Take5 from Arlington Five & royal bees at the Fairmont Château Laurier

- "Injera for All" from Tizita Bakeshop

- An edible excursion to La Cigale, Ice Cream Shop - Old Chelsea Quebec

- "Decanter in the County": wine bar and bottle shop in Prince Edward County Decanter PEC

- "Back to the Future": an eighth generation farmer gets back to his roots Kirkview Farms

- A monthly dinner club at a historic wedding venue Stonefields Estate

- "A Time Capsule in a Jar": honey tasting with a certified honey sommelier at Gibbs Honey

- Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa chef Yannick Anton was honoured with the L'Ordre du Mérite Agricole from the French government.

- "The Farinella Five": a pair of siblings have opened five Farinella locations (so far)

Pick up a copy from all the usual spots or order a copy to be delivered to your door:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/subscribe-edible-ottawa

Cover photo by Marianne Rothbauer.

04/07/2024

I'm in for anything called a hootenanny! Doesn't hurt that it's at Hummingbird Chocolate Maker

Have you saved the date for our Hootenanny on July 20th? 🐦

The day is shaping up to be a hoot and a half with plenty of friends showing up to help us celebrate. On the day, Vodkow, Almonte Butcher Shop & Deli, Latin pastries, JB Arts, Fulton’s Sugar Bush & Maple Shop, Puppets Up, michaelsdolce, and more will be there to help make the day special. Make sure to stop by for a special discount, prizes and most importantly, chocolate! 🍫

Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/share/uLrkZBvjPGuXhQam/

25/06/2024

Nelson Borges remembers it well. When the veteran chef and food services executive turned around the kitchen at the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts, making it profitable, the late president and CEO Peter Herrndorf told him he wanted to take the profits and invest them back into the arts.

“He wanted us to return the restaurant to being the incubator of culinary talent in the city once again,” Borges recalls Herndorff, who died in 2023, telling him. “That’s what our goal was.”

And that’s when the idea of a resident chef program was born.

“We have a stage, and I kept telling everyone culinary is an artform,” Borges says, “so we’re trying to bring emerging culinary artists and provide them with a national stage where they can perform their art and create different activities and experiences that involve them to give them a little step forward.”

The program, which launched in 2019, invites participating chefs to come to the capital for about five days at the beginning of the residency. During that time, they participate in a series of events, including at least one big meal, public-facing cooking demos and afternoon artists’ chats. The resident chef is also put before as many media outlets as possible and allowed to shape the menu at 1 Elgin Restaurant for nearly 10 weeks. The visiting chef provides the recipes to the team at 1 Elgin and then collaborates on what the final plates look and taste like.

Read "The Culinary Arts Takes Centre Stage" by Jennifer Campbell from our May issue: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/the-culinary-arts-at-the-nac

24/06/2024

Our July issue will soon be here.

Have you ever considered an edible Ottawa subscription? You'll never miss an issue and your support helps us continue to tell the stories of our local businesses.

Subscription details and options here:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/subscribe-edible-ottawa

19/06/2024

It’s a 29-seat diner tucked into a residential neighbourhood in Lowertown and while its comic book-meets-Lichtenstein logo creates a sense of fun at every turn in the corner diner, BAMM’s Snack Shack is actually all about creating community.

The partners at the helm are Ashley and Matt Atton and their children, Myles, Bowie and foster child Bradey — Matt’s nephew — round out the initials in the name.

BAMM’s opened in May 2023 after the Attons convinced the building’s owner to let them take over the space. He’d been running a Portuguese bar called Tugal’s, but closed during the pandemic.

“It was our kids’ bus stop, so we would sit on the step every day just wondering what was going on,” Matt says. “The blinds were always down, the same car out front. I was really unhappy with my job, so I [eventually] left a note on the car.’”

A few days later, the owner popped his head out while Mattwas waiting for his kids. They struck a deal in the fall of 2022, and soon after, Ashley and Matt left their military careers and became budding restaurant owners.

Read 'I Only Want to Give Things to People' by Jennifer Campbell: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/bamms-snack-shack

Photos by Melody Maloney Photo.

11/06/2024

Sean Mallard and Chantelle Heeney-Mallard want Mallard’s Milk Bar to be a community space where everyone feels welcome. “[It’s] a local hangout spot, just like a brewery or a coffee shop. It brings people in,” Heeney-Mallard says. With that in mind, they started an Ice Cream Social Club to help create that sense of connection.

The shop swaps out flavours weekly and Heeney-Mallard keeps a running spreadsheet of ideas. As for her favourite? It's a tricky question to answer because it changes weekly. If she had to choose, strawberry basil sorbet is a go-to for summer. Cucumber and gin sorbet is also on the brainstorm list. And there are some unusual flavour pairings that could come back by popular demand, such as rhubarb and black peppercorn, goat cheese or sweet corn and blueberries.

Read "A Place to Chill" by Kate Tenenhouse, from our May issue: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/eat/place-chill

Photos by Matthew Liteplo.

10/06/2024

It's like a healthier and family friendly tailgate party!

☀️🎊🎉 Our annual parking lot party - DandyFest - is back! 10 years of sampling, music, discounts, prizes and more continues on Saturday, June 15 from 10a.m. to 2p.m.
See you there!! ☀️🎊🎉

09/06/2024

The seeds of Lionhearts Inc. Ottawa, and a keen insight into its success, can both be found within a humble berry. First, the seeds.

Travis Blackmore grew up in Saint John, N.B., “playing drums in church and stuff like that.” He moved to Kingston, Ont.,and “found my way into the music industry as a hired gun.” He toured the world with Juno winners Manic Drive, Manafest and others, and played “every state in the U.S., except Hawaii.” He left the gruelling life on the road in 2012 for a more stable family life, and got a job in retail management.

“Food rescue was kind of a buzzword back then,” Blackmore recalls in an interview, his stocky energy and mid-back-length haircut the only vestiges of rock-and-roll drummer life. “A friend of mine worked at Costco and he said, ‘If you are really passionate about that, I could get you a meeting with the manager, maybe you could start rescuing the food that we throw away.’”

Blackmore was excited, but had no plan. He would have to be at Costco at 6 a.m. every day to pick up whatever was there, take it away to sort, discard whatever was unusable, and then “take whatever's left and distribute that or make meals or whatever you decide to do.

Day One, he arrives at the loading dock to find 800 pounds of fresh strawberries.

Read the full article "The Unstoppable Lionhearted" by Peter Simpson, from our May issue:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/the-unstoppable-lionhearted

Lionhearts Inc. Kingston

Photos by Matthew Liteplo Photography.

07/06/2024

There’s a farm so close to the edges of Ottawa, that even before you’ve had a chance to let out a deep exhale at having escaped the city, even before the last of the highway overhead signs is in your rearview mirror, you’ll be at the gates of Ottawa Farm Fresh.

Read "At the Gates of the City" by Hattie Klotz: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/gates-city-0

Photo by Matthew Liteplo Photography.

05/06/2024

The craft beer world is forever in flux. Styles and consumer demands change. So too do brewer’s preferences as to what they themselves like to drink.

Sobriety is not, nor has it ever been a fad. It has, however, had much attention thrust upon it recently. The choice of opting out of drinking entirely, or even just going damp (the meaning differing for each proponent, rightfully) does not mean the lack of choice in terms of beverages. We live in a golden age of non-alcoholic (or n/a) drinks.

Be it teetotaling, sober curiosity, dry months or a damp lifestyle, there’s a no- or low-beer suited to your needs or wants.

Read "Malternative Pints" by Tristan Bragaglia-Murdock from our May issue, featuring Perth Brewery, Flora Hall Brewing & Dominion City Brewing Co.:

https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/drink/malternative-pints

04/06/2024

Have you got your hands on a copy of our 2024 Ontario Touring Guide yet?

The guide maps more than 650 wineries, cideries, distilleries and breweries to explore throughout Southern Ontario.

Find the details, including where to find or order a copy, on our website:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/shop/2024-ontario-touring-guide

Back Forty Artisan Cheese, Nordik Spa-Nature / Chelsea, Cold Bear Brew Co, SFR Distillery, Flora Hall Brewing, Perth Brewery, Simply Baked Catering. Lanark County Tourism Association, Watercolour Westport, Closson Chase Vineyards, C'est Bon Ottawa, Kinsip, Trail Estate Winery, Split Tree Cocktail Co., Toast & Jam, Spark Beer, 401 Cider Brewery

29/05/2024

Often, it's those who have the least to give who end up giving the most. This sentiment resonates deeply with Ayda Alnoofoori. Her journey from war-torn Syria to Canada, where she founded Yasmin Syrian Cooking Ottawa, an Ottawa-based catering company, is a testament to resilience, compassion and the transformative power of giving back.

In 2012, Alnoofoori made the difficult decision to leave her home in Damascus, and relocate to Lebanon, where she had family. With her three daughters in tow — twins and her youngest daughter, Isis, who is eight years their junior — she fled the violence and uncertainty of her country.

“As a parent, I was scared for my girls. When the worst hit, the first thing I thought of was them. We left so they could go to school,” Alnoofoori says. “My oldest girls went to university, and Isis completed high school and received a scholarship that opened the door for us to move to Canada.”

Read "Flavours of Hope" by Rochelle James: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/flavours-hope

Photos by Amy Zambonin.

29/05/2024

Did you miss our May issue? It went fast. We still have some paper copies for purchase. You can order a copy here:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/subscribe-edible-ottawa

or, you can find our digital edition here:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/about-us/digital-editions

18/05/2024

May's Méli-Melo: St.Elsewhere is a new restaurant on Somerset, baked goods from Hello Dolly Pastries, Lebanese breakfast at tirweka, Ottawa Farmers' Market season has begun & peonies at Roots and Shoots Farm.

Méli-Mélo is a column by Katie Shapiro. It’s an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Ottawa and beyond. Get the latest — from the this-just-opened and give-backs, to new bites and libations and don’t-miss events.

08/05/2024

Hitting the road through Ontario this year?

edible Toronto and edible Ottawa have teamed up again this year to showcase all that the Ontario food and drink has to offer. We're lucky to have so many incredible producers in our own backyards.

Our 2024 Ontario Touring Guide features more than 650 wineries, cideries, distilleries and breweries to explore. Use this guide to visit all of our beloved advertisers that made this guide possible.

You can find complementary copies through our advertisers (check the website for details) and select retailers while supplies last or you can purchase a copy and have it shipped right to your door.

Get a copy for $9 (25% off regular price) until May 20th: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/subscribe-edible-ottawa

02/05/2024

May has arrived and so has our May issue. Hasn't it kind of felt like a long spring already? The flowers are now popping and soon we'll start eating fresh local foods again.

Here's who you'll find in this issue:

- Méli-Melo features St. Elsewhere Ottawa, Hello Dolly Pastries, tirweka, Ottawa Farmers' Market season has begun, peonies at Roots and Shoots Farm, Orleans Blooms at Kin Club Of Orleans and District & Friends of the Farm Annual Plant Sale

- "Joe Thottungal's India": The Ottawa chef takes about 20 Canadians to tour south India most winters. Coconut Lagoon

- "Flavours of Hope": From its very beginnings, Yasmin Syrian Cooking Ottawa has been focused on the power of food to bring people together and foster understanding.

- "Malternative Pints": A more inclusive andthoughtful approach to drinking is on the rise.These Ottawa breweries are hopping into the world of “no and low” beers. Perth Brewery, Flora Hall Brewing & Dominion City Brewing Co.

- "At the Gates of the City": Ottawa Farm Fresh has a productive organic market garden on three acres inside the greenbelt.

- "A Place to Chill": Mallard’s Milk Bar in Arnprior, opened by a husband and wife team, is a community space with creative flavour combinations.

- "The Unstoppable Lionhearted": Lionhearts Inc.'s story has been to do what it can with what it has. That includes rescuing food and redistributing it, taking and gifting furniture and feeding thousands. Lionhearts Inc. Ottawa, Lionhearts Inc. Kingston

- "The Culinary Arts Takes Centre Stage": Four resident chefs come to the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts each year to present their creations on the national “stage.”

- "I Only Want to Give Things to People": BAMM’s Snack Shack is a small but mighty community spot that Lowertown residents can call their own, and they do.

Grab a copy while they last or order a copy anytime from our website: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/subscribe-edible-ottawa

Cover photo of Mallard's Milk Bar by Matthew Liteplo Photography.

10/04/2024

Lizardo Becerra says every dish on the menu at his Peruvian restaurant in downtown Ottawa represents “an emotion” or a memory.

His pork belly carapulcra is the dish he chose when edible Ottawa asked him to make something that represents him culinarily. It’s his best-selling dish and it keeps the customers coming back.

The dish is made with sundried potatoes, which he buys in bags straight from Peru and rehydrates at the restaurant. They’re smoked naturally, he says, and sundried on the roofs of houses in the Andes. When the packaged potatoes arrive in Canada, they’re “super dry and hard,” so the chefs soak them overnight and then stews them in stock or demi-glace. Becerra says the stewing changes the molecules in the potatoes, making them creamy, and while not everyone knows what they’re eating, they know it tastes good.

Read more about Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine in "Is This My Restaurant?" by Jennifer Campbell:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/is-this-my-restaurant

Photos by Amy Zambonin.

04/04/2024

Since emigrating to Canada in 2020, Justyna Borowska has made a brisk business of doling out her traditional favourites at Wedel Touch of Europe, a café and deli with locations in the ByWard Market and Westboro.

Read "Hunter's Stew" by Sonia Mendes:
https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/hunters-stew

Photos by Matthew Liteplo Photography.

When Justyna Borowska was growing up in Pasłęk, Poland, her household completely revolved around food. She recalls how her mother would begin preparing the main meal first thing every morning. “I’ll tell you [what] the grandma’s life looks like in Poland,” says Borowska, 38. “When you wa...

02/04/2024

In the depths of Canadian winter, it’s a great luxury to have access to locally grown salad greens, herbs and even strawberries — frost-tender produce grown close to home, despite outside temperatures that turn your fingers to ice in moments.

In an expanding market, with consumer interest in eating locally reaching fever pitch, Jon Lomow, co-founder and CEO of Fieldless Farms, a Cornwall-based business that has been growing salad leaves year-round indoors since 2020, is turning the company’s attention to other products, such as basil, curly kale, strawberries and mushrooms.

Read "Endless Greens from Fieldless Farms" by Hattie Klotz: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/endless-greens-from-fieldless-farms

Photos by Matthew Liteplo Photography.

29/03/2024

If you're looking for an organic U-Pick farm near you, or a CSA, a retailer of local products, seed producers and more, this will come in handy. I've already discovered a few new-to-me farms and retailers using Ontario Organic's map and directory.

The newly launched website also includes helpful articles, documentary shorts about the farms and producers, and recipes featuring local products. Check it out!

https://www.ontarioorganic.ca