Ottawa-Gatineau Restaurant News

[YOWflier]

I certainly hope they serve more than coffee and gelato, both wonderful things mind you. Can I get a damn beer or glass of wine, please?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

I certainly hope they serve more than coffee and gelato, both wonderful things mind you. Can I get a damn beer or glass of wine, please?

Pretty sure you can get a beer. I went by yesterday but didn't go in as all the tables were full. Looked nice though. It's also barely visible from the houses on Linden Terrrace, let alone a nuisance. I'll definitely go back.

[AuxTown]

Restaurants were Jammed last night and the wife and I wanted to go somewhere for dinner. So we went to The Courtyard for the first time in probably 15 years. I forgot how beautiful that little courtyard is! We were in Kingston a few weeks ago and went to Chez Piggy and I found myself jealous of their little courtyard but ours is bigger with more trees and a a really nice and vibrant atmosphere. Also, never had a bad meal at Courtyard, 100P will go back

Couple of shots from Google Streetview:







Shoutout to Social too; another place that I always enjoy. Both these restaurants are victims of standing the test of time and not being "trendy enough" but I hope they both survive the pandemic.

[rocketphish]

NAC's 1 Elgin Restaurant increases capacity, extends patio season with retractable roof over outdoor seating

By: Caroline Phillips, OBJ
Published: Aug 13, 2021 7:29am EDT

Guests of a patio launch party hosted by 1 Elgin Restaurant on Thursday needn’t have worried about that evening’s distant storm clouds; the brand new retractable roof system would have kept them well-protected had the weather taken a turn for the worse.

1 Elgin Restaurant, which is located at the National Arts Centre and faces the Rideau Canal, hosted the event as a way of introducing its innovative new structure, which replaced its old canopy covering. It boasts all-glass walls of guillotine windows that can be easily lowered for a full view of the sights. It's also topped with a high-tech ceiling that can open or close at the push of a button. There’s a new tile floor, durable granite tables and eight ceiling-mounted infrared patio heaters – not that there was a need to turn those on, with the mercury pushing 30 degrees Celsius that day.

The project, which cost more than $700,000, will increase the restaurant’s capacity and allow it to keep its patio open for three seasons, or about six months longer than previously, said Nelson Borges, general manager of food and beverage at the NAC.

There’s also the possibility of having the patio running during the region's annual Winterlude festival, when the ice skaters are so close that you can almost touch their pompoms from 1 Elgin Restaurant.

The upgraded patio space is about 2,000 square feet. While it currently accommodates some 120 guests, its seating capacity is expected to grow to between 160 and 180 once Ottawa comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Borges. The NAC preparing to open back up for shows and special events soon, starting with a performance from the NAC Orchestra on Sept. 9. The restaurant is also in the process of bringing back as many employees as possible, after having to shut down during large chunks of the pandemic.

Borges was joined at the event by Marc Fortin, president and CEO of MyStation, an Ottawa and Gatineau-based business that specializes in patio furniture for hotels and restaurants. He personally managed the design, engineering and construction of the project, from start to finish, on behalf of his company.

"I’m pretty proud to build this wonderful patio – probably one of the best in the world – using some of the best technology,” said Fortin. "And, I'm pleased that it's at such a beautiful dining destination in Ottawa."

Most of the products used in the project were Canadian-made, he added.

NAC president and CEO Christopher Deacon attended the patio launch party, as did the Crown corporation's chief financial officer, Helle Ottosen. Also seen were Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Tourism director of communications Jantine Van Kregten, who called the new venue “a game-changer.”

Guests wore masks into the restaurants but, once seated, could remove them to enjoy some beef tartare, smoked sweet potato flautas, tuna tempura, short rib sliders, coleslaw with celeriac, maple and aged cheddar, and basil-fed snails on tostadas, over a glass of wine or cool beverage. They were also entertained by live music from local singer and musician Dylan Holton.

The NAC’s culinary team has worked hard to showcase its restaurant as more than just somewhere to eat before catching a live performance at the national performing arts centre, said executive chef Kenton Leier.

“For the past two years, we’ve really focused on elevating the cuisine here. Not only in the restaurant but in the banquet spaces, as well.”

The NAC is also bringing back a tradition, created by the late and legendary chef Kurt Waldele, of nurturing young culinary talent.

That the restaurant is highly regarded on TripAdvisor, a popular travel advice and review website, is encouraging, said Leier.

“I think we’re on the right track and we’re doing the right things. And, we’re more modern than people give us credit for. We do have an older clientele for some of the shows, but we’re serving modern cuisine from some of the best chefs across the country.”

Leier was there that night with Waterloo-based guest chef Nick Benninger. He’s part of The Chef’s Table series of canal-side meals and concerts, organized in partnership with the team behind the RBC Bluesfest music festival.

Benninger and his wife opened their first mom-and-pop restaurant, Uptown 21, in 2008 and have gone on to build a culinary empire that now includes six restaurants, a catering company, a bakery, a butcher shop, three market stalls and a wholesale food producer.

It's impressive how Benninger has managed to stick to his original vision, said Leier. “He’s still serving great food that's true to his roots."

Leier, who's an accomplished chef himself but without a trace of ego, said it's been “fantastic” to be able to bring other Canadian chefs, like Benninger, to the NAC. “I love it because I get to work with all this different talent across the country. I learn new things from them they learn new things from me. It’s a win for all of us.”

The Chef’s Table series returns today and runs over six consecutive weekends. It features a farm-to-table feast collaboration between Leier and his guest chefs, paired with live music by local musicians performing on a nearby floating stage on the canal. Artists include the Duelling Pianos, Jackson Miles Trio, Renée Landry, Celeigh Cardinal, and The Commotions featuring Rebecca Noelle.

– [email protected]

• Video Link

[rocketphish]

Acclaimed restaurant Gray Jay finds new digs, while new restaurant Perch to take over vacated spot
Chef Dominique Dufour will close Gray Jay on Preston at the end of September and hopes to open on Echo Drive in November, once renovations are done.

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Aug 26, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 2 minute read



Despite the many hurdles the pandemic has posed for Ottawa’s restaurants, one leading chef is moving her restaurant this fall to a much larger space while another will open his first restaurant in the Little Italy address vacated by the first chef.

Dominique Dufour, who was featured on the 2020 season of Top Chef Canada, is moving her acclaimed 27-seat restaurant Gray Jay Hospitality from Preston Street to a location on Echo Drive that was recently a Royal Oak pub, as well as the Echo Cafe two decades ago.

Then, chef Justin Champagne, who cooked most recently at Bar Lupulus and who took part in the 2019 Ottawa edition of the Canada’s Great Kitchen Party competition, will open his first restaurant where Gray Jay is. Champagne’s restaurant is to be called Perch.

Opened in the summer of 2019, Gray Jay takes it name from Canada’s national bird and stresses Canadian ingredients to the point of not serving any tropical fruit or coffee because they aren’t produced in Canada. Dufour, who came to Ottawa from Montreal, is part of a wave of Canadian chefs creating elevated, strongly local dishes inspired by new Nordic cuisine as well as by such trends as foraging, fermentation and nose-to-tail use of animals.

In an interview Thursday, Dufour said her Preston Street location was always meant as a stepping stone. After COVID-19 restrictions led to restaurant closures across Ottawa, Dufour began scouting for places to move, she said, as Gray Jay itself has been able to weather the pandemic.

Dufour will close Gray Jay on Preston at the end of September and hopes to open on Echo Drive in November, once renovations are done.

“We’re bringing it back to its former glory,” Dufour said. “It’s a nice art deco building on the inside that has a lot of beautiful assets that have been neglected by time.

“It has really good bones. That’s why we ended up choosing the location. It’s soulful. It’s a little derelict and needs a bit of love,” she said.

The new location includes two patios, a ground-floor dining area that can seat up to 60 with physical distancing, and a second-storey room suitable for private dining, Dufour said.

On Instagram, Champagne wrote that Perch, the first restaurant in which he has a stake as an owner, is “my vision of what a restaurant, and more importantly what the restaurant industry, could be.”

Champagne, who worked at Atelier before running Bar Lupulus’s kitchen for the last few years, is a cutting-edge chef with a passion for using fermentation in his cooking. Perch will serve five- and nine-course tasting menus and include a small lounge offering natural wine, cocktails and craft beer.

As Dufour has done at Gray Jay, Champagne will task his cooks with serving customers their food made in the space’s open kitchen.

Champagne wrote on Instagram that Perch’s motto will be “playful elegance … we’ll strive to bring a more fun and engaging atmosphere to the fine dining restaurant scene.”

[email protected]

https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/perch

[stolenottawa]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Acclaimed restaurant Gray Jay finds new digs, while new restaurant Perch to take over vacated spot
Chef Dominique Dufour will close Gray Jay on Preston at the end of September and hopes to open on Echo Drive in November, once renovations are done.

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Aug 26, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 2 minute read



Despite the many hurdles the pandemic has posed for Ottawa’s restaurants, one leading chef is moving her restaurant this fall to a much larger space while another will open his first restaurant in the Little Italy address vacated by the first chef.

Dominique Dufour, who was featured on the 2020 season of Top Chef Canada, is moving her acclaimed 27-seat restaurant Gray Jay Hospitality from Preston Street to a location on Echo Drive that was recently a Royal Oak pub, as well as the Echo Cafe two decades ago.

Then, chef Justin Champagne, who cooked most recently at Bar Lupulus and who took part in the 2019 Ottawa edition of the Canada’s Great Kitchen Party competition, will open his first restaurant where Gray Jay is. Champagne’s restaurant is to be called Perch.

Opened in the summer of 2019, Gray Jay takes it name from Canada’s national bird and stresses Canadian ingredients to the point of not serving any tropical fruit or coffee because they aren’t produced in Canada. Dufour, who came to Ottawa from Montreal, is part of a wave of Canadian chefs creating elevated, strongly local dishes inspired by new Nordic cuisine as well as by such trends as foraging, fermentation and nose-to-tail use of animals.

In an interview Thursday, Dufour said her Preston Street location was always meant as a stepping stone. After COVID-19 restrictions led to restaurant closures across Ottawa, Dufour began scouting for places to move, she said, as Gray Jay itself has been able to weather the pandemic.

Dufour will close Gray Jay on Preston at the end of September and hopes to open on Echo Drive in November, once renovations are done.

“We’re bringing it back to its former glory,” Dufour said. “It’s a nice art deco building on the inside that has a lot of beautiful assets that have been neglected by time.

“It has really good bones. That’s why we ended up choosing the location. It’s soulful. It’s a little derelict and needs a bit of love,” she said.

The new location includes two patios, a ground-floor dining area that can seat up to 60 with physical distancing, and a second-storey room suitable for private dining, Dufour said.

On Instagram, Champagne wrote that Perch, the first restaurant in which he has a stake as an owner, is “my vision of what a restaurant, and more importantly what the restaurant industry, could be.”

Champagne, who worked at Atelier before running Bar Lupulus’s kitchen for the last few years, is a cutting-edge chef with a passion for using fermentation in his cooking. Perch will serve five- and nine-course tasting menus and include a small lounge offering natural wine, cocktails and craft beer.

As Dufour has done at Gray Jay, Champagne will task his cooks with serving customers their food made in the space’s open kitchen.

Champagne wrote on Instagram that Perch’s motto will be “playful elegance … we’ll strive to bring a more fun and engaging atmosphere to the fine dining restaurant scene.”

[email protected]

https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/perch

Isn't this building and the neighbouring ones slated for demolition when it comes time to change the 417 bridge there?

[Harley613]

They cancelled the plan to demolish that row of buildings recently. I have a bunch of friends in the neighbourhood. Nobody knows how they are going to replace those massive bridges though.

[SkeggsEggs]

Originally Posted by stolenottawa

Isn't this building and the neighbouring ones slated for demolition when it comes time to change the 417 bridge there?

I think the MTO said they believe they will need the buildings when they updated the city a year or two ago but I dont think it was confirmed.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by SkeggsEggs

I think the MTO said they believe they will need the buildings when they updated the city a year or two ago but I dont think it was confirmed.

When I talked to the guy in Cyclo's this spring, he seemed to think that there was some doubt as to whether they would be forced to move. Nothing concrete at that point. Given that the Royal Oak was where the crane was supposed to be located, I'm not sure what the alternative would be for that.

It could be that Gray Jay is taking a chance that the project will be delayed beyond the 2024-25 time frame and they can get a good 4-5 years in before they have to move. Even if they don't have to demolish the building, they will be in the middle of a construction site for a couple of years.

[waterloowarrior]

Absolute mayhem by Patterson Creek.

[kwoldtimer]

I tried it the other day and it was lovely (and sedate). You can get a glass of wine. I'd say that it's much better than what was originally proposed - it now complements the heritage environment.

It would be nice if the City of Ottawa got into the act - something like these NCC bistros would be nice in Strathcona Park, among others.

[kwoldtimer]

In other restaurant news, I see that Orto closed very suddenly a few weeks back (temporarily?). Soca is opening a new restaurant (2?) in the former Sutherlands location in Beechwood.

[caveat.doctor]

Patterson Creek bistro is a beautiful spot, one of my new favourites. Wish we could have more of these on the Rideau Canal itself!

[rocketphish]

Ottawa restaurants face big changes, and not just because of COVID

Mark Sutcliffe, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Sep 28, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read

I resolved early in my business career never to own a restaurant. The hours are terrible; the work is a draining, repetitive high-wire act; it’s hard to find and retain good employees; the patrons are fickle and their custom unpredictable; and the competition is considerable (I’ve avoided politics for many of the same reasons).

I spoke to one Ottawa restaurateur who said he started each year with no idea whether he would make money. No matter how well he handled matters within his control, success depended to a large extent on the weather: how many snowy winter days discouraged people from going out, how many sunny spring and summer days inspired people to sit on his patio.

So I’ve always had the greatest respect for the chefs and hospitality entrepreneurs in Ottawa who chose the noble pursuit of trying to make a living by crafting great cuisine and creating welcoming atmospheres for their patrons. And that was before they had to endure a multi-year pandemic; adjust their menus and their business models; cope with shutdowns and reopenings; grasp and implement fluctuating government regulations, and most recently take on the burden of implementing Ontario’s vaccine passport program.

But even when the pandemic ends, the challenges for restaurant owners may only be starting. Many local entrepreneurs are concerned about an escalating talent crisis in the hospitality industry. Some people are blaming the Canada Recovery Benefit, the recently extended government subsidy. But the problems run deeper than that. Many servers and kitchen staff have transitioned to other careers during the pandemic. So they won’t return to restaurant work even when the benefits run out.

Indeed, the pandemic may only have exaggerated a talent issue that has been developing for years. Even if you’re lucky enough to work for a progressive employer with strong values and ethical practices, the conditions are tough, the hours are long and the work demanding. The sector has been plagued by incidents of sexism, — harassment, low wages and unfair labour practices. You wouldn’t blame a friend for pivoting to another career when the pandemic created the opportunity.

Out of some combination of necessity and ethics, some local restaurants and service businesses have started changing their practices, offering higher wages, better working conditions and more equitable tip-splitting between servers and kitchen staff. To varying extents, some of them have had better luck retaining employees than others.

But for all restaurants, the business model may soon have to change. The North American dining experience has been based on a structure of low wages for workers and attractive prices for patrons. Too many of us seem to think that affordable dining outside the home is a human right, but many of our pleasant evenings are coming in part on the backs of underpaid workers who don’t like their jobs.

Tipping itself is basically an unfair labour practice, often forcing servers to put up with unreasonable and even unacceptable behaviour from customers that would not be accepted in other work environments, lest they lose out on a considerable portion of their compensation. There’s also comprehensive evidence of sexism and racism in the payment of gratuities, a lingering systemic bias that should be eliminated immediately.

It’s always easy to blame the government, as some restaurant owners did when smoking bans were put in place. But individual business owners and leaders in the sector should also ask themselves why a disproportionate number of hospitality employees seem to prefer a small government benefit to returning to work. If working in a restaurant were more appealing, it wouldn’t be so tempting to stay home.

The restaurants we patronized before the pandemic may look quite different in a few years. I have confidence that Ottawa’s brilliant restaurateurs are up to the task of adapting and creating new ways of doing business, including creating a better workplace. But, as always, it won’t be an easy job.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/sutcliffe...ig-changes-and-not-just-because-of-covid

[McKellarDweller]

Baker Street (385 Richmond Rd, Westboro) has closed "permanently".
My favourite breakfast spot. Say it aint so!! I used to go 15ish times/year for many years. I loved the giant servings of food made with the freshest ingredients, comfortable atmosphere, and warm hospitality. My parents went every Friday, year round, and had a table held for them at opening. Apparently there was a sign up saying they were temporarily closed last week, but now my parents have heard from staff at other restaurants that their staff are finding work elsewhere. Apparently the pandemic and staffing at present made operation untenable. The owner George is an absolute gem. I hope it reopens in some form at some point.

[rocketphish]

Popular Ottawa diner Baker Street Café closes

Bruce Deachman, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Oct 21, 2021 • 1 minute ago • 1 minute read



Baker Street Café, one of Ottawa’s most popular breakfast and brunch spots, has closed.

George Voulgaris, who owns both the 385 Richmond Rd. restaurant and the building that housed it, confirmed on Thursday he made a “personal decision” to close the Westboro diner he’d owned since 2010. Voulgaris didn’t elaborate on his decision, except to say it was “bittersweet.”

The space, which includes approximately 1,300 square feet on the ground floor and 1,200 square feet in the basement, is listed for lease through Marcus & Millichap realtors. The listing on its website also indicates the building is for sale.

Judy Lincoln, executive director of the Westboro BIA, lamented the restaurant’s closure. “We’re sad to see them go,” she said. “We never like to see one of the businesses in the neighbourhood close, and we wish George and his staff all the best.”

Baker Street Café was known for its generous portions, homemade bread and, especially on weekends, the lineups of patrons extending along the sidewalk outside, waiting for tables to free up inside. In 2008, the Citizen chose it as serving among the best breakfasts in Ottawa, while the website ThreeBestRated.ca, which provides reviews of businesses and services in cities across Canada, ranked it highest among Ottawa’s cafés.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/popular-ottawa-diner-baker-street-cafe-closes

[YOWflier]

Huge loss. Top notch place and top notch owner.

[rocketphish]

Jasper restaurant has been sold

By Tamara Miller
New Edinbugh News, October 2021

The New Edinburgh News has learned that Jasper Sports Pub at 18 Beechwood Ave. has been sold and that a new restaurant will take its place in November.

The new owner, Donald Wingell, tells NEN that his plan for the bistro will bring a new form of dining to the neighbourhood under the brand “Dhruvees.”

Donald Wingell is also the founder and CEO of Wingell Hospitality Group, an Ottawa-based Hospitality Consulting and Management Company. They represent global food service brands for Canada such as Dilmah Tea, Arun Spices and Golden Roots products.

Jasper opened in spring of 2019 as a fine dining establishment. Following the first government-mandated pandemic shut-down, it re-opened in August 2020, which saw them shift to pub fare. Jasper’s owner, Andre Schad sold the restaurant to Donald in September 2021 in order to focus on his patio businesses Tavern on the Falls and Tavern on the Hill.

According to a Sept. 24 Facebook post, Andre will be launching a third location, Tavern at the Gallery, located in the hidden courtyard garden (formerly known as the Sunken Garden) at the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Drive. Open from 11 a.m. until late, the Tavern at the Gallery’s menu will include handmade pizza, poke bowls, oysters and charcuterie.

We look forward to learning more about this new neighbourhood dining experience. Best of luck to Andre and his team, and welcome to Donald! –TM

https://www.newedinburgh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NEN-2021-October-WEB.pdf

[Kitchissippi]

Sad to see that the Paramount on Rideau is being dismantled. With Score Pizza gone as well, I think it’s a blow to the renewal of the street. I was looking forward to a more lively and active Rideau Centre street level after all the construction was all finished. Disappointing to see pot shops with blank windows taking over several of the retail spaces.

[J.OT13]

Surprised to see those two fail on a street that's always so busy. No doubt the pandemic didn't help. Can't imaging pot shops will do a whole lot better with the over-saturation.