The weekend of Food Day Canada, a friend from the publishing world visited Ottawa for the long weekend, Bonita (@boneats). An Ottawa native, who now makes her home in Toronto, she is also a fellow food blogger. She happened to shake hands with Chef Thomas Keller at a book event last year.

Where do you think we had brunch that Sunday?

Did we go to big-box restaurant chain Milestones (1080 Baxter Road) where a signature "Traditional breakfast" of 3 scrambled eggs, double smoked bacon, breakfast potatoes, seasonal fruit and multi-grain toast costs $8.99

Milestones

Milestones Traditional Breakfast
Think slightly over-scrambled eggs, greasy potatoes with jarred tomato sauce, super market fruit, cool to cold toast, and thinly cut and under-crisped bacon.

Also on the menu, a breakfast hash of "slow roasted and thinly sliced" prime rib, tossed with crispy potatoes (remarkably similar to breakfast potatoes), bell peppers, sweet onion, roast corn and their specialty (mystery) "hash" seasoning. Everything, topped with two poached eggs, "real" hollandaise, roma tomatoes and toasted herb "Filone" for $12.99.

Prime Rib Hash

Poached Eggs

Prime Rib
Think hunk of oily baguette, deep fried potatoes (re-heated on the griddle with the white onions, red pepper, and the night before's prime rib leftovers), cool-ish hollandaise, pre-poached and re-heated eggs, and watery tomatoes. The mystery seasoning was intensely acidic, tasting oddly of barbecue sauce.

I'm not getting into the dated decor that was once cutting edge for big box restaurants 10 years ago. Milestone's service, however, was attentive and friendly.

More after the jump...

On the last Wednesday of July, the Hintonburg Supper Club held its most recent dinner event at Credible Edibles (78 Hinton Avenue North). Credible Edibles is a bit of a hidden treasure in Hintonburg. Located away from the busy streets of Holland Ave. and Wellington Street W., it sits on a quiet side street, charming passerby's with its unique patio and mouth-watering foods.

Normally, Credible Edibles is only open from Tuesdays to Fridays during lunch hour and late morning to early afternoon on Saturdays. But, an exception was made and the Hintonburg Supper Club was given a warm welcome with many of its members trying the eatery for the first time.

Credible Edibles strives to serve nutritious and delicious foods while remaining environmentally conscious. As a proud member of Savour Ottawa (recently accredited), Chef/owner/founder Judi Varga-Toth buys as much as possible from local producers, including produce from Rochon Farms, eggs from Bekings' poultry farm, and poultry from Lyons Family Turkey Farm.

That evening, a table d'hote menu was created for the night's event. On the menu was a selection of three meal choices, something for the vegetarian, the vegan, and the carnivore.

The Vegetarian's Delight

• Chilled gazpacho soup with local fresh herbs
• Spanakopitas (Greek-style spinach and ricotta in flaky pastry)
• Cinnamon carrot cake with organic cream cheese icing

The Omnivore's Dilemma

• Warm fennel and green bean salad with crumbled feta cheese
• Chipotle turkey breast sandwich with roasted red pepoers & arugula
• Raspberry chocolate fudge brownie

Vive le Vegan!

• Japanese-style green bean and carrot salad with tamari almonds and black sesame seeds
• Mediterranean grilled vegetable wrap with roasted red peper & lime hummus
• Blueberry green tea or dark chocolate cupcake with matcha green tea icing

Each selection included a choice of fair-trade coffee, tea, organic spritzer or home brewed iced green tea. Also of note, all of Credible Edibles baked goods are made from scratch with whole grains, free-range eggs (unless vegan), and organic dairy (unless vegan).

After much dilemma, Don ordered the vegetarian option while I decided to try the vegan dinner.

As we waited for our food to arrive, Don and I noticed two small treats at our table: a sample of spicy house roasted soy beans and gomashio.

Left: spicy soy beans, Right: Gomashio
While I didn't try the soy beans, I was intrigued by the gomashio, a Japanese table condiment. Gomashio is currently being featured as part of the Credible Edible Optimal Foods Mini Series. What is Gomashio? Well, according to the framed information sheets on each table, "goma" is Japanese for sesame and "shio" means salt. Its nutty and slightly salty taste were rather addictive as we kept eating small amounts throughout the meal.

Our food arrived soon after, our eyes feasting on plates of delightfully colourful summer fare.

The Vegetarian's Delight

The Vegetarian's Delight - Left: Gazpacho; Right: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing; Behind: Spanakopita
Don thought his vegetarian meal very good. He has been interested in vegetarian and vegan fare of late, reading about raw food and alternative ways to make classic dishes. His spanakopita's phyllo pastry was very light and flaky. The spinach filling was smooth, creamy, and not at all stringy. Seeing how I was eyeing his gazpatchp, Don cheerfully shared his cold soup with me, remarking about how fresh the flavours were. He routinely orders a bowl when we visit Credible Edibles now.

Sadly, I traded desserts with Don as I am unable to consume dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate cupcake with matcha green tea icing
He, of course, happily accepted my vegan dark chocolate cupcake, which he found astounding. It was not overly dense, but had the texture of a light brownie.

When Don finished his dinner, leaving not a crumb behind, he mentioned he was surprised at how satisfying his meal was.

Vive le Vegan!

Vive le Vegan!- Left: Grilled Vegetable Warp; Right: Dark Chocolate Cupcake; Bottom: Green Bean & Carrot Salad
After a day in the hot sun, the Mediterranean grilled vegetable wrap with roasted red pepper and lime hummus was spot on. Served cold, the grilled zucchini, lettuce, and roasted red pepper paired nicely with the hummus. Also, the wheat tortilla wrap had a nice texture, a refreshing change from the typical supermarket tortilla. The best part of my dish was the green bean and carrot salad. Lightly dressed, the vegetables were incredibly fresh, in particular the green beans. Every bite had a satisfying crunch.

Despite missing out on the chocolate cupcake, the carrot cake with the rich cream cheese frosting made a nice consolation.

Overall, my first vegan meal was delicious and a pleasant way to end the evening.

Total cost: $33.90 (includes tax, but before tip)

We will definitely be coming back for more!

Particulars:
Credible Edibles
78 Hinton Ave. North
613-558-7569

More after the jump...

During a recent Capital Cupcake Camp planning meeting, the subject of local restaurants and food shops using social media came up. The discussion was short. With the partial exception of Chef Steve Mitton's active Murray Street Kitchen (@murraystreetkwc) feed, only Boston Pizza Orlean's Community Relations Coordinator, Leslie Scott (@bporleans), was nurturing a thriving following. Most treat Twitter and Facebook as passive extensions of their websites, investing too little in "humanizing" their brands. Both Chef Mitton and Scott are connecting with people, potential patrons, sharing their restaurant's food philosophies. Their efforts effectively lower the barriers with establishing new customer relationships and strengthen existing ones. Restaurant and food shops become approachable.

One of the restaurants that has me reeling at its use of social media is Bin 790 (790 Kanata Avenue), Kanata Centrum's recently opened (Jan 2010), former bistro, now "tapas and wine bar." Someone working for Bin 790 must have taken up Schmap's August promotional offer to create an account and send location-based tweets. Every week, what looks like automated "Schmap It"'s are being sent out with a blurb, a Schmap link, the words "PLEASE RT", and the words "SPREAD THE WORD." Here is this weekend's latest

@bin790bto (Aug 23, 09:13 AM)
PLEASE RT >> http://schmap.it/AGLhwK ¡come! (spanish- Eat UP!) All you can eat Tapas Menu<< SPREAD THE WORD!

Source: Schmap.it

The tweets aren't inspiring me to eat there again...

Though, they are interesting. It seems Bin 790 is switching from a fixed menu of small plates to an all-you-can-eat format September 7, 2010. Bin 790's website's current menu of tapas includes a mind boggling assortment of dishes. Many, not particularly Spanish: spinach and tomato salads, seafood chowder, naan bread, stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, salmon or yellow fin tuna maki tempura with blue cheese, hoisin chicken egg rolls, beef carpaccio with truffled greens, roast duck shepherd's pie with confit onions, sambucca prawns, seared scallops, "charcuiterie sausages", and a moules frites.

That said, Jenn and I visited Bin 790 for brunch during the month we spent living in Kanata. The brunch menu included a number of signature eggs benedicts (from traditional to smoked meat), french toast ($6.99), and omelets ($7.99-$8.99). It also doubled as a lunch menu with salads ($4.99-$7.99), sandwiches ($6.99-$7.99), and various takes on moules frites (all $10.99).

The restaurant itself shows off classic bistro decor with an emphasis on red. There are high tables with dark table-tops and wood chairs to match. The floors and accents are like-wise wood. Everything is strategically lit.

Bin 790
There is a mostly-exposed kitchen.

Plates for Service in front of the Exposed Kitchen
The dining room has a very high ceiling.

On the bar, I noticed a Kichesippi beer spigot. Unfortunately, there was no Beau's spigot alongside.

Natural Blonde

Jenn ordered a bacon, tomato, and cheddar omelet, sans cheese ($7.99). Made-to-order, she found her omelet over seasoned and dry. The sliced sausage sported nice grill marks, but seemed processed and overcooked. The fruit was sweet.

Bacon, tomato, and cheddar omelet breakfast

Me, I ordered a tomato and avocado eggs benny with pesto ($7.99) and a coffee ($2.14). Also made-to-order, my poached eggs were runny. Expecting ripe avocado slices, I was served guacamole between my slices of English muffin and poached eggs. The hollandaise was a little less than smooth. My "signature" potatoes weren't greasy for a griddled hash. However, the onions were undercooked.

Tomato and avocado eggs benedict

Runny yolks

My Coffee

Our guests, Jenn's parents, ordered "classic" breakfasts with 2 eggs, toast and "pan fries" ($6.99). The pan fries looked a lot like the "signature" potatoes I was served. Their scrambled eggs were fluffy, but also over seasoned.

Everything was served cold, as if the kitchen had had difficulty getting the orders out and everything was left to cool in the confusion.

We waited quite the while (20-30 minutes) in the mostly empty restaurant for our orders. When Chef Diego saw me taking pictures, he came to the table, apologizing for the long wait. He informed us he had to deal with an oil spill in the kitchen between preparing our food.

We discussed the temperature of the plates, but, because everyone was ravenous, we had eaten everything. The chef took the criticisms well and, thinking I was a high school student, he told me I should come in for dinner. Apparently, his much "prettier" tapas dishes are great for school projects.

Total cost: $38.69 (includes 2 coffees and taxes, but before tip)

My thoughts, Bin 790 is a difficult sell to suburbanites. Its prices are higher than the surrounding big box fast food restaurants in the same strip mall. Unlike those restaurants, Bin 790 endeavors to cook food, which is very commendable.

My first impressions, because I have not tried the tapas for dinner, are inconclusive. But they lean on the less positive.

That said, I hope Bin 790 gets the chance to improve its brunch service.

Heavily suburban neighbourhoods like Kanata tend to be bereft of locally-owned restaurants. This is especially true for higher end bistros or something that wants to call itself a "tapas and wine bar."

Particulars:
Bin 790 Tapas and Wine Lounge (across from the AMC Theatres)
655 Kanata Avenue
(613)591-3287

More after the jump...

Shortly after Chef Jason Laurin (@chefjayl) of Essence Catering bid his Smoke Dinner's guests good night, Jenn and I struck up a conversation with guest Chef Michael Hay (@michaelthehay). Besides chatting about developments in the Courtyard Restaurant's kitchen refit, which Chef Hay is actively sharing with twitter, the subject of an old conversation came up, The Dolsot Cafe (512 Bank Street). Apparently, Chef Hay is rather fond of the home-style Korean restaurant's dolsot bibimbap.

Dolsot bibimbap is a stone bowl, containing sticky rice, a variety of cooked and/or raw vegetables (stir fried slivered carrots and daikon, blanched bean sprouts, sliced boiled mushrooms, and spinach) and cooked beef (roughly minced or coarsely ground). Traditionally, it is served with a raw egg yolk.

While we have visited the Dolsot Cafe several times now, neither Jenn nor I have eaten bibimbap outside of Toronto. We will have to remedy that situation.

For the time being, here are dishes we had from our most recent visit.

Here is our traditional banchan (meal side dishes)

Curried potatoes, house kimchi, and deep fried tofu

There's something about Korean restaurant rice I adore. It may be the stickiness, the fragrance, or the fact it handles well entirely with chopsticks (and without having to tip a bowl to your mouth).

Rice

As we typically do, we ordered haemod pajun ($8.95)

Seafood green onion pancake

My main: Gamjatang hat ($8.95)

Spicy pork neck bone soup with potato and vegetables

Her main: Kalguksu ($8.95)

Flour noodles in chicken broth, served with chicken and vegetables

Ordinarily, two people do not order this much food, something our server pointed out to us when she wheeled our dishes to us. She was amazed we finished everything.

While every dish was surprisingly generous in portion, it is not everyday you get to eat food as if you were dining in a Korean family's home. Everything tasted freshly made, no instant soup mixes, no short cuts. The pancake was assembled and "griddled" on high heat, developing a lovely crust. The pork soup and chicken broth, tasted as if they were long simmered. The vegetables were crisp and vibrant. The noodles were al dente (yes, Asian noodles can be tooth-some and chewy). Everything, save for the banchan, were served piping hot.

Great food at great prices. Jenn and I will be back. Though, we may just order a bibimbap each next time...Then again maybe not :)

Particulars:
Dolsot Cafe Korean Restaurant
512 Bank Street
(613) 230-8488

More after the jump...

For this week's "relatively" Wordless Wednesday Patio Post, we visit La Terrasse, a seasonal dining extension of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.

According to the Fairmount website

...tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city, our outdoor terrace is as eye-catching as its view of Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River

On a food blogger's budget, a meal with a view isn't exactly something Jenn and I partake in often. While one of the intentions behind foodiePrints is to highlight dining out in Ottawa, we like to focus on great food. Yes, we encourage locals and visitors to participate in the city's evolving culinary landscape. But, we are willing to sacrifice a little on atmosphere and service. Our favourite eateries balance all three.

During our second quest for patios to showcase on our "relatively" Wordless Wednesday posts, we walked downtown Ottawa. The bridge area that connects the Chateau Laurier and Parliament Hill leads down to the Bytown Museum (1 Canal Lane). There, we joined tourists, peering down to the supposedly haunted museum and the Rideau Canal Locks.

Bytowne Museum
That's when we spotted a green awning.

Green Awning

La Terrasse

The outdoor entrance way, beside what was formerly the photography gallery, was somewhat obscured that day.

Sidewalk Entrance
A-style folding signs advertised La Terasse's menu in front of the Chateau Laurier's main entrance.

While we weren't permitted to walk into the restaurant, without actually dining there, here is the view. It is spectacular.

Museum of Civilization

Center Block of the Parliament Buildings

West Block of the Parliament Buildings

As for the food? Well, Anne DesBrisay of the Ottawa Citizen published her thoughts on dining at La Terrasse last Thursday. She found the menu a little on the pricey side.

When Jenn and I were there, the menu sported a $32 steak frites (8 oz angus "New York" steak w/sweet potato fries, a $17 burger, a $20 Penne Caponata (adding grilled chicken breast increases the price to $28) and a $17 pulled pork sandwich. Desserts from a brownie "bomb" to slices of pie were $10 each.

For the time being, I think this pair of bloggers is going to opt to picnic in the green space by the locks...

Particulars:
La Terrasse (Fairmont Château Laurier)
1 Rideau Street,
(613)241-1414
Open: Daily from 4:30pm to 10pm, June to September