The Ottawa X Press
Restaurant Guide
The Place Next Door
320 Rideau St.
789-7700
Time stands still at the Place Next Door
The Place Next Door is just like the boy or girl next door.
Yet this well-loved Ottawa institution won't break your heart -- or your
wallet.
Three dateless wonders set off for Valentine's Day dinner at the Place Next
Door. No dates, perhaps, but we arrived armed with a coupon, courtesy of a
colleague.
Walking into the Place, one gets the feeling this restaurant could be
anywhere, in any time period. Green cloth napkins sit folded in wine glasses,
oil paintings depicting flower bouquets adorn the Mandarin red and green walls
and the staff are dressed in burgundy jackets and bowties.
Greeted at the door with two red carnations, we couldn't help but feel
special. Our male companion cried sexism when he didn't get one. But he was
mollified upon receiving one at the end of the evening.
After a few minutes of discreet people-watching, we observed that the
clientele varied greatly in age -- an older couple quietly enjoying their
caesar salad at a corner table, a young Valentine couple next to us, a single
gentleman at another.
A basket of fresh rolls and melba toast was deposited at our table. Munching
away, we got down to the business at hand -- food.
And who needs a date when New York sirloin, filet mignon, Alaska king crab
legs and shrimp cocktail are playing your heartstrings?
After great debate, we finally settled on the snow crab legs, steak and salad
special for $10.95. By ordering the same thing, we broke the cardinal rule of
restaurant reviewing, but great minds think alike!
A communal bowl of crisp iceberg, crunchy radishes and cool cucumbers topped
with fresh croutons and Italian dressing was faultless and sated our raging
(hey, I know what you're thinking...) appetites.
Platters arrived heaped with steaming hot crab legs, a huge baked potato and
succulent charbroiled beef. The steaks were cooked perfectly to order and were
full of flavour.
But it was the juicy, sweet crab meat dipped in potent garlic butter that had
us all in ecstasy. Happily snapping away, we were in seafood heaven.
Regrettably, the poor potatoes got left by the wayside, the spuds playing
second fiddle to the crustaceans.
Sweet temptations include cheesecakes which vary on the sin scale, but coffee
was all we could manage.
Even if we hadn't been fortunate to have the coupon, we could have easily
managed the paltry sum of $44, without tip.
Come on in and sit a spell at the Place Next Door.
Access: Entrance and washrooms accessible
Price Ranges: Appetizers, soups and sides, $1.50-$7.95; main dishes,
$9.95-$24.95, pastas and stirfries, $9.95-$12.95, desserts, $2.50-$4.75.
by Alia Kellock Heward
Lana and the Elbow Room cater to the frugal gourmet.
Make way for the Elbow Room
by Alia Kellock Heward
Two thumbs up for the Elbow Room.
The X Press editorial staff made its way down Elgin Street the other
night in search of a light bite and a spot of liquid refreshment.
The restaurant appears, at first glance, to be small. But, through clever use
of available space, diners actually have plenty of elbow room! Mint green walls
with dark green trim are soothing to the eyes. A mural stretches across the
opposite wall and the copper ceiling sports a raised motif design.
A pint of Alexander Keith's and another of the Elbow Room Special Brew (aka
Pacific from Brick Breweries) took care of our respective thirsts. The special
brew was pleasantly crisp and yeasty, with no bitter aftertaste.
The menu is uncluttered, yet it's still tough to settle on a dish. Three
crunchy spring rolls, bursting with mushrooms, carrots and peas, served with a
sprightly plum sauce, got us off to a winning start. A light dusting of fresh
chopped parsley and slices of fresh fruit was pretty to look at and even better
to eat.
A hot chicken club sandwich with melted cheddar was declared a success, as was
the Popeye's Pleasure pizza.
Popeye himself would endorse this concoction made with savoury sautéed
spinach, bacon, Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses. The baked, herbed potato
wedges were a cut above French fries. The lack of a deep fryer is, to my mind,
a decided advantage. The side salad consisted of oakleaf lettuce with a choice
of three homemade dressings, including a spicy Thai version.
The Elbow Room has the art of sandwich making all wrapped up. An example of
the kitchen's finesse was the third entree -- a soft tortilla, stuffed with
tender chicken, veggies, grated cheese and zesty salsa -- which sang with
flavour.
This is a vegetarian-friendly eatery with tempters like vintage vegetarian
sandwiches and chili. If you are pinching pennies, no worries -- there's
nothing over $10 here.
Desserts are not being offered for the time being due to lack of demand, but a
giant mug of freshly brewed coffee is an excellent substitute. After dinner,
can savour the brew and listen to the live music on tap every night.
The three of us forked over $41.00 minus tax and tip -- most definitely a
bargain for the delicious nosh and great service.
Give yourself some Elbow Room.
Access: Steps up front, washrooms downstairs
Price Ranges: Soups and salads, $3.25-$6.25; pub fare, $3.75-$8.95;
sandwiches, $4.75-$6.95; gourmet pizzas, $7.95-$8.25.
This won't be the Last Supper at Leonardo's
Leonardo's
4381/2 Preston
238-1156
The master himself would have enjoyed dining at Leonardo's.
We had a hankering for Italian, so off we went to Preston Street.
With the promise of pasta beckoning like the Holy Grail, we wended our way up
the paved walkway lined with statues and fairy lights.
After a warm greeting from our host, we gratefully sat down with a half litre
of house red. The restaurant could improve the quality of the house wine -- it
is what I might, dare I say it, call plonk.
But with the arrival of two hot, crusty rolls -- drizzled with olive oil,
chopped garlic and herbs -- I promptly forgot my wine woes.
The decor is elegantly rustic. We sat next to a stone alcove with
reproductions of Michelangelo and Da Vinci looking over us. We felt like we
were sitting in an Italian villa.
A steaming bowl of stracciatella , a Roman soup with egg whisked in at
the last minute, warmed my companion right down to her toes. A quick taste
revealed robust, homemade stock -- a most superior soup.
Torn between meat and pasta, the evening's specials were a perfect solution. I
chose chicken with a herbed wine sauce, while my friend opted for veal with
asparagus and mushrooms. These meals both came with salad.
The generous portion of iceberg and romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and
olives was sparkling fresh. The dressing, however, was too sharp and acidic.
Perhaps a dash of balsamic vinegar would add a magic touch.
Our main dishes, no less gargantuan than the salad, featured several pieces of
meat served alongside a large nest of angel's hair pasta.
The chicken and veal, both pounded flat, were tender and delicate. The
asparagus was cooked to perfection, neither mushy nor crunchy. The wine sauce
napping the chicken was tangy and chock full of herbs, including rosemary.
The pasta was tossed with a simple tomato sauce, so as not to overpower the
other flavours.
Two decaf cappuccinos with a cloud of milk foam capped off our meal nicely.
The bill for $60 wasn't too hard to swallow given the attentive service, the
gracious acceptance of our suggestions, and the value.
Cin cin!
Access: Restaurant accessible, washrooms upstairs.
Price Ranges: Soups and appetizers, $3.50 -$6.95; salads, $3.95-$7.50; pastas,
$11.25-$12.50; veal and chicken dishes, $13.95-$14.95; desserts, $4.50. Pizza
also available.
Café Paradiso
199 Bank St.
565-0657
Café Paradiso is making waves.
Suffering from the soup and sandwich blues, we thought we'd check out this new kid on the Bank Street block.
Kudos to the designer; taste and thought were definitely the decor's main
ingredients.
The most outstanding feature is the Miro-esque lights. Quasar-like
spars stick out at varying angles with tear-shaped bulbs on the ends.
Instead of one large, bulky coat-rack, hooks are placed in picture frames
along the walls. An eye-soothing melange of mango, grey-green and mirrors make
up the funky decor. Hinged, red garage doors serve as windows, begging to be
opened in the summer.
The chairs are very back-friendly -- a comfy mix of hard and soft.
We splurged and ordered an appetizer of deep-fried calamari. Tiny rings of
squid, lightly dusted in a breadcrumb coating and a dab of chilli powder, left
nary a spot of grease on the plate. And, to the kitchen's credit, the calamari
didn't have the consistency of car tires. We happily dunked the morsels into
two superlative sauces -- one, a cooling, creamy mint and yogurt concoction;
the other, a smooth, Thai-inspired, peanut dip.
We then moved on to a Peggy's pecan burger and a thin-crust pizza with spicy
chicken, sweet peppers, onion marmalade drizzled with yogurt and cilantro
sauce.
The burger was a generous patty topped with tahini cumin sauce with a side of
fresh greens -- no wimpy iceberg lettuce here! My friend remarked on the
texture of the sandwich, which was not the least bit dry.
My pizza was attractively presented with thick slivers of tender chicken and
sweet onion marmalade. The yogurt sauce was the perfect foil for the heat and
sweetness and lent an Indian feel. This was further accented by the naan-bread
like crust.
You have to like a restaurant that serves garlic mashed potatoes as a side
dish -- comfort food at its gourmet best.
An afterwork martini or other like cocktail would go down very pleasantly
here. Oh, and methinks a dessert like deep apple pie with praline and caramel
would also be a sure bet.
Lunch for two was about $40 with an appetizer, juice and coffee. A bit of a
splurge to be sure, but well worth it to shake off the cares of the mid-week
world. I'll gladly make a return trip.
Café Paradiso is a delicious solution to your lunchtime (or dinner)
dilemma.
Access: Small step at entrance, level access to washrooms.
Price Ranges: Appetizers, $4.95-$7.95; salads, $5.95-$10.95; sandwiches and
burgers, $7.95-$8.95; pizzettas, $7.95-$9.95; pastas and noodles, $7.95-$10.95;
main dishes, $12.95-$15.95; desserts, $2.50-$5.50.
| Restaurant |
James Street Feed Company |
| Owner |
Lindsay Toll |
| Phone Number |
563-4700 |
| Address |
390 Bank Street, Ottawa |
| Hours |
Open seven days a week from 11 to 2am. |
| House Specialty |
James Street offers up a wide and varied selection of post-industrial
Revolution pub and roadhouse fare that's sure to please the cyber punk in
everyone. Lots of televisions, excellent service, and great eats makes the
James Street a place you'll return to again and again. |
