Monday Night with the Fraser Brothers and Michael Stadtländer at Table 40

As chef and food activist Michael Stadtländer makes his way to the Canadian Chefs' Congress in Nova Scotia, he treated food fans by stopping in Ottawa on Monday to team up with Ross and Simon Fraser for a 6-course dinner at their private dining room, Table 40.

The event sold out quickly and was actually overflowing. I counted 45 diners in total tucked in at the ends of tables and also at the bar.

We arrived early and checked out the famous traveling bus, The Northern Light, decked out with sleeping quarters and a substantial kitchen. Behind the bus, Mark Snyder had set up his traveling kitchen too - The Flatbread Pizza Company. Mark was in charge of the amuse-bouche and he also had a hand in crisping up the piglet course.





They started us with Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava and Stadtländer's house made sourdough bread. For those that chose, (which I did), you could enjoy pairings with each course.

The dishes speak for themselves.


[Slice of pizza with bruleed figs and Clarmell On The Rideau pure chèvre goat cheese from Clarmell Farms] - by Mark Snyder of The Flatbread Pizza Company



[Soup from Eigensinn Farm Tomatoes, Acadian Sturgeon Cartilage with Acadian Sturgeon Tartare and Caviar] - by Team Stadtländer
Staete Landt "Anabel" Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand


[Wild BC Ivory Salmon and Green Curry, Crab, Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame and Lime] - by Team Fraser Café
Charles Baker Riesling 2009, Niagara, Ontario


[Tangier Lobster Risotto, Blue Potato, Prosciutto, Crazy Dave's Greens and Eigensinn Baby Fennel] - by Team Fraser Café
Closson Chase South Clos Chardonnay 2010, Prince Edward County, Ontario


[Roasted Eigensinn Farm Piglet with Potato Dumpling with Lovage and Parsley and Eigensinn Farm Garden Vegetables] - by Team Stadtländer
Norman Hardie County Pinot Noir 2010, Prince Edward County, Ontario


[Canary Melon and Passion Fruit Sorbet]


[Roast Duck and Foie Gras Torchon and Red Wine Plums, Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Crêpe and Wild Mushrooms] - by Team Fraser Café
Painted Rock Merlot 2007, Okanagan Valley, BC


[Spicy Kuri Squash and Ontario Wild Blueberry Tart with Maple Syrup, Ontario Wild Ginger and Double Cask 12 Year Old Balvenie Whisky Ice Cream] - by Team Stadtländer
Hétszölö Tokaji Aszu 2000, Tokaji, Hungary

My favourite tastes were the duck dish (particularly the Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Crêpe) by Team Fraser Café and the Balvenie whiskey ice cream by Team Stadtländer.

Surprised to see sturgeon cartilage on the menu, I expected it to have the texture and flavour of softened fingernails. And it does. I learned that we have wild ginger in Ontario. Who knew!

The bus rolled into town around midnight on Sunday evening. Organizers Christian Morrison and Julie Gibb had friends in town that happily hosted the bus team indoors for the two nights before they headed to Montreal. Thankfully, the hosts' neighbour is a bus mechanic. He was pressed into service Monday morning to work his magic, fixing the troublesome problem of the bus being stuck in reverse (and facing the garage)!

But this dinner wasn't just about enjoying delicious food with wonderful people in a friendly setting. We are privileged in Canada to have Chef Stadtländer as a strong voice speaking out against issues that affect us all. There he was, just moments before the event was to launch, in the CBC studio on Queen Street with Evan Solomon on Power & Politics, sharing his concern about genetically modified alfalfa - a hot topic for the CCC this weekend.

Click on the icon to watch the program. Stadtländer's segment goes from 1:49:00 to 1:55:30.



Thank you to Ross and Simon Fraser, Michael and Nobuyo Stadtländer and their crews. It was a memorable evening and the service was excellent.



*** Check out the Stadtländer team's photographer's photos from Monday, now up on Facebook in a Canadian Chefs' Congress album - Fraser Table 40 in Ottawa. ***

The Tortellini Distraction at Absinthe Café Resto Bar

The hours following a private tortellini-making session at Absinthe Café Resto Bar were introspective for me. Many of my food experiences do not end up on the pages of this blog. Sometimes I just want to savour the event by myself. On that afternoon, so many thoughts were swirling through my head. It was utterly distracting.

If I thought there was a story to tell, what would it be? Share insights into one of Ottawa's well-known chefs? Reveal the techniques for making tortellini? Describe the power of social media for matching interests with the interested? Examine the premise that foodies can get so focused on the hobby of food, that they lose their connection with those who have so much less on their plate?

A tip of the hat to Chef Patrick Garland for turning my moment of play and learning into an act of purpose.

That Sunday's tutoring came about when a few days before, I was admiring Chef Garland's many halibut stuffed tortellinis laid out in military formation on an industrial kitchen sized baking sheet. He tweeted a picture of his hard work. Soft, pillowy tortellini is something I would like to learn how to make some day. Chef wasted no time in turning my wishful thinking into an opportunity by offering his teaching services that coming Sunday at Noon. A 'light' lunch would also be provided. In return, he asked that a donation be made to Ottawa's Food Bank. A Twitter handshake and I had a date. He opened the session to others. Same conditions.



There is likely nothing Italian about the name Garland. Chef told his 7 new students right off the top that he was not the 'Don of pasta'. And if any self-respecting nonna saw his tortellini making skills, she would likely eat him alive on Oprah. Despite the humble declaration of his talents, no one left.

A batch of dough was ready for us but he still took us through the paces of his modified Thomas Keller recipe.



As we worked together, the chatter of conversation filled the kitchen. Not too much about tortellinis. More about our inquisitive questions lobbed over to Pat. His beginnings. His influences. His food philosophy. The restaurant.



Chef Garland's own arctic char filling (with heavy cream, tarragon, preserved lemon skin and seasoning) made its way onto the almost perfect pasta squares in almost perfect proportions.

More questions and more disclosures. There are no romantic tales of finding his food passion at the apron strings of a grandma, like some. The ball-busting feminist in his young life had limited to no influence at unearthing an early love of food. He came into the food industry simply because he needed a job. He chose his place of study because it was local and they would feed him.



Then onto making the hat shape. You know your sailor's knots? Well, sailors take note. No 'right over left and under. Left over right and under' here. Pat shared his tricks of folds, turns and tucks.





After many attempts, I pushed my own near perfect 'hat' across the stainless steel counter to join the others already prepared by the teacher.





When the filling ran out and the shapes were made, Garland did sit the seven tortellini protégés down to his promised 'light' lunch.

We started with warm bread and his arugula salad with lemon thyme vinaigrette and a parmesan tuile crisp.





Next came our 'pillowy, soft' tortellinis. Chef looked after cooking them al dente in a beurre blanc sauce with artichoke, tomato concassé, ramps, chervil, fennel seeds, lemon zest, shallots, garlic and pea shoots.





As quickly as we intruded into Chef Garland's quiet Sunday afternoon, 3 hours later we were gone. My homework? Pay up. Time to get my cheque off to the Ottawa Food Bank.

How do you put a value on learning the fine craft of making artisan tortellini from a top chef? How do you put a value on the opportunity to relax with friends, old and new, and enjoy the surroundings and talents of one of the finest restaurants in Hintonburg? How do you put a value on taking precious hours from a hard working chef during his time off?

What lingered with me last Sunday afternoon was the way Chef Garland's deep commitment for helping those less fortunate defines him. His well-known Benevolent Burger converts $1 from each sale to Cornerstone Housing for Women. His restaurant is a destination drop-off for a food bank drive underway now in Hintonburg. Athough he serves the finest of local ingredients for a premium price, he is quick to remind you that a can of prepared food is not to be snubbed. For some, that is all they can afford. Without hesitation he put on our Sunday tortellini 101 session plus lunch, not for himself, but with the hope of putting food on the table of those in need.

As the afternoon waned and the memory of that wonderful afternoon tarried, it was clear to me that Chef's precious gift was large. I knew in that moment, mine needed to be too.

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.

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.

Taylor's Genuine Food and Wine Bar - Finally Paid It A Visit

Taylor's Genuine Food and Wine Bar opened Thursday, June 17 to much fan fare. It has taken me two months to finally get there to give it a try. The opportunity presented itself when 2 gal pals wanted a lunch out and left me to make the choice. I gladly bore the responsibility of trying to pick well.

As we darted out at the end of lunch to our long overdue parked cars, our parting comments on the experience were loaded with F-bombs. Actually repetitive F-bombs. You know the kind that foodie types like to lace through their vocabulary. Fresh! Flavourful! Fantastic! Fine! Filling! I really regret that it took me so long to make it to Old Ottawa South to see what owners, John and Sylvia Taylor were up to with their second restaurant. The same 'F-bombs' are probably similar 'expletives' that are coming from the patrons at their flagship restaurant, Domus Café, found in the Byward Market.

John Taylor is known for his passion for fresh, seasonal, local produce. And that passion came through loud and clear at Taylor's Genuine Food and Wine Bar today. It appears he has also made a great choice in having John Svasz on board in the kitchen. It is always a bit of a coup when ever single dish brought to a dining table is a stand out.

I decided to go for the soup of the day ($7) which was a chilled yellow bean with CPCO (cold press canola oil), basil oil and cider reduction.



I then followed with the Genuine Tomato Salad ($12). Blue cheese, lardon, buttermilk dressing and Crazy Dave's Greens.



Gal pal #1 went for the small, 4-item ($20) charcuterie & cheese board. She picked:

• Duck and Foie Gras Rillettes
  
• Elk Ranch Salami
  
• Counting Sheep, sheep's milk cheese, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, Prince Edward County, Ontario
• Wild BC House-Smoked Albacore tuna
  

It was accompanied by chutney's and rings of fresh zucchini.



Gal pal #2 had the Risotto ($18). Chanterelles, house-smoked bacon, peaches and cream corn, and parmesan. I tasted her risotto and it was eye-ball rolling. Just the right doneness and the flavours were deep. The richness of the broth came through. The texture was more moist than creamy. I really liked that about this dish preparation.



We started our meal with a plentiful bowl of fresh bread. Our drinks were white wine spritzers ($8).



The lunch portions were ample and no one had room for dessert. But one could figure that they wouldn't disappoint.

The location of this new restaurant is in the old Second Cup at Sunnyside and Bank. So the footprint is small. Barely room to swing a cat. (I often wondered where that saying came from because as a cat lover, it does seem mean.) But it is the perfect size to create the intimacy you would expect of a wine bar serving food. I liked the bar stools! The same as the ones we have at home. The colours are soothing. The setting is less dressy than Domus Café. No linen table cloth. Just the solid wood table top. No linen napkins. But a classy imitation paper version. I am not sure about the antlers though. Kitschy Canadiana? Something the Taylors can pull off I suppose.



The service was pleasant, prompt, informative and attentive.

Lucky for Old Ottawa South to have such a high calibre restaurant in their midst. I am sure their appreciation for this jewel means that the Taylors will be treated well.

Taylor's Genuine Food and Wine Bar
1091 Bank Street at Sunnyside in Old Ottawa South
613.730.5672
website: www.taylorsgenuine.ca

Mon to Sat: 11:30 am - 2 pm; 5:30 to 10 pm
Sun: 5:30 to 10 pm