Gazpacho Presentation at the Cordon Bleu, Ottawa
Wining and Dining our Way through Ottawa
By Jeanine Buckley
I stared in disbelief at the work of edible art placed before me. Described as a “Deconstruction of an Andulusan Gazpacho”, not only was the presentation amazing, but the eclectic combinations surprising—lobster on watermelon? A tomato and cucumber sorbet? I sipped a puréed Gazpacho from a miniature silver spoon—a triumph at the very least. A Cipress Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc drew out the sweetness of the cucumber with its herbal tones. From foie gras with a maple syrup quenelle to roasted lamb loin and merguez sausage served with Vieux Telegraph, each of the six courses out-performed the last; including rare boutique Canadian wines, for an outstanding result.
We were dining at Signatures, the Ottawa Cordon Bleu Restaurant. Thanks to the 2002 installation of the Cordon Bleu Culinary School, Ottawa has become a hotspot for chef-owned restaurants. Coupled with the proximity to local Ottawa farms, the result is a plethora of choice for a city of its size.
Beckta, One of Ottawa's Best French Restaurants
On arrival the day before, we started at Beckta, touted as one of the best French restaurants in Ottawa. Our server par excellence, Anne Marie Foré, introduced us to the tasting menu of Sous Chef Dirk McCabe, a Cordon Bleu alum. We started with Alaskan Wild Sockeye Sashimi with an off-dry Cattail Creek Niagara Riesling, then Seared Duck Breast and an Asian-inspired BBQ sauce served with a 13th Street Gamay Noir, finishing off with white chocolate and roasted walnut ice cream and Banyuls Domaine Madeloc.
A trip to Ottawa would not be complete, however, without a visit to its famous Byward Market. We meandered our way through European-style specialty food boutiques and fresh produce stalls, encompassing several city blocks. We stopped by the Vineyards Wine Bar for a quick Pinot Noir Sideways flight, but were a little overwhelmed, with over 300 wines to choose from, not to mention 180 beers! John Wood, Proprietor, created the idea based on the British pub concept over 20 years ago, long before wine bars were in vogue. The food was nothing to write home about, but the atmosphere, location and wine selection more than made up for it.
After such a whirlwind trip, I was only able to whet my appetite for Ottawa. With some of the best food I’ve eaten in North America, and an impressive selection of wines, these were just a few of many reasons to return for more.
Beckta Restaurant: http://www.beckta.com/
Signatures Restaurant: http://signaturesrestaurant.com/
Byward Market:http://www.byward-market.com/
Vineyards Wine Bar: http://www.vineyards.ca/web/
Can hardly wait to head back! Until now, my favorite food memory in Ottawa was the Scone Witch on Albert St downtown.
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