When I bought a cast iron pan, I had visions of searing steaks in the winter months. But I had no idea I’d be making pizza so often. In fact, pizza has become my favourite thing to make in my cast iron pan, and it produces perfect crust every time.
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A BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Burgers n’ Fries Forever is expensively meh
I like me a good burger. Particularly ones I have made myself with fresh ground beef and assorted secret ingredients. But when it’s outside grilling season on my shared condo patio, I’m forced to venture elsewhere for burger sustenance. Over the past decade or so, a mid-tier category of burger
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Pudgyboy’s closes, never really got better
Just over a year ago I reviewed Pudgyboy’s, a new diner in Centretown at Bank and Mcleran that offered small portions at big prices. I found it overpriced and mediocre, but resolved to give it another try down the road. I did indeed return just before Christmas, and unfortunately things
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Taco Tuesday at Toro Taqueria
After four years working on Parliament Hill, I’m always on the lookout for new and different lunching options, having tried most places at least a few times. So I was pleased during recent Google Maps and Yelp trolling to find a new taco option not too far outside my usual
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Pizza 2.0 a marked improvement from the Hill cafeteria
I wrote earlier about some of the changes made at the Parliamentary cafeterias during the summer/election break and the first I spotlighted, the supposed Peri Peri chicken, was a definite miss. Yesterday, I tried their new pizza, and thankfully, it was definite change for the better. The earlier pizza available
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Mexican/Korean fusion at Barrio Coreano
After many campaign meals or biryani and chicken karahi, I was ready for a cuisine change when I met my sister for dinner after the election before heading back to Ottawa. At her recommendation, we went for Mexican/Korean Fusion at Barrio Coreano on Bloor, between Christie and Bathurst. A quick perusal
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Peri peri makeover for the 43rd Parliament
While the politicians and staffers were off since late June running for re/election, the Parliamentary cateteria staff were busy with lots of little changes here and there. In addition to easier to read menus and a new shelf to sell unhealthy chocolate bars, they’ve tweeked some menu items. And I
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: St. Andrews Fish and Chips
As I’ve mentioned before, Scarborough is an ethnic food oasis. One of the few remaining remanants of the Scarborough of yesteday though are assorted fish and chips spots. And the one that was my regular spot during my decade Scarborough residency is St. Andrews Fish & Chops. There’s now a
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: A German Imbiss in the heart of Scarborough
There’s a lot of great food in Scarborough, and I’ll be chronicling it through the election this Fall. Cuisine in Scarborough has evolved with the community. As the Greek and Italian communities have moved on to the suburbs, so has their cuisine. Today’s Scarborough food scene reflects today’s Scarborough: a
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Northern Smokes BBQ in Scarborough
I believed I’ve mentioned before my fondness for southern-style BBQ developed during several trips to the Austin, Texas area during my previous career. Obviously nothing can compare, but a lot of BBQ joints in this style have been popping up in Canada and I recently tried one of them —
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating Off the Hill: Summerlicious Prix Fixe at Bannock
I’m in Scarborough for the summer, so expect some even more off the hill food reviews in the weeks and months to come. My first installment comes from a trip downtown to Queen and Bay to sample the Summerlicious prix fixe menu at Bannock. I will say up front that
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: SEN Kitchen at Queen Street Fare
I’ve written previously about the burger and the pizza vendors (actually, seems I haven’t written about the pizza yet so, spoiler alert) at Queen Street Fare, the newish adult pseudo food court that will be adjacent to the Queen Street LRT station if and when it ever opens. The burger
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Going down the Rabbit Hole
There are a handful of pubs on Sparks Street opposite my office building and, frankly, none of them stand out. There is a newish player on the block though as the Farmteam Cookhouse and Cellar closed awhile back and, after a lengthy renovation, the Rabbit Hole opened in its place.
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: The Buffet is back, but no, not really at all, actually
Like most Hill dwellers, I was a big fan of the semi-weekly Friday buffets at the old Parliamentary Dining Room in Centre Block. A long table filled with sumptuous salads, meaty entrees, and sinfully sweet deserts, all for an affordable $20 or so. So I was sad to break the
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Prime Ministerial lamb chops
As the clock winds down on the 42nd Parliament, it’s reception and garden party season in Ottawa. And on Wednesday, Liberal staffers gathered at 24 Sussex for a garden party hosted by Prime Minister Trudeau and Sophie GrĂ©goire Trudeau at his childhood home. Last year the party fell on a
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Berlin streetfood comes to Ottawa with Wolf Down
Ottawa is the town where shawarma is king. Don’t believe me? We have Shawarma King and Shawarma’s King within a few blocks of each other — yes, two different reasturants. Ottawa has a new challenger though for meat sandwich supremacy — ironically, nearly across the street from Shawarma King —
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