CITY BITES
Notable restaurant and food happenings
Genuine Renewal
Chef John Taylor’s legions of fans were shocked when he closed his Genuine Kitchen and Wine with little fanfare, announcing in mid-January that he’d sold his 30-seat baby in Old Ottawa South to Tony Irace. After a quick refresh, Irace launched Antipazzo Italian Plates and Wine (1091 Bank St.) with chef Christopher St. Aubin in the kitchen. St. Aubin, who has worked with John Taylor in the past and, most recently, at Salt Dining + Lounge, will preside over a menu of farm-to-fork Italian food. It’s a labour of love for Irace, who in the mid-2000s ran the muchadmired but short-lived NAPO Farm to Table Italian Cuisine on Bank Street. Back in Ottawa from his most recent gig in Venice as a wine expert with Holland America cruise lines, Irace is promising affordable wines on tap. And the name of his new restaurant? It’s most obviously a play on the word “antipasto,” but Irace also notes that pazzo means “crazy” in Italian. “It means crazy in a good way. When I was a kid, they’d say, ‘That Tony is pazzo for pasta!’ ”
Good Citizen
After months of rumours that a second restaurant was in the works, chef Marc Doiron and his partner Lori Wojcik opened Citizen (207 Gilmour St.) in the waning days of 2016. Located just around the corner from their first endeavour, Town on Elgin Street, Citizen was designed with the help of architects Plotnonplot and shares a kitchen, though the menus will diverge. While Town is known for its yummy interpretations of Italian classics, the more casual Citizen will cater to an informal crowd with small plates from the Town menu along with bar snacks and sandwiches. Oh, yes, and cocktails, wines, and a curated list of brews. It’s a no-reservations place where the cool kids can stop by from 6 p.m. onwards from Thursdays through Mondays. The duo aims to host private parties, art shows, and the like. Also exciting is their vision for an ongoing Monday-night “chef in residence.” At press time, chef Mike Frank, ex of Mellos and designer of the fun snacks menu at Bar Robo, was in the house.
MeNa’s New Look
As chef James Bratsberg hones his skills staging at top kitchens in England, co-owner Bryan
Livingston is overseeing a three-month renovation of MeNa (276 Preston St.). The critically acclaimed restaurant, known for its modern take on French cuisine, is in the capable hands of Shannon Smithers-Gay of One80
Design. The changes will see the space take on a more black-and-white look, with pops of green and burgundy. An open kitchen will allow guests a glimpse into the inner workings of the restaurant. “When we first opened MeNa [three years ago], we were more of a casual/ fine-dining restaurant, but we’ve always leaned toward fine dining,” explains Livingston. “This redo allows us to see our vision through.” Bratsberg’s fans will be happy to hear that the chef plans to continue with his popular blind tasting menu. The reopening is scheduled for May.
Celebrity Chefs
And they’re off! Local celebrity chefs are front and centre on TV screens this spring. Jonathan
Korecki (formerly of E18hteen and Sidedoor) takes a second run at a title on an all-star version of Top Chef Canada on Food Network. With a $100,000 prize on the line, the bandana-clad Korecki faces stiff competition from 11 fellow chefs who came up just short in one of the first four seasons. “With this level of competition, it’s like an extreme sport,” says Korecki. “The contests are incredibly exciting — more diverse and extreme than anything in the earlier seasons.” Watch for it: though dates weren’t finalized at press time, Top Chef Canada is tentatively scheduled to air in the first week of April. Meanwhile, over on Fibe TV1, chef Michael
Bonacini heads into the kitchens of four local restaurants for 24 Hours of Food With Michael Bonacini. Best known as one of three judges on CTV’s MasterChef Canada, for this four-part series, Bonacini rolls into four Canadian cities, grabbing a bite to eat at four restaurants in each. In Ottawa, he hangs out with the chefs at Edgar,
Fairouz, Atelier, and Bar Laurel, learning their tricks — and what makes them tick. Look for Season 2, which is scheduled to launch in early March.
Great Catch
He’s back! After closing Murray Street at the end of 2016, chef Steve Mitton quickly found a new home with The Whalesbone Group. A champion of the locavore and snout-to-tail cooking movements, the accomplished chef is working out of Whalesbone’s catering and wholesale shop (504A Kent St.). He has his fingers in lots of pies — he’s involved in reinvigorating Kent Street’s brown-bag-lunch program as well as planning the landmark 10th-anniversary OysterFest on June 25 and streamlining the catering menu. Look for some deliciously meaty ideas to boost Whalesbone’s already top-notch seafood game.
QUICK BITES
• You may have spotted (and desired) Loam Clay Studio’s dinnerware at Carben Food + Drink or The Pomeroy House. Covet no more! Owner Sarah Fulford has released a seven-piece dinner set, so you, too, can plate your edible masterpieces on worthy dishes. • On Elgin Street, Fresco Bistro and Guest
Room cocktail lounge closed their doors after 25 years. Their successor, The Captain’s Boil, which is set to move in by summer, has already triggered skeptical appraisals for its eat-withyour-fingers-out-of-a-plastic-bag dining experience. • Some “casual eats” openings of note these past few months: East enders will want to check out
Meatings Barbecue, which launched a mostly takeout joint (there are about 20 seats) on St. Joseph. Kettleman’s continues its expansion with a bagel shop at Train Yards. Veggie Bowl vegetarian restaurant has moved into the former Mellos spot on Dalhousie. And Vanier’s Quelque
Chose Pâtisserie has a second macarons spot in Westboro. • The decision by Sam Souryavong of Fairmont
Confectionery to shut up shop was a big blow for devotees of his Thai curries and Vietnamese banh mi. On the bright side, Souryavong hinted that new food endeavours may be in the works. Stay tuned. • Pencil in May 2 on your calendar. Bon Appetit
Ottawa marks 21 years of raising funds for the community with more than 50 restaurants, caterers, and wine and craft beer makers hosting an evening of food and drink at Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne. • Students in Sandy Hill have a hip new option for their caffeine fix with the opening of a second
Happy Goat location on Wilbrod Street. • Keep an eye on Alicja Confections, run by recent transplant Alicja Buchowicz of Manitoba. Her prettily packaged chocolates received kudos from Chatelaine and Today’s Parent just before Christmas, and she has expansion plans in mind for 2017. • Looking for fresh food in a vending machine near you? Known for its salads and sandwiches,
Lunch recently launched a prototype LunchBox at Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards. Owner Tim Van Dyke is already in talks with local hospitals and condos to supply machines. • Farmers’ market fans in the south end will be interested to hear of plans for a Saturday
Barrhaven Farmers Market at the Log Farm on Cedarview Road. Opening day is scheduled for May 13.