This restaurant has been around for a while and is close to home, so a great go to place when I don't feel like cooking breakfast. I decided to treat my daughter so we could hang out and catch up since it's not often that I can spend one-on-one time with all 4 of my kids.
It was quieter than we expected for a Saturday morning. Finally we had sunshine and didn't need a jacket so I think most people were out and about soaking in the rays. We were seated right away and noticed the menus were different. This was exciting, we hadn't been in a while so we could try something new.
My daughter takes after me and loves eggs benedict. Well, they had added several new combinations to the menu. There was a pulled pork and baked beans version, the standard ham, asparagus with swiss cheese or the camembert and mushrooms to name a few. The one that stood out to me was the Italian sausage with arugula. My daughter loves baked beans, but decided to stick to her usual ham benny as she wasn't sure she'd like poached eggs with pulled pork.
Given how quiet it was, the food took a bit longer than expected. I'm guessing maybe because my Italian sausage was so new, it might have needed a bit more time to cook. Well, it was worth the wait. Another change was that they served the eggs benedict with hashbrowns. I much prefer these over the usual breakfast potatoes or homefries. The eggs benedict were delicious. My sausage patties were nicely cooked with a bit of a crust which added texture. The English muffins were well toasted and stayed crispy until the last bite! Nothing worse than mushy bread, it reminds me of oatmeal which I don't care for. It's a texture thing. The sausage was a bit more spicy than I anticipated, but combined with the sautéed peppers, onions and rich hollandaise sauce it was perfectly balanced. The arugula added a fresh element to the dish and a bit of a peppery note that enhanced the seasoning.
I was excited about the hashbrowns, but I found they were a tad undercooked and the mound of sautéed onions they put on top were not needed. My daughter agreed, they were ok and next time we'll pass on the onions.
The traditional eggs benedict were delicious. My daughter polished off her plate in no time flat! We were extremely happy with our choices. Both dishes came with fresh fruit on the side. I did notice that the amount of fruit was less generous than what they used to serve. The fruit added some sweetness and helped to cleans our palates, kind of like dessert after a main dish.
In terms of price, I'd say it's average to moderate. Cost for 2 with drinks was $35.00. Note that coffee is included with your breakfast, but juices and other options are extra. The restaurant is very clean and bright. They have TV screens throughout so you can watch the news, weather or cartoons. The staff is friendly and attentive. At the entrance they offer newspapers if you want to sit and catch up on current events. They have a great menu with options to suit all tastes and preferences as well as budgets. They also offer lunch items and specials for those who don't want to have breakfast. During the week they have early bird breakfast specials too.
This restaurant is definitely family friendly with a kids menu and colouring activity to keep the little ones busy. Great place for group celebrations too as they have plenty of room. I strongly recommend this restaurant.
Get cracking!
Carm the Foodie
Saturday, 29 April 2017
Sunday, 16 April 2017
Tennessy Willems - Ottawa, Ontario
Don't let the unusual name throw you. Friends suggested we meet up for lunch and this was the place that won the toss up. I grew up in Hintonburg and I'll tell you, I'm very impressed with how far the restaurant selections have come in my old neighbourhood.
I arrived first and it was packed. The waitress greeted us as soon as we arrived and said it would be about a 20 minute wait for a table. My girlfriends decided to go shopping at Breads by Us another great find!
We were given a table by the window. It was really hard to decide what to order. Everything on the menu sounded good and then when the waitress pointed out the specials, we were right back at square one. Ultimately we decided to start with a couple of salads to share and watched as various dishes came by. We asked our neighbours what they had ordered and if they liked it.
The caesar salad is served very differently. It comes dressed with a lemon garlic dressing and sour dough bread croutons. Two of us had to have the warm beet salad with goat cheese, tarragon, fennel and apple vinaigrette. Personally I prefer my beet salad cold, but it was very good.
For the mains we decided to go with pizzas. They are made in a wood burning oven. You can smell the pizza from blocks away. Our style is to order a bunch of different plates and try a bit of everything.
I ordered their special of the day which was the lamb sausage pizza with gorgonzola cheese, arugula, toasted pine nuts and parmesan. When it comes to pizza, I prefer a thin crust with a white sauce whether it comes with just cheese, pesto or béchamel sauce over the traditional tomato sauce. It was incredible! I must say it's the best pizza I have ever had. The crust was thin and crispy, it had just the perfect amount of cheese and the sausage was delicious. Initially I almost changed my mind because I'm not a fan of Dijon mustard, but it balanced the favour of the lamb and give it a subtle punch. It was perfectly seasoned and the arugula gave it an element of freshness. When the pizza first arrived it looked like something was missing. Sure enough, there were no pine nuts. Not to worry, the waitress ran back and brought out a small bowl that had been freshly toasted. These added a nice crunch and nutty flavour making it the best pizza ever.
The others ordered The Capricciosa, The Elmdale and The Margherita. They were all good in their own right. I love artichokes and olives so The Capricciosa was my second favourite. Everything was fresh and made to order so give yourself time to sit back and relax, you won't be disappointed.
The servers were attentive and made sure you had everything you needed. The décor is more rustic making me feel like I'm away from the craziness of the city.
Prices are moderate to high, but don't forget they support local farmers and use organic ingredients. The food is fresh and made to order. They offer a unique variety and daily specials to suit all tastes. One of our party had an allergy and they happily accommodated.
A must have at our table was the lemon tart, but all the desserts looked good. Sadly most of us were stuffed so there was no room for dessert! We'll make sure we leave room next time.
This restaurant is on my top 10 restaurants in Ottawa list. I highly recommend it. If you like thin crust pizza and want something a bit different, this is the place for you.
Eat up and enjoy!
Carm the Foodie
I arrived first and it was packed. The waitress greeted us as soon as we arrived and said it would be about a 20 minute wait for a table. My girlfriends decided to go shopping at Breads by Us another great find!
We were given a table by the window. It was really hard to decide what to order. Everything on the menu sounded good and then when the waitress pointed out the specials, we were right back at square one. Ultimately we decided to start with a couple of salads to share and watched as various dishes came by. We asked our neighbours what they had ordered and if they liked it.
The caesar salad is served very differently. It comes dressed with a lemon garlic dressing and sour dough bread croutons. Two of us had to have the warm beet salad with goat cheese, tarragon, fennel and apple vinaigrette. Personally I prefer my beet salad cold, but it was very good.
For the mains we decided to go with pizzas. They are made in a wood burning oven. You can smell the pizza from blocks away. Our style is to order a bunch of different plates and try a bit of everything.
I ordered their special of the day which was the lamb sausage pizza with gorgonzola cheese, arugula, toasted pine nuts and parmesan. When it comes to pizza, I prefer a thin crust with a white sauce whether it comes with just cheese, pesto or béchamel sauce over the traditional tomato sauce. It was incredible! I must say it's the best pizza I have ever had. The crust was thin and crispy, it had just the perfect amount of cheese and the sausage was delicious. Initially I almost changed my mind because I'm not a fan of Dijon mustard, but it balanced the favour of the lamb and give it a subtle punch. It was perfectly seasoned and the arugula gave it an element of freshness. When the pizza first arrived it looked like something was missing. Sure enough, there were no pine nuts. Not to worry, the waitress ran back and brought out a small bowl that had been freshly toasted. These added a nice crunch and nutty flavour making it the best pizza ever.
The others ordered The Capricciosa, The Elmdale and The Margherita. They were all good in their own right. I love artichokes and olives so The Capricciosa was my second favourite. Everything was fresh and made to order so give yourself time to sit back and relax, you won't be disappointed.
The servers were attentive and made sure you had everything you needed. The décor is more rustic making me feel like I'm away from the craziness of the city.
Prices are moderate to high, but don't forget they support local farmers and use organic ingredients. The food is fresh and made to order. They offer a unique variety and daily specials to suit all tastes. One of our party had an allergy and they happily accommodated.
A must have at our table was the lemon tart, but all the desserts looked good. Sadly most of us were stuffed so there was no room for dessert! We'll make sure we leave room next time.
This restaurant is on my top 10 restaurants in Ottawa list. I highly recommend it. If you like thin crust pizza and want something a bit different, this is the place for you.
Eat up and enjoy!
Carm the Foodie
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