Home Restaurant Archive by category "Italian"

Category: Italian

A pizza in a Cage (II)

, , 0
A pizza in a Cage (II)

It had been a while since I last tried a pizza at La Cage, which is no longer “Aux Sports” as the Waffler nation well knows. In fact, pizza wasn’t on the menu for a while, although they did have flatbreads on the menu a while ago. Not the same dough, so not the same, though. Now available in some locations, a selection of Neapolitan pizza. I was intrigued, because unlike before, they now have a dedicated pizza oven in select locations. Options include Prosciutto & Arugula; Bacon, Sausage & Onion; Margherita; Italian Sausages. I decided to go ahead and order the Margherita. Margherita pizza is a traditional culinary specialty said to have originated in Naples, Italy. Very popular for its simplicity, this napoletana pizza is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. The colors of these three ingredients are meant to represent the Italian flag. It seems to have…

Read more!

Arrividerci, Luigi!

, , 0
Arrividerci, Luigi!

The announcement was made on Facebook and it shook our little community: after 8 years, Pizza de Luigi was shutting down its Chelsea location, and they were shutting it down basically immediately! The horror! After 8 years of running two business and 6 years of working full time while running them, the owner decided that two restaurants was too much. They will focus all their efforts into the Wakefield restaurant. Incidentally, Mini-Waffle had already selected Cheezy Luigi as the restaurant we would order from tomorrow, part of our weekly effort to support local restaurants during the pandemic. We realized what was happening only because we wanted to check the opening hours. So we decided that we had no choice but to order immediately, one last time. Because even though they will remain open in Wakefield, that is a bit of a trek for us. A family-run establishment, MJ.M.D. Pizza de…

Read more!

Melting at Capone’s

, , , 0

For whatever reason, I’ve been wanting to try Tony Capone’s Italian Grill for a while now. I’ve driven past it a million times over the years, always intrigued, but not to the point of being tempted. Until a few weeks ago, I stopped for lunch – only to find out that it was closed. Thankfully, it was open today. Capone’s is located in a mini-mall on Carling, off Edgeworth, along with a dry cleaners, a Hasty Market and a dental office. So from the outside, it certainly doesn’t have much curb appeal. You walk into the place, and you don’t feel like you’re in Ottawa. The reception area is small and decorated with newspaper articles, old pictures, cigarette ads and other paraphernalia from the Capone era. Inside, it was dark and the tables were dimly lit, though there was a nice glow from all the Christmas lights. A nice, quiet…

Read more!

Viva Vitalia

, , , , , , , , 2

It was a rainy evening, it was a kidless evening. Ms. Waffle and I were out on a date and we were going to make the most of it. Ms. Waffle was craving Italian, so we ended up making our way towards Bistro Vitalia, on rue Principale in Aylmer.  Opened less than a year ago, Bistro Vitalia replaced the much beloved Bistro Ambrosia, which was quite a popular Italian eatery. It surprised many when Ambrosia shut its doors for good, 10 years after opening. When we got there around 8 PM, the place was packed. Not a single seat was available on the main floor. We were a bit worried, but wisely, they decided to open the upper deck as more people came in behind us. We settled at a table by the railing to admire the spectacle below. Soon enough, half the tables in the upper section were occupied. The…

Read more!

Mezzaluna a quiet, hidden Italian discovery

, , , 0

I had a lunch date with Marie in downtown Ottawa and was trying to find a spot I had never been to. I had heard good things about Café Mezzaluna, so that’s where we headed. Located on Cooper near Elgin, this Italian restaurant is connected to the Cartier Place Suite Hotel.  It has a nice little patio in the summer, but since March begun at -10, it wasn’t open, despite yesterday’s hype about year-round patios being considered by the city.  I mean, this is not Vancouver, especially not today. The restaurant’s decor is kind of dated, but I actually do not mind.  It gives it a classic, old school feel, a warm and comforting atmosphere. We sat at a table in the back corner. There was a party of 8 by the front window, sitting around a big round table. A couple of women showed up some time after.  So it wasn’t empty, but it was quiet. Which,…

Read more!