Nate’s is back downtown!

Three years ago, Nate’s Deli closed its doors on Rideau Steet. Owner Dave Smith was 77 and had been serving Smoked Meat for 50 years at Nate’s Deli. When it closed and before wreckers sent the place into memoryland, Nate’s was going through 1,500 pounds of smoked meat a week and making 24 pounds a day of its own chopped liver. Of course, smoked meat lovers could turn to Nate’s Express, on Antares Drive by Hunt Club, who seemed to imply that sharing a name made them the successor. Unless there is another connection I’m not aware of – besides serving smoked meat, that is. But much to Ottawa’s smoked meat afficionado’s pleasure, the original Nate’s, Dave Smith, got bored with retirement. So last year, Smith partnered with Scott Singer to transform Our Family Kitchen on Merivale Road (which was a Cora’s before that) into Nate’s Deli Family Kitchen. So…

Read more!

Pop the big question at New York Fries

I got an email from New York Fries, as I tend to get. They wanted me to treat my Valentine to something that doesn’t rhyme with “plowers”. Good, I thought, since I had no intention of buying her any towers this year. I simply cannot afford it. So instead, New York Fries is suggesting that this Valentine’s Day, you POP THE BIG QUESTION!!! So I did pop the question, ahead of Valentine’s Day in fact – because I love her sooooo much. I was nervous. What if she says no? “Will you eat a hot dog and fries with me?” I asked. “Ooooh yes!” she answered gleefully. So we made our way to a convenient New York Fries location. I suppose we could have tried any of the 200ish locations in Canada. Or tried to find them in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain or Hong Kong. Or even…

Read more!

KFC’s Festivus for the rest of us!

As previously discussed, KFC is offering a sweet deal for Christmas. Merry, Merry! Because nothing says “Happy Holidays” like Free Fried Chicken. So when you purchase a Festive Meal For one… You get a free sandwich voucher!!! If you want more free chicken, you can instead purchase any Family Feast (Your choice of 8, 12, 15, or 20-piece Original Recipe Chicken, with fries, gravy, two more sides, and a 2L Pepsi. ) and you’ll get a $10 Gift Voucher to use on your next family feast! I had to take advantage of Colonel Santa’s offer, so I made my way to the St-Joseph location in Hull. But since I was alone, and since I didn’t need a Family Feast on my own, I had to go for the Festive Meal for One. Merry, Merry! There were a few other customers in the restaurant, but I didn’t need to wait before…

Read more!

Steak-Frites de Luxe

I had a lunch date with an esteemed member of the National Press Gallery, with whom I was to discuss the year that is coming to an end. Luxe Bistro had been selected for the occasion. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant. The decor is all in subtleties: brass, dark wood, brown leather, subdued lighting and framed mirrors. The white clothes are rounding it up to a classic, upscale feel, yet still comfortable without being casual. Located in the Byward Market, Luxe styles itself as a blend of Steakhouse and French Style Bistro. In my opinion, it is neither, especially not at lunch. Luxe does offer 6 different cuts of beef on its dinner menu, with an interesting selection of sauces and side dishes. But at lunch time, the selection is reduced to two very specific cuts: The 8oz Beef Tenderloin or the Steak-Frites – a 6…

Read more!

New Rivoli, Old Recipe!

We had just visited the Biodôme, and the four of us started to get hungry for lunch. We were going to drive back to Gatineau right after, and I had to drop my brother at his partner’s place along the way. We left the Olympic Complex and made our way towards Villeray, hoping to be inspired by a passing location. After driving by many uninspiring places, we finally found a spot that seemed great for lunch – the New Rivoli. It had big open windows, there was nobody in the dining room, and it seemed like a well established location. In fact, the Rivoli restaurant opened in 1956, right under the Rivoli Theater, a the corner of St-Denis and Bélanger. In the sixties, the restaurant moved beside another movie theater, Le Château on St-Denis, and change it’s name to New Rivoli Pizzeria. The restaurant moved to its current location on…

Read more!