We came, we saw, we ate sandwiches.

On this dishcrawl we changed the format a little bit, staying in one place instead of trying a little bit at a lot of restaurants, and I’m so glad we did. Pressed is a fantastic restaurant that deserves all the good press it’s getting (I’m so punny!). Jeff has done a great job creating a wonderful space that is casual and homey while still achieving culinary excellence. He focuses on quality ingredients, cooked over a long time to produce amazing and flavourful results. He doesn’t need truffles or foie gras, he’s got a smoker! And he knows how to use it.

We started the night with a rich beet and apple soup. Jeff topped it with fennel seed and a little creme fraiche, making a beautiful contrast, almost too good to eat.

Then we moved on to a trio of sandwiches: pulled wild boar, beef brisket and the special Dishcrawl Club! The pulled boar had an apple kale slaw, giving it a nice crunch, the beef brisket came with caramelized onions and gooey cheese and the Club, oh, the Club. It was house-smoked chicken, house-smoked bacon, house-made guacamole, and (and???) goat cheese! It was a pull out all the stops kind of sandwich.

Jeff also served us several sides. We had collard greens (with a little more house-smoked bacon!), Mac’n Cheese, and sweet potato chips…I suppose I should say addictive sweet potato chips. While some of us couldn’t possibly eat any more, everyone made room for the fantastic cupcakes Robin of Morsels brought us. She brought a Red Velvet cupcake and a Turtle Cupcake. Some people noticed the Red Velvet lacked the excessive red colour you sometimes see. It’s true! Robin keeps it authentic, using the chemical reaction between the baking soda and the cocoa to create a slightly red hue, rather than adding red dye. The Turtle cupcake had it’s own surprise. Inside the cupcake, there was MORE caramel, giving the very appreciative consumer a little caramel and chocolate combo throughout the entire cupcake experience.

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did last week. I’m really glad I had an opportunity to feature this fantastic restaurant and I hope you are too. If you’d like to see some more pics from the evening, click here. I’d happily add your pics from the night to the album! You can also check out Jodi’s blog post on the night here. You should also click on the video she uploaded, especially around the 2:30 minute mark when Jeff opens the smoker and everyone goes “AHH OHH!” Thanks to everyone who came. I hope to see you at another event very soon!

Until we eat again,

Sarah

@dishcrawlOTT

sarah@dishcrawl.com

Mangia mangia!

Undeterred by the rainy weather, dishcrawlers came out for a wonderful night of eating and talking and walking. We started the night at Big Easy, which is quickly becoming one of my favourites on Preston. The chef prepared a lovely trio for us. There was a shot of Caesar with bacon and horseradish, shrimp in a coconut sauce and a dark chocolate cake. Delicious!

Then we split into two groups and went to Divino and Il Primo. At Divino Eric, the sommelier entertained us with a great description of the food we were about to eat. We started with an olive oil tasting with homemade bread, then on to tuna tartar with a lovely orange aioli. Finally, we had their melt in your mouth gnocchi. It was a delicious end to a wonderful tasting.

Moving to Il Primo, we were greeted by the always charismatic Craig and his sommelier Glen. They almost stole the show from their delicious offering. We had a plate full of many goodies. There was a chicken thigh with homemade pesto, a fabulously garlicky Caesar salad, and one of their most popular appetizers the rotelle: fig and boconcini wrapped in prosciutto, yum! Then Craig surprised us with a sample of his homemade blueberry gelato. It was a nice little palette cleanser in between courses.

Finally the two groups joined together at La Roma for a lovely end of the evening treat. We enjoyed an espresso mousse served in a martini glass. Lovely and delicious!

Did I say finally? I meant, almost finally. On the way out people received a raspberry or chocolate macaron from Macarons et Madeleines, the new patisserie that opened last June. This place will give Ottawa favorites a run for their money!

Upcoming dishcrawls are still in the works, but we’ll have something for you before the New Year. Until then, enjoy the wonderful post created by Gen Brisson (Twitter) from Local Tourist Ottawa about the Nov 22nd crawl. Also look for the program Relief on TFO featuring dishcrawl coming up soon.

Until we eat again!

Sarah