Ottawa Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Blog
Michael’s 39th birthday was fast approaching, and I thought it would be fun to spend a romantic winter night at the new Hotel Le Germain Ottawa, located on Daly Avenue. I just got back from my Yoga retreat in Costa Rica the week before, and thought it would be a nice way to catch up and connect.
The generous folks of Mena, Ottawa’s premier French cuisine restaurant on Preston Street, invited me to a 5-course tasting of their new winter menu “Game Night”. There was nothing trivial about this meal. Every well-thought-out dish featured Canadian Wildlife delicacies paired with the most unique selection of wines. I am a huge fan of Sommelier Rob Nellis’s work. We seem to have a similar pallet when it comes to wine, so I always look forward to his recomendation. What I loved most about the pairing? The wines were mighty when consumed on their own, but never overpowering the taste of the meal. Now that’s a true partnership!
Last night, I was invited to attend the grand re-opening of the newly renovated Mena Restaurant on Preston Street in Little Italy. It’s a fine dining establishment, serving French Cuisine through a blind tasting of 5, 7 or 9-course meal, with the option of a wine pairing.
Chickpeas Ottawa just opened it’s doors and already they are getting slammed with crowds of Ottawan’s demanding all the chickpeas! If you’re looking for a healthy, made-from-scratch meal, that happens to be vegetarian, you may want to do yourself a favour and head over to Trainyards.
We had the chance to sample the multicoloured hummus tray, the falafel sandwich, the falafel bites and the piece de resistance… the falafel waffle!
The owner and head Chef, Omar, was telling me that he travelled to Lebanon on a quest to find the best authentic and made-from-scratch recipes. He worked with chefs and visited quaint restaurants that helped him develop his signature menu and learn the tricks of the trade. Omar also told me that he soaks fresh dried chickpeas every night and removes the skin off 15 Kilos of chickpeas every day to make the creamiest hummus in town!
Chickpeas is not a fancy restaurant. It’s a healthy, vegan/vegetarian friendly eatery with a simple, tasty and fresh menu. You can grab a quick bite to eat, bring the family or take your meal to go. I love that it’s located in Trainyards, only minutes away from my place. It’s nice to have a healthy take-out option in the area.
So here is what we ate…
