I grew up in downtown Ottawa surrounded by hotels so I’ve always been interested in the “hotel scene” in Ottawa. The newest hotel to be introduced to Ottawa has opened up in the fabulous Byward Market area and is called the Andaz Hotel.

The check in process can be done online or on site in their intimate lobby area. Immediately after checking in, I sat down at the bar and enjoyed a complimentary beer. Keep reading as there’s more than just one perk at this hotel!
 Then I checked into my stunning room, that featured very stylish clean decor. I felt like I was in NY but I was in Ottawa!! I love how they incorporated “copper” into so many aspects of the room – the alarm clock, lighting, etc.

Even the bathroom taps were copper and gorgeous.

My room included COMPLIMENTARY snacks. When was the last time you saw that? What’s better is that they truly support local suppliers and that’s something you rarely see in a major hotel. (the booze on this tray wasn’t free but everything else was).Even the soap supplier for the Andaz Hotel is local. Truly they are committed to supporting their local community!

As much as I needed to sleep after checking in, I forced myself to go to their 16th floor roof top lounge which overlooks the city. At 5 pm on a weekday, the roof top was busy and everyone was enjoying the fall weather.

There was no need to leave the hotel, as the hotel has a dining room called Feast +Revel . Once again the space is just beautiful. (just like the rest of the hotel!!) and features a menu that really appealed to me.

I dug into this well prepared Elk dish which was described as a 72 hour Elk Ranch elk rib, with a mushroom + salsify, birch jus, sorrel, lemon honey mushroom conserve. My sister (who owns Stunning Ottawa) joined me for dinner and she was super happy with this Steak dish. On the menu its’ described as a Enright Cattle striploin, with lobster butter sauce, dressed baby gem + roasted tomato with Yukon Gold chips. Both of us wanted to drown in the lobster butter sauce!! SO SO good!!

After dinner, I couldn’t resist going back to the 16th floor to enjoy the views of Ottawa at night.

If you are heading to Ottawa, please consider staying at the Andaz Hotel or dining at Feast + Revel. You won’t be disappointed.

Please note, this hotel is BUSY even though it’s new. Book early #justsayin’.

For more information:

ANDAZ OTTAWA BYWARD MARKET
325 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7G1
Tel: +1 613 321 1234

Disclosure: I was provided a media rate but all my opinions are my own

Share this:

Nando’s has been around since 1987 and has a huge presence outside of Canada. They have seven locations in Ontario (with two of those locations being in Ottawa and continue to expand!. Yet – for some reason I had never heard of Nando’s before. This has now changed!!

I was invited to the opening of Nando’s downtown location (832 Bay St) on Friday and accepted this invitation even though I really don’t eat a lot of chicken. Well guess what? I ate EVERYTHING that night. In fact I even had two sliders..that’s how juicy the chicken was.

The Nando’s at 832 Bay St. is located in a huge heritage building. Think – massive ceilings….Think…original stunning columns. Their design team did a fabulous job to reflect this brands South African roots (the first restaurant was opened in a suburb of Johannesburg).

photo credit: @joallore

That night I experienced: hummus with pita, (drizzled with PERI PERI Drizzle) roasted red pepper dip, PERI-PERI Sliders, PERI PERI Fries, PERI PERI Chicken, and Chicken Skewers. I was in chicken heaven!! (and PERI- PERI  heaven too). Of course I had to try the carrot cake but it’s the chicken and the PERI-PERI that steal the show here.

Not only am I a fan of Nando’s Chicken but I’m also a fan of their clever marketing.

Note: Pili Pili is the Swahili word for the African Bird’s Eye chilli. Nando’s calls it PERI PERI and it truly is what makes their chicken so special. I will end this blog post with something I read on their brochure: The Result is ultimate PERI-fection!!

For more information:

Nando’s 832 B ay St. Toronto (416) 925 8888

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NandosCanada

Twitter: @NandosPeriPeri

Share this:

When I saw a tweet that the Loose Moose had the largest draught beer selection in Downtown Toronto – then I knew I had to go! I’m not sure I had ever been to the Loose Moose before, but having a large beer selection was a sure way to get me to visit. (#lovebeer)

My friend and I sat at the bar so we could watch a hockey game  (ok two hockey games). The Loose Moose is certainly a great place to go to watch a sports event!

Our friendly bartender was the type of bartender that every bar should have: friendly, professional and helpful. He guided us thru both the beer and food menu so we could make the right choice. Please say hi to @_ScottWilson.

Based on his recommendation, we each ordered the Woody which is described as a hamburger with American cheese, really special sauce, caramelized onion, and bacon,on foccacia. I had mine with a really tasty Caesar salad and was a happy camper. Due to the fact that I’m on a no-carb diet, I took off the bun. (sad but true)

My Caesar Salad was equally as good. It was so delicious that I wasn’t even thinking about french fries!

I paired my burger with a handful of 2 oz samples. (sadly I don’t have any photos but trust me – I had a few beers!!)

The Loose Moose has it all: the friendliest professional bartenders, great food, lots of TV’s and a well designed space…not to mention the largest draught beer selection in downtown Toronto.

For more information:

The Loose Moose  146 Front St. W. Toronto (416) 977-8840

Disclosure: I was given a $50 gift card to compensate for my meal, however all opinions are my own.

Share this: