Had another quick visit to Ottawa so I could celebrate Father’s Day with my amazing Dad. I arrived on Friday at 6:30 pm and left on Sunday at noon. However this still gave me enough time to devour these goodies!

a) CHOCO FRITO Doughnuts from SuzyQ Doughnuts (991 Wellington St. W). There are no words to describe these doughnuts. They are THAT good. Just imagine the salty, crunchy, pieces of Frito Lay with just the right amount of chocolate, on top of a yeasty delicious doughnut.  It’s a FREAKIN’ AWESOME combo. PERIOD.

b) Golden Palace Eggrolls (2195 Carling Aveune). These eggrolls are unique to Ottawa – they have burnt ends and full of pork and cabbage (not bean sprouts). I love dipping them into the hot mustard and the plum sauce. The restaurant itself is totally out of a time warp but the eggrolls are simply epic.  PS many people I know take these eggrolls back to Toronto and freeze them.

c) Candied Ginger from Michaels Dolce; (Ottawa Farmers Market). This ginger was so good that I noshed on half the packet on my way back to Toronto. I can’t stop thinking how I would like to make an apple crisp and cut these strips into smaller pieces so I could incorporate it into the recipe. I will bringing back 3 of these packets next time. One packet is NOT enough.  P.S. his jams rock as well. I encourage you to check out his website to learn more about Michaels Dolce products and where you can buy them.

d) Maple Syrup Cones (Byward Market). I did not buy one of these .75 cones on this particular trip..but I really did want to!! I have such fond memories of these cones from my childhood. Have you ever had one? On this particular occasion my tummy was not happy but my eyes were!!

e) Deep Fried Pickles and Beer from the Big Rig Brewery and Restaurant (2750 Inis St.). I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant and finally I got there!! YAY. The beer scene in Ottawa has really exploded so   I was all too happy to check out these deep friend pickles and a flight of beer, on a gorgeous Saturday evening.

When I returned from Toronto, I made a huge Kale Salad. I try to lead a balanced life. Can you tell?

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Every time I go to Ottawa..I can’ t seem to stop eating. There’s always something new to try and always something I want to bring back to Toronto.

I started off my trip with a tweet up at a new restaurant called Pressed. I had read about it on other blogs (naturally) and thought it would be an ideal spot for a tweet up. Sadly I scheduled a tweet up on a night that the Senators were playing (oops) but I discovered that not EVERYONE watches the hockey game.

I loved the casual atmosphere of this restaurant and was impressed that they even put a few tables together for the tweet up!! Nice touch. I ordered the Margherita sandwich which was described on the menu as: fresh mozarella, basil, smoked tomato, and black olive tapenade.

Now, this could have been an ordinary sandwich but when I bit into the sandwich, I soon discovered that this WASN”T an ordinary sandwich.The addition of the SMOKED tomato made a huge difference!!  It was an amazing sandwich. Their investment to buy a smoker paid off. WOW..why don’t more places offer this smokey goodness?

The Smoker!!

My foodie adventures continued at Mugena which has been around for 17 years. I’ve probably passed it a hundred times but never once had eaten there.  Thanks to my foodie friend @sforzely who recommended this gem of a place that serves Caribbean food. When I walked in, I knew I scored as the place was full of Caribbean customers. While pouring over the menu, I didn’t see any vegetarian options but they were more than accomodating to make me a potato roti. I instantly fell in love with the soft dough and the filling. Next time I will order even more of the mango chutney. My taste buds really enjoy that sour sweet condiment.

will be back for another one!!

I also stopped in to chat with Michael Sutherland from Michaels Dolce who highly recommended that I try the Chai Raisin Loaf from True Loaf. WOW…this bread is so unique and has such a different flavor profile. It’s in my freezer to help me from eating the whole loaf!! True Loaf has been around since 2009 and often sells out so I called first and got there before 1 p.m!!

Great Choice!!

What else did I bring back besides bread? Oh yeah – some  of  Michaels Dolces’ Jam!! I’m so excited to sample his unique jam (think Rhubarb Pepper made with Ontario Rhubarb) that I am going to host a Jam Party so I can share the bread AND the jam. Who wants to join me?

Jam Party Anyone?

Pressed: 750 Gladstone Ottawa ON (613) 680-9294

Mugena: 911 Richmond St. Ottawa ON (613) 722-8228

True Loaf: 573 Gladstone, Ottawa ON (613) 680-4178

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