Closer to Ottawa than Montreal, so I am posting it here, Chateau Montebello forced into receivership
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/chateau-montebello-sale-finances-evergrande-9.6985000
Does anyone have plans to visit Antheia, the new fermentation restaurant?
It’s on my bucket list. I missed out eating at Alice so I will have to try Antheia. And the fermented food aspect sounds interesting.
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This is unfortunate and I hope they find an investor. I haven’t been to the Chateau Montebello in years but I was impressed with their offerings. The last time I was there was on a staff retreat maybe 20 years ago and a group of us went cross counry skiing on the grounds. A few others went to the spa. I think there is a golf course and a nature reserve nearby. The only downside is that Montebello is only accessible by car and I don’t drive 
Also, I don’t think there is much to do in Montebello itself. St. Sauveur seems to have a lot of shops and restaurants in the area so there is lots to do in addition to skiing.
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This Ottawa trip is going to be mostly repeats I reckon. Tried A La Istanbul restaurant as it’s so close to the place I stay. Saved on a trip to farther places (I rarely leave the downtown area) or delivery.
Had the the signature grill platter for 2. Worth the upgrade IMO. Comes with dips and salad (not in pic)
The place is very central and right next to Rideau Mall.
Lots of food and grilled well.
Though it’s a bit loud so not really ideal for a conversation
Also spotted Akira Back in the hotel lobby. I am not willing to commit to Japanese food in Ottawa for now given my history with that type of food
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Quick stop over for dessert fix during at a somewhat mandatory visit to Elina Patisserie. Saw a few new items though stuck with the pear bailey as I enjoy pear desserts. Decent stuff as there is a dearth of good desserts in Ottawa IMO which is surprising to say the least.
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Regular stops for the rest of the evening. Visit to whalesbone on Elgin followed by drinks at Riviera. Dependable stuff so no complaints
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Late brunch at Cocotte bistro. Luckily they reservation I had the Pain Perdu. Friend had croque Madame. Despite being a large portion I didn’t enjoy the pain perdu much. Something was off the creme anglaise. Place is loud as well. Can’t really talk much at this level of noise.
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Had a meal at Pub Wells on Sussex (almost a mandatory visit to this pub as friends who are Ottawa based are regular at original and now this spot). Decided to keep it somewhat healthy. Had the salmon with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes. Typical food of what one would expect from a pub I guess. I enjoyed the setup and location of Sussex and prefer this place over the original on Preston. Food selection is slightly less then the original and beer selection seems better.
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I usually go with fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, chicken curry (some are reasonably good, depending on the pub, not sure about in Ottawa ), wings, or a burger rather than salmon or other non fried fin fish when I’m at a pub that servers food, that isn’t a gastropub.
I find many pubs and casual restos don’t know how to cook fish nicely, and might not have access to great fish.
Good fish and chips can be made with thawed haddock/ halibut/ cod, so I’m not as concerned about the turnover of the fish that goes into fish and chips
I hear ya. I just didn’t want to try the regular items here for moi as had a lunch that day which is not a normal occurrence for me. They were out of French onion soup which is decent for a pub. Otherwise I usually get their wings and on odd occasions a burger or pizza all serviceable. I feel their original location which has become quite popular is known for a neighborhood meet up spot and live music on weekends. I don’t usually go to a pub expecting good food most times.
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completely understand.
According to the Ottawa subreddit, we will be getting an Eataly at the Rideau Centre where Nordstrom was. Has anyone been and would you recommend it as a place to shop?
Well depends on how big is the store going to be no?
I live near the flagship location so go somewhat regularly. I like to pickup Alessi kitchen items when on promo , similarly for certain Italian cookies, desserts etc.
Hmmm restaurants hmm haven’t really enjoyed a meal there myself. Snacks and gelato yes.
I have also been to smaller locations at Eaton center and sherway garden in Toronto. While not as extensive a selection as the flagship they do carry a good variety of items. I haven’t really explored the Italian specific stores in Ottawa so don’t have a reference point on what’s available. I am sure they will have good mix of items that will cover all bases at least. Do signup for their loyalty card if they launch it in Ottawa. Has some decent perks.
According to Google, the store they are moving into is 157,000 square feet. There used to be a Nordstrom in that location and Eatons before that.
We have a few Italian grocers in Ottawa but they seem to be spread out so they are not concentrated in one neighbourhood. We do have an Italian grocer a block away from there. If you are familiar with Ottawa there is a store on George Street in the Byward Market called La Bottega Nicastro and it’s a lovely store. They have a lot of non perishables including a whole wall of dried pasta, a well stocked deli and sandwich counter at the back as well as a small restaurant. I could see Eataly being in serious competition with La Bottega. I’d hate to see the little guy go under but we shall see what happens. We have a Chinatown in Ottawa and a lot of pundits were worried about the stores there shutting down when T&T opened but they still seem to be drumming up business.
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Well Eataly is priced a bit on the higher side especially for meats, produce (ridiculous at times). The flagship location actually in the same building as a city market which is small but has way more variety than them and mostly priced lower and does a lot of business. I think if they are like Toronto people will end up going mostly to the food stalls and buying exotic pantry items, preparedv foods as opposed to groceries.
That’s a huge space though way bigger than the flagship store in Toronto even if they end up taking the whole thing (funny enough the one here at Eaton center also took over a small part of a defunct Nordstrom)
Eataly tends to be expensive for what it is.
I was a bigger fan from 2019-2023. I bought a lot of ready made pastas to reheat at home, salads and desserts, and ordered a lot of coffee, from 2020 to 2023, when I lived nearby
Last week, my pizza slice cost $12.90 before tax. It was good. Other equally good slices sell for $6 or $7 elsewhere.
They do participate in Too Good To Go app with their produce. Maybe they will do that in Ottawa, as well.
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