Let’s Go Ottawa
A guide to beer in and around Ottawa
- Wednesday, 11 August 2010 04:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
The distinctive ceramic swing-top bottles are now used for Beau's seasonal brews.If you’re visiting Ottawa, and work up a thirst while touring the region, you may want to indulge in a local pint. Here’s a guide:
Sidle on in to a one of Ottawa’s many drinking establishments (we’re really partial to pubs, you know!) and order a Beau’s. That’s short for Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company, a great family-run brewery that just celebrated its 4th anniversary in July. Their signature brew, Lug Tread Lagered Ale, is deliciously refreshing and has won several awards, including Best Beer in Ontario at the Golden Taps Awards. They’re located in Vankleek Hill, about an hour’s drive east of downtown Ottawa, and at dozens and dozens of great bars and restaurants in Ottawa, eastern Ontario and now even Toronto. They provide the beer at the annual Ottawa International Jazz Festival and many other events. Check out their seasonal beers as well, including Bog Water Dirty Brown Ale, Beaver River, or Night Märzen.
Heritage Brewing has been around since 2000 and features a Premium Lager and a Traditional Dark Lager. Their seasonal beers are great, too, including the fun Maple Bush Lager, made with maple sap instead of water. It’s only available at the end of spring and sells out every year. Delicious, with a hint of maple flavour. Their brewery is at 866 Campbell Avenue in the west end of Ottawa and they share it with the Scotch Irish Brewing Company. Scotch Irish is known for their ales, including a very hoppy Sgt. Major India Pale Ale.
Donna from Heritage showing off her beer!The newest beer in town was launched in April/May of 2010. It’s named after the original aboriginal moniker for the Ottawa River and the Kichesippi Beer Co. currently brews a pale ale known as Natural Blonde. This beer can be found at several Ottawa locations, including Whalesbone Oyster House, The Manx, ZenKitchen and D’Arcy McGee’s.
The HogsBack Brewing Company launched only a handful of weeks earlier than Kichesippi. Brewed in small batches, and made from all-natural ingredients, HogsBack Vintage Lager can be enjoyed at the Black Tomato and the Fish Market Restaurant in the ByWard Market neighbourhood and the Wellington Gastropub in West Wellington.
You might also enjoy a visit to one of the three Clocktower Brew Pub locations for some of their original brews—the original is at 575 Bank Street in the Glebe, the second location is on 422 Mackay Street in New Edinburgh and the newest location is at 89 Clarence Street in the ByWard Market neighbourhood.
Cheers!
Have you heard? Lesser-known August treats
- Thursday, 05 August 2010 04:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
The Ottawa Folk Festival not only has great music, it has great sunsets over the Ottawa River!You may be familiar with the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival (on till August 7), or the Casino du Lac-Leamy‘s spectacular Sound of Light fireworks show (August 7-21, Saturdays and Wednesdays) — they are justifiably two of the best-known and best-loved events in August in Ottawa.
But there are plenty of other events this month that visitors might not be aware of. Read on!
Capital Hoedown: This is a brand new country music festival, to be held August 5, 6 and 7 at the Rideau Carleton Entertainment Centre. Headliners include Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson. Yahoo!
Outdoor movies: For the next two Friday and Saturday nights (August 6-7, 13-14), you can catch movies in Dundonald Park on Somerset Street West downtown — bring your own lawn chairs and munchies! Pay-what-you-can.
Pipefest 2010: A collection of pipe bands, drummers and Highland Dancers will raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society on Parliament Hill on Saturday, August 7.
Theatre options: You have until August 14 to catch The Andrews Brothers at the Gladstone Theatre – a cross-dressing comedy set in the South Pacific during World War II. Or check out Summer Fling — a Theatrical Affair, a series of performances around Downtown Rideau until August 28.
Puppets Up! International Festival of Puppetry: It’s worth the drive west of Ottawa to the beautiful small community of Almonte this weekend (August 7-8) to see 54 world-class puppet shows in tented or storefront theatres.
Ottawa Folk Festival: This festival (August 13-15) has one of the best vibes of the year. A beautiful location on the Ottawa River definitely helps, but so do the friendly volunteers, the good food and the top-notch music, with The Acorn, Calexico, The Foggy Hogtown Boys, Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans Band, The Jim Cuddy Band and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott all set to perform.
Stinky Weekend: Believe it or not, there are two great garlic festivals over the weekend of August 14-15: one in Perth and one at the Carp Farmers’ Market.
Caribe-Expo: Check out the Caribbean flavours on the weekend of August 14-15 in downtown Ottawa.
Fortissimo: 
The Ottawa Police Service Pipe Band played Fortissimo a few years ago.I’m a sucker for military music and Fortissimo is the best. Pipes and drums, lots of marching and usually some fun team competitions (one year, each team built a bridge, dismantled a cannon, then transported it and rebuilt it on the other side to fire — the winners won by literally a split second — amazing!). Catch it — free — August 12-15 on Parliament Hill.
Great outdoor patios in Ottawa
- Tuesday, 03 August 2010 04:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
Ottawans love their patios. Whenever we can sit outside, we do. Here’s a short guide to some of the most unique patios in town, listed by neighbourhood.
The restaurants and bars of the ByWard Market neighbourhood are experts at maximizing sidewalk dining space. But some of the nicest patios aren’t on the sidewalk at all!
The Tin House Courtyard in fall -- the Black Thorn patio is barely visible on the right.Visit the courtyards behind the shops on Sussex Drive for cobblestoned bliss! The Clarendon Courtyard (between George and York Streets) is home to no less than 5 restaurants: Social, Black Tomato, the Clarendon, Mamma Grazzi’s Kitchen and the aptly named Courtyard Restaurant (which is due to reopen in September after a small fire in its kitchen area in July 2010). Two blocks north, you’ll find the Tin House Courtyard and its greenspace, fountain and tin façade of a house mounted on a huge stone wall. The Black Thorn Café has a great view of it all, making it one of Ottawa’s most romantic patios.
The Grand Pizzeria & Bar at the corner of William and George Streets is probably the largest patio in town and offers some of the best people-watching opportunities in town (plus it’s near the original BeaverTails pastry stand — that’s handy for dessert!). The Hard Rock Café at 73 York Street is also a huge space, with rockin’ good tunes (check out the upstairs patio, too!). Both are family-friendly.
More intimate options include the hidden gem behind Murray Street (110 Murray Street), with its romantic grape vines, fountains and various representations of pigs! Neighbouring Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro (108 Murary Street) has a similar off-the-street space that will delight.
Another great people-watching corner is Clarence Street at Parent Avenue and you can go upscale outside at Empire Grill and watch the action over steak, or enjoy a pint and a pie at the Heart & Crown pub (frankly you’ll be amazed at all the nooks and crannies — inside and out — at the whole Irish Village complex, not to mention the live music every night).
RIDEAU CANAL
It can be romantic to dine overlooking the beautiful Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that winds its way through downtown. One
option is to dine within another impressive national institution, the National Arts Centre, Canada’s premier performing arts venue. Le Café is located at the level of the Rideau Canal, very close to where Paul’s Boat Lines offers Rideau Canal cruises, and you’ll find delicious offerings from across Canada, including an impressive Sunday brunch (reservations recommended).
Farther down the Canal, on Queen Elizabeth Drive at Fifth Avenue, is the Canal Ritz, a casual Italian restaurant that juts out into the waters of the Canal. Very picturesque!
There are also three restaurants — all with patios — overlooking Dows Lake and the floral beds and arboretum that surround it: the casual pub Malone’s Lakeside Grill, the fun Tex-Mex cantina Mexicali Rosa’s and the beautiful Lago Bar / Grill / View, with the most impressive wrap-around patio overlooking the lake.
ELGIN STREET
Don’t miss the beautifully decorated patio at D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub on the Sparks Street Mall at Elgin Street. There’s always a good time brewing at this lively pub!n Farther down Elgin Street, at #283, you’ll find the Fox & the Feather, another great pub with a second-floor patio overlooking the action on the street.
OTHER NEIGHBOURHOODS
In Chinatown (Somerset Street West), it can be rare to find an outdoor patio, but ZenKitchen doesn’t disappoint, either with its comfy front porch or its tasty morsels. This gourmet vegan restaurant sports a varied clientele that more often than not includes serious carnivores who are drawn by the kitchen’s dedication to presenting flavourful food!
Great Tex Mex can be found at various Lone Star Texas Grill restaurants around town, many of which have patios. They’re a great option for celebrations, teams and other large groups with large appetites!
You can explore Ottawa’s fascination with pubs in Little Italy (Preston Street), too. Pub Italia has a great patio space overlooking the street and features Italian comfort food with an extensive beer list (both draught and bottles).
New Edinburgh (the neighbourhood of Rideau Hall, home and workplace of Canada’s Governor General) has some gems including the tiny Zazaza pizza place with same-size patio (143 Putman at Beechwood, no website), the delicious Fraser Café (technically no patio but the windows open wide — it’s just too good to leave off the list!), and the casual rooftop pub at the New Edinburgh Pub.
Rideau Canal Festival & Buskerfest bring delights this weekend!
- Wednesday, 28 July 2010 04:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
Last year's début of the Musical Breeze Bike Parade was well attended!The third annual Rideau Canal Festival runs this weekend, from Friday, July 30 through Monday, August 2. While all of Ontario has Monday off as a “civic holiday,” in Ottawa that holiday is named Colonel By Day, after the Royal Engineer who spearheaded the building of the Rideau Canal.
Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, the Rideau Canal stretches 202 km (126 miles) to Kingston and the St. Lawrence River. It was built for a military purpose (to serve as an alternative route to get troops and supplies between Kingston and Montréal in case the Americans ever blockaded the St. Lawrence) but was never used for that purpose.
Now it’s a beautiful series of waterways, locks and canals. In winter, a 7.8km (4.8-mile) ortion in Ottawa becomes the world’s largest naturally frozen ice rink. In summer, recreational boaters, cruises and paddlers plie the waters, while cyclists, inline skaters and runners use the recreational pathways along its banks.
The Rideau Canal Festival endeavours to be environmentally friendly, encouraging visitors to cycle, walk or use public transportation to visit its main sites, including the Bytown Museum, Confederation Park and Dows Lake area. You can enjoy a Buy Local Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 11:30am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm where local chefs use local products in delicious presentations. Or participate in Saturday’s Musical Breeze Bicycle Parade, held in conjunction with the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, where cyclists are encouraged to participate with their bicycle bells and other noisemakers in musical performances along the Canal.
Some of the most popular attractions are the flotillas — the nighttime flotilla at Dows Lake on Saturday night followed by fireworks and the daytime flotilla on Sunday, leaving Dows Lake at 2:00pm on its way to the National Arts Centre downtown.
New this year is a salute to the Badaling Great Wall of China, and the other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China, to be found in Confederation Park at the World Heritage Plaza. Crafts, performing arts and a sneak preview of the magnificent Chinese Archway currently being constructed in Ottawa’s Chinatown on Somerset Street West near Bronson await!
And if you’re downtown for the Rideau Canal Festival, you’ll also want to check out the Ottawa Busker Festival on the pedestrian Sparks Street Mall heading west from Elgin Street (July 29-August 2). There’s no admission charge, but if you’re charmed by the performers, you’re expected to contribute a loonie or toonie or two at the end! You’ll be amazed at the quality and variety of street performers on hand.
Lesser-known events happening soon
- Thursday, 22 July 2010 04:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
Like my previous post on the weird collection of photos that end up on my BlackBerry, sometimes I hear about so many cool events, it’s hard to keep track. Here are a few, all coming up in the next couple weeks, to look out for here in Ottawa.
Orchestras in the Park: Free concerts by the National Arts Centre Orchestra on LeBreton Flats (outside the Canadian War Museum). Four nights of performances, July 22-25, including Canada’s own Nikki Yanofsky on Saturday.
Ottawa Turkish Festival: A free event this weekend (July 23-25) in Confederation Park downtown. All things Turkish, including music, dancing and delicious food!
Some concerts at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival are in beautiful downtown churches -- like Dominion Chalmers United Church, shown here -- but on July 24 and 25, you can hear free concerts outdoors at Rideau Hall, the home and workplace of Canada's Governor General!Free concerts at Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival: Okay, so people have heard about the Chamber Music Festival, July 24-August 7 (it’s the world’s largest, after all!). But did you know that they offer 4 free concerts at Rideau Hall on July 24 and 25? Bring a picnic and enjoy!
Midsummer Herbfest: A nice drive west through the countryside on Sunday, July 25 will bring you to the Herb Garden just outside Almonte. Spend a day learning about herbs, enjoying a chef cook-off and meeting some cool people!
Odyssey Theatre: Like my post on a Company of Fools, Odyssey Theatre performs outdoors in the beautiful Strathcona Park in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood just east of downtown. From July 29 to August 29, after a hiatus of a couple years, they’ll be back in action with the world premier of Janet Irwin’s They All Do It, inspired by Mozart’s opera, Così fan tutte. Great fun!
Wellington West 1st Thursday Art Walk: On the first Thursday of every month, the art galleries of Wellington West, a dynamic, funky neighbourhood in the near west of Ottawa, open their doors from 5 to 9pm. Wander in and see what’s happening! If you like that, you’ll love the guided art gallery walking tour offered every Saturday from May 1 through October 31 in the ByWard Market neighbourhood. It starts at the great Gordon Harrison Gallery on Murray Street.
Pipefest 2010: A collection of pipe bands, drummers and Highland Dancers will raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society on Parliament Hil on Saturday, August 7. This is part of a 24-hour, worldwide initiative. And if you like Pipefest, you’ll love the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville, east of Ottawa, on July 30 and 31. Tons of Scottish fun!
Capital Hoedown: This is a brand new country music festival, to be held August 5, 6 and 7 at the Rideau Carleton Entertainment Centre. Headliners include Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson. Yahoo!
So get out there and enjoy!
