Ottawa chefs getting experimental with rotating restaurants

Ottawa Travel Guide

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Friday, 05 October 2012 16:34

Anyone who has seen television shows like "Iron Chef" and "Chopped" know that professional cooks are always up for a challenge, and the same goes for Ottawa-based chefs. Steve Mitton, owner and head chef at Murray Street, has put together a band of adventurous and experimental cooks to create a culinary adventure once a month at restaurants throughout the Canadian capital.

Currently, this motley crew includes Marc Doiron, Arup Jana, Marc Lepine, Chris Deraiche, Jamie Stunt and Pat Garland - all of whom are prominent chefs in Ottawa.

Mitton got the idea from a similar group based in Toronto, called the Group of Seven Chefs, who challenge each other to come up with unique menu items based on a key ingredient every month. For the first round of dinners, which will be on October 22 at Mitton's Murray Street restaurant, the theme of the meal will be pork.

The skinny on Murray Street
Meat is no stranger to Mitton, whose restaurant serves up meals that will make any carnivore squeal. Even the traditional poutine gets a mountain of shredded duck leg confit on top of it, while entree items like Dan's Beef include pastry-wrapped meatloaf, deep-fried braised short rib and a generous slathering of gravy. Knowing full well that some of his customers might not want to eat meat, Mitton also came up with a vegetarian shepherd's pie, which is made with quinoa, mushrooms and roasted garlic.

Guests staying at Ottawa accommodations may want to keep their eye on when the next event is going to happen.