Ottawan foodies line up for Gezellig

Ottawa Travel Guide

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Wednesday, 24 October 2012 16:32

On Monday, October 23, the latest venture by Ottawa entrepreneur Stephen Beckta opened its doors to an eager crowd of foodies who have been waiting for a seat ever since they first heard of the restaurant's arrival. The days leading up to the grand opening were perhaps even more stressful for the wait staff and chefs than the Monday reveal, as family, friends and contractors were invited for preview meals to test the establishment's efficiency.

Beckta is known in the capital for having opened two other popular restaurants, Beckta Dining and Wine as well as Play Food and Wine, which are both among the most respected eateries in the capital city.

Travellers staying at a hotel in Ottawa needn't go far to have an impeccable meal at Gezellig, which is located in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Westboro. The menu items, which were created and perfected by the executive chef Mike Moffatt, put a more casual touch on otherwise gourmet dishes, making fine dining much more accessible to people with any budget.

"We're really trying to bring our style to a neighbourhood restaurant," Moffatt told Ottawa Magazine in an exclusive interview. "By reputation, we'll end up with lots of destination diners, but we really want the restaurant to serve the [Westboro] neighbourhood."

Dishes at Gezellig include anything from rich Thai-inspired soups like the seafood chowder, which is chock full with oysters, sweet carrots, purple potatoes and shrimp, as well as delicious Italian plates like sweetbread carpaccio and malfatti pasta with braised pork. With a lengthy wine list to match, there's no way that foodies who travel through Canada will have anything short of a spectacular meal.