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Ottawa food scene gets national recognition

Two Ottawa restaurants make it into enRoute magazine’s annual ‘best’ list

Ottawa’s burgeoning food scene has been given national recognition with the inclusion of two city establishments in enRoute magazine’s annual list of Top 10 New Restaurants in Canada.

Atelier, where innovative chef Marc Lépine ‘cooks’ wonderfully imaginative dishes using molecular cuisine techniques, is No. 4.
And Murray Street, where chef Steve Mitton has come up a succulent new take on traditional favourites, is next on the 2009 list at No. 5.

Ottawa is the only city, other than Toronto, to have two restaurants on the list, which can be found at http://enRoute.aircanada.com/en/articles/canada-best-new-restaurants-2009.

Speaking about Atelier, enRoute writes that Lépine’s “labour of love is one of those rare science-inspired kitchens where the food isn’t a chore to eat – it’s maddeningly good.”

As for Murray Street, the magazine says “Mitton’s accomplished kitchen does Upper Canadian farmhouse cooking at its exuberant best, with an occasional lusty nod to Quebec.”

Each year, enRoute publishes a list of the new restaurants that advance Canada’s culinary identity. “They are all places where we deem that the overall dining experience will have a lasting and significant impact on our restaurant culture,” the magazine notes.

The inclusion of two Ottawa restaurants on the list is recognition of the coming-of-age of the capital’s food scene. Over the last few years, Ottawa has seen the creation of a vibrant new farmers’ market and Savour Ottawa, a group dedicated to promoting Ottawa as a year-round culinary destination.

Meanwhile, established restaurants such as Domus Café, Le Baccara and the Empire Grill have been joined by exciting newcomers such as Brookstreet, Metropolitain Brasserie and Stephen Beckta’s new Play, while under new chef Michael Blackie, the National Arts Centre’s Le Café is getting a new lease on life.