Ottawa Foodies

what can i say? they're hit and miss, but they're more hit than miss.

we stopped at stoneface dolly's today after ultimate (frisbee), at around 1:45 or so, maybe a bit later. they were still packed! i'm not sure why, if it was a slow day in the kitchen, or if everyone wanted brunch late today. either way, it seemed awfully strange, and not a good way to run business.

so, we turned on our heel and went to jak's. our timing was perfect, which is why, in part, the service was fast. my SO had the double standard, and i had the omlette special (portobello, tomato, goat cheese and rosemary) which was the best omlette i have had in a long time. with coffee for me, and juice for him it was around $25, which is a bit less than SFD.

like i said, when they're on, they're on. and when they're busy, you turn your heel and find somewhere else.
lesson learned.

Had brunch today (Sunday). Was a little concerned when we pulled up at Jak's (doesn't look like much of a restaurant), but changed mind upon entering. Nice decor & was immediately greeted and given coffee.
I had the omelette special - zucchini, gruyere, carmelized onions, portabello mushrooms. K had Eggs Blackstone (two poached eggs, bacon, tomato on english muffins). Both were well presented and tasted great. Will go back.

Jak's Kitchen is good. But they cannot deal with a crowd.

This was the lesson I learnt today when my partner & I went for brunch at Jak's. We have been about 3 times since I wrote my review on July 24 (see below), and until now, we have always been impressed. But the restaurant has also only been half full.

The first problem was seating. We waited about 15 minutes to be seated at a small corner table, right by the door, where one chair was on the carpet. At the same time, a table for four was being cleared. I asked the waiter if we could switched and her reply was quite snappy, but she obliged.

The second table was no better, as it was right by the door, and so we felt a bit like an exhibit at the zoo as new patrons wandering in had no place to stand but hovering over us.

We ordered immediately, each of us going for an omlette. His had portobello mushrooms, bacon, shallots and Balderson cheddar with a bagel on the side. Mine was with Cambozola cheese, pear and walnut, with a side of sourdough.

Some 40 minutes later, we got our food. During this time my coffee was not filled once, nor was his water. There were also two instances of mismanagement of tables.

My sourdough was not sourdough, but rather white, thin Wonder-like bread. His "bagel" was a half-bagel...which would be fine if that's what we were promised.

I couldn't find a trace of pear in the omlette, and only two walnuts, with a hint of Cambozola cheese, a HINT. Needless to say, when I first stumbled upon Jak's, a month ago, I was thrilled to find beautiful, thinly sliced pears laced with the perfect amount of tangy, zesty Cambozola. The homefries, more a roasted potato were hot, but terribly undercooked. The accompanying side salad was mediocre.

Not once during the meal were we asked how things were, nor was my coffee filled up. We had to ask twice for more water, and when the bill came, we made sure to walk it up to the cash, so as to not be forgotten again.

In the end, we were there over an hour and a bit. This is fine, for dinner, and lingering, and drinks and dessert. But, for brunch, when you feel rushed because you have six or seven other patrons breathing down your neck....less so.

The particularly ironic thing about this experience? They only have 13 tables.

Jak's is a wonderful place to go for a meal, just as long as the place is at half capacity.

I have been around for the transition from the Old Stone Faced Dollies from the time the new owners took over back in August 2006 to the new and much improved Jak's Kitchen today. There is hardly any resemblance to the old restaurant pre-take over days and I think that it is a great thing. Not to knock the old owners or food as I never went in under the original owners. But I feel like the restaurant had a cloud of the past hanging over and it's tough to start your own thing when constantly being compared to the old. The new look of Jak's Kitchen along with the new chef and food is amazing. It is a huge improvement in my opinion from the cafeteria style decor and ordinary food. I encourage everyone reading this to make a reservation and enjoy a real high quality meal in a beautiful environment at a reasonable price. You will NOT be disappointed. I am personally very tired of going downtown to 'high end' restaurants where there is no personal touch, cold atmosphere and food that is expensive but frankly not good. You eat here once and it will become your new favourite place to dine out:)

2 thumbs up:)))

The first review was a little premature. Jak's kitchen has recently undergone a substantial change. New, cleaner, more contemporary decor, new menu and new chef.

Almost all vestiges of the old Stoneface Dolly's are gone. No more crowded "mom's kitchen" style tables & chairs. Instead, there are clean, modern furnishings and a comfortable banquette along the north wall. The menu is much more contemporary as well, thanks to the new chef. The only "Dolly-esque" feature they retained are the Saturday & Sunday brunches -- though I'm sure the menu has changed there too.

Though I enjoyed my meal immensely, I'll refrain from giving you a full review of the food, as the new chef is actually my brother, but I highly recommend giving it a second look.

I am shocked that you have recieved a thumbs down already. I have been to Stoneface Dollys before for breakfast, and I found it to be nothing that special really. I have also been to Jak's only once and I found it to be quite nice. I really enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere was great. I did feel a little like I was being rushed out of there after I had finished my meal, and the waitress wasnt all smiles, in fact I dont think she did smile. But all in all, I would recommend Jak's kitchen to everyone for breakfast, it was a spectacular meal and the coffee was nice and fresh.

I am a member of DCFD's (Dinner Club For Drunks) and there are a good number of us now. We have decided to partake in dinner at Jak's Kitchen this friday. So check out our blog in a few days to see how this Restaurant pans out in our polls. I am looking forward to testing the waters (beers) and eating a hearty, fresh meal.

Dan

My husband and I went back to this restaurant after it was bought by the new owner and changed names. It turns out that Jak is the initials of the owner, hence the odd spelling. But it is not the only thing that is odd about it.

Stone Face Dollies (old name) was a great place for a nice dinner and great value for your money. The decor has not changed much and the menu is the same so far. But the similarities end there. This time when we went, we were greeted by a very abrupt waitress in torn jeans, who at one point even accidentally took our wine bottle away. The cutlery was not very clean and there were flies and a bee on the window beside me. These are all little things but they distract from the enjoyment of the meal, which still tasted failry good, but again, not quite as good as I remember. The potato crusted goat cheese salad was more potato than cheese and a bit dry. I do not remember what we had for mains. We skipped dessert.

I do not think we are the only one who see the restaurant making a turn for the worse. On a Friday eve when it would normally be very busy, there was only one other couple when we arrived and after they left during our appetizer, we were the only ones left. This was a bit awkward.

I don't know how much longer it will survive if the staff outnumber the patrons. I think we may try it one more time with the other couple we usually dine with, but I am not overly optimistic.

I always saw Stonefaced Dolly's as being the best breakfast in town, no competition. However, as the months got warmer, I noticed an increasingly large line out their door (despite construction), and an increasingly short temper on their wait staff (whom I love dearly).

As a result, my partner and I tried Jak's a few weeks ago, and we are hooked. Not only is there no wait (though about half to 3/4 of the tables are full) to get in, the food is downright incredible, and the three times that we've been in the last two months, we have been impressed with the service.

The double standard breakfast (3 eggs, two meats, roasted potatoes, double order of toast, and fruit) is a good value and their other specialities breakfasts (omlettes with ridiculously amazing cheese, veggies and meats, or macs--fried eggs on your choice of bread with equally amazing toppings) are equally good in value and down right wonderful.

The only thing that this place is lacking is some good pancakes (found at Stonefaced Dolly's), otherwise I see them succeeding in the long run on account of word of mouth.