Ottawa Foodies

Edible art, for sure. Performance art, perhaps.

Had a very playful meal at Atelier, skipping through the 12 courses and matching beverages -- from caviar to candy canes, ice wine to beer. All gorgeously plated and served with an abundance of knowledge by the wait staff and sommelier, Steve Robinson.

I admit, some of the dishes set before me were more visually interesting than mouth-watering, but overall, it was an experience well worth the time (4 hours) and money (not much really, at $75 for the 12 courses and the optional $55 for the beverage matches).

What particularly delighted me was the "Pork and Beans", pictured here, and the "Six Degrees of Bacon" dessert. Shredded pork from lovely Aartje denBoer's organic farm out in the Vankleek Hill area east of Ottawa, played on the plate with several beans... follow the butterscotch trail to find the next bean on the plate, pierce, eat, and hop along to the next bean. In what could be construed as a "hoity toity" food experience, I found great humour in this and other combinations and platings.

Such as the "Six Degrees of Bacon" -- I think you know the reference. Six small sweet concoctions were laid out in a semi-circle on the plate, with the instructions to eat them in order moving clockwise. Samples included apple pie and a brownie... all ending in carmelized bacon ice cream! Hey, it works!

The fun reached crescendo pitch with the green pop rocks on some deconstructed corner store candy. Very gutsy of the chef, but did I really want to eat it? Like I said, an art exhibit, or performance art, with a cat and mouse dare between chef and eater. Thought-provoking to be sure.

After the marathon, we were invited into the kitchen for a look see. Now THAT's worth the visit alone. No burners, deep fryers... no exhaust fans and hoods even. It was QUIET. Induction heat stove tops, an anti-grill for deep freezing, blow torches and high speed whipping gadgetry... very very cool stuff.

Anyone who accesses this foodie site is a good client candidate for Atelier. As the name implies, it's a creative mash up done with style.

Oh, and did I mention how hard ass chef Marc Lepine is about sourcing from local producers, and foraging then freezing such native delicacies as sumac? Now I have. Bonus points for caring, Marc.

According to Ron Eade`s Omnivore`s Ottawa Blog
www.communities.canada.com

Atelier is due to open on Wednesday, November 12th. For more info see Ron`s Blog and the entry for November 8th.

They're working there. It's still closed. It seems cool.

Has anyone tried this place yet? Sounds intriguing. My first thought when I visited the website was "Hmmm... reminds me of Alinea in Chicago". Sure enough, when I read about the chef, he spent time at Grant Achatz's restaurant in Chicago while formulating the concept for this restaurant. I'm excited to try it. I'll be very interested to see how it "goes over" in Ottawa -- a different concept than other places in the city(for instance, the singular option of a 12-course tasting menu). Based on the very short sample menu descriptions, the chef seems to be a fan of molecular gastronomy -- I believe he introduced some element of this at Courtyard and it went over fairly well.

Chef Marc Lepine opted to share some of his miracle fruit with his restaurant's New Years Eve diners. Pretty cool!

www.cbc.ca