Backdrop Food & Drink (Review)

Approaching its first anniversary, I finally had the chance to lunch at Backdrop Food & Drink. Located at 160 Metcalfe Street, Backdrop replaced the Italian restaurant Chianti back in January of this year. It is run by the same owners as Grounded Kitchen and CoffeeHouse (which is one of my favourite lunch spots), so I had high hopes for this restaurant.

While I was intrigued by the outside of this new spot with its eye-catching sign and charming brick, I was less impressed with the inside décor. The tables and chairs were scattered throughout the restaurant with no apparent rhyme or reason, some on different levels and at different heights. My first thought when I walked in was that I mistakenly entered a club. Black and white walls with red curtains framed the room. While some could argue that the restaurant is hip and trendy, I would be more inclined to call it eclectic and somewhat tacky. I was not a fan of the PVC piping that was mounted around the top of the bar. Nor was I fan of the stage in the middle of the room, which was lined with four high steel-topped tables. Of course, that’s just where we happened to be seated, on display for all to see, with red spotlights shining down on us from above.

Although I was somewhat taken aback by the ambience and décor, I was impressed by the lunch menu. Not only did I like the format and design of the menu itself, I also enjoyed the numerous food options, which all sounded delicious and made it quite difficult for me to order. While the options go in many directions, even your pickiest friend would be able to find something appealing here.

After receiving some advice from the waitress, I decided to go with the Noodles for $17 and my dining companion went with the Pork Ribs for $16. The Noodles consisted of 4 large shrimp, egg, peanut satay, an array of vegetables and vermicelli. It was a very healthy serving of noodles, and the flavours were great. It had a little bit of kick to it, but not too much. I was very satisfied with my meal, but I wasn’t able to finish even half of it.
 

Noodles ($17)

The Pork Ribs also looked delicious, which were cooked in a smoked maple tea sauce and served with stout cornbread, fennel slaw, and a choice of fries, soup or salad. (You can tell from the below picture that we couldn’t wait to dig in before snapping a shot!).  

Pork Ribs ($16)

Overall, my experience at Backdrop did not live up to my high expectations. Even though the food was tasty, the service was mediocre and nothing special. The bizarre and misguided décor and stage in the middle of the restaurant also brought down my rating. I am willing, however, to give it another shot, either for brunch or dinner, whose menus look equally appealing.

Verdict: 6/10 – great menu with lots of choice, but unusual club ambience

Hours: Monday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm; Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm; Saturday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm; Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Price: Lunch options range from $12-$24

Backdrop Food and Drink, 160 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa, ON

http://thebackdrop.ca/

Christmas Baking

Every Christmas, I devote an entire day to baking Christmas treats and goodies to share with my friends and family. I slave away in the kitchen, with the assistance of my sous-chef (aka my mother) and whip up some delicious, mouth-watering creations. And this year was no different! For a solid 8 hours, we rolled dough, whipped butter, crushed candy canes, melted chocolate and drizzled icing! In the end, we created 9 scrumptious treats, which I divvied up amongst my favourite people!

Check out the below links for recipes of my creations:

• Candied Pecans: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/appetizer/candied-pecans.html#EAAIJpGXRJlyGixC.32

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles: http://www.popsugar.com/food/Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Dough-Truffles-32769392?crlt.pid=camp.OiqyEl4R2arl

• Salted Caramel Butter Bars: http://cookiesandcups.com/dont-hate-me-because-im-butter-ful/

• Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/12/12/raspberry-almond-thumbprint-cookies/

• Christmas Crack: http://www.iheartnaptime.net/christmas-crack/

• English Toffee Bites: http://www.shugarysweets.com/2012/12/almond-toffee-bites

• Peppermint Sugar Cookie Dough Bark: http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/11/peppermint-sugar-cookie-dough-bark/

• Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies: http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2013/12/oreo-peppermint-crunch-cookies/#_a5y_p=2626523

• Decorated Pretzel Rods: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/chocolate-pretzels-recipe.html

So far, I’ve received resoundingly positive feedback, especially for the Salted Caramel Butter Bars and the English Toffee Bites. What's your favourite??

Well, until next year’s baking extravaganza....

Soca Kitchen & Pub (Review)

Soca Soca Soca.....oh we had such high hopes for you. Westboro's newest eatery opened its door just one month ago on November 28th and its social media hype got Riley and I making reservations for one of their opening nights. Their Spanish inspired menu with sharing plates and raw bar was the fresh and unique taste our palates were craving.

I'll get to the food in a minute, but our overall experience was less than ideal from the moment we walked in. (This is not our usual narrative - but I thought it would be helpful to share). We had booked our reservation online weeks earlier and had received confirmation for our 4 dining guests. The front hostess seemed a little confused and had to ask about our reservation several times. A group walked in after us and was promptly seated, leaving us awkwardly standing in the open doorway, coats in hand. We were then told that we had to sit at the bar because online reservations incorporated bar seating. We were not pleased by this arrangement as we had planned on sharing our plates and catching up with friends, which the bar seats did not accommodate. After starting with a cocktail and a plate of oysters at the bar, we were finally moved to a more comfortable table once we spotted an opening and requested a move. There was obvious confusion at this point as we do not believe that the servers were notified of this change and we waited for about 10 to 15 minutes to have someone take our additional drink and food orders. We also asked for water three times before it was brought to us, and the food service was generally very slow.

Raw Bar Platter (Regularly $36, on special for $18)

Now on to the food, which was a totally different experience. We shared a number of plates on the menu, including the raw Oysters, the Snapper Ceviche, Empanadas, Yellowtail Crudo and the Octopus. Each plate was delicious, with unique flavours and seemingly fresh ingredients. The raw bar was on special so we ordered two portions. The accompanying sauces were different, but surprisingly delicious.

The Octopus was braised and came with a delicious fingerling potato salad. The Octopus was tender and not at all chewy (like squid) and the dressing from the potato salad was a perfect combination of tangy and creamy. The Yellowtail Crudo was marinated in a spicy pepper sauce and served with a fried caper salad. I'm not normally a fan of capers, but they were a pleasant addition to the flavours of the fish.

Ocotopus a la Plancha - with fingerling potato salad ($20)

The highlight of our meal was definitely the Ceviche and the Empanadas. We loved them so much that we ended up ordering two rounds of each dish. The Ceviche was a red snapper marinated in aioli lemon, avocado, red onions and fried plantains. The dish was also a decent portion and could also be ordered as a single meal. The Empanadas were tender, flaky and moist, and paired deliciously with the three different flavours of aioli dipping sauces.

Red Snapper Ceviche ($13)

Empanadas ($11)

Overall we were very pleased with the quality of food, the portion sizes and the price points. We were disappointed with the slow and miscommunicated service, but we understand that as a new restaurant they are still working out some of the kinks. Every staff member was very nice and apologetic for the confusion, so we are not tainted by the experience and will probably venture back to Soca in the future for some more Oysters and Spanish delicacies.

Let us know what you think.

Verdict: 6/10 - poor service, but delicious food. Make reservations by phone to specify seating.

Hours: Lunch served Monday to Friday from 11:30-2:30. Dinner served Monday to Friday from 5:30-10:00

Price: Plates range from $10-$25

Soca Kitchen and Pub. 93 Holland Ave, Ottawa, ON. http://www.socapub.com