Savouring Ottawa: The ByWard Market - Gastro Alley - Oz Kafe

Who doesn't love taking the train?

Okay, this poster has nothing to do with food either...

The ByWard Market is situated at the city's heart and an important part of the history of our nation's capital. The manager is banking on a local-foods only approach, to ensure that the market has a bright and lasting future.

Below: Our parliament buildings are in the background and to the left, "The Laff"-- both a part of my Ottawa (I studied political science at Carleton U).

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North of the main market is a Murray Street, which has been nicknamed "Gastro Alley". The street is known for its leading edge cuisine, sincere emphasis on shockingly fresh local and artisanal ingredients, and an atmosphere of casually laid back cool: http://foodmode.com/online/index.php/2008091981/news/latest/gastro.html

Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro came as a tasteful yet colourful surprise. I'm sad that the photos were so blurry so I'm not going to share any. You can check out their website, however: http://www.sweetgrassbistro.ca/ A husband and wife team have created a welcoming place where it's easy to experiment with new ingredients and combinations. Get this: "he" is Jamaican like me -- now that's eclectic!

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Saturday night out with the ladies... dinner at Oz on Elgin Street.


Cast-iron grilled bison flank steak, roasted parsnips and more... wow. I should have snapped one of our cute-but-not-quite-competent waiter, too!