Black Dog Bistro
5540 Main St., Manotick
www.blackdogbistro.ca
(613) 692-3779
Rating: *** 1/2
Dinner & drinks for 2: $70
The buzz from the diners at Black Dog Bistro is good-humoured in this intimate, charming old house in the village of Manotick.
I’m a sucker for mushroom soup, and luckily the soup special was made with earthy and pleasant Portobello ($5). It was served with a crust of baguette on the side for soaking what you’d like to lick off the bottom of the bowl at the end. One of the best appetizers was the Chicken Brie Flatbread ($13), a meal in its own right. A layer of flatbread, spread with garlicky pesto, caramelized onions, sautéed Portobello mushrooms and hunks of melted brie. It was memorable.
I ordered the Black Dog Chicken ($24) which sounded promising with its Brandy truffle cream sauce, but it was ho-hum, shy of taste without the bones or crispy skin. My partner was swayed by a neighbouring table who were raving about the Day’s Special Striploin with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese Sauce ($24). The medium steak was executed perfectly and paired well with the slightly sweet and pungent sauce.
Black Dog likes chocolate: Five of the six dessert offerings included it in their ingredient list. We shared a Chocolate Pecan Tart ($6) that arrived at our table microwaved to a point well past warm and closer to scalding. After letting it cool, we enjoyed its buttery, crunchy, chocolate goodness.
Dining out
Taste of Japan
Genji creates Japanese delicacies, from sushi and sashimi to tempura and teriyaki. 175 Lisgar St. (613) 236-2880
Rural Eats
Enjoy a rural eatery in the heart of the Ottawa Valley, less than an hour west of Ottawa. The menu at Castlegarth changes every day and uses fresh organic vegetables. 90 Burnstown Rd. White Lake, (613) 623-3472.
Chef Challenge
Be a judge at Juniper’s Dueling Chef Challenge this Monday at Allium from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., $135/person. A competition will take place every Monday until March 15 at participating local restaurants.
