As a Toronto-area native, I like to think I know a thing or two about finding tasty and diverse cuisine. So, when I moved to Ottawa for school, I made it my mission to curate a bucket list of foods everyone needs to try when they come to the city. Here are 5 foods in Ottawa that you must get a taste of while you’re in the city!
1. An Italian sub from Di Rienzo’s Grocery
Located at 111 Beech Street in the heart of Little Italy, Di Rienzo’s Grocery has been a staple of the Ottawa community for decades. While the tiny store has hot pasta dishes, locally-made goods and all the ingredients you need to make a home-cooked meal, the real star of the show is the famous Italian sandwich! You can customize your sandwich any way you’d like, and it was even featured in Ottawa Life Magazine last year. It’s definitely a must-try –– this sandwich is genuinely huge (the size of your head) and less than $10!
2. A Milkshake from Elgin Street Diner
Elgin Street Diner at 374 Elgin Street is famously open 24/7/365 –- it never closes, not during holidays, power outages or even tornadoes. When you head over to Elgin Street Diner, you need to try one of their 20 milkshake varieties! In my opinion, their food and milkshakes taste the best when it’s 2 o’clock in the morning and you and your friends want something tasty. Worth a visit!
3. Poutine from Fritomania
Fritomania is a tiny, takeout-only restaurant in the parking lot of a plaza in Orléans. Located at 2442 St. Joseph Blvd, their poutine is absolutely legendary! Of course, you can get a classic poutine (can you think of anything better than crispy fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds?!), or you can take it a step further and add on sausage, bacon or even popcorn chicken! Fritomania is one of the best places in Ontario (or maybe even Quebec) to get a poutine, and it’s definitely something to add to your bucket list.
4. Signature Ramen from Koichi Ramen
In the centre of Chinatown at 832 Somerset Street, this noodle house truly brings an authentic taste of Japan to the city. Its head chef, Koichi Paxton, trained with ramen chefs in Japan to perfect his craft, and you can really tell! My favourite dish is the signature ramen, and I like to add extra garlic and bok choy. As winter fast approaches in Ottawa, this is the spot to fill your belly with warm and tasty soup.
5. Earl Grey Shortbread Ice Cream from the Merry Dairy
This. Ice. Cream. This ice cream leaves me speechless every single time! The Merry Dairy at 102 Fairmont Avenue is locally-owned and uses dairy from local suppliers, and I’m confident in stating that it’s the best ice cream (or even the best dessert) in all of Ottawa. The ice cream is incredibly creamy and delicious, and in the summer it’s not unusual to find a long line right out the door given its popularity. They regularly rotate their flavours and try out new ones, but if you’re able to get your hands on a cone of the earl grey shortbread flavour, you will not be disappointed as it has real chunks of shortbread and a vibrant London Fog taste. As a bonus, this holiday season they’ll be featuring specialty flavours like peppermint crackle!
As my time in Ottawa comes to an end, these five foods might just be what I’ll miss the most once I graduate (sorry friends, profs and school!). Do you know an Ottawa food that should have made this list? Let us know @HCcarleton!