Frankly, I NEED your assistance! Here’s how and why:

Although The Un-Cookbook is already available through many traditional sales channels such as your local bookstore or online through Amazon, Kindle, Googlebooks amongst many others, we realize that in today’s connected world, many would prefer to receive the book in an unrestricted digital format such as pdf. Although many books, including our own, are already available in various digital formats, there are often several obstacles that must be overcome before the reader can get maximum portability from their purchase. Often, you need special software to read a specific format (ePub, Kindle etc.) and you are unable to easily move the product between platforms or devices. That is why we chose the pdf format! It is available on all operating systems and device types.  In addition, the file itself can be easily transported and imported.

In the past, when using a recipe in the kitchen, you first had to locate the appropriate book, recipe card or scrap of paper and then somehow prop it up in view so you could follow the instructions as you worked. I would be prepared to bet that many of your favourites are splattered, bent, dog-eared and generally worse for wear. Now, you can carry our Un-Cookbook on your smartphone, netbook, laptop, tablet or any other device. It is always at your fingertips and can be searched instantly for that recipe or cooking hint or tip.

As you can see from the above reprint of the cover, a prospective purchaser or reader cannot really get a good feel for the contents of the book. For this reason we have produced a full introduction to The Un-Cookbook here.  However, we are still missing some critical elements to make our sales page. We still need some reader reviews. This is where you come in!

I am going to shamelessly bribe you to help me out. First, I am going to offer you a copy of the Un-Cookbook at a ridiculously low price. Until February 14th, 2012, I am going to change the normal  low price of $11.95 right down to $6.95. This reduction will NOT be advertised on the actual product page, so you will only see it on the order form after you hit the ‘buy’ button.

After you have had a chance to read and experiment with our book, I  am going to ask you to write a review of the product in the comments section of the Un-Cookbook page.

For every one who submits a review, I will send you a copy of our latest product offering: Valentine’s Day Recipes, currently selling for $14.95, absolutely FREE and just in time for Valentine’s day. It will help you to score brownie points with your loved-one. You could simply give it to him/her as a gift or better still, make a special Valentine’s Day meal from its pages and REALLY impress!

Furthermore, should I decide to incorporate your review, or any part thereof, into the sales page, I will send you a personally-signed, hardcover edition of The Un-Cookbook completely free of charge. Even an unsigned copy is priced at $31.95 but one with an inscription from Canada’s Un-Chef could become priceless

Anyone who had been in our car as we made our recent foray across the river and into the wilds of Gatineau would attest to the fact that I did little, on this particular evening to counter the male stereotype of one who eschews directions. Having a pre-conceived and, as it would subsequently turn out, totally erroneous notion of where we were going (Rue Jacques Cartier),  I crossed the Alexandra Bridge and discovered that Jacques Cartier Park and Rue Jacques Cartier are not as close as one might imagine! My second mistake, once having decided to leave the directions to our otherwise normally fairly trustworthy Tom-Tom. When I entered Jacques Cartier, it told me that it was 5.5 kms away. The street number of the restaurant which I entered from memory appeared invalid, so I accepted the alternative offered by the device.

5.5kms later, the GPS cheerfully announced: ‘ You have reached your destination!’  The only problem was that there was no restaurant in sight. We drove the length of the street hoping that we would espy our desired location. No such luck! We stopped and attempted to look up the restaurant address on my smartphone. Unfortunately, the battery was too low to accomplish this task and we had to locate the car charger. Once we were finally online, it turned out that the address was 839 rather than 400 and that was 2.7 kms away. To say that we were in the dark was both figurative and literal. In the light of day and with the advantage of a map, we were never that far, even from our first stop just over the bridge but the GPS had led us a merry dance through the environs of Hull and Gatineau. The end result was that instead of being 15 minutes early, we were now 25 minutes late. To add insult to injury, the parking lot was packed.

Sterling Beef on the barbecue over maple wood

By the time we made our way into the restaurant, it was fair to say that I was not in particularly good humour. The maître d’ somewhat mitigated this by giving us a whirlwind tour of the ground floor and explaining the intricacies of Sterling Beef. We were then led upstairs to our table. It turns out that the main dining area is one of the more salient features of the restaurant with exotic wines stacked in bins lining the entire back wall and high, intricately decorated metal-leaf clad ceilings. The clientele appeared both eclectic and upscale.

What we ordered: The menu, although sufficiently varied, obviously put the main emphasis on the beef, samples of which were brought to the table for our inspection prior to our order being taken, though I am pretty sure that we didn’t actually get the one that we pointed to. I was momentarily tempted by the rack of lamb (not actually shown to us), but wasn’t sure that the ‘Sterling’ apellation applied to it and thus was lured away to a ‘table d’hôte’ at $65 which started off with a yellow and red beet soup that caught my fancy. In the end, all three of us ended up selecting filet mignon, Dorothy and I opting for the 8oz portion that was included in the table d’hôte, while our American guest, Mike, chose a larger 12oz size with onion soup as a starter. Dorothy and I accompanied our meals with a half bottle of Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon (Australian), which was very pleasant and reasonably priced at $24.

What we got: Neither Dorothy nor I were sorry that we chose the beet soup. It tasted as good as it looked somewhat odd. Our appetizers, which were Pan-Seared Scallops and Snails with goat cheese on wilted spinach respectively were both beyond reproach. When it came to the main course which consisted of filet mignon with yukon gold roast potato, we were split along gender lines, with Mike and I feeling that the reality did not match up to the hype. It was not terrible, but it did NOT melt in the mouth as it should have, especially at this price level.

When I had seen ‘Cuban Chocolate Marquise’ as the dessert selection with the set meal, I had no clue as to what that might mean. Moreover, I was probably a little disappointed by its appearance when it actually arrived. When I took my first bite, on the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised at the rich chocolate explosion that took place in my mouth. It may look small but it was just the right size to finish off the meal in grand fashion. It was just a pity that a restaurant of this calibre was unable to make a latté because: “We don’t have the machine!”

Worthy of note: Although the service, on balance, was relatively good, it was marred by the switching of steak where Dorothy received hers medium rare while mine was medium-well, the reverse of our orders. Mike had ordered  asparagus and it failed to materialize at the table but appeared on the bill! When this fact was pointed out, the waiter said he would have it removed but failed to apologize for the error. This was somewhat mitigated by his personally accompanying us to the door.

Summary

• Positives: Food was well-prepared and presented. Service was attentive and cordial. Decor was outstanding
• Negatives: Meat didn’t live up to the hype. Either the wait-staff or kitchen made a couple of errors! A little too pricey for what we got.
• Recommendation: If you like fine dining and can hack a trip to the backwoods of Gatineau, this is worth a try!

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It is not quite the New Year yet but I already know that one of my resolutions will be to be more timely with my posts, so I am getting a head start. Since we just ate breakfast at the Bogey Bar in Orleans about an hour ago, I don’t think that I will ever get more timely than this

Where we went: Recently, I was asked about where there was a good place to eat breakfast in the East End of Ottawa. I thought hard for a couple of minutes and came up empty. A years ago, I could have recommended Nickels in the Gloucester Center until their prices went up and they subsequently closed. Of course, there are the usual fast food suspects, but since I could not come up with anything concrete, I decided to do some on-line checking. Since we live near Montreal Road and highway 174, I checked out Orleans on Urbanspoon and Google. The highest rated establishment turned out to be one that I didn’t even know existed: The Bogey Bar & Grill, located on Youville Drive in amongst all the car dealerships. We were feeling adventurous, so we decided to take a chance on it.

Although decidedly unpretentious and somewhat hinky from the outside, as we passed through the entrance, what greeted us was a cross between a pub, sport’s bar and trucker’s cafe. We really had no idea what to expect! However, within seconds of seating ourselves, the solitary waitress was wending her way towards us with two steaming cups of coffee. Things were definitely off to a good start.

What we ordered: The menus that we were handed looked as if they had been around the block a few times but the selection was more than sufficient and the prices seemed as if they belonged in the 90s. I chose the pancakes with sausage and my friend Mike, visiting from Florida, ordered Eggs Benedict.

What we got: Since it was obvious that we were not at the Chateau Laurier and weren’t paying their prices either, our expectations were somewhat modest. With this in mind, what we got was way beyond what we had expected. I have to say that my pancakes were a little overcooked but they were considerably better than I have been served in much more upscale establishments. Mike appeared to find his Eggs Benedict to be completely to his liking and declared the eggs to be cooked to perfection. Although there was but a single waitress, with the exception of being a little slow to bring us the bill, she was very prompt and attentive.

Worthy of note: The Bogey Bar is a little hard to find, tucked away in a small strip mall opposite Jim Keay Ford on Youville Drive. Prices for a full breakfast including tea or coffee are in the $4- $6 range. Our total bill including tip was $15.

Summary

• Positives: Great prices, good food, good service
• Negatives: Tough to find
• Recommendation: We’ll be going again soon!

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It feels somewhat strange to be writing a review in November of a restaurant that I visited in July. However, I have reason to remember this one fairly well since The Pepper Garden was where we went to celebrate my birthday. As is often the case, it was not a major celebration, just Dorothy, Ian and myself. I had been wanting to revisit this restaurant on Montreal Road in Ottawa’s East End for some time but for some reason, Dorothy did not have good feelings about the place. Therefore, I used the leverage of its being a special occasion to get her to acquiesce.

I would be the first to admit that The Pepper Garden is not really anything special judging by its exterior appearance and being annexed to a Pizza Hut location does nothing to enhance this impression. The modern, boxlike facade would seem to belie its claim of being a ‘ bistro-grill’. Fortunately though, things do improve once inside the restaurant. The interior is much more what you would expect and thus I am reminded a little of Dr. Who’s Tardis.

The pictures above tell a better story than I could about the quality and variety of the food. We started off by sharing a crab-cakes appetizer which we all deemed to be really delicious. I followed with lamb steak and Dorothy chose the chicken. I don’t recall the actual description but you can see that the food is attractively garnished and presented as well as being a reasonable portion size. For dessert, I was tempted by the bread pudding and was not disappointed even though the picture does not do it justice.

We don’t claim to be wine connoisseurs so, more often than not, we will select the house wine when we feel like sipping a glass on a special occasion. I really should have made a note of the house red here because we really enjoyed it.

All in all, it was a very pleasant meal and I believe that even Dorothy would be more willing to return after this experience.

Summary

• Positives: Good food at reasonable prices. Portion sizes are just right. Not too small but you won’t come away feeling stuffed.
• Negatives: Don’t be put off by the drab exterior!
• Recommendation: If you are looking for something special in the East End of Ottawa, the Pepper Garden is worth a try!

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Most Ottawa residents are probably aware of the iconic D’Arcy McGees Irish Pub location on the corner of Sparks and Elgin Streets in the heart of downtown. We have eaten there several times over the last few years and have always been satisfied. The chain has now expanded to no less than five locations in the National Capital area and we recently had occasion to frequent the Centrum Boulevard location. From a location and atmosphere standpoint, the two locales could not be more different. Situated in the heart of the Orleans town centre, with a pleasant outdoor terrace, this East End branch is more restaurant than pub. Its prices also tend to reflect this distinction, being somewhat higher than one might expect for pub fare.

Traditional Pub Fare: Fish & Chips

What we ordered: On this particular occasion, we were three, Dorothy, Ian and myself. I had purchased a Groupon some time before and it was about to expire, so we were taking the opportunity to use it. Ian ordered the seafood in pastry. Dorothy decided to stay with more traditional pub fare and opted for the fish and chips. Personally, once I spotted lamb shank on the menu, I could not resist. Since D’Arcy McGee’s has Strongbow cider on tap, I took advantage of the occasion to enjoy one of my favourite UK exports.

Seafood in Pastry with Fries!

What we got: This is one instance where I believe that a picture is truly worth a thousand words, since I think you can really get the sense of the food served from the shots here. In short, the food was good but not extraordinary. Perhaps it was a little to pricey for pub food! Our joint judgement was that whilst we had no specific complaints, neither were we blown away. Although it was midweek and not overly busy, service, although pleasant, was a little slow. Fortunately, we were not in a hurry.

Rosslare Lamb Shank

Worthy of note: Like many pub-style restaurants, the decor tends to be a little sombre. In the summer months, the outdoor patio might be your best bet. It is offset from the road enough that the traffic noise is somewhat mitigated.

Summary

• Positives: Good Location with lots of free parking, great outdoor patio.
• Negatives: Prices a little high for the quality of food!
• Recommendation: On balance, it’s worth a try if you like pub-style food!

What would an Italian restaurant be without an offering or two of lasagne, on of the most quintessential of Italian foods. Although I did not personally sample this dish, John assured me that it was completely up to snuff! To be sure, its appearance alone, which is often half the battle when dining out, would give it better than average marks. So often, a hunk of lasagna unceremoniously dumped on a plate, can detract from one’s enjoyment of what might otherwise be a passable dish.

Since this was a relatively late lunch, I felt that I needed something on the lighter side and selected the crab pasta. I am sure that it had a much fancier name on the actual menu, but you get the gist of it. Although, in and of itself, this was a well put together dish, it lacked a certain visual appeal. Even the corn, which I found to be an unusual ingredient, did little to make it less homogeneous and more colourful. They did not scrimp on the crab and the dish was quite tasty but consistency and variety could have been improved.

As is often the case in English restaurants, the desserts (sweets or pudding in the local vernacular), was where Solo Pasta came into its own. For some reason, I had just finished describing Tartuffo ice cream to John and Daphne, since neither of them were aware of it when lo and behold, there is was on the menu! John took the opportunity to try it. It was somewhat larger than what would normally be the portion size in Canada. However, it was judged to be delicious.

If you have been following our posts for any length of time, you will be aware that I have a weakness for Banoffee Pie. I was first introduced to it by my sister quite a few years ago now. One of its key ingredients is Mascarpone cheese which, in Canada, is outrageously expensive. I have been known to cheat and substitute cream cheese when making it myself, which I am sure Solo Pasta did not do. Although perhaps not quite up to Joanne’s standard, the pie was a nice ending to a very pleasant meal. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rank Solo Pasta as a solid 7.5…

By way of comparison, you might wish to view our recent reviews of of 2 other Italian restaurants, Bonomo Ristorante (UK) and Robbies Italian Restaurant (Canada).

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I’m not sure exactly what it is about Montana’s and birthdays but over the last few years, whenever there is a birthday celebration, over 50% of the time, we seem to end up at Montana’s. Most recently, it was at the Ottawa, Orleans location on Innes Road. As I write this post I realize that it has been more than just a few years since I have a snapshot of our son Ian wearing that annoying horn hat when he was about 13 years old and he is now pushing 30…

Unfortunately, what stands out for me, as I think back over the years, is the lack of stellar service that we have received. On this particular occasion, other than having to wait an inordinate length of time to get our orders taken and then to actually get our food. Worse still, when it came to paying the bill, they refused to divide up the bills as requested and members of our group were required to pass cash between themselves to sort things out. This is not good customer service.

When it comes to the food, I cannot say that it is bad, exactly, but I have never been really impressed. On a previous visit, I selected the pot roast with Yorkshire pudding and found it to be tough, overcooked and lacking flavour. This time, I selected the Smokehouse Wrap along with a side salad. Once again, while I cannot specify anything particularly lacking, I was not blown away either.

Fortunately, when a group of people are together to celebrate a birthday, the food and service are not front and centre. Perhaps that is why people want to go back: because they had a good time in spite of them and still come away with a good feeling. Or maybe they just like seeing the person of the hour being humiliated as they parade around in that dumb hat!

Finally, let me point out that the Urbanspoon rating at the end of this post indicates that this particular location only scores a 54% approval rating. that indicates that almost every other guest leaves dissatisfied.

Summary

• Positives: We keep going back, so I guess it can’t be all that bad.
• Negatives: Service always seems to be a weak point and the food is just OK!
• Recommendation: In the case of restaurants, I guess ‘not bad’ is not really a recommendation but in the case of Montana’s, it is the best I can do!

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They tell me that Rumblebellys has been situated on Seaside Road in Eastbourne for a very long time.  Checking out their website tells me that, in fact, it has been 37 years. That explains why I was unfamiliar with it, since I left Eastbourne as a teenager some 41 years ago. Of course, I still go back on a frequent basis but have not kept up with all the comings and goings of the town.

On this particular visit, Rumblebellys was suggested as a good spot to go for supper. I must say that living in North America for the last 37 years, I do not expect to come to England and start eating burgers, however I went along with the idea, as much out of curiosity as anything else. Up to this point, when I think of England and burgers, the only thing that comes to mind is Wimpey’s. I don’t even know if they still exist, but as a youngster, if you wanted a burger, you went to Wimpy’s.

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We have lived in the East End of Ottawa since 1980. For as long as I can remember, Robbies Italian restaurant has been sitting right there on the corner of St. Laurent and Belfast (not to be confused with Robbies Spaghetti House on Walkley Road!). In the mid 1990s, we had an office located on Belfast Road and so Robbies was a place we would go because it was slightly upscale and thus suitable for business lunches etc., and also because it was close by. Even back then, I do not remember ever being blown away by the food. During the ensuing years, we frequented Robbies occasionally, usually about once every five years.

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I am a firm believer in keeping an open mind. It had now been approximately five years since our last visit and it was hard to believe that things would not have changed at least a little. The thing is, we could not know whether it would be for better or worse.

What we ordered: At first glance it seemed as if two factors of the dining experience at Robbies had changed very little since our last visit: the decor and the menu. If the decor had been updated since our last visit, it was done over in exactly the same style as before. For its part, the menu seemed to offer the normal middle-of-the-road, typical Italian dishes. Dorothy is not usually a big fan of Italian food and perhaps that is one main reason why we go so infrequently. I selected the Veal in lemon sauce wanting something on the lighter side.

What we got: Now, if I were judging purely and simply on presentation, Robbies would get pretty good marks. The shortcoming was in the taste or, to be more precise, the lack of it. Veal is already a fairly bland meat so it really needs some herbs, spices or seasonings to liven it up. If they were there, they were vert unobtrusive. Having been disappointed with the main course, I decided to give them a second chance to make an impression with dessert and ordered the chocolate mousse cake, one of my perennial favourites. Unfortunately, once again, I was destined to be disappointed. These days, I don’t that often order dessert in a restaurant, largely because I have been spoiled by my frequent trips to Europe which doesn’t serve thawed, mass-produced product masquerading as something it is not.

Worthy of note: Unfortunately, there really isn’t anything worthy of note about this restaurant and that really is the main problem. It is not terrible, it just isn’t that great either and this is reflected in the  Urbanspoon ranking shown at the bottom of this post. I suppose it survives because the ownership run it as an efficient business. It certainly isn’t because of its being well-known for great food.

Summary

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 I would not usuallly take the trouble to review a restaurant situated inside a hotel where we only ate the buffet breakfast. However, I am going to make an exception for Gabriel’s Grille and Bar located in the Holiday Inn in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, for several reasons.

1. Firstly, many people might find themselves in the New York City area and be looking for a relatively inexpensive, but still upscale place to stay with easy access to downtown. This particular Holiday Inn fits the bill. They have a shuttle bus which runs frequently to the nearest bus stop with a direct link to the Port Authority.
2. Secondly, this restaurant struck us as a step above the normal in-hotel eatery and seems to be not very well advertised. We had to make a special request to have it added to Urbanspoon
3. Although many people will not want to eat in the hotel with so many varied and more exotic choices in Manhattan, there are still those times when you can’t be bothered to make that kind of effort and it is nice to know that there is a reasonable alternative nearby.

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That being said, I must repeat that we only tried the buffet breakfast offering ourselves. On the other hand, given how often, over the last couple of decades, I have taken my breakfast in hotels of this sort, I feel that I am in as good a position as most to pass judgement.

 Of course, there were the usual offerings, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes etc. We’ve all seen it a hundred times. What really made the difference was the fact that it didn’t seem mass-produced or stale as is often the case. In addition, the fresh fruit and pastries were again a step up from what one would usually find.
With this kind of improvement in the breakfast buffet, I would hazard a guess that lunch and supper would be worth a try here as well.