Lobster Menu - $85 (Friday and Saturday)

Lobster bisque with tarragon cream
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Lobster salad with lobster roe vinaigrette
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Butter poached lobster with seared foie gras, celery root purée
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Grilled lobster tail with linguine aglio olio
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Chocolate olive oil truffle with raspberry-red pepper gelée

Restaurant Review

Lunch at Domus Café
87 Murray Street, Byward Market, Ottawa
(613)241-6007

Deanna and I were up in Ottawa again this week on errands, and found ourselves in the Market. The only restaurant which I have experienced in the Market which offers a high quality, unique dining experience is Domus. Their tag-line is "Canadian Regional Seasonal Cuisine", and they are serious about it. For instance: Warm Ferme Floralpe "Micha" goat's cheese salad with black olive and roasted pepper tapenade, Orient Farm's chicory and balsamic reduction ($13) -- a bit of a mouthful, but definitely regional and seasonal. It was "awesome" said Deanna, not like a salad at all! The goat cheese was in the form of a golden deep-fried ball, crisp on the outside and oozing in the centre, set atop a pile of radicchio (red leaf chicory) with quenelles of black olive tapenade and roasted red pepper tapenade and caramelized onions with balsamic vinegar all laid out in a row from left to right on a white rectangular plate garnished with two long glorious chives spanning the length of the plate. Very impressive to behold. This was a stunning and very well crafted dish.

I had Ken Rubin's roasted organic squash "bisque" with crumbled fresh goat's cheese, Domus smoked bacon and shaved apple ($11) It was a good soup, but without the garnishes would have been very bland. I don't understand why it was called a "bisque", because, apart from the texture, it had neither the depth of flavour nor unctuous creaminess that characterizes a bisque. The bacon was not very smokey tasting, which is unfortunate because this could have been the key element to making the soup more than just good.

"Mariposa Farm" leg of duck confit with roasted potato, sautéed greens, roasted portabellini, cider reduction and jus ($17) was, again, presented beautifully, and all the ingredients had a lovely warm, autumn feel to them. But the duck was not confited with enough salt, and just needed a little longer in the simmering fat to give it that wonderful melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Homemade pasta with various mushrooms, parmesan cheese, garlic, cream and fresh thyme ($15) was a simple dish not executed to it's full potential. The homemade pasta was not cooked in well-salted water, and was a little too al dente. Fresh pasta should not have any toughness to it. The cream sauce became very stodgy as often happens when it mixes with pasta. The ideas is to keep the sauce very light and almost watery because by the time the dish sits for a while, the sauce will get absorbed by the pasta and start to coagulate on it's own. The various mushrooms were nothing exciting. Sorry, I'm not excited by shiitakes and oysters anymore. It had good mushroom flavour, but I wanted more salt or parmesan to make it sing.

The food all looked gorgeous, and was fresh and used local seasonal ingredients better than any restaurant I've seen recently, but on the whole it didn't really sparkle this time around, where it has in the past. There were just enough flaws (pasta a touch undercooked, soup slightly lacking in flavour, duck a little tough and under-seasoned) to make me question the cooking. The thing is, it really bugs me when the food looks so good to the eye, but doesn't follow through on the palate. That's where it really counts.

The wine list features mostly Canadian (again, regional) wines, and really encourages you to order them over international wines. They have hand-selected wines from small, independent, Ontario wineries and serve them by the glass as well as by the bottle. Here is a great chance to try a number of Canadian wines you won't find at the LCBO. The service and ambiance are both, as always, excellent.

Catering for the Holidays
This holiday season, let us do the cooking. We have a wide selection of hors d'oeuvres for the perfect cocktail party, or menus for your special dinner party. We can cater to you either in your home or in our restaurant. Casa Bella is available for parties ranging from 8 to 50 people. Call 382-1618 for more information or email us at mail@eatatbella.com.

Opening Hours
Casa Bella will be open Friday and Saturday until December 17th serving a set menu. Visit our website for our full schedule.
We will also open for groups of 8 or more.

Call 382-1618 to make reservations.

Cooking Classes at Casa Bella or in your home.
Stev is available to give demonstration or hands-on cooking classes this Fall. To book a class, get together a group of 6 - 8 people and call us to reserve a night (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday). The class theme and recipes will be chosen with your input. Classes are two-and-a-half hours, include recipes, enough food sampling to sate your appetite, and a glass of wine. Share a fun and informative evening with friends.
$75 per person.

Culinary Discovery Tour
Join chef Stev George and Sicily resource guide Elisa Paloschi on a 10-day gastronomic tour of Sicily.

Immerse yourself in the gastronomic wonderland known as Sicily. Explore regional food and cooking with Stev through cooking classes, dining in Sicilian restaurants and visits to markets, farms and food producers. Discover the Island's social and cultural history through Sicily's diverse food and drink.

April 21st 2006
Learn more about our tour!

Email us today at mail@eatatbella.com