I have been derelict recently. Busy at work, battling carpal tunnel syndrome, and basically not wanting to be in front of a computer when I get home. I have, however, taken this time to visit a number of restaurants and prepare for some reviews. The first: Gezellig.
Gezellig is the sister restaurant of Play (my favourite restaurant, as I outlined in my very first restaurant review), and has been open for a little over a year. As such, I expect awesome. And when I have been there, I have not been disappointed. There is a different vibe to Gezellig. The food has a different feel/character. Less edgy and occasionally experimental, but no less well thought out, balanced, and satisfying. Gezellig is suburban, located in Ottawa's trendy Westboro neighbourhood, and the menu reflects that: chic comfort food for refined palates. Many of the things on the menu you can find elsewhere - they're just done better here, often with a twist that makes it interesting.
The atmosphere: it is a bright, airy space. Two story windows let in a lot of light (when it is light outside), and make it feel larger than it actually is when it is dark. The service is impeccable, as it is at both the affiliated Play and Beckta.
At lunch, the focus on small plates, and have a 2 for $20 special. As I have said before, I love this. I allows me to try more. At dinner, they split the menu between small and full sized plates, making for a more traditional dining experience.
On this particular bright fall day, I was first impressed with the bread. I know it is ubiquitous. I know it is not supposed to be the focus. And really, it is the very same sourdough bread as at Play. But instead of mundane butter, this was served with sage oil and blueberry gastrique. I cannot stress how delightful this was. After my first taste, I pulled out my phone to start googling how to make sage oil. It was that good. Making sage oil may well form the basis of a later post. Sadly for readers, they change up the bread accompaniment regularly - I have also had other spreads and oils there. But this was fantastic and set me up to love the rest of the meal.
My first dish was the crab cake:
I rarely order crab cakes. In my experience, there is a little crab and a lot of filler. But this crab cake did not disappoint at all. Nice crabbiness, nice flavour, well cooked. The anchovy caper sauce was a welcome change from the bland tartar sauce that generally accompanies a crab or fish cake. Many fish cakes use mayonnaise as a binding agent, so using a mayo-based sauce seems redundant. The sauce here offered a lovely texture and flavour contrast, and the green salad, thought simple, was perfectly dressed and cut through the fatty richness of the crab cake with anchovy sauce.
My second dish was a pork belly papardelle:
House made pasta, crisp pork belly, kale, fresh peas, onion and Parmesan. And that beautiful, beautiful egg yolk, glistening on top, waiting to be broken and mixed in with the rest. I don't know what it is about breaking an egg yolk and mixing it in to make a sauce that is so very, very satisfying. This dish was homey, comforting, rich. Different textures. Refreshing peas and kale. Fatty pork belly and egg yolk. The spiky, sweet acidity of the onions. Silky, tender pasta.
On this particular day, I did not order dessert, but I have in the past. The butter finger is an unqualified winner, combining beautifully textured chocolate and peanut butter. It is rich - almost too much so for me, but well worth the indulgence. Sadly, I do not have a picture to share, however, it is reliably on the menu.
Gezellig is a little more out of my way. I don't get there as often. But for me, that merely makes it a little more of a special occasion place, something to be particularly savoured when the stars align and and inspire me to leave my usual central/east locale. It is defintiely worth a visit.
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