Who knew that there was a glaring gap in the city’s roster of summer festivals? I didn’t until I found out about the Desserts of the World Festival, taking place this Wednesday, May 8th at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Now that I think about it, the lack of a festival focusing exclusively on baked goods and other sweets was a shocking omission, one that has shamed Ottawa until now. The premise of the event is simple: pay a $20 admission, then sample a variety of sweet things from around the world... | Continue reading article

by @iscoff Since I’m on Twitter almost all day, it’s not often I get the opportunity to talk about what I eat for breakfast, so you can imagine my delight when I was asked to write a few words about the breakfast offerings of Art Is In Bakery. “What if we sold people sandwiches in a warehouse?” is a question that was clearly asked during the planning stages of this not-so-hidden gem. You might notice it because it’s in a giant building with a big sign that says “Art Is... | Continue reading article

Sometimes, here at Apartment613, we’ve got to take on tough assignments. For the sake of our discerning readers, we’ve previously had to taste all the pizza, drink all the coffee and eat all the cupcakes. It’s not war reporting, but still, think of the calories. Anyways, this past weekend, the Hintonburg Public House invited us to judge their first annual Caesar contest. They assembled five cocktail enthusiasts and a whole bunch of Clamato juice for a Sunday evening of Caesars. The winning drink for the night came from the HPH’s own bartender,... | Continue reading article

We’ve all heard the saying “there’s too many cooks in the kitchen”, but that isn’t a problem at Hintonburg’s Urban Element – they’ve just made the kitchen bigger! My husband and I have been meaning to take a cooking class at the Element for some time now and we were finally able to this past Wednesday. Our class was all about Bistro Classics and ran from 6 to 9 in the evening. Our experience ended up being one of the most fun, lively and unique dinner outings we’ve had in... | Continue reading article

Welcome to Foodie Friday at Apartment613 — a new feature in which we slice through the many layers of Ottawa’s food scene with the dexterity of a master chef.  Our first post  is particularly special: we got Juno-nominated musician Royal Wood to review the Back Lane Cafe, one of Ottawa’s most well-regarded new dining spots. And over the next year, we’ll be partnering with the National Arts Centre to bring you restaurant reviews by musicians who are part of the new all-Canadian NAC Presents concert series. Next up: a review... | Continue reading article

Once upon a time, when she was wrapping up a degree in environmental science, Ivana Borojevic (aka Eva Bee) had an idea for a show that would inspire folks to eat locally and have fun with their food. Five years later, Eva Bee’s Jamboree was born as a web series featuring Eva in various kitchens with up-and-coming musical acts. Launched in September 2012, a new webisode goes up on the first Thursday of every month (there’s a new one on deck for today!) Dishes prepared during each webisode offer a glimpse... | Continue reading article

Ottawa residents are privileged by the rich cultural culinary landscape and all it has to offer. Mexican, sushi, Mediterranean, and of course, shawarma, are typically all available in Ottawa’s various neighborhoods. However, while great food is right around the corner, we all have our special recipes that we can’t wait to show off to friends, or recipes that have been in our families for decades that we attempt to master and make our own. The growing foodie movement, as well as the inevitable food porn found plastered all over the... | Continue reading article

Written by Yasmin Nissim and Chris Cline. This past Sunday we had the opportunity to experience The Pig Out, a truly unique and intimate outdoor dining experience right here in Ottawa. The event was the brainchild of Stephanie and Chantal Albert, along with Kelly Brisson of local gastronomy blog The Gouda Life. Initially we were excited to hear that the event was part of a new underground dining concept called Revelry House (more on that in a minute). But our excitement went through the roof when they announced that Chef... | Continue reading article

Ottawa City Hall erupted with appetizing flavours this past Sunday, as local restaurants dished up samples of their culinary specialities as part of Support Local month. Doubling as a fundraiser for University of Ottawa campus radio station CHUO, the first annual Taste of CHUO brought together almost a dozen restaurants that offered everything from Ethiopian cuisine to Salvadoran dishes to Caribbean flavours. Local brewer Kichesippi Beer also poured some of their tasty creations for those looking to wash down all of the tasty treats. “The name ‘A Taste of CHUO’... | Continue reading article

Listen here or on iTunes. On this week’s Apartment 613 Live, Ryan is our lonely host for an hour full of local happenings. Last month’s Nuit Blanche was reportedly attended by something close to 30,000 people, and next year’s nuit can only get bigger. The art-filled night’s organizers are already in the planning stages, securing sponsorship and debating layouts. Nuit Blanche 2013 is planned for September 21st. Visual Arts Editor Diane Bond joins Ryan by phone to offer her perspective on these early planning stages. Next, Amie Beausoleil of Unshaven... | Continue reading article