In this new biweekly feature, Apt613 asks blog contributors and local food lovers about their recent Ottawa area restaurant highlights to help you find new tasty treats to discover or revisit when someone inevitably asks, “Where do you want to eat?” We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below, and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
Best Bites this week:
- Gburger (380 Elgin St.)
- Farinella (492 Rochester St, 806 March Rd.)
- Toro Taqueria (613flea, 139 Bank St.)
“It’s McD’s, but fancy.” That’s how I described Gburger as a way of convincing my partner to try this place on a recent date night. He was sold before I even got to my second point: “And they have beer and wine and cocktails.”
I’ve been wanting to try out Gburger for ages and I’m thrilled to say it did not disappoint. We both ordered the single fromage at $17.50 (a cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, special sauce, hold the onions) that comes with fries. Our waiter explained the burger’s size—a three-ounce smash patty—and mentioned the double-burger options available for bigger appetites, but our starry-eyed gazes had already landed on the chicken nuggets and we opted to split a six-piece ($12) as a starter instead.
Chicken nuggets at Gburger. Photo: Alison Larabie Chase.
That was a great call, because the nugs were delicious, with a feather-light crispy coating over chunks of white meat, dipped in house-made sweet and sour sauce (no neon-red nonsense here). Our burgers and fries were just as yummy: the bun liberally dusted in sesame seeds, plenty of shredded iceberg, melty slice of American cheese, sharp tangy pickle slices, no onions as requested. The patty was crisp-edged and savoury, while GBurger’s special sauce was well-balanced and came as close as I’ve tasted to the original version. The fries were also excellent, thin-cut and crispy with bits of potato skin still in evidence. Heinz ketchup in glass bottles was provided, as the fry gods intended. The food arrived on trays in fast-food style cups and wrappers, a bit of kitschy fun to add to the high-end fast-food experience.
Single fromage with fries at Gburger. Photo: Alison Larabie Chase.
They’re not messing around with the drinks menu, either—my partner had a stellar mezcal-based cocktail while I tried a canned Punch cocktail locally made by Top Shelf Distillers in Perth. There are plenty of craft beers and nice wines to choose from as well. The joint is family-friendly (several kids in evidence early on a Saturday evening) and the vibe is laid-back but still a little fancy. I dug it. Note: Gburger is up one flight of outdoor stairs from the street.
—Alison Larabie Chase
Farinella is hardly a secret in town, with their incredible selection of metre-long pizza by the slice and authentic espresso and gelato, but have you had the calzones? The original location on Rochester is a popular lunch spot for the Little Italy crowd and the buildings full of government staff, so it’s the perfect place to pop in for something quick and filling. The calzones are available at both locations, in limited quantities every day, so if you see them the next time you’re in, be sure to get one (or three). I’ll be honest, I haven’t had many calzones in my day, since I usually find the ratio of dough to toppings too dry for my taste, but these looked so golden and crispy on the outside that I couldn’t resist. The pepperoni calzone was cheesy and gooey on the inside, with a great amount of sauce to make it just as tangy and satisfying as the slices. The dough was crispy on the edges, and thin, light, and chewy inside, making for a lighter bite than I anticipated.
Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
It was the same chewy thin crust that we love from Farinella’s in a perfect handheld bite. They aren’t huge, so one calzone and a slice made for a good lunch. Or get two calzones, one for each hand.
Both locations open at 11:30am, so get there early and often, because the calzones sell out fast! The Rochester location is accessible to enter and order, but has limited high-top seating.
—Kiersten Vuorimaki
The next time you’re at 613flea, bring your appetite, because there is more than just great art and vintage dad jeans. Toro Taqueria has established themselves as a fan favourite vendor at special events around town, and for a really delicious reason—Bag’n’Go Tacos. If there is one food that I know, it’s tacos. And these are legit. The perfect festival or event food, for $10 you can get a bag full of taco perfection without the mess of authentic tacos. You begin with a bag of Fritos or Doritos, sliced open, with all the best toppings piled inside. At the most recent 613flea I chose the chicken tinga taco over the ground beef, but I am more than willing to try the beef next time. On top of the pulled chicken, they piled lettuce, pickled onions, pico de gallo, queso, flaming hot Cheetos, and sour cream.
Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
The chicken was juicy and flavourful, with the perfect hint of smokiness. Their pico is bright and fresh, and the Flaming Hot Cheetos really made for an exciting spice crunch! The Doritos at the bottom of the bag soaked up most of the queso, so the last bites were a soggy, cheesy masterpiece. Served with just a fork and a pocketful of napkins, I was definitely stuffed by the time I finished eating as we browsed the market.
The Bag’n’Go tacos are not always on the menu at their restaurant on Bank Street, but their adorable black-and-white taco trailer makes it to lots of major events in town like the Parkdale Market and Vegans Who Snack festival. They offer a variety of different fillings and proteins, so check them out to see what they have cooking next time you see them (I hear the chili con carne is to die for). If they’re slinging their horchata as well, buy as much of that as you can carry—pro tip.
—Kiersten Vuorimaki
We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below, and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
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