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:
- Sherwood Market & Deli (111 Sherwood Dr)
- Baja Burger Shack (Britannia Beach, Mooney’s Bay, Petrie Island)
- Mr Mango Hawaiian Café (32 Byward Market Sq. )
Sherwood Market and Deli has been on my to-do list for a long time, after a sandwich loving friend insisted that they’re some of the best sandwiches in town. Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? I ordered online, to enjoy a nice lunch on my deck in the sunshine and I was blown away! I ordered the BBQ chicken with bacon and avocado, on their signature egg bread for only $8.99. They offer white, whole wheat, rye and multigrain breads as well, but anytime you have the option to get egg bread, you take it! The sandwich was hefty, with a very generous filling of shredded chicken, crispy bacon and chunks of ripe avocado. I added onions and pickles for no extra cost, and the Sherwood sauce they recommend as a topping was creamy and tangy and perfect with the sweetness of the bacon and avocado.
Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
The sandwich was fresh and filling, and the egg bread was so, so soft and flavourful. To round out my order I also got a pasta salad which was creamy and colourful with crunchy veggies and not at all drowning in mayo like some deli salads tend to be. It’s the perfect lunch, and would make for a lovely picnic if you stopped in to Sherwood en route to the Arboretum on a sunny day. The sandwich counter is inside the small market, so you can also pick up some necessities while you’re there!
It’s beach season! With municipal beaches officially opening on June 15th, we can all start enjoying our days on the water. Baja Burger Shack is at 3 of the main beaches in town – Britannia, Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island, and it is a great alternative to bringing your own food to the beach, inevitably to get full of sand. The burger has been voted one of the best in Ottawa by various different voting bodies, so of course I have to be sure it’s up to snuff. I was at Britannia during our latest heat wave and decided to give it a try. The Baja Burger is a 1/3lb beef patty that is clearly made in house and isn’t processed, for $11.95. The burger comes with lettuce, tomato, red onion and Baja Sauce on a brioche bun. I added cheese for $1.50, which is always the right choice. You can also add bacon, or a fried egg, which would be a fun brunch burger. The burger was juicy and flavourful, and the unexpected star was the super crunchy shredded romaine lettuce that gave the burger alot of texture and made it feel really fresh and summery. The Baja Sauce is creamy and smoky and gave the burger a nice kick. It is definitely a great burger, and an unexpected highlight of a gorgeous day at the beach.
The Baja Burger. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
The shack only serves one size of fries, so the best bet is to go with a friend and get a burger each, and fries to share! They’re thick cut and crispy on the ouside, and creamy inside. They offer other kinds of burgers, including a vegan option and gluten free buns, as well as chicken fingers, tacos, salads and hot dogs. You can get a boozy frozen drink, or a huge milkshake to go with your meal too.
Sometimes you just need to know where to go to get a refreshing drink. A friend and I stumbled on Mr Mango Hawaiian Café in the market recently, and I had one of the yummiest fruit drinks I’ve had in a very long time. So naturally, I’m here to tell you all about it. Mr Mango is a tiny, bright café serving up blended fruit drinks, smoothies, and also a whole menu of Lebanese food to round out the super busy kitchen. We were there on a particularly hot weekend, so the lineups were long, but I could tell by the enormous stack of mango crates in the prep area that we were in for a treat. I ordered the Mango and Strawberry, and my friend got the classic Mr Mango drink. Both are blended fruit with ice and water. You can also order smoothies with dairy (and dairy alternatives) and fruit juices with boba. Each drink starts with at least one freshly peeled mango, and all the fruit is obviously fresh and unsweetened. The drinks were $8.99 each and only come in one large size. They come topped with chopped up fruit on top, for an extra little treat. While we were there, they even put out a large container of watermelon for everyone to snack on while we waited. The next time you’re in the market on a hot day, check them out for something fresh and super duper delicious.
Mango Strawberry. Photo: 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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