The Gouda Life

Recently, I and a few of my fellow Ottawa bloggers had the outright pleasure of attending Atelier Ottawa’s Black Box Dinner. Before I go too far into the specifics of this particular evening, it’s necessary for me to tell you a bit about Atelier first. 

Every night, Atelier serves it’s guests, every single one of them, a 12-course gastronomic feast for the senses. I’ve yet to experience one of their regular services, and from what I hear, I’m nothing short of crazy for missing out on it. Chef Marc Lepine, owner and head chef, and his team take you on a tantalizing ride deep into the world of Molecular Gastronomy, which, in the most basic of explanations, is the application of science to culinary practices. Each plate thoughtfully, if beautifully, prepared and no sense left un-aroused, Chef Lepine knows just how to put on a dinner theatre that will leave you feeling satiated and filled with wonderment. 


Chef Lepine explains the evening to everyone with a big smile. I’m not sure if it’s a nervous smile, or a genuine one, but it’s a good smile none the less. 

Chef Lepine is currently preparing to head to Kelowa BC to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships in February. In preparation, he put on a Black Box Dinner for whoever frantically got their reservation in before the 22-seat restaurant filled up. Thanks to a friend, we got the last table.

 

Now, what exactly is a Black Box Dinner, you’re wondering. Chef Lepine invited each table, 8 to be exact, to bring whatever ingredient they felt appropriate ( they were: kale, tapioca, mussels, yuca root, sticky syrup, crispy corn kernels, Chinese sausages, Earl Grey tea). The chefs would be unaware of ingredients until all guests were seated, at which point, the ingredients would be uncovered and the Atelier team of chefs would have to come up with a 4-course menu based around them. Now, I am no Jeffrey Steingarten and I don’t have the most refined palate (note: I eat Kraft Dinner with hot dogs every so often), but the dishes they created were nothing short of ingenious. Had I not known what was going on, I would have been pleased-as-pie, maybe even chocolate pie, to dig into the dishes provided. 
 

Claire, the wine blogger over at foodiePrints, provided the wine for the table. Doing so without any knowledge of what we would be eating was no doubt a daunting task, but as some of you know, Claire seems to rise to most challenges with the utmost grace and determination to make your already delicious meal even better with perfect pairings. And boy, she did not disappoint. Everything, from the Poema Cava to the ‘94 Hillebrand Late Harvest Vidal was spot.on. SPOT ON. So much so that kidnapping her and keeping her in my kitchen pantry for nightly pairing advice crossed my mind. Thankfully, more so for her, Claire offers pairings without my having to kidnap her. So it works out well for us both. 



All in all - this was a dinner I won’t soon forget. The food, the atmosphere, the company, the wine…. they all combined for the perfect experience. It helped that Chef Lepine and his team, including sommelier Steve Robinson who humoured our goofy antics all night, were gracious hosts and welcomed us into their home with open arms. 

Below are some photos of the dishes we enjoyed (many thanks to foodiePrints for providing me with their notes - I would have never remembered them all). My favourite was a toss up between the Elk dish and the Sturgeon tartar. Both were incredibly complex and left me wanting more. 


Colville Bay oysters served with mignonette gel (red wine vinegar, shallots, lemon, pepper) and horseradish foam 

 
sturgeon tartare (with crème fraîche, crispy shallots, lemon juice, and capers) served with radish, lemon rind and lotus root chip

roasted butternut squash soup with coriander seed, pine nuts, cocoa nibs, and roasted pineapple; served with a gingersnap cookie

sous vide elk tenderloin crusted in black truffle and trumpet mushrooms served on truffle pancake 

poached mussels, shrimp and lemon served with pickled ginger, chili dust, tapioca, kaffir lime infused coconut milk, dehydrated bacon, sesame powder; garnished with pea shoots

seared halibut (crusted with corn nuts) served with parsnip purée, kale chip, shrimp chip with togarashi, polenta chip; garnished with purple basil and mini tangerines

sous vide duck breast, served with Earl Grey jus, raw golden beet string (cut with a turning slicer), chestnut, roasted sweet potato purée, red beet sauce, yucca chips, Chinese sausage powder (frozen with liquid nitrogen and ground) 

tempura apple slice (Granny Smith) topped with eggless meringue (infused with Lyle’s Golden Syrup), and brown butter custard sphere; served with apple cider in white chocolate sphere, crumbled Pan di Spagna stale sponge cake, apple cider caramel, lemon balm and rosemary tapioca pearls

I always get excited to hear of new café/restaurants opening, but what’s better, is when they open right down the street from you! 

Pressed is a gourmet sandwich bar devoted to all things local, organic and most of all, delicious. They serve Equator Coffee, adding to their list of local vendors that also includes Auntie Loo’s Treats & B-Goods Cookies. 



I had the pleasure of visiting Pressed this afternoon, just 2 days after their opening. As soon as Don, Krista and I heard they were opening this week, we started hatching a plan to visit for lunch. 



The first thing you notice upon entering Pressed is the cozy wood decor and warm colours. It feels as though you’re coming into a friends home rather than a restaurant. Some of the wood in the cafe was salvaged from joists in an old home that was being torn down, while parts of the seating were built using century old oak pews the Peace Tower Church was selling. Keeping things ethical seems to be important to Jeff, which is always nice to see in local businesses. The shop is teaming with vintage treasures like LIFE Magazines from the 60’s, Trivial Pursuit - Baby Boomer Edition, and kitschy cool lamps you might find in your great grandmothers living room, adding to it’s comfortable yet elegant feel.

We each ordered a different sandwich from their list of very-hard-to-choose from delights. Krista ordered the Flank Steak Sandwich with caramelized onions, blue cheese, and a red wine reduction. Don ordered the Smoked Chicken Sandwich (fresh out of the smoker 5 minutes prior to our arrival) with roasted garlic aioli, goat cheese and red pepper. Though I didn’t try either of their sandwiches, they both seemed to be quite happy with their choices. I chose the Sandwich Special, which was a Margherita Sandwich filled with smoked tomatoes, basil, black olive tapenade and big hunks of mozzarella. I took my first bite and was a little startled when the tomatoes exploded, oozing down the sides of both the sandwich and my hands. Startled in the best way possible, of course. The combination of the juicy smoked tomatoes, mild gooey Mozzarella, salty tapenade and fresh bright basil was so perfectly balanced and flavourful that I might have been able to eat 5 more. Jeff explained he’s still on the hunt for the perfect local bread, but the ciabatta he’s using now is wonderfully crisp on the outside, though not so crisp that it cuts your gums, and soft and smooshy (a very technical term, of course) inside. I thought it was delicious, but I’m looking forward to seeing what bread he does eventually settle down with. 





Krista ordered a side of the Sweet Potato Chili (vegan) and it was packed with flavour. Just a bit of sweetness, beautifully spiced and seasoned perfectly. I imagine it would make a perfect lunch while lazily flipping through the pages of your Holiday Food & Drink magazine. 



Don ordered a side of macaroni and cheese, made with fresh cheese curds (how very Canadian!), that was also pretty scrumptious. Not too gooey, but not dry and like everything else, seasoned well. 



All in all, it was a really great lunch. The food is delicious and exciting without being pretentious, the atmosphere is fresh and modern, cozy and comfortable. A place you could easily watch a few hours pass by without knowing it. 



I’m anxious to go back, try more things and get better acquainted with a good book in the cozy dining room. 





Jeff is working on getting a liquor license and eventually hopes to invite local artists and musicians in to entertain his guests both visually and musically a few nights a week. 

Don’t miss out on this new gem. It’ll be packed with excited patrons in no time at all! 

Pressed - Gourmet Sandwich Bar
750 Gladstone Ave
Ottawa, ON
613-680-9294