Tag Archives: Whalesbone Oyster House

Eat Cobra

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By sharing this with you, I am jeopardizing my chance to ever experience the opportunity to ”Eat Cobra”. In a nutshell,  that’s how much I love our readers. . .

What happens when the best chefs in the nation’s capital collaborate their talents and come together for a good cause? You get to Eat Cobra. . . well, not exactly. Eat Cobra Ottawa is Ottawa’s most innovative culinary efforts to date. Spearheaded by some of our city’s top chefs (Lepine, Langley, Blackie to name a few), Eat Cobra launched just shy of a year ago and is whipping foodies into a frenzy simply to have their shot at Eat Cobra. Do you have a deep love for exquisite food? Are you willing to try new foods that, perhaps, you won’t find anywhere else in the city? Do you have a reasonably strong stomach? Do you enjoy meeting new people? Do you react well to impromptu plans? Do you have a friend who would answer yes to all of those questions? If you nodded your head to any of the above, then go to www.eatcobra.ca immediately and type in your email address.

That’s step #1 to win a chance to be catered for by the best chefs in Ottawa in an incredibly intimate setting, such as their very own homes. Every month, 5 people are drawn – and are welcome to bring a guest – to attend Eat Cobra and you will likely have the best, most out of the ordinary meal of your life. I can’t say for certain, because I’ve never been, but I have a hunch this is every foodie’s dream (Ottawa Citizen food writer, Ron Eade, was apparently desperate to get in as he tweeted: ” Odd that I get invited to charlie burger in T.O. every other month, but so far @cobraottawa eludes me completely …”).

This epicurean club is not elitist, but it sure as hell is hard to get into. Let me explain. After you have typed in your e-mail at eatcobra.ca you simply have to wait with no other information except the hope that they received your email address. Eventually you will receive a confirmation e-mail and upon opening said e-mail you will be provided with instructions as to how you can proceed to up your chances.  If you are lucky, and drawn to attend, the cost is $100 per person and each month Ottawa’s best chefs raise up to $1000 to donate to a charity of their choice.

{Kangaroo loin, wild herbs, truffled honey vinaigrette, laratte potatoes from Domus Cafe}

Expect to see chefs from Domus, Whalesbone Oyster House, The Black Cat, Wellington Gastropub, Oz Kafe, Atelier. . . and the list goes on. It seems like Eat Cobra is not only popular by consumer demand, but also has captivated Ottawa’s Chefs, all lining up to give it a whirl.

{In the comfort of their own home, the chefs plate each course with perfection}

So how, in sharing this with you, have I jeopardized my own shot at Eat Cobra? Because it is meant to be a secret, for those who appreciate gastronomic feats and who will treasure the chance to eat with those who are like-minded and, at that, enjoy a meal prepared by culinary geniuses. Not everyone can say that an evening like this gives them goosebumps, and those who don’t get excited about something this cool are the kinds of people who Eat Cobra hope to avoid. No negative nellys welcome, this is meant to be fun, delicious and philanthropic. To keep their secret, no details about when or where these events take place are EVER divulged to public eye. Those who are selected for the dinner are notified 24 hours before the date of time and location. “Eat Cobra Op” is more like it.

{Spot prawn and scallop sashimi with herring caviar prepared by Whalesbone Oyster House}

So alas, I wait patiently to be summoned by the Cobra Gods for a chance to participate in an underground feast prepared by Ottawa’s best!  In a nutshell, if you sign up for Eat Cobra after reading this and by some chance of fate are selected, you know who you can bring with you as your “plus one”.

Images courtesy of https://twitter.com/#!/CobraOttawa

Spare Parts

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About two years ago, a friend of mine who danced, dressed and dined off the beaten-path told me about one of Ottawa’s best kept secrets: Chef Appreciation Night at Oz Kafe. This nook, hidden between Pancho Villa and Lieutenant’s Pump (on Elgin), is home to many gastronomical feats. Chef Appreciation Night, however, occurs only once a month – the last Monday of the month. On this last Monday, Oz invites chefs from around Ottawa to cook in their kitchen and dazzle their crowd with a 5 course meal for $25.  These 5 course meals are elaborately prepared and usually reflect the chef’s best work. For $25 dollars, you can only imagine how popular this single culinary evening is.

A spot at this elusive meal doesn’t come easily. More often than not, invitations are extended to diners and those diners are usually chefs and servers working throughout Ottawa. Otherwise, a reservation for this palate pleasing night should be booked about a month in advance and even then, it’s not a guarantee.

Somehow, I was lucky enough to snag one of the spots last month and, not quite knowing what to expect, sat down with a hungry stomach and an open mind. The Chef in question was Dirk McCabe, Chef de Cuisine at Beckta Dining and Wine, so I knew I was in good hands, the best actually.

However, upon sitting down this is what I saw:

A dinner menu entitled "Spare Parts" ?!? . . . Not exactly what I signed up for.

So I was in for a totally sustainable meal and I mean that in the most literal sense, where our dinner was composed of parts of the animal that aren’t typically used. Waste not, want not  . . . I think.

So the question is, did I eat it ?

Let’s just say Course 1, the “Quadruple Bypass”, was successful.

{Maple Marinated Sockeye Salmon Heart with creme fraiche & dill, Grilled Beef Heart with anticucho, Tempura Fried Chicken Heart with sweet & sour plum sauce, Shaved Corned Lamb Heart with lemon and mint gremolata}

Next, an old classic, The Hot Dog. This little “Chien Chaud” was quite gourmet, all things considered.

{Pig “Scrapple”, Corn Relish, Heirloom “Catsup” with garlic scape kimichi}

Following, we were tantalized with a dish entitled “Swinging Beef”. Does the ”swinging” give it away?

{Confit and Chicken Fried with Snap Peas and burnt honey, red eye dijon gravy}

Rarely do I squirm at the thought of food, even up until this point my stomach hadn’t really turned. It was all delicious. Just goes to show you that you have to eat outside of the box every now and then. On that note, I’ll admit that I decided to omit the 4th course from this post. Having to turn it down simply on an aesthetic basis, I cannot adequately comment on the caliber of dish #4. I will leave you with the title and nothing more: “Thinking Cap”.

And finally, a beautifully presented dessert that everyone wanted more of, a very untraditional “PB&J”.

{Foie Gras Gelato and Lavender Teething Biscuit with crunchy peanut butter scotch caramel and wild blueberry syrup.}

The Spare Parts menu was one of the most alternative menus that Chef Appreciation Night has seen but nonetheless, it was a full house and recieved accolades from Ottawa foodies. Leave it to the boys at Beckta to pull something like that off.

On September 26th, Oz Kafe will welcome the team from Whalesbone Oyster House for Chef Appreciation Night and perhaps some of their to-die-for oysters will be incorporated into the evening. Whatever the menu reads that night, I’ll bet all my spare parts, it will be another shucking good meal.