Simple summer pleasures

Make the most of the season using the XPress guide to summer eats
Ottawa XPress

Article By: Colleen Johnson
Photo By: Ben Welland

Best patio for beer tasting: Pub Italia (4341/2 Preston St.) has one of the most expansive beer lists in town. With over 200 beers to choose from, there’s sure to be something suited to your taste. Guinness lovers take note of the dark and lusty St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, while those who like Heineken would enjoy a crisp medium-bodied Tsingtao.

Patio with the prettiest view: Play tourist at La Terrasse, a seasonal restaurant located outside the Fairmont Château Laurier. Soak in the gorgeous view of the canal and Parliament Hill while sitting on a breezy sunlit patio.

Best patio with cheap eats: Lounge on the patio at the Horn of Africa (364 Rideau St.), drinking Buds on the cheap and gorging on their incredible East African fare. Try the combination platters for variety, but the succulent lamb is not to be missed.

BBQ enthusiast heaven: If you love to barbeque, Capital Appliance & BBQ (12 Grenfell Cres.) is a must see. Charcoal grillers will appreciate the Big Green Egg line of barbecues – these babies are built like tanks and will last a lifetime. For serious barbecue in ridiculous contraptions, check out Traeger’s large metal Lil’ Pig and Longhorn smokers, which are shaped like colossal pink pigs and big brown steers. With their unusual accessories, sauces, gadgets and books, Capital would be a great place to start looking for this year’s Father’s Day present.

Tip for moist burgers every time: Everything’s better with butter, and burgers are no exception. Hide tiny pats of butter in the middle of your patties and you’ll never have dried-out burgers again.

Best burgers in a restaurant: When you’ve run out of propane at home, head down to Chez Lucien (137 Murray St.) for some of the best burgs in town. Their pear and brie burger is always moist and comes with both frites and a salad for under ten bucks. Listen to Bob Dylan on the jukebox and satisfy your sweet tooth with their chocolate fondue for two.

Most refreshing margarita: Agave Grill (1331 Wellington St.) may not have a patio, but they do make a damn good margarita. Cool off with a round and stay for the reasonably priced Mexican cuisine.

Best place to sip your morning latte: Sit outside on the patio at Planet Coffee (24A York) and gaze at the beautiful courtyard while you sip on a bowl of latte and read the daily news. Smell the wafts of fresh baked goods coming from the tiny kitchen but settle on their carrot cake – it’s especially good.

Enjoy the summer spoils: The Ottawa Farmer’s Market at Lansdowne Park is exclusively local and that means you can enjoy that hundred-mile diet without making too many stops. Exotic meats like elk and bison can be found alongside homemade baked goods and top-notch seasonal produce. Already open on Sundays, this year it’s open on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. starting June 26.