Splurge worthy

The Urban Pear, a success on all counts
Ottawa XPress

Article By: Colleen Johnson
Photo By: Ben Welland

If you’ve cause to celebrate or you’re just looking to pull out all the stops, look no further than the Glebe’s Urban Pear.

The restaurant’s clean contemporary interior makes one feel instantly comfortable, with its pleasant lighting and uncluttered décor. The walls are currently graced with colossal abstract paintings that make effective use of line and employ a restrained colour palette. A long bank of windows along one wall provides an expansive view of the neighbourhood and gorgeous light during the daytime.

My date and I started off by sharing a couple of appetizers. The antipasto plate for one had a lovely array of goodies splayed out across a long plate – brie; thinly sliced pear; pink pickled shallots; olives; pickled field mushrooms; marinated eggplant, fragrant with balsamic vinegar; slivers of chorizo sausage; and a whole head of roasted garlic. The pan-seared scallops came with two perfectly cooked plump scallops, a mound of tuna tartar laced with fresh ginger and wrapped in pickled daikon, an orange and grapefruit segment salad, lotus root chips and a teriyaki glaze. Though the dish was complex, the flavours melded together well, the bright citrus a natural combination with the Asian-inspired tastes.

The service was exemplary. Our water glasses were always full, and the server was quick to offer more bread and lemon tarragon butter as we gobbled up piece after piece.

The mains also impressed. The Alberta beef tenderloin was seasoned generously with salt and pepper and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Each tender mouthful of buttery steak was complemented by a creamy grainy mustard sauce, while the accompanying roasted fennel and the shredded beef and Israeli couscous phyllo bundle also delighted. The pan-fried speckled trout arrived at the table with a dramatic presentation – two whole fish, heads and all, atop a smoked salmon, leek and potato rosti, a few slices of acorn squash and a pile of roasted shallots. Though the squash and shallots could have seen a few more minutes in the oven, the dish on the whole was a hit. The fish was tender, and the rosti had a crisp caramelized crust.

The Urban Pear has certainly found the key to any restaurant’s success: Start with high-quality ingredients, treat them with respect and pull it all together with flair. I look forward to my next visit to the Urban Pear, which won’t come soon enough.

The Urban Pear
151 Second Ave., Unit C
(613) 569-9305

Appetizers: $7.95-$14.95
Mains: $26-$37
No debit