Go West!
Colleen Johnson
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You'll want to gallop to the scallops
photo: Ben Welland
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The Village Café's Westboro spot is so much more than a café
The Village Café is located in Ottawa's trendy Westboro neighbourhood. This place has a breezy, relaxed atmosphere with its wooden floors, exposed ductwork, light walls and fabric swathed artwork. The calibre of the food here is superior to most restaurants in town, with the short but thoughtful menu more akin to a fine dining establishment than the corner bistro that the name conjures up.We started things off by sharing the bruschetta duo, which featured two different toppings. The Roma tomato, onion and basil bruschetta was perfectly executed and served cool, while the mushroom and grilled artichoke bruschetta was served warm, making for a nice contrast. A balsamic reduction was drizzled across both, adding a bright vinegary kick. The seared sea scallop appetizer featured four buttery scallops atop a bed of lightly dressed arugula and pan-seared cremini mushrooms. The scallops tasted incredibly fresh with none of the metallic aftertaste you get from lesser quality seafood.
The mains were similarly spectacular. The duck came with a thin coating of sticky berry glaze and a flavourful chilled couscous salad. The duck was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the fatty layer overtop the duck breast was well rendered. The blackened pork tenderloin came coated with a spicy dry rub and topped with a minty cucumber raita. The scalloped potatoes that came with the pork were excellent and tasted of well-aged cheese. The roasted market veg were treated with equal care and included broccoli, green beans and
red peppers. The linguine Toscana was an exercise in simplicity - a prime example of what can be done with good-quality ingredients when they are treated with respect. The pasta dish included finely shredded prosciutto, strips of sun-dried tomato, chopped parsley and sliced mushrooms over a bed of linguine slick with garlic-infused olive oil.
The desserts are made in-house. Though the chocolate coconut layer cake and the seasonal berry crumble sounded very tempting, my dinner companions and I opted to split the lemon tart and the crème brûlée. The tart had a tasty shortbread crust, and a lemony filling topped with a sweet raspberry glaze. The hazelnut Frangelico crème brûlée was silky smooth save for a thick layer of caramel crust and some toasted hazelnut pieces. The food at the Village Café is absolutely top notch - it's an ideal choice for casual dinners with friends or a date with that special someone.
The Village Café
295 Richmond Road; (613) 728-2162
Appetizers: $12-$20
Mains: $19-$35
