Matt Harrison, Editor of the Ottawa XPress
According to this year’s survey, my mom (the lovely Mrs. Harrison) was the most consistently voted person throughout our entire online reader survey. Best Means of Getting Around? My mom. Best Museum? My mom. How about Best Reason to Jeer the City? Actually, not my mom. That’s because, in the Local Lore category, Mayor Larry O’Brien pretty much stole the show. For example, his cancellation of the O-Train expansion won the Best Scandal and Best Reason to Jeer the City categories – not a popular move, it seems, with our readers, since expanding the O-Train won Best New Idea for the City category. Take a hint Mr. Mayor, XPress readers want you to quit stalling on making the city more transit friendly, greener, and lest congested. Bring back the choo-choo train.
But back to my mom… While I’m flattered someone would actually take the time to laboriously write her name in all of our categories, it makes me wonder about whether adding the “other” option to our survey was such a good idea after all, since this was the kind of thing we were trying to get rid of by creating the much-hated, but much-used, short list.
I’m only half-joking. In fact the “other” option turned out to be quite successful. A significant number of voters used it to write in their own suggestions, and when it came to the Best Live Music Show of 2007, the number and diversity of answers proved that our short list wasn’t the be-all and end-all. Unfortunately there were few cases where something in the “other” category actually
got more votes than one of our selections in the short list – something I suspect that has to do with general laziness, since people are more likely to click on what is already there than to write something in. In order to help correct this, the “other” selections that did gain a significant number of votes will be included in next year’s short list. For example, in the category Best Night Out, there were many votes (not enough to win, but nevertheless a lot) for Guerrilla Gay Fair – an event that originated in L.A., where members of the gay community take over a straight club for a night, and which is now happening in Ottawa. It wasn’t included in our shortlist but it will be (if it’s still happening with continued success in ’08) in next year’s survey.
As for the results, there are a number of surprises this year. First of all, Tokyo Sex Whale won in two categories: Their album Feed the Beast won Best Punk/Metal/Hard Rock Album/EP of 2007, and the band itself was voted as the Best New Musical Artist/Group in Ottawa. The Acorn’s Glory Hope Mountain may have appeared to be Ottawa’s uncontested indie-rock album of the year, but Jet Planes Of Abraham’s self-titled record was a very close second. It was also extremely close between Barrymore’s and The Black Sheep Inn concerning the category Best Place to Hear Live Music. There were also a few ties – the most significant one was between Beckta and E18hteen for first place in the Best Splurge category. As for upsets: Local Heroes reclaimed its title as the King of Wings, Oh So Good beat out Thyme & Again for Best Dessert, while Savana Caf? climbed up from last year’s fourth place spot to win Best Romantic Restaurant, and – though it didn’t win any category outright – the new Aunt Olive’s Caf? and Vintage Clothes did work its way into several honourable mentions.
Perhaps the most interesting part of our survey is the Local Lore section, since it acts as a barometer for how people felt about the past year. According to this year’s survey, it was a mixed one for our mayor. According to our readers, cancelling the O-Train was a bad idea, but the mayor’s increased funding for the arts was a good move. The new Somerset Bridge over the Rideau Canal was a clearly a great idea since it won first place in two of our categories. And while people voted overwhelmingly that the best method of getting around was either by biking or walking, it doesn’t explain why the roads are clogged with cars with single occupants.
Anyhow, we hope that you’ll not only enjoy reading the survey but will keep it around as a guide of sorts to restaurants, bands, books and everything else Ottawa has to offer. Enjoy.
The Best of Ottawa 2007 online reader survey’s results are divided into four sections: Food & Drink, Arts & Culture, Around Town, and Local Lore. In each section the categories are listed alphabetically. Honourable mentions are ranked in the order of second, third and fourth place winners. If you have any questions, concerns or feedback, please email us at [email protected].
RESULTS
1. FOOD & DRINK
Best African
Winner: Horn of Africa (364 Rideau)
Honourable Mentions: East African Restaurant (376 Rideau), Kasbah Village Moroccan Cuisine (261 Laurier), Eri Caf? (953 Somerset)
Best all-you-can-eat
Winner: East India Company (210 Somerset)
Honourable Mentions: Du Barry (33 Selkirk), Govinda’s (212 Somerset), Nagina (217 Rideau)
Best appetizers/tapas
Winner: The Manx (370 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Oz Kaf? (361 Elgin), E18hteen Restaurant and Bar (18 York), Urban Pear (151 Second)
Best bakery
Winner: Kettleman’s Bagel (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: The French Baker (119 Murray), Three Tarts Bakers (1320 Wellington), Bread & Sons (195 Bank)
Best (local) beer
Winner: The Clock Tower Brew Pub
Honourable Mentions: Beau’s All Natural, Heritage Brewing
Best bistro
Winner: Absinthe (1208 Wellington)
Honourable Mentions: Wellington Gastropub (1325 Wellington), Benny’s Bistro (119 Murray), Fresco Bistro Italiano (354 Elgin)
Best brunch
Winner: The Manx Pub (370 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Stoneface Dolly’s (416 Preston), Black Tomato (11 George), Scone Witch (388 Albert)
Best burger
Winner: The Works (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Chez Lucien (137 Murray), Lick’s Ice Cream and Burger Shop (1788 Bank), The Manx Pub (370 Elgin)
Best cheap eats
Winner: Ikea (2685 Iris)
Honourable Mentions: DiRienzo’s Grocery (111 Beech), Peace Garden Caf? (47 Clarence), and a tie between Govinda’s (212 Somerset) and German Town Deli (212 Slater)
Best Chinese
Winner: So Good (717 Somerset)
Honourable Mentions: Shanghai Restaurant (651 Somerset), Palais Imperial Chinese Restaurant (313 Dalhousie), Royal Treasure (774 Somerset)
Best chip wagon
Winner: The Blooming Onion (York/Dalhousie)
Honourable Mentions: A tie between The Chip Wagon (Bank/Sunnyside) and Sasha’s (next to Dominion Tavern, 33 York), Glen’s Chip Wagon (Richmond/Kirkwood), Tzan’s Chip Wagon (Bank/Laurier)
Best tea/coffee house
Winner: Bridgehead (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Planet Coffee (24 York), I Deal Coffee (176 Dalhousie), The Tea Store (53 York)
Best cozy nook
Winner: The Manx (370 Elgin),
Honourable Mentions: Aunt Olive’s (209 Gilmour), Tea Party (119 York), The Pantry Vegetarian Tea Room (690 Lyon)
Best deli
Winner: La Bottega (64 George)
Honourable Mentions: Nicastro’s (all locations), DiRienzo’s Grocery (111 Beech), Sausage Kitchen (5 Byward Market Square)
Best dessert
Winner: Oh So Good (25 York)
Honourable Mentions: Thyme and Again (1255 Wellington), Three Tarts Bakers (1320 Wellington), Three Bakers and a Bike (1281 Wellington)
Best diner
Winner: Elgin Street Diner (374 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Ada’s Diner (510 Bank), Mayflower (247 Elgin), Dunn’s Famous Deli (220 Elgin)
Best farmers’ market
Winner: Byward Market
Honourable Mentions: Parkdale Market, Ottawa Farmers’ Market (Lansdowne), Ottawa Organic Farmers’ Market (Bank/Heron)
Best French
Winner: Les Foug?res Restaurant (783 Route 105, Chelsea)
Honourable Mentions: L’Or?e du Bois (15 Kingsmere, Chelsea), Le Panach? (634 Somerset), Le Tartuffe (133 Notre-Dame-de-l’?le, Gatineau)
Best Greek
Winner: Greek on Wheels (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Theo’s Greek Taverna (911 Richmond), A’roma Meze (239 Nepean), Pilos Resturant (876 Montreal)
Best ice cream/gelato
Winner: Pure Gelato (350 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Piccolo Grande (all locations), The Purple Cow (798 Bank), Malak Lebanese Pastry (1216 Bank)
Best South Asian
Winner: Ceylonta (403 Somerset)
Honourable Mentions: Taj Mahal (925 Bank), Haveli (39 Clarence), East India Company (210 Somerset)
Best Italian
Winner: Vittoria Trattoria (35 William)
Honourable Mentions: Giovanni’s (362 Preston), Mamma Grazzi’s (25 George), Fratelli (all locations)
Best Japanese
Winner: Kinki (41 York)
Honourable Mentions: Wasabi (41 Clarence), Suisha Gardens/Kaedeya Mart (208-210 Slater), Genji (175 Lisgar)
Best Korean
Winner: Joy (315 Somerset)
Honourable Mentions: Kwon’s Korean BBQ (332 Wilbrod), Miga (399 Bank), Arum (512 Bank)
Best Mexican/South American
Winner: Ahora (307 Dalhousie)
Honourable Mentions: Pancho Villa (361 Elgin), Azteca (41 William), La Cabana (848 Merivale)
Best Middle Eastern
Winner: Middle East Bakery (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Saffron Restaurant (426 Rideau), Persian Cuisine Express (340 Laurier), Jericho (840 Bank)
Best natural food store
Winner: Herb & Spice (both locations)
Honourable Mentions: Natural Food Pantry (both locations), The Wild Oat (817 Bank), Rainbow Foods (1487 Richmond)
Best patio
Winner: The Courtyard (The Black Tomato, Mamma Grazzi’s, The Courtyard Restaurant, Social, Helsinki)
Honourable Mentions: Elgin Street courtyard (The Lieutenant’s Pump/Oz Kaf?/Pancho Villa), The Irish Village (67 Clarence), Milestones (700 Sussex)
Best pizza
Winner: Colonnade (280 Metcalfe)
Honourable Mentions: Forno Antico (683 Bronson), House of Georgie & Sorento’s (211 Gilmour), Calabria (193 Bell)
Best poutine
Winner: Elgin Street Diner (374 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Sasha’s (next to Dominion Tavern, 33 York), The Works (all locations), Fast Food Grocery (Bank/MacLaren)
Best pub
Winner: The Manx Pub (370 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Chez Lucien (137 Murray), Pub Italia (434 Preston), Irish Village (67 Clarence)
Best romantic restaurant
Winner: Savana Caf? (431 Gilmour)
Honourable Mentions: Black Cat Caf? (93 Murray), Absinthe (1208 Wellington), L’Or?e du Bois (15 Kingsmere, Chelsea)
Best sandwich
Winner: DiRienzo’s Grocery (111 Beech)
Honourable Mentions: La Bottega (64 George), Gooney’s Sandwich Works (360 Laurier), Aunt Olive’s (209 Gilmour)
Best seafood
Winner: LaPointe’s (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Whalesbone Oyster House (430 Bank), One Fish Two Fish (1463 Merivale), Pelican Grill (1500 Bank)
Best shawarma
Winner: Shawarma King (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Maroush (380 Elgin), Shawarma Palace (464 Rideau), Really Lebanese (321 Dalhousie)
Best splurge
Winner: A tie between Beckta (226 Nepean) and E18hteen (18 York)
Honourable Mentions: Sweetgrass (108 Murray), Black Cat Caf? (93 Murray), Domus Caf? (85 Murray)
Best steakhouse/steak
Winner: Hy’s (170 Queen)
Honourable Mentions: Prime 360 (407 Laurier), Hino (1013 Wellington), Sterling Steakhouse and Seafood (835 Jacques-Cartier, Gatineau)
Best sushi
Winner: Kinki (41 York)
Honourable Mentions: Wasabi (41 Clarence), Sushi 88 (690 Somerset), Genji (175 Lisgar)
Best take-out
Winner: Greek on Wheels (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Thyme and Again (1255 Wellington), Indian Express Food & Sweets (1104 Somerset), Sushi Go + Tea Express (48 Byward Market Square)
Best Thai
Winner: Green Papaya (both locations)
Honourable Mentions: Hot Peppers (495 Somerset), Siam Bistro (1268 Wellington), Khao Thai (103 Murray),
Best vegetarian
Winner: Green Door (198 Main)
Honourable Mentions: The Table (1230 Wellington), Perfection, Satisfaction, Promise (167 Laurier), Soup’Herbe (168 Old Chelsea Rd., Chelsea)
Best Vietnamese/pho
Winner: Pho Bo Ga (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: New Pho Bo Ga La (763 Somerset), New Mee Fung (350 Booth), Vietnam Noodle House (706 Somerset)
Best wings
Winner: Local Heroes (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: The Clock Tower Brew Pub (575 Bank), Lonestar Texas Grill (780 Baseline), St. Louis Bar & Grill (399 Elgin)
2. ARTS & CULTURE
Best alternative to a multiplex movie theatre
Winner: ByTowne Cinema
Honourable Mentions: Mayfair Theatre, Rainbow Theatre, Centretown Movies (summer only)
Best art gallery (besides the National Gallery of Canada!)
Winner: SAW Gallery (2 Daly)
Honourable Mentions: La Petite Mort (306 Cumberland), Ottawa Art Gallery (2 Daly), Cube Gallery (7 Hamilton)
Best dance performance in 2007
Winner: Rubberbandance
Honourable Mentions: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens: TooT and Noces, Anandam Company: Dangerous Women, The Forsythe Company: Quintett
Best festival of 2007
Winner: Bluesfest
Honourable Mentions: Winterlude, Westfest, Ladyfest Ottawa
Best film by a local filmmaker in 2007
Winner: Letting: Bridget Farr
Honourable Mentions: 15 Years of Light: Dino Koutras, Jaime and Eddie: Souls of Strife: Pascal Aka, Land of the Pines: Dan Sokolowski
Best film festival of 2007
Winner: Ottawa International Animation Festival
Honourable Mentions: One World Film Festival, Killer 63, European Union Film Festival
Best folk/country album/EP of 2007
Winner: Jim Bryson: Where the Bungalows Roam
Honourable Mentions: The Grass: Report All Ghosts, Andrea Simms Karp: Sleeper, Lindsay Ferguson: Sound
Best live music show of 2007
Winner: The White Stripes @ Bluesfest
Honourable Mentions: Girl Talk @ Babylon, Do Make Say Think @ Barrymore’s, Animal Collective @ Bronson Centre
Best lounge
Winner: Mercury Lounge (56 Byward)
Honourable Mentions: Aloha Room (323 Bank), Helsinki (15 George), Avant-Garde Bar (135 Besserer)
Best museum
Winner: National Gallery of Canada
Honourable Mentions: Museum of Civilization, War Museum, Science and Technology Museum
Best new musical artist/group
Winner: Tokyo Sex Whale
Honourable Mentions: The Murder Plans, Andrea Simms Karp, Fucked Corpse
Best night out
Winner: Retro ’80s Night @ Barrymore’s
Honourable Mentions: Sunday’s Mod Club @ Babylon, Spins and Needles (different locations), iPod Battles @ Babylon
Best place to hear live music
Winner: Barrymore’s (323 Bank)
Honourable Mentions: Black Sheep Inn (Wakefield), Zaphod’s (27 York), Babylon (317 Bank)
Best punk/metal/hard rock album/EP of 2007
Winner: Tokyo Sex Whale: Feed the Beast
Honourable Mentions: The Bella Bombs: Liquid Explosion, The Fucking Machines: Sexy Times With the Fucking Machines, Four Stroke: I Was a Teenage Suicide Bomber
Best rock/pop/dance/other album/EP of 2007
Winner: The Acorn: Glory Hope Mountain
Honourable Mentions: Jetplanes Of Abraham: Jetplanes Of Abraham, The Murder Plans: The Murder Plans, Souljazz Orchestra: Freedom No Go Die
Best theatrical performance in 2007
Winner: The Penelopiad (NAC)
Honourable Mentions: Bubkus (Jesse Buck), Kafka and Son (Ottawa Fringe Festival), The Four Horsemen Project (GCTC)
Best visual arts exhibit of 2007
Winner: Ron Mueck @ National Gallery of Canada
Honourable Mentions: Oil Spill @ SAW Gallery, Resounding Spirit: Japanese Contemporary Art of the 1960s @ CUAG, Making Real @ Quebec Scene
Best work of fiction/non-fiction/poetry by local writer
Winner: Ghettostocracy: Oni the Haitian Sensation (poetry)
Honourable Mentions: The Ottawa City Project: rob mclennan (poetry), Late Nights on Air: Elizabeth Hay (fiction), The Quitter: Alex Mortimer (non-fiction)
3. AROUND TOWN
Best art supplies
Winner: Wallack’s (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Loomis (499 Bank), Artguise (590 Bank), Omer DeSerres (499 Bank)
Best bar staff
Winner: Manx (370 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Zaphod’s (27 York), Dominion Tavern (33 York), Barrymore’s (323 Bank)
Best beauty salon/spa
Winner: Le Nordik Scandinavian Spa (16 Nordik, Chelsea)
Honourable Mentions: York Street Spa (11 York), Le Spa (429 MacLaren), Saab (376 Bank)
Best bike shop
Winner: Joe Momma’s (216 Pretoria)
Honourable Mentions: Pecco’s (both locations), The Bike Dump (407 Catherine), McCrank’s Cycle (889 Bank)
Best bookstore
Winner: Octopus Books (116 Third)
Honourable Mentions: Mother Tongue (1067 Bank), Collected Works (1242 Wellington), Nicholas Hoare Bookstore (419 Sussex)
Best comic/gaming store
Winner: The Comic Book Shoppe (both locations)
Honourable Mentions: Silver Snail (391 Bank), Wizard’s Tower (all locations), Fandom II (162 Laurier)
Best flowers
Winner: Tivoli (both locations)
Honourable Mentions: Bel Fiore (276 Elgin), Scrims (262 Elgin)
Best fun outdoors
Winner: A hike/bike in Gatineau Park
Honourable Mentions: Skating on the Rideau Canal, walking around the Byward Market, playing Tarzan (or Jane) in either of Ottawa’s aerial parks (Camp Fortune/Lafl?che)
Best furniture store
Winner: Ikea (2685 Iris)
Honourable Mentions: Phillip Van Leeuwen (10 Byward Market Square), Found Design (1090 Bank), EQ3 (60 Byward Market Square)
Best head shop
Winner: Crosstown Traffic (593 Bank)
Honourable Mentions: Rock Junction (151 Rideau), Smoke Signals (both locations), Puffalot (2821 St. Joseph)
Best independent record/CD store
Winner: End Hits (407 Dalhousie)
Honourable Mentions: Compact Music (all locations), Vertigo (193 Rideau), Birdman Sound (593 Bank)
Best jewellery store
Winner: Magpie (all locations)
Honourable Mentions: Sassy Bead (all locations), Milk (234 Dalhousie), Workshop Boutique (242 Dalhousie)
Best men’s clothing store (not a chain)
Winner: Top of the World (158 Rideau)
Honourable Mentions: Norml Clothing (41 William), Milk (234 Dalhousie), Trustfund (493 Sussex)
Best musical instrument store
Winner: Steve’s Music Store (308 Rideau)
Honourable Mentions: Ottawa Folklore Centre (1111 Bank), Long & McQuade (2631 Alta Vista), Spaceman Music (388 Gladstone)
Best outdoor store
Winner: Mountain Equipment Co-op (366 Richmond)
Honourable Mentions: Bushtukah (203 Richmond), Trailhead (1960 Scott), North Face (342 Richmond)
Best photography store
Winner: Henry’s (267 Bank)
Honourable Mentions: Blacks (all locations), Galaxy Camera (525 Bank), Vistek (433 Bank)
Best pool hall
Winner: MacLaren’s (301 Elgin)
Honourable Mentions: Dooly’s (2277 Gladwin), Orange Monkey (250 City Centre), Cue and Cushion (319 Bank)
Best sex/erotica shop
Winner: Venus Envy (320 Lisgar)
Honourable Mentions: Adult Fun Superstore (1565 St. Laurent), Classixxx Adult Store (all locations), Wilde’s (367 Bank)
Best skate shop
Winner: Top of the World (158 Rideau)
Honourable Mentions: On Deck (141 Bentley), En Equilibre (140 Gr?ber, Gatineau), West 49 (both locations)
Best tattoos/piercing
Winner: Five Cents (201 Dalhousie)
Honourable Mentions: Planet Ink (306 Rideau), Living Colour (412 Dalhousie), Universal Tattoo (156 Rideau)
Best vintage clothing
Winner: Ragtime (43 Flora)
Honourable Mentions: Aunt Olive’s (209 Gilmour), Attic (203 Dalhousie), Orange (145 York)
Best women’s clothing store (not a chain)
Winner: Milk (234 Dalhousie)
Honourable Mentions: Allegro (55 William), Workshop Boutique (242 Dalhousie), Victoire (238 Dalhousie)
4. LOCAL LORE
Best architectural addition to the city
Winner: Somerset footbridge
Honourable Mentions: Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, Desmarais Building (University of Ottawa campus), all them new freakin’ condos!
Best architectural eyesore
Winner: American Embassy
Honourable Mentions: All them new freakin’ condos, Barrymore’s (exterior only), Rideau Centre
Best means of getting around
Winner: Bike paths
Honourable Mentions: Walking, Transitway, car
Best Ottawa neighbourhood to live in
Winner: Centretown
Honourable Mentions: The Glebe, Westboro, Old Ottawa South
Best new idea for the city
Winner: Light rail extension
Honourable Mentions: Citywide composting that also includes apartments, banning plastic grocery bags, redevelop Lansdowne Park
Best new thing that happened to Ottawa this year
Winner: The construction of the Somerset footbridge
Honourable Mentions: GCTC’s new eco-friendly building: Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, Festival X: Ottawa’s brand new photography festival, and finally, some much-needed transparency at the National Capital Commission
Best radio station
Winner: CBC 91.5
Honourable Mentions: CKCU 93.1, Live 88.5, Hot 89.9
Best reason to cheer the city
Winner: Increased arts funding
Honourable Mentions: City’s composting program (it’s not perfect, but it’s a start), the very idea of bringing back football to this city, Clive Doucet
Best reason to jeer the city
Winner: Opposition to Light Rail extension plans and the cost for taxpayers as a result of cancelling construction
Honourable Mentions: Businesses having to pay for recycling (hence, most don’t bother!), cancellation of the Safer Inhalation Program (crack kits), and a tie between Lex Luthor and his Secret Society of Super Villains and the City voting to sticker all City vehicles with the “Support our troops” logo
Best scandal
Winner: The money and lawsuits that will be wasted concerning the cancellation of the O-Train extension
Honourable Mentions: Allegations that Mayor Larry O’Brien bribed mayoral candidate Terry Kilrea not to run in the 2006 election, Mayor O’Brien compares Ottawa’s homeless to pigeons, the Senators blowing the Stanley Cup finals