Edible Ottawa

18/09/2025

If you’ve ever shaped a dumpling — or watched someone do it — you know it’s a meticulous craft that requires focus, precision and time.

At SUJEO Korean restaurant, in the heart of Picton, nearly 1,000 dumplings are shaped every day for its coveted pan- fried dumpling dish. It starts with the filling, made with pork, tofu, glass noodles, green onions and two types of fresh cabbage. A dollop of the homemade mixture is placed on the dumpling wrapper, which is then carefully folded to make the classic pleated shape. The dumplings are steamed and pan-fried to create a crispy, golden exterior. It’s the perfect bite — an explosion of juicy umaminess made possible through tireless hours. According to co-owner Sukyung Kang, the hours are completely worth it.

Read "A Thousand Dumplings a Day" by Lauren Medieros, from our special September PEC issue: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/a-thousand-dumplings-a-day/

Photos by Ash Nayler Photography.

10/09/2025

Méli-Mélo is an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Ottawa and beyond. Get the latest — from the this-just-opened and give-backs, to new bites and libations and don’t-miss events. Words by Katie Shapiro.

PEC edition:
- Nonna's Italian cooking at Base31: La Baracca at The Commissary
- Pints & Poke: Poke Blossom PEC at Matron Fine Beer
- Canned Collaborations: Top Shelf Preserves, County Bounty & Scatterbee Illustration & Design
- "PECish in Milford" at PECish Baking Co.
- Coffee and more at Citizen Frances
- "Scents for the Senses" at Savon Du Bois
- "County H***y Tonk" at Hank's Lonesome restaurant

Read the full column: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/meli-melo-september-2025/

08/09/2025

To celebrate the return of their flagship event, Taste of Wellington 2025, we've partnered up with Wellington West BIA and we’re giving away a $150 gift card to your favourite restaurant in Wellington West! 🙌🏼

From delicious bites to live entertainment, Taste of Wellington is your chance to experience the best our neighbourhood has to offer in an unforgettable day of food, fun, and community. 🌯🍩🎶

🗓️ September 20
⏰ 10AM to 6PM
📍 Wellington West neighbourhoods of Hintonburg & Wellington Village

This year, Taste of Wellington proud to support the Parkdale Food Centre with donation opportunities throughout the event. Let's make a difference together! 🙏🏼✨

Here’s how to enter:
1️⃣ Follow and on Instagram
2️⃣ Like this post ❤️
3️⃣ Tag three people in the comments who you think would love to explore the Taste of Wellington with you! 🌟

Contest closes at noon on September 18. Winners will be announced via our stories that same day, so keep an eye out! 👀

Get ready to stroll through Hintonburg and Wellington Village, indulge in mouthwatering samples, discover local gems, and enjoy live music and entertainment! 🎉🌞

Good luck everyone!! We can’t wait to see you at Taste of Wellington! 🎈✨

06/09/2025

Prince Edward County. Maybe you're a regular visitor, maybe you haven't been in a while or maybe you've wanted to go but just haven't made it. Our September issue is all about Prince Edward County, so get yourself a copy and start making plans. Visit The County:

- Nonna's cooking at Base31 La Baracca at The Commissary
- Pints & Poke: Poke Blossom PEC at Matron Fine Beer
- Canned Collaborations: Top Shelf Preserves, County Bounty & Scatterbee Illustration & Design
- PECish in Milford at PECish Baking Co.
- Coffee and more at Citizen Frances
- Scents for the Senses Savon Du Bois
- County H***y Tonk at Hank's Lonesome

- Inside SUJEO Korean restaurant, where handmade dumplings and heartfelt hospitality bring Korean home cooking.

- "Italian Comfort Food Done Right": two Toronto restaurateurs bring pared-back perfection at Darlings.

- "The Spirits of Wine Country": first came the wineries, then the breweries and restaurants, now distilleries are the next frontier of growth - Bare Bones Distillery, Kinsip, Stillus Craft Spirits & Wild Lot Distillery

- "A Season of Squash": From sweet cakes to savoury terrines, these fall-forward recipes celebrate the rich variety and flavour of one of autumn’s most versatile vegetables.

- Being part of the Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario program is a “no-brainer” for wineries that want to leave a positive environmental impact: Closson Chase Vineyards, Exultet Estates, Rosehall Run Vineyards

- Edwin County Farms is the secret workhorse of PEC, providing The Royal Hotel and other local restaurants with produce, meat and even baked goods year-round.

Cover by Ash Nayler Photography.

08/08/2025

The food and wine minds behind 60 Rue Bégin’s latest restaurant met at Fauna in 2021 when that restaurant’s Frank Street tent patio opened and the restaurant was doing 100 covers a night because eating outdoors was considered safer than dining indoors during a pandemic. Fast-forward to today, and Lewis Robinson and Tristan Bragaglia-Murdock are running their own place, in the storied location that once housed Edgar restaurant.

The tiny 28-seat La Petite Primerose (The Little Primrose) is in a residential Gatineau neighbourhood of Val-Tetreau, near the river’s edge, just west of Île de Hull.

Describing itself as a “hyper-seasonal restaurant,” the website goes on to say: “Our mission is simple: To celebrate the abundance coming from our friends, their fields and the magnificent wealth available to us, both from Quebec and from coast to coast. We want to share it all with you in a way that is both exciting and accessible. We see ourselves as a connection between farmers, creators and a truly memorable meal — a role we are honoured to fulfil.”

Read "A Petite French Bistro with a Lot of Heart" by Jennifer Campbell, from our July issue: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/a-petite-french-bistro-with-a-lot-of-heart/

Photos by Marianne Rothbauer.

04/08/2025

When tomatoes are in peak production this summer, make these tomato-based condiments from our July issue.

While we suggest eating as many fresh tomatoes in the summer as you can, sometimes you may need to use them in other ways — especially if you have a bumper crop. Using fresh tomatoes in condiments is a great way to extend their shelf life and they provide options for pulling together a delicious meal in a hurry.

https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/roundup/beyond-tomato-sauce-4-tomato-recipes/

Photo by Helena McMurdo Photography.

29/07/2025

The farm-to-table philosophy has been a mainstay of the real food movement for more than a decade now. Typically, however, the two remain at a certain distance; small-scale farmers grow beautiful produce and deliver it directly to their customers. Then the chef — whether that be a professional working in restaurant kitchen, an over-worked mother or father or a talented home cook — transforms it into something delicious.

The job of farming and that of cooking generally remain distinct, but at Back Forty Artisan Cheese, deep in cottage country north of Sharbot Lake, a paid residency program offers students the chance to learn it all in a bona fide farm-to-table experience. The residency, now in its second year, includes planting and maintaining the organic vegetable garden that supplies the onsite restaurant, and looking after livestock such as the Highland cattle, Berkshire-Tamworth pigs, several lambs and Rustic Ranger heritage meat chickens that grow and forage on the 156-acres of land. Tasks include helping in the garden and with field work, including making hay to feed the cows over the winter, aiding in the artisanal sheep-milk cheese-making process, prepping, and cooking and serving in the small lakeside bistro that is open Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer and fall.

Read all about Back Forty Artisan Cheese and its summer residency in "Field Notes from the Back Forty" by Hattie Klotz: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/field-notes-from-the-back-forty/

Photos by Matthew Liteplo.

27/07/2025

It seems every year the selection of food trucks gets bigger and better.

From sweet or savoury Belgian-style waffles to Filipino street food and Haitian chicken wings, check out this round-up of three food trucks you’ll want to add to your summer must-visit list.

Jimmy's waffle World, Meryenda & JJ’s Wings.

Read "Rolling into Summer" by Sonia Mendes: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/rolling-into-summer/

Photos by Melody Maloney Photo.

24/07/2025

At a time when it’s commonplace to find lifeless cilantro and browning, plastic-wrapped lettuce in big-box grocery stores, the produce from Fair Sun Farm stands apart.

“Freshness is key to the quality,” emphasizes Marnie Chown, who co-owns Fair Sun Farm with her husband, Patrick van der Burg. “It’s healthier food –– the fresher it is. It’s healthier than stuff that’s been sitting on the shelf for three days in a grocery store, maybe not at a temperature that it likes to be kept at.”

Timing is everything, as Chown explains. Customers of the farm –– located in Spencerville, about an hour south of downtown Ottawa –– typically enjoy their produce within 48 hours of it being pulled from the soil.

“Since we’re a small farm, we get to control how it’s grown, how it’s harvested, how it’s washed and processed and when you get it,” says Chown, adding that everything grown on Fair Sun Farm’s 70-acres is certified organic.

Read the full article "A Fresh Take on Food and Flowers" by Sonia Mendes: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/a-fresh-take-on-food-and-flowers/

Photo by Melody Maloney Photo.

15/07/2025

For more than 25 years, Arya Food Market has been an enduring presence in Centretown. Opened in 1999 on Bank Street, the store relocated to Gladstone Avenue five years later and has been there ever since. More than just a grocery store, Arya has been a cultural staple for the city’s Iranian population — and a gateway for other communities to discover Persian cuisine and traditions.

Read "Arya's Iranian Food Market" by Sonia Mendes: https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/aryas-iranian-food-market/

Photos by Melody Maloney Photo.

09/07/2025

While ice cream is never out of season, there’s no denying that peak summertime comes with peak opportunities to enjoy a cup or a cone. The region is not short on delicious and creative options. Here are just a few:

Piccolo Grande, Moo Shu Ice Cream, La Cigale, Ice Cream Shop - Old Chelsea Quebec, The Merry Dairy, Carp Custom Creamery, Chris's Ice Cream, The Beachconers, Love and Electric Ice Cream & Sadie Beans Ice Cream

What is your favourite ice cream shop?

https://edibleottawa.ediblecommunities.com/stories/meli-melo-the-summer-scoop/

Photo of Mallard’s Milk Bar by Matthew Liteplo.

While ice cream is never out of season, there’s no denying that peak summertime comes with peak opportunities to enjoy a cup or a cone.

08/07/2025

Méli-Mélo - July by Katie Shapiro is an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Ottawa and beyond. Get the latest — from the this-just-opened and give-backs, to new bites and libations and don’t-miss events.

- Perked up in Arnprior at Cafe Tilda
- a summer of garlic and food festivals
- Columbian comforts Toasty Arepas

Read the full article online:

Méli-Mélo is an edible hodgepodge to help you stay on top of the hits and happenings in Ottawa and beyond.