Cat's Fish and Chips: Restaurant Review

The other day one of my Facebook friends posted a lovely picture of her fish and chips dinner. The caption read "it's hard to find good fish 'n chips in Ottawa" - as a Brit, she should know. Britain is the land where fish and chips was born! Yesterday was my husband's 32nd birthday, and my friend's photo gave me a great idea. I decided to take my hubby out to the best fish and chips place in Ottawa. My husband is the guy who must try fish and chips at every restaurant/pub we visit - a lot of these meals have been pretty gross. It's easy to screw up fish and chips!

I did some googling, and found Cat's Fish and Chips at Hemlock and St. Laurent. The ambiance takes me right back to Casey Key, Florida, where my family loves to vacation every winter. If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear the ocean waves.

We sat on the patio, and ordered a beer - Beau's Festivale for my hubby (you get to take home the glass, but I believe this brew will be done soon!). The server was extremely welcoming and helpful, and the food arrived in record time. We tried the Crow's Nest (seasoned and fried onions) with chipotle and dill dipping sauces, and then opted for the halibut. Portions are GIANT, so think about it before you consider ordering 2 pieces of fish :)

We were too full for desert, but I can't wait to go back and try their homemade doughnut topped with a scoop of ice cream. There was a kids menu, which would offer smaller portions for the wee ones.

And speaking of kids, I was delighted to see that Cat's was very kid-friendly. The bathroom even had a wooden change table and pad - much nicer than those plastic monstrosities. And any child would be delighted with the decor, which makes you feel as though you're inside an old ship!

Price-wise, Cat's is very reasonable. Our bill was on the higher end, given that we paid extra for the halibut and indulged in an appetizer and some drinks. Most meals are between $10 - $15 (I found the kids menu a bit pricey, but given that my girls don't eat very much when we go out, I would probably have them share something)

And for those of you gluten free - Cat's has a whole menu dedicated to gluten free fare!

It was a lovely meal, and we ended the evening by walking through the National Cemetery of Canada. We definitely needed that walk after a healthy dose of fried fats :) I think Cat's may become one of our family's favourite restaurants in Ottawa!

Kid-Friendly Restaurant Review: A Very "Sometimes" Treat

by Liisa This week our family attended the opening of Smoke's Poutinerie at 407 Dalhousie in the Byward Market. 

Up front, I must express my biases:

1)  Smoke's Poutinerie's founder, Ryan Smolkin, is a friend.

2)  I am a vegetarian and I haven't eaten poutine in about 15 years (since 4 a.m. on Saturday nights in the McGill Ghetto).

3) I try to feed my children healthful meals.

We pulled up to Smoke's Poutinerie on Sunday evening and easily found street parking out front.  We could readily identify the place by its red and black checked sign - think lumber jacket.  Right away the tone was set for a slightly kitchy Canadiana experience. 

Music was blaring and tables were filled with hungry eaters (I couldn't say "diners" because I don't think you "dine" on poutine - or maybe you do). 

We lined up and ordered a blue rasberry Calypso Lemonade to accompany a traditional veggie poutine (in the small size) and a plain order of fries for my finicky children.   We found a small table to squeeze into and the boys quickly polished off the delicious lightly seasoned handcut fries.  There was no processed potato mush here. 

Derek and I tasted the poutine.  The vegetarian poutine is made with a mushroom-based gravy.  You could really taste the mushroom flavour and I am definitely a fan.  The cheese curds tasted fresh and were melted just enough. 

The tiny 100 pound woman beside me polished off a small Nacho Veggie Poutine and proclaimed it "the best".  

The portion sizes are really generous and I imagine that a small could be shared between two children.  We will be back, and we will look forward to trying some of the more exotic varieties.   Unfortunately, for us, poutine is a very "sometimes" food, but the next time we have a craving for hand-cut fries, or those plump cheese curds we will definitely know where to go.

The Stats: (out of 5)

Food (Quality, taste, freshness): Grown-ups – 5 thumbs up; Kids – 5 thumbs up

Service (Attentiveness and kid-friendliness): 5 thumbs up from grown-ups and kids (stickers of all sizes were a huge hit with the kids)

Ambience (General appeal and energy, any interesting kid-friendly features): 3 thumbs up from grown-ups and kids; loud music and cramped quarters make this perfect for a quick snack

Cost (family of 4 with 2 children under 5): under $30 including tax

Speed (Every parents-of-small-children’s concern!):  Time from order to delivery of food 4 minutes; total time in restaurant 20 minutes.

Smoke's Poutinerie, 407 Dalhousie Street (613) 789-CURD

Liisa is mom to two boys, 4.5 year old Lil D and 2.5 year old Lil C.  You can also find her at Fit for a Kid.