dennis.ca

Canal Ritz
375 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Ottawa, Ontario
Type: Italian
Rating: 4 out of 10

I've lived in Ottawa for about 10 years and I avoid 'tourist trap' restaurants like the plague. Canal Ritz is located near the Glebe and sits alongside the Rideau canal. As such, it attracts visitors on their way in or out of the downtown core.

My girlfriend and I visited this place with a couple of friends from the East coast. Frankly, I was a bit embarrassed by the entire episode. We were seated at a madly wobbling patio table with chairs that could only be described as torturous. By the end of the meal we were unanimously in favor of skipping coffee and dessert and leaving as soon as possible.

I shared the Antipasto appetizer prior to my entree. Portion size was fine, but the meat was "supermarket quality". The cheese was actually quite good, but supply and variety left something to be desired. To my amateur palate, the marinade used on the vegetables didn't seem much more complex than vinegar.

I chose the grilled New York steak for my entree and the experience quickly moved from 'average' to 'disappointing'. The beef was diner quality; roughly 1 centimetre thick and extremely fatty, complete with a wide band of gristle. I'm not a a whiz in the kitchen, but this steak was not grilled -- it was fried line-cook style. I've cooked better steaks in a frying pan. The potatoes and vegetables were passable. I paid $27 for the priviledge of choking down roughly half of my steak.

If I forced myself to pick out a bright spot (and I will), it was our server -- she was friendly and fast. Any joy I extracted from the service was tempered by the fact there were other servers milling about and watching everyone a bit too intently for comfort.

A couple final nitpicks:

1. The online menu differed significantly from the actual menu; and
2. This is one of the few remaining places in Ottawa that I can recall where smoking is permitted on the patio. I am a smoker, but the chimney seated at the table next to us was distracting and annoying.

Price is average to high with most entree dishes priced between $17-20. One appetizer, two entrees, and two drinks (one alcoholic) was $90 after tip. Needless to say, I won't be returning.