This is a restaurant I have waited 3 years to try out. The Grand, “born in Naples, raised in Ottawa” is your portal to authentic Italian food! The exposed brick walls of the entrance that towers over the market square will be hard to miss as you explore the area. The restaurant hosts a beautiful patio and indoor seating area that surrounds a wood-burning oven, but don’t be fooled, the place gets very busy so prepare to save a spot in line!
The Grand offers guests a range of pasta dishes and traditional pizzas. I tried a couple of dishes, one being a beef lasagna that I used to take a trip down memory lane to one of my favorite restaurants named “Hostaria” back home. The second was Pappardelle Alla Grand, a dish that included mushrooms, sausages, and some beautiful truffle oil accompanied by a cream sauce.
The lasagna was, and still remains my favorite dish with the cheese melting through the layers, it was easy to notice how well the dish was cooked. I am someone who usually gets annoyed when the food is too hot, but in this case it allowed the cheese to remain melted so I didn’t have to bite through some tough cheese half way through the meal. The Pappardelle Alla Grand definitely did not disappoint. The fresh pasta accompanied with the truffle oil is something that I had never tried before that day, and wow was I missing out. The meat was cooked perfectly and didn’t have a chewy texture like many other places have.
Now I usually wouldn’t order drinks considering my budget when I’m eating out, but the “Westboro Moms” were exceptionally generous with their tips that week so why not? I helped myself to a vodka based “Azzuri” and had a taste of a sangria as well, now before you judge me for my alcoholic antics, I did share the drinks so there you have it.
The Grand is no exception when it comes to fighting off the bone chilling cold that Ottawa offers, but as the saying goes “if you can’t beat them, join them”. The Grand has done exactly that and offers one of the city’s best Ice bars during the Winterlude weekends between Jan and Feb!
All in all, if you are in Ottawa, regardless of the season, make sure you end your trip to the city in the most grand way possible!
A Side of Fries 