Back Lane Cafe, Ottawa

I've been featuring so many posts abroad lately, that it's time I talk about the food from the city I actually live in for once! OMG, we have had a crazy heat wave here this week and everyone is just cooped up in their a/c blasted houses. It's a funny weather dynamic we have here in Ottawa. When it's cold, we complain. When it's finally hot out, we also complain. We get the two temperature extremes for so much of the year, it's hard not to complain. The good stuff in between just doesn't last long here. If the beautiful warm May weather could last a bit longer, I'd be happy.

I recently checked out Back Lane Cafe and I'm so glad I did! I've been waiting for something new in Ottawa to pop up that would get me excited, and this is it. Atmosphere, for me, is just as important as the food, and this place does both really well. What I love about Back Lane is how cozy and quaint the place feels. It has an ecclectic feel mixed with a small cottage feel. A place where you can kick back and be yourself.

I started my meal with the frisee salad with walnut, orange, parmigiano and walnut vinaigrette. The vinaigrette was awesome. Light with a bit of a tang.

Frisee Salad with Walnut, Orange, Parmigiano and Walnut Vinaigrette

My friend A wasn't feeling great so he opted for a soup, lentil & spinach with a goat cheese gougere on the side. It hit the spot for him, soup that tasted like mom made!

Lentil and Spinach Soup with Goat Cheese Gougere

I was torn between the lamb pizza and the special of the day. After some himming and hawing, I went for the special since the lamb pizza will always be there. The special was the pan seared chicken livers on sourdough with sunchokes and shitake mushrooms. I was honestly in heaven eating this dish. The sauce served with the livers was amazing...rich yet very light tasting. And adding sunchokes to the livers was genius because the textures blended together, creating this melt in your mouth feel. I wish they had this as part of their permanent menu!

Pan Seared Chicken Livers with Sunchokes and Shitake Mushrooms

A loves mussels so he ordered the mussels in toasted garlic and provencal tomato sauce with saratoga chips and polenta. The mussels were juicy and cooked just perfectly, and the sauce was very fresh. He absolutely loved his dish.

Mussels in Toasted Garlic and Provencal Tomato Sauce

Check this place out. Restaurants like Back Lane make me excited to be living in Ottawa!

Back Lane Cafe
1087 Wellington Street
Ottawa Ontario Canada
Telephone: 613-695-2999