Union Local 613

There's a bucket list of restaurants I've been dying to try in Ottawa. 

Union Local 613 has been at the top of this list for quite a while. They are a Canadian take on Southern hospitality, featuring a cocktail menu with a focus on bourbon. 

Into it. 

Whenever I'm in need of a good laugh and a great meal, I call up my friend Allison for one of our legendary "lady dates". WHAT is a lady date you ask?? Well let me tell you! 

Lady date: two fancy ladies (April & Allison), sampling a new restaurant, and ordering everything on the menu. Cocktails required. Shenanigans strongly encouraged. 

Neither of us are foodies, we just both luv food!! 

Right off the bat, I loved the feel of Local 613. Definitely one of the cooler restaurants I have ever been to. I felt bad-ass just being in there. 

Seating is primarily communal, which I didn't think I would like, but I did! It was fun to snoop on what other people were drinking and eating. 

The decor had a true Southern Comfort feel. Long wooden tables and rustic floor boards, mason jars at every turn, the menu covered in burlap and candles ERRYWHERE. 

We started with cocktails. I had the Dark and Stormy. 

Rum, ginger syrup, falernum and lime bitters, lime, and soda top.

Allison had the Counting Sheep. 

Gin, cucumber shrub, basil, lime juice, and waupoos cider. 

Both were fantastic!

Instead of the traditional "bread for the table", they brought us boiled peanuts. Say whaaa?

Are boiled peanuts a thing down South?? I have no idea! 

To start, I went with the most interesting thing I saw, which was fried green tomatoes. 

Served with ham, pimento cheese, roasted corn, and peppers. 

It was actually really, REALLY good. Best thing I ate all night! 

Allison had some kind of chicken-falafelly ball thing. 

Next up for a main, I had the catfish. 

I really wanted to stick with the Southern theme. And it doesn't get any more Southern than catfish! 

Served with a pecan puree, wilted frisee, and lemon. 

So the catfish was... catfishy? 

It was my first time ever having it, so I didn't know what to expect! I liked the fish! Could have done without the puree. But happy I tried it. 

What really made our meal, was the sides we decided to share. 

Cornbread & grits. True comfort foods.

THE BEST!!!! EVER!!!!! 

Really heavy on the butter and cream. Perfect 10/10. 

Overall, we both really liked Union Local 613. The service was great, and the staff was really friendly and knowledgeable. They definitely knew their stuff. Next time, I think I would skip the mains altogether and just order a bunch of sides, they were the best part! 

PS: Before we headed home, I remembered reading somewhere online that there was a speakeasy in the basement. We decided to go downstairs and check it out. Here's what we found:  

Bookshelf, or secret passageway? We'll never tell! 

La Bottega

Do really good sandwiches make YOU happy???? 

Really good sandwiches make ME happy. Just look at me! Pure joy.

Want to eat a really good sandwich, and be happy like me??? Of course you do!!!   

Then you should check out La Bottega, an Italian fine foods and deli shop, located in Ottawa's Byward Market.   

La Bottega has a special place in my heart. It was the first restaurant I "discovered" when I moved to Ottawa for party time medical school. 

Although I didn't exactly "discover" it - the shop is a local favourite and is almost always busy. Prepare to wait in line at lunch time or on the weekends... but trust me, it will be worth it. 

I could spend hours roaming up and down the aisles, checking out all of the goodies. Filled with fresh pastas, breads, Italian desserts, specialty olive oils....

And CHEESE!! Did I mention cheese?? Check out this big boy.  

There's also a fantastic antipasto bar. Chock-full of a variety of olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes... om nom nom. 

But the real reason we're here, is for a tasty sandwich of happiness. For that, you'll want to head on down to the back of the shop, and make your way to the deli counter. For just under $6, you can choose whatever bread, meat, cheese & toppings you like, to create your very own sandwich masterpiece. 

Here's mine. I went with turkey and salami, mozzarella and ALL the fixin's. It was so heavy, I could barely hold it with one hand. 

For dessert, we grabbed some chocolate chip biscotti on the way out. I'm not normally a huge fan of biscotti, too dry. But this was delizioso! (inserting my limited Italian vocabulary where I can). I've never had biscotti so good. It was soft and moist, with the perfect amount of chocolate.

It was a gorgeous, sun-shiny day in Ottawa, so we headed across the street and grabbed an outdoor table in the Market. 

Meaty, perfection! 

Sandwich heaven. 

There really is no "elegant" way to eat a sandwich. You just have to dive right in.  

Can't be afraid to get a little messy. 

Just don't forget to grab some napkins.

BUON APPETITO!