Where Ottawa Magazine Winter Spring 2018 | Page 20

Where / What / When
The wellington Gastropub
What does it mean to be a
favourite neighbourhood joint?
At The Wellington Gastropub,
which opened in 2006, it means
a solidly good restaurant that
offers a daily menu of contempo-
rary Canadian comfort food with
ingenious additions, a beverage
list that’s carefully curated, and
a real commitment to warm-
hearted service.
The food may be seriously
delicious, but this pub’s about
more than that. The Wellie has
made its own beer, run a beer
school, hosted winemakers’ din-
ners, shown up at the Westboro
Farmers’ Market to whip up
breakfast for shoppers, and hey,
there’s a monthly record club,
don’t ya know.
20 where
winter/spring 2018
For the neighbours who just
want an amber ale at the bar
with some seriously bad-ass
chicken-fried cauli with pimento
ranch, they can fix you up just
fine. And for those who want
more, the daily menu is short
but full of startling plates. Try
the perfectly seared scallops, set
on a knobby bed of lentils, fresh
peas, and charred cauliflower,
served with fried shards of salted
chicken skin for crunch. Pastry
chef Adrianna Babineau’s lus-
cious ice cream is usually the way
to end. Run for a dozen years by
the team of chef Chris Deraiche
and manager/sommelier Shane
Waldron, The Wellie’s relaxed
brand of fine dining has fixed an
absolute template for the modern
Canadian gastropub. No other
that I’ve ever noshed at has man-
aged to touch it.
1325 Wellington St. W.,
613-729-1315,
thewellingtongastropub.com