frugal feast

The Best Pancakes in Ottawa - the Twitter-poll edition

Photo courtesy of stevensnodgrass on Flickr

Photo courtesy of stevensnodgrass on Flickr

I love pancakes. Their light and fluffy texture topped with a drizzle of intensely sweet maple syrup makes them a perfect dish for a relaxing weekend brunch. Imagine my surprise to learn that I get to eat them for dinner tonight! It’s pancake Tuesday… which I know has lots of significance and meaning for many as a religious marker leading into lent. For me… it’s more about an excuse to have breakfast for dinner.

To help those of you looking to satisfy your pancake craving this evening - I asked our twitter community for some recommendations.

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Frugal Feast: Danni Panini

danni-panini-1

If you find the dark tower, you're near Danni Panini.

By new contributor Phil Castro

You would think that a guy with two sons at home knows a thing or two about tossing together a sandwich, right? Well, let me tell you Danni Panini at 42 Beech Street in Ottawa’s Little Italy knows what he’s doing. Located in the shadow of the Federal Government Booth Street complex and a stone’s throw from Preston Square, the place is busy at lunch time with about a five minute wait for a freshly prepared sandwich.

Danni provides 11 cleverly named pre-determined sandwiches (two of  which, Mathias’ and Nic’s Sandwiches, are named after the owner’s sons) 11 toppings, 9 condiments, 6 cheeses and 5 different kinds of bread, revealing a whopping amount of permutations. You can also go custom. My usual lunch companion opts for a pork free combo of turkey and roast beef (not on the menu). Not for me though, I likes me some pig and religiously go for the Cosa Nostra.

What we do agree on is the Lepine bread,  which Danni tells me is actually Yugoslavian. It is light, fluffy and delicious, taking nothing away from the sandwich itself. We also agree on a slice of spicy havarti perfectly melted by a conveyor toaster. (This is where Panini purists may cringe, but all things considered it does the job without squishing the bread and cooking the ‘cool’ ingredients.) The toppings come next and are always fresh. The spicy eggplant is the kicker in the deal and, with family within a stones throw of the factory back in the old country, Danni knows what he’s offering.

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Ottawa Specials on Facebook - Launch at Lieutenant’s Pump

Courtesy of jeffrey.kohn on Flickr

Courtesy of jeffrey.kohn on Flickr

This weekend my boyfriend and I, struck by a sudden craving for grease, took to the streets in search of the cheapest way to a heart attack that we could find. Thanks to Josh Ulla and John Duff, we could have saved ourselves the wear on our shoes. The two have started their own site - Ottawa Specials - that lists the daily food and drink specials in Centretown and the Market. Now, to make our ongoing quest for 1/2 price burgers easier, the two are planning on launching a facebook application that notifies users of the daily speicials. There’s going to be a party at the Lieutenant’s Pump today at 6:00pm - which naturally will include food and drink specials (half price apps and drink specials sponsored by Mill Street).

Ulla and Duff intend to provide the serivce based on their own research and tips they get from people using both the site and the application, and won’t be taking money from restaurants for listings (although ads might be in their future). As Ulla, who is responsible for the content part of the site, states “we’re trying to make it like a community.” The site and Facebook applications join SpecialsToday  (aka Cheap Tonight), but hopes to give more comprehensive coverage of Centretown and the Market.

Read on for Josh’s top Ottawa Specials!

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Frugal Feast: Bread & Sons bakes it up

Photo courtesy jillpyle85 on Flickr.

Photo courtesy jillpyle85 on Flickr.

I’m one of those people who try - really try - to bring my lunch to work every day. And not just because I’m cheap - I like to convince myself it’s the healthy way to go (especially when my colleagues dish out for poutine, the smell of which is temptation enough!).

But when I’m lazy or feeling mildly extravagant, I most willingly head down to Bread and Sons at 195 Bank (at Gloucester) for a tasty lunch. Their pizza, also found at Herb and Spice, is served with a wide variety of toppings, from broccoli to roasted potatoes. It’s priced at $2.95 per slice, and goes superbly with one of their cookies or squares (I’m a sucker for their carrot cake), from $1-$2.95.

Their sandwiches and salads, a little more filling than the pizza, mostly go for $4.95. And their best kept secret? Their black bean rolls ($1.75) - served warm and dipped in mustard, these things are incredibly tasty.

Scrumptious, healthy and easy on the wallet - that’s my kind of lunch.

Frugal Feast: Herb & Spice dishes out the healthy food

Courtesy of S.L.M. from the Apartment613 Flickr pool

Courtesy of S.L.M. from the Apartment613 Flickr pool

In our effort to highlight some of the better value options for downtown lunches and dinners I would be remiss not to highlight one of my favourite spots for lunch food. The Herb & Spice has certainly become a regular stop for bulk, vegetables and many of my grocery staples - but it’s also a great place for a cheap, quick lunch. They always have a couple of great offerings of soup, including a Dhal that I really like priced at $3.99 for a big bowl.

You can easily round out a lunch with the selection of samosas (many under a dollar), dips, breads, plus baked goods (including addictive vegan cupcakes).  You might think that the fruits and veggies are expensive at H&S, but I’ve often found that some produce items are about the same price as Hartman’s, so you can easily add some nutrition to your lunch with an apple, banana or other fruit.

Cheap, healthy, fast… it’s gotta be a Frugal Feast!

There are two Herb & Spice shops in the city:

375 Bank Street in Centretown

1310 Wellington Street West in West Wellington Village

Frugal Feast: Di Rienzo’s

Photo courtesy of lexnger on Flickr.

Photo courtesy of lexnger on Flickr.

At our last Apartment613 meeting, a number of us discussed how difficult it was to get a good cheap lunch anywhere in the city. It set us on a path to try to find feasts for the frugal, and a new series was born. Although the original idea was to feature meals within a certain price range, we ultimately decided to focus on value rather then price. We hope this series will last a long time and will make you discover new places around the city that offer delicious and (occasionally) nutritious food at a decent price.

Our inaugural Frugal Feast:

Di Rienzo Grocery & Deli

111 Beech St. (not Beechwood St.)

An Italian corner store and deli by day, Di Rienzo’s transforms into a sandwich making factory around lunch time. Scores of public servants and other folks that work or live in Little Italy know that this place makes some of the best sandwiches in town for $4 or less. Now you do too!

The options range from prosciutto to roast beef to vegetarian alternatives simply served with your choice of mayo, mustard and toppings like sundried tomatoes and marinated eggplant. You also get to pick your own freshly made bread - Sicilian, Cirioli or Authentic Portuguese Roll, they are all delicious.

In the mood for pasta? They do that too with a choice of Rigatoni, Tortellini and a daily pasta dish available. All for  $4.99 plus tax. They also serve up chicken parmigiana, picatta, roast beef, Italian sausages and other options at a reasonable price.

There’s unfortunately no place to sit and eat at Di Rienzo’s; it’s more of a take-out kind of place. However, there is a nice park right across the street where you can enjoy your lunch.