Play Food and Wine - Ottawa

We were in the market in the afternoon when we realized that, we had not gotten a chance to eat down here in a while.  Trying to think of where to go, I realized that one of the places I have been meaning to go and check out was the second restaurant opened by Chef Moffatt and Stephen Beckta called "Play Food and Wine".  The idea behind this local is to have some fun with food, serving tapas style courses.  It was later in the afternoon so getting a seat on a weekday was not to bad.  The decor was modern, bright and very colourful.  This suits well the idea behind the theme.

For lunch, they have an excellent price where you can get any two non-sharing plates for $20.  So, the boss and I got that deal each while also getting a sharing plate.  We are not down here enough, so we had a chance to splurge.  The menu has a very good selection of many different things, but at the same time showing some of the simplicity behind the plates.  Simple is good!  It was also a nice added touch where each of the savory and sweet plates also included a recommended wine paring.  We started with a mixed charcuterie plate.  I then ordered the hanger steak followed by the Pure's gelato.  The boss ordered the gnocchi followed by a cheese selection.  We were offered a plate of toasted bread with oil and balsamic vinegar to much on.  The bread was very nice, very airy with a nice crunch to it.  The bread was not heavy at all.  The charcuterie plate arrived with a nice big selection of different meats, spreads and pickled veggies.  Everything on the plate went well together.  The pickled cauliflower was better than expected.  I really enjoyed the thin slices of cow tongue, but the boss was not a big fan of the texture.  The mains arrived next, with the gnocchi and the hanger steak.  My steak was good almost perfectly, I think it was a little over cooked, but it was not by much.  The steak was still very tender, and marinated in a very delicious sauce while the fries were very fresh.  The gnocchi was something very exceptional for the boss.  Gnocchi is one of her favorite plates, and this dish became her new favorite version of gnocchi.  The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the mix of the mushrooms, pasta and greens together really worked well together.  She could not stop raving about this plate for the rest of the lunch.  We did order the wine paring that went with our courses, and the sommelier did an excellent job at selecting the wines for these plates.  Last came the last plates of cheeses and my gelato.  The cheese plate came with a generous portion of  breads and of the three cheese the boss chose.  There was a very good selection from the menu to choose from, and of the three the boss chose, they were all excellent.  My gelato came, and it was plated beautifully.  There was bright colours and the mixed fruit really brought out a the restaurant theme more.  The three different type of berry gelatos, with the associated fruits on top was excellent!  The flavours were not to over powering, and the gelato was not too sweet.

The service we had while we ate was excellent.  He was friendly, knowledgeable, yet not intrusive.  Plus, he smiled which if you read my previous posts, was a nice change to have again!

The only thing that I did notice, was the dust on the window sill.  We were sitting by the window, getting a nice view of the market, but all along the sill was a layer of dust, and what looked like dusty cob webs.  Everything else in the restaurant was clean, the bathrooms, the bar, but sadly, the window was dirty, and it was noticeable.

Overall, the service was great, the food was excellent, the place was bright, warm and welcoming.  Great job again Chef Moffatt and Stephen Beckta, we do plan on being back.

Review (out of 5):

Food: * * * * 1/2
Value: * * * * * (we went for lunch)
Atmosphere: * * * *
Service: * * * *
Price (dinner): $7 - $19
Website: http://www.playfood.ca/