Latest news with #Barrio
Ottawa Citizen
31-07-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Hum: Barrio woos ByWard Market-goers with casual Latin American fare, festive patio vibe
Article content Article content Of five sandwiches at Barrio, I've sampled three. The one that hit it out of the park was the well-crafted Cubano ($25 with fries or salad), in which every component — smoked pulled pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, Dijonnaise — sang. The braised beef Asado Criollo sandwich ($26), while tasty, could have been more tender. The Choripan sandwich ($25), another nod to Argentina, starred a fine chorizo sausage custom-made for Barrio by Around the Block Butcher & Market in Centrepointe. It had some uplifting chimichurri going for it, but its bread was nothing special. Article content While the simple salads that came with the sandwiches were alright, the fries were limp and subpar. If you want an exciting side, pay a little more and substitute the patacones, because those twice-fried plantains were crisp and very tasty, especially when paired with a dipping sauce. Article content Article content Article content Chicharron (slabs of fried pork belly, $28) was an exceptional guilty pleasure, paired with an onion salad with a spicy vinaigrette to mitigate the meat's richness. A chicken-thigh Milanesa cutlet ($29) was immense, crisp and juicy, although its house-made gnocchi with pesto were a little heavy. Shrimp salad ($23) was light and refreshing thanks to its tamarind leche de tigre dressing. Article content Last but not least, there's the roast chicken at Barrio, which is Becerra's rendition of pollo a la brasa, the dish that has been called Peru's favourite restaurant meal. If you're a fan of roast chicken, Barrio's version may become your favourite. Article content We ordered a half-bird ($29, with a side dish), and the separated breast and leg portions were impeccably flavoured thanks to a marinade rich with green onions, cumin, black pepper, soy sauce, a special Peruvian red-pepper paste and more. The chicken was also juicy throughout, and we weren't done with it until we had pulled every scrap of meat from its bones, dipping morsels into one more irresistible dipping sauce. Article content Article content Article content So far, dessert at Barrio is limited to soft-serve ice cream ($8), dressed up with crunchy toppings ($6) or sweet sauces ($3). If soft-serve ice cream is your ambrosia, have at it. For my part, I have my fingers crossed that other Latin American sweets or desserts — Flan? Alfajores? — might be available here one day. Article content Or maybe a sweetish cocktail, such as a mango puree-enhanced caipirinha or a concoction called La Pasion (coconut rum, vodka, passion fruit puree, lime, ginger beer, tajin) could be your meal-ender at Barrio. There are a half-dozen options here at $17 each, as well as four beers on tap ($8.50), bottles of Modelo ($9.50), and a few affordable wines. Article content While there were highs (roast chicken, chicharron, Cubano sandwich, empanadas, cocktails, solid service) and lows (fries, side salads) at Barrio, the best dishes were good enough to justify repeat visits, especially since in Ottawa, there are very few other restaurants like it.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Owner of new Ottawa restaurant ‘very excited' about location near ByWard Market
The owner of a new restaurant set to open near Ottawa's ByWard Market this weekend says he's excited about the location. Barrio is located at 115 Rideau Street, in the former Pure Kitchen location across from the Rideau Centre and the O-Train Rideau Station. Owner and chef Lizardo Becerra told CTV Morning Live he has no concerns about opening the restaurant. 'According to what I've seen in the last few days when we were doing construction and renovations, it's been packed every day,' Becerra said Thursday morning. 'Even Monday, a little bit of sunshine and every patio is packed. We have high expectations – we're prepping a lot of food.' Becerra is also the owner of Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Elgin Street. He says he's looking forward to returning to the ByWard Market. 'It was a different location when I started at the market. it was Clarence Street, so it was a way more of a night vibe in that location,' Becerra said. 'Right now, we're at one of the most transit intersections in the market. Right in front of the Rideau Centre. Different location, so much people working around….so I'm very excited.' Barrio bills itself as a restaurant with a 'South American beat in the heart of the market.' 'Barrio is neighbourhood in Spanish. After our great restaurant Raphaël on Elgin Street, we wanted to bring something a little bit more close to the people (and) the streets,' Becerra said. 'We kind of think about street food from South America, so Colombia, Venezuela, a little bit of Peru. All the beautiful sandwiches you can eat on the streets.' Barrio will have a soft opening on Thursday, before opening to the public at 50 per cent through the weekend. 'We want to start slow, but secure. We have a beautiful and solid menu we want to showcase.' Barrio is the latest restaurant to open in the ByWard Market. Chuck's Roadhouse opened on Tuesday in the former Dunn's Famous Deli location on Dalhousie Street. Grey's Social Eatery opened earlier this spring in the old Blue Cactus location in the ByWard Market Square. Shawarma Time and Place recently opened in the former Cupcake Lounge location on ByWard Market Square. Barrio, Chuck's Roadhouse and other restaurants are opening as the City of Ottawa takes steps to improve the perception of the ByWard Market. A new 'Night Ambassador' program is launching this summer, who will patrol the market area on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. The city says, 'providing additional eyes on the street,' the Night Ambassadors will 'enhance community and safety wellbeing' by practicing bystander intervention and de-escalation, helping patrons and employees find a safe ride home and connecting people with emergency and social services.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Chuck's Roadhouse is the latest restaurant to open in Ottawa's ByWard Market
Chuck's Roadhouse officially opened in Ottawa's ByWard Market on Tuesday, the latest new restaurant to open in the tourist area. The Chuck's Roadhouse Bar and Grill is located on Dalhousie Street, in the old Dunn's Famous Deli. Dunn's closed earlier this spring after more than 15 years in the ByWard Market. According to its website, Chuck's vision is to 'ensure everyone feels that 'at home' atmosphere while dining out.' 'We provide you with quality food at restaurant discount prices, including premium steaks, buttery lobster tails, delicious burgers and many more feature menu items are just one of the reasons our communities visit time and time again.' The menu lists a Chuck's Burger for $9, a bacon cheesebuger for $14.99 and a grilled chicken club sandwich for $14.99. According to the Chuck's website menu, a top sirloin sells for $15. There are also Chuck's Roadhouse locations on Baxter Road, Stonehaven Drive and Trim Road in Ottawa. Barrio, a South American restaurant, is set to open on Rideau Street on Wednesday. Grey's Social Eatery opened earlier this spring in the old Blue Cactus location in the ByWard Market Square.
CTV News
04-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
New restaurant set to open in June near Ottawa's ByWard Market
A new restaurant called Barrio is set to open on Rideau Street in June. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa) A new restaurant is set to open on Rideau Street this month, taking over the Pure Kitchen location near the ByWard Market. Barrio is expected to open across the street from the Rideau Centre next week, Chef Lizardo Becerra confirms to CTV News Ottawa. According to Barrio's Instagram post, the restaurant at 115 Rideau Street will be a 'South American beat in the heart of the market.' Barrio is currently hiring staff for the restaurant. Becerra is also the owner of Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Elgin Street. Pure Kitchen closed its restaurant at the corner of William and Rideau streets on December 22, 2024. Co-owner and CEO David Leith told CTV News Ottawa the location suffered lower than expected sales and profits. With files from CTV News Ottawa's William Eltherington
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Judge rules against dismissing suit against UMBC brought by former athletic director
A judge denied on Tuesday the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by its former athletic director over allegations that he was fired in retaliation for reporting an ex-swim-coach's sexual misconduct — and then accused of enabling the misconduct. Filing the lawsuit in August, Brian Barrio argues that despite his role in reporting the misconduct of ex-coach Chad Cradock, Barrio was fired by UMBC and then 'scapegoated' by the university in statements following his dismissal. Cradock died by suicide in 2021, after resigning from his position following the announcement of a university investigation into his misconduct. A separate investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in March 2024 found that UMBC failed to protect student-athletes from Cradock. The following month, the DOJ announced a $4.14 settlement agreement to the former student-athletes who were sexually abused and harassed. The day before Barrio was fired, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby issued a statement saying the university 'reset the Athletics Department's structure, governance, and reporting mechanisms, starting with making the athletic director a direct report to me.' She went on to say that those who failed to adhere to Title IX procedure would be held accountable. According to Barrio, this statement implied that his subsequent firing was connected with the UMBC athletics department restructuring and that he was one among those responsible for violating Title IX. This, in turn, has prevented him from finding employment elsewhere after his dismissal from UMBC, he said. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson rebuked UMBC's assertion that their statement was not libelous in nature, stating that Barrio's allegations of libel are plausible. Barrio said that he went to Sheares Ashby after his termination, who agreed that this representation was false but that she and the university declined to rescind the statement or issue a correction. In its motion to dismiss, UMBC argued that the charges against Sheares Ashby, who is a named defendant in the suit, should be granted immunity, asserting that she did not intentionally release the statement and should not be personally held liable. Hurson denied this argument and wrote in his ruling that she would remain named in the suit. 'It is highly unlikely that Sheares Ashby believed the statements to be true on the day they were uttered,' wrote Hurson, 'but somehow came to agree, just one day later, that they were false.' Have a news tip? Contact Mathew Schumer at mschumer@ 443-890-7423 and on X as @mmmschumer.
