Latest news with #TheKoven
Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
New Ottawa restaurant, gothic Italian speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase in the ByWard Market
A concealed door in the ByWard Market swings open onto candlelight and the low thrum of The Cure. Article content You're not in a club, nor are you near some of the noisier parts of the Market, which flood with bar spillover after hours. You've found Tredici, a gothic Italian speakeasy accessed by a faux bookcase on Clarence Street. Article content Article content Much like the intimate space, the menu is compact and committed to a noir aesthetic. The theme carries through each course, among them, bone marrow bruschetta for starters, squid ink fettuccine for main and tiramisu stamped in Roman numerals for dessert. Article content Article content Article content Tredici, which opened around six months ago, is the passion project of Barry Moore and Matthew Bishop, veterans of Ottawa's food and drink world. Article content Between them, the co-owners have cooked, bartended and managed across the ByWard Market for more than a decade, watching it hollow out after waves of closure, then flicker back to life. Now they run a place on their terms. Article content 'We didn't make it easy on ourselves, being a sort of hidden spot in the Market,' said Moore. 'We want it to feel classy and a little upscale but not inaccessible.' Article content Article content The space is moody with empty picture frames, dripping candles and black-on-black table settings. Article content A block away, heavy metal bar and restaurant The Koven goes full throttle with band-themed burgers and a blast beat playlist — great when you're in the mood. But Tredici keeps the volume lower, in both decibels and atmosphere. Article content Article content 'Our investor originally wanted twelve seats and a bartender,' said Bishop. 'We thought, sure, but let's bump it to thirteen and call it Tredici. Thirteen is a lucky number in Italy.' Article content There's a certain symmetry to the gamble. Bishop spent time in Northern Italy, and it shows in Tredici's food, particularly its stripped-down, ingredient-first approach. Article content Menu items spring from 'experimentation (and) what's in season,' he said. '(We have) connections with local farmers… I just got beautiful asparagus and young garlic from Rideau Pines (Farm) that I'm working on a dish with.'
Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
New Ottawa restaurant, gothic Italian speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase in the ByWard Market
A concealed door in the ByWard Market swings open onto candlelight and the low thrum of The Cure. Article content You're not in a club, nor are you near some of the noisier parts of the Market, which flood with bar spillover after hours. You've found Tredici, a gothic Italian speakeasy accessed by a faux bookcase on Clarence Street. Article content Article content Much like the intimate space, the menu is compact and committed to a noir aesthetic. The theme carries through each course, among them, bone marrow bruschetta for starters, squid ink fettuccine for main and tiramisu stamped in Roman numerals for dessert. Article content Article content Cocktails like the black vodka Nerotini and the absinthe-rinse Corpse Reviver Thirteen lean theatrical in name, though regulars swear by their balanced construction and depth of flavour. Article content Alcohol-free options are made with similar care. The lemon-basil Numero Zero, for example, lands herbal and complex — easily the best mocktail I've had in three years sober. Article content Article content Tredici, which opened around six months ago, is the passion project of Barry Moore and Matthew Bishop, veterans of Ottawa's food and drink world. Article content Between them, the co-owners have cooked, bartended and managed across the ByWard Market for more than a decade, watching it hollow out after waves of closure, then flicker back to life. Now they run a place on their terms. Article content 'We didn't make it easy on ourselves, being a sort of hidden spot in the Market,' said Moore. 'We want it to feel classy and a little upscale but not inaccessible.' Article content Article content The space is moody with empty picture frames, dripping candles and black-on-black table settings. Article content A block away, heavy metal bar and restaurant The Koven goes full throttle with band-themed burgers and a blast beat playlist — great when you're in the mood. But Tredici keeps the volume lower, in both decibels and atmosphere. Article content Article content 'Our investor originally wanted twelve seats and a bartender,' said Bishop. 'We thought, sure, but let's bump it to thirteen and call it Tredici. Thirteen is a lucky number in Italy.' Article content There's a certain symmetry to the gamble. Bishop spent time in Northern Italy, and it shows in Tredici's food, particularly its stripped-down, ingredient-first approach. Article content Menu items spring from 'experimentation (and) what's in season,' he said. '(We have) connections with local farmers… I just got beautiful asparagus and young garlic from Rideau Pines (Farm) that I'm working on a dish with.'
