Can we say ‘Yum?’ at YOW? At the Ottawa International Airport, the food has improved

Where can you consume at the Ottawa International Airport?

Post-security dining establishments and food facilities:

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• Eighteen-wheeler Kitchen & & Brewery: Timeless club food and beer. Found post-security Canada/International, beside the Canal Market Hall food court: Open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  
• Booster Juice: Chain healthy smoothie dining establishment. Little sandwiches. Gate 18. Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Bridgehead Coffee: Ottawa coffeeshop brand name, in the Canal Market Hall food court. Open 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Café & & Vin: Fresh sandwiches, fruit, packaged salads and more. Gate 15. Open 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Canal Market Hall: Food court situated in between post-security Canada/International, consists of Bento Sushi La Bottega Nicastrowhich offers paninis and other products, Grilla hamburger and sandwich concession and Pizza Vinothat makes newly baked pizzas. Open twelve noon to 8 p.m.
• Cork and Well: Lighter fare consisting of tacos, sandwiches and salads. Level 2, near gates for U.S. flights. Open 4:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Darcy McGee’s: Club fare and beer. Gate 23. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Starbucks: Gate 24. Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Vino Volo: Red wines, mixed drinks and little plates. Gate 16. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Pre-security dining establishments and food facilities:

• Train: Pre-security, Level 3. Open 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Tim Hortons: 3 areas: Pre-security, Level 3, plus post-security– U.S. and post-security– Canada/International, Gate 20. Open 3:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

See the updated list:yow.ca/ en/services/restaurant

Usually speaking, airport food is, well, airport food– costlier than we would like and restricted to short-order products. After tasting some of the brand-new products at the Ottawa airport, I can state that the quality and variety of choices have actually enhanced from the little offerings that were formerly there.

Peter Hum’s choices

Possibly the most enjoyable surprise that I had at the airport just recently was the house-made potato chips that accompanied orders from the Grill. They were constantly crisp, salted and hardly oily. If I were idle at the airport and peckish, I may need to buy any sort of Grill sandwich just for the great, crispy business of those chips.

A runner-up is the French onion soup, a staple on the Big Rig Kitchen & & Brewery menu that’s likewise included from time to time as a soup of the day in the nearby Canal Market Hall food court. I liked that the soup had a broth with some husky heft to it, croutons galore swimming in the broth, some fairly excellent, cooked-down onions and an enormous layer of melt-y cheese crowning whatever else.

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I’ve had much better onion soup in other places, most significantly at Gitanes on Elgin Street, and I’ve made much better, with Gruyère cheese instead of the more dull, more affordable option that topped this bowl.

What’s brand-new?

In the summertime of 2023, as part of a bigger remodeling, the airport updated its cooking offerings, making pre-boarding doldrums and stopovers that a lot more tasty.

Numerous Ottawa regional brand names are now freshly represented at the airport, consisting of Big Rig Kitchen & & Brewery, La Bottega Nicastro, and Bridgehead Coffee, regardless of its current sale to Toronto’s Pilot Roasters, which saw 3 Ottawa Bridgehead areas close

I state represented since technically the food court alternatives are run by SSP Canada, the concessionaire that runs in 8 other Canadian airports.

The majority of the brand-new additions become part of a glossy brand-new food court called Canal Market Hall (a nod to the renowned Rideau Canal?) that provides brand-new areas to sit and gaze at your phone while awaiting your flight to board.

I can see why, as Krista Kealey, the airport vice-president of interactions and public affairs informed me, that the brand-new food court is going beyond expectations and getting favorable feedback from its lots of visitors.

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Can you get a beavertail at the Ottawa International airport?

Brief response. I want.

Where are the Beavertails? Where is the shawarma? Where is the pho? While SSP, in a news release previously this year, promoted the “renowned brand names” it is showcasing at the Ottawa airport, I want there was more variety of offerings at the food court.

That stated, I do praise the choice to display more regional brand names at the airport. I’m advised that I invested a stopover at the Philadelphia International Airport delighting in a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, in addition to another stopover at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport downing some Cincinnati chili. Those variations of regional fast-food specializeds weren’t fantastic, however a minimum of I crossed them off my container list.

Best choices for sandwiches or hamburgers

Due to the fact that perhaps all an air visitor actually requires is a good sandwich or hamburger, in February, I attempted 2 hamburgers, one by Big Rig and the other by the Grill. I ‘d provide the edge to the Big Rig bacon cheeseburger over the Grill’s smoked meat hamburger.

While I choose an excellent smash hamburger to bigger hamburgers, both of the airport hamburgers had great, difficult sears. On its hamburger, the smoked meat wasn’t the finest variation of that Montreal special and it didn’t present itself in the finest light.

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The Grill’s fried chicken sandwich was truly wet and juicy. Because of that alone, I ‘d take it over Big Rig’s club sandwich, in which the pieces of chicken breast were simply so-so. The fried chicken sandwich, nevertheless, might have utilized more seasoning, and the hot honey dressing that was assured rarely signed up.

From La Bottega, I purchased its pre-made Tuscan panini, however I was unpleasantly amazed that it did not included a difficult, hot press from the panini grill. I should not have actually made my desires adequately clear.

Personnel shout-out

I got above-average service from SSP food service associate Peter Smith, who assisted me browse the ins-and-outs of the numerous food court stations and their buying touchscreens.

Traditional standbys

In addition to the regional brand names, SSP offers Bento Sushi-branded sushi at the food court, together with hamburgers and thin-crust pizzas baked to purchase at its Grill and Pizza Vino stations respectively.

A Darcy McGee’s bar was currently at the airport, together with Subway, Tim Hortons, Booster Juice and Vino Volo areas.

What’s your go-to airport meal option?

Let me understand in the remark area listed below.

phum@postmedia.com

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