Introducing Backdrop

Lunch this week takes us to a brand new restaurant for the Centretown neighbourhood, in the place where the Italian restaurant Chianti used to be, and to a second project from the good people of Grounded Kitchen and CoffeeHouse on Gloucester.

There’s little of Chianti left. The look at Backdrop is more nightclub than restaurant, all cool in red and black with an odd sort of theatrical-space theme going on. And the sound was a bit much for lunch. The music on my visit was played at a level that required some shouting to chat.  But the service was sweet and the food I sampled, really good.

Particularly good was the crunchy winter slaw of Napa cabbage, carrot, and red onion warmed with sesame dressing; and full marks to the grilled cornbread with beer-spiked cheese sauce. I could eat this every day: moist, just sweet enough and with a fine corn flavour, spiked with jalapeño and drizzled with a nippy cheese sauce made with Vanilla Stout (likely from Ashton Brewing Company?) Next time, I’m having it with a pint.

Looking forward to returning at night. Maybe the space works better in the dark. I’ll let you know.

Salad and the bread were considered ‘small plates’ but together, they made a big lunch. Cornbread $8, salad $9.

Backdrop Food & Drink, 160 Metcalfe St., 613-321-4623

First published in OttawaMagazine