Barrio, Traditionally good baking in Carleton Place

Good morning,

We’ve had quite the run of hot weather and I hope that everyone is keeping safe. I know the challenges for those with gardens and my poor veggies start wilting just hours after I’ve watered them. So I changed my strategy and it’s a common sense one to adopt.

With these temperatures it’s best to water your plants late in the day. There’s less moisture evaporation and the plants can enjoy absorbing water over the period of a cooler night. 

Speaking of things that are hot, today we’re off to one of the hotter destinations in the ByWard and I throw a few dessert options your way.

Let’s begin.

Ralf Joneikies, food and drink editor. [email protected]

REVIEW

Barrio in the ByWard

For those that have enjoyed the Peruvian cuisine at Raphaël, it’ll come as no surprise that chef/owner Lizardo Becerra has once again delivered the goods at Barrio.

In Spanish barrio simply means “neighbourhood” but it’s the ugly legacy of racism that leaves in some people’s imaginations the meaning as ‘poor and crime-ridden’. Under the true definition of the word, that’s just never been the case. 

With this choice of name Becerra is clearly interested in building a communal eatery that brings people from far and wide together for good food and drink. What better location than the Byward that serves both locals and tourists alike?

I arrived one afternoon to find Barrio sparsely populated and in fact the staff had a five to two advantage over the customers. As a result the volume was bearable. 

It was already more than a little spicy outside and so I treated myself to a Margarita de Barrio. This was served in a short tapered water glass and was a mix of tequila, Aperol, raspberry compote and lime. Honestly, I’ve never had such a small Margarita.

With an excess of bitterness and astringency it was obvious there was not enough balance of the elements. If the raspberry compote had been sweetened a little more, this would have fixed it.

I’d decided to give the beer a miss after I was informed that the beer at $8.50 was only a 12 ounce pour. That’s tourist pricing and Barrio is not doing itself any favours.

The cooking at Barrio is from across Latin America and the Paisa empanadas were described as a Colombian recipe.

Empanadas can have different casings and these were done in a cornmeal dough. I’ll spare the drama and just say that these were the tastiest empanadas I’ve had. They were truly enjoyable but gone in just four bites. Literally. 

The filling was a mix of beef, pork and beans and what a delicious treat it was. It was also $12 for two and while enjoyable, you will feel that you’ve been stung. There’s just not enough there to make it satisfying for the price. 

Despite its name the Cubano sandwich was made famous in places like Tampa and Miami, Florida. Apparently in Tampa there’s an addition of salami and in Miami it’s omitted. 

The version at Barrio is in the Miami lane and once again, Becerra’s recipe convinces making this a standout, umami packed sandwich. It’s not as if there’s an abundance of sandwich purveyors making Cubano sandwiches in Ottawa but I’ll wager there’s not a better example in the capital.

The construction involved ham, dijonaise sauce, swiss cheese, pickles on a grilled panini bun and served with a side of spiky lime garlic dipping sauce.

Finally we got to the shrimp salad which reminded me an awful lot of Becerra's masterful ceviche at Raphaël.

This was a highlight and was composed of Matane shrimp, pineapple, cucumber, plantains and tigre de leche.

The dish had the effect of exciting the appetite with every bite. The lime juice in the tigre de leche was perfectly salted making you crave the next spoon even more and the plantain discs were sweet and soft with an appealing crisp outer shell. For an informal neighbourhood spot, this is some serious cooking and worth exploring.

In the world of food journalism, there’s natural speculation about why some pricing is the way it is at certain restaurants. Location will often play a role but it’s always a challenge to be as accurate as one would like. 

The food at Barrio is certainly very good but the portions and the effort at presentation makes you wonder about the value for money.

My worry is that they may be pricing themselves, quite literally, out of the Market.

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DESSERT COURSE

Traditionally good in Carleton Place

The Little German Bakery located at 14 Bridge St. (Carleton Place) opened their storefront in 2023 but they’ve been putting out baked goods for nine years. To this German-Canadian, they do a proper job of getting recipes right.

I first had one of their pretzels at the Lansdowne Christmas Market and was rightly impressed. It makes for one hell of a ham sandwich when slathered with plenty of mustard.

Their Berliner (a fruit jam filled donut) had that delicious yeasty fluffiness and while I’d ordered a raspberry and custard version, I was mistakenly given only the custard iteration. Still it was both very satisfying and sumptuous. Despite the error, this was a proper Berliner. 

Of course they have a broader selection of pastries but don’t leave without a loaf of their potato bread. If it weren’t so appealing you might well want to use it as a pillow. This is one plush and sumptuously delicious bread. Layer on butter and sprinkle with Maldon salt for a quick snack or turn it into your favourite tomato sandwich. Toasting is not necessary.

Holey Confections

Right across the street from the Little German Bakery in Carleton Place at 21 Bridge St. is Holey Confections.

The folks behind the business first made a splash when they appeared on Dragon’s Den and where they struck a deal.

The donut experience here will be different from the usual. With 140 layers each donut feels more like a cruller or croissant when eating. The airy spaces between the dough almost act as a refresher and keeps the experience of the dough from becoming pasty. 

They offer 16 different donuts and because it takes three days to complete an order it is suggested you place yours well in advance. Bear in mind that to order, you must place the order for a minimum of six. You may think that’s a lot, but trust me, it’s not a hardship.

I had the New Yorker, a strawberry filled cheesecake style confection with graham cracker crumble and whipped cream on top. An outright winner. This was a symphony of textures and flavours that landed like a warm hug. 

If you shop in their stores, you can buy them individually but you may find that the selection is more modest as they sell out very quickly.

QUICK BITES

• Mandy’s Gourmet Salads will be opening its first Ottawa location on Aug. 15. [Retail Insider]

• ByWard restaurants are hoping that the Sussex Courtyard renovations will not deter visitors from coming to the market.  [CTV]

• Popular Orléans sushi place Hello Sushi Man has opened a second location in Kanata.

• One of Ottawa’s better noodle houses AAA Noodle on Somerset has closed.

• If you’ve not had a Cubano sandwich you may be interested in this recipe. [Chili Pepper Madness]

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