The best food and drinks of summer 2025

Milky Way Cosmic Creamery

Let’s start with dessert shall we?

Amy Forster of Milky Way Cosmic Creamery makes good cookies. She then fills them with Kawartha Dairy ice cream, a beloved Ontario brand. It made for one of the standout ice cream treats of summer.

The cookies are just soft enough to allow them to fold into each bite and they are baked to match the various ice cream flavours she uses. 

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Black Tartan Kitchen

Ian Carswell of Black Tartan Kitchen in Carleton Place (132 Bridge St.), like any fine chef, has paid his dues. He’s spent time learning his craft in a variety of countries before settling back home and gracing us with his talent.

Even when he’s offering small bites as a guest chef at a variety of charitable events, his creations always impress. 

He has an adventurous sensibility, but never so strident that he over-reaches with elements that just don’t work. His kale caesar salad with a quesnel of lemon gelato and a pork croquette is illustrative. A clever interpretation that even now, stands out.

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In Haus Cooking

Chef/owner Michael Hauschild of In Haus Cooking at 430 Hazeldean Rd in Kanata, has built a very successful catering company. Over the last year, you can also enjoy his creations, and those of his team, over lunch.

I interviewed Michael in the run-up to his participation in the regional Canadian Culinary Championships and enjoyed both a stellar lobster bisque and one of the best sandwiches of the year. 

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La Petite Primerose

La Petite Primerose quietly opened at 60 Rue Bégin in Gatineau earlier this summer. Owners Tristan Bragaglia-Murdock (sommelier) and Lewis Robinson (chef) are veterans of Ottawa’s culinary scene and they’ve set an ambitious agenda with their new venture.

Their menu changes twice a week and with this level of veg-centric cooking it’s worth making frequent visits. 

On my visit I enjoyed an appetizer that appeared as a slice of milk chocolate tart but was in fact foie gras enrobed in a cherry gelée. It was one of the best things I’ve eaten. So clever.

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Seau de Crabe

Seau de Crabe at 2284 Tenth Line Rd in Orléans is the latest Quebec chain to arrive in Ottawa. This is fun and messy family dining if you love a good seafood feast.

They offer a variety of seafood boils but also one of the nicest fish and chips and perhaps the best fried calamari rings in Ottawa.

After my first visit I returned twice in the following weeks and the value and freshness was in evidence each time.  In my experience this is remarkable for a chain restaurant. 

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La Bottega

La Bottega Nicastro at 64 George St. in the ByWard Market needs little introduction. The restaurant at the back of the shop however appears to still be a surprise for some.

Pat Nicastro recently shared that one of his regular customers, after reading Capital Eats, discovered that he now needed to eat where he’s shopped for years. In its way, it really is a bit of a hidden gem.

Chef René Rodriguez also needs no introduction and the man is in his element helming the small open kitchen.

The Mediterranean classics he presents are intensely flavoured, fresh and fairly priced and listen to him and the excellent server Allison, when they make wine recommendations.

Even amongst complete strangers you’ll feel that this is true family dining.

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Stalwart Brewing

Stalwart Brewing in Carleton Place was a nice surprise. Not only was it a friendly welcome but it’s a bit of curiosity in a converted mechanics garage set in a residential neighbourhood. I wasn’t expecting that.

They had a good lineup of products that would please hard-core beer lovers but it was their Between Love and Hate Dark Mild that captivated. A classic British low alcohol brew with tons of character.

I also recommend their flavourful brewed fruit sodas that are mercifully short on sugar. 

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Silver Swallow

Through an attractive website, smart marketing and a fine product Silver Swallow is creating a buzz (excuse the pun) beyond just Ontario.

This close-to-Ottawa-based business has made one of the most elegant non-alcoholic beverages in the market. 

These bubblies are tea-based and very satisfying for those switching over from wine consumption.

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Citadelle Jardin D’ Été

Citadelle Jardin D’ Été is the latest product from one of the world’s great spirit producers, Pierre Ferrand. It’s also one of the nicest gins of recent memory.

While I typically enjoy a London Dry style, this more floral-forward gin suited me.

It offered a richer mouthfeel with both citrus and garden flowers, so evocative of summer.

While I didn’t find it appropriate for a Negroni, it did make a very pretty gin & tonic using Fevertree Indian Tonic. It was also gentle enough for sipping with a single ice cube.

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Mi Campo Blanco Tequila

There are plenty of blanco tequilas in the market, but few have impressed me as much as the Mi Campo. This is particularly interesting because it’s priced below $40. Typically, you need to pay in the $50 range to get a Tequila of this quality.

That little extra special character comes from the fact that this saw ex-Chardonnay barrels for a short time, adding a little vanilla and even clove to the experience

Excellent as a Margarita or Paloma and fabulous with just salt and lime.

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