Today, I am going to bring myself back to the city of my alma mater (Ottawa) and blog about one of the best brunch/breakfast places around– Pressed.
Ironically, this restaurant didn’t exist when I was in undergrad. However, my former roommates were raving about it so much that it became a imperative stop on my last visit. As soon as we walked in, I knew that this was going to be a wholly satisfying experience. It’s a small but mighty kind of establishment, and one that has a whole lotta soul. Each of its four walls was covered from floor to ceiling with local art, available for you to browse and purchase, perhaps while waiting for your waffle to be pressed.
Whenever waiters at restaurants tell me about their “waffle selection”, I run into a huge gastronomic dilemma of either ordering something amazing but inevitably too sweet, (most waffle selections) or ordering a heartier Egg’s Benedict (or another “breakfast food with meat and eggs equivalent”). 9 times out of 10, I go with the Eggs Benny. Thus, you can imagine how excited I was to see an Eggs Benny Waffle! All the more exciting when we cut into a perfectly poached egg that oozed over those sinfully salty pieces of house-cured bacon. To die for.
Even though I really wanted to order the Benedict myself, Tessa was nice enough to share with me so that I could give another item on the menu a try. After pacing back and forth in front of their chalkboard menu for what seemed like eons, I decided to go for the New South. This take on “Chicken ‘n Waffles” (I seem to be blogging about this dish a lot lately!) was elevated with fried chicken croquettes, a sour cherry compote and served with maple syrup to cater to our Canadian sensibilities. It is Ottawa after all!
Or, if waffles are not your thing, you can take a cue from Dave and order one of their breakfast sandwiches (always served, and always served in a croissant). If you’re coming in a bit later, you may want to give one of their regular ciabatta sandwiches served with chips and a pickle a shot. They also have a fairly comprehensive dinner menu that I would be interested to try one day.
Final Notes: Each of their amazing waffle specials is priced at only $12 and served with bottomless coffee or orange juice. Plus, with all the featured artists (both visual art and live local bands) it would be downright silly not to give this place a try! They are open at 8 AM most days and 10 AM on weekends.
Location: 750 Gladstone Ave, Ottawa, ON (Centretown)
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