The Past Is A Different Country

For my run on Monday, I decided to check out Cardinal Heights in summer. It wasn't as leafy as its well-off northern neighbour because it was mostly lawns. The parks were more appealing and this was a nice area of mature houses sandwiched between industrial streets. I kept running eastward past the Elmridge Tennis Club into Beacon Hill South. The pretty houses gave way to densely packed garden homes. Decades ago, my extended family lived in this area as new immigrants. They look tiny today and it's astonishing that for the first few years, we somehow found room for more than 10 people in a 3-bedroom unit. Ridge Park, so huge in my memories, wasn't so expansive in reality. Yet it retained its charm thanks to the numerous grown trees providing pleasant shade.

On Tuesday, I visited Pilos for lunch. Yesterday's run reminded me that this Greek restaurant was one of the first "fancy" places I went to. We were too poor to go out for meals (or even order take-out) growing up. But when I finally had a bit of my own money, what started as dinners with friends at chain restaurants like Eastside Mario's and Olive Garden eventually led to nicer options. After 30 years in business, Pilos was still the only option for fine dining around here.

They have finally built a patio due to the pandemic restrictions. It didn't have much of a view, but it was still enjoyable to sit outside. I ordered the vegetarian moussaka plate ($21.95). The table next to me, probably workers from nearby Montfort Hospital, raved en français about their souvlaki lunches. Pilos has always been popular with francophones from Vanier. As for me, this was reminiscent of most of the Greek restaurants along the Danforth in Toronto. You eat for the nostalgia but with the too-dry rice and the barely-trying Greek salad, this was merely edible. The roasted potatoes and the moussaka were good but not $30 (with tax + tip) good. But in any case, I fully expect Pilos to last another 30 years.

Mama Mia

Visiting family meant that home-cooked meals were bigger than my own portions in Toronto. I have also begun eating breakfast again, after a relative told me a factoid (which has mild evidence) that skipping meals may result in gallstones. In any case, I have kept up my exercise by running in the early morning through vacant land between the Ottawa river and Montreal Rd. This area once housed military personnel. Mattamy Homes are now building townhouses, but large chunks of land closer to the river lie fallow. So it was criss-crossed with small, overgrown roads, dotted here and there with remnants of driveways.

One such run led me all the way to St. Laurent Blvd and Hemlock where I found a small cluster of shops. On Wednesday, I returned with my mother for lunch. I wasn't sure if she would be able to walk all the way here through these old roads. But with mild weather and a downhill trajectory, we made good time.

We first stopped at Bread and Roses. This small bakery offered a large selection of baked goods and desserts, and was also stocked at various stores and coffee shops in Ottawa. We got a banana loaf ($9.95), whole-wheat oat bread ($5.25), and some croissants ($2.25). Over the week, I tried these items. Like the tacos from last week, pretty good for Ottawa but would be forgettable in Toronto.

The patio view at Mia's Indian Cuisine didn't offer much: either a strip mall parking lot (that until last year had a Dairy Queen from 1976) or Beechwood Cemetery. From the lunch menu we chose a chicken curry ($12.95), saag panner ($14.95), and a naan ($3.50). I was expecting a family-style spread but it came out as "thali"-esque. Which is to say a Western-style plate with rice, salad, vegetables, and the main. It wasn't surprising in retrospect since the other customers were elderly white folks.

My mom and I did end up sharing our dishes. This was a good lunch if a bit on the bland side, especially for South Asian food. This seems to be a recurring complaint about this city, whether it was food or any other aspect.

Taco Thursday

After the stay-at-home order was lifted, I headed to Ottawa in early June to visit family. I mostly stayed home but after a week decided to venture out for some take-out food. Near the intersection of Montreal Rd and Blair, there were 3 parking lots, each with its own food truck: falafel, fries, and Mexican.

On Thursday, I dropped by Ay Dios Mio Tacos for lunch. Looking over the tacos options (and a few burritos), I settled on the Carne Asada Combo ($14.50).

As I sat on a picnic bench waiting for my order, I pondered about the area. Like most neighbourhoods in Ottawa, especially along the main streets, it was a car-heavy and rather bleak stretch of road. Right next to the food truck was Laurier Manor. This nursing home was one of the worst hit during the pandemic. Across the street sat the Beacon Hill Motel. Although given the number of people with chairs outside, watching their children play in the parking lot, it probably housed more long-term residents than overnight visitors.

The crazy thing was that hidden in this area was one of the richest neighbourhood in the city. Rothwell Heights stretched north of Montreal Rd all the way to the Ottawa river. Curvy crescents and cul-de-sac contained huge homes tastefully distanced from their neighbour with large yards and mature trees. Those kids were walking distance from Quarry Park, a quiet oasis sitting mostly unused. It reminded me of Cedarvale versus Vaughan Rd in Toronto.

The combo comprised of 4 tacos and a drink. The shells were good but the toppings were bland and lacked all the piquant sauces. The beef was a bit tough as well. I chose meat because I thought they might do a better job than the typically less popular fish or shrimp. With all the diners coming by during my stay there, Mio was pretty good for Ottawa. But it definitely wouldn't fare as well in Toronto.