In October of 2010, my family and I opened Vive la bouffe!, a small neighbourhood trattoria in upscale Westboro Village, just a five-minute walk from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.
The front lobby, the kitchen, the bar and dining room:
Upon arrival, dinner guests are welcomed by the bouffe! maître d’ who, after taking care of coats and overshoes, ushers guests past a large wall-mounted chart (see right), featuring just a few of the sustainable fish species that our chefs like to serve.
The open-concept kitchen ensures that all the sights, smells and sounds of haute fusion are front and centre. Meanwhile, our upscale bar offers a choice of red or white wine and beer. Drinks in hand, guests can relax in a nearby lounge that features two hand-stitched red ottomans and, hanging above the fireplace, a much-admired oevre d’art by acclaimed Group of One painter B. Millman.
State-of-the-art:
bouffe!’s state-of-the-art kitchen features an induction cooktop (see left) that can boil water in thirty-five seconds or less.
generous portions (good if dish is tasty); 
generous portions (bad when dish is no good); 
left: what waiter called ‘Stacked Hay-fed Chicken with Autumn Leaves©’. Looked okay but maple leaves were tough and chewy (so was chicken).
