The Black Tomato

Back in November I visited The Black Tomato with a group of friends from massage school. I also was using the trip as a chance to write a blog post for foodtv.ca, where I’m an occasional guest blogger. I thought I’d take a moment to write a quick bit about the restaurant here in our food blog as well.

The Black Tomato has long been one of my favourite restaurants in the Market. I love the casual atmosphere and the food is delicious without being pretentious. The restaurant itself features art by local artists on the walls, and has a display with CDs for sale by the door. The CDs for sale are a remnant from the restaurant’s history; It used to be a record store before it was converted into a restaurant. Even better — the in house music is all available for purchase!

And how is the food? Well, I’ve never had a dish here I didn’t like. For appetizers I’ve tried the baked brie, the spanakopita, the naan, and the warm mushroom salad. For mains I’ve tried the smoked salmon, the tomato flatina, the thai noodle bowl (made without scallops, since I am allergic), and the vegetable tortilla twist, which is pictured here. While none of the dishes were stand out, ‘wow’ dishes, they were all delicious and beautifully presented.

As a bonus for those who care about local products, most of their beer is from local (Ottawa and the surrounding regions, including Quebec) microbrewers.

Recommended for lunch, dinner, or even just a drink at the bar. My one warning: They don’t take reservations and are pretty popular, so be prepared for a short wait before being seated!

The Black Tomato, 11 George Street, (613) 789-8123. Dinner for two with drinks, dessert and tip, $100.