Desperate and hungry

Have you ever had one of "those days"? Meetings that go longer, food you forgot to defrost, and people in your family with different tastes in food. I had one of those days last Monday (at least I think it was Monday, my brain hurts so who knows) which was made even worse by the fact it was family day in Ontario, so most things were closed. However, thanks to the all awesome power of Twitter, I knew that Epicuria was open.

Epicuria
Fine Food Store and Catering
419 Mackay Street, Ottawa

To be perfectly honest, A and I had a tough time deciding what to get for dinner, since everything looked really good, and the prices were great. It was also good that the staff explained the different heating times for each item, and since we all wanted to eat at the same time, we went for items that had the same kind of heating instructions.

My sister Kar and I got the "Duck Confit with Braised White Beans, Leeks and Butternut Squash" which cost $11.25 each.

A got the "Venison Osso Buco with Beaus Beer, Mushrooms and Bacon" which cost $12.75. He also got a side of potatoes for about $2. If you're terrible at math, like I am, for your information, all three meals came to approximately $35 dollars. Pretty impressive. The photos above show how the meals come pre-packaged to go in the oven, with the exception of A's potatoes. After about fifteen to twenty minutes in a 350 degree oven, the food was ready to go!

The duck confit, straight from the oven to the plate - crispy and smelling delicious!

The venison osso buco, with the taters - the smell of the sauce was totally mesmerizing.

As shown by my sister Kar, we were starving, but DAMN it all smelled great. So, I can tell you're saying to yourself, who cares about the smell, what about the taste?! Well, neither of the dishes disappointed. Sometimes when you get these "to go" dishes, they can end up overcooked in the oven, and can be very rubbery. None of these issues existed with Epicuria's items. The confit skin was crispy, and the duck was very moist. The venison was perfectly done as well, and fell off the bone.

And I also want to point out the same quality of preparation was applied to the sides as well, which can often be an afterthought. The braised beans were perfectly toothsome, and weren't mushy at all. The potatoes were nice and soft, and were a great starch to soak up the osso buco sauce.

In short, we're really glad Epicuria is in our neighbourhood, and won't hesitate to try other take-out items again, especially if I'm the one on dinner duty that night!

-K