Beckta Dining and Wine

Liv and I had the pleasure this weekend of going to Beckta Dining and Wine, one of Ottawa's hot spots for fine dining. This restaurant has received critical acclaim from all over the country, and after having made reservations for the busy weekend, we were anxious to see what the fanfare was about. We weren't dissapointed. We were recommended to try the Chef's tasting menu, which we did. The evening started with a gift from the kitchen of sun dried tomato spoons, which were delicious, and began our dinner, which included seared trout with honey mushrooms, cod, veal, lobster bisque, and a delicious foie gras, which is something that I've never had before because I thought I wouldn't like it. All delicious. After having read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain, and getting into Devil's Kitchen, the Gord Fraser reality show on Fox, my fine dining understanding has taken some education to say the least. I used to say "Excellent" and "Invigorating" when I dined at Pizza Hut, thinking that a stuffed crust was where it was in the world of haute cuisine.

Sheepishly, I've conceded to my need to be introduced to all things good and savory. Also, I have begun a concentrated effort to chew my food, as opposed to inhaling it. This way, you can taste it. All steps to appreciating fine food. Who would have known!