It's been a while, but until recently there really hasn't been any new places to write about (unless you count the paint and carpet job at Cozys, which is just 'that' and a dip in food quality and taste). Well that's controversial in and of itself, having a 'go' at our mainstay of a Sunday breakfast in the first paragraph!
When you 'revamp' a place as 'under new management' and assume the old management got it wrong, you could be in deep trouble! The walls are bare, the ambiance (what there was of it) has gone, our favourite waitress has gone, the plates are smaller and the food doesn't have the taste it had. I imagine these are some of the improvements. Well, none of us were impressed and although we'll probably give it another chance sometime soon, it's got a lot of things to revamp back to the way it was.
OK, now that's off my chest on to the new place. Not new for Ottawa, it's a mainstay and a popular place, but new for the OBC or 'Brunch bunch' as we've come to be known as, thanks to the girls at Highjinx.
Ralph and Sons is a diner attached to the convenience store part of a gas station on Carling up in the Crystal Bay/Beach area. It's out a ways but most of us thought it was worth the extra 10 minutes it took to get there.
One of our 'bunch' had passed the placed for 30 years and never eaten here and it's been on our radar a while, so this was the sunday to try it out.
This place is busy with a capital B! We grabbed a table for 4 next to a table of 4 about to leave so we were lucky! Although another waitress almost gave the second table away before we alerted her! We were a 7 that became a 9 so it was a bit cramped on a table for 8 but we were accommodated.
The menu is basic and easy to make choices from yet some of the calculations don't always add up (one extra egg as a side was $1.49 and 2 extra eggs as a side were $2.99! Do the math!
Coffee was flowing as well as an included OJ (although it was a shooter glass size) and orders were given. Service was fast and efficient if a little inpersonal, but hey, they were very busy.
They say (other reviews and accounts of the place) that the bacon is the best in Ottawa. Well I thought it was OK and others thought it was exactly that. The beans are good here, my eggs as well as others' eggs were cooked perfectly and I guess my only gripe is that the home fries were undercooked and mushy as if they had been under-fried and then left in a heap to steam away. Oh, and the toast was a little bit under-toasted.
A pic of one of the plates.
On the whole, everyone liked the place and it's def on the 'go again' list.
A pic of James Dean and unidentified bystander outside Ralph's.
While I'm here I just wanted to give a shout out to the new place that served me the best espresso I have had in a very long time; a new coffee house on Somerset just on the outskirts of CT called The Daily Grind Art Cafe. Very laid back place, great coffee and great pastry and cake. Check it out!
until next time........
Drude.
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