Little Italy is surely becoming the culinary heart of Ottawa. One walk on Preston street will take you on a gastronomical journey of the world. Sure, Italian restaurants and pizza are well represented and one would be hard-pressed to find a more delicious pizza than the crispy, thin pizza at La Favorita. Not far from La Favorita is yet another Italian gem, Simply Biscotti. The wealth of choices of this popular Italian cookie would make your head spin and your mouth salivate.
If Italian food doesn’t tickle your fancy, have no fear. Preston also offers delicious German food at Lindenhoff, where schnitzels and saurkraut are but a prologue to the ever-so-delicious honest-to-goodness apfel strudel.
Heck, if you want to ditch European cuisine altogether, just waltz on down to the Green Papaya for Thai food.
Food, however, is but the beginning. This street has more pubs than you can shake a stick at. From the classic Heart and Crown, to the more extraordinary, Pub Italia. This place surely deserves a nod. It may not be food per se, but the beer selection, set against the somewhat blasphemous, tongue-in-cheek setting of a church, is something to raise your glasses for.
As of last week, the neighbourhood welcomed another addition to its ever-growing family of food and drink. Preston Bar and Grill is conveniently located right at the entry to Little Italy. The chic pub offers reasonably priced fare, with portions that could easily fill a hardworking lumberjack. To get you in the doors (and perhaps into the Italian spirit), each Wednesday is a $6 wine and cheese night.
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Enjoy!