ZenKitchen Grand Opening Newsletter - July 2009

ZenKitchen Newsletter - July 1, 2009

Special Announcements:
ZenKitchen officially now open!
Hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday: 5:00 pm - 10 pm; Friday, Saturday: 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Address: 634 Somerset Street West, between Bronson and Percy

Reservations recommended: go to www.zenkitchen.ca and reserve online or call us at 613-233-6404
Open on Canada Day!

Media:

Ottawa Citizen: http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/omnivore/default.aspx

Apt613 Blog: http://www.apt613.ca/2009/06/29/welcome-to-zen-kitchen
CBC Radio In Town and Out: Ottawa Veg Festhttp://www.cbc.ca/intownandout/listenagain.html

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We're happy to announce that ZenKitchen has finally opened its doors for business! It's been an incredibly challenging and daunting task to open the restaurant, and despite all the odds - the spiraling costs, unexpected delays, more inspections and inspectors that I can or want to remember, and the endless stream of issues that seemed to come over us in waves and almost overcome us at times - the magical force of ZenKitchen has prevailed to push us onward and forward until we were finally opening the doors for our 4 day grand opening extravaganza on June 25.

A great part of this magical force is our supporters and friends who encouraged and helped us through the most stressful and difficult periods, and we are truly grateful. It was also a pleasure to work with a host of talented and dedicated contractors, in particular Heidi Helm of Urbanomic (www.urbanomic.ca) on the design of the space, which we feel is one of the most beautiful, colourful and welcoming restaurant spaces in the city, along with Caroline Duhaime of Dejunkt Design who created the table tops and sign, and Tobias of Against The Grain who made the lovely bar and bathroom sink counters.

Media review... On Friday, June 26, we had a visit from the Ottawa Citizen Food Editor Ron Eade and here's the link to his popular blog for his June 27 article reviewing the restaurant and the food... http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/omnivore/default.aspx

Your second home... It was a real treat for Dave and I to see so many of our supporters and friends come through the doors during the grand opening and be as delighted as we are to have a new home for ZenKitchen and have such a beautiful and warm space for you to gather. We do hope that you'll feel that ZenKitchen will be your second home, and thus we've designed the space and menu in a way to be as inviting and welcoming as possible as we hope to see you often.

Summer menu... We have launched a vibrant summer menu that will be adjusted daily based on what the local farmers are harvesting, customer feedback, and I am delighted to be working with a talented and enthusiastic kitchen crew that will be working with me to continuously develop new creations that we can present to you. We have also created a menu that is flexible to the most important person in the restaurant, the customer, understanding that you might want to come for a full meal, or just drop by for some appetizers or desserts before or after a show, or share a tapas plate with some great wines or local beers on our beautiful patio. The restaurant space has tables that are modular for different size groups, and there is a beautiful harvest communal table where you can come by yourself or with others.

Our hours of operation... We're open from Wednesday-Sunday evenings for dinners and we're closed on Monday and Tuesday to enable some rest for the entire crew, and to provide the space for community oriented events. We will be offering cooking classes and special events such as wine tastings shortly on Tuesday evenings. Please let us know if you have suggestions for events. The beautiful ZenKitchen is also available for meetings, retreats, and celebrations. Please contact us at info@zenkitchen.ca for more information.

Art and Zen....We know that it's difficult for local artists to have spaces where they can showcase their art work in the city and we wanted to do our part in providing one more space. Also, I've always felt that it's just as important to bring art to the people and what a great combination - good art and food working together, stimulating all your senses! We are delighted to launch an exhibition by local artist Patti Normand, the first artist to exhibit in our space, and the first of many to come. We're very fortunate to have Beth Greenhorn curate our exhibitions. Beth was assistant curator of Canadian art at the National Gallery and is now with the National Archives, and is great friend and supporter of ZenKitchen.

New web site... We have also updated our web site, still www.zenkitchen.ca, and you can now reserve for dinner and buy gift certificates online. You can also reserve by calling 613-233-6404. There's even a birthday club, so sign up and you'll get a free dessert during the month of your birthday.

I have a saying on my wall that I have had for numerous years by Thoreau. It says, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." After numerous years of resistance, mostly taking place in my own mind, I finally listened and I have arrived... wow! Happy Canada Day, Caroline

Caroline Ishii
Chef and Owner
ZenKitchen
www.zenkitchen.ca

ZenKitchen is located at 634 Somerset Street West (between Bronson and Percy) Reservations: www.zenkitchen.ca or 613-233-6404

You are on the email list for this newsletter because you asked to be notified about ZenKitchen activities or we thought you would be interested. If you'd like to be moved from this list, we would be pleased to do so. Just send an email to info@zenkitchen.ca