{"id":371,"date":"2010-06-13T17:48:46","date_gmt":"2010-06-13T21:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/justrw.net\/blog\/?p=371"},"modified":"2010-06-24T16:27:33","modified_gmt":"2010-06-24T20:27:33","slug":"jean-alberts-needs-to-work-on-their-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/justrw.net\/blog\/2010\/06\/13\/jean-alberts-needs-to-work-on-their-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"Jean Albert’s needs to work on their soul!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Is Jean Albert’s\u00a0Ottawa’s sole restaurant serving soul food?<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Jean Albert’s the place for food that’s got soul
\nBut don’t go there Friday’s, if speed is your goal!
\nYou really should try the sweet potato chips
\nEven though they’ll go from your lips to your hips
\nOverall verdict? Needs work, on the whole!!… <\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


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I must confess to being a little tardy in getting this review written. However, sometimes a little interval gives one a slightly different perspective on events and impressions. Our visit to Jean Albert’s in Ottawa’s China Town at Lyon and Somerset took place on Friday May 28th. Since that time we have been to England and back and will shortly be updating you on our gastronomic experiences there.<\/p>\n

Where we went<\/span><\/span><\/strong>: Our good friend Garey Ris\u00a0has been extolling the virtues of Jean Albert’s for a couple of years now, since he discovered it tucked away in Hallville way down\u00a0South of Ottawa towards\u00a0the 401 near Cardinal. We never managed to get there although we were intrigued by his enthusiasm. When they recently relocated to Ottawa, we promised Garey that we would eventually\u00a0get there. This\u00a0visit\u00a0was the result. Although the exterior of the\u00a0restaurant lacks pizazz, \u00a0its location could not be better! From the upstairs dining room, where we would ultimately be seated, we had a great view of the local comings and goings on Somerset Street. Indeed, this was the one redeeming feature that mitigated, for some at least,\u00a0the interminable wait for our food.<\/p>\n

What we ordered<\/span><\/span><\/strong>: Since by the time we were seated and our server came to take our order, many amongst us were ravenous, we ordered the sweet potato chips to share. For me, they were the highlight of the meal and I would heartily recommend them even though they might not be the healthiest option being deep-fried. But then if you are counting calories, Jean Albert’s might not be your best option. Most of our group opted for either the fried chicken and fries or the ribs and chicken. There was distinct confusion about the optional sauces which could be either applied after cooking or ‘baked in’ for an additional charge. I chose ‘baked-in’ and it was only added to my ribs and not to the chicken. However, Debbie, not being aware 0f the choice, had the sauce applied to both chicken and ribs whether she wished it or not!<\/p>\n

Some of us special ordered from the lunch menu where they offer 2 pieces of chicken rather than 3 and a quarter rack of ribs rather than a half. For myself, this was still plenty of food even though only one side dish was offered rather than the 2 offered with a full meal. I chose candied sweet potato but most seemed enticed by the collard greens. Once Greg heard that catfish was offered he enquired as to whether it was available pan fried rather than deep fried and battered but they were unable or unwilling to accommodate him. Reluctantly, he ordered it anyway. As usual, the kids selected their normal chicken nuggets\/strips and fries.<\/p>\n

What we got<\/span><\/span><\/strong>: As mentioned above, the sweet potato chips were beyond reproach. The warm cornbread offered while we were waiting, on the other hand, received mixed reviews but some were simply not fans of cornbread in general. Several raved about their fall-off-the-bone ribs, whilst I personally found mine overcooked and overpowered by the sweetness of the barbecue sauce. I don’t recall the last time I had Louisiana-style fried chicken but for me it was again overcooked and rather dry. I will admit to being in the minority in this opinion.\u00a0My side of\u00a0candied sweet potato was soft to the point of being mushy and swimming in liquid.\u00a0Those\u00a0who ordered\u00a0collard greens and received them,\u00a0were pleased. Greg was not so lucky and when they had run out of greens, the kitchen simply took it upon themselves to substitute coleslaw without checking first.\u00a0\u00a0He also\u00a0seemed a little disappointed with his catfish too! The kids seemed quite happy with their meals when they finally arrived. Garey and Debbie shared a dessert (fruit cobbler and ice cream, I believe, and were very happy with it. Others were too full to partake.<\/p>\n