THE BLACK TOMATO

On a beautiful summer night we decided that we would explore a more festive site for our dining date and set off for the annual Greek Festival in the South end.

Driving by with eyes perked for parking opportunities we passed the main festival site and only to see jams of people lined up to squeeze into a very small space.

Cheek to jowl isn’t our cup of ouzo.

The Greek Festival is obliviously a popular event that has grown over the years – it now needs to expand to a new venue in order to accommodate the crowds.

So we drove on in search of a good menu and a non elbow rubbing environment.

We were now cruising like teenagers just searching for what might fancy us. We tried New Edinburgh, but the Fraser’s Café was also jammed. We considered going back to the Pepper Garden in Vanier but eventually we cruised into the Byward market.

While drifting aimlessly through the market and noticing that the entire city and all of the visiting tourists were seated somewhere and eating, or wandering around watching people sitting and eating, I thought that perhaps we should hit an A&W.

I was driving a nice car with an open sun roof, it was a beautiful Wednesday summer night and I was with a hot girl friend, all the necessary ingredients for a drive in.

But suddenly an empty parking space appeared directly in front of the Black Tomato on George Street.

The Black Tomato had been recommended to us numerous of times and mostly from informed sources. The Parking Gods had gifted us a spot just out side the front door so we were enticed in to try their food.

The room was full but the staff quickly found a table for us. The room itself is pretty basic set in an old stone building with a nice bar that no one seems to use. This isn’t a hangout for food compelled locals.

The menu gives it away. It is a litany of the ordinary, a collection of salads, a selection of sandwiches and a varied choice of entrees. The menu is designed for any and all tastes and wallets.

We both ordered sandwiches which came with a side salad.(16)There isn’t much we can say about our choices. We both ordered variations of chicken, mine their own BBQ version, Lynn’s a Cajun variation. Neither complimented the chicken but overwhelmed it.

In effect we both got chicken breasts that had been prepared the same way with only the slathering of different sauces to distinguish them.

As we looked around we saw eaters not diners. The Black Tomato seems to cater to those people, mostly tourists, who were just stopping in for a bite to eat before rushing off to something else.

The price is a tad expensive considering the quality is only middling but the location is terrific and there is great music – available for sale as nod to the location’s earlier history as a record shop.

Should have gone to an A&W.


THE BLACK TOMATO

11 George Street,
613-789-8123