Mariposa Farm

I have a new restaurant to add to my top 5 in the Ottawa vicinity list.  Well, truth be told, I don't have an actual "top 5 list", but if I did, Mariposa Farm would be on it.  So would Les Fougeres. which I raved about here.  

I had been thinking about going to visit, but didn't have any concrete plans.  Then, I saw The Twisted Chef's post  about her visit and decided that I had to go.  I sold the idea to R as a birthday brunch (for him) and made a reservation.  The restaurant opens one a week for brunch on Sundays.

We were among the first to arrive and I was already feeling warm and fuzzy before sitting at our table.  

Rather than a traditional written menu, Mariposa Farm has a visual menu, where you can view the three starters, three mains and three dessert options.  This is awesome, particularly if you're a visual person.   I often have trouble deciding what to order.  But deciding based on the visual menu is probably the fastest decision I've ever made in a restaurant.

The centrepieces of the table, fresh vegetables, were really cute.  I've already stolen the idea.

Quickly after sitting, you get a basket of homemade bread.  So good!

For starters, R ordered a beet salad with a nut encrusted goat cheese:

I ordered the foie gras:

It didn't take long into our meal (and my picture taking) for the owner to ask me about whether these photos would end up on a foodblog.  Busted!  

  

For the main, I had duck on a bed of spaetzle.  This course was my favourite.  The duck was succulent and perfectly spiced.

R had bison, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

For dessert, R got a peach and apple galette

I got the cheese platter.

Overall, the meal was excellent.  None of the dishes are things that I would usually order in a restaurant.  But, because I could visually see what I was getting myself into, I was eager to try something new.

The service was good.  The owner has a strong, welcoming (slightly quirky) presence in the restaurant.

After eating, we walked around the farm.

I loved visiting the geese.  They look so distinguished and elegant.

Overall an awesome experience.