The main difference between a good work lunch and a great work lunch is who caters it. The food in front of you can make or break the rest of your day, perhaps even the rest of your week, and could have you reminiscing for months.
Thankfully, Ottawa has a wide array of restaurants and businesses that cater to all sorts of needs. From simple yet delicious sandwiches to creative and unique platters, these are some of the best places to cater your next work lunch.
Paninaro
This list loses all merit if it doesn’t have a sandwich spot and, lucky for you, I’m including one of my favourites in the city.
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Paris, Tokyo, or Berlin, even if we don’t have centuries of urban legacy to build on. We have an official plan that, initially, sets out ambitious planning goals. The minutiae
Paris, Tokyo, or Berlin, even if we don’t have centuries of urban legacy to build on. We have an official plan that, initially, sets out ambitious planning goals. The minutiae
Paninaro not only makes an incredible sandwich, the eatery’s ability to cater is top-tier. It blends the worlds of familiar and unique, taking a very recognizable catering concept in sandwiches and providing one of the most, if not the most, unique sandwiches in the city. The Italian schiacciata-style sandwiches are the only ones of their kind in the city. Massive portions of expertly curated meats, cheeses, sauces and toppings are enveloped in a pillowy bread that feels like the distant cousin of focaccia.
Paninaro claims to cover a wide range of catering needs, from small parties to massive corporate gatherings. It will have your entire office and beyond raving about the sandwiches and I guarantee it won’t be the last time you employ the specialty bites for your work events.
Meatings Barbecue
Do you want your next office lunch to be the talk of the breakroom? Then how about bringing in some good ol’ Texas BBQ?
Meatings specializes in the catering game. Its wide variety of in-house meats, sides, sauces and even whisky have built its reputation as a leading player in the space.
Picture this beautifully set scene: It’s Friday after a long week at the office. You’ve heard rumours that your boss has arranged for a special lunch to thank the team for all of its hard work. Excited as ever, you sit at your desk staring at the clock, waiting for it to strike noon.
As the midday hour finally comes, you walk into the breakroom and are immediately hit with the smell of brisket, ribs, burnt ends, Alabama white sauce, and baked beans. The steaming platters sit next to the paper plates and as you grab your first helping of mac and cheese you pause for a moment of gratitude … because all is right in the world.
Romantic, isn’t it?
Lola’s Kitchen
Just in case you weren’t yet impressed by the variety of catering options in Ottawa, let me throw a curveball at you.
Lola’s Kitchen is one of Ottawa’s most unique restaurants. Chef Kim Epino and his team take classic Filipino grandmother dishes and elevate them into eat-with-your-hands platters that can only be described as a flavour bomb on a banana leaf.
I’d go as far as to say if you’re someone who loves chicken, this may end up being your new favourite in the city.
Filipino cuisine as a whole is one of the most underrated food cultures in the world and Ottawa has started to recognize that. Lola’s has catered some of the city’s most high-profile events, but that doesn’t stop the team from being readily available for your next work lunch.
As the weather warms up and the slush outside makes the atmosphere gloomy, just know you can count on Lola’s to brighten even the toughest of work days.
Chef Ric’s
How about catering with a purpose? Catering with a cause?
Let’s talk about Chef Ric’s. This catering team is unlike any other in the city. Every meal ordered from Chef Ric’s is prepared in part by the students in the food service training program. An enterprise of The Ottawa Mission, the program means every purchase of a meal or catering event directly funds cost- and barrier-free culinary training to those who need it most.
The signature burgers and other meals are not only delicious, but actively contribute to the growth of the culinary community in Ottawa and to the hundreds of students looking to make a change in their lives through the culinary arts.
Quality, care and change are all a part of the decision you make to have Chef Ric’s cater your next work lunch or event.
Il Negozio Nicastro
Look, I’d be lying if I said that the sandwiches at Nicastro aren’t amazing, they truly are, but I’ve already mentioned a sandwich in this article so I’m going to try and avoid another one (but seriously look into these sandwiches).
However, Il Negozio Nicastro has more than one catering speciality and this one is arguably even more exciting.
Meat, cheese and all the accoutrements on a long wooden board ready to be picked at and gossiped over. The ideal work lunch in my big Italian heart is a specially curated charcuterie board.
I know what you’re thinking — Jordan, charcuterie is French. And while you are correct about that, the idea of small bites of high-quality meats and cheeses is a globally loved concept and I am no exception to the rule.
Speaking of global affairs, the cheese roster at Il Negozio Nicastro hails from all over the world. From the funky to the firm to the gooey to the mild and nutty, there are dozens of options to choose from at any given time and will have your office happily fed.
Take the work out of your next office lunch or party and let Il Negozio Nicastro transfer you to a globally inspired place of pure cheesy and meaty bliss. It won’t be a lunch that is soon forgotten.
Whether you need something fast and simple or innovative and awe-inspiring, Ottawa’s hospitality scene has the catering options to fit every need. Don’t let the midday or end-of-week blues set in at your next Friday lunch in the office and instead make an informed choice on the best way to enjoy a lunch at work.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lunch to plan.
Jordan Pizzuti has been a local Ottawa food writer, content creator and hospitality professional for over 10 years. Through his “best of” series, Jordan has cemented himself as an expert in Ottawa hospitality and nightlife. He continues to promote the Ottawa hospitality scene through his “Are We Having Fun Yet?” brand and his work with the Ottawa Business Journal.
