Beckta dining & wine opened in May 2003 and is the realization of a dream of owner/sommelier Stephen Beckta. The restaurant was built in an old Victorian house at 226 Nepean Street, the former home of The Ritz where, incidentally, Stephen held one of his first jobs in the hospitality industry. On the first floor is the main dining room which seats 65 people divided into three rooms. The décor is elegant and soothing, with Mediterranean blue and sunflower yellow walls, red oak floors and camel coloured suede chairs and banquettes. On the second floor is a private dining room which has hosted a variety of events, from political meetings to wedding receptions, and seats up to 20 people.

The menu can be described as modern seasonal cuisine, with influences of French and Asian techniques and ingredients. Chef Steve Vardy and his team pride themselves on using small local producers and as many Canadian products as possible.

Stephen Vardy

Executive Chef of Beckta, Stephen built the opening kitchen team from a compilation of young talented professionals from across the country. Stephen comes to us from the very popular and critically acclaimed restaurant Kinki, where he was recently Executive Chef. Starting his cooking career at the young age of fifteen, Stephen went on to graduate from Algonquin College's Culinary Arts program. He is already being recognized as a rising star chef in Ontario, being invited to cook at many 'Celebrity Chef' dinners in Canada and the United States. His resume includes Chef du Partie positions at Domus and Savanna Café (Ottawa), Sous-chef at Café Henri Burger (Hull, Quebec) and Maple (Halifax), and he was the Executive Sous-Chef of Bish(Halifax). Stephen has mentored under such Canadian luminaries as Robert Bourassa, Michael Smith, and John Taylor. Stephen has quickly won the hearts and stomachs of diners and critics alike, offering charm and passion with guests in addition to his diverse culinary arsenal.

Stephen Beckta

Stephen Beckta had a dream of opening his own restaurant since the tender age of thirteen when he started his restaurant career as a busboy in Ottawa's Byward Market. After stints in every restaurant department, Stephen perused his love for hospitality and wine, graduating from Algonquin College's Sommelier program with Honours in 1997. Taking hisnew-found wine education to New York, he made wine accessible to diners at Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud. A New York Times article asked 'Is That Sommelier Old Enough to Drink?' of this 24 year-old from Ottawa who made wine fun. Wanting to round out his wine knowledge with larger lessons in Hospitality, Stephen mentored under Danny Meyer and Richard Coraine at Eleven Madison Park. It was here that Stephen solidified his philosophy of making fine dining accessible and caring for his staff, guests, and community in profound ways. But his heart was always in Ottawa, so when he fell in love with an Ottawa native, Stephen realized many dreams all at once, returning home to get married and open the most talked-about Ottawa restaurant in years.

A review from NUVO magazine, by Jurgen Gothe:

'Is Beckta the best restaurant Ottawa has seen? It is, for my money. You want to open eats in Ottawa? You're going to have to go some to top this one. Is it supremely elegant? Not at all. It's an upscale-funky, restored Victorian townhouse, with Van Gogh colours predominant. The service is excellent, but hardly formal. Is it cutting-edge cooking, then? Not really; it's sensational seasonal food, fresh and full of flavour, and serious wine. But here's a primer on how to be serious without being stodgy. What is it then? It's the best you can be, with a flair for fun and a sparkle of brilliance right at the edge of the nicely pushed envelope. It's encyclopedic knowledge about wine without pushing it. It's oh-my-what-a-surprise food without being pretentious. It's service that's at your elbow instead of in your face.'

Visit the Beckta Website at >Beckta dining & wine

For more information, contact ACE Bakery, 416/241-3600, bread@acebakery.com.


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