Zachary Resnick

I'm a freelance writer based in Ottawa, Ontario. I primarily write about food, cooking and restaurants, drawing on both my many years of experience as a chef and my passion for sharing the stories of the people behind the plates.

A Selection of My Work

Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Photos and a review of Ottawa CityFolk Festival with Melissa Etheridge, Junkhouse, and Indigo Girls | Alan Cross

[Ross MacDonald (photos) and Zachary Resnik (text) were there. The Melissa Etheridge photos are courtesy Sean Fisk.- AC]It’s a big year for City Folk aka The Ottawa Folk Festival. 2025 marks not only 31 years since its birth in 1994, but the ten-year anniversary of the festival moving to Landsdowne Park. On day 2 of this year’s festivities, crowds filed in on a picture-perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky. First up on the main stage were Hamiliton, ONT alt-rock legends Junkhouse. This is an act I...

15 years of Town

Not every restaurant gets to turn 15 years old. Heck, many don’t even get to celebrate their 5- or 10-year marks. This past June however, a little powerhouse on Elgin Street celebrated its crystal anniversary. I’m of course referring to Town — the homey, cozy, funky little joint beloved by many Ottawa foodies.

If you ask folks what comes to mind when you mention Town, you’ll get answers like “welcoming,” “friendly,” and “meatballs” (we’ll get to them, don’t worry.) But the most common answer is...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Another review-and-photos report from Ottawa Bluesfest: JW-Jones and Texas Horns | Alan Cross

[Another report from Zachary Resnik. – AC]Day 8 at the River Stage: The Texas Horns/JW-JonesDay 8 of Ottawa Bluesfest looked grey and a bit chilly, but things heated up quickly over at the River Stage. Looking to put the ‘blues’ back into Bluesfest were The Texas Horns and JW-Jones. Releasing their first album back in 2015, The Texas Horns – Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff, John Mills, and Al Gomez – are widely recognized as the preeminent hard-blowing three-piece blues, soul and roots music horn section in...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Still more photos and reviews from Ottawa Bluesfest 2025: Dwanye Gretzky and Los Bitchos | Alan Cross

Day 7 at the River Stage: Four Eyed Muscle Man/Los Bitchos/Dwayne GretzkyThe seventh day of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 was considerably cooler (in temperature) than those that came before it. Over at the River Stage, we were treated to an eclectic mix of memorable bands. These were three acts I’d never personally seen before – a festival first for me this year.Kicking the night off was Ottawa’s own Four Eyed Muscle Man, showcasing their personal band of indie alt-rock, and teasing a new album droppin...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Ottawa Bluesfest 2025: Photos and a review of The Decemberists, Amos the Transparent, and The Sarandons | Alan Cross

[Zachary Resnik was there for us. – AC]The second week of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 kicked off to high temperatures again, but a pleasant breeze kept things cooler than days prior. Over at the River Stage again, festival-goers were treated to a triple bill of indie and folk rock.First up were The Sarandons from Toronto. They teased they’d be playing at least four new songs for this set, so loyal fans were in for a treat. Opening to a modest crowd with a bassline that was reminiscent of The Strokes,...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Photos and a Review of Ottawa Bluesfest Night Two (Part 2) | Alan Cross

[More coverage from Ross MacDonald, Melody Maloney, Zachary Resnick, and Karen Coughtrey. – AC]Day 2 at the River Stage: Vikki Gilmore/Amigo the Devil/The Dead SouthDay two of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 was even hotter than the first – for numerous reasons. The sun beat down mercilessly over the River Stage as crowds were treated to another day of fantastic live music. First up was Montreal’s own Vikki Gilmore, whose set started a little late. As she took centre stage dressed in a white cowboy hat an...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Photos and a Review of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 Night One (part 2) | Alan Cross

[There are a couple of teams on the ground to cover this year’s Bluesfest. This report is from Zachary Resnick, Ross MacDonald, and Melody Maloney. – AC]The 2025 edition of Ottawa’s Bluesfest kicked off with a strong showing of varied acts on Thursday, July 10th. I found myself drawn to the River Stage for many of the opening offerings. London-born (UK), Ottawa-based DB Cohen kicked things off with a high energy set. The sun was shining down as he and The Revelers took the River Stage as this ye...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Reviews and photos of Metric in Ottawa as they perform Fantasies at the Bronson Centre | Alan Cross

[This comes via Zachary Resnick and Melody Maloney. – AC]Metric kicked off a four-stop tour on Monday, June 2nd at Ottawa’s Bronson Centre, where they performed their Juno-winning album, Fantasies, in its entirety as well as some of the greatest hits.Let me get this out of the way first: I’m a huge Metric fan. The chance to see one of my favorite bands performing one of my favorite albums felt like a dream come true. I used to listen to my copy so much I was worried that the CD would melt.Fantas...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Silverstein Heads “25 Years of Noise” at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa | Alan Cross

[Zachary Resnick was on the scene. – AC]Silverstein and friends chose Ottawa’s Bronson Centre as the 51st stop on their “25 Years of Noise” tour, celebrating a quarter century of continually evolving and refining their hardcore/emo sound. Four acts played a pulse-pounding show to a sold-out, all-ages audience of eager fans – loud, raw, and explosive.If there’s a band out there that can open a show and get a crowd hyped faster than Greyhaven, I haven’t found them. Hailing from Louisville, Kentuck...
Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things •

Photos and a review of BTO, April Wine, and The Headpins in Ottawa | Alan Cross

[Zachary Resnick and Melody Maloney were dispatched to cover a trip bill of classic Canadian rock. – AC]A trifecta of classic Canadian rock bands kicked off the weekend by blowing the doors off of The Arena at TD Place. The Ottawa stop on BTO’s Back in Overdrive 2025 tour brought fans together from all over the city, and though the skies were grey, spirits were bright inside the venue.Fans were first treated to an opening act one-two punch of high-energy Canadiana to set the evening’s tone. The H...
apt613 •

Girl Dinner helms International Women’s Day event

International Women’s Day has a long and delicious history in the Ottawa restaurant industry. For many years female chefs, sommeliers, and bartenders have come together on this day to pool their collective talents in aid of charities and organizations, often ones that seek to help women in need. This year, Kali Fawcett and Mélyna Amyot (the girls who put the Girl in Girl Dinner 613) organized an IWD event.

On March 23rd at Stofa Restaurant, ticket holders will be treated to six tantalizing cour...

Foodie Friday: Better farming for better meat

Grazing Days Farm leads the regenerative agriculture charge with meat you can feel good about eating.

As someone who loves animals and enjoys eating meat, I often find myself uncertain at the grocery store. We all know factory farming is terrible for animal welfare, to say nothing of its negative impact on the planet and our bodies. So, is there an alternative?

Paul Slomp is keen to offer one. Slomp grew up on farms–his family came to Rimby, Alberta in 1989 to start a dairy farm–and quickly re...
apt613 •

Foodie Friday: Stofa is the Hearth of Wellington West

‘Tis the season for family gatherings and hearty meals, and there are few places in Ottawa that embrace these concepts as wholeheartedly as Stofa. Translating from Norse as ‘hearth’, Stofa’s core values have always been warmth and togetherness. No surprise when you hear other Ottawa-area industry folk talk about chef-owner Jason Sawision. The usual description is some variation of ‘hell of a chef and an even better person.’

Born in Toronto, Sawision honed his skills at The Healthy Butcher, Eige...
apt613 •

Le Poisson Bleu provides fine seafood dining to a land-locked city

If you’ve spent any time in Ottawa, you’ve noticed that there’s no ocean in sight. Some big rivers and lots of lakes, sure. But the boundless blue of the coast is hundreds of kilometers away. This fact has never had any impact on the locals craving for fish and seafood. And Le Poisson Bleu seeks to sate this craving in creative ways.

The driving forces behind Le Poisson Bleu (or LPB, for those in the know) are the brothers Bimm: executive chef Alex, and general manager Eric. Hailing from Wakefi...
Edible Ottawa •

From O-style to Detroit deep dish

Ottawa residents will fight tooth and nail defending their shop of choice, but nobody has been doing O-style longer (more than two decades) and arguably better than Bronson Pizza. Bronson’s crust is delicious, speckled golden-brown and shatteringly crisp on the outside, pleasantly soft and bready in the centre. The sauce has a sweet-tart zing, heady with dried oregano, and each pie is a cheese-lover’s delight. Also worth mentioning is the infamous “Gravy Slice” at House of Georgie Sorento’s Pizz...
apt613 •

Fauna Turns 10

Ten years is a big deal in the restaurant industry. Running a restaurant has never been easy, but the challenge ramped up exponentially in the last few years. The owners of Fauna Food + Bar are no strangers to challenge, though. The struggle they faced to open their doors is the stuff of local legend.

If you’re not in the know, here’s the TLDR: after turning the space at 425 Bank St. from an old shoe shop into a gorgeous, hip restaurant in 2012, Fauna’s ownership team found themselves at odds w...
apt613 •

Foodie Friday: Ward 14 is the eclectic home of your favourite Pop-Ups

Bars can be more than just a place to grab a drink. They can be a place to catch up and spend time with friends old and new. Ottawa has no shortage of fantastic bars to sip a drink at, but Ward 14 Consignment Bar on Preston is unique for many reasons. Since September of 2016, Ward (as it’s colloquially known among patrons) has served drinks to thirsty friends and neighbours and served as a place for owner Max Anisman to house his carefully curated collection of vintage goods.

“I’m a collector,”...
apt613 •

Local In-Gin-Uity: Clawfoot Stills Putting a New Spin on an Old Spirit – Apartment613

When I say ‘gin’, what do you think of? Perhaps a crisp gin & tonic with a slice of cucumber on a warm afternoon? A cheeky spritz with hints of lavender and lemon? Perhaps a sultry negroni served on the rocks with that perfect twist of orange peel? But, do you think of… a bathtub? It makes perfect sense when you hear the founders of Clawfoot Stills tell it.

“The name is a nod to the practice of making ‘bathtub gin’ during prohibition.” says Julian Bernard, co-founder and head distiller. Bernard
Gusto TV •

Gusto TV Host Page - Zachary Resnick

Zachary Resnick is a former chef who channeled his love and passion for food into his writing. Zach is known for his sarcastic and acerbic sense of humor that keeps people on their toes. During his time as a chef, he has worked at many esteemed restaurants in Ottawa, Canada, including leading the kitchens at Fauna, Bar Laurel, and the numerous Fairmont Château Laurier restaurants. Not to mention that he is also a former Gusto Writer who’s helped write many of the beloved shows you see on Gusto TV, like Feed My Soul…V!,
Gusto TV •

Gusto TV soon to launch Spanish-language service

Ottawa, Canada, October 17, 2022 – Gusto TV is pleased to announce it will soon be available in Spanish to further connect with Hispanic audiences globally. Launched in 2013, Gusto TV currently streamed internationally on 40 platforms in 160 countries in English.

“Hispanic cuisines are among the best in the world,” says Chris Knight, President and CEO of Gusto Worldwide Media. “The values of food, family, and togetherness are so important, both to us and to Hispanic cultures. We’re excited to b
Gusto TV •

Gusto TV cooks up a new partnership with Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kitchen Connect

Ottawa, Canada, October 13, 2022 – Gusto TV is excited to announce its partnership with Amazon, launching its food entertainment across Amazon Devices and Amazon Kitchen Connect. Gusto TV’s catalogue of culinary series will be available on Amazon Fire TV, while Gusto TV’s recipes and short-form videos will be accessible via Amazon Kitchen Connect.

“We are thrilled that this new partnership with Amazon will bring a new interactive experience to millions of consumers across the US,” says Chris Kn
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