By Michelle Ramsay-Borg
Long list of moveouts and moveins in the ByWard Market over the past two months!
Angélina Café, the wee espresso bar at 11 Murray Street near Sussex, has closed. Sorry to see it go, it was a personal favourite for Europeanstyle coffee. And, after a lengthy closing sale, Lucaca Gift Shop has vacated 278 Dalhousie Street.
The storefront at 110 Parent Street has lost its most recent tenant, Be Uniq. Fans can follow the retailer on Facebook, which has a posting saying they will soon reopen at a new location, and will also launch an online store.
Next door, at 112 Parent, Lida Boutique is closing its doors after a 38year run. Lydia has decided to retire, and her daughters are taking over at the business’s second location in Westboro, now renamed Fashion United.
The popular Luxe Bridal Boutique has moved from 208 Dalhousie to 733B Ridgewood Avenue near Mooney’s Bay. Also moved: LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, from 43 William Street to the second floor of the Rideau Centre, near the entrance to the dining hall.
Steak & Sushi at 87 Clarence is still closed after a fire broke out in its kitchen on April 5th. Owners Lee Wagner and John Leung are working “around the clock” to get it back as good, or better, than ever.
Happily, there were more openings than closings, with two on North Dal. The new design boutique called goods, at 201 Dalhousie Street, stocks its shelves “with a little bit of everything useful”. It’s at the corner of Parent Street, where Supercuts was located.
Smudge Beauty Bar has moved into the completely renovated storefront at 223 Dalhousie (formerly Young Jane’s). The Californiavibe salon offers blowouts, manipedis and enhancements for eyelashes and brows—all at reasonable prices.
Meanwhile two new restos on Clarence Street couldn’t be more different. Cupid’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, opened at 97 Clarence on April 21, already extended its weekend hours to 3:30 am in order to meet the latenight demand for its dressedup dogs. A couple of doors to the east, Tomo opened its doors on May 1 with a big reveal: a sushi lounge that is lushly appointed with Japaneseinspired modern design and art. The gorgeous interior was created by architect Kayla Pongrac, a hospitality designer. Kayla also designed the interior for ACE Mercado at Clarence and Dalhousie.
After months of anticipation, it’s great to see More Than Design open at 10 ByWard Market Square. It’s a worthy successor to Phillip Van Leeuwen, the highend furniture store that used to occupy the twostorey space.
Zipcar, a carsharing business with branches all over the world, has come to Ottawa. So easy: book a car online, say how many hours you need it and choose where to pick it up. There are two locations in Lowertown, including 700 Sussex Drive, home to a Jetta zipcar named Sarabi and a Tiguan named Mandi.
Here is some backdoor news to round out this month’s news. The beautiful Paper Papier has taken over the wee Fleurissant flower shop at the back of its premises at 18 Clarence Street and has added a small range of art supplies to its stock. And over at 45 Clarence, King Eddy Burgers has opened a Bridgehead takeout counter at its rear entrance in the atrium of the Times Square building.
The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. She does not receive any compensation or favour in exchange for coverage.