"By virtue of geography, Ottawa isn’t often thought of as a seafood kind of place, but Whalesbone makes the city the envy of every other landlocked locale. The sustainably sourced seafood dishes, cooked with finesse, offer striking textures and flavors, and you’ll leave wondering why Whalesbone doesn’t sell crispy salmon skin as a bagged snack. The Elgin Street location — spacious compared to the tiny Bank Street flagship — ventures into meatier territory, dry-aging steaks in-house. The Kent Street location and Elmdale Oyster House are under the same group." - Joel Balsam