It all started out on a family trip to Maine. Lisa Braun, her husband and two kids went out for a casual pizza dinner and left not only with full bellies, but a brilliant business idea. “We went to this amazing organic, all-natural wood-over burning pizza place and I was blown away by the quality and thought, ‘This is exactly what Ottawa needs,’” recalls Lisa.
Lisa already had a background in food service: as a teenager, she worked with her father at his former catering company. She also has a strong business acumen from owning her own house painting company. In December 2010, using her united talents and taste, she opened the doors to her very own wood-oven pizza joint, Tennessy Willems, ready to dish out the decadent pies she had been dreaming of ever since that time in Maine.
For the best wood-oven pizzas in Ottawa, this is the place to be. The crust is quite flavourful as the dough is proofed for several hours. Purists will enjoy the classic Marghertia topped with fire roasted tomato sauce, fior de latte and fresh basil. More adventurous crowd favourites include the wild boar sausage with apple, cheddar and sage oil and the house-made chorizo with caramelized onion and goat cheese. Pizzas range from $12 to $20 so it’s best to order a variety to share with friends. The patio is open from late spring to mid-autumn and reservations are recommended.
Known for their wood oven pizzas, Tennessy Willems is also quite adept at making pasta. This is especially true when it comes to their mac and cheese. Complete with double-smoked bacon and mushrooms baked in Parmesan and cheddar tarragon sauce, this spot makes some of the finest gourmet mac and cheese in the city.
The ingredients for the delicious wood-fired pizzas at Tennessy Willems are sourced from local farms and suppliers and the dough is made from scratch every day. Stop by for a relaxing lunch or dinner and ease into a vegetarian option like Helen’s (baby spinach, fresh parmesan, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and fresh lemon) or discover a gourmet meat lover’s paradise via the Wild Boar (boar sausage, caramelized apple, sage oil and two-year-old cheddar).