What an experience from start to finish!  Aram and I had the pleasure of booking culinary…read moreconspiracy for our wedding day.  Moishe and Derek met with us for the first time to craft a customized menu with delectable tastings including plenty of options for dietary restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free).  We had my wife's parents join us for the first visit only to have Moishe and Derek act extremely professional yet making us laugh over some of the variances in opinion across the table.   Culinary Conspiracy had the unfortunate first encounter and partnership with a rental/labour vendor that introduced us.  This vendor did no show up on the day leaving both CC and us short staffed and in the dark as far as next steps.  Moishe and Derek being the reputable and honourable men that they are delivered above and beyond expectations.  They pulled through with extra rentals that the other vendor failed to deliver.  The meal they provided for our 100+ guest was plated beautifully, hot and seasoned exquisitely.  They were faced with many challenges including space between tables for servers to navigate, a venue without a kitchen and a vendor partner that did not show up all of which they overcame.   Derek is an absolute work horse.  This man and his team pulled through helping move tables, setup stations and coordinate the bar.  Throughout the day he constantly checked on the wedding party insuring we had food and drinks and were not left out because we were across the field taking pictures.   We had CC also provide a late night snack of poutine and smoked meat.  Wow was this a hit, from the moment we had these stations open up we had guests coming to us saying how deliciously crispy the fries were and how tender and flavourful the smoked meat was.  Whenever I passed the station I would see repeat guests in the line which made it obvious these folks were doing something right.  Moishe put together these fluffy, velvety, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that our guests were talking about for weeks after the wedding.   We cannot express our gratitude enough in this review to Moishe, Derek and their team.  You all pulled through for us on our very memorable day not just with the amazing food but with your hard work, professionalism, attention to detail and heart.   Simon & Aram Vogelsang

Good food, but their catering business features hidden fees…read more I was planning on having culinary conspiracy cater my wedding. When we met with the chef initially, we were impressed. He seemed genuinely excited to create a custom menu that would cater to our needs. They sent us an estimate for the cost. One of the things we asked for was that we be able to provide our own alcohol, and they said that this was fine, we would just have to pay for the bartender's wages. The bartender's wages were included in the quote, and there was no alcohol included, so we were sure that they understood what we wanted. So we signed up for a tasting, which we had to pay for, since we hadn't signed a contract yet. This was fine. We got to the tasting, and the food was delicious. After requesting a few minor changes to our quote, we were ready to sign a contract. So they sent us a contract, and all of a sudden, they told us that if we wanted to bring our own alcohol, we would have to pay a corkage fee: $10 per bottle of wine, $15 per bottle of spirit, and $12.50 per case of beer, pop, water (!), or juice. This would completely negate the savings that we would get from bringing our own alcohol. There was no need for this, as we were already paying for the bartender and the rentals, and they kept this fee hidden from us until we were about to sign. So we asked them to waive the corkage fees, or, if they couldn't do that, to remove the bartender from the quote, as we could always find our own bartender. All of a sudden they weren't interested in working for us anymore. Fortunately, they returned the money we had paid for the tasting, so at least they only wasted our time, and not our money! Don't trust that their quotes are accurate, they will try to add more fees.

We had a small 50-person wedding where we wanted the emphasis to be on fantastic food.... and we…read morecould not have chosen better than Jason and his team. Service was exceptionally attentive, presentation very attractive and the food amazing.   Even a few weeks after the wedding, people were still raving about the food and how delicious it was.  Some are asking for the recipes and the amazing choice of interesting ingredients that satisfied the taste buds of our friends (including vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and the plain picky eaters). The Sumac salmon was especially a hit.  Interactions with Jason and Tanya were pleasant, timely and professional. We may just decide to get married all over again, to have Jason cater the next one!   We could not be more pleased or recommend them more highly

Jason and his team catered my wife's 50th birthday party for 18 guests. From initial contact to…read morethe final course I was thoroughly impressed by Jason and his team's attention to detail and professionalism. As enthusiastic foodies our expectations were very high and Jason met them all with a fantastic canapé menu and 4-course meal. Several guests commented it was by far their best catered meal ever! Special thanks to the staff who were congenial and entertaining while maintaining absolute professionalism. It was a fantastic experience - I would recommend without hesitation and will call Essence first for any future catering events. Thank you Jason & crew for a memorable milestone evening!

We've been to Black Tartan Kitchen quite a number of times and have never been disappointed…read more We've been lucky enough to enjoy quite a number of meals at Michelin-starred restaurants. Black Tartan comes close! It's an absolute gem. Chef Ian and his staff are so welcoming and provide excellent service and the food is the star of the show!

Have been wanting to try this gem for a while and we were so happy that to celebrate our…read moreanniversary there. It's a very small restaurant, with a simple nice patio. We sat outside it was a bit of a chilly day so we were the only ones out (private dining) we had special dietary restrictions and the chef was awesome to accommodate.. all the plates were delicious, chef is super awesome and nice, staff very friendly.. we really enjoyed every dish, they are creative but not to the point you don't know what your eating.. they had twist on some coming dishes like gazpacho, baklava but all plated super nicely.. they even made the experience fun by having a crossword to fill out and guess the next dish! The chef for us a nice rose for our anniversary .. all in all it was a fantastic experience.. he even made the effort to walk us out to the door...this was our first time here but would definitely come back again!

My husband and I stopped at Taste Blooms on our way to destinations further west. We needed a snack…read moreso we wouldn't be hangry. The bakery is in a converted old house. It's super cute. They don't have a whole lot of selection, but what we had was pretty good. We got a croissant, a lemon brownie, and a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie. I'm not sure what the prices were, but it was a bit under $10 for everything. The lemon brownie was like a lemon square and was simultaneously tart and sweet. It was lovely. The croissant was flaky and tasted fresh. The cookie was a bit too salty for my liking, but wasn't bad. They have gluten-free and keto options too. The man serving us was nice. Worth a visit if you find yourself in Carleton Place, or of course if you live there ;) Street parking only. Of note: Google maps took us to the wrong location and actually to a parking lot nearby for other businesses. The address is on Allan Street so turn on Allan, don't turn southwest on "Mill Street" from Bridge Street like Google Map told us to (Mill Street only runs northeast off Bridge Street, so turning southwest is turning more into an alley way and not really a street).

It's all about supporting local.. You don't need to go to Ottawa- we have it all here in Carleton…read morePlace.. These festive cookies were enjoyed by the staff at the town hall yesterday made lovingly by Taste Blooms on Allan Street. Thank you to all the businesses that work so hard in our town. We salute you. Thanks Taste Blooms #supportlocal tasteblooms.com Phone number (613) 883-9464 5 Allan Street Carleton Place, ON K7C 1T1

Great location. Patio dining is a sun-trap. It was a very enjoyable dining experience with good…read morefood and attentive service. Highly recommended.

Talk about bringing Canada back to its roots. This is the place. Great views, great service and…read moredelicious food. It was homey and we love the exposed brick. We also brought our friends back a few days later and everyone raved about it

I got the poutine with there brisket on top, very good dark gravy and great smoked brisket.read more

From the owner: We offer fresh hand cut, deep fried chicken as well as true souther style smoked BBQ meals. We…read moreserve fresh Brisket, Pulled Pork, Ribs and Chicken every day. Check out menu for specials and pricing.