Chesswood | Carleton Place, ON

Excited to get out of downtown Ottawa and celebrate a couple of birthdays, we decided to visit one of Carleton Place's newest additions - Chesswood.

The decor and ambiance was nice with a rustic chic feel. The menu offers a variety of options to choose from. We were seated in a booth at the back of the restaurant and really enjoyed this as we had a view of the restaurant with some privacy from neighboring tables.

While they don't advertise vegetarian options - I chose the Bruschetta to start, as followed that will the Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, and enjoyed the Deep Fried Ice Cream for desert (because birthdays).

While I was hoping for the Green Tea ice cream as the menu advertised, I was served Vanilla ice cream without notice from the service staff, but it was delicious non-the-less. The Bruschetta was nicely presented and had a good topping to crustini ratio. The Beet Salad was large and full of tasty beets and goat cheese on top of romaine lettuce. The salad came to the table wilted which had me second guessing my choice, but I was pleasantly surprised by the flavours.

My partner had the calamari, which was lightly battered and well seasoned. The plate was garnished with romaine lettuce, which it could have done without. While he would order it again, a larger portion would better reflect the price of the dish.

The Tandoori Chicken Wings, which were served as a full wing, were slightly under seasoned, but the cook could be easily improved with some finesse, allowing it to cook a bit longer to crisp and char the skin. The wings were accompanied by a dipping sauce that was tasty, but would be more enjoyable if it was thicker, allowing the flavours to come through and the sauce to hold to the chicken.

Friends shared the crab cakes, the charcuterie board, and the spring rolls. They really enjoyed the crab cakes, while they could have been a little more moist, they really enjoyed them as they were not over breaded and were full of seafood.

The charcuterie board was beautifully presented and provided a selection of cheeses and seed to sausage meats. However, service wise, the staff could use coaching in steps of service when serving charcuterie and/or cheese boards, providing guests with a brief run over of what meats and cheeses are featured when the plate is delivered to the table. When asked the service staff was unsure. The portioning was large (for two people). Our friends very much enjoyed this plate and said they would definitely order it again.

We really enjoyed our visit at Chesswood and will definitely be back for a visit again. We hope Chesswood thrives and does well in Carleton Place. With any restaurant there is always room for growth - we look forward to see what Chesswood makes of itself and how it evolves! It is a great place for locals to check out or for anyone passing by, as it is only a short jog North of 7 and 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa.