OTTAWA—The timing of the most recent CreativeMornings/Ottawa coincided perfectly with the waves that acclaimed chef Matthew Carmichael has been making in Ottawa’s burgeoning culinary scene.

Carmichael made an appearance at the Ottawa School of Art to speak about culinary creativity in the city. The 40-year-old Carmichael has made a name for himself in both Ottawa and Toronto as an award-winning chef, having worked with international chef Susur Lee, and recently in Ottawa at haute-cuisine establishments such as E18hteen, Social, and Side Door.



In May 2012, he left all that behind, and it was what Carmichael did next that has captured the imagination of the Ottawa foodie scene, and was the basis for the discussion on emerging culinary creativity. Having realized that he was no longer cooking for the people he wanted to, he decided to open a “pop-up” restaurant at the classic diner and local institution, Mellos.

“It was simple and honest food stripped down to what a restaurant should be. It offered humility in food and design," he said.

His call for the use of local food to no longer be seen as an exception but a norm, as well as a personal desire to move away from staples of fine dining like foie gras and truffles towards an approach that maximizes the dining experience, resonated with the crowd on hand.


By offering simple, honest food, with a certain humility in the dishes at a price point that was still profitable, but accessible, chef Carmichael’s experiment at Mellos was a runaway success. The concept struck a chord with diners who regularly lined up outside for a spot at a table in the small diner to sample his work in a familiar and casual environment.

Carmichael shared some of the influence design has had on his perspective on dining experiences. Referencing Toronto’s Castor Studio, and cultural hub Parts & Labour as major sources of inspiration, Carmichael makes an effort to embody their design language, particularly how tradition, and craft combine with modern stylistic elements in his current and future initiatives. 

“You have to go through the rite of passage, you have to make mistakes and learn and then move on to successes," he said of his journey as a chef.

The broad spectrum of creativity that CreativeMornings Ottawa is trying to embody continues later this month, when illustrator/artist/tattooist Julian Garner of 5 Cents Tattoo brings his opinionated yet respected perspective on “unconventional creativity” to a brand-new venue, 8 Locks' Flat, on Aug. 17.

Tickets will be available starting Monday, Aug. 13.

Ottawa is the most recent Canadian addition to the CreativeMornings lineup. For more photos from the Carmichael session, click here.