Welcome To The Neighbourhood : The Pomeroy House

Last summer, Chef Rich Wilson and his fiancée Lindsay Gordon opened their restaurant “Segue”, in the Glebe. Backed by the guidance of established restauranteur Ion Aimers (of The Works, Za Za Za and Wilf and Ada’s), Segue received positive reviews during its run. As the name implied, Segue served as a transition phase before a massive renovation and eventual reopening as “The Pomeroy House”. On the week of their open, Rich and Lindsay opened up about what we can expect from the Glebe’s newest restaurant.

A: Can you give me a brief background on yourselves, when you decided to open your own place, the evolution from Segue to The Pomeroy House… basically what got you to the point where you felt comfortable opening your own spot.
L: Rich and I have both been in the industry for about 15 years- we met working together at a brewpub in Peterborough! Having friends and family over for dinner and drinks has always been one of our favourite things to do and we’ve talked about having our own restaurant at some point, for a long time. We really starting thinking seriously about it when I returned to working in the restaurant industry after a 2 year stint working for the government. I met Ion while working at Fraser Café and the rest is history I guess.
Segue was a transition phase that gave us a chance to get our feet wet and time to figure out our direction. The location (formerly the original Fratelli’s) became available quite soon after we started talking with Ion about a restaurant and we didn’t want miss our opportunity for a Glebe location, so we jumped on it and figured things out as we went!
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A: You’re a week away from opening. How do you feel?
L: – We’re excited. It’s been such a long renovation. We’re eager to have guests in and start serving them food and bevies!

A: How would you describe the overall concept and cuisine you will be offering?
R: It’s hard to give it a label. I like to take inspiration from the products that are available from our local farmers, as well as from different styles of cooking I’ve done over the years. If I have to label it I guess I would call it modern comfort food.

A: Who has influenced you during your evolution from employees to restauranteurs?
L: We have been influenced and inspired by so many people. We learn from each job we’ve had and every dining experience we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. Obviously, the most recent folks we’ve learned from are the Fraser brothers and the crew over at Beckta.

A: With the increasingly crowded landscape in Ottawa’s restaurant scene, how do you plan on setting yourselves apart?
R: We are just focused on doing what we love: cooking food and welcoming people into our house! If you love what you’re doing, it tends to show and hopefully our guests enjoy what we’re happy to offer.

A: Two meals. One you prepare when you have the time to put the love into it, and one you make at 2am:
R: Labour of love: confit lamb shank with bordelaise sauce, roasted carrots, beets and mushrooms! 2am: Hot chicken, as long as everything is already prepped!

A: What menu items are you most excited about?
L: Today we’re excited about our Crispy Venison Torchon with hot mustard, devilled egg and celery. As well as the Roasted Carrots with cottage cheese, apples, sauce chien, cucumbers and arugula

A: What were your biggest challenges with Segue and what are they currently.
L: Our biggest challenge with Segue was working in a space that wasn’t conducive to how Rich cooks and our style of service. Now it’s more us. The kitchen has a better flow for Rich’s style of cuisine and the room itself has more of the atmosphere we love. The bar is also very different and more inviting!

A: If a guest had the ideal experience at TPH, how would you want them to feel at the end of it?
R: We want our guests to feel full, happy and maybe even a bit tipsy! We hope they felt welcomed into our home and leave wanting to return!

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