Country music and steaks cooked on stones

KANATA—Cooking on hot stones is not just for Korean restaurants now. It’s making its way into Western food establishments, as well. In the Ottawa area, it’s coming to the Kanata Centrum, home of the Senators hockey team, late this month.

The Crazy Horse Stonegrill Steakhouse and Saloon will open in what was previously the space of a Mexicali Rosa’s unit. The restaurant is introducing an Australian system of cooking steaks and seafood on hot lava rocks brought to the diners’ tables.

As the name indicates, the establishment has a western theme. Country bands from Canada and Nashville will provide entertainment. The décor features 24-inch hand-hewn barn beams, and the place will be decorated with chain saw art, including eight-foot high wooden horses.

The active partners in the restaurant are three men who have Grace O’Malley’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Toronto’s downtown entertainment district: Greg McCabe, Aaron Juneau and Patrick Akeson.

While there are also two Grace O’Malley’s Pubs in Ottawa, the only partner connected to either of those is Akeson who has a small share in the one in west part of the city.

McCabe says he was inspired to open the new restaurant after eating in a Toronto restaurant that used a stone grill last year.

While the Crazy Horse can hold 458 people inside, McCabe figures on having about 300 seats. The patio can handle another 100 patrons. The western theme was chosen, says McCabe, “Because that’s the kind of crowd you get out there.”

He says the Crazy Horse name will put some shine on the new restaurant because people still fondly remember a popular Kanata establishment of the same name that burned down about 10 years ago. He has the sign from the old Crazy Horse and will put it inside the new one.

Also, says MCabe, there is no steakhouse in Kanata. Besides steak and seafood the menu at the Crazy Horse will include “lots of homestyle food,” he says, including big burgers.

There will be 17 or 18 beers on tap and Diageo is putting together a cocktail list. There will probably be 10 or 12 wines.

Martin Vanden Anker, former executive sous chef at the Marriott Ottawa hotel, is in charge of the Crazy Horse kitchen. He is an experienced hotel chef who has worked in Vancouver and Toronto.

The Crazy Horse owners have bought the rights to the concept from Stonegrill International of Australia.

The special ovens that can heat 72 stones at a time to 752°F, and other equipment needed for the system, are imported from Australia.

Vancouver also has a Stonegrill location.