Grocery Business Shop Walk: La Bottega Nicastro, Ottawa, Ont.

Known as Ottawa’s Italian food and wine destination, La Bottega Nicastro, Byward Market offers a seemingly “stacked-to-the-rafters” marketplace featuring a restaurant, Italian coffee bar, signature sandwiches, cooking classes, wine tastings, private events, catering and fine food shop. Grocery Business visited the bustling shop in Ottawa’s Byward Market during the mid-week, midday rush.

It all started in 1972 when the Nicastro brothers opened their first store on Gladstone Avenue in Ottawa’s Little Italy, according to the retailer. The store at first catered to Italian immigrant families in the area, but soon grew in popularity. The Nicastro brothers eventually opened their next store on Merivale Road, to capture the growing Italian population in that area. Today Joe and Rocco Sr. Nicastro can still be found helping in the Byward Market shop. “Pat Nicastro, Rocco Jr. Nicastro, Giovanni Adamo and staff guarantee to provide you with the same standards of excellence that their family has had since 1972,” reads a statement on La Bottega’s website.