America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is also the place where you can get the best junk food. Chicken in a Biskit crackers? Easy Cheese? Cocoa Pebbles Treats? Cheeze-It Scrabble crackers? All brilliant.
I hadn’t been to the US since May and I was jonesing for a visit. A cross-border day trip to Watertown, NY (the nearest border town with some decent shopping) was in order. We picked up some new clothes, some grocery items and we ate at the Ponderosa Steakhouse. Good times!
Some of my favourite buffet items: Mac ‘n cheese, mash potaotes and gravy and various fried items.
More fried goodness: Shrimp and haddock.
Just a tip. If you order a large drink at Ponderosa, you might be maxing out the capacity of your bladder.
My uncle is a fascinating guy. Apart from being an admirable person, he loves Paris the way I love Boston. Hard to imagine, I know. He spends oodles of time in France hanging out with his friends. He fences (with a sword!) He’s a wine aficionado and a proficient chef. He has the ultimate green thumb. He’s a skilled photographer. He’s kind to my mom (his sister), to me (his godson) and he’s a supportive father to his two great kids. And if that wasn’t enough, he has the raddest dog on the block, Humphrey.
I always enjoy spending time with my uncle and I was happy to snag an invite to his groovy abode. Not much to report but suffice it to say that it was a nice evening, with some fine wine, some good food and a cool dog. Sometimes, that’s all that matters. Enjoy the pics below.
My boy Humphrey
A jade plant
Another jade plant. This one is humungous.
I think this is an azalea. I’m not a plant guy so I can’t be sure.
A funny birdie
A pensive Humphrey
Stuffed tomatoes
Chicken brochettes, potatoes and stuffed tomatoes. Delicious!
My family knows how much I dig birthdays. Lucky for me they’re always willing to do it up big. This year’s celebration included gourmet burgers, salads and make your own sundaes. Sweet! My family is pretty fly. I’m a very lucky guy. Check out the party pics below.
Baseball balloon. Coolest thing ever.
Choice of drinks. And no, I didn’t go for the Skinnygirl cocktail.
Spectacular salad
Burger toppings: Guacamole, sun-dried tomatoes and aioli.
More burger toppings: Bacon, caramelized onions and mushrooms.
It’s been a long while since my last barbecue. Some pals of mine threw together the most fancy pants BBQ I have ever had the pleasure of attending. Salad, vichyssoise, steak, potatoes, fennel and my favourite pie in the world, coconut cream.
You’ll notice the absence of a shot of the vichyssoise. I’m a photography dunce. I’m working on getting better so I ask for your patience. [As an aside, if you have tips for taking better pictures with an iPhone, send them my way. I would be eternally grateful.] Suffice it to say, the vichyssoise pic didn’t turn out and I was not going to subject you to the blurry mess. Although I have to say that the salad shot ain’t bad, no?
Thank you kind friends for throwing me a beautiful birthday BBQ. I appreciate you and all of the time you put into this great meal. You guys are brilliant!
A colourful and delicious summer salad
Dinner by candlelight. Steak, potatoes, fennel and wine. Mmmm.
My friend loves Red Lobster. She also happens to have a birthday near mine. A double birthday celebration at the RL was in order. Although I’m used to amazing New England seafood, Red Lobster ain’t half bad. I worked there when I was a teen so I know just what to order. You can never go wrong with clam chowder and lobster. Great combo. Happy Birthday to us!
The Rogers Cup is tennis nirvana. It’s where I go to be amongst my people. Around these parts, most folks are not tennis aficionados. The conversation never gets beyond Federer or Nadal. I can’t rhapsodize on the virtuosity of Katarina Srebotnik or Kveta Peschke without seeing eyes glaze over. It’s saddening. But at the Rogers Cup, I’m surrounded by tennis fans that are enlightened, passionate and just plain nuts. Walk over to any practice court, point at even the most obscure player and say “who’s that?” and not only will you learn the player’s name, you’ll get a personal and professional bio, an anecdote on the player’s likes and dislikes, which hotel they stay at and sometimes, the fan might even pull out a scrapbook filled with photos of past tournaments. It’s bonkers and sooo incredibly fun.
I couldn’t help but enjoy myself standing a few feet away from some of the best tennis players in the world. Check out a few pics I took.
Caroline Wozniacki
Daniela Hantuchova
Sam Stosur
Dominika Cibulkova
Anna Ivanovic
Parc Jarry Fountain
After hours of stalking players, my buddy and I decided to call it a day and get some supper. But where? The great city of Montreal is a culinary Mecca with no shortages of fine eateries. My friend chatted up one of the tennis fanatics and she recommended Ristorante Pomodoro, a favourite haunt of tennis fans. It was located on St-Laurent Boulevard in nearby Little Italy, about a 10-minute walk from the tennis stadium. It did not disappoint and I highly recommend it. Good service, fantastic food and a seat on the terrasse made for an outstanding end to our day.
On the drive home, I felt a twinge of sorrow and couldn’t help but replay the day in my head. Goodbye crazy tennis fans, fellow stalkers and overzealous Felicano Lopez devotee. Buhbye Rogers Cup Official who writes the names of the players on the white boards while we peer over her shoulder. See ya later nice policeman who helped us find a parking spot. Sayanora Marion Bartoli and your disturbing training methods. Au revoir Anna Ivanovic. I can watch you train all day. Sigh. Fare thee well Aleksandra Wozniak and thanks for the pic. Peace out Lidnt chocolate lady, “merci beaucoup” for the free samples. And so long grumpy stadium usher guy, telling us to sit in our proper seats. I will miss you all (well maybe not the usher dude.) Until we meet again next year.
Ravioli alla Gigi/Ravioli sauce rosée, pancetta and champignons
You know how some people shy away from their birthdays? How they prefer to downplay the festivities and jubilation? How they think that gifts are no longer necessary once they reach the age of 30? We’ll let me tell ya something, I’m not one of those people. I think birthdays are meant to be feted. That’s why a full month is dedicated to the celebration of my being. My family and friends know all too well that I like to make a big deal out of birthdays and they are happy to oblige.
If this is sounding a little too much to bear and self-indulgent, here’s how I see it. Life is short. Who knows? This may well be my last birthday. Why not do it up big? But the real reason behind this month-long bday affair is this: It’s a good reason to get together with the people I love, create some memories and enjoy our time together. And to me, that’s worth a whole lot. So check out CFD throughout the month of August for some bday postings. And from these postings you’ll be able to see what I already know. That I’m one the luckiest guys around.
View the food pics from a birthday celebration courtesy of some very good friends.
Stacked tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella
Salmon in a lemongrass hollandaise sauce, asparagus, wild rice and peach salsa
The New York Times reported recently that the price of lobster has hit a 40-year low. A combo of warm weather and good conservation techniques has led to a record lobster harvest. An abundance of inexpensive lobster is a gift that doesn’t come around too often. Why not take advantage of this lobster bounty by serving your guests a knockout dish?
Dating back to 2008, this recipe is courtesy of the always brilliant LCBO Food & Drink magazine. Lobster, mango, avocado, cilantro, mint, lime and a host of other ingredients make up Thai marinated lobster with avocado and hearts of palm. I’ve served up this recipe on a number of occasions and it has elicited infinite praise and even marriage proposals. One guest proclaimed it to be the best thing he ever ate. Try this recipe for yourself and let me know what you think.
I’ve never been to Africa. I’ve never eaten African cuisine. So when my friend suggested Habesha Restaurant on Rideau Street, I was all in.
This tiny restaurant holds 7 tables at the most. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in warmth, friendliness and amazing food. Our server was the owner and he couldn’t have been kinder. He was a good-hearted, funny and well mannered kinda of chap.
My friend’s buddy comes to this restaurant frequently and so we were well armed with a list of his favourite menu items without really knowing exactly what we were ordering. For me, that’s scary. I’m not a dolt but certainly never the first in line for the tasting menu. I like to know what I am about to eat. In this circumstance, I relied on my trusty friend and his buddy. And man am I glad I did.
Habesha Restaurant, 574 Rideau Street, Ottawa
Before us appeared a circular platter not unlike a pizza pan that acted as the serving dish. All guests eat from this one platter. The platter held an injera, the pancake-like bread of Ethiopia. On top of the injera was placed an assortment of stews, meats and salads. Extra injera bread was served on the side. You take a piece of the bread, scoop up the food and then pop it into your mouth. Traditionally, Ethiopians eat most food with their hands, no utensils required. I was more than happy to oblige.
I foolishly didn’t retain the names of the dishes. Next time I visit, I’ll get it right. Apologies.
Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture.
The flavours of the food were outstanding. Ingredients such as red chilies, fenugreek and ginger enriched the flavours of the dishes. The bread was a standout for me. Soft and spongy, it reminded me of a crêpe. It took a little practice to eat with the injera but I eventually got the hang of it.
With a full belly and a kind handshake from the owner, my African adventure was complete. I will be going back to Habesha cause I am now a full-fledged fan.
More than once we looked at each other and said “this place is cool.” We were sitting on the patio of the Mill St. Brewery, surrounded by trees, the nearby river, what seemed like hundreds of people and a curious rabbit. If you like beer, this is the place for you.
Mill St. is housed in the 140-year-old former Mill restaurant out on Wellington Street near the War Museum. I met up with the crew a little bit late and they were already well settled into the palates of beer. Being a brewery, this place is all about the cold ones. They have 14 taps that include Tankhouse Ale and some brews designed especially for their Ottawa patrons. While you’re there, you may want to take a free tour of the brewery or drop by the retail store to take home some beer samples and Mill St. merch. It’s like beer wonderland!
Beer palate
The food is classic pub fare. Sandwiches and burgers, some flat breads, mussels, salads and wings. The food incorporates Mill St. beer into many of the menu items. I had the daily special, the ribs and french fries. While the ribs were a little on the ordinary side the fries were definitely a standout. They were soft which is not the usual texture for fries. They tasted sweet and spicy. And they were addictive. Maybe they were also cooked in beer. I forgot to ask. Next time. The gang sampled the angus burger, fish and chips and the club. No complaints and most everyone cleaned their plates. While the food is good, it’s definitely not the draw. And that’s ok.
The Mill St. Brewery is slick and screams atmosphere. There’s no other place like it in Ottawa and because of that, it’s going to do really well. Expect long lines to get in all summer long. I’l be there for sure.
