Jeff Jedras

Eating on the road: Lounge and plane food from my summer vacation -- part two

2025-11-15T23:13:00.001-05:00

After five amazing and relaxing nights in the Maldives, and some great meals I will review separately, it was back into the air for the next leg of my journey to Bangkok, Thailand, via Singapore.

My first three flights in business were on Aeroplan points, earned thanks to my decade as a frequently-travelling technology journalist (nowadays I mostly earn train and hotel points) but the Maldives to Bangkok trip I paid out of pocket and booked economy on Singapore Airlines.

As one of the top airlines in the world I was looking forward to the trip, even if it would be another redeye to Singapore and an early-morning flight on to Bangkok. But I researched upgrade options and I learned they were often available for purchase a few days out. So I made a point of logging in right when the upgrade window opened and, on my laptop looking out at the ocean in my Maldavian villa, I decided I could justify the price as a once-in-a-lifetime experience (when will I be back here?) and I upgraded both legs to business.

And this business class experience was a step above any other I've experienced. Comfortable lay flat pods, great menus, and warm, friendly and attentive staff that greet you by name.

But first, they use a private lounge at the airport in Male that was just ok. Very busy, lots of kids running around, food nothing to write home about. No photos taken.

As I settled into my pod I enjoyed a fresh orange juice and looked over the volumnius menu. I had pre-selected my entree, but the drinks selection was quite interesting and abundant. And unlike on Emirates, I was well-rested from my week in the sun and ready to partake.

I ordered a glass of the 2020 Chateau Pey La Tour Reserve Bordeaux which, while only $24 at the SAQ, was excellent and, of course, enjoyed with mixed nuts.

But I couldn't leave it at that, as one other option on the drink menu also caught my attention. I hadn't had one before, but how can you be on Singapore Airlines enroute to Singapore and not try a Singapore Sling?

It was fruity and delicious. And yes, I was double-fisting but hey, I'm on vacation! Also, I wanted to get to bed right after dinner.

Speaking of which, meal service did begin promptly and efficiently for this overnight flight but was still served course by course. As an appetizer, they served a seared pepper-crusted tuna with fennel, crab and togarashi mayonnaise.

I would judge it OK. I'm still not totally sold on tuna. I made little lettuce wrap tuna sandwiches. I was more excited for the main course, and I added ordered the local option: Mee Siam Goreng, or Fried spicy rice vermicelli with prawns, fish cake, chives and lime -- they kindly accommodated my request to hold the hard-boiled egg which I appreciated.

It was a tasty entree, not stellar, but very good. 8/10. They warned me the sauce was spicy, and it did have kick, but it was enjoyable -- though I didn't go to hard to avoid bedtime heartburn. Their bread basket selection was very varied and they came by a few times to top up. I had a few garlic bread. I also enjoyed the sticky date pudding with quenelle of cream and butterscotch sauce.

With dinner complete, I put the bed into lay flat mode and managed a little but of sleep before a sunrise approach into Singapore.

It took quite awhile, and a train, to navigate an airside terminal change at the airport in Singapore. Unfortunately I didn't have time to explore any of the cool airport attractions like the garden or the jewel, but I did have time to try their lounge. Finding the right one took a minute (I didn't have access to the more exclusive First Class one) but eventually I did find the one for business class passengers.

And wow, made to order noodle bar at breakfast time? Oh, yes please.

After watching a few others go to figure it out, I made my selections and my noodle dish was made to order in front of me.

I can't use chopsticks so eating some of the bulkier choices with a spoon was a challenges, as was getting the noodles to where they needed to be, but no one here knew me so I slurped without shame. Pretty tasty. A Coke Zero as you see; I found that in Asia it seems like Coke Zero has replaced Diet Coke for the most part as the no-sugar option.

I left the dining area to chill before flight time; it was a very busy lounge for early/mid morning; maybe it was the rush hour I don't know. There were some other buffet and breakfast options but other than the must-try noodles, I was saving space for my next leg.

Which was back on business again for the connection to Bangkok, and in preparing for this flight I saw that it had Book the Cook available, which allows you to pre-order a few days in advance from a much broader menu.

And while it may seem like a very odd choice for a morning flight, I had to go with their renowned chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce. And, my friends, it did not disappoint, Even my flight attendant approved of my choice.

I know it looks a but out of place on this tray with the breakfast fruit bowl and yogurt, but it was so good. Juicy, flavourful, the peanut sauce was excellent. And so much chicken, oh my god. I enjoyed it while watching The Pit fit the first time, Noah Wylie's not an ER rip off, which was pretty good too.

All in all, a great experience on Singapore Airlines. Definitely my favourite business class experience to date.

After four nights in Bangkok -- again, food to be chronicled separately, it was time to begin the long journey home. The trip home was another Aeroplan redemption, this time in economy. I has wanted to keep going West to make it a true around the world, but Aeroplan was making me go on Air India and I was not down for that.

So I ended up on Eva Air to London with an overnight layover. Managed to get an aisle seat at least for this all daytime, 13 hour flight. I was in the middle four seat section, and the person on the other aisle and I had the two middle-seats free so that was lucky. In this scenario I like to watch shows on my screen and have the map on the one beside me.

It was a long but reasonable long haul experience. Good IFE and moving map, free wifi, two meals, many drink services, and snacks. First nosh, this rice cracker snack mix.

I didn't snap menu shots so I can't give fulsome menu descriptions. But for lunch there was a seafood salad, a fruit bowl, a chicken/veg/rice thing, and some sort of desert. For an economy meal it was good, and a lot of food.

I mentioned the moving map and WiFi. It was both fun and a bit frightening to watch the moving map and the route projection. We did a very weird deviation over Pakistan and Afghanistan, perhaps avoiding Kashmir? We seemed to deliberately stay South of Russian air space through Central Asia but the rotue projected us right over Crimea and Ukraine, which seemed a questionable choice and led to some concerned Facebook Messenger activity.

Thankfully though, we turned south, hugging the south side of the Black Sea over Turkey before turning North-West over Eastern Europe. A relief to be sure.

As I pondered the possibility of becoming a statistic, they passed out these snacks. It was fine.

Finally, safely over European airspace they served another meal.

Some kind of chicken stir fry, that fruit bowl again, and bizarrely, a yogurt and a very beat-up croissant. Breakfast vibes from the sides, dinner from the entree. It was tasty enough though. It was probably after midnight to our bodies, but early evening in London.

Navigating the Queen's Terminal was a bit of a challenge; more specifically, getting to the hotel bus area. But I made it to my airport-adjacent Marriott, checked in and dropped my bag, and navigated a double-decker, the Elizabeth Line and the Tube to Westminster to pay homage to the Mother Parliament and get a Big Ben Selfie.

I reversed the journey, except with an Uber from the nearest train station to my hotel, and collapsed on my bed to sleep.

No hotel or airport food pics, but there were some adventures. I got a free breakfast in the hotel restaurant as a super shiny member, and they had a prix fixe. There was a 10 pound upcharge to the prix fixe listed on the menu for the steak and I got that because, why not, still on vacation. When the bill came they charged me the full price as if I has ordered it a la carte. Raising this with the manager it was taken off, he said the menu was out of date. Well, it's the one you're still giving out though mate. Steak was decent, anyways, and cooked to order.

I filled my bag with duty free snacks to bring home at Heathrow, and had lunch. I remember whatever it was being over priced, you order from an app at your seat, and while the cola was way overpriced apparently free refills aren't a thing in Europe. I think it was some kind of mac and cheese with brisket at a BBQ place; it was fine.

I managed to use my upgrade credits and some cash to get into Premium Economy for my Air Canada flight to Ottawa. It's my third time in Premium Economy and, if you can swing it, it's worth it for long haul. The meals are supposed to be better than economy. In my experience, they're just different. But the seats are more spacious with more leg room and that's the key thing.

This was another daytime flight, leaving London mid afternoon with an evening landing in Ottawa. Again, I didn't snap a menu shot so I don't have exact descriptions here.

But there's that salad dressing again! Went with a lighter entree with the pasta option. It was fine. Desert was interesting. And, of course, a glass of red.

The hotel night to break up the journey home was nice, and I landed back in Ottawa in reasonable shape. And when I got home, discovered my bag had been pilfered. Surpassingly though, what was missing was two bags of Lays chips from Thailand, one squid and one prawn. They didn't take the chili sauce or the mango candies, so I guess it was a baggage thief that was hungry for weird chips. Probably happened when stored overnight at Heathrow. I was only out like a dollar so no big deal, just weird.

Anyways, this concludes my on the move food chronicles from this vacation. Up next, eating in the Maldives.

Eating on the road: Lounge and plane food from my summer vacation -- part one

2025-11-11T22:53:00.006-05:00

As I prepare to venture to Montreal for a mini-vacation and a good steak frites, it occurs to me I have fallen woefully behind in my food blogging. So to begin catching up, I'd like to recap some of the snacks and meals I enjoyed during my summer vacation, which took me from Ottawa to the Maldives and Singapore, with a bunch of lounges and business class flights. This update will focus on lounges and in-flight meals.

The trip began with a business class train trip from Ottawa to Montreal, as there were better Aeroplan reward options flying out of YUL. And being paranoid about missing flights, I booked a breakfast train to ensure a large buffer (and more time to enjoy the Maple Leaf Lounge in Montreal).

VIA offers the choice of a hot or cold breakfast, although the eggs are inescapable with either choice. I mean, you could escape them, put the point is, egg features prominently in both. I have never gotten the hard but I believe it involves a hard-boiled egg, yogurt and fruit.

I always get the hot option which is some kind of egg dish, usually potatoes and some sort of protein like bacon and sausage, and fruit. Sometimes it's an omelet; egg bites are a regular new feature. For a few years now the bread choice has been a roll with hints of cinnamon which is delicious.

This trip it was a bacon leek quiche with cherry tomatoes and sauteed onions and mushrooms. I was very happy to see this; their quiche is not supper eggy which is a plus for me and the ingredients and crust help mask the eggs for me.

Which brings me to a side note on ketchup, a regular issue for me when it comes to eggs. When I remember I bring ketchup packets if I can, as availability can be hit or miss. They do have ketchup more often than not, but it's back in the galley so if you're being served early in the service, you could have to wait awhile and your food could get cold. I don't expect them to go and get it for me right then, but I'm curious -- if they have it stocked, and they do more than half the time, why isn't it on the cart? You could argue they stock the ketchup for lunch or dinner, but I take the train a lot and I have never seen a lunch or dinner offered that lends itself to ketchup. One of life's mysteries.

Anyway, after an on time arrival at VIA's Dorval station and a free shuttle transfer to the airport, I cleared security, bought an airport ballcap to protect my bald head in the Maldivian sun, and headed to the Maple Leaf Lounge. It was pointed out I was a bit early (I was crazy early) so I was admitted without issue.

Besides the bar not being self-service, I like the YUL International MLL far more than the one in Toronto, which I last visited two years ago on my way to Jordan and Palestine. There was ample appy selection, hot and cold, as well as a made to order pasta bar. And it just seemed to flow more smoothly than the Toronto domestic or international lounges -- Ottawa is also very limited in selection. Also, when it comes to tarmac plane watching, the order is definitely YUL>YOW>YYZ.

Here's a video tour:

While it wasn't a self-service bar they did give me a healthy pour on my rum and diet coke. I samples the various appetizers but the highlight for me was definitely the popcorn chicken bites -- I may have have had a few helpings -- I was there for quite awhile. So long that they ran out of this variety and replaced them with an inferior, more processed popcorn chicken. Note the corn cause I'm healthy like that...

I also ordered a tasty bow tie pasta with olive oil, garlic, bell peppers and mushrooms. Simple but delicious.

After a few hours of plane watching and probably too much popcorn chicken given the meals I had ahead of me, I headed to the gate for the first leg of my flight journey: Air Canada in business from Montreal overnight to Frankfurt.

I settled into my pod and, once airborne, my tablet was set and the service began with a ramekin of warm mixed nuts and a glass of red wine -- I selected a Chateau De Pistray Les Praries Castilllion from France that was delicious. This was the first of many wine and nuts combos, which seems to be a business class staple.

Next I was served my salad. It was fine. It was served with the same oil/balsamic dressing I have had with every salad I have ever been served on a business class flight, and would see twice more before I got my next solid sleep in my Maldivian villa.

But the real star here was the Mediterranean mezze appetizer. Which I guess some people will fine more acceptable than calling it an Arabic mezze. Whatever you call it, it was excellent. Hummus, Loubieh Bi Zeit, Muhammara and Za'atar seasoned feta. Truly the highlight of this flight.

Next was the entree, which I has pre-ordered online. I had selected the slow braised beef, tomato demi-glace, garlic pappardelle pasta, broccoli and sweet cherry tomato. The other options were chicken, trout and a bean stew.

It was...fine. Cooked properly and all. I have come to the conclusion that I just think I don't care for braising as a beef preparation. Will keep this in mind for future ordering opportunities.

Stuffed from lounge food and a three course meal, I passed on desert, got changed into more comfortable clothes and tried to get some sleep in my lay flat pod. Which I don't think I did that well at, so I eventually gave up and watched White Lotus until we approached the European coast and they came around with breakfast.

For this meal there was no choice -- just the standard parsley omelet, chicken sausage with parmesan cheese and spinach, roasted potatoes and tomato cumin chutney. Plus a croissant, a fruit bowl and yogurt.

With the time change it may have been breakfast time out the window and in Frankfurt, but it was not in my stomach. In my stomach, it was still the day before when I had a train breakfast, copious lounge food and, just a few hours before, a three course meal. So I had the fruit and sausage and picked at the rest, mostly leaving the eggs untouched. No disrespect to their breakfast, but I would have no appetite for quite awhile.

After navigating a terminal change and a train ride at Frankfurt airport -- thankfully, no customs checkpoint for transit passengers, I settled into the Emirates lounge. They had the standard breakfast offerings but nothing super impressive, and I passed knowing I had a big lunch ahead of me. After a welcome shower and a Cola Light, I boarded my next flight -- business on an Emirates 777 to their Dubai Hub, where I hoped a much nicer lounge awaited me.

Again, I had pre-ordered my lunch on the Emirates web site as soon as the option was open. I am the sort that scouts menus ahead of any big restaurant meal. And once we were airborne the service began.

It's the little things that set the Emirates service apart from Air Canada like the large ramekin of butter instead of a plastic tub, the real salt and pepper shakers, and the metal napkin holder. Just more classy overall. But there's that salad dressing again, hello old friend.

I was still not super-hungry and was pretty tired -- one reason I went with water instead of wine. And I picked at the salad, picking out the olives. But the appetizer of seared scallops on pea puree with microgreens was outstanding -- again, as on Air Canada, the appetizer outshining the main. The scallops were delicious and cooked perfectly. Here's a closer look:

Next came the main, and I had pre-ordered the fish tahta. The flavours were good but it was dry. I was too full any ways, I had a few bites and tapped out and even skipped desert. I felt bad about not fully capitalizing on the full Emirates business experience, but I just had zero appetite at this point, thanks to both fatigue and having had far more to eat already than I usually do.

Of course, there are multiple deserts on an Emirates business flight, even at lunch. So while I passed on the main desert I couldn't pass on the chocolate box, or the strawberry ice cream served later in the flight.

We touched down in Dubai and it was the evening -- at least outside, I had no idea where it was to my body. After a long and circuitous march through Dubai's airport I found my terminal and headed to the flagship Emirates lounge, a visit I had been looking forward to for years after many travel vlogger videos.

The smiles stopped when I got inside. It was, to be honest, disappointing, I have no videos as, frankly, there was nothing with chronicling. Maybe it was the time of day, which I believe was late evening/post dinner. But I walked the length of the huge lounge to find the different regional food stations. But frankly, they all had only slightly different versions of rice/noddle/sauce/veg. It gave off low rent buffet vibes, and there was hardly any protein to be found. Just as well I didn't have an appetite; if I ate anything it left no memory or impression.

After trying to sleep a bit, flight time approached and I made my way to my gate, after picking up some Dubai chocolate at duty free, and boarded by business class flight on Fly Dubai to Maldives. For a low cost carrier, this was a great experience. A lay flat seat that I managed to actually sleep on (two days awake may have helped).

But first, I began again with wine and nuts -- this time, a Journey's End Huntsman Shiraz from South Africa that was very tasty.

The meal was served all at once which was fine, as I was more than ready for bed at this point. No pre-order, I had the roasted chicken served with baby carrots, charred broccolini, and herbed-mased potatoes in a cream sauce. There's that salad dressing again. And cheese blintzes for desert, with vanilla creme anglaise and cherry compote. The main was hearty and satisfying, and put me properly to sleep.

And with that, it was off to bed before an early morning arrival into the Maldivian capital.

This got long so I'll save part two for another update, including two business flights on Singapore Air and the lounge in Singapore, before returning to the economy life for the journey home from Bangkok.

10 thoughts on the Ontario Liberal Party AGM this weekend

2025-09-14T20:05:00.005-04:00

I’m on the train on my way back to Ottawa for the return of Parliament after spending the weekend in Toronto for the Ontario Liberal Party Annual General Meeting. And before my train even left the station I needed to come up with 10 new thoughts. Life moves pretty fast. Unlike my delayed train.

1. 1. No one won today. Not the Crombie loyalists. Not the Nate-stans or New Leafers. Not the OLP rank and file. And not Ontarians that want a credible alternative to Ford. Rebuilding will be on hold yet another round of leadership drama. So maybe Doug Ford and Marit Stiles won.

2. 2. Crombie had no choice. The artificial bar set by the New Leafers was silly. But realistically, she needed over 60%. Under that, it would be challenging. Without a united caucus, it would be impossible. Caucus wasn’t united. Credit to her for recognizing it fairly quickly. Her position had become untenable. She’ll stay on until a new leader is picked. John Fraser is sparred a third interim leadership.

3. 3. I heard a lot of talk this weekend about early nominations. They are important. They’re not going to happen this cycle. Sure, you could open things up during a leadership race. But how do you get serious people to invest the time and the money in a run when they don’t know who their leader is going to be?

4. 4. If this leadership isn’t going to be a wasted year or more, we need the party executive to step up. We have a huge executive, and they have not been as active as they could or should be for years. The workI’ve argued really needs to happen doesn’t need to wait for a leader. The president and her team need to start now with rebuilding dormant riding associations, building up local organizational and fundraising capacity, and recruiting and training campaign workers and managers. And our two relatively new commissions – Seniors, and Rural and Northern – have important work to do too. This work can’t wait. Rebuild that big red machine so the new leader can hit the ground running. It’s not easy, but they need to run a leadership and a rebuild at the same time.

5. 5. Lots of people will take credit for what happened this weekend. In my last post, I posited Crombie had two opposition groups: the Nate loyalists and the Liberals who believe governing is our manifest destiny. I believe it’s the latter group that were the silent plurality of those that voted Yes for a leadership review. They are frustrated with three straight election losses. I share their frustration. But if they don’t step up to be part of the rebuild, we’ll all be back here in the same place in four years.

6. 6. Let’s not overlook the good Crombie did. She increased our vote. She raised a lot of money. She grew our caucus and got us back to official party status. She rescued the party from near oblivion and left a strong base for her successor to build on. We saw early fruits of that work with a well-run convention this weekend.

7. 7. Let’s not overlook the bad of the Crombie era. There’s lots. But I will highlight a few. Biggest of all, she had a weak core team that were poor organizers, made bad decisions, and didn’t see an election coming that everyone else in the province saw coming a mile away. There is no excuse for how poorly prepared the party entered that election. And these were a lot of the same people that have been in these roles since the McGuinty years. This party needs a new generation of competent organizational leadership around the next leader.

8. 8. Can we get Brian Gallant to take up residency here? His speech was great. It was a clear call for compassionate and progressive Liberal values. He clearly has national ambitions. Carney needs to bring him into the fold.

9. 9.The texts and WhatsApps are already burning up with leadership speculation. Navdeep Bains. Jeff Lehman. Probably Nate. Probably a surprise or two. If Bains runs, he will run away with it. If he doesn’t run, It’s wide-open. But I know who I won’t be voting for.

10. 10. I can’t end without a food review. The OLP hands-down beats the federal party when it comes to feeding their convention attendees. Great spread for lunch on Saturday. Two salads, pasta, haddock, chicken, two deserts, soup and bread. At federal biennials, I don’t recall any free food outside the Laurier lounge.

My pragmatic OLP leadership take that will probably make everyone upset

2025-08-19T18:30:00.007-04:00

I have been confirmed as a voting delegate from Ottawa Centre for the upcoming Ontario Liberal Party annual meeting in Toronto, and I will be voting against a leadership review. Not because I think Bonnie Crombie has done an amazing job – in fact, I have a long list of issues– but because I think dumping the leader again and again and expecting different results without doing any of the hard rebuilding work needed is the definition of insanity, and would ensure Doug Ford rule until he gets tired of pretending to be Premier.

Let’s start with Crombie. I ended up voting for her after my initial pick dropped out, and she was the more electable of the candidates on offer. The others left standing were worse choices. And the arguments for her were compelling: Liberal credentials but an OLP outsider, a proven fundraiser, and someone who could help win back the Blue Liberals that we need to win back in areas like Peel and York regions.

Did she deliver? Some yes, lots of no.

Pros: she raised a lot of money. I was a deputy campaign manager in a swing riding where we came up just short; the centre provided a lot of support in calling and IDs. The size of caucus increased sharply, we regained official party status, and the resources that comes with have allowed for more resources that will pay dividends in the years ahead. Our caucus has always punched above its weight and now, with more resources and strong new MPPs, it continually outshines the NDP’s performative opposition. And we got a helluva lot more votes – it just wasn’t as efficient as we would have liked.

Cons: She lost her own seat. Yes, Patrick Brown sent in half of Brampton to campaign for his mother-in-law and against Crombie. But a loss is a loss and this was embarrassing. On taking the leadership, she brought in a lot of the same old people that have been running things back to McGuinty. I voted for renewal and she delivered more of the same. The scramble to find candidates for an election that it seemed obvious everyone knew was coming was a major organizational failure. The central campaign lacked focus and organization.

So, why not vote for a new leadership process? Because doing so would not address any of the things that are wrong with out party. The problem with the OLP isn’t Bonnie Crombie. It wasn’t Steven Del Duca either. I voted for Michael Coteau and I couldn’t stand Del Duca’s vests, but I don’t think Coteau would have done any better than he did.

The problem is that successive leaders have allowed the party apparatus to atrophy. Riding associations have gone dormant. We got used to being in government and being sent policy and organizers and messaging and campaign managers from on high. We stopped grassroots organizing, we stopped building the capacity at the riding and the regional level so that there were teams and organization ready to go locally when the writ is dropped.

That’s the responsibility of the leader, yes. And the party executive – they have largely escaped responsibility here. And the party grassroots. There is no big red machine. It’s each of us committing to the party’s renewal and revival. That is where the renewal needs to take place.

So I’m supporting Crombie, albeit reluctantly. Not because I am convinced she has recognized the problem. But because it we dump the leader (again) it guarantees that for two years we will be focused on leadership shenanigans instead of what really ails the OLP.

Can she pull this out? Maybe. But I haven’t seen the things I would want to see from her yet. Namely, a fulsome mea culpa on the 2025 campaign and her shortcomings, a recognition of the deeper organizational issues with the party, and a commitment to change.

I would put her opposition into two categories, and here is where I will upset the other half of the party. Half are diehard Liberals who view government as our manifest destiny and any election short of government as a failure. I think she can win them over with the recognitions I have outlined – a recognition of the problems and a plan to fix them, building on a stronger base thanks to the 2025 results.

The other opposition group are the Nathaniel Erskine-Smith acolytes who never got over him not winning the leadership and have always viewed Crombie, despite her long history in Liberal politics well pre-dating his, as a Conservative plant. These folks will not be dissuaded from their position. And for all the reasons I put him last on my ballot for OLP leader last time, he is not the answer to anything this time.

So that’s where I land. I am voting for a slim hope for renewal versus the guarantee of two years of no chance of real renewal because another leadership race will not solve what’s really wrong.

Back when the federal party was deep in the woods, as a leadership candidate, Justin Trudeau astutely made the point that the party could not rely on his personal charisma or family name to rebuild the party – it would take hope and hard work and collective effort by everyone. He did end up being a bit of a messiah anyways but his point was bang on.

As Liberals, we have a habit of investing all the credit for our successes and responsibility for our failures with the leader. And sometimes you get lucky, whether its with the son of a popular former Prime Minister born on Christmas Day, or a former central banker arriving on the scene when the US is declaring economic war.

But other times, you have a nice guy from Vaughan with a penchant for sweater vests or a lady from Mississauga trying her best. It’s not fair to expect them to carry us. Yes, we need to hold our leaders accountable. But we need to hold ourselves accountable as well.

Hope and hard work can’t just be a slogan.

Eating on the Road: Summerlicious at Aria Ristorante in Toronto

2025-07-19T11:11:00.003-04:00

It's Summerlicious season in Toronto, when local restaurants offer a prix fixe menu to entice new patrons to give them a try. As Summerlicious coincided with my recent trip to the constituency, I booked a dinner at Aria Restorante with a friend to have a nice elevated Italian meal a short walk from my arriving train next to Union Station.

Frankly, the bevy of options and menus available through Summerlicious can be dizzying and overwhelming -- even when narrowing by cuisine and geography. I narrowed it down to a few, and Aria won out thanks to their inclusion of local, seasonal ingredients.

I went back and forth in the days leading up to my dinner, but ended up deciding to err on the light side after a heavy lunch of veal meatloaf on the VIA trip down to Toronto.

Aria is an open and modern looking space at 25 York Street at Bremner, right next to Maple Lead Square or Jurassic Park or whatever they're calling it at the moment. It was not busy at all for our 7PM reservation on a Wednesday night, and they kindly offered their closet to store my suitcase and backpack during the meal.

Their Summerlicious menu is priced at $75 for a three-course dinner; on a higher end but suited to the offerings and the location. These were the three choices for the starter; while the lobster was interesting I had locked into the burrata pretty early.

And with my decision to stick to the lighter side, the burrata is what I went with.

I was happy with my choice. It was plated beautifully, and the peaches were a particular standout, fresh and juicy and with a nice char from the grill that added another flavour element. The hot honey added a nice bit of heat, present but not overwhelming. At least for me; a decade of regular exposure to South Asian cuisine has ramped up my spice tolerance. But all in all, very tasty.

For the main, I had been locked in on the fish, but the desire to have a lighter meal led be towards the pasta -- I have never been a duck guy so that was never really under consideration. But the pasta sounded delicious while being a bit lighter.

Again plated beautifully, I was really entice by the Ontario corn, both creamed and kerneled. The pasta was delicate and flavourful, and the portion was just right. And the bacon was a nice touch, although I presume it would have bee excluded if ordered as the vegetarian option.

For desert, I had earlier been tempted by the Meringa alla Pesche, but as I got my peach fix earlier with the burrata I went with the Crostata di Noci.

It was good. A reasonable portion nicely plated, sweet and tasty. But it didn't rise to the level of the other two courses. I would have liked a flavoured gelato, maybe pecan to complement the tart. Still, a tasty end to the meal.

Not pictured, a tasty glass of a BC Merlot (so nice to find a BC wine on the menu in Ontario) and a very tasty rum and prosecco cocktail that packed a wallop.

The only down note on Aria was that you need to go out into the lobby of the office building and use a code to enter the washroom. Seems an odd design choice for a space of this caliber.

But all in all, an excellent meal.

Eating on the Hill: Ending the session with lunch at the Parliamentary Restaurant

2025-07-11T09:58:00.007-04:00

I do miss the old Parliamentary Restaurant on the top floor of Centre Block. It was such an elegant space steeped in history.

And the highlight as a staffer was the Friday buffets where, for around $20, they would have a great selection of all you can eat hot and hold dishes. Often, there was a theme. They did each of the provinces one year, with regional specialties. You always had to make a reservation to get a seat, as it was a popular ticket.

With Centre Block closed, the buffets sadly are no more. They have a very nice, if lacking in natural light, spot in the basement of West Block, but unfortunately it's not large enough to recreate the buffet.

Still, it's a nice space, the restaurant staff are still great, and they tend to have tasty Canadian food on offer, albeit at a premium over the cafeteria down the hall. And seeing that that seem to have recently refreshed the menu, the team dropped in for lunch before the House rose for the summer.

I started with the special, which was a very tasty seafood chowder. It was hearty and flavourful. And it was a full bowl, it was just too delicious I was well into it before I remembered to snap a photo.

I have often had the seafood entrees here as they do a good job. I remember one time having a very tasty Ontario pickerel in a beurre blanc that was on special. While there was a fish dish and a shrimp and scallop dish that were tempting options, I ended up going for the beef striploin.

It was served with cheddar and chives croquette balls with broccolini and mushrooms in a jus. I think that tipped it from seafood to beef for me were the potatoes, and they delicious -- crispy outside, creamy inside. The veg was also good, but the beef was both overcooked (more medium-well than the medium-rare I ordered) and lukewarm, like it had been sitting there for awhile.

Looking at my colleagues perfectly cooked scallops, I definitely had order envy.

Thankfully, desert ended the meal on a high note.

I love chocolate and raspberry together, and so the salted chocolate cream tart with coconut raspberry whip and raspberry splash was the easy choice. A tasty sweet treat to end the meal, and not too large a portion.

Next time I'll stick with the seafood.

Reviewing the noshes at the Laurier Club summer thingy

2025-06-10T17:48:00.003-04:00

It's garden party season in Ottawa. And while there's usually no garden, there are usually nibbles. As there was on Monday as Liberal Party donors gathered at the Canadian War Museum.

It was packed and the mood was ebullient, a start contrast to the mood at the Holiday party just six months ago across the river at the Canadian Museum of History. This meant Liberal fortunes have improved, and food lines would probably be longer.

Thankfully though, the lines were just at the bars and I was able to make the food rounds easily. There were pass appies and the usual charcuterie on offer, but I'll focus on the three food stations.

Up first was the bao station. At first, I was told it would be tofu bao and I was displeased. Then, that was corrected -- hey, there's also fried chicken -- and like Liberal poll numbers since February, my spirits were immediately lifted.

The bao was fresh, the veggies crisp, and the fried chicken crunchy and juicy. A bit messy with the sauce, but delicious nonetheless.

After finishing my first glass of wine (a light pour, to be fair) I went off to find the source of what I thought, based on a discarded empty bowl, would be a risotto station. But I would soon learn that on offer was actually Ahi Tuna Poke bowls.

I was faced with a dilemma because I have always turned my nose up at tuna. I like fish, but the smell of tuna always put me off. It was put to me recently though that that's canned tuna, and I should try the higher end and fresh variety. So I decided to take a shot.

This was raw tuna, but just little bits and mixed with other things. I tried it. No off putting smell. Not saying I'm going to suddenly start eating sushi. But with sticky rice, fancy mayo and veg, this worked.

Venturing outside to refresh my wine as the outside bar was far more accessible, I found that there was a chip truck offering poutine. In the interest of food review science, I had to give it a try.

I liked the green onions, the gravy was fine, and the fries were shoestring -- regular readers will know I don't care for potato-heavy fries. My one note would be the curds. While there was plenty, I think they could have been fresher. Curd aficionados will know the freshest curds are squeaky when chewed. That was missing here. But as far as poutine goes, it was fine.

So my rankings would be in the order I ate them actually: bao, then poke bowl, then poutine.

Wine refreshed, a speech from the leader who filled the room and brightened the vibes, and then it was home to rest up for the next garden party.

The king is dead, long live the king

2025-01-06T13:25:00.002-05:00

You can argue on the timing, but what Justin Trudeau did today was both difficult and needed. It will take time to fully judge his legacy. There was much good. There were many things with which I disagree strongly. Overall, in time, I believe the judgment of history will be kind.

It’s too simplistic to say we moved too far Left. Policies like $10/day daycare and the Canada Child Benefit were and are good economic policies. Both allowed more people, largely women, to be able to enter or return to the workforce. That is more workers building the economy and paying taxes. Dental care is health care, and healthy people are productive and happy people.

On the other hand, balancing the budget seemed to be an afterthought and while talking about the need to invest and debt to GDP ratio for a few years is fine, there’s a limit. There needs to be a balance and we got it wrong.

The COVID pandemic was both his greatest moment and what helped to sow the seeds of his downfall. The country came together to deal with a worldwide crisis of unprecedented proportions, doing the best they could during uncharted times. In the end, Canada emerged relatively unfazed from a health and economic perspective, and by all reasonable measures he did very well steering us through. Businesses stayed in business, people stayed employed and in their homes.

But something happened to our psyche. People became more hardened. More prone to fall into conspiracy theories and alternate news. While once we could agree to disagree, now we couldn’t even have polite conversations. Factors like social media algorithms are no help. Even still today, I don’t need to flick too long through Facebook Reels or other platforms until I’m fed some very disgusting content.

It’s not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon. And it’s not Trudeau’s fault. But he became the Canadian focal point for this anger and frustration, becoming the target for unprecedented hatred and vitriol that some have made their entire personalities, and some very cynical politicians have chosen to harness for their own purposes. They should not be surprised when the Leopard Eating Faces Party comes for their face.

Add global inflation making everything more expensive and a long delay in taking housing affordability seriously enough and here we are.

I think my biggest criticism of the Trudeau era is that in recent years this has not been a government guided by fundamental principles and an overarching vision and plan. Instead, it has become a reactive one, listening to fewer and fewer voices, only concerned with putting out the next fire or media story instead of getting big things done. Which is a clear sign that a reset is needed.

I wish this decision had been made a year ago. I think it would have been better for everyone, including his family, if it had been. But in the end, he (finally) did the right thing. And now, an accelerated leadership race will begin. I don't know who I will support. I have some ideas on who I won't.

More than a decade ago, Trudeau, in taking over a rebuilding Liberal Party, said we don’t need a messiah. And he was right. But he was also the son of a political giant born on Christmas Day who led us back to the promised land faster than anyone predicted. And the party wasn’t so much rebuilt as reimagined in his image.

In a lot of ways, that rebuild never really happened. We never had the discussions about what sort of party we wanted to be and what we wanted to stand for. Instead, we went straight into a platform and a decade of government, including two minorities where you’re just trying to get to the weekend.

Can we find our identity and a leader who can present a vision in a throne speech by March 24^th and then lead us into an election? We’re going to have to try.

Eating off the Hill: Hugo Taco in Ottawa

2024-11-02T11:28:00.001-04:00

Hugo Taco is a taco food truck attached to Social Thai, on Waverly Street just off of Bank Street in Ottawa's Centretown neighborhood. There is a picnic table if you can't wait to get your tacos home, but that's definitely a better option in the summer.

I've been a few times as it's just a few blocks from my home and it's definitely and enjoyable and seemingly authentic, albeit quite pricy, Mexican taco experience.

At the heart of their menu are corn flour tortillas starting at $6 in seven varieties:

Al Pastor (grilled pork)
Chorizo (Mexican sausage)
Asada (grilled steak)
Barbacoa (braised beef)
Camaron (grilled shrimp)
Pollo (pulled chicken)
Vegano (grilled tofu)

Where it starts to get expensive is they're small, so you need 2-3. Another $1 each if you want guacamole and another $1 each if you want queso (cheese), and suddenly you're looking at $24 for a food truck meal before drink, taxes and tip.

You can get chips with guac or salsa as a side, and they also have auga fresca, Mexican cola, beer and soft drinks. There are also a variety of free hot sauces to spice up your taco, as well as lime wedges to add a little acid.

I've tried most of the tacos except for the veggie and the shrimp, because I'm not brave enough to risk taco truck shrimp. They are tasty and fresh. The meat is well seasoned and the pickled onions very tasty. It's a nice treat, but I wish they were more affordable.

I'd definitely take them over El Camino, down the street on Elgin.

But how are they not open on Taco Tuesdays?!

Eating on the road: Lounge at Sheraton Centre Toronto

2024-10-20T15:39:00.005-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to stay for two nights at the Sheraton Centre Toronto in the heart of downtown across from City Hall, and I picked this location for one reason in particular: it's reputed to have the best Marriott lounge in the city.

In recent years I have focused my stays at Marriott properties because I like them, and in order to build points and status with their Bonvoy frequent guest program. This year I've peaked at Titanium, the highest I am likely to ever hit in the program (thanks to promos and a credit card bonus). And amongst the various perks is access to the Concierge or Club Lounge if the property has one.

Amenities can vary widely, but in general it's an access-controlled area to get breakfast in the morning, appies in the evening, and to drop in for snacks and soft drinks and a quiet place to work throughout the day.

The Club Lounge at the Sheraton Centre Toronto takes up half of the 43rd floor of the property and is a sleek and modern space offering a spectacular North-facing view of the City of Toronto.

The evening appies were a very impressive spread and I could have made a meal of it, were my next stop that evening not the Blue Jays game where I needed to take full advantage of it being Loonie hot dog night.

But there was quite the spread with olives, crudités, cheese -- the usual charcuterie stuff -- plus salads, sliders and samosas, as well as cake and fruit for desert. The next night, they even had roast beef and potatoes. The only downside was that the bar was hotel prices -- the red wine was too rich for my blood -- but soft drinks, juices, tea and coffee were inclusive.

The breakfast buffet was equally, if not more, impressive. Mango lassi for breakfast? Yes, please! The usual cereals, granola and yogurt, cheese and meats, eggs, congee, potatoes, pastries and muffins,

And breakfast is even better with a view. The veg sausage was OK but I would have liked some bacon... Still, very much did not go hungry.

All things being equal, if you're Platinum or better with Mariott (you can also get access by booking on the Club level) this lounge is definitely a reason to stay at the Sheraton Centre Toronto if the price is comparable.

And so is the CN Tower view from your room...

Eating on the road: Blackhorn Steakhouse in Scarborough

2024-10-04T11:38:00.001-04:00

Scarborough is a community that is often the first stop for new residents and citizens on their Canadian journeys. As such, the face of Scarborough is often changing and so is its food. Today, you don't have to go too far to find quality biryani, kebab and shawarma. But scratch beneath the surface and you can also still find the tastes of an earlier Scarborough tucked into unassuming strip malls and industrial areas. German deli, Scottish fish and chips and, as I tried on my last visit, a steakhouse also specializing in seafood and Greek delicacies.

The Blackhorn Steakhouse is at Ellesmere and Warden, not far from a Costco whose $1.50 hot dogs still call my name. This night, though, I had my culinary sites set higher.

As mentioned, they do have a lot of Greek specialties developed to cater to what was once a very large Greek community in Scarborough, from Greek salad and a Greek variation of bruschetta to saganaki and slouvaki. At it's heart though, it's a steakhouse and I was there for the steak.

After a perfectly reasonable Caesar salad to start (I was trying to behave myself a bit or I would have gone with the cheesy, sinful goodness of saganaki), I went with the NY strip, medium-rare with garden veg (hold the potatoes) and a side of mushrooms (because it's not steak without mushrooms).

A delicious meal cooked perfectly, and I was more than filled up without carby potatoes. The steak was flavourful and juicy, and the mushrooms well-seasoned. And while prices are going up everywhere, it still beats The Keg.

Glad there are still places like this in Scarborough for when I need a break from the biryani.

Eating on the road: Novita Italian Cuisine in Markham

2024-09-28T14:19:00.000-04:00

When work brings me to Scarborough I often stay in a hotel just over the Steeles border in Markham and, on a recent stay at the Delta near Highway 404 and Highway 7, I walked down the road to try dinner at Novita Italian Cuisine.

It kind of gives the vibe of a chain without being a chain; maybe this is inevitable when you're in a new build in a new strip mall in a suburban area. But it was upscale Italian with a lot of seafood options so I gave it a chance and went with the Lobster risotto.

It's described on the menu as half a lobster sautéed with scallops, shrimp, smoked salmon on a bed of rosé sauce risotto.Sounds delicious, and I came hungry.

It was delicious, tasty and flavourful and I has happy with the portion. But here's the thing -- it was messy. Very messy. The lobster meat was still in the shell which was buried in the saucy risotto and there was no way to elegantly extract it. I had to use my hands and the provided tools to extract the lobster meat (at which I am no expert) leaving my hands a saucy mess and needing all the provided napkins -- if anyone was watching I must have been quite the sight.

As I said it was a tasty meal but this did sour me on the experience. For a $40 entree, they could have served it without the shell.

Eating on the Road: McKiernan in Montreal

2024-09-21T10:10:00.001-04:00

On past trips to Montreal I've had the pleasure of dining at Joe Beef and their sister restaurant, Liverpool House, and on a day trip this summer I had the opportunity to knock the third location in this mine-restaurant empire off my list: McKiernan Rôtisserie.

It's in a converted old industrial building in a more suburban area of Montreal, so it was a trip I saved until I had a car. And I'm unlikely to drive to Montreal again, not because of the restaurant but because driving in the city was not a fun day for me. I'm not a city driver.

But I digress. While still offering some bougie options, McKiernan was a more laid-back vibe than Liverpool House and Joe Beef, giving more the feel of a lunch counter for people working in the area. And while not working nearby we were, indeed, there for lunch.

There's a small list of menu offerings but with quite the price range. It starts with bread and butter for $6 (Mom was surprised to see this charged for but they must have been very fancy bread and butter) all the way up to evening prime rib roast for $98.

Going in I was tempted by the schnitzel bomba or the rotisserie chicken, but we would go in another direction when he heard the daily specials.

But first, for an appy we shared the three piece chicken croquetas. They came with a slice of pickets on top which we discarded, because neither of us like pickles. There was a little sauce but not much. They were filled with finely ground were dry and one note -- I deemed them OK, Mom said I was more than welcome to the second declining an offer to split. They were missing something, more sauce and flavour. Maybe it just really needed the discarded pickles. Anyway, just meh.

Anyway, for our mains we both got the prime rib sandwich. A tasty and accessible way to get at that $98 evening prime rib without paying near that price -- I think the sandwich was around $15 which was solid value for the amount of beef, topped with carmelized onions on a sesame seed bun. We both enjoyed it muchly.

Added a side of fries to share. They were fries. What can I tell you?

All in all, I'm glad I finally made it here but I don't think I'll go out of my way to make the suburban trek on future, non-car journeys to Montreal.

Eating on the road: Alberta beef at Caesar's Steakhouse & Lounge in Calgary

2024-09-02T12:08:00.001-04:00

After a brisket sandwich the day before, the next night I continued my quest for a beefy Alberta visit and my Internet research brought me to an old school Calgary steakhouse: Caesar's Steakhouse & Lounge.

The restaurant certainly looks the part, and seems a big place in modern downtown Calgary as a largely windowless block on a city street. Inside it continues that old school steakhouse vibe with a red carpet, red upholstered chairs and booths, and white linen tablecloths.

There's also a flame grill inside the restaurant where a chef will come out and grill steaks, imbuing the dining room with a beefy, smokey smell. That may not be some people's vibe but if you're at a steakhouse I assume it's yours, and I enjoyed it.

Speaking of, they also had a tableside Caesar salad service where they make it in front of you. I would totally have gone for that but, sadly, it's a two-person minimum and I was a solo dinner. Still, I got to see it prepared at nearby tables and it's a cool show. And I did enjoy a kitchen-prepared Caesar salad for one as m starter. Garlicky and tasty.

On the disappointing side was the garlic cheese bread. While it was a nice portion kept warm in a foil-lined basket, the cheese was apparently parmesan which was not what I was expecting in this context and was not particularly cheesy. Not worth the $1 upcharge over the garlic toast. And not the best use of a carb cheat for me.

But that was the one minor note of disappointment with this meal. For my main I ordered the 10.5oz New York Strip, medium-rare. Avoiding carbs as mentioned, I opted for tomatoes and cucumbers as the accompaniment and added an order of button mushrooms sauteed with butter as, on my opinion, mushrooms are a mandatory side with steak.

A delicious main course, well-prepared. Rich and beefy, cooked as I ordered it. A nice rare treat and a fitting dinner for a visit to Alberta. The veg was a nice light side that gave me an illusion of eating healthy but did make it a less heavy meal (and allowed me to save room for desert).

Speaking of which, I had some ice cream for a simple and tasty desert.

Overall, a nice treat meal that felt sufficiently Calgary. Hope to be back on a future visit.

Eating on the road: Alberta Cheesesteak at Palomino Smokehouse in Calgary

2024-09-01T12:50:00.002-04:00

I visited Calgary in the spring and, before heading up the tower I popped into Palomino Smokehouse for a late lunch. It was a large and casual spot which seemed vaguely Western themed and I was there because I had a hankering for some BBQ.

I decided to order the Alberta Cheesesteak because, hey, when in Alberta. It was smoked brisket, sauteed onions and papers smothered in cheese sauce. It's hard to order BBQ on the road since it's by weight and I don't want to bring a bunch of pulled pork back to my hotel.

I could choose two sides, and I went with the Kentucky Bourbon Apples and the simple greens because I am not here for all those carbs. And the apples are not a side you see just everywhere.

It was indeed a simple salad, almost deconstructed, but it was good -- the picked onion was especially tasty. The apples were underwhelming. I didn't really get the bourbon and, to me, desert apples need cinnamon.

On to the sandwich. The bread held up well which is very important for a sandwich of this sort. Brisket was tasty and generous of portion. The cheese sauce though, sadly, was a miss. It just wasn't that cheedy. Definitely not a Philly cheesesteak. This is a hotly debated topic and it sounds cheap I know, but for a Philly you gotta go with the whiz. That tang makes all the difference.

Anyway, it was a good lunch. Here's me looking down on Calgary. The next night I had steak.

Eating on the road: Restaurant La Sirène de la Mer in Montreal

2024-07-17T22:11:00.004-04:00

My last meal on February's trip to Montreal Restaurant La Sirène de la Mer, a Lebanese seafood place outside of the downtown core. Recommended by a friend, I knew it was fancy because the menu on the web site didn't show prices.

You enter the restaurant through the fish monger which was interesting. Sadly, I didn't know it was an option to pick our your fish and have them cook it up for you in the restaurant. As that would have been a cool option to try.

It's a fancier place as I said, not overly busy on this night, with the atmosphere marred by kids loudly running through it seemingly unsupervised.

I persevered and, with a menu showing prices in hand, perused my choices.

For my starter I opted for the Kébbé Meatballs, or Lebanese meatballs of minced beef. They were fine but needed a sauce or something; something was missing and the lemon didn't do it.

My starter out of the way, for the main and as it was a seafood restaurant I went for the fried fillet of sole on a bed of sautéed vegetables served with meunière sauce.

Again, I was underwhelmed. The vegetables were good. The fish was of a good portion and well cooked, but it felt like there was something missing. It later occured to me it was the sauce. If it was there, it was not enough to be detectable.

Finally, for desert, chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Which was needed as the cake was dry.

So, all in all, a mixed experience with average dishes, which was quite unfortunate given the price point. Maybe they had a bad day and I'll go back if my friend who knows the owners comes with next time. But an unfortuante way to end this trip after earlier great meals at Joe Beef and Stash Cafe.

Eating on the road: Stash Café in Montreal

2024-07-12T17:47:00.005-04:00

Like many Canadians, my family tree is complicated so I can't claim my heritage to just one country. I was born here. My Mom was too, but her parents would trace to the US and Switzerland. My Dad moved here as a kid but was born in London and grew up in Ireland, with an Irish Mother and a Polish Father.

So while I claim the Irish heritage every March, I do have a legit claim to some Polish roots too. Which is a long way of saying I went to Stash Café in Montreal earlier this year for some good Polish food.

It's a cute spot in Old Montreal and just across the street from Olive et Gourmando, where I went for breakfast on a previous trip to Montreal. This time, it was a pre-hockey game meal -- a step up from my usual pre-match St. Hubert.

I have never actually been to Poland (I am not counting a layover to change planes in Warsaw on my way to Bucharest) so I've never had legit Polish food (I am not counting what they fed me on my Lot Airlines flights) so I cannot comment on the authenticity of the menu. But it looked pretty authentic.

I decided on three courses, beginning, of course, with pierogi. The starter comes with four of them and I opted for two potato/cheese and two beef. It came with sour cream, and I was able to sub-out the sauerkraut (not a fan) for some beet salad.

I have had many pierogi and you can really taste the difference handmade makes. Delicate and flavourful. And the beet salad was a welcome taste of freshness. If I was living in Poland I would eat too many pierogi all the time. One of the top potato delivery vehicles in existence.

I was really torn on the main during my menu pre-scouting. I considered doing the larger pierogi serving as a main and doing something else for the appy. Or getting a sausage or potato pancakes -- both also Polish staples and a big part of my late father's cooking.

In end end though I opted for the Krokiety, described on the menu as two breaded crepe rolls filled with beef or mushrooms served with green salad, potato salad and a creamy mushroom sauce.

The krokiety were rich, hearty and filling, good fill your stomach Polish food for a cold winter's day whether it's in Krakow or Montreal. The salad was fine and I did not care for the dill-heavy potato salad -- I prefer my potato in pierogi form -- but these roles and the mushroom sauce were delish.

Finally I did save space for desert, opting for peach cobbler with homemade sweet cream.

I would say it was fine. In fairness, it was February so peaches were not exactly in season.

All in all it was an excellent meal, even if I couldn't later resist having a hot dog at the Habs game. Next time, I'll get the big plate of pierogi...

Eating on the road: Finally making it to Montreal's Joe Beef

2024-06-22T09:37:00.001-04:00

The famed Joe Beef has always been first on my list when visiting Montreal on a culinary adventure, but securing a reservation can be a challenge. It's a Montreal institution featured by Anthony Bourdain and many other food shows. Thankfully, I lucked out during my February visit and was even able to secure a Friday night seating.

(On a previous visit I dined at their sister restaurant, Liverpool House.)

To be honest, much of Joe Beef's menu is a little too fancy and bougie for me, as while I may be a foodie I'm more a working class foodie. So no tartars or pates for me, merci bien. But I do like quality food prepared well, and I enjoyed a delicious three courses at Joe Beef accompanied by a tasty glass of vin rouge.

The restaurant had the feel of an old house converted into a restaurant. I can't say how many other rooms there were as I was seated in the first room as you entered from the street, it was cozy but you were seated fairly close to other parties.

I couldn't do my usual menu pre-scout as the menu is highly variable and changeable based on the season and the availability of local ingredients. There are a few regular standbys, like the lobster spaghetti, but the market price was trop cher than I was willing to pay.

I opted to start with an epoisses tartlet and wine poached pear which was served with a small salad. It was delicately prepared and quite tasty and did well to warm up the pallet.

For my main course I selected the dry-aged pork steak, served with salsify and sauce foyot. This was delicious. Salsify was a root vegetable I had never had before; it was prepared perfectly -- tender and delicious. The portion of pork was generous and it was as deliciously tender as you would hope, and I tried to mop up every drop of the rich sauce foyot -- variation of the traditional sauce Béarnaise made by adding a concentrated reduction of brown stock. Everything I'd hoped for.

Finally, having saved room for desert I opted for a traditional classic French desert -- a slice of marjolaine classique. This is their specialty desert, but I have to say it's the one course that didn't meet my elevated expectations. It was OK. Jsst, OK. It didn't blow me away with flavour.

The slight downnote of desert aside, this was a fantastic meal that started out by weekend in Montreal on a high note. I was glad to finally score a reservation, and I hope I can find space again my next trip to Montreal. Definitely worth a repeat visit.

Eating on the road: Birthday dinner at CopaCabana Brazilian Steakhouse

2024-06-18T10:00:00.005-04:00

I haven't gotten to experience it much -- only twice on work trips in my last career to San Francisco and Las Vegas -- but I'm a big fan of Brazilian-style steak, aka rodizio.

Basically, it's a fixed price (excluding drinks) for all of the meat and other sides (to tempt you away from the meat) and the highlight being they bring around the meat on giant swords and carve off what you want at your table.

Rodizio requires careful strategy. First of all, come hungry. Skip lunch for sure. Also, don't be tempted by the cheap, empty sides like bread -- these are just designed to fill you up with cheap carbs and keep you away from the pricy, delicious, expensive meat. The first round through I try a little bit of all the meats. After that I get selective, only opting for my favourites until I'm full.

I'd never gotten to try it in Canada before, but the stars aligned last February when I was in Toronto for my birthday and I secured a reservation at CopaCabana Brazilian Steakhouse, on Eglinton just East of Yonge Street.

It was a Saturday night and it was busy, but as mentioned I did have a reservation. That still meant a 30 minute wait standing in a crowded restaurant after our reserved time. It was rather stressful, not what you want on your birthday, as there was no lighty thing or text when your table was ready. They would call you but it was impossible to hear. When parties of the same size who arrived after be began to be seated, I inquired again and was seated immediately in an unspoken sheepish admission they had forgotten me.

We were seated, reminded of the time limit, and sat. And sat. And sat. Swords of meat being served all around us but consciously bypassing our table. After about 20 minutes of increasing frustration, we were asked if we wanted some sides and sauces.

They had a variety of interesting sides. from salads to roasted vegetables to sauces like chimichurri. However, what we ordered and what we actually got seemed to be hit or miss -- many orders just never materialized.

Finally, we were added as a meat sword stop and we could begin with the mains. Some of my favourites were the prime rib with cheddar, parmesan filet mignon, and garlic sirloin steal. The roasted pineapple was also a nice pallet cleanser.

Also throughout the evening there would be entertainment with singers and fire dancers. For a Saturday night dinner, the total before taxes, tip and drinks was $85/person.

How does that compare to simply going out to a steakhouse for dinner? Well, you get more variety and a show. But it was also crowded and hectic, and a much more stressful experience than a typical classy steakhouse. It felt like people were hovering over you all night waiting for table. I still like the rodizio experience I had in the US, but next birthday in Canada I think I will go traditional steakhouse. Or at least not back to Copa.

Eating off the Hill: Thali in Ottawa

2024-06-16T12:05:00.004-04:00

Meeting a friend in Ottawa for dinner back in February some Hill-adjacent Indian food seemed just the thing to warm the insides on a cool winter's day. And just a short block away at O'Connor and Laurier is Thali, the downtown restaurant of the same folks behind the famed Coconut Lagoon.

It's not a huge restaurant -- especially without the added space of the seasonal patio -- but we were seated quickly and I was able to order quickly thanks to my usual pre-scout of the menu. I had my eyes on one dish in particular -- the Lobster Masala.

The menu describes it as "Lobster cooked in a mild Ginger Coconut sauce spiked with Cardamom" and the only thing giving me pause was the cardamom. I had bought some recently when making kebab from the Gaza Kitchen cookbook I brought back from my trip to Palestine and I was decidedly not a fan of this particular spice.

After assurance from our waiter that they could make me the Lobster Masala without the "cardamom spike" I was confident and placed my order.

The portion was generous (also fair, given the price) with a generous portion of lobster meat. But more than that, the sauce was so rich and flavourful and layered and delicious. Truly the best of Indian cuisine.

I was asked if I wanted rice or naan with my meal and gave the obvious response: could I have both? I could, and along with a not quite pictured mango lassi it was an excellent and hearty meal to help me brace for a cold Ottawa winter's night. Delish.

Eating on the road: The Barrington Steakhouse in Halifax

2024-05-10T11:07:00.005-04:00

My first trip to Halifax was in 2018 for a Liberal Party convention and after a day of conventioneering I enjoyed a great steak dinner at The Barrington Steakhouse and Oyster Bar. So a return trip was definitely in order for my trip to Canada's second best coast in late 2023.

I made a reservation for a Saturday night and did some walking to ensure I was hungry for a great steakhouse experience. While the service was great and most of the food did not disappoint unfortunately what should have been the centrepiece -- the steak -- wasn't great.

The ambience was nice as befits a fancy steakhouse but it was dark, so apologies for the photos. I began with the house salad which was good. It was also huge, I took half of it back to my hotel for later so I didn't completely spoil myself for the main event. And I may not have completely worked off the chowder from lunch.

You don't win friends with salad; on to the main event. With a glass of a nice malbec, it was tasty. So was the lobster risotto. Tasty, creamy, and big chunks of lobster. An excellent, decedent side. And the chimichurri sauce was a delicious complement to the steak.

But the steak, I'm sad to say, disappointed. It was lukewarm at best, and cold by the time I finished. I don't know if they rested it too long or what. It seemed to be a systemic problem, at least that night, as I overheard similar complaints in the dining room.

When they came to check on me I had eaten almost half already. They offered to make me a fresh one but I knew I didn't have the stomach space. They also offered a free desert but again I had nowhere to put it. If I was in my hometown I would have taken them up on it, but I was in a hotel and flying out the next day so it didn't really work.

I appreciated that they offered some fixes, but sadly they just didn't work for me and it left a sour note it what was supposed to be one of the highlights of my visit -- and what was certainly my priciest meal of the trip.

Speaking of which, fine if you want to charge me for still water but maybe tell me before you bring it.

Eating on the road: Sea Smoke Restaurant and Bar in Halifax

2024-04-20T20:49:00.003-04:00

For lunch I walked over to another spot on my recommended list, on the Halifax waterfront at Bishop's Landing a stone's throw from The Bicycle Thief: Sea Smoke Restaurant and Bar.

Unlike my late night dinner at The Bicycle Thief, it was daylight and I was shown to a cozy table with a view out onto the boardwalk and of the harbour. This place felt slightly more touristy but it was quiet at this time of day. There's a patio that I bet would be a lot of fun in the summer, but not so much in December.

I had pre-scouted the menu of course and this place was on my seafood chowder list. But hearing the specials and it being a cool December day on the waterfront (though not inside, thankfully) when hearing the specials I called an audible and also ordered a boozy hot chocolate.

Flavour was there but it failed to live up to its name: this hot chocolate was not hot. Lukewarm at best, trending cool. In retrospect I should have sent it back but I'm loathe to be that person. Taste was there, but needless to say it did not warm my insides like I had anticipated.

They had some interesting appies that were all Asian-inspired. I opted for the crispy wontons, described as Cremini Mushrooms, buttercup squash, ponzu glaze, gochugaru aioli.

They were plated beautifully and were a tasty nosh. Not much to say, they were as described and I liked them.

As I said though, chowder was the reason for my visit. So for my main, and intending to have dinner later so not wanting something heavy, I ordered the seafood and corn chowder. Described on the menu as: Fresh lobster, haddock, cod, salmon, sweet corn.

Bougie fancy bowl, grilled bread on the side. I would rank this as my second favourite chowder of my Halifax trip, just behind their neighbour Bicycle Thief and significantly ahead of Evan's. Rich, creamy and flavourful, meaty and chunky. Very tasty and, thankfully, served properly hot.

Left me fortified to go back out and face the chill.

Eating on the road: Evan's Fresh Seafoods in Dartmouth

2024-04-13T14:39:00.001-04:00

My visit to Halifax in December was planned as a culinary visit, and before I left I consulted friends who were or had been local residents to get their tips on where to get the best bites -- especially those that come from the sea. A clear recommendation was that I take the ferry across the harbour to Dartmouth to a spot you wouldn't find on most tourist guides: Evan's Fresh Seafoods.

Located conveniently in the same building as the ferry terminal, at Alderney Landing, they also sell fresh and frozen fish and seafood and offer hot fare in what is basically a small mall food court. I liked the local feel, and I like transit boats (think an East Coast sea bus) so I actually went twice.

My first visit was for lunch on my first full day in Halifax. It was raising so I took an Uber to the Halifax side of the ferry terminal, and when I told him where I was going and why he offered a hearty endorsement. So that was a good sign.

Not to divert into a transit review, but while they had a ticket booth I couldn't buy a fare there. They made me download an app, link my credit card and buy my fare there to show the agent. Kind of a pain, though seamless for future transit this trip once done. And now I have the Halifax transit app on my phone. Guess that's better than my growing collecting of reloadable physical transit cards.

Anyways, after the crossing it was easy enough to find Evan's and I was able to quickly order because, of course I had pre-scouted the menu. Are you new here?

I was here for the lobster roll. Recommendations were sought and given on that basis, and I was told this is where locals go for a lobster roll. Not cheap at $26, but the lobster lobby has done a very good job at elevating this once overlooked sea creature to gourmand status. You could add a side fries but I'm not here for empty carbs. Caesar salad for me. They had a special to add some breaded side scallops at a discount, and I was all for that.

Definitely worth the boat cruise. The bun was fresh and buttery, and the lobster tasty, creamy and plentiful. The salad was a salad. The scallops fresh and delicious, and I really liked the lemon wedge for a splash of acid. Hearty and filling, and just the seafood fix I was looking for.

A few days later, on the last day of my visit, I would take the ferry over to Dartmouth again, suitcase in tow for one more seafood lunch before a taxi to the airport. This was a Sunday and, while it was quiet on my last Friday midday visit, today Alderney Landing was hopping with locals as their was some kind of bazar happening in the mall-like area and some sort of live music in the food court.

I was here for the fish, not the music, which wasn't really my vibe. But I managed to find a seat free at one of the shared tables. For today's lunch I went in a different direction, wanting to sample some of their other offerings.

First was a bowl of seafood chowder, with haddock, potatoes, scallops and lobster, to which I added some mussels for a small upcharge.

I would put the chowder as third of the three I had this trip. The broth was watery and flavour undeveloped. On the positive, it was packed with fish and lobster chunks quite generously and no potato filler. The mussels were a cheap add on.

I also ordered the two piece haddock, but with onion rings instead of the chips. It's not often I waste my carbs on fries.

The onion rings were ok. Onion rings are hard to screw up though, believe me, some places manage it. The haddock was good but I think I just don't care for their batter. I prefer a more wet batter while this seemed more like a meal. But it was still tasty and filling.

All in all, I enjoyed my first visit to Evan's more. The lobster roll was outstanding and the scallops were simple and enjoyable. Next visit I'll go elsewhere for my fish and chipless.

Eating on the Road: The Bicycle Thief in Halifax

2024-04-05T13:04:00.002-04:00

I did a great deal of research and sought advice from local experts before my visit to Halifax, intending to make the most of my time from a culinary perspective and lean heavily onto the seafood side of things. And after getting off the train, checking into my hotel and dropping my bags, it was a short but brisk walk to a cozy spot on the waterfront at Bishop's Landing: The Bicycle Thief.

Although it was dark both outside and inside, it seemed a trendy looking spot and was surprisingly hopping on a Thursday night. Luckily, I had snagged a reservation before leaving the hotel so I was quickly showed to my table on arrival. I ordered a glass of malbec and began to examine the menu -- which, of course, I had pre-scouted the week before.

I like a good chowder and I was determined to have a lot of it while in Halifax. So while the scallops sounded interesting, for my starter I ordered the Lobster & Corn Chowder, new potatoes, vidalia onions, crisp double smoked bacon.

I think in my parade of chowder I peaked on the first night. This was truly excellent. Rich, flavourful, so tasty, chunks of lobster, not potato heavy, the bacon really elevated it and I love me some corn in a chowder. It hit all the notes. So good.

I stuck with the lobster theme for my main and also designed to eschew the heavier options, after having had breakfast and lunch on the train. An elevated pasta dish seemed like the right call, so I went with the Agnolotti all’Aragosta, handmade pasta filled with fresh NS Lobster, Lobster & sherry crema, lemon & herb gremolata.

It was a great complement to the chowder. Again, rich, creamy and flavourful. Really developed flavours in the sauce. Chunks of lobster. Perfectly cooked pasta.

No space for desert, so I walked back to the hotel uphill on a chilly Halifax night and not a great night's sleep. It wasn't a cheap meal, but was not the most expensive of my visit either -- that was a disappointing steak dinner I'll share later.

But if you're looking for a truly memorable fancy dinner with great Italian-inspired local seafood on the Halifax harbour, I would definitely recommend The Bicycle Thief.

Eating off the Hill: April is Filipino Restaurant Month across Canada

2024-04-02T16:56:00.001-04:00

I'll get back to my Halifax culinary adventures soon (think seafood) but I wanted to jump ahead because April is Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada and, last week, a friend at the Filipino Embassy in Ottawa invited me for the luncheon launch event.

The launch was held at Sanduk, which I'm told is Ottawa's newest Filipino restaurant and is located on Holland Avenue, a short walk from the Tunney's Pasture O-Train station. The other participating Ottawa restaurant is Tamis Cafe & Restaurant, at 374 Bank Street in Centretown. They mentioned another Ottawa restaurant with a Filipino chef that is preparing a dish, but I don't recall the name and the web site isn't updated for 2024 yet.

Filipino Restaurant Month is a national event, with participating restaurants across the country that offer a Prix Fixe menu designed to introduce Canadians to Filipino cuisine. And diners also get a contest entry to win prizes from the event sponsors, including a trip to the Philippines.

I'm not a stranger to Filipino cuisine -- besides Jollibee I've gone a few times with friends -- including for a traditional boodle fight, which was a lot of fun.

My friend Nestor and I enjoying a Filipino boodle fight in Toronto.

However, for our lunch at Sanduk, we didn't practice kamayan but instead used cutlery. And we started off with a selection of what I was told were traditional Filipino street foods.

I tried to have (at least) one of each, with selections including delicious grilled pork, fish balls, chicken balls and, interestingly, deep fried battered quail eggs -- known as Kwek Kwek. As I've mentioned in past dispatches I'm not a big egg guy (though I am broadening my egg horizons in my old age) but these weren't bad at all. My favorite, though, was definitely the grilled pork which had a very tasty sauce.

A selection of street food appies.

Interior quail egg.

The mains were served buffet-style so we could each make ourselves a plate (or two), and there were a number of dishes familiar to me from past Filipino dining experiences as well as some I haven't tried before.

The most familiar to me of course was pancit, which is basically a stir fried noodle dish with vegetables -- think a Filipino version of chow mein. There were more tasty BBQ pork skewers which I couldn't get enough of. There was also BBQ chicken, but I didn't want to commit to eating an entire leg when there were so many tasty dishes available. My favourite was a dish that was new to me was the kare kare, which was pork belly served in a delicious peanut sauce.

I remarked to my hostess that I always associated peanut sauce with Thai cuisine and I learned that, while they popularized it in the West, it's a staple of cuisine in the Malay region, which includes both Thailand and the Philippines.

I didn't get any photos but passed around were two versions of sisig, served on sizzling plates. The pork version was made from liver which I wasn't a fan of, but I did enjoy the milk fish version and it paired well with the garlic rice.

Finally, we were served a traditional halo halo for desert. It wasn't the fanciest version of this Filipino desert staple I have ever had. It was shaved ice, condensed milk and some fruit, but it was tasty and rich and am enjoyable end to an excellent lunch.

Salamat to the Ambassador and the Embassy of the Philippines for inviting me, and I hope it's a great month. Be sure to get out and enjoy a meal at a Filipino Restaurant this month -- a peach and mango pie at Jollibee doesn't count. Mabuhay!