Tonight marked the return of the annual Garden Party for Liberal MPs and assistants the grounds of 24 Sussex Drive after a two-year pandemic hiatus. Without the recently COVID-positive Prime Minister, sadly, disapointing a generation of post-pandemic young staffers who won’t be able to update their Facebook profiles tomorrow with
Continue readingAuthor: Jeff
A BCer in Ottawa: Dispatches from the front: A surrender in the chip war of 2022?
A few weeks ago, news broke that the standoff over pricing between Frito-Lay and Loblaw that had stripped chip shelves bare at Loblaws, Superstore, Independent Grocers and Shoppers had ended. I asked, tongue in cheek, who won? After a recent visit to my local Shoppers, the winner was clear.
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Seafood in view of the harbour at Toscano’s Mediterranean Grill
While I have let up somewhat on my don’t eat seafood unless you can smell the salt air rule over the years, I do still like to maximize my seafood opportunities when on either of the coasts. And finding myself in the Comox Valley for Christmas, dinner at Toscano’s Mediterranean
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Rotisserie chicken dinner with my air fryer
As mentioned a few weeks ago, I bought an air fryer. And while I quickly tried the usual air fryer favourites like like chicken wings, tendies, sammies and tater tots, this model also featured a rotisserie function which I was eager to try. And for Sunday dinner last week, I did
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Trying Air Canada’s new Ottawa to Toronto Island service
For years, Porter Airlines has had a lock on the Toronto Island Airport, aka Billy Bishop or YTZ, flying Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft to points in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States. Air Canada’s only service from the island was to Montreal. That changed on Halloween, when Air Canada announced it
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating in Montreal: A feast at Maison Publique
A weekend away was always in my post-election plans, and when I decided on Montreal, having a fantastic meal was at the top of my list. Often I would just dash in for a hockey game and eat at the St. Hubert next to the Bell Centre, but this trip was
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: I bought an air fryer
I didn’t use my deep fryer much, but it was starting to show it’s age and it seemed like the kind of appliance that you don’t want to mess around with safety on, so I retired. it. So this seemed like a good time to convert to something I had
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Chicken shawarma platter – better is definitely possible
Ottawa is Canada’s capital, in terms of government and in terms of shawarma. We have a longstanding Lebanese community that has ran shawarma shops across the city going back several generations. So when I saw that a chicken shawarma platter was newly added to the Parliamentary Cafeteria’s rotating daily specials,
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Italian Sausage Ragout
During election campaigns the Parliamentary cafeteria system often takes the time to renew and refresh its rotating menu of daily specials. This week, it has two new offerings making their debut and I shall endeavor to try them out and report back to you, my faithful handful of readers. Today
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Grilling turkey breast and zucchini with my Weber Q 2400 electric grill
A few months into owning my Weber Q 2400 and regular use on my condo balcony, a look at a typical meal: marinated turkey breast and zucchini with olive oil and red pepper flakes done on the grill, and sautéed swiss chard on the stove.
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating on the Hill: A&W’s not so hot Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
The newest chicken craze is Nashville Hot Chicken, and A&W is out of the gates early with the first fast food version, available now for a limited time: the A&W Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. I’ve already written at length about the chicken sandwich wars; Popeye’s is the undisputed winner and
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Walking in Ottawa: The Glebe and Landsdowne Park
A spring afternoon walk in Ottawa down Bank Street and through Landsdowne Park, including a look into TD Place Stadium, and then up O’Connor Street.
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Walking in Ottawa: Eating in Hintonburg at Meat Press & SuzyQ Donughts + Ottawa LRT
I walk from Centretown from Hintonburg for lunch at Meat Press and a sweet desert from SuzyQ Donughts. Then it’s transit back home via the Ottawa LRT and a short bus ride. Come along for the walk and ride, and a bonus stop for a tale of local Cold War
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Reviewing the Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill from my condo balcony
I share my experience as a condo dweller barbequing with Weber’s Q 2400 electric grill.
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating in lockdown: Hanley’s Nashville Hot Chicken
We’ve lived through the chicken wing era, the fancy burger era, and the Ramen era. Right now, I believe we’re in the Nashville Hot Chicken era. And like all food trends they take their time to come to Ottawa but come during this lockdown it has and this week I
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating in lockdown: The saga of the Popeye’s Sandwich
I’ve long liked that chicken from Popeye’s. So much better than KFC. A spicy option, quality fries, biscuits, mac and cheese, corn on the cob — so good. There really weren’t any convenient locations for me for awhile though. Living in Toronto, I would hike to the one downtown on
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating in lockdown: Fried vs baked chicken thigh sammies
I’ve written about chicken sammies a bit lately, and I did finally get around to trying Popeye’s new fancy chicken sandwich after some customer service foul-ups — more on that soon. But after behaving myself this week, for the weekend I wanted to try making at home versions but with
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Dumpling? Dumpling! opens on Bank Street
The pandemic has been tough on many restaurants and other retail businesses — there are more than a few closed storefronts on Ottawa’s Bank Street. I’m happy to report though that one new business that has been “coming soon” for most of COVID-19 has made it to a grand opening
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: Gongfu Bao’s fried chicken bao
Lest you think after my last post that I’m on a very unhealthy fried chicken kick, this lunch was from a few weeks ago. And I wouldn’t put it in the same comparative category as the fast food chicken sandwich wars. Though it is perhaps an interesting ethnic derivative. Anyways,
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating off the Hill: KFC is cannon fodder in the chicken sandwich wars
It seems like all the cool stuff comes to Canada late. That’s certainly the case with the fast food chicken sandwich wars, which have already been fought and won in the United States. I thought the new NAFTA or whatever its called meant we would have chicken sandwich free trade?
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