There are some days on the Parliamentary calendar that everyone circles. Throne Speech. Budget. Presidential visits. Those are big days. But there is one annual event that trumps them all: Sparks Street Ribfest. For three weekdays, we’re not Liberals, Conservatives, NDPers or journalists. No, we are Canadians. Canadians who love
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A BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Sparks Street Ribfest
There are some days on the Parliamentary calendar that everyone circles. Throne Speech. Budget. Presidential visits. Those are big days. But there is one annual event that trumps them all: Sparks Street Ribfest.For three weekdays, we’re not Liberals, C…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: A taste of Nova Scotia
Last Tuesday was a reception I and many other hill dwellers had circled on our calendar weeks ago: the Taste of Nova Scotia reception. And with dreams of lobster rolls and scallops in our heads, we descended on the Sir John A. MacDonald building in droves. Unfortunately, many of us
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: A taste of Nova Scotia
Last Tuesday was a reception I and many other hill dwellers had circled on our calendar weeks ago: the Taste of Nova Scotia reception. And with dreams of lobster rolls and scallops in our heads, we descended on the Sir John A. MacDonald building in droves.
Unfortunately, many of us were turned away. For the first time I can recall, the RSVP list was being strictly enforced — even for pass holders. If you weren’t on the RSVP list, with the exception of MPs and Senators you were turned away. Luckily, while I don’t always RSVP, for this one I did (perhaps the fear of losing out on fresh seafood being too much to risk) and was able to venture inside.
It was a lot more upscale than I was expecting — I’d been picturing a kitchen party with donairs and beer. Instead, it was much fancier, with chefs preparing small plates at a variety of food stations and a series of bars offering selections of Nova Scotia-produced beer, wine and even the harder stuff. The wine was decent, but the rum was quite nice. The food was the main attraction, though, and I definitely left full.
My favourite was the Seared Scallop Escabèche, which was prepared with pickled red onions and dukkah (hazelnuts, sesame seed, cumin and corriander) by Chef Renée Lavallee of The Canteen in Dartmouth. The ingredients nicely complemented the flavourful scallops, which remain one of my favourite non-fish seafood choices.
Of course, there was lobster as well. Here we have soft poached Nova Scotia lobster with a smoked corn relish, bisque fluid gel, vanilla bierre noisette, corn shoots, micro watercress and radish paper. I don’t know what most of that is, but I do know it tasted delicious. I managed to get one, but this station was constantly swamped by demand — they couldn’t plate them fast enough.
I did enjoy several of these crab on toast thingies (I neglected to snap a picture of the station sign for this one, so crab on toast thingee is the description you get.) I thought the bread took away from the crab a bit too much, but otherwise, delish indeed.
It wasn’t all seafood. I inhaled several of these wild mushroom ravioli pockets, which could have used a bit more sauce but were otherwise delicious.
And a meaty hit was the Meadowbrook Pork Coppa, which was sous vide and charred pork with a sweet potato puree, black mustard seed and silver birch glaze, prepared by Chef Jason Lynchg of LeCaveau Reasturant in Grand Pré and Chef Jeffrey MacNeil of Prime Restaurant + Wine Bar in Lunenberg.
So it wasn’t quite an East Coast kitchen party, but when I bid a farewell to Nova Scotia I had enjoyed a great deal of local specialties and spirits, and left with a new determination to always RSVP.
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: A taste of Nova Scotia
Last Tuesday was a reception I and many other hill dwellers had circled on our calendar weeks ago: the Taste of Nova Scotia reception. And with dreams of lobster rolls and scallops in our heads, we descended on the Sir John A. MacDonald building in dro…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Rob Jamieson’s Liberal constitutional buffet
Last Monday I attended a briefing on amendments to the Liberal Party of Canada constitution at the Farmteam Cookhouse on Sparks Street. The party sprang for a few plates of appetizers, and Liberal carpenter Rob Jamieson strongly insisted I report on the nibbles. There were a variety of cold appetizers,
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Rob Jamieson’s Liberal constitutional buffet
Last Monday I attended a briefing on amendments to the Liberal Party of Canada constitution at the Farmteam Cookhouse on Sparks Street. The party sprang for a few plates of appetizers, and Liberal carpenter Rob Jamieson strongly insisted I report on th…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Rob Jamieson’s Liberal constitutional buffet
Last Monday I attended a briefing on amendments to the Liberal Party of Canada constitution at the Farmteam Cookhouse on Sparks Street. The party spring for a few plates of appetizers, and Liberal carpenter Rob Jamieson strongly insisted I report on th…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Indian buffet goodness
I know I haven’t food blogged in awhile, but my free time to attend receptions has been limited, and many of the appetizers served we’ve seen before. But with the MP back in the riding, we ventured out Friday to try somewhere new for lunch: India Palace. Maybe a five
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Indian buffet goodness
I know I haven’t food blogged in awhile, but my free time to attend receptions has been limited, and many of the appetizers served we’ve seen before. But with the MP back in the riding, we ventured out Friday to try somewhere new for lunch: India Palac…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Indian buffet goodness
I know I haven’t food blogged in awhile, but my free time to attend receptions has been limited, and many of the appetizers served we’ve seen before. But with the MP back in the riding, we ventured out Friday to try somewhere new for lunch: India Palac…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Bill Morneau’s jam bars
Following his delivery of the federal budget yesterday, Finance Minister Bill Morneau hosted a post-budget reception in the Sir John A. MacDonald building and, while his budget ran a deficit in order to make overdue investments in Canadian infrastructu…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Bill Morneau’s jam bars
Following his delivery of the federal budget yesterday, Finance Minister Bill Morneau hosted a post-budget reception in the Sir John A. MacDonald building and, while his budget ran a deficit in order to make overdue investments in Canadian infrastructure and other programs, in a nod to austerity his reception featured
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Bill Morneau’s jam bars
Following his delivery of the federal budget yesterday, Finance Minister Bill Morneau hosted a post-budget reception in the Sir John A. MacDonald building and, while his budget ran a deficit in order to make overdue investments in Canadian infrastructu…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Produce, consumer products, grain-fed beef on grain-fed buns and Canadian actors
Having got caught up with work after a well-timed constituency, here’s a round-up of a few receptions from the last few weeks. Getting these out of the way before budget season next week.Canadian Produce Marketing AssociationProduce is getting really e…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Produce, consumer products, grain-fed beef on grain-fed buns and Canadian actors
Having caught up with work after a well-timed constituency week, here’s a round-up of a few receptions from the last few weeks. Getting these out of the way before budget season next week.Canadian Produce Marketing AssociationProduce is getting really …
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Someone prorogue these perogies
I spent the last provincial election in Parkdale-High Park, and among several regrets is that I didn’t take the opportunity to sample some real, homemade, honest to goodness Ukranian perogies. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity when I’m in Winnipeg in May…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: Someone prorogue these perogies
I spent the last provincial election in Parkdale-High Park, and among several regrets is that I didn’t take the opportunity to sample some real, homemade, honest to goodness Ukranian perogies. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity when I’m in Winnipeg in May…
Continue readingA BCer in Ottawa: Eating up the Hill: You don’t order a burger at the Parliamentary Restaurant
I forgot what I’ll assume should be one of the foodie rules: don’t order something simple at a place that specializes in the fancier things. Or, put another way, if you want a burger go to a burger joint.I found myself for the second time in the Parlia…
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Eating up the Hill: You don’t order a burger at the Parliamentary Restaurant
I forgot what I’ll assume should be one of the foodie rules: don’t order something simple at a place that specializes in the fancier things. Or, put another way, if you want a burger go to a burger joint.I found myself for the second time in the Parlia…
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