Mar 01

Shooters Waterfront Cafe may or may not float your boat!

Shooters really misses the mark!
Back in Fort Lauderdale and Mike says we’ll go to Shooters
I think that name suggests either big guns or Small hooters
For the fare that’s on offer, the prices are steep,
And, if you like your liquor, at the bill you will weep,
But still, it employs the students and tutors!

I was picked up at the airport in Fort Lauderdale at around 6:45PM after having left home in Ottawa at 11AM that same morning. Air travel now being as minimalistic as it now is, I was offered nothing on either flight (Ottawa – O’Hare, O’Hare – Ft. Lauderdale) other than a spectacularly uninspiring package of pretzels. Although my American Express Platinum card gave me access to the Presidents Lounges, I was unable to take advantage of this since de-icing in Ottawa meant that I had to run from gate to gate at O’Hare and only just made the connection.
[ad name=”Amazon300x250″]
All of this back-story is given to explain why, when given the option of eating either in Fort Lauderdale or waiting 90 mins until we reached Stuart, our final destination, I opted for the former, since all I had eaten  since early that morning was a couple of mouthfuls of trail mix. Mike claimed to know exactly where he was going, since we were returning to an old haunt of his. I had experienced this same certitude once before in New York,  where he took me the wrong way down a one-way street and stopped in the middle of an intersection of two major highways while he collected his bearings. To be fair though, after only a slight detour, we did find Shooters (I think maybe he was REALLY looking for Hooters though).

From the outside, the place looks fine, even if pre-paid valet parking does not really sit well with me. However, once we hit the reception desk, things started to go South. We were looking at a 45 minute wait and I was already quite hungry.

A helpful hostess explained that if we were prepared to eat outside, we would not need to wait. It was a cool evening  but we both had jackets and besides, there would be space heaters, we were told. We decided to explore this option and thus were escorted to a second desk. Now we were told that there would be a 15 minute wait?! In addition, on the entire spacious patio, there were only two space heaters and they were already well populated. We expressed our displeasure at having been mislead and accepted the ubiquitous and slightly obnoxious miniature flying saucer that would  annoyingly flash and beep when our table was ready. We headed to the bar to drown our sorrows and dull our hunger.

I chose a rye and ginger and Mike a very dry martini. After an admittedly generous tip, there was no change from a $20 bill, which struck me as rather steep.

A dock-side hotspot?

We were electronically summoned before finishing our drinks and were escorted to a table within spitting distance of one of the two heaters (see picture). We were summarily ignored for the next 10 minutes. It turned out that the servers had seen that we had drinks and therefore each assumed that another was taking care of us. Huh?

As one might expect, seafood featured prominently on the menu. Guess what Mike doesn’t eat? I can’t help feeling that he would be better off in Wyoming than in Florida. Personally, I opted for the seafood platter once I had ascertained that it would not be breaded. Our server soon came back to inform me that they were out of mahi-mahi which was part of my dish. They apparently were well-stocked on cow though, so Mike was alright.
As we waited for our meals to arrive, we were treated to the spectacle of some fifty-somethings attempting to publicly let their hair down on the cramped deck of a motorboat docked at the restaurant. It looked a little surreal and really not particularly that much fun. All a little too pretentious for my liking! It was a Sunday night though. Perhaps the real parties happen on Fridays and Saturdays?
When the food arrived, it was plentiful and relatively tasty if not particularly warm. It did not blow me away but as you can guess, just about anything would have been OK with me at this point. When the bill arrived, it was $60+ with two drinks but no coffees or dessert. As you can probably guess, I would not rush to go back unless it’s the only place in town that Mike can navigate to 😉

 Shooters Waterfront Cafe on Urbanspoon

[ad#Google Adsense Banner468x60]

Feb 28

With kids in tow, Swiss Chalet’s the place to go!

Do the Swiss really eat this much chicken?
You can find them in the East, you can find them in the West
Of all the places we go, the girls seem to like it the best!
If you don’t eat things that cluck,
At Swiss Chalet, you’re out of luck
And as an adult, you can’t even plunder the Treasure Chest 😉

We don’t often venture so far East on a Friday evening but this particular day, we happened to be at Tenth Line and Innes Road picking up a friend. It was already almost 7:30 and Amber, Lara and Fayth were quickly getting to the point where it was necessary to fill their stomachs before too long. Now don’t get me wrong! I am not saying that they become unruly or obnoxious, since that is not the case. In fact, over the several years that the Supper Seven has been doing the Friday night get-together, I cannot think of a single time where they misbehaved or embarassed us in any way. Quite the reverse, they have developed a loyal following amongst the wait-staff in many of our more regular haunts. Nevertheless, even adults can become somewhat testy when deprived of sustenance for too long.
[ad#CJSmrtZnBnnr468x60]
So it was that we needed to find a locale where we knew that service would be speedy. Regular readers of these pages will likely know that we often frequent the Swiss Chalet located at Innes and Cyrville. It is a favourite with the girls because the staff are always friendly and attentive towards them and they genuinely seem to enjoy the food.

Where we went: Since we were right in the neighbourhood, we decided to give the Orleans location on Innes between 1th Line and Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard a try. Since we had just picked up our friend Shirley, we were now a group of eight and that is not easy to accommodate at short notice on a Friday evening in many establishments, but Swiss Chalet rarely requires a wait of more than a few minutes.

What we ordered: Surprise, surprise, seven out of eight ordered chicken is some shape or form. Norma was the only stand-out because she feels that she cooks and eats chicken all too often and so needs a break on Fridays. As is often the case, a special ‘table d’hôte’ was being offered that included soup or salad along with the usually quarter-chicken dinner as well as a slice of pie for dessert, all for $10.95 if my memory serves correctly. Dorothy wanted to order this provided that I would help out by eating the pie of which she is not overly fond. With great sacrifice, I acquiesced.
What we got: There are two things that would prevent me from giving this chain my whole-hearted endorsement. Firstly, whilst their chicken, in and of itself, might be a relatively healthy choice, by the time you add the standard side of fries along with the gravy, roll and butter, it is loaded with fats and starch and therefore extremely calorific. Many will be fooled into thinking that they are eating healthily, when in fact they are not. Secondly, over the last few visits, I have often been served a portion of chicken that has been overcooked. I even switched from my usual leg/thigh portion to white meat in the hope that it would be less well done. The pecan pie which I ate (only as a favour to Dorothy)  😉 was neither outstanding nor horrible.

Worthy of note: Any minor misgivings mentioned above are easily outweighed by the enjoyment that the girls get from going here. I don’t know how Swiss Chalet manages to always select staff who so obviously enjoy children but this was again the case. Although we had never been to this particular location before our server had fully ingratiated herself to the girls and they to her. Finally, although the Treasure Chest is no longer as replete with goodies as in former times, the girls still seem to enjoy rooting around in it and always seem to come up with something to amuse themselves.

Summary

  • Positives: Total consistency of experience from one location to another. Kid-friendly staff. Very moderate prices
  • Negatives: Although there are some healthy choices available, their standard fare would not be kind to those needing to watch their calorie intake!
  • Recommendation: If you need a quick, friendly and inexpensive place to eat, we can heartily recommend Swiss Chalet!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Average
Price $$ moderate
Decor *** Good
Service **** Friendly
Overall Rating *** Fair to Good

Swiss Chalet Rotisserie & Grill on Urbanspoon 


Frivolous Foodie Facts

Swiss Chalet is a chain of Canadian family restaurants originally founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. As of 2008, there are over 200 Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada and the United States. It is a division of Cara Operations, which also owns the hamburger chain Harvey’s; the two chains frequently share locations. The name Swiss Chalet originates from the design of its original restaurants, which featured exposed beam architecture in the Swiss chalet style.

[ad#Clickbank]

Feb 25

Corner Kitchen at Kent & Laurier: Reasonable food, Reasonable prices!

?
Don’t want to hit the street?
So, go to Corner Kitchen and eat!
You can’t go there for supper but you can go there for lunch,
If youre looking for DFO people, there’s sure to be a bunch..
You’d better get there early if you really want a seat,
There are other, better places if it’s just a place to meet
It’s the price that draws, not quality; At least that’s my personal hunch!

Downtown Ottawa is a zoo at lunch-time at any time of year but in the deep of winter it is at its worst. If you want to meet someone for lunch who works in one of the many office towers, government or otherwise, time is always of the essence. Also, weather can be a major factor, since people don’t want to go to the hassle of dressing and undressing just to go a block or two. It’s also pretty hit and miss as to whether you are going to be able to find a seat and be served within the allotted time period. Of course, many of those in the higher echelons do not have to worry about such trivialities, but for the majority of us, it is a major consideration.
[ad#Google Adsense links 468×15]
So it was that I was meeting with Dorothy and Kim for lunch after which, I was going skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway. Since she works in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans building at 200 Kent Street, we had lots of choices of venue.

 

Where we went: For quite some time, Dorothy had been talking about the food at Corner Kitchen, a cafeteria-style establishment situated right in her office tower. It is owned and operated by a catering company that has a second location in Place de Ville. This is not a fully-fledged restaurant since it is self-service only and no alcohol is available. Also, Corner Kitchen is only open from 9-5, Monday through Friday. That being said, for what it is, we were pleasantly surprised at the experience. We were fortunate enough to arrive before the real onslaught and thus had no trouble finding a seat. Had we been even ten minutes later, this would not have been the case.

What we ordered: Dorothy had been extolling the virtues of the Pad Thai, so I selected that, while she and Kim opted for the Hot Thai Soup with stuffed Naan bread.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai?

What we got:After the fact, I wished that I had also selected the soup and Naan bread since both were streaks ahead of my Pad Thai which was really a plate of mildly-spiced noodles which had been waved in front of some chicken. It was not horrible but neither was it really Pad Thai. It is probably close to the best that one should expect at $6.95. Still, I would rather have paid more for the real thing. I would not order it again, but definitely would go for the stuffed Naan.

Summary

  • Positives: Fast and inexpensive.
  • Negatives: Food is what one would expect for cafeteria-style food!
  • Recommendation: If you are in the neighbourhood and in a hurry, this might be your spot!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Blah
Price $$ Inexpensive
Decor *** Okay
Service   N/A
Overall Rating *** Blah


Frivolous Foodie Facts

The top three fish products exported from Canada in 2005 were lobster, crab, and salmon (farmed and wild) with a combined value of almost $2.3 billion. They accounted for 53 per cent of Canada’s seafood exports..

Corner Kitchen on Urbanspoon
[ad#CJSmrtZnBnnr468x60]

Feb 10

Emerald Buffet in Vanier is hardly a gem!

They’ve got real stones to call this an Emerald!

With Emerald in its name, you might think it’s a jewel
But I can’t really say that this place made me drool!

While it may be true that their variety can’t be beat;
You know there’s more to good food than 10 types of meat?

Thus, if you’re drawn by the bling you’re a fool!

If you are a regular reader, I know what you’re thinking: “For a guy who claims not to favour buffets, what is he doing going to yet another one?” My response is to say that our ‘Supper Seven’ group is more of a plutocracy than a dictatorship and the majority of the group seems to gravitate towards them. Since the ‘buffet’ choice seemed to be a fait accompli on this particular Friday evening, I thought that we should at least change things up a bit and revisit one that we had not frequented for a couple of years to see how things had progressed (or not).

[ad#CJSmrtZnBnnr468x60]

Where we went: There are quite a few buffet-style restaurants in Ottawa’s East End and we have reviewed most of them over the last 11 months. One that eluded us until recently was the Emerald Buffet on Montreal Road in Eastview Plaza in Vanier. Although it is on a main route, it is a little tucked away (on Selkirk Road actually) and therefore, you have to know it is there or you will almost certainly pass it by. This establishment was known as DuBarry’s in a former life and should not be confused with the YangMing Buffet in Emerald Plaza on Merivale Road, though I can’t help but wonder if they are connected somehow! 

The Usual chinese buffet plateWhat we got: As buffets go, Emerald gets top marks for sheer variety of food. Crab legs, mussels and frog’s legs were items featured here that one seldom sees together at other locales. Also, many of the dishes were not as awash in sweet syrupy sauces as can be found elsewhere. As well as fresh sushi, there is also a Mongolian-style flat griddle where you can select fresh ingredients and have it stir-fried as you wait. My contention remains, however, that the vaster the quantity, the poorer the quality. Emerald Buffet did little to persuade me otherwise!

Worthy of note: Service was not horrible but in stark contrast to the staff at Ruby King Chinese Buffet in Orleans, the servers here seemed considerably less happy in their work. Those who were clearly either owners or managers seemed more like security guards than hosts. Smiles and friendly chit-chat were definitely not the order of the day. One bright spot was the desserts which were above average in selection and quality as compared to their competition. The creme caramel was a particular favourite although the blueberry and mango ice creams had more simulated colour than authentic flavour. Although a lot more pricey on the weekends, their Monday thru Thursday special at $10.95 is a steal. One good test of a satisfactory buffet is whether the 3 girls ask to go back there in the near future. We will see if they do….

Summary

  • Positives: Probably the largest seating capacity of Ottawa Chinese buffets, so no wait time. Wide selection of food. Above average desserts. 
  • Negatives: Staff seemed stand-offish and not particularly happy! Signs posted warning diners not to waste food?! Owners overseeing like prison warders.
  • Recommendation: It’s a fairly run-of-the-mill Chinese Buffet. Not great nor horrid but I, for one, am in no rush to go back! N.B Check out the Urbanspoon widget below, as of this posting only 20% voted favourably!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality ** Only fair
Price $$ Standard
Decor *** Underwhelming
Service ** Going thru the motions
Overall Rating ** You can do better!

Emerald Buffet on Urbanspoon

Frivolous Foodie Facts

The term buffet originally referred to the French sideboard where the food was served, but eventually became applied to the meal. The buffet became popular in the English-speaking world in the second half of the 19th century after the Swedes had used the smorgasbord in New York.

[ad#Clickbank]

Feb 07

Meatless stew or vegetable soup? – The choice is yours!

With the coldest days of winter upon us, nothing goes down better that a steaming bowl of soup or stew. It is just one of those comfort foods that has the ability to warm up the frostiest of times and climes. Recently, whilst visiting Christa, our daughter in Saverne, France, she said that she had a hankering for some vegetable soup and would I please make her some. It turns out, for no good reason that I can think of, I had never in my life before concocted such a dish. You therefore, will not find this recipe in the pages of our Un-Cookbook!

[ad#Google Adsense Banner468x60]

Something prevalent in both France and the United Kingdom, is to receive a weekly basket of organic, locally-grown vegetables. You never know exactly what you are going to get. It was the remnants of recent weeks’ supply that I was to use as my starting point. This was, in fact, exactly the kind of challenge that the Un-Chef enjoys. 

Although I may never have made vegetable soup before, I was no stranger to soups and stews in general and knew that other than the vegetables themselves, I would need three basic ingredients: liquid, flavour enhancers and thickening agent. Now when put in those particular terms, they may not constitute a particularly enticing-sounding recipe but the proof of the pudding would be in the eating!

As for the vegetables themselves, the only preparation needed is to wash and/or peel as required or desired and then to dice or cut them into appropriate sized chunks. For me, the main difference between soups and stews is the size of the chunks! You can use just about anything that you have on hand, taking care to moderate quantities of particularly strongly flavoured ones so that they do not dominate. I do not recall exactly what Christa and Mik had on hand but do recognise potato, carrot, onion and celery root. I also added an apple just to mix things up a little, although some (Mik), found that a little strange! (It’s that French ‘salée/sucrée’ thing again, I suppose).

One of the secrets to good soups or stews is to try, wherever possible, to avoid adding mere water as liquid. I learned very early on in my culinary adventures that you can add almost anything as stock. Some of the things that I might recommend are: milk, wine, tea or coffee in limited quantities, vinegar, tomato or fruit juice, ketchup, steak sauce etc. You are limited only by your imagination. Once again, the trick is to achieve the right balance and to not allow any unwanted flavour to dominate but rather to achieve a harmonious blend. In this area, there is no substitute for experience derived from trial and error.

When we mentioned flavour enhancers above, we were careful not just to say herbs, spices and/or seasonings. This is because to restrict yourself too narrowly here is again to miss out. One of the secrets of the Un-Chef method of cooking is to be able to make do with whatever happens to be on hand. Obviously, chicken or vegetable stock in liquid, powder or cube format is a good starting point. Once again, I cannot give you full chapter and verse on everything that I put into this particular version. Some of the potential candidates other than normal seasonings would be: mustards, hot sauces, pizza sauce, Lea & Perrins and soy sauce. The only watchword here is moderation.

If you are intending to make a consommé-style soup, you will not need any thickening agent. If you do want a thicker consistency, try to avoid the standard ones of flour or cornstarch. These add very little in terms of nutritive value. Personally, I would use wild rice, oat flakes, oat or wheat bran, flax, pearl barley etc. In this particular instance, I found some quinoa in the cupboard and added about 2/3 cup of this.

The one difference that I would stress about how my personal methods would differ from most others is that I pre-cook the vegetables using the minimum-moisture method, essentially without water, before finally adding the liquids, seasonings and thickener. This has two main benefits:

  1. The cooking time is considerably reduced
  2. The vegetables will retain more of their individual flavours which will gradually wash out the longer they are boiled or simmered in liquid.

There is an entire section of our Un-Cookbook devoted to minimum-moisture cooking and its advantages and benefits.

As mentioned before, the proof of the pudding or in this case soup, is in the eating. Unless the family was merely being polite, which would not be the norm, the final product was enjoyed by all. In fact, since I made a large batch, we froze the remainder and ate it a week later.

I can’t think of anything better after a day of skating on the Rideau Canal taking part in Ottawa’s Winterlude (except maybe Beavertails) 😉

[ad name=”Amazon300x250″]

Feb 03

Food for thought: We never ate like that in OUR school canteen!

As an Ottawa foodie blogger, I obviously follow some of the local luminaries in the gastronomic world, one of whom is Ron Eade of the Ottawa Citizen. He runs an impromptu supper club for any who are interested, which organizes sporadic outings to local eating establishments worthy of note. Most recently, this group attended “An evening of Food prepared by Local Chefs and Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School Culinary Arts Students to celebrate their new Culinary Arts Program”. Dorothy and I decided to attend to check it out. Since Longfields-Davidson is in Barrhaven and we live in Beacon Hill, we left in what we thought was plenty of time. However, somehow I had neglected to note that although supper was due to start at 6:30PM, the event actually started at 6PM. Thus it was that we unfortunately missed some of the hors d’oeuvres. This was probably a pity since the one that we did both try, the Miniature Lamb Burgers was not an auspicious start.

[ad#Google Adsense Banner468x60]

Miniature Lamb Burger

Miniature Lamb Burger with Mrs. McGarrigles Mustard

I usually love lamb burgers. In fact, we cook them more than any other variety, so I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it did not live up to expectation. For me, the bun was too much for the amount of meat and the seasonings added overpowered the taste of the lamb. Dorothy seconded my opinion (we don’t always agree)  😉 The hors d’oeuvres were created by Kent Van Dyk, the Culinary Arts teacher. Each course was originally to be served with a local Prince Edward County wine. However, due to potential liability issues, this was nixed and a non-alcoholic beverage was selected instead. This turned out to be a great alternative, since some interesting potables were selected. Most are pictured in the photo gallery below! For the hors d’oeuvres we were offered a light, fruity, sparkling, non-alcoholic cider form County Cider Co (not pictured).

Poached White Albacore Tuna

Olive Oil Poached White Albacore Tuna

The next course, prepared by Sean McCallum and Brett Arden of Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply, was really enjoyable. Previously, I have found tuna to be dry and almost steak-like in consistency. This, on the other hand was melt-in-the-mouth tender and well-partnered with contrasting additions. I could easily become a convert! One slight sign that students were assisting in the kitchen was evident by the fact that with each course, there was an inconsistency of presentation. If you check out the two braised ribs photos in the gallery below, you will see this for yourself. I’m not sure why but this course did not come with an accompanying beverage, unless it was the Perrier water which was served freely the entire evening?!

Moroccan Lentil Soup

Moroccan Lentil Soup by Caroline Ishii

 The Moroccan Lentil Soup prepared/supervised by Caroline Ishii of Zen Kitchenwas probably the hit of the evening for both Dorothy and myself. I must say that normally, I am NOT a fan of lentils and especially not of lentil soup. However, this dish tasted as delicious as it looked attractive. The lentils had been somehow ground or mashed and herbs and spices were just enough to make for a taste explosion in your mouth. This definitely makes me want to visit Zen Kitchen. Also worthy of note was the “Rock the Kazbah” beverage accompanying the soup. Again, this was our favourite with its blend of citrus, ginger and mint.

Wild Mushroom and Chevre Ravioli

House Made Wild Mushroom and Chevre Ravioli

Dorothy and I were in disagreement over the House Made Wild Mushroom and C’est Bon Chèvre Ravioli. This dish was created/supervised by Matt Brearley of Castlegarth in White Lake. Dorothy admitted though, that she was biased due to the presence of goat cheese of which she is not a fan. Personally, I found the the delicate flavours of the dish a perfect counterpoint to the soup which had preceded it. The Sparkling Verjus Cocktail which accompanied it was also interesting. I thought it contained cranberry due to its tartness. I must confess to ignorance of the term ‘Verjus‘, so I did some research and was surprised at its origins. Perhaps a little too sweet for my taste but interesting nevertheless!

[ad#Clickbank]

braised beef shortrib

Braised Beef Shortrib with Potato Gratin

I suppose the Braised Beef Shortrib with Glengarry Celtic Blue Potato Gratin and Roasted Heirloom Carrots could arguably be considered the ‘Main’ of the evening. It was conceived and supervised by Stev George of Olivea in Kingston. It started off at a slight disadvantage, since at this point, we were already fairly well sated and this was a reasonably large plate of food. Perhaps this made me all the more critical. For me, the meat was overcooked and somewhat dry and crusted on the outside. The potato gratin seemed to ‘dissolve’ in the excess gravy and the carrot, whilst adding a nice touch of colour was overcooked and mushy! If I were served this in a top notch restaurant, I would be sorely disappointed! The blackcurrant infusion served with it was also nothing special. I would have preferred Ribena!

Molten Chocolate Polenta Cake
Molten Chocolate Polenta Cake

The Molten Chocolate Polenta Cake with its Red Beet and Raspberry Coulis was a nice finish to an overall pleasant experience. This dessert was prepared by Marc Doiron of Town Restaurant in Ottawa and did him proud. I did hear some say they found it a little dry (a little more of that delicious Coulis would not have been amiss), but I found my portion to be dreamily creamy in the centre. Furthermore, the presentation, which is often 50% of the battle, was impeccable! The Masala Chai tea which accompanied it was a nice alternative to coffee though its sweetness meant yet another dose of sugar. Diabetics would have been in need of extra insulin this particular evening!

In summary, I must say that this was a very enjoyable outing, if not more than a little off the beaten track. Although I treated this review as I would any restaurant, I do appreciate that the chefs were working with Grades 6-7 students. I certainly laud the fact that they gave their time and expertise in a worthy cause and it was apparent that the kids had fun.

[ad name=”Amazon300x250″]

food4thought12
food4thought18
food4thought17
food4thought07
food4thought03
food4thought06
food4thought08
food4thought10
food4thought11
food4thought04

[Show slideshow]

Feb 01

Boston Pizza doesn’t sound Canadian but it has ties to the Mounties!


Boston Pizza!: A Canadian Dragon who lives on Pizza??

I’ve often wondered WHY they called it Boston Pizza!
Just grabbed the name right out of the ether?
Still, the food’s above par for such a large chain,
We’ve been there quite often and we’ll go there again..
In the end, it’s not the name that you’re going to eat, Sir!

Little did I know back in 1998 when the first Boston Pizza was built on Terry Fox in Kanata that it’s history was, and remains uniquely Canadian. I had assumed then that like so many other similar chains, it was coming North from the States rather than coming East from Alberta. I never ate in that particular location, even though we drove right by it several times each week. It was not until the Orleans location on Innes Road at Tenth Line (or thereabouts) about 6 or 7 years agi opened that we first ventured in. The chain has enjoyed added recent publicity because its principal owner, Jim Treliving, who was once an RCMP officer is one of the entrepreneurs in CBC’s Dragons Den, a successful weekly show to help budding business attract venture capital. Just as Boston Pizza has been exported South of the Border, so too has Dragon’s Den, becoming Shark Tank in the United States.

[ad#CJSmrtZnBnnr468x60]

At this time, starting out as a single location in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964, Boston Pizza has grown to 335 locations in Canada, 52 in the U.S. and 2 in Mexico. Looks like the Mounties’ loss was Boston Pizza’s gain!

Where we went: You may recall from previous posts that I am regularly included in a group which was originally exclusively made up of the fairer sex. Our monthly outings are still call Girls Night Out even though males now account for a significant portion of the attendees. Due to the geographical locations of the members of the group, we traditionally end up somewhere in Ottawa’s East End. Since one of the group had recently relocated to the Hunt Club area, this month a slightly more central location was chosen. Thus it was that we found ourselves, on a Wednesday evening, visting Boston Pizza’s St. Laurent (Donald Plaza) location. As one might expect, reservations were not necessary. The place was not exactly empty but neither was it abuzz with activity. The sports bar which was attached as almost a separate entity, did seem to be busier. Being totally self-contained as it is, any excessive noise or rowdiness is moot (or mute 🙂 !

[ad name=”Amazon300x250″]

What we ordered: The restaurant’s name notwithstanding, although we have frequented other Boston Pizza locations on numerous occasions, I personally have only ever once ordered pizza. On this particular occasion, the jambalaya took my fancy. Having visited New Orleans some 15-20 years ago, I developed a taste for this Creole dish, even though few of the Canadian attempts I have sampled since that time have come really close to the real thing. Dorothy, on the other hand, did opt for the pizza, albeit an unusual variety: Spicy Perogie!

What we got: It turns out that Dorothy might have had the better idea, though I must say that the notion of mixing perogies and pizza is not one that particularly appeals to me. Nevertheless, she thoroughly enjoyed her meal and said that the leftovers were equally as good when subsequently reheated for lunch. As for the Jambalaya, I have no real complaint, except that what I got was chicken, shrimp and sausage in a mildly spicy tomato sauce served over linguine. As such, it was quite good, but if I had really been expecting the authentic Creole or Cajun dish, I would have been sorely disappointed. Since when did jambalaya require pasta instead of rice?

Summary

  • Positives: Good location, clean, bright and spacious, pleasant server, reasonable food and prices.
  • Negatives: Nothing major to complain or rave about! Basically a middle of the road place!
  • Recommendation: Overall, a pleasant place for a monthly meeting providing gourmet food is not what you are looking for!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Fair to middlin’
Price $$ Reasonable
Decor **** Good
Service *** Fast & friendly
Overall Rating *** I would go back 😉


Frivolous Foodie Facts

Pizza comes from the Latin root word Picea which means the blackening of crust by fire.

Boston Pizza on Urbanspoon

[ad#Google Adsense Banner468x60]

Jan 26

Liangs Village: One man’s junk is another man’s sampan!

Liang’s Village!: Just another Chinese Restaurant?

Almost everywhere in Ottawa, Chinese food abounds
And for a number of years now, we’ve been doing the rounds

Whether buffet or take out, it can all seem the same
To all but the newbies, the food’s rather tame!

Most believe it is healthy, but you’ll still pack on pounds!

I was recently admonished by one of my readers for being, in his opinion, too harsh in my criticism of a local restaurant. I went back and re-read my post and found that I had told things exactly as I had experienced them at the time. Since that original visit, it just so happens that we have been back twice to that same establishment and although it may have come up slightly in my estimation, the majority of my original impressions remain largely unchanged.

[ad#Google Adsense Banner468x60]

This incident did cause me to reflect on the vagaries of writing a food blog. It is certain that many people will not necessarily agree with everything I post of these pages. Nor would I wish it so! These are, of course, my own subjective views. I have my personal foibles and likes and dislikes which will be reflected here. The old saying goes: “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. What some consider a delicacy, others will eschew as worse than trash! Although I don’t usually add salt to my own meals, I would expect you to ingest this blog’s content with several large grains of it. As with any other critique, in the final analysis, you will be the final judge.

 

Where we went: So here it was, yet another Friday night in Ottawa’s East End and another hunt for a desirable location without an interminable wait. There are a couple of restaurants that are favourites with the Supper Seven that always spring to mind. The Mongolian Village in the Gloucester Centre is often top of the list but normally has a wait of at least 30-45 minutes. This particular evening, we also tried the Lone Star opposite the St. Laurent Shopping Centre but our ability to not even see a vacant spot in the parking lot, persuaded us that this was a lost cause. Since it was in the neighbourhood, (at St. Laurent & Industrial) we decided to slip along to Liang’s Village. We have a long history with this location. In a former life as one of the Cathay Restaurant locations, it was one of our frequent hang-outs when we had an office on Belfast Road.

What we ordered: As you can probably guess, we took the buffet. Even though I personally would probably prefer to go  à la carte, whenever we have trouble finding a place to eat, we invariably end up eating buffet since the girls are usually wanting to eat right away. In fact, at Liangs Village, we have noticed that most of the patrons of Asian descent rarely take the buffet.

What we got: Compared to many of our other regular buffet hang-outs, the buffet here is rather modest. Although they do not have the vast selection of dishes of some others, they make up for this by keeping quantities of each dish small but replenishing often. This means that the food is generally hot and fresh and you do not have the impression that is has been sitting for hours drying out.


Worthy of note: When we do order from the menu, one of our family favourites is the moo shu pork.. We used to love it back when this place was The Cathay and Liang’s Village’s version is just as good!

Summary

  • Positives: Most of the time, the food on the buffet  is fresh and hot and they re-stock frequently.
  • Negatives: Selection of dishes is relatively small when compared to other area buffets! They stop stocking the buffet at 8PM sharp
  • Recommendation: It’s not a stand-out but worth a try if you are in the neighbourhood and feel like Chinese buffet!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality **** Fairly good
Price $$$ Won’t break the bank
Decor *** Clean & bright
Service *** Friendly
Overall Rating *** Worth the money!

Liang's Village on Urbanspoon

Frivolous Foodie Facts

The classic Chinese distinction between a Junk and a Sampan is according to the vessels ability to hold a standing water buffalo sideways – if the buffalo can not stand sideways then it is a Sampan. 

[ad name=”BidvertiserBanner”]

Jan 25

Banana-Kiwi Charlotte – An Un-Chef Special Dessert

Banana-Kiwi Charlotte Surprise

As you will already know if you have been following The Un-Chef for any length of time, our method of cooking involves making things up as we go along! Recently, we were entertaining a large group of people and I needed an extra dessert. I really had no idea at all what I was going to make. Looking around the kitchen and cupboards, I saw two ingredients that needed to be used up: Some fairly ripe bananas and a couple of packages of lady fingers. The challenge, to myself, was to turn these into an attractive, interesting and hopefully tasty dessert.

[ad#CJSmrtZnBnnr468x60]

This is really a combination and/or modification of two desserts that are featured in The Un-Cookbook: Sherry Trifle found on page 105 and custard found on page 102

Ingredients:

Here’s what you’ll need if you want to reproduce this delectable dish:

Base:

1 Pkg of ladyfingers (about 24)

1 Pkg of Jello any flavour but green or yellow colour is best


Fillings:

2 Cups of banana custard (creme anglaise)


1 cup of whipping cream

1 oz of fruit liqueur (optional)

1 tsp of icing sugar


Garnish:

2-3 fresh kiwis


Preparation Tips:

Make the jello with half boiling water and then add ice cube as the balance of the liquid to speed up the setting process. Cut the ladyfingers to the correct length for your dish if necessary. Place them to cover the sides and bottom of your dish. The cut tips can be placed in the bottom. Quickly dip the ladyfingers in the jello before placing them in the dish. Pour any remaining jello over the placed fingers.

Place the thinly sliced bananas into the cooled custard which should be of a consistency resembling pie filling. Too runny and it will be difficult to serve. Too thick and it will form a solid lump like blancmange.

Add the icing sugar and optional liqueur to the whipping cream once it has started to form peaks.

Slice and arrange the Kiwi as illustrated. If you are not going to be serving within a few hours, you may wish to add some sort of glaze to keep the garnish fresh!

[ad#Clickbank]

Jan 18

Duffy’s in Stuart couldn’t talk turkey on Thanksgiving!

Even though we had leftover turkey sitting in the fridge, neither Mike nor I felt like cooking (or re-heating) on Thanksgiving (US), so we decided to head out to one of the very few local restaurants in Stuart, Florida that was actually open for business on the Thanksgiving holiday. Not surprisingly, the place was pretty busy. Often, an advantage of being a group of two is that you can be fit into a corner immediately while larger groups may have to wait. Such was the case on this particular day and we were shown to seats close to but not actually at the bar.

[ad#Google Adsense Banner468x60]

In terms of ambiance, Duffy’s is a fairly typical sports bar, with the requisite large screen TVs and sports memorabilia dotted throughout. If you go there to drink and watch sports, it would probably fit the bill wonderfully. If you are wanting an intimate, cosy tête-à-tête, perhaps not so much!

The first thing we were told, before we were even seated, was that there was no longer any turkey available. They were offering a Thanksgiving special that had obviously been extremely popular. As I mentioned, over the last couple of days, we had already eaten our fill of turkey, so this was not a particular problem for us. Other patrons that came in subsequently were not so forgiving. I can understand the disappointment when you travel to a local restaurant advertising turkey dinner on Thanksgiving only to find out that it is not available! Obviously some poor planning on someone’s part!

It turned out that this was not the only error in planning. I ordered Caribbean Jerk Chicken only to be informed (after I had ordered it, mind you) that there were no more black beans and rice! I chose to replace it with grilled zucchini. Furthermore, the Chicken was more like a peppered chicken breast than any jerk chicken I had eaten prior to this outing. The plantain, under the circumstances, turned out to be the high point, since few restaurants seem to get this right. The zucchini was just ok – cut very thick and both looking and tasting  way beyond its best-before date! Mike, perhaps sensibly as it turned out, ordered a steak and fries. Sometimes, there is something to be said for sticking with the tried and true in a place that is more bar than restaurant.

[ad#CJSmrtZnBnnr468x60]

Perhaps foolishly, I opted to finish my meal with a slice of pumpkin pie. Like the rest of the meal, it was mediocre. It was almost certainly not made on site and  lacked anything to make it stand out! All in all, a very disappointing episode. If, at this point, you are surmising that Duffy’s does not go on my list of  ‘must re-visit’ restaurants, you are spot on!

Duffy's Sports Grill on Urbanspoon

[ad name=”Amazon300x250″]