Mar 20

Something took a leak in our cupboard?! It was just peachy….

Do you know what’s lurking in your cupboard getting ready to make your day?

Well, there we were, Dorothy and I, just minding our own business, sipping a leisurely cup of tea when Dorothy happened to notice a stream of light yellow liquid slowly wending its way across our kitchen floor. Now, as those readers who live in the Ottawa area know only to well, we have had our fair share of precipitation over the last few days. Dorothy’s immediate supposition, once she suppressed the urge to believe that I might have relieved myself while she wasn’t looking, was that our house had sprung a leak!

Being the man of action that I am, rather than conjecture about the cause, I decided to trace the leak back to its source. I did not have to go very far! A quick examination revealed that the liquid was oozing from underneath one of our kitchen cupboards. As soon as I opened the door, we could see even more of the yellow liquid almost completely covering the bottom shelf. Being also a brave sort, I got close enough to get a good whiff of the substance and immediately determined that it was peach juice.

Canned Peaches

Who put the pee in peaches?

We did not have to look very much further to find the culprit since a can of peaches was right in front. There was no immediate sign of anything untoward having occurred other than the fact that the label looked a little translucent as if it had become moist. As soon as I picked up the offending can, however, it was readily apparent that it was no longer completely full.

It is somewhat of a mystery as to what exactly happened to cause the leak. There was no sign of damage or corrosion on the can and we could find no hole, small or large. When we opened the can, we found no evidence that the food had spoiled. Sometimes when food spoils inside the can, it can create gases which eventually cause the can to bulge and finally explode creating quite a mess. This did not appear to be the case here. We can (sic) only assume that one of the seams was not well sealed and eventually came to leak. This is an unsatisfactory answer because that really ought to have happened slowly and our event had a relatively short time-frame.

We scanned the tin for a best-before date but it was in vain. All we could find was an undecipherable code. We knew though, that the product had been in our cupboard for at least a year or more. I would like to tell you that we took this as a sign to check all of our remaining canned goods for signs of age or damage but, alas, that is not the case. After all, this had never happened before! Hopefully, it will not happen again 😉

Mar 19

Duffy’s had a second chance to make a first impression!

Duffys Sports Grill in Stuart

My first trip to Duffy’s was last Thanksgiving and it was memorable only in its deficiencies, not least of which was the lack of turkey! Since Mike seems to be a particular fan of Duffy’s and we were looking for something fast and easy, we decided to give the downtown Stuart location a chance to redress the balance. I must say that the outdoor patio was a good start. Although it was a  slightly breezy day, we nevertheless elected to sit outdoors. Indeed on such a bright, sunny day, the interior of the restaurant looked a little dark.
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It turned out that it was not only the weather that was bright and cheerful. Our server was able to take all the good-natured abuse that Mike could give her and still keep her composure and a smile. Not always an easy task 😉

There are two things that perhaps make Duffy’s an  interesting spot if you want to save yourself a buck or two:

  1. Firstly, their happy hour lasts from 4PM till closing every night of the week. If you specifically want to go somewhere to tie one on, this is probably where you could do it for the least amount of money. The only slight drawback, for me at least, is the fact that they always bring the two drinks at the same time. In my case, the second beer or wine can be quite lukewarm by the time I get around to it, since two drinks is the most I will usually drink the whole evening.
  2. The second feature that will save you some dough is their MVP club. It is free to join but gives back $10 credit for every $100 you spend. In addition, there are other discounts and specials available only to MVP card holders. If you are local and visit even a couple of times each year it’s a worthwhile benefit.

This particular evening, Mike and I happened to both order the same thing:  Churrasco Steak with Chimichurri. This was an 80z skirt steak covered with a garlic-parsley sauce of Argentinian origin. I read recently where someone described steak with Chimichurri making your steak taste like it was dragged through the garden! on reflection, it seemed apt. For me, the steak flavour was overpowered by the apparent lawn cuttings it was smothered in. It was accompanied with rice, black beans and fried plantain. I was not sorry to have tried it and although it did not sit my particular palette, it was nicely presented.

All in all, this second trip did go some way to improving my opinion of the chain as a whole. I would (and probably will) go back again sometime.

Duffy's Sports Grill on Urbanspoon
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Mar 15

Ottawa’s Secret Garden: Les Jardins de la CitĂŠ

Les Jardins de la CitĂŠ

Girls' Night Out with the guys at La CitĂŠ

Les Jardins

Les Jardins de la CitĂŠ: A study in elegance!
I must admit that this is quite a hard place to find
But it’s well worth the effort to discover a venue of this kind.
They may still be students but the service is above par,
With this kind of training they are sure to go far.
And, yes, the food’s really good, so I’m sure you won’t mind!

It is a sad fact that many of us are blissfully unaware of many of the treasures that our local areas have to offer. Even if we are vaguely aware of many of them, we never take the time or trouble to check them out. As an example, I must admit that after almost 35 years of living in Ottawa, I have not visited inside the parliament buildings or climbed the Peace Tower.
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When it comes to restaurants, the Nation’s Capital has a true wealth of gastronomic adventures just waiting to be experienced and yet many of us stay within our limited comfort zone and thereby miss out on a great deal. I hope that by exposing some of the more eclectic ones here in these pages that you may be encouraged to broaden your horizons just a little and try something new and different for a change.

Where we went: For quite a few years now, Girls Night Out (GNO) has appeared almost monthly on our calendar. It is a remnant of our former foray into the world of  Tupperware, once known as the company of friends. In our case, it has certainly lived up to its moniker, since, some 15 years later, our little group still meets on a regular basis, though it has morphed a little, since men now make up almost 50% of the total and the ‘girls’ are at least young ladies by now.  😉

On this particular occasion, we had once again selected Les Jardins de la CitĂŠ, part of the CitĂŠ Collègiale in Gloucester (just off the Aviation Parkway between Ogilvie and Monreal Rds.) We were fortunate to be made aware of this venue by Lyne, one of our group who actually works at the college. This would be our third visit to the restaurant operated by staff and students of the department of  hotel and restaurant management. They are only open Wednesday thru Friday evenings and reservations are mandatory. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is largely the students doing the preparation and serving; both the food and service are everything you would expect in a first-class restaurant. 

What we ordered: Each night, there is a table d’hĂ´te with several choices available. The menu is always posted online well in advance so that you can know ahead of time whether a particular evening will suit the palettes of your group. It just so happens that our group of six between us sampled every single item on this particular evenings menu. 

What we got: Fortunately, most of our group was cognisant of the fact that I am author of this blog and so offered their plate(s) up to be photographed before they tucked in. Therefore, in the gallery below, you will find shots of most of the items on the menu, with the notable exception of the beef consommĂŠ which although delicious, declined to pose for our camera (or at least wouldn’t focus for the shot!)

Bread Basket
Asparagus Appetiser
Broiled seafood with flaky pastry
Roast Leg quarter of Duck with fruit confit
Beef Stroganoff with freshly-made pasta
Mussels with cream shallot sauce
Specialty Coffee - CafÊ Crème
Sabayon with fruit medley
Coffee Crème BrulÊe

[Show slideshow]

 For me, the stand-outs were the FeuilletĂŠ aux Fruits de Mer and the Sabayon. Although the wine cellar is less than extensive, Les jardins features a ‘Wine of the week’ which this particular week happened to be Gato Negro. Until this writing, I did not realize that Gato Negro is actually the generic wine or estate name and not that of a particular vintage; rather like Black Tower, which now comes in various blends and varietals where once it was a single type. Therefore, I cannot tell you what varietal or year this wine really was but it did go well with our selections.

Worthy of note: There is a lot that makes Les Jardins de la CitĂŠ a unique experience. The first is its location, hidden amidst the college campus on the 2nd floor of an otherwise nondescript building. The parking lot is quite a ways away and navigating to the restaurant is no easy feat. Remember to keep your receipt stub and they will refund your cost in cash when you settle your bill. The only fare available is what is on the daily table d’hĂ´te menu, so be sure to check it online when you book to avoid any problems with guests with dietary concerns etc.

Summary

  • Positives: Great food, great ambiance, good price.
  • Negatives: Poor location, only open  for 3 lunches and evenings per week, parking is difficult and far away!
  • Recommendation: If you’re looking for something elegant and different on a tight budget, this is your place!
  • Website: http://www.lacitec.on.ca/services/les_jardins.htm
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality **** Great
Price $$$ Worth every penny
Decor **** elegant but casual
Service **** Top notch
Overall Rating **** Superior


Frivolous Foodie Facts
A sabayon,(a cousin of the light, egg-based Italian dessert zabaglione),is made by beating egg yolks with a liquid over simmering water until thickened and increased in volume. The liquid can be water, but champagne or wine is often used for a savoury sabayon. Sabayon may be served warm or cold

Les Jardins de la CitĂŠ on Urbanspoon
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Mar 14

Looking for Daily Dining Deals in Ottawa? Let OUR fingers do the walking…

Local Deals
(Click for latest)
Click here to check out Groupon's latest deal
Click here to check out Koopon's latest deal
Click here to check out Living Social's latest deals
Click here to check out DealFinds latest deals
Click Here to check out TeamBuy's latest deals
Click here to check out WagJag's latest deals

You would have to be an ostrich to not have noticed the explosion of sites and services offering local daily deals on everything from restaurants to furnace cleaning. There is no doubt that there are some great discounts and bargains to be had. The trouble is that we don’t all have the time to monitor all those sites and emails on a daily basis. Also, many of us are only interested in certain types of deals. I currently receive about 10 emails from various sites offering me daily discounts, coupons or time-limited deals for the Ottawa area. On any given day, only 1 or 2 are even of remote interest. If this is a problem you can relate to, we have a solution, at least where food and dining out are concerned.

We have set up a permanent page where we will list all the current and recent deals being offered by the various sites like Groupon, DealFind, Koopon, WagJag, LivingSocial and Team Buy. You can see the full list on the right and, if you prefer, can sign up with each by simply clicking the appropriate logo.

By 9AM each weekday morning, we will update the page so that you can always find the latest offers that relate to dining out and food in general.  Each listing will contain relevant information and will appear as follows:

WagJag Logo Effctive: 14 Mar 2011
Good Thru: 21 Mar 2011
$12 for a $25 Voucher for Ho Lee Pow Chinese Cuisine
Ho Lee Pow Chinese Cuisine Company Information:
Ho Lee Pow Chinese Cuisine
Website:
http://www.holeepow.ca/
Locations:
1679 Carling Ave Unit E
Ottawa, ON K2A 1C4
Click here to go to Deal Site

In addition, in each of our posts we will have a banner which links to the featured deal of the day which will be updated in real time so that each time you visit our site, even if you forget to visit our  Daily Deals Page.It will look like this:
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If you subscribe to our feed by clicking the RSS graphic located towards the top of the right-hand column, or elect to receive new posts by email (link also in right-hand column), you will never need to miss another deal. In addition, we will be adding the new sites and services as they come on-stream as seems to be happening at an alarming pace.

Mar 11

Nary a youngster to be seen at Gusto Italian Cuisine!

Gusto Italian Cuisine in Stuart FL

Nary a youngster to be seen at Gusto Italian Cuisine!
When in downtown Stuart I wouldn’t say you MUST go to Gusto
But if you only speak Italian, it’s probably a plus though..
Though the decor was heavy, the food was quite a delight,
But clientele was mostly over the hill, nary a youngster in sight!
Thus, in summary, my overall opinion is only: “so-so!”

So here we were again in downtown Stuart, looking for a place to eat supper. My friend Mike has the misfortune to have a bad tear of the plantar fascia and thus his walking distance is limited. Therefore, our choice of restaurant is often made for us by where we are able to find a parking spot.  Mike’s special ‘ boot’  has a similar effect to the  one they clamp on cars in New York City: You can’t go very far! On this particular evening, the parking gods were smiling upon us and we were able to pull into a spot right in the center of town within a stone’s throw of a plethora of eating establishments.

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Where we went: Since we had nothing particular in mind, we ambled up to the first place we happened upon and perused the menu posted at the door. It happened to be a place called Gusto Italian Cuisine. We both liked the look of what we saw, so we ventured inside! Some how, I had the feeling of being transported back half a century. Although the outside of the restaurant looked fairly bright and modern, the inside was more like a movie scene from the fifties. One somehow expected to be able to look across the dining room and see Ginger Rodgers gazing lovingly into the eyes of Fred Astaire. What we saw instead was a clientele, most of whom would never again see the South-side of sixty! This other-worldliness was heightened by the fact that the wait staff insisted on peppering their language with Italian, even after we had consistently made it patently obvious that they were not dealing with Guido and Enzo here. Some might indeed find this cute and quaint, but personally, after a while, I found that it became trite and contrived. I knew we were entering an Italian establishment, it said so on the wall outside!

What we ordered: Usually, when we go to an Italian restaurant, Mike will tend towards either Osso Buco or Veal Parmigiana. This particular evening, we were both tempted by the same special of the day. I also selected a glass of Chianti, something that I had not enjoyed for quite a few years. While we waited for our order to arrive, we were also offered fresh, crusty bread accompanied with a pesto or spread which I did not recognise (and forgot to inquire about) but which I thoroughly enjoyed to the extent that I did not miss the butter which I would normally have slathered liberally upon it.

With Red Potatoes and Vegetable FrittattaWhat we got: I must admit that if I were to rate this restaurant solely on the quality of the food, it would get a much better rating than when taking the entire dining experience as a whole. The veal was tasty and tender and the red wine sauce with mushrooms perfectly complemented it. The vegetable frittata, which may look uninspiring in the photo but was a real delight filled with a perfect blend of mixed veggies still slightly crunchy just the way I like them. Some reviewers have taken Gusto to task for the quantity of food served in their mains but I found the amount to be just right. This left me with some room to try their Tiramisu which is another Italian standard and it passed muster even if it did not exactly blow me away.

All in all, I came away with very mixed feelings about this particular restaurant. This is also in line with some of the reviews that I have read which vary widely in their praise or lack of it.

 

Summary

  • Positives: Definitely authentic Italian. Quality of food is above average
  • Negatives: Prices are maybe more than one would expect! Apparently,  not a favourite with the younger crowd
  • Recommendation: If you like Italian food and you don’t mind mixing with the seniors, you might like this place.
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality **** Above average
Price $$$$ A bit too Pricey
Decor ** Old-fashioned
Service *** Buono
Overall Rating *** Some good – Some Bad!


Frivolous Foodie Facts
What’s the appeal of veal?
•On average, a trimmed, cooked three oz. serving of veal contains 166 calories and only 5.6 grams of fat.
•The leanest cuts of veal are the leg cutlet, arm steak, sirloin, rib chop, loin chop, and top round

Gusto Italian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

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Mar 09

Tartan Pub in Orleans: Good for a pint, as a buffet not so much!

Wallace Tartan Tie

The Wallace Tartan

Perhaps Tartan’s Buffet is better after a few drinks?
The Tartan’s hard to find tucked away in this tiny strip mall
If we hadn’t been invited, we’d never have found it at all.
For me, the buffet’s only fair and the decor’s kind of tired
But those servers in their kilts really have to be admired 😉
I suppose I’d go again, if my back was to the wall…

 One might reasonably assume that with a surname like Wallace that I am at very least of Scottish extraction. Indeed the tie shown at left is from my own wardrobe. However, I must confess that I do not come by the name honestly, since it was assumed by one of my forbears who immigrated to the United Kingdom sometime before the First World War from Czechoslowakia and thought it politic to shed his own very Germanic sounding name of  Wernic (?).  As you can tell, I’m not even sure how the original name was spelled. Nevertheless, this family history has led me to have a general affinity for all things Scottish. 
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Roy Wallace at Tartan Pub

Don't touch my Booze!

The Tartan Pub on Innes Road in Orleans in Ottawa’s East End first cropped up, a couple of years ago now, when we were looking for a venue for a relaxed reception for 30-50 people. The Tartan has a special room to accommodate such a function and on weekends offers an all-you-can-eat buffet at a reasonable price.

When we first visited, to check the place out, we discovered that this locale is a very pleasant English-style pub offering the usual pub-fare. After chatting with the manager, we decided to sample the fare from the menu. I must admit that I do not recall what we ordered but do remember that we were happy enough with the food to place the venue on our list of possibles.

Since that time, we have been back twice, both times to attend a function in the semi-private room adjoining the bar. In each case, the group took advantage of the buffet. Once again, I must state my bias against buffets. There are precious few in the Ottawa area that I would deliberately seek out. Unfortunately, the Tartan buffet did not cause me to change my judgement. I will say that I was probably in the minority and the bulk of the attendees at both functions were satisfied with the offerings. If I simply went for the traditional breakfast items, I would probably have a better opinion but I found that the hot dishes were nondescript and lacking in pizzazz. The desserts were similarly uninspired, consisting of individual commercial puddings, yoghurts and the like.

It is strange how the world works. This pub is truly similar to what one would have expected to find in a pub in the UK 15 to 20 years ago. Now, however, the majority of the British pubs have upped their game in their kitchens and produce a higher quality of food than you will find at the Tartan Pub.

Summary

  • Positives: Nice as a pub with good selection of brews. Some traditional Scottish specialties on the menu like Cock-a-leekie soup and haggis. Moderate prices
  • Negatives: Buffet was uninspiring.
  • Recommendation: If you’re feeling like a touch of Scotland, this might be the place for you!
  • Weblink: http://www.tartanpub.com
  • Party Room/ Banquet Hall
    Also the darts room
    Buffet
    Our first visit in 2009

    [Show slideshow]
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Average
Price $$ Well-priced
Decor *** Cozy but tired
Service *** Good
Overall Rating *** It’s an OK pub


Frivolous Foodie Facts
The most infamous Scottish dish is haggis, normally made with sheep’s ‘pluck’ (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal’s stomach for approximately an hour. Haggis may be a very ancient European recipe. Although it is not known where it originated, a similar dish was already mentioned in Greece some 2,500 years ago.

The Tartan Pub & Grill on Urbanspoon
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Mar 07

The Original Pancake House in Jensen Beach is NOT a load of crepe!

The Original Pancake House Jensen Beach

You may be full of crepe when you leave the Original Pancake House
There may be some readers who can’t tell pancakes from crĂŞpes,
But they’re really quite as different as chimpanzees and apes.
The Original Pancake House in Jensen Beach actually does them both,
and to go elsewhere for breakfast, I really would be loath!
It’ll cost you more than IHOP, but a worthwhile trip it makes…

Since pancake day, Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday as it is variously called in differing parts of the world, is only a couple of days away, it seems appropriate to be writing about a recent visit to a Pancake House even if it was a couple of weeks ago now and over 2,200Kms from Ottawa. One sunny morning on my recent trip to Florida, neither Mike nor I felt like our normal breakfast fare of cream cheese bagel (me) or cereal (Mike), so we decided to venture out.
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I’m not sure which of us suggested pancakes but Mike said he knew of either IHOP or The Original Pancake House. I had tried the former many years ago, in fact, I believe there might even still be one in the Ottawa area, but had never heard of the latter. Being of an adventurous nature, I opted for the second choice. It turned out to be quite a bit further away than I had expected and was actually in Jensen Beach, the next town to the North of Stuart.

Mandarin CrepesPersonally, after I received my order, I was quite happy to have gone the extra distance, because I am sure that IHOP could not compete with the quality of the mandarin crepes that I ordered. For sure, this is a little more pricey than IHOP but I don’t begrudge paying the extra when the food is as good as it was here. I won’t  pretend that they were quite up to the standard of the real thing either in France or that I was used to at home in the UK as a child but still, I would highly recommend them.

Summary

  • Positives: Food was delicious, portions were reasonable.
  • Negatives: Rather pricey!
  • Recommendation: If you don’t object to paying that little bit extra, you should give it a try.
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality **** Very good
Price $$$$ Expensive
Decor *** Bright & modern
Service *** No complaints
Overall Rating *** Good start to the day


Frivolous Foodie Facts
–> The first pancake recipe appeared in an English cookbook in the fifteenth century.
–> Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday is known as ”Carnivale’ in Italy (from the Latin for ‘goodbye to the flesh’)Fasnacht’ in Germany (night of the fast) and ‘Mardi Gras’ (literally ‘Fat Tuesday’) is celebrated in places as diverse as Brazil, New Orleans, and Australia. In Iceland the day is called ‘Sprengidagur’ (bursting day) and is known for the tradition of eating salt, meat and peas. In Greece it is called ‘Apocreas’, which means ‘from the meat’, as it’s traditional for Greeks not to eat meat during Lent.
–> The first recorded pancake day was in Olney, Buchinghamshire in 1445 year.

The Original Pancake House on Urbanspoon[ad name=”Chitika468x120″]

Mar 04

Another Un-Recipe: Creamy ginger-coconut chicken off the cuff!

Un-Chef creamy coconut-ginger chicken

Un-Chef creamy coconut-ginger chicken

On most evenings, I at least have a vague idea about what I am going to prepare for supper. Yesterday, at 7PM, I had less than a clue. There are times when inspiration just totally fails. The only thing I could resort to was looking in the fridge and freezer and see what I could find. Since it was already late and lead time was therefore short, it would have to be something fast and easy. When I found some frozen chicken breast, I knew that I was in business. I threw this quickly in the microwave to defrost while I went hunting for other ingredients to turn meat into a meal!
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Raw ingredientsPictured at left, you will see the raw ingredients that I selected. In fact, they really selected themselves, since this is what I found in our vegetable crispers. I also found carrots, and parsnips but rejected these. Cooking off the cuff is all about making do with what you have at hand but you have to be careful to pick those items where colours, flavours and consistencies match the overall theme of what you have in mind. I was tending towards an Asian-thai-chinese fusion, I guess 😉

Ingredients prepared for cookingThe first step was to prepare these ingredients for cooking. I decided that I would go stir-fry style, so diced everything in relatively small pieces. I kept the chicken and onion separate. After pre-heating a little olive oil in a skillet, I added the onion and sauteed until slightly browned, then added the chicken and cooked stirring frequently until no more pink was visible. Finally I added the remaining chopped ingredients.

Seasonings and spicesThe final step was to select and add the appropriate seasonings and spices. Those of you who have been regular visitors to our pages will already know that I do not generally measure ingredients, so I cannot give you chapter and verse on how much of each to add. However, since the key flavours were to be coc0nut and ginger, you could correctly assume that these were added in larger quantities than the Thai Sweet Chili sauce, Trinidad Green Seasoning and garlic. The sour cream was added (about 1/2 cup to give the creamy consistency.  I could just as easily have used whipping cream, buttermilk or plain yoghourt, though each would lend a slightly different final consistency and might require some thickening agent which was not needed here. Don’t forget that you could easily substitute one or all of the seasonings and sauces that I chose. Just be careful that you test for spicyness if you are not used to flying by the seat of your pants. Once all ingredients were added, the dish was simmered on low heat for 5 – 10 minutes until the vegetables were cooked but still slightly crunchy!

Serving suggestion with brussell sprouts and penne pasta.I chose to serve this dish with penne pasta and brussell sprouts which had been halved, blanched in the microwave and drizzled with a little green seasoning and sweet vidalia onion dressing. These quantities made enough to serve four. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to give it a try.

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Mar 03

Key Lime Cafe & Grill in Stuart is sweeter than its name implies!

Key Lime Cafe Grill

Things won’t go sour at Key Lime Cafe & Grill
If you’re hungry and in Stuart, don’t miss the Key Lime Grill
To find a place this refreshing was really quite a thrill.
The food was not the same tired old thing
And Island Decor gives the place some zing!
And if by chance it’s happy hour, you’ll really love the bill!

Key Lime CafeSince this was now my second trip to Stuart, Florida on what is somewhat euphemistically called the Treasure Coast, I was starting to find my way around. It was also Valentine’s Day and my wife was almost 2,200 KM away, so I would have to make do with Mike as my Valentine?! We had no particular place in mind when we set out. We just headed to the downtown area, parked the car and started to amble around the area.
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Where we went: When we came across the Key Lime CafĂŠ and Grill, we both agreed that it looked both different and promising, though we weren’t quite sure whether it was one establishment or two, since the outdoor patio seemed quite separate from the main building. In any event, we wandered onto the patio, found a table in the shade and took a seat.

What we ordered: Our first impulse here was simply to have a drink since it was still late afternoon. When our server appeared, she appeared to completely fit in with the overall flavour of the place, dressed in very eclectic fashion, right down to her lambskin boots! Mike asked whether they might have a PiĂąa Colada, and I jumped on the bandwagon. However, it turned out that they did not have the ingredients to make them. They also had no beer on tap and no Guiness either. I opted for Sangria, only to be informed that they had no red wine left. Reluctantly, I settled for the same made with white wine! Somewhat uncharacteristically, Mike stuck with water! Since neither of us was ravenously hungry, we both chose an appetizer called ‘Taquito Trio’ which consisted of a chicken, beef and bean soft-shelled taco served with guacamole, queso, salsa and sour cream.

Taquito TrioWhat we got: It turned out that they only had a single serving of guacamole remaining and offered to replace it with mango salsa for one of us. Mike agreed to this substitution and I asked for my salsa to be replaced with mango salsa (usually a $2.50 extra). The server or chef mixed things up a little and I ended up with everything you see pictured (including sour cream off to the side). In spite of the lack of certain ingredients and this slight mix-up, we both agreed that the presentation and taste of the food was way above average and the personality of our server more than made up for any deficiency.

I was in the mood for dessert but the only option, rather predictably, was Key Lime pie which on this occasion just didn’t tickle my fancy. Our final bill came to $16.00. We certainly couldn’t quibble about the price.

Worthy of note: With no other evidence than observing other patrons, we both suspected that this could be one of the local GLBT hang-outs. Certainly Mike with his fluorescent orange T-Shirt and I with my peacock blue one may well have added to that notion!

From Monday thru Friday from 3PM to 6PM, appetisers are half price and domestic beer are 2 for $5  and import 2 for $7

WaterfallBefore leaving, we took a good look around, both inside and out and were surprised to find that in spite of the relatively small frontage, total seating capacity was quite impressive. A great place to hang out with friends later in the evening 

Summary

  • Positives: Even beyond happy hour, prices are reasonable. Staff was helpful and pleasant.
  • Negatives: They were lacking or out of a whole lot of stuff!
  • Recommendation: We both agreed that we would like to go back again!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality **** Very good
Price $$ Extremely reasonable
Decor **** Bright and cheerful
Service **** Quirky but pleasant
Overall Rating **** A great experience


Frivolous Foodie Facts
Key Limes: Long, long ago they were grown in Southern Asia. They eventually made their way to Spain and then, thanks to Christopher Columbus, they made their way to America. Today, most Key Limes are grown in the Florida Keys, in Mexico, and South America.

Key Lime Cafe on Urbanspoon

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Mar 02

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm makes the week-ends sweet!

Stanleys LogoStanleys dining hall

Don’t be a sap!
Check out the sugarbush at Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm
Out in Edwards, to find Stanley’s you’ll likely need a map!
But the trip’s well worth it with Maple Syrup on tap!
You’ll find the farm is exciting, the food it is hearty
It’s a great location for a sweet wedding party
There’s much more to this sugarbush than plenty of sap…

It’s not very often that I get up much before 8 o’clock of a Saturday morning! This week was a little different though since we were headed to a sugarbush some 30 km out of town. It was to be a birthday treat for a 3 year-old so it did not behoove us to be tardy. Although we had been to Stanley’s Farm a few years ago, neither of us recalled exactly how to get there. Leaving the house at 8:25 promptly, we attempted to programme the TomTom to get us there, only to find that it would not recognise the address. For starters, no such place as Edwards was listed. Fortunately, our cell phones (Nokia N8’s), also have built-in GPS and they accepted the address and told us that we would arrive with 1 minute to spare. I had read on the website that Yorks Corners Road is reputed to be one of the worst in Eastern Ontario and can attest to that fact. I would not recommend exceeding the speed limit there unless you wish to attempt wing-less flight.
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As we pulled into the parking lot, we were somewhat surprised to find it completely empty! It is most unlike us to be the first ones anywhere… For a few seconds, we thought perhaps we had date, location or time mixed up. Dorothy ventured into the main building and returned with the knowledge that we were indeed the very first visitors of the 2011 season. Within a few more minutes, however, our friends arrived and we set off to explore the grounds.

Earl Stanley

Earl Stanley, the Lord of the Manor!

Your Hosts: We were fortunate to meet and talk with three members of the Stanley family: Earl & Joy, the owners and their young pre-teen daughter who cleared the tables in the dining hall. Earl bemoaned the fact that he had received some negative blog posts about the quality of food served and that he had no way of countering. He explained that all the food was home-made, the pancakes and fritatta being family-favourite recipes. It was obvious that he has a passion for his business and the entire family (including the grandfather who was present) are justifiably proud of their endeavour. The majority of the balance of the staff were obviously students many of whom appeared to have opening day jitters but who were, without exception friendly and helpful. It was apparent that this was good place to find temporary employment during the all-too-short season from end of February through end of April.

SleighridesThe Sleigh Ride: Alexandra, the birthday girl was too excited to even contemplate eating, so we decided to enjoy the sleighride and work up some real hunger. It was a bitterly cold day but once the horses started to get up some steam the weather was all but forgotten. The ride was enhanced by the personable and affable nature of the driver who gave us much background on the family and farm.
Other Attractions: The sleigh ride terminated in the neighbourhood of the barn, so we ventured there only to be accosted by hungry goats who could sniff every morsel of food however well hidden. Again, friendly personnel was on hand both to control the unruly residents and satisfy any curiosities. After the barn, Alexandra headed to the kids’ playground where she had a ball. Finally, we visited the original building which now houses the giftshop. Somehow, we managed to forgo the taffy shack; I am not quite sure why or how?

breakfast buffet table

First day jittters! Awaiting their first customer...

The Pancake Breakfast: By now, we had managed to work up sufficient hunger to do justice to the breakfast buffet. Earl need not have worried. Even if the pancakes were not top notch, a slathering of butter and a crown of heavenly maple syrup can easily make up for any small deficiency in the batter where it will always be much harder to maintain uniformity and quality-control when dealing with such large quantities. Here is the full menu of items available:

Breakfast Buffet Plate of foodStanley’s Family Recipe Pancakes
French Toast
Maple Baked Beans
Country Style Egg Frittata
Belgian Waffles
Maple Glazed Ham & Sausage
Coffee, Tea & Juice

For our parts, the only minor gripes would be lack of orange juice (only apple and cranberry were available) and lack of bacon.

Further Information: Visit Stanley Farms own website

See our full photojournal of the visit

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Summary

  • Positives: All food is home-made (even pancakes are not from mix). Prices include HST. Extremely kid-friendly with pink pigs and golden bears! 
  • Negatives: A little far to travel! NO bacon or orange juice! Relatively little variety (but it IS a sugarbush!)
  • Recommendation: This made for an extremely enjoyable and relatively inexpensive day out in the fresh air. Fun for kids and adults of all ages!
Category Rating Explanation
Food Quality *** Good Buffet
Price $$ Good value
Decor **** Above Average
Service **** Eager Students & Family
Overall Rating **** A fun outing!


Frivolous Foodie Facts

• Canada produces about 85 per cent of the world’s supply of maple syrup. Quebec produces more than 90 per cent of the Canadian market, while Ontario and the Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) each contribute about four per cent.
• During the sugaring season, the average tree yields 35 to 50 litres of sap, which produces one to 1.5 litres of maple syrup. On average, it takes 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup. 

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