I hadn’t been to Ottawa since August so I was really due for a trip and timed it beautifully to coincide with Winterlude.

I took Via Rail to get there, which is always a great way to travel for two reasons: 1. to avoid weather problems 1. to avoid traffic problems. #smart move

As always, I kept busy. Seeing as I didn’t have a car I was limited to how much I could run around but I still managed to discover a few new spots! (Thanks to my friend who drove me around on Saturday)

1. Maverick’s Donuts: This cute little spot located at 1500 Bank St. offers an array of fun donut options. I scooped up half a dozen to take back to my moms as I was having a few people over on Saturday night and they were a hit.

Maverick’s Donuts is in the same plaza as Farm Boy so it made sense to pop in and do some grocery shopping. Each and every time I visit this store, I’m impressed. Naturally I picked up some fresh curds from St.- Albert Cheese Co-op.

2. Citizen: This new restaurant (207 Gilmour) is brought to you by the same people at Town. I got there early to grab a seat which was a brilliant move as it quickly filled up. The menu offers a lot of vegetarian options and my friend and I had no problem ordering three  veggie dishes. (Charred Broccoli, Roasted Squash and Radicchio Salad, and the Five Leave Salad). Each and every dish was a winner.

 

4  Somehow I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to La Noodle (179 George St) which is Ottawa’s first hand- pulled noodle restaurant. I will be back for more!

I also managed to visit the Ottawa Farmers’ Market which is always one of my favourite activities to do in Ottawa.

Naturally the highlight of my trip was a visit to the Rideau Canal to put on my skates and spend $3 on my childhood treat (maple syrup on a stick). I briefly roamed around to see the beautiful ice sculptures and despite the snow that was falling heavily, I was a happy camper.

As always, I’m looking forward to my next trip to Ottawa which will be to visit the Tulip Festival (May 12 to 22). Please click here to learn more about Ottawa Tourism. 

I grew up in downtown Ottawa surrounded by hotels so I’ve always been interested in the “hotel scene” in Ottawa. The newest hotel to be introduced to Ottawa has opened up in the fabulous Byward Market area and is called the Andaz Hotel.

The check in process can be done online or on site in their intimate lobby area. Immediately after checking in, I sat down at the bar and enjoyed a complimentary beer. Keep reading as there’s more than just one perk at this hotel!
 Then I checked into my stunning room, that featured very stylish clean decor. I felt like I was in NY but I was in Ottawa!! I love how they incorporated “copper” into so many aspects of the room – the alarm clock, lighting, etc.

Even the bathroom taps were copper and gorgeous.

My room included COMPLIMENTARY snacks. When was the last time you saw that? What’s better is that they truly support local suppliers and that’s something you rarely see in a major hotel. (the booze on this tray wasn’t free but everything else was).Even the soap supplier for the Andaz Hotel is local. Truly they are committed to supporting their local community!

As much as I needed to sleep after checking in, I forced myself to go to their 16th floor roof top lounge which overlooks the city. At 5 pm on a weekday, the roof top was busy and everyone was enjoying the fall weather.

There was no need to leave the hotel, as the hotel has a dining room called Feast +Revel . Once again the space is just beautiful. (just like the rest of the hotel!!) and features a menu that really appealed to me.

I dug into this well prepared Elk dish which was described as a 72 hour Elk Ranch elk rib, with a mushroom + salsify, birch jus, sorrel, lemon honey mushroom conserve. My sister (who owns Stunning Ottawa) joined me for dinner and she was super happy with this Steak dish. On the menu its’ described as a Enright Cattle striploin, with lobster butter sauce, dressed baby gem + roasted tomato with Yukon Gold chips. Both of us wanted to drown in the lobster butter sauce!! SO SO good!!

After dinner, I couldn’t resist going back to the 16th floor to enjoy the views of Ottawa at night.

If you are heading to Ottawa, please consider staying at the Andaz Hotel or dining at Feast + Revel. You won’t be disappointed.

Please note, this hotel is BUSY even though it’s new. Book early #justsayin’.

For more information:

ANDAZ OTTAWA BYWARD MARKET
325 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7G1
Tel: +1 613 321 1234

Disclosure: I was provided a media rate but all my opinions are my own

I was in Ottawa this past weekend – one of those very (very) quick visits. i.e. drive in to Ottawa on Saturday and drive back to Toronto on Sunday.

Clearly when we got home, no one was in the mood to cook dinner or even go out for dinner.

This is where the foodora app came in handy. Oh how I love technology!

We were in the mood for Thai and within minutes I was able to place the order, add tip, and even track the delivery. When placing the order, I could even find out what ingredients were in each dish (in the event I was allergic to something or didn’t like a particular spice etc).

When dinner arrived, we ate in comfort (on the couch) – where we belong!!

I wanted to bring it to your attention that it’s possible to enjoy some of the city’s most decadent menu items without venturing down to Exhibition Place with foodora, Toronto’s leading on-demand meal delivery service?

Celebrate the end of summer with fair-type foods delivered so quickly that you’ll enjoy every ooey, gooey bite. For example!

The Notorious P.I.G from Bacon Nation
The restaurant cautions that this item is only for true bacon lovers. This hand-crafted beef burger is topped with bacon strips, peameal bacon, pulled pork, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, onion straws and BBQ sauce and come served on a bacon brioche bun. It’s also served with fries.

Fran’s Triple Decker Reuben
This Toronto special features sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Fran’s homemade dressing, on three slices of marble rye.

The Jurassic Junkie Thin Crust Pizza from Junked Food Co.
This ingenious Junked Food Co. pizza features creamy mac & Cheese, Dr. Pepper pulled pork, maple bacon, mozzarella and Junked cheese sauce.

The Lord Cheesus from OM Grilled Cheese
One of the city’s best grilled cheese sandwiches is the Lord Cheesus which comes loaded with cheddar, brie, brick, harvarti and mozzarella.

Don’t Even Go There from Old School
This cheesecake stuffed egg bread is rolled in toasted coconuts, topped with whipped vanilla cream and orange honey drizzle.

Foodora really left an impression on me and I have no doubt that I might be using this app more often!!

For more information:

Website: www.foodora.com

Twitter and Instagram: @foodora_ca

Disclosure: I was provided a discount code however all opinions are my own

I know I know….it’s hard to believe its August. But it’s here and there’s no shortage of things to do.

I will be off to Mont Tremblant and Ottawa in August so there goes two of my weekends. However some of these events are during the week and I will be there!!

Here’s my round up!

1. The St. Lawrence Market Summer Series – presented in partnership with The Food Dudes – kicks off Thursday, August 4 with a party like no other.
This innovative production merges cuisine and art in an iconic setting to create an unforgettable evening you won’t want to miss. (Which is why I will be there).
The St. Lawrence Market patios will be transformed into a downtown oasis of food, drink, music, performance and celebration, joining the Market’s storied purveyors with Toronto’s finest chefs, musicians and artists in a true feast for the senses.
$30 general admission (plus taxes & fees)
General admission tickets include two food tickets.

Tickets can be purchased here!

2.  Toronto’s newest summer food festival, Feast of St. Lawrence Festival  is taking place from August 12-14, 2016. The festival will begin with Toronto’s newest dining event on Friday evening in support of Foodshare Toronto. On Saturday, the celebration moves to the coveted St. Lawrence Market and Market Street. Activities include indoor food demonstrations using local farm-fresh produce, outdoor food stalls, canning sessions, and seating areas.
Market Street will be also be buzzing with live entertainment. For more information please click here.

3. The CNE – Always my favourite.  ps. You will find me in the food building.  You might also find me on the ferris wheel too. LOL

5. If you like cider, then this event is for you….Toronto Cider Festival is taking place on Aug 27th at Yonge Dundas Square from 1130 am to 1030 pmLooks like August is going to be a tasty month!!

Enjoy the rest of summer everyone.

A year ago today, I started working as a Territory Sales Manager for St.-Albert Cheese Co-op. It’s been a great year introducing this brand to retailers as well as restaurants throughout the GTA.

My history with this Cheese Co-op goes back to my childhood, as my dad use to buy their famous curds regularly when I was a kid growing up in Ottawa.

FYI – In Ottawa these curds are EVERY where. In Toronto, you can find these amazing curds at Longos, Metro and Food Basics!

Many people say to me: “What do I do with them?” or “I don’t have a deep fryer to make poutine”. Well here’s a few ideas how to enjoy St.-Albert curds!

My favourite way to enjoy curds is simply snack on them right out of the bag.

However I’ve also added them on roasted potatoes with gravy (my version of a poutine)

I’ve also added them to my omelette with asparagus.

One night, I simply added these delicious curds to a plate of steaming spinach. Add a bit of pepper and dig in!!

I hope you get a chance to pick up a bag of St.-Albert curds one day soon. You won’t be disappointed. Promise.

For more information:

Website: http://fromagestalbert.com/?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FromagerieStAlbert/

I’ve tried hard over the years, to make it to the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa. I decided to take Friday and Tuesday off of work and visit Ottawa AND Montreal. This particular blog post will be dedicated to the Ottawa segment of the trip.

As always, the first thing I did upon arriving in Ottawa was to stop at Golden Palace (2195 Carling Ave) for an egg roll (or two). Please google “best egg rolls in the world”,….guess what appears?

It also dawned on me that I hadn’t been to Perth for a while so on Saturday we headed to this charming city to visit their farmer’s market.

Naturally I wanted to buy something and this product intrigued me. I’m thinking of putting it on a piece of salmon and then baking it. What do you think?

I didnt’ buy this Loon Kombucha but I should have! #next time

After the farmers market we drove back to Ottawa and went directly to Dow’s Lake to visit the tulips. Please forgive me but I’m going to bore you with a few photos of some beautiful tulips.

See what I mean? One flower is more stunning than the next one!

I can’t decide which photo I like best.

I had a little bit of energy left to drop by Seed to Sausage (729 Gladstone) to pick up a bottle of this root beer syrup by Michael’s Dolce. I had been seeing this product on Instagram and was waiting to return to Ottawa to pick up a bottle, so I was thrilled that I have my hands on it!!

 After our quick trip to Ottawa, we proceeded to Montreal.

Stay tuned for Long Weekend: Montreal – Part 2.

I’ve just returned from a trip to Ottawa. I hadn’t been there for a little over 4 months so I was a bit out touch with the foods scene, but not for long as I posted on facebook: “Where should I eat?” and as always my foodie friends in Ottawa were happy to help.
Here’s a recap of what I discovered;

Datsun  (380 Elgin St) – This is a new trendy restaurant on Elgin St and is owned by the same owners as El Camino. It’s one busy restaurant …even at 10 pm. We ordered two dishes and both were incredibly flavourful. Next time, I need to go with a larger group so I can try more dishes.

We started off with this most satisfying bowl of ramen.

2. Aroma Espresso bar – This a popular coffee chain in Toronto, New York and Israel now has a location in Ottawa. It’s located at Landsdowne Park (300 Marche Way – #109) which has been developed into quite a bustling part of town. What did I order? I tried the new cold pressed ginger and tumeric drink. This beverage (which is available hot or cold) hit the spot and was a great alternative to (another) cup of coffee.

3. Urban  Juice Press  (340 Parkdale Unit B Entrance on, Spencer) I had just purchased beer at Beyond the Pale and as we were turning the corner saw a sign and parked the car again. Loved the space and the organic juice that we purchased. These cold pressed juices can be the perfect pick me up in the middle of the day!

4. Origin Trade Inc. (111 York St) – This new coffee/lounge blew me away. Someone really put some thought into decorating the space. Plus my coffee can best be described as “smooth” with no bitterness whatsoever.

Other discoveries:

This local kombucha that is made in Smith Falls. (purchased at Herb and Spice on Bank St)

2. This local kimchi that I purchased at the Ottawa Farmers Market.

But besides eating my way thru Ottawa, the real reason I went to Ottawa was to celebrate my friends 50th birthday and to hang out with my mom. I’m so lucky to have both of these women in my lives.

As always, I love visiting Ottawa. Hoping to return in May for the Tulip Festival and to discover more great food.

When I received an invitation from the founder of Aquamermaid to try a class, I immediately said “YES”.

Seriously, how often does one get a chance to become a mermaid? LOL

The class started off by picking out our “mermaid tails”.

Then everyone introduced themselves with their real name, their mermaid name, and their favourite stretch.

Following the introductions, we got into the water and everyone swam a length.

Then the fun started, as we wiggled into our our respective mermaid tails.

We did some drills in the water – front, back, side. Trust me, everyone was smiling and having fun.

As you can see from this next photo, being a mermaid is harder than it looks!

Then we got a chance to take more photos. LOL.

Things you should know:

-guys can participate and in fact there was a guy in our class.

-this is a super fun party idea for kids AND adults.

-the Mermaid school exists in Ottawa and Montreal as well

-you can actually buy the mermaid tail!

For more information:

www.aquamermaid.com

Instagram: Aquamermaid

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Aquamermaidschool

Youtube; Aquamermaid (please oh please click on this link to really get a sense how cool this class is)

Phone: 1 866 279 2767

I’ve been off the radar for the last 30 days….no blog posts, no events, no movies, no parties, and very little facebook posts or tweets. My life has changed as my dad passed away on October 28th. I know my blog isn’t a ‘Personal Blog” but I feel like I need to write about my dad and how fortunate I was to have a dad like him.

I truly had a wonderful childhood and was raised by an amazing mom and dad who taught me how to enjoy life. People often wonder where I get my “sense of adventure”. Well – the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. My parents worked hard but spent Sundays roaming around the country side going to every fair outside Ottawa, known to man kind (Carp, Navan and Perth to name just a few). We went to Provincial Parks for picnics and to swim, and to local parks to attend Greek Festivals and Rib Festivals. Not to mention, every winter we went to visit some Ice Fishing Competition!

Ive often blogged how I go to the Maple Syrup Festival every year. Again – it’s because my dad took us every year to this Festival for pancakes and maple syrup and I wanted to give my kids that same type of experience!!

Yes – life was not boring in the Gosewich family.

My dad owned a sports store called Ritchie’s  Sport Shop for 45 years and this store was also a major part of my life. I would get on a bus every Saturday (like clockwork) with a friend and visit his store to flirt with the cute staff and visit my dad. Ok – I shopped too!!

His store received PLENTY of media as he was right downtown as well as an independent retailer. Not to mention he was well liked. When he turned 70 I put together this collage of the press clippings that my mom saved over the years.

When I went away to university, my dad wrote me many letters and I was fortunate to keep many of them and read them to him this past year. Those letters are so special and SO funny. For a quiet man that stood 6 ft 4 – he certainly had a great sense of humour. See that press clipping on the right? Well that’s the soap opera column (Feb 22, 1985) so I could keep up with my soap operas while attending Tel Aviv University. My dad was so thoughtful!!

Friends often ask me, “How did I become such a foodie”. I always reply that it was my dad who introduced me to great food. For some reason, it was my dad who did the grocery shopping. He would often come back with unusual fruit or rye bread (with the seeds of course) or some Laura Secord Bark for my mom. He exposed me to oysters at a young age, sushi in the early 1980’s, and kumquats when I was a teenager!

My trips to Ottawa won’t be the same anymore. My mom and my sister and I will miss his presence. However I have many (many) happy memories and he will always be remembered.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post!!

 

It’s that time of year where the Jewish Community is entertaining. Conversations go like this:

Me: Will you be entertaining over the holidays?

Friend:  Having 1o guests for dinner on Sunday night and on Monday night, 16 guests are coming over. For lunch we got invited to X house on Monday and X house on Tuesday.

Me: I’m off to Ottawa. I won’t be cooking a lot but will be bringing in kasha and bow ties for my parents and some challah buns for my friend.

So let’s talk about those challah buns. You see, I saw a link for 20 Rosh Hashanah Inspired Dinner Ideas by www.shiksaguide.com.   I shared it on Facebook and asked my friend in Ottawa if I should make #16 and bring it her house for lunch. She replied: Yes Please.

So I assembled the ingredients: (P.S. for the complete recipe please click here).

-small frozen Challahs (available at No Frills at Bathurst/Wilson).

– 1/2 cup of Craisins

– 1/2 cup of PC  Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

-Zest from one orange.

Then I had fun breaking the challahs apart and stuffing them with the combo of chocolate chips, orange zest and Craisins, and the forming them into little knots. The last step was a quick egg wash. Then they went into a preheated oven at  325 F for 20 minutes.

From those six small frozen challahs, I got 12 small DELICIOUS stuffed buns. They were almost like a dessert bun. Next time, I think I’m going to stuff with them with apples and cinnamon. Seriously, one could get very creative with this recipe!!

I also bought 16 honey sticks for each guest. I took this idea also from facebook as I follow these four fabulous sisters who have a blog called Dinner Table HQ. When I read their latest blog post about Rosh Hashana and the Dinner Table, I said “wow I like that idea” and went out and bought some honey sticks at Wychwood Farmers Market.

To all my Jewish Friends……wishing you all the best for a sweet New Year.