Saturday, August 25, 2012
Vegie Poutine in Toronto
I suppose I should put up one photo of Poutine on this blog...though as this one was vegetarian and gluten free, I am sure my Canadian friends would say it doesn't count :p
Toronto - the beer....
As you will have seen from my photos, Toronto has an amazing historic distillery district with some gorgeous architecture. Jay was probably, however, more impressed with the brews on offer inside at the Mill Street Brew Pub :) I had to settle for more yam fries after explaining to the confused waiter that I don't drink beer despite being at a brewery.
Toronto - the food
Time to finish my food blog posts from Canada.....if I can remember where we went...oops sort of rand out of steam at the end there.
We had probably one of the best meals of our trip in Toronto (and no Jay didn't have to eat cabbage). It was at a vegan restaurant called Fressen - which was also helpfully a few blocks away from the local 80s/goth/industrial club.
To start with, we shared the eggplant manicotti. I must try and make these. Quite similar to an eggplant cannelloni I make.
Then it was on to mains...with crusted tofu for Jay and a gluten free corn pasta for me. Jay's looked like an art work that he really shouldn't haven't eaten. Mine though less beautiful tasted absolutely incredibly, and was definitely the best GF pasta I have ever had at a restaurant.
Despite Jay's cabbagetown-angst, I must also just report that there is a fabulous pub there, amongst the crazy junkies, called House on Parliament - probably more for meat eaters, but great looking pub fare, cocktails and of course beer....
I had a brilliant Pimm's Cup with a golden beet salad (never had those before, very yum!). This was also the only place in North America that Jay and I saw a wine class with a line as in Canberra....
We had probably one of the best meals of our trip in Toronto (and no Jay didn't have to eat cabbage). It was at a vegan restaurant called Fressen - which was also helpfully a few blocks away from the local 80s/goth/industrial club.
To start with, we shared the eggplant manicotti. I must try and make these. Quite similar to an eggplant cannelloni I make.
Then it was on to mains...with crusted tofu for Jay and a gluten free corn pasta for me. Jay's looked like an art work that he really shouldn't haven't eaten. Mine though less beautiful tasted absolutely incredibly, and was definitely the best GF pasta I have ever had at a restaurant.
Despite Jay's cabbagetown-angst, I must also just report that there is a fabulous pub there, amongst the crazy junkies, called House on Parliament - probably more for meat eaters, but great looking pub fare, cocktails and of course beer....
I had a brilliant Pimm's Cup with a golden beet salad (never had those before, very yum!). This was also the only place in North America that Jay and I saw a wine class with a line as in Canberra....
Friday, August 17, 2012
I ended up finding a copy of the Canadian Constitution - in an incredibly unusual way.
We're back. Well, not completely home yet, but in Sydney, and the dreaded jetlag has struck. Our flight from Ottawa to Vancouver was on time, but the flight from Vancouver to Sydney was delayed. Lots of tired and grumpy Australians waiting at the gate, past midnight, including us. Fifteen hours after takeoff we were back in Sydney, and it didn't take long to get out of the airport and into the first direct sunshine for about 31 hours. Ottawa is a bloody long way away.
I quite liked Ottawa. Posts probably didn't sound all that enthusiastic but I think this was because I was getting a bit tired, as well as being conscious of the looming flight home.
But here's a story.
The other day, I moaned about how I couldn't get a copy of the Canadian Constitution from the bookshop in the Houses of Parliament (there are many, many, MANY things that differentiate Canadians from Americans, in my observation, and knowledge about their founding documents is one of them - you face societal ostracision in the US if you can't quote chapter and verse, but in Canada, nobody seems to know much about them). I followed this up with inquiries at a few large bookshops in the centre of Ottawa, as well as the bookshop at the Museum of Civilisation, which had an exhibition/display on Constitutional development, but no copies of same document available for purchase. I comforted myself with the thought that my enquiries might prompt these institutions to stock some copies for future customers - even though it wouldn't do anything for me.
Anyway, so we're at the departure gate in Ottawa, waiting to leave, and I'm wearing my Icelandic 'brennivin' t-shirt as I always do when flying. This guy sitting opposite me asks about it, because his wife is Finnish. I engage in conversation, and he instantly thinks I'm British (my accent isn't Australian enough? -struth!) but I correct him, and we get onto talking about Australia which is where he guest lectures sometimes. We get on to talking, and soon enough we're talking 'what we did in Ottawa' and I mentioned the tour of Parliament and how I couldn't get a copy of the Constitution from the bookshop. Expecting him to stare blankly at me, or wonder what planet I was from, he said "give me your email address and I'll post you a copy - I'm a Senator".
How weird. I mean, how *unbelievably* weird. He really is a Senator - Vern White, from Ontario. Good thing I said nothing about politics as he's from the 'wrong' side of the spectrum, but a very nice man with a highly distinguished record of public service. And as he was rattling off all these career achievements (including outgoing chief of Ottawa Police - but not in a boastful way, mind you) I felt myself lapsing into the Australian 'tall poppy' reaction and started thinking to myself 'this guy can't possibly have done all those things', but it turns out he has.
It's a shame *that* flight couldn't have been delayed, because soon enough the flight was called, but I'd have loved to chat a bit longer about similarities and differences between our two systems.
Anyway, I've sent him my address, so hopefully a copy will soon arrive in the post.
I quite liked Ottawa. Posts probably didn't sound all that enthusiastic but I think this was because I was getting a bit tired, as well as being conscious of the looming flight home.
But here's a story.
The other day, I moaned about how I couldn't get a copy of the Canadian Constitution from the bookshop in the Houses of Parliament (there are many, many, MANY things that differentiate Canadians from Americans, in my observation, and knowledge about their founding documents is one of them - you face societal ostracision in the US if you can't quote chapter and verse, but in Canada, nobody seems to know much about them). I followed this up with inquiries at a few large bookshops in the centre of Ottawa, as well as the bookshop at the Museum of Civilisation, which had an exhibition/display on Constitutional development, but no copies of same document available for purchase. I comforted myself with the thought that my enquiries might prompt these institutions to stock some copies for future customers - even though it wouldn't do anything for me.
Anyway, so we're at the departure gate in Ottawa, waiting to leave, and I'm wearing my Icelandic 'brennivin' t-shirt as I always do when flying. This guy sitting opposite me asks about it, because his wife is Finnish. I engage in conversation, and he instantly thinks I'm British (my accent isn't Australian enough? -struth!) but I correct him, and we get onto talking about Australia which is where he guest lectures sometimes. We get on to talking, and soon enough we're talking 'what we did in Ottawa' and I mentioned the tour of Parliament and how I couldn't get a copy of the Constitution from the bookshop. Expecting him to stare blankly at me, or wonder what planet I was from, he said "give me your email address and I'll post you a copy - I'm a Senator".
How weird. I mean, how *unbelievably* weird. He really is a Senator - Vern White, from Ontario. Good thing I said nothing about politics as he's from the 'wrong' side of the spectrum, but a very nice man with a highly distinguished record of public service. And as he was rattling off all these career achievements (including outgoing chief of Ottawa Police - but not in a boastful way, mind you) I felt myself lapsing into the Australian 'tall poppy' reaction and started thinking to myself 'this guy can't possibly have done all those things', but it turns out he has.
It's a shame *that* flight couldn't have been delayed, because soon enough the flight was called, but I'd have loved to chat a bit longer about similarities and differences between our two systems.
Anyway, I've sent him my address, so hopefully a copy will soon arrive in the post.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Ottawa, part two
Short post today. Yesterday we went to the Canadian Museum of Civilisation, which covered the development of the country (culturally and politically), with an emphasis on First Peoples and on notable Canadians. Walked across the river which divides Ontario from Quebec, as the museum was on the other side. No rain, first time in Ottawa. We then went to watch the new Woody Allen film, which was hilarious. Ottawa's cinemas are really small - small screen, very little gap between rows, would have hated to have been in there if the room was packed because I'd have struggled to see the screen.
Later on that night we had dinner at an awesome vegan restaurant (which I'm sure Cathy will post about later), and we went to an industrial club which was about 3 blocks from our hotel and was the place where Cathy saw FLA play about 18 months ago. Very jealous of that!
Didn't do too much today, as we're pretty much at the end now. Accordingly, it's hard to write too much, so will probably write some more later, once we're back.
Later on that night we had dinner at an awesome vegan restaurant (which I'm sure Cathy will post about later), and we went to an industrial club which was about 3 blocks from our hotel and was the place where Cathy saw FLA play about 18 months ago. Very jealous of that!
Didn't do too much today, as we're pretty much at the end now. Accordingly, it's hard to write too much, so will probably write some more later, once we're back.
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