Barry's Bay! Who knew?

Since I've moved back to Canada, I've been doing a lot of random gigs in towns in Ontario I've never heard of. Little remote, tiny communities that are sometimes cute, sometimes sketchy but most of the time - there's always something charming about them. Honestly! There really is. So I was booked to do a "Winter Carnival" show in Barry's Bay, Ontario. I'd never been to Barry's Bay and anytime I mentioned to someone I was doing a gig there they had never heard of it either so that's always a tiny bit weird but kind of intriguing. It was a long drive because I was driving from London, Ont. Seven hours! But I had some good podcasts and music. Plus, a hands free headset that I can make calls to people in my life I need to catch up with who are windbags! I have all the time in the world while driving to Barry's Bay! I arrived at about 4pm. Show wasn't until 8:30 so I had some time to shower and nap before grabbing some dinner and then the show. When I drove up to the motel I was staying at, "The Mountainview Motel" - there were more skidoos (snowmobiles) than there were cars so that's a funny start! I check in and it's a cute little office that smells of fresh baking. Nice, cozy welcome... especially since it's easy to go to the creepy small town vibe when you see skidoos - cue the deliverance music. A very friendly Scottish man greets me and checks me in. Gives me an actual key! The days of the actual key are so unsafe if you think about it. It has your room number on the key so if you misplace or lose your key, someone can see what room you're in and come on in! Anyway, I mention to the friendly scotsman that it smells amazing and he says in his charming Scottish accent "that's my wife's famous toffee pudding!" YUM???!!?!?!? I then notice they have a dinner menu and a tiny dining room - which is right next to their home/kitchen where they cook for the dining room. Cute!I inquired about the menu, he said that his wife cooks all the food homemade. There's nothing more welcoming on the road than a home cooked meal! He told me to call and order 20 minutes before I am ready to eat. So, I did and asked if he had a wine opener because I brought a bottle of red wine. He did of course and told me I could bring a glass of my own wine to have with my spaghetti. This place keeps getting better and better! I got to the dining room, candles lit, smells awesome. I am sitting at one of the four tables and I'm the only one there. My food comes - nice big plate of spagetti, served with garlic toast. Delicious! Ate every bite! Then the man asked me if I wanted dessert. No way! Tooooo full. Then his wife shows up and says "are you sure I can't offer you a small piece of my toffee pudding?" I don't know if it was the accent or what but I said "ok!" They gave me a complimentary piece of warm toffee cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream, I had a yummy spagetti dinnerand brought my own wine. The whole bill was $9.00 plus tax and tip. I obviously gave them $20.00 - keep the change! What I learned from this experience was you can't judge a book by its cover. The next time you see a motel with snowmobiles parked in front of it - don't go to the deliverance place in your mind so quickly - maybe go to the bagpipes and toffee pudding place! Here's some pictures!

Rose and Sons!

The Annex is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Toronto. It is downtown but neighbourhood-y. There was a diner that had been on Dupont close to Davenport for years called "People Hamburgers". I don't know how long it was there but judging by the outside and the inside for that matter - it had been a long time! It had an old fashioned looking sign with lights all around it and a small friendly vibe inside. One day I was walking by it and it had an official looking notice on the window that said it was closing. Weird. Surprising. Sad - because you can't help but think it was a family owned restaurant that had been around forever. Who knows why it closed. After a few months, a new restaurant opened up. I had heard it was supposed to be very good. I looked up reviews and every review was really positive. Apparently the chef from The Drake was opening this new little place. I was anxious to try it! The reviews described the food at Rose and Sons as high end comfort food and many people wrote that they loved the patty melt so I went in thinking about that. I went there when I was off the booze so I had a ginger ale which came in a cute glass bottle. I like glass bottles - drinks taste better and it's not bad for the environment. My boyfriend had a tangerine juice! Different! I do feel weird and nerdy ordering juice and soft drinks while out for dinner. We ordered the cornbread as an appetizer. It was very good! It had a hot sauce drizzled on top with green onions sprinkled over it. It was grilled and had just the right amount of sweetness and moistness. I'd order that again for sure. For main courses - we got the ... Patty Melt (burger grilled cheese, fried onions, french fries, chill mayo). Obviously it was going to happen, once I had already seen all those glowing reviews about it. And the other entree - Skirt steak, roasted beets, garlic bread, blue cheese (basically it was a really good quality steak sandwich). The food is slightly expensive - steak sandwich was $26.00 but it was GOOOOOD! That's the thing - almost always when food is that pricey it's good because it has to be! It's like when I do a show where they are paying me a lot of money - I have an added pressure to perform at my best. Sorry but money changes things guys... The Patty Melt was a little more affordable - at $15.00. The Patty Melt was cooked medium rare which is something us Canadians have a hard time seeing because we always have our burgers in restaurants well done. It was delicious, juicy, decadent but not sickeningly so. Just right! The fries were also excellent but the gravy was AWESOME!!! Wow. It really was amazing. I don't know what they put in that gravy but when we ran out of fries to dip into it I wanted desperately to have something else to stick in there! YUM! The steak was great too. Really fresh food that seems to be made by people who seem to care about what they are putting on a plate. The beets were a really nice, healthy touch. Sweet, earthy flavour against the blue cheese was perfect. The other thing about Rose and Sons is that there was a lot of other dishes on the menu I was dying to try - that almost never happens. There's a grilled romaine salad (a twist on the typical ceasar salad) and a fried rice dish that looked really tasty and intriguing. The head chef/owner was very friendly. He pretended to get mad at me when I was taking a picture of the menu and the food. I was scared at first. haha. He was super nice and has a really, really good restaurant that I am really, really looking forward to going back to. Maybe I'll try something new. But, it's going to be hard not to order that gravy again... I mean patty melt!

Spuntini! Toronto!

I had been meaning to try "Spuntini" for a long time. I LOVE Italian food. I've loved it ever since I was a kid in high school. I had a lot of Italian friends and would devour homemade pasta sauces, fresh bread, light crisp green salads and the softest, freshest romano cheese that their moms would prepare! Makes me want it right now. I once asked my friend Linda's mom how she made her red sauce and she answered me with a "I don't know, I just throw some stuff together and cook it for a long time". "Oh, ok, let me just get a pen and write that down!" Needless to say I've never been able to make it the way they did but really, why should I expect to? I didn't grow up with an Italian mom cooking sauce all the time. I grew up with a mom who has a British background. So if you want me to serve you tea, overcooked veggies and maybe some bangers and mash... har har har... All this to say I was really excited to try "Spuntini" on Avenue Road in Toronto. My sister has been to Spuntini a bunch of times and loves it. She is a tough critic and it's in my neighbourhood so let's do it. My sister had told me about their complimentary white bean dip served with baguette which I found interesting. I didn't know that Italian cuisine was known for bean dip but it was good!

Besides, I love it in general when places give a little bit of free stuff. Come on people. It doesn't cost much and it's a nice touch for God's sake! I was too excited to eat at Spuntini's so it was really hard to decide what to order. I ended up going for a seafood linguine as my main course because I never cook seafood at home so it was a treat. I had a ceasar salad as an appetizer. It seems like a boring appetizer but it's rare that a restaurant gets the caesar right so I thought I'd give it a chance. The salad was awesome! Just the right amount of everything in the dressing, a nice big piece of bacon on top and a crostini! Yum! Loved it! It was one of the best caesar salads I've ever had.

My seafood linguine was very good. It was light but also rich and flavourful...

... BUT ... and this still upsets me on some level - there was more than three bites that had a sandy/gritty texture to it - like as if the shells were not cleaned properly. That was the only issue with my visit to "Sputini" in terms of the food but that's a big one. Turned me off of eating anymore. I tried to not notice but the last bite was so gritty that I had to spit it out into my napkin!!! Embarrassing!!! Bleh. (I don't have a picture of that!) It's always uncomfortable complaining about a meal when you've got other people at the table. The world just doesn't want to be around a complainer, even if it is justified but I don't care. If that was my restaurant I would want to know if I was serving something that tasted like it had a heaping tablespoon of sand in it! Wouldn't you? So I said something about it to the waiter - who, incidentally was the other issue I had with our experience. He was fine but had that attitude like he was doing us a favour by serving us. Sorry to bother you buddy but this is your job mother f er! And we are all either currently servers or used to be servers so you should be nice to us $$$$... Double bleh. Anyway, he didn't seem that apologetic about my gritty linguine but five minutes later he brought over a complimentary dessert platter! Which was nice but I really didn't want dessert. Now I know I sound like an unreasonable high maintenance lady right now but, honestly, I didn't want dessert. I was not hungry or in the mood for anything else. I wanted him to at least discount my meal or take it off the bill. SAND IN FOOD guys! Having said that - the desserts were great and at least he made some kind of effort. The desserts were creme brûlée, tiramisu, tartufo and cheesecake!

Also, the waiter got nicer to us as it got closer to bill time coincidentally! Arrggg! Annoying! Anyway, I read on line about how great "Spuntini" is - food and service. I probably just had an off-ish experience- a waiter with a bad attitude and maybe a new cook made a mistake by not rinsing the mussel shells well enough. Sh%t happens. (am i allowed to swear on my own blog?) (is sh%t still a swear word, really?) The red wine and ceasar salad was REALLY GOOD though. Ok, I will go back and give it another try. Fingers crossed I don't get Grouchy Mc-I'm-doing-u-a-favour waiter and careless Mc-I'm-Sure-These-Shells-Are-Washed-Well-Enough Cook. That was wordy but cute, no? At least I'm trying which is more I can say for our waiter at "Spuntini"... ok, I'll move on!

I heart Montreal!!

Oh I love Montreal. There's something about Quebec that is so special. I hope they never separate from the rest of Canada because Canada will be way less cool. There truly is a joie de vivre there. Quebecers wear their heart on their sleeve. They are expressive without apology and what might seem tacky or inappropriate in Ontario is downright charming in Quebec. A couple weeks ago I was working at "The Comedy Works" in Montreal. If you're ever in Montreal you HAVE to go. The Works is the BEST comedy club in Montreal by far and arguably one of the best in the country! So, I started this food blog because I often find it hard to find good food on the road and like to rely on locals to recommend restaurants. There are a lot of challenges eating on the road - where and when. I don't want to eat too close to showtime because I'm amped up to do a show. The first night we were in Montreal it was 10:30 and I was starving - hadn't eaten since 3:00. The options late at night are limiting so someone recommended Dunn's. Almost ready to faint from starvation (ok, a little dramatic), no food at the hotel and unfamiliar with the area... Dunn's it is!

Dunn's on a Friday night at midnight is an interesting place. It's entertaining - like a dinner and show! I ordered a Reuben sandwich. It was INTENSELY big! I am not complaining but the amount of meat looked almost comical! How am I going to eat all this? No, like, how am I even going to fit this giant sandwich in my mouth to take a bite?

It hit the spot! Really good fries too! I'm sure there's a million other places to go in Montreal but if you're in a pinch and famished, go to Dunn's. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement but I mean it! It's good and you know what you're getting! Ok, so the next day I wanted something a healthier notch up from Dunn's. I looked on Urbanspoon and Yelp and finally after a lot of careful consideration and the limited amount of recommended places open for brunch AND even if they were open might not be able to get in because they're all booked with reservations etc, etc... We decided to go to a place called "Holder".

Holder is in Old Montreal which was also an incentive because it's eating and being tourist-y! ... it's Old Montreal guys! Just look at this picture and tell me if you wouldn't mind eating your eggs around it!

I ordered the smoked salmon platter with a bagel, capers, red onion and a salad. The night before I had smoked meat. The day after, smoked salmon. I've never had so many smoked things in one 24 hr period! Must of been all those people smoking in Quebec. It got me in the mood for all things smoked!

My meal was fresh, delicious, satisfying! The salad was amazing! So simple. Just baby greens! The vinagraitte was so light and PERFECTLY balanced with the right amount of vinegar to oil ratio. It's not easy to do. I was very impressed with the whole meal - especially the salad.

My bf ordered eggs benedict. It was served with "gratin dauphinois". I've never heard of that! Sounds good though! I looked up gratin dauphinois on Wikepedia- "This classic French potato gratin dish is world famous... this famous dish was created as a way of encouraging the "Dauphin" (the young prince destined to become King Henri II), to eat up his vegetables, hence the name!" Ok, a couple things come to mind - world famous dish? Embarrassing I've never heard of it. And also, potato is considered a vegetable? Check out a picture of the Eggs Benny, paying special attention to the gratin dauphinoise! Oh, and also really look at the fruit salad! This is a classy place for a simple farm girl like me. I'm not a farm girl but I felt like one while the French maitre de talked to me. Maybe I shouldn't have worn my overalls. I didn't wear overalls. I just thought it would be a funny visual along with the farmer reference and apparently I am addicted to lying now...

Alright... fast forward to the afternoon. I wanted to get a bit of writing done before the show. Perhaps write a hilarious new joke for the shows that evening. So I went to "Hurleys" on Crescent street. Beautiful street. Have I said I like Montreal yet? Look how pretty these pictures are of the exterior of Hurleys!

Inside Hurleys there are a thousand little nooks and crannies. Each little area has its own personality too. I wanted a quiet, tiny space where I could be alone and focus. You're thinking - go to a library Jen. Is there beer at libraries??? I found a perfect place.

Then a couple of douchebag-y guys (who were in town for UFC - sigh) came in and ruined the vibe with their gross-ness. But lucky for me I was almost done my pint. I also got some material about ridiculous wrestling enthusiasts! Cannot wait to go back to Montreal!

Kaffe 1870 in Wakefield Quebec!

Wakefield is pretty much my favourite place to be. It's a tiny village situated along a river. A river you can SWIM in!
It has that home town vibe but also progressive.
There are a few bars but my favourite and the most popular is Kaffe 1870. The Kaffe is on the corner as soon as you enter the village looking out onto the Gatineau River.
Their beer is always good. It's always cold, bubbly and fresh tasting. A lot of pubs cannot boast such consistency!!! They also have local Quebec beers on tap - my favourite - "Boreale Blond". It's a blond beer but with distinction. They can use that for their advertising campaign if they want.
My sister likes an IPA they have a lot. I'm not sure if it's also Boreale but it is wayyyyyy too hoppy for me. Tastes like a penny to me.
Anyway, my sister and I went in for lunch. We ordered a reuben sandwich and a portabello sandwich and we shared. The reuben was AMAZING. It was characteristically flavourful without being heavy. The portabello sandy was very good too with lemon pesto goat cheese on it and roasted red peppers. Both sandwiches served with potato chips. Here's the thing - I normally don't like it when places serve chips instead of fries but these were kettle brand chips. They clearly use good quality ingredients at the Kaffe. They also served homemade cole slaw that was ... you guessed it... fresh and delicious. And it was the mayo kind of coleslaw - I normally prefer the vinegar-y kind but their coleslaw converted me.
Aside from the food and fresh beer the Kaffe has great live music every week, an amazing view, great ambience, nice service. Ahhhh! I love it there. If you find yourself in Wakefield you HAVE TO GO THERE!!!

Tide and Boar in Moncton!

While on tour in the Maritimes, between shows I stayed in Moncton visiting family. We all met at a restaurant called "Tide and Boar". When it was suggested to me by my sister in law she said "it's supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Canada". Whoa. Ok. Settle down.

Tide and Boar had a nice website. They called themselves a "Gastropub", which I know is a new, trendy term but it doesn't sound appealing. When referring to a place to eat I'm not sure if "gas" should be in the terminology. "Pub", yes. Farts. No.
Anyhooooo...
On their site they say -
"..a Gastropub... is a pub with creative food, amazing drink and craft beer from all over, come and see for yourself."
This still doesn't really answer my question but ok. I'll come see for myself.
When we got there the lighting was so bright. I know that sounds like a high maintenance complaint but lighting is so key. It had the lighting of a cafeteria. Is this a "gastroteria"?? Seriously guys... I know, bad joke. They can't all be gems.
So I asked the waitress about the lighting - yes - I was that person. Sure, to her I was annoying but I bet everyone in there would've thanked me for the better lighting. So I will take one for the team. You're welcome.
So what to drink? It was kind of a hard decision because they had some fancy cocktails on the drink menu. I think that seems to be part of the trend alongside the gastropub - good old fashioned cocktails like the "Old Fashioned", "Mint Julip", "Manhattan". I don't normally drink cocktails but considered it for a minute just because they had them and it was different. But, I decided to go with a local-ish beer on tap - "Garrison" Nut Brown Ale (brewed in Halifax). Very good. Dark without being too heavy or bitter.
The food menu was very unique. Sometimes menus like that can be intimidating because you might not know what half the stuff is. When you're not sure what it is there's a good chance you'll be apprehensive to injest it.
We decided to try "Southern Fried Quail" as an appetizer. I've never had quail before but forced myself out of my comfort zone and tried it! I liked it but it seemed to not have much meat on it. A lot of work to eat it. There was a nice light, flavourful batter on it but I kind of felt like I hadn't really eaten anything. My sister in law ordered Polenta Fries which I tried and they were excellent. Anything fried is usually good. Let's be honest. But these were, again, unique. As a main course I decided to try Pulled pork poutine. Alliteration! It was really good except the Pork had that taste of not quite fresh. Not old like it's going to make me sick but old like it has that after taste that is not fresh-fresh. So that was a little disappointing. The rest of the poutine was good though. Hard to screw up fries, gravy and cheese...
I did that whole - "you order this and I'll order that and we'll share!" Which guys love - haha... The other dish we ordered was Parmesan Crusted Haddock. It was served with a fennel slaw - which I liked - didn't know I liked fennel. Apparently I do. At least the way they did it. The fish was cooked really nice with a delicious, light coating. The haddock was served with... the highlight of the whole dinner ........ the Tide and Boar salad!!!! It's weird but the SALAD was the BEST thing of the meal! So so good. That was the consensus of the WHOLE group. You know a salad is good when it's everyone's favourite! A salad!
I can't explain exactly what was so good but the dressing, the combination of the flavours, the - everything. You've got to try it.
Here's what was in it -
Artisan lettuce, shallot dressing, roasted root vegetables, toasted granola, parmesan.

We had heard that Tide and Boar was considered one of Canada's top restaurants. If that's true, we must have been there on a bad night. Many, many people have raved about Tide and Boar and urbanspoon also has very good reviews. They must have just been off that night. I guess everyone is allowed to have a mediocre night it's just not the best when it happens and you're paying for it. Not cheap either. But I will go back for sure. One more time. If for no other reason than to have that excellent salad again!

Jitterbean Cafe!!!

CBC Radio was doing a story about a cafe in Moncton that was potentially threatened by two bigger coffee companies coming into the neighbourhood. I'm sure you can guess what big coffee companies I am referring to. Well, at least one ... and the other one is Second Cup.
I am not as critical when it comes to Second Cup because they are a Canadian company that has had to try to fight for their existence themselves against said "other" company coming in from the U.S.
Turns out, the owner of "Jitterbean Cafe" said that she has not been affected by the new corporate presence; that her business is still going great because of a loyal local regular customers.
Obviously I had to check this place out!!!
So we go there and it's super cute right away. Nice atmosphere! Pretty decor! Definitely a nice place to grab a coffee and read a book or write.
I see Pumpkin Spiced Latte on special. I want to try it. Wonder if it's as sweet as the "other" places seasonal latte treat. I ask for it but would like to not have cow's milk (I like cows milk but it doesn't like me). The woman working there, who as it turns out is the owner - nice! a hands on nice owner who is friendly. Refreshing! So, she asks if I want almond milk in my latte. ALMOND MILK?!?!?!?!?! Yes I do! Wtf though? I've never found a coffee place that serves almond milk. Amazing. I wondered why the "other" place didn't have an option of almond milk since almond milk has become a lot more popular than soy milk over the last few years. I guess it's because they are all corporate-y - If that "other" place tried to bring in almond milk it would be a giant deal - have to be approved, paper work filled out, everything done in triplicate... on and on and on. ....
I had never had a latte made with almond milk. I was excited to try it. It was very good. Listen. Nothing replaces cows milk if you're used to it but almond milk is pretty darn good, especially since it's unsweetened and it's really good if the alternative is NO LATTE.
Here's another cool thing about Jitterbean. They have a book exchange. They operate on the honour system. Honour??? Wow. I have made a note to go back with a couple of books next time I am there. It's a cute thing to have there, and its smart on the owner's behalf - people come back to bring books! Ok, maybe not everyone but the ones you'd want for your clientelle... like me!
Check out the pictures below!
And check out the cafe in real life if you're in Moncton! They have grilled paninis too and other food stuff!
I am glad I went to Jitterbean.
I left with a book, caffeinated and a feeling that everything might be ok with the world

Authentic Newfoundland food! Yes! Best kind!

Just flew back from Newfoundland and boy is my liver tired. Get it? They drink a lot there.
The last couple times I was in St. John's I had wanted to try some authentic local food but ended up just eating at Subway and Boston Pizza. Which, in all honesty is consistent but not exactly exciting.
So, I really made an effort to ask the locals about authentic Newfoundland food and the consensus seemed to be Velmas or Beachy Cove.
So, on Friday we went to Velmas on Water street. Cute little unassuming place - good start - often exceptional restaurants are plain looking - the food is the star there.
The waitress was super friendly like a true Newfoundlander. She recommended the fish cakes and the Cod au Gratin, telling me that they are Velma's specialty. It's cool when you go to a place with a name in the title of it and that person is actually the chef. Also the locals the night before had told me that it is unique to have cod in fish and chips- because most places outside of Newfoundland use haddock and halibut for fish and chips.

I ordered the fish cakes. If I was brave I would've ordered the cod tongues. It seems a bit less gross to eat a fish tongue than another kind of tongue - like cows tongue but it's still too weird for me...

The fish cakes were good but I liked the Cod au Gratin (my friend and fellow comic Karen O'Keefe had ordered) and I also liked Julien Dionne's (also fellow comic and bf) lunch - Fish Burger better.
The Cod au Gratin doesn't sound like something I would like but whoa baby it was good. It was decadent without being sickeningly rich. Julien's fish burger was the same - of course it is deep fried but not greasy and heavy - fresh and light tasting. VERY good! So, I was jealous of other peoples meals. Good thing I force people to share with me...

Beer Fest in Toronto!!!

I love beer. I have an interest in different types of beers- local, micro breweries- so when I saw there was a beer fest in Toronto... I was into it!

The ticket was a bit steep I thought($50.00) but you get some tokens for that and a souvenir mug. It was a glass mug too - which I love because it's environmental and because you use it the day of to keep tasting different beers. Things taste better in glass.

Most of the beers cost one token for a half of a mug. The mug was about 6 ounces I think. Which does not seem like much but add up a bunch of those tastes, in the hot sun, on an empty stomach and tipsy-ness will happen.

There was a HUGE line up! (pic below) to get in. It's a popular event. They randomly look in peoples bags and purses. I saw one guy's marijuana cigarette get confescated. Disappointing for that guy. Oh well, at least there's beer!

There was almost every kind of beer there - from the good ol' stand by's like Moosehead and Mill Street but my quest was to discover a new favourite. That new favourite for me was called the Railway City Dead Elephant India Pale Ale! I am not an expert but I like to think of myself as a bit of a connoisseur. My friend Christina Walkinshaw (also known as @walkinsauce on twitter) is a bit of a connoisseur herself and it was her favourite too. I am reminded she is a connoisseur everytime she belches. And that is often. Dead Elephant is easy drinking with character. Caramel with some hops but not too bitter!

Eventually you've got to eat guys... So I stopped everthing for a moment to get a "healthy" "Dawgfathers" hot dog. Their motto is "no lips and nothin' below the hips!" That makes me feel better eating a hotdog knowing that there's no lips. Pretty much you can leave the lips out of any meal I have and I'm happy. Anyway, the bun was buttered!! Honestly butter makes everything better. It is my "go-to" when I've cooked a dish and it's lacking something. Add some butter and it tastes better!

It really was one of the best hotdogs I've ever had!

I liked the beer festival but I'd like it even more if there were more places to sit. It gets a bit tiring walking around on a hot day for hours drinking beer. These are lucky problems to have. I know, cry me a river...

Good coffee. Good company... in Ottawa!

Bridgehead Coffee is my favourite coffee place around. They're my favourite because A)the coffee is fresh and delicious. B)It's ethical. and C) they prove that you can be both an exceptional product and not destructively corporate AND be financially successful! Whenever I visit Ottawa I always go to Bridgehead. I went there my last visit, wasn't planning on doing a blog about them but then was like - why wouldn't I? They deserve to be written about. I usually just do restaurants but who cares. It's kind of like a restaurant! Change is hard. The reason I bring this up is because BH just started roasting their own beans. Good for them, that's awesome but now they sell them in 3/4 lb. bags and it's inevitably going to be different from before. Maybe better but when you really like something the way it is, it's hard when it changes. I went and had an iced coffee. It was very good. Tastes as good as ever! I also got a date square. Also very good.

I have yet to get their bagged coffee for home but will give it a shot sometime soon. The thing that stands out the most to me about BH is that it uses eco friendly straws and cups!

I don't think that "other" huge coffee place does. You know who I mean... And if they do, they don't advertise it. AND BH uses fairly traded coffee! They are really making an effort to make the world a better place and making an excellent cup of coffee in the process. I am very impressed with Bridgehead. If you're in Ottawa - check them out!!!

While in Shediac...

Shediac, is a beach community just outside of Moncton, NB. It's very busy in the summer because of tourists and Parlee Beach is close by.

It's a seafood kinda town, being so close to the ocean and all. Its the lobster capital of the world. There's even a giant lobster there! (not real, stop worrying).

I had never had fried clams before. I didn't really know what to expect. I have seen clams in clam chowder and in linguine with but fried? Hmmm... intriguing. I love fried stuff. I love seafood. I love doing things distinct to the area. Let's do it!

As a side note, I didn't realize this until I spent some time in New Brunswick but there are a lot of French speaking people there. Like a lot! ( including my boyfriend ) They like to say their dialect is a mix of French and English but don't believe them - I know both French and English and what they speak is a whole other language of its own! Sneaky secret language! I say this because one of the pictures is a sign written in french - "coque frites" which means fried clams! I bet you didn't realize you would learn some french today. This is a very educational blog!!

We went to a place called "The Lobster Deck". I've passed by it a million times but had never gone in. It's a order at the counter kind of place and then they call your number and you go and grab it. It's got a nice vibe to it. Feels like a family operated place with down home kind of people.

We ordered a large fried clam platter with fries (what goes better with something fried? well, something else fried of course). It comes with coleslaw and tartar sauce. You can see in the picture below that it was a HUGE portion of clams. They come from somewhere local which is very cool. I love eating local because it feels like that's what we are meant to do.

I had a beer with it. At lunchtime! I'm crazy! The clams were very good. They had a distinct, yet mild flavour and were very fresh. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Next time you are in Shediac, you've got to go to experience something local, distinct and delicious! Careful though. There's a giant lobster there...