Sitting around the living room, drinking, and getting ready for the upcoming concert featuring Ron Hynes and Mary Gauthier, I remarked on whether our activity was totally appropriate given that both performers have quite a history with abuse of what we were currently intaking. Then I poured myself another glass of wine.
On arriving at the venue, St. John's United Church, some things became a bit more clear. This congregation is apparently soon to be an "affirming" one. I guess this means they will soon announce that their version of their imaginary god-friend does not hate people who happen to have the incorrectly fitting body parts to reproduce with the people they love. I don't know about you, but my imaginary friend drinks a lot, and laughs at people who pay too much attention to their imaginary friends. (Hey, do you think we are made in the image of our imaginary friends, or vice versa?) Sorry, I digress. This church is probably a fairly liberal congregation, and that would make it an agreeable host to the folkie crowd in town.
I've seen them both before (Hynes several times) and have most of their music. Hynes may have had some religious moments during some points in his life, but really, he has a lot of the "divil" in him. He certainly has a fair number of songs about transgressions and penance, the latter mostly self inflicted. Mary Gauthier probably was a regular as a child, but would likely not have been allowed in church after she clearly expressed her interest in women over men. Suffice it to say that the location felt a bit incongruous at the start.
But then there we were, all gazing up at the soaring ceiling of St. John's United Church on Windsor Street, watching Ron Hynes gazing up at the same ceiling, communing with his old buddy Gene MacLellan, singing "Godspeed" as convincingly as I think he can. Ron's show was perhaps the best I have ever seen him, and it was not in the Ship Inn, and I did not have a beer in my hand! He is a master craftsman at the art of songwriting, and the depth and quality of his material shone through on this evening. Heck, even Sonny's Dream, which he seems to have let back into his life now, was not that bad. I've only heard it about 10,000 times, mostly sung by drunken people who forget the words (this includes Ron, but not on this occasion).
Mary Gauthier came on and immediately cast a friendly spell over the place. I am not sure if it was the cool little tinted John Lennon glasses, or her relaxed "aw shucks" stage presence, but I knew we were in for a great set. Having seen her four years ago at StanFest, and buying all her music I could find, I knew the songs, but not the force with which she can now deliver them, all on her own. And, as usual, I am a sucker for in between song palaver, even though I know they say the same things every night, night after night.
She gave a great show, mixing in some requests, some older songs, and some new ones (her latest album is apparently coming out the end of September). "Wheel Inside the Wheel" was her most powerful offering, with an intertwining guitar riff that seemed as if there was some electronic toy involved, but at the same time, you knew there wasn't. Camelot Motel was preceded by a great intro on how the song came about, followed by a rendition that was both touching and humorous.
This was billed as part of, or a fundraiser for (depending on whether it made money), the "In the Dead of Winter" festival, which I so enjoyed last winter. The 350 odd people there with me enjoyed themselves - I hope they all come out in January for the festival.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
A Burger Worth Crossing the Street For
A quick post, but if you want to have the quintessential North American fried burger, Lisa's in Windsor offers the Fredburger. Two patties of real beef made up there from hamburger, on a toasted bun, with a lot of things you can have on it. And you can choose fries, baked or mashed potatoes. Maybe even a salad.....
It is big. I ate it all.
I know it may be hard for some of you to go into this place, as it is right across the street from the Spitfire Arms, but sometimes, even I don't drink.
It is big. I ate it all.
I know it may be hard for some of you to go into this place, as it is right across the street from the Spitfire Arms, but sometimes, even I don't drink.
Bring Your Own Wine - NS Enters the 20th Century
Well, it finally happened. We are now allowed to bring a bottle of our own, legally purchased, wine to a restaurant, provided they offer the service. This is good. (legally purchased means no home made wine!)
It is good for the restaurateur, who can choose how, when and whether or not to allow BYO in their establishment, and how much to charge for the service of providing glassware, linen, opening, re-closing, and so on. They should also be recognizing the potential lost profit they woud have made had you purchased from their list in their corkage fee.
The owner can reduce their inventory of wine, and can now, conceivably, cut back to a bare minimum of house wines (I'd recommend two reds, two whites for bare bones). As long as people know they support BYO. In this manner an owner can avoid carrying too much inventory (it is rumoured that Seven Restaurant carries $300,000 worth of wine - that is a lot of investment to carry on your books), save on space - tables can go where wine was stored, and the removal of the curse of curses for many restaurants - corked or otherwise spoiled wine. Not their problem any more.
You see, it is a little talked about thing outside the restaurant world, but there are many idiots (assholes) who always send the first bottle back as "corked" solely to impress their table mates. Some people send wine back as corked simply if they don't like it. I saw one person order a wine at a local restaurant that they thought was red, and when it arrived a white wine, they waited until the server left, and debated with their partner on whether to keep it, deciding to declare it "off" and ask for another bottle. "Red wine this time, please, it seems the whites are off." I could suggest where the cork belongs (good thing I am not a server, eh?), but to stick to the topic of this post, let's just say that won't happen any more. The server will just have to be polite and sympathetic... "oh, it's bad? I'm so sorry sir, would you like to look at our wine list?"
The customer can benefit too (though not always). That special bottle from Irougeley you have been saving to have with a cassoulet? Find a place that goes to the trouble to make cassoulet and take it there. Want to try different wines with each and every course with friends? Everyone choose a course to match with a bottle to bring. Want to drink great wine with dinner, but not pay a 2.5 to 3 times markup? Now's your chance.
The downside for customers is this. Not everyone knows a lot about wine, and wine-food pairing. A sommelier making up a wine list for a restaurant uses the food as a guide to select which wines appear on the list, so if you go to a place that has a sommelier designed list, you should have a chance to find wines that match your meal. And you may discover something different. Trust me - Yellow Tail Shiraz is not a food wine. But what may end up happening is that people will go out and buy the same old thing they "like" because someone they know likes it, and drink wine that makes their meal worse. Places like Saege Bistro, and jane's on the common (where I help with the list), offer wines you might not normally buy, but upon trying there, offer the chance to discover a new thing to impress your friends with at dinner parties. Wine that is not manufactured in a 20,000,000 gallon vat.
So, how can a customer get the most out of this new policy? Call first to make sure they do BYO. I recommend looking at the menu of the restaurant (most have it on-line - for a list of links to Atlantic Canada restaurants who use sommeliers to help with their wine lists check here) - and thinking about what you and your friends might order. Then consult a book (Hugh Johnson's Pocket Guide has a nice little section in it), a knowledgeable friend, or on-line about what styles of wine might best suit the food (and ethnicity of the foods) you will be ordering. Then bring those wines with you. If you are concerned about corked wine, bring a backup, or resolve to just order from the wine list.
On arriving at the restaurant, let your server know as soon as possible that you have wine. This allows them to set your table correctly, and if they provide full service, to have an ice bucket available for white or sparkling wines. Confirm the corkage fee in advance. Allow the server to open the wines - the service still takes place under their liquor license and they are still responsible for making sure no one is overserved. If you want, ask the server to allow you to pour. And tip on the corkage fee! If you get service equal to what you normally expect from a bottle purchased off the list, then tip well - remember, had you paid $80 for that $30 bottle, you would have been tipping on the $80, not on a $15 corkage fee.
My special suggestions? Do things you would not otherwise do! Bring a sparkling wine to start - not many people buy sparkling wine in restaurants here, for some reason. Soon we will be able to buy great ones made locally, so we should get into that habit now. Try a dessert wine with your dessert - we already make great sweet wines here in NS and they really should be consumed here more often. Challenge wine conventions - try a racy Riesling with food you might otherwise think of as better served by red wine. Chefs regularly use seasonings and spices we don't at home, so look at that information when choosing wine, instead of the protein source.
I'm probably out this weekend to dinner and will be "bringing". How about you?
P.S.
If only the government bureaucrats were not so discriminatory about beer, I'd be bringing a couple excellent lagers to start. As it is, the government know-nothings are apparently still living in their past lives of puking in Legion parking lots, assuming that the only relation beer has with food is that it causes them to see it again soon.
But that's another post......
It is good for the restaurateur, who can choose how, when and whether or not to allow BYO in their establishment, and how much to charge for the service of providing glassware, linen, opening, re-closing, and so on. They should also be recognizing the potential lost profit they woud have made had you purchased from their list in their corkage fee.
The owner can reduce their inventory of wine, and can now, conceivably, cut back to a bare minimum of house wines (I'd recommend two reds, two whites for bare bones). As long as people know they support BYO. In this manner an owner can avoid carrying too much inventory (it is rumoured that Seven Restaurant carries $300,000 worth of wine - that is a lot of investment to carry on your books), save on space - tables can go where wine was stored, and the removal of the curse of curses for many restaurants - corked or otherwise spoiled wine. Not their problem any more.
You see, it is a little talked about thing outside the restaurant world, but there are many idiots (assholes) who always send the first bottle back as "corked" solely to impress their table mates. Some people send wine back as corked simply if they don't like it. I saw one person order a wine at a local restaurant that they thought was red, and when it arrived a white wine, they waited until the server left, and debated with their partner on whether to keep it, deciding to declare it "off" and ask for another bottle. "Red wine this time, please, it seems the whites are off." I could suggest where the cork belongs (good thing I am not a server, eh?), but to stick to the topic of this post, let's just say that won't happen any more. The server will just have to be polite and sympathetic... "oh, it's bad? I'm so sorry sir, would you like to look at our wine list?"
The customer can benefit too (though not always). That special bottle from Irougeley you have been saving to have with a cassoulet? Find a place that goes to the trouble to make cassoulet and take it there. Want to try different wines with each and every course with friends? Everyone choose a course to match with a bottle to bring. Want to drink great wine with dinner, but not pay a 2.5 to 3 times markup? Now's your chance.
The downside for customers is this. Not everyone knows a lot about wine, and wine-food pairing. A sommelier making up a wine list for a restaurant uses the food as a guide to select which wines appear on the list, so if you go to a place that has a sommelier designed list, you should have a chance to find wines that match your meal. And you may discover something different. Trust me - Yellow Tail Shiraz is not a food wine. But what may end up happening is that people will go out and buy the same old thing they "like" because someone they know likes it, and drink wine that makes their meal worse. Places like Saege Bistro, and jane's on the common (where I help with the list), offer wines you might not normally buy, but upon trying there, offer the chance to discover a new thing to impress your friends with at dinner parties. Wine that is not manufactured in a 20,000,000 gallon vat.
So, how can a customer get the most out of this new policy? Call first to make sure they do BYO. I recommend looking at the menu of the restaurant (most have it on-line - for a list of links to Atlantic Canada restaurants who use sommeliers to help with their wine lists check here) - and thinking about what you and your friends might order. Then consult a book (Hugh Johnson's Pocket Guide has a nice little section in it), a knowledgeable friend, or on-line about what styles of wine might best suit the food (and ethnicity of the foods) you will be ordering. Then bring those wines with you. If you are concerned about corked wine, bring a backup, or resolve to just order from the wine list.
On arriving at the restaurant, let your server know as soon as possible that you have wine. This allows them to set your table correctly, and if they provide full service, to have an ice bucket available for white or sparkling wines. Confirm the corkage fee in advance. Allow the server to open the wines - the service still takes place under their liquor license and they are still responsible for making sure no one is overserved. If you want, ask the server to allow you to pour. And tip on the corkage fee! If you get service equal to what you normally expect from a bottle purchased off the list, then tip well - remember, had you paid $80 for that $30 bottle, you would have been tipping on the $80, not on a $15 corkage fee.
My special suggestions? Do things you would not otherwise do! Bring a sparkling wine to start - not many people buy sparkling wine in restaurants here, for some reason. Soon we will be able to buy great ones made locally, so we should get into that habit now. Try a dessert wine with your dessert - we already make great sweet wines here in NS and they really should be consumed here more often. Challenge wine conventions - try a racy Riesling with food you might otherwise think of as better served by red wine. Chefs regularly use seasonings and spices we don't at home, so look at that information when choosing wine, instead of the protein source.
I'm probably out this weekend to dinner and will be "bringing". How about you?
P.S.
If only the government bureaucrats were not so discriminatory about beer, I'd be bringing a couple excellent lagers to start. As it is, the government know-nothings are apparently still living in their past lives of puking in Legion parking lots, assuming that the only relation beer has with food is that it causes them to see it again soon.
But that's another post......
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Imperialist Garrison Pale Ale!
OK, it is Imperial Pale Ale. Owner Brian Titus was not sure he wanted to be thought of as copying Propeller (heaven forbid two breweries can use the proper style descriptor - we are not counting Keith's whose use of IPA borders on criminal, or criminally insane, or just plain silly, like calling ordinary green peppers habaneros) and did not want to use the term IPA. Brewer Greg Nash knows that it is an India Pale Ale, but seeing as his would be a quite extreme version, the ImPA thing was conceived.
The beer in its first iteration, is now all gone, and batch 2 is available. The first bottling was pretty darn good stuff. Malt hop balance with some straw dry hopping, and quite bitter hopping in the mid palate. The finish was a bit rough, but time rounded it off. Heck, given the Canadian IPA wilderness, I'd say it belongs in that category.
The second batch is bigger, more hops, more malt, more alcohol. And it is unfiltered - Greg hints that the filtering system at the brewery is quite efficient at stripping away some things he wanted in the beer. Note the label to the right. At 6.9% abv it is probably big enough in that regard. The hopping here, combined with the residual flavours from fresh fermenting yeast, tends to create a "young beer" character that may be a bit harsh right now, but after a couple of weeks in the bottle, should be sublime.
Greg advises that some tweaks are still in the mill for the next batch, can it get better? Maybe, perhaps for my palate with more malt to balance the hops, and some berry fruit esters, but right now it is the most extreme beer ever bottled commercially in modern times in Nova Scotia. Something to try for any beer lover.
Go East Young Person!
Morris East, a new eatery in the downtown, was recommended to me by Jane of jane's on the common. "Have you been to Jennie's place yet?" she asked, "it has great pizza and a smart wine list, like ours." Jennie is Jennie Dobbs, a former server at jane's, now new restaurateur.
Needing no more encouragement, if that much, we soon found ourselves sitting in this Pizzeria just above Barrington on the south side of Morris. A lime green sign tastefully shows the way.
L had the pineapple bacon version and I went with the spicey sausage, with cured meat made at Ketch Harbour House (see earlier entry!).
I chose a glass of the Torrontes, from Sommelier Jamey Urquhart's "smart list". It held up very well to the spice, with the residual sweetness and body allowing the spice from the pepperoni to show but not burn.
The place is well situated in a growing eating area in the city. Lots of students, and what I felt to be the right balance of cool and comfort in the decor.... Oh, yes, the decor.
What can I say? Imitation is the greatest form of flattery? The room felt a bit strange to me - sort of like it was done by the same designer who did jane's on the common, but with too many of the same features and principles being applied to attribute to a reputable designer - too much recycling and repetition to be the work of Breakhouse Design. So it felt like a good copy of someone else's work to me.
Turns out it is. John Dobbs, father of the owner/partner, is a noted local architect. I can pretty well guarantee that he looked at jane's a few times while designing this place.
But it works, and let's face it, not many patrons are as design obsessed as me.
The food was really very good, with the pizza immediately gaining status in my books as the equal of Salvatore's and Tomasino's. My one beef was that there was flour on the crust bottom - too much flour, and not enough olive oil. But that will solve itself I suspect.
And the wine list IS smart. Without the quotes.
Needing no more encouragement, if that much, we soon found ourselves sitting in this Pizzeria just above Barrington on the south side of Morris. A lime green sign tastefully shows the way.
L had the pineapple bacon version and I went with the spicey sausage, with cured meat made at Ketch Harbour House (see earlier entry!).
I chose a glass of the Torrontes, from Sommelier Jamey Urquhart's "smart list". It held up very well to the spice, with the residual sweetness and body allowing the spice from the pepperoni to show but not burn.
The place is well situated in a growing eating area in the city. Lots of students, and what I felt to be the right balance of cool and comfort in the decor.... Oh, yes, the decor.
What can I say? Imitation is the greatest form of flattery? The room felt a bit strange to me - sort of like it was done by the same designer who did jane's on the common, but with too many of the same features and principles being applied to attribute to a reputable designer - too much recycling and repetition to be the work of Breakhouse Design. So it felt like a good copy of someone else's work to me.
Turns out it is. John Dobbs, father of the owner/partner, is a noted local architect. I can pretty well guarantee that he looked at jane's a few times while designing this place.
But it works, and let's face it, not many patrons are as design obsessed as me.
The food was really very good, with the pizza immediately gaining status in my books as the equal of Salvatore's and Tomasino's. My one beef was that there was flour on the crust bottom - too much flour, and not enough olive oil. But that will solve itself I suspect.
And the wine list IS smart. Without the quotes.
Getting the Cure - Ketch Harbour House
The Sommeliers were graduating and I was invited. Mark DeWolf, one of the instructors of the CAPS program (www.atlanticsommeliers.ca) had aranged for dinner at Ketch Harbour House, an "at home restaurant" outside of town.
Piled into the Valley Wine Tours van, we headed out for dinner and festivities.
This place is so worth your patronage. The food, served to our party of about 18, was wonderful. Meats slow cooked, cured and thrice cooked. Salamis and pepperonis curing behind a glass window, prosciutto and ultra thin cured beef.
So many great tastes.....
Here is the menu:
CAPS Graduation Dinner
A selection of Ketch Harbour House charcuterie
~
Steam-smoked Atlantic salmon with poached asparagus,
tesa lardons and saffron orange butter
~
72 hour sous-vide beef shortribs with corn and poblano ragout
and crispy tobacco onions
~
Raisin apple French toast with grilled Ontario peach,
crème anglaise and Sugar Moon maple syrup
Those short ribs haunt me.....
Piled into the Valley Wine Tours van, we headed out for dinner and festivities.
This place is so worth your patronage. The food, served to our party of about 18, was wonderful. Meats slow cooked, cured and thrice cooked. Salamis and pepperonis curing behind a glass window, prosciutto and ultra thin cured beef.
So many great tastes.....
Here is the menu:
CAPS Graduation Dinner
A selection of Ketch Harbour House charcuterie
~
Steam-smoked Atlantic salmon with poached asparagus,
tesa lardons and saffron orange butter
~
72 hour sous-vide beef shortribs with corn and poblano ragout
and crispy tobacco onions
~
Raisin apple French toast with grilled Ontario peach,
crème anglaise and Sugar Moon maple syrup
Those short ribs haunt me.....
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