I would walk 500 miles....

Ever been at a show where you find yourself singing along at the top of your lungs and you're not even drunk?

That was me at The Proclaimers show last Friday, along with pretty well everyone else in there, including some of the staff.

Sure the lads are not the skinny rosy cheeked neo-folk/punk/blue eyed soul/pub rockers that used to nearly die of exhaustion on stage anymore, but they have their act down pat, with a very tight band, and true to the recordings arrangements. They mixed up the new and the old, singing favourites like Letter from America, 500 Miles, Cap In Hand and the like, but also throwing in some fine contemporary work.

Of course it was the audience that struck me when I finally got in the door. The security on the outside was like frickin' Heathrow, which was made so laughable once you got in and saw who was there. I wonder how many people had their knitting needles confiscated at the door? I don't think The Who were talking about this generation, not anymore, anyhow.

Yep, I was pretty well totally immersed in my own demographic.

The sound was very reminiscent of The Committments - white boy, blue eyed soul. The newer material definitely leans that way. But the social conscience that was most obvious in Cap in Hand ("and I don't understand why we let someone else rule our, land, cap in hand...") is still there in songs like New Religion, with a lyric like this:

"Evidence of a new religion
Meeting a human need
fertiliser for the brain
Feeding the weakest seeds."

Attacking the crap we get from the modern media and entertainment business. This was a pretty cool song.

They take a wicked shot at the rockers who are now lining up for knighthood in the UK, I mean, how can't Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney respond to this:

In Recognition of your 100 million album sales
In Recognition of your popularity
You take your gaudy prize from people you said you despise
You wear your self-respect upon your bended knees.

In spite of all your claims
It looks like you’re just the same
As every other clown, who likes put the crown
Before or after their names.

Even the title song from their new album, called "Life with You", has an edge to it that keeps it from being sappy. The words are, but the song isn't.

Mojo magazine described the brothers' stage presence as having the "tenacity of two Jack Russels on rabbit duty". I can see that.

I'll finish with the best snippet of lyric from their new album, from the song "The Long Haul"

"I miss the days
When the threat to our position
Didn't come from some religion
But from godless Communism"

Hard to argue with that one.

Wine of the Month - Gaspereau Vineyards Rosé

It is time to start thinking of spring. Yes, it was 14 degrees in my yard today.

And spring demands Rosé.

In Nova Scotia we make great rosé. And my favourite for a day in day out quaffer is Gaspereau's 2006 version.

Try it. The price varies depending on where you get it.

Drink it outside on a deck in the sun, to watch the light gleam through it.

jane's great next door adventure

I just finished eating my first dinner carried home and cooked by me, from jane's next door. Jane Wright (jane's on the common) has taken advantage of the storefront in the space she rents next door to the restaurant. This is a place for people who don't feel like really cooking, but are not into eating out either.

My tortiere is currently digesting happily in my tummy.

The sandwiches looked awesome, real roast beef, and the Propeller Sodas are a great local accompaniment.

There are jane's famous soups to heat up at home, chicken pot pie, a curry, and yes, you can by an entire hazelnut torte...

And for a lot of us, it is right on the way home!

UPDATE, June 1: I am now an addict. Just had the Cassoulet for the second time, and it is great. The lamb shepherd's pie rocks, and the soups are to die for.

Takin' the "Eh" Train

I'd planned on taking a trip back to Halifax from Montreal sometime this year, and the half price sale Via put on was the edge I needed.

One of the best things you can do in Canada is take this train trip. There is a choreography to the journey that lends itself to major relaxation, and achieving a kind of rhythm that really allows you to rest.

If you like to sleep in a moving bed, that is. I do.

You board the train in time for the 6:30 departure from Montreal, and book a seat for dinner at 6:45. You then have the best seat for dinner in the eastern part of Canada (if there is a similar experience in the Rockies, I'll bow to that). The sun is setting behind Mount Royal as you glide (in fits and starts) down the Saint Lawrence River Valley, the villages and towns and their cathedrals passing by as the light fades.

The meal is okay, in winter. I hear it gets better in summer, when ridership increases. I had a roast pork, cranberry sauce, mashed potato and green bean dinner ($18)that would have been much better if it had been served with some jus, but, with a glass of Jost Trilogy was not bad. All the wines were Nova Scotian, and they were obviously selected by someone who knew wine.

Sleep came later, somewhere around Riviere du Loups, and I awoke outside Bathurst, with metres of snow outside the window. We were slowed by a young teenager moose on the track, trotting along in front of the train, hemmed in by the 3m snow banks on each side. Eventually the moose took a left at a crossing, and headed into town, and we hit the tracks for Moncton.

Home in Halifax, I arrive rested, and ready to start work after a fun short vacation.

Another Chapter in my Life

I found a great beer bar. About 70 taps, all the ones I tried were fresh, the most you pay is $4.50 for a 16 oz pint in a sleeve. The bartenders know the beers. They can recommend a beer from all the taps they have at hand with an uncanny expertise (or is that experience?) based on what a newbie asks them for.

There is a pool table. Free popcorn. A slate of regulars who look like they were just taken from some movie set - a B movie.

There is one TV - it sits above the bar, and the 'tenders let the regulars who sit there have the remote.

The bartender will help you order-in take-out from every place in town, including one pizza place that is awesome. One of those thick pizzas where you think you can eat more than one piece, but you really can't.

People talk to you.

And, they have 10 IPA's on tap! Real IPA's, not pretend "kiss your cousin" beers like Keith's. Lagunitas, Stone, Magic Hat, Middle Ages, Victory Hop Devil, Smutty Nose, Ithaca Brewing Company Hop Flower and Double IPA, Southern Tier IPA, and IBC Cascazilla Red, which is a super hoppy red ale, that really is an IPA.

There is one small problem, though.

The pub is in Ithaca NY. Home of Cornell University.

This bar was 8 minutes walk from, and 20 minutes walk to (after) where we crashed on our recent Finger Lakes winery tour. And the 20 minutes does not include a stop at the Hot Truck. I had the Shaggy - Hot and Heavy: This delight is a quarter loaf of french bread with meatball, sausage, cheese, onion, garlic, red hot pepper and grease and garden. I know I ate it all because there was nothing left the next day.


I had a pretty good vacation. I think.

Oh, and we toured some wineries, too.....

Schwartz's Revisited - Smokin' Meat

Some time ago, I had some fun with Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and Tiger Woods. This during the President's Cup last year.

Well, this week, I got stranded in Montreal with the Riesling Princess on our way back from drinking far too much all over northern NY and southern ON.

So I did what I had to do. I took her out to Schwartz's. She has never been there.

Okay. So I was wrong. The Main is good, but Schwartz's is better. Are you happy now? Our server was even polite, sort of. I mean he didn't swear at us, he turned to face us when he farted. All positive things.

We were there in the middle of a snowstorm that was trapping us in Montreal (there are few better places to be trapped) and the place was still about 80% full at 10 pm on a Tuesday night.

And the meat was fine. Very fine.

And Benelux (corner of Sherbrooke and Jeanne Mance) after was at least as good. Great hefeweizen, and very good West Coast Style Pale/IPA.

Thai One On

The regular Friday pub.

The regular Friday beers.

But something different is happening this week. No-one orders food from the pub menu.

Six semi-sober adults are still hungry at 7 pm.

Chabaa Thai has been sitting right up the street from the pub for a while now (since September, for chrissakes!!) and I have yet to eat there. Let's not forget that I met owner, and chef Wen Prathumma at a stag party... a very Canadian stag party that he seemed to be somewhat unsure of his correct mode of behaviour at, back in early August. Let's not forget that I helped Wade D. with the wine and beer list for the place. No, let's just say I've been an idiot and taken this long to show up and eat.

So, we walk the 50 metres up Queen Street and sit down to eat.

Well, the joke is on me. The food was amazing. And I warn you. There is one thing on the menu that will completely confound you, send you running home to fire up the BBQ and then waste a large amount of pork ribs to try to re-create this dish. The BBQ Pork Ribs were not of this world. I don't know how he does it (but I am going to try to find out) but these things are puffy. Like airy, like soft, melt in the mouth, spicy, sweet, cherry goodness. We had a certain "celebrity chef" with us at dinner (oh, how he hates top be called that...! {correction -it seems he does not mind at all!}) and he was unsure just how this delicacy was created. And trust me, that says a lot, because he really knows ribs.

That is not to say the rest of the food was not excellent, but these ribs were something else altogether. Next time, I am getting three orders and sucking them all back by myself. And next time may be as soon as I can get there.

The Massaman Curry Pork, Ginger Beef with Mushrooms, Spicy Chicken Noodles, Fresh Spring Rolls (with mint leaves), and everything else I tried, were all really good.

The wine we chose, a Fetzer (California) Gewurztraminer worked very well with almost everything, only losing itself a bit on one red curry dish. Some of the party had Hoegaarden Witbier (which has coriander in it), which is usually amazing with Thai food, and others slurped back Pilsner Urquell without complaining.

Wen apparently was the original chef at start-up for both Baan Thai and Talay Thai. The first as an almost indentured servant at Baan Thai, to where he came after finishing third in some big national cooking competition in Thailand, and then starting up Talay Thai with a brother (at least that's the rumour I heard). Now he is on his own, but not really, as his fiancé, Kim Dao, rumoured to be the daughter of a local restaurateur, is a partner not only in life, but in business.

I have eaten at every place in town that does Thai food now, I believe. None compares to this.

Now that the smoke has cleared - Tom's a year later

Back a year ago, I wrote about the last day of smoking in bars in Nova Scotia.

Smoked Out at Tom's

Now we are a year later, and my concerns about the future of one of my favourite watering holes have been diminished somewhat. The same people are back, though they smoke outside now. The staff are still the best. And the beer and the food are even better. The tap of Garrison IPA is one of the freshest in the city, with a large volume of sales of this, my new favourite beer. And the kitchen has been revamped, and now the food is even better.

In fact, Tom's might be the best place to eat in town that you have not eaten at yet.

I recommend the Havana Roll, or the Green Curry Chicken, or the pizza of the day.

Just don't take my seat. Cause the place is probably standing room only. And smoke free at that!

Oh Gee! Gio!

After having been to this "Not a Hotel Restaurant" I think four times, none with L, I finally got off my butt and took her out to dinner there this past week.

Gio is the restaurant in the Prince George Hotel in downtown Halifax. The Prince George has a chef whose name is getting too big for the hotel - Ray Bear, and this place was the management's strategy to get him to stay. Or that's how I heard it, anyway. The place was created under the very careful, and detailed eye of Craig Norton, Manager, and Sommelier. Craig has a great sense of design, and detail, and it shows in the place, from the choice of tea bags, to the towels in the washroom. I had emailed him to let him know I'd be at dinner, in case he was around. But he had apparently been dragged off to something in Toronto that day.

I arrived after L, and she was waiting with her tea, reading the menu. The tea was in a little pyramid mesh container with a string coming from the top with a "leaf" on the end. A beautiful product. Detail. The cutlery and china are pretty unique, although familiar from our times at Saege, where the chef is friends with Ray Bear, and shares the same supplier.

I order a glass of 30 Bench Riesling, and we set to the menu in earnest, as the breads arrive (three types, with the butter soft enough to spread - detail). And an amuse bouche consisitng of one tiny quail's leg. (peep peep)

Our appetizers arrive in good time, my ravioli stuffed with kobe beef short rib with oyster mushroom and red wine jus is an ample portion (one past criticism of Gio had been small portions) and L's pork belly with smoked pomegranate molasses, parsnip, potato chip and apple confit set the stage for what will be quite the evening of eating. Both dishes are excellent.

I had discussed my appetizer choice with the server, as I had been torn between the raviloi and the carpaccio. On clearing our plates, two small versions of the carpaccio arrive, out of the blue. Perhaps Craig is around. This was so thinly sliced, I had to almost cut it off the plate. In my mouth with the brioche and a bit of the Lohr Valdiguié red wine I now had in front of me, some magic happened. That wine was a curiosity I wanted to fulfill, but my server wisely suggested that if I was going to order the venison, it would not do the trick. He was right. A glass of Mazzei Poggio alla Badiolo was soon sitting there for that, but he brought me some Valdiguié anyway. It was very Gamay-like, with carbonic maceration evident. With the fluffy brioche and carpaccio it was light and almost serious. On its own, similar to an ordinary Beaujolais Villages.

After a more substantial wait, and regular attention to L's and my water glasses (hers with some infused water - detail) the main courses arrived. As usual, at Gio, the presentation is of high quality, and almost too beautiful to distrub in order to eat. But eat we do.

My venison is simply amazing. I am not a game eater, normally, but this was like great filet mignon with complexity. The server said that it came from a ranch in Alberta. The veggies seemed scarce, but that may have been due to the size of the plate. Green beans slit down the seam with the sectioned seeds inside created a simple but beautiful effect. L's rack of lamb was huge, with a lot of perfectly done meat, and so flavourful I almost, but not quite, swapped plates by force.

Let me be clear. I loved this venison. It was rare. I was having visions of hunting with spears in the deep dark woods.

We took our time, more tea for L, and ordered desserts, L having a "wanna.gotta.havea", a flourless orange almond cake with orange curd, pistachio ice cream, blood orange sauce and frozen nougat. I ordered the assorted cheese plate, and this was a revalation. Five type of cheese, each with a little fruit choice to match, and some of that crispy thin fruit and nut bread/cracker. One cheese, called Rolling Thunder, a hard parmesan like cheese form Thunder Bay (of all places) was amazing with a fig chutney and hazlenuts. Borgonzola bathing in blackberry sauce with one large blackberry to eat with it, some braised brie sat on top of a bit of melon.... you get the idea. I ate every little crumb of everything.

We had had a MEAL. One of the best ever in Halifax. A truly enjoyable evening, with one of the best servers I have experienced in years. All in, including tip (two glasses of wine, though they comped me one) was about $190. But who cares when the food is durn near perfect?

The Lebanese Invasion

Spring Garden Road is about to be home to the second Khababji, opening in the City Centre Atlantic Building up in behind Pete's Frootique, and next to Premier Wine and Spirits (who suddenly have Lebanese wine on their shelves!). The first Khababji is in Burnside, on Thomas Raddall Drive on the way to the Ramada Burnside (back to back with Pets Unlimited).

They join the second outlet of Tarek's Cafe (also on Robie and Russell in the mini mall) in bringing very tasty Lebanese themed food to SGR.

I am currently full from Tarek's first place, again having chosen the Beef Taco Pita with extra hot sauce. Last night was Thai Chabba, the night before the Hungry Chili.... The night before that was dinner with my parents, so that was tame, but the night before that was Green Curry Chicken at Tom's. I guess I am compensating for winter with the heat in my mouth!

Hot times in the old town....

Went to a beer drinking contest at Garrison Brewery the other night. Okay, it was a bunch of people sharing about a thousand different beers, most of which were extremely hoppy IPA's shipped in from all over who knows where.

The guru of the grains/headmaster of the hops, Greg Nash oversees these little get-togethers every now and then, masked as quality control sessions. The purpose of this one was, ostensibly, to test out the new beer he is about to release, a dunkelweizenbock, a dark strong wheat beer. (those Germans have a different name for everything!)

The beer was great, bordering on Aventinus for you geeks, but not quite the malt levels of that "standard" from Munich.

This gathering allowed my my first (finally) opportunity to try the food form The Hungry Chili, a little hole in the wall Szechuan place on Blowers Street. This street is so short, I won't bother looking up the address - find the street, you'll find the place.

We ordered in a mess of stuff from there. All of it was great - perhaps because all of it had some heat, but the flavours were real. I had crispy fish with their sauce, cashew chicken, spicy pork, and ginger beef. I want to know where they buy their ginger, because it was simply beautiful. I ate the ginger itself, not just the beef.

The only quibble was the rice - by the time we got it, it was mushy and overcooked.

I NEED to go and eat there in person now.

Crusin'

So I talked L into going on a cruise with me again. But not just any cruise, this was the first Cayamo - a music cruise. Basically it works like this, as far as I can tell. They then start booking musical acts to play on the ship, which has some very good spaces for live music. A cruise that normally costs $599 a person is sold for $799 a person (cheap room). But that $200 buys you an amazing experience.

On this ship we had, sailing along with us, and playing every day, a cast of famous, semi famous, and soon to be famous singer songwriter musicians and in some cases, their bands.

Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt, Patty Griffin, Brandi Carlile and Buddy Miller were headliners. Shawn Mullins, Beth Wood, The Duhks, Edwin McCain, Holly Williams and Ari Hest were there. And a bunch of young up and comers as well, including my fave, Chris Janson.

I am currently in musical recovery. For an idea of what we got to see, go to YouTube and type in Cayamo. You can then start to understand.

Carnival Cruise line has pretty good beer - I survived on Sam Adams lager, and Pilsner Urquel. Their wine list was very good, and the by the glass selection was something like 15 wines. The food, as on most cruise ships these days, was very good, and omnipresent.

Wine of the Month - Queen of Hearts Pinot Noir

Pick a card. Any card.

I'll take the Queen of Hearts. The Pinot Noir.

I already did. For the first time in 20 years, I bought a full case of wine form the NSLC.

This wine tastes like a $30 California Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara. It is Lucas and Llewelyn's second label "fun wine". Note the signature strawberry fruit ester, a hallmark of Santa Barbara. Yep, terroir from California for $16!!!

At $15.99, as far as this pinot-phile is concerned, it is a total steal.

Those who think otherwise, thank you. You leave more for me.

Back in the Saddle

OK, my apologies to anyone who was actually checking in to read my musings. The reason I started this was not to rant and rave, but to keep up my writing chops and maybe exorcise the odd demon along the way.

So, what have I been up to? Well I got too busy. I work for myself, and like any other round heeled slut, (wait, I'm not a round heeled slut...) I just could not say no.

So here I am, working on the design of 21 seniors homes. And I keep reminding those people also working on them that we are not designing them for the people in them now - we are designing them for OURSELVES!

I have done a bit of partying, seen some great bands, and even taken a cruise around the Caribbean with Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin and Patty Griffin.

And I have been to one opera, almost live, direct from the Metropolitan Opera House, or as we opera-ites say "The Met" (can you tell I am quite the insider already?)

I have consumed a LOT of good booze since I last posted. Why? Because it is there, Thanks God, or Bacchus, or Saint Arnould.

The best meal since I last posted was probably at Saege, the new menu.... Yeah, that gnocchi is calling me.

I'm back. With vigour and rigour. (no mortis)

Out to Bedford, for another wine of the month!

Cristall and Luckett Wine Merchants - the private store in Bedford, has a great little organic red wine that seems to have snuck under the radar of most wine geeks so far. It is called Domaine de la Chappelle and is less than $15. A great BYO wine as it will go with just about any food that can handle red wine.

This is what Rhone wines are all about (the inexpensive ones, anyway). Good Grenache fruitiness, some bubblegum even, but with the dark, brooding peppery Syrah finishing the taste, and providing enough weight and substance to make this wine compete well above its price range. Yummy.


While you are there, if you like Pinot Noir, for less than $15, again, there is an Italian Pinot Nero (that is Italian for Pinot Noir - I am almost trilingual, am I) that also shocked me at how good it was for the price. There is only one inexpensive Pinot Nero in the store, you can find it.

Why Angel Cabrera's Drives go farther than mine

A minimum of words is required here.



Did you hear the ball say "ouch" ??

The smoked meat debate - Tiger weighs in.

Montreal is famous for smoked meat - but it is not really smoked meat, more a spiced beef that they serve in the famous places. Places like Schwartz's on Saint Laurent.

I like the place, I really do, but I am tired of seeing it lined up all the time, when right across the street, The Main, where the smoked meat is exactly the same, has lots of seats.

So this last trip to Montreal (watching Tiger Woods et al strut their stuff) I went to the Main twice. Schwartz's was lined up outside both days.

Here is a picture of Tiger telling Charles Howell III exactly the same thing.




Don't worry about that lineup, man, just pop across to The Main. I hear it is even the same owner!

Standing in line in the studio

L and I are both big fans of Ron Sexsmith, so when we heard he would be playing a one minute walk from our home, naturally, we figured it would be sold out. But thinking out loud, we decided that nothing good would ever come of this if we didn't try, on a whim, at least to get tickets.

It turns out the good people at the Halifax Pop Explosion, in conjunction with the local recording studio in the Musicstop building around the corner, run a series of live in-studio sessions during the Pop-Ex. This one, advertised on radio, prompted a very polite email from L to them wondering about tickets. Late at night, almost too late, the day before, we were rewarded with a positive response.

Needing to pick them up at the door, we went over early. The cluster of people in front of the door were quite representative of the music cognoscenti of the burg. Waiting there, I realized something about my shopping patterns. I shop at Frenchy's for things that look like I paid a lot more for them elsewhere, whereas a lot of people shop at Frenchy's to buy things that look like they bought them at Frenchy's. I know there is still time for me to learn to dress that way, but every passing day, the chances of it diminish.

Just about on time (if they didn't arrive at different times, they would not be artists, right?) we were led up the stairs with about 48 others to a small room, a bit stuffy, but cosy, that apparently is a recording studio done up like a set for a high school play from the 1970's. Whatever it takes to make the artists a bit more creative, them and their imaginary friends.

No seats, just walls to lean on and a floor for those who can sit in the lotus position. I got a wall. There were cameras, microphones and lighting that was blinding if you in the wrong spot, but I was not about to lose my place.

Ron came on right away, and did five songs, all new ones, without naming them. I thought that two of them were really good, and someway, somehow, would become standards for him all in good time.

In my secret heart, and I know it well, happiness was in the room, but then I'm just an average joe, I tell you.


Okay, enough with the fun and games.....

Ron's performance was good, but it was marred by his acoustically miked guitar feeding back through the monitors. I sincerely hope they can edit that out for when it goes on the radio. He still looks like he is about 20 years younger than he is.


Al Tuck was the second part of the bill. Now lots of local people in the biz support him, play his songs (Joel Plaskett included) and some almost revere him. I have seen him now about 5 times, and every time I am left wondering what all the fuss is about. If this guy was ever going to make it beyond Gus' Pub, then he is going to have to work a little harder at his live act. He came in all shot to hell, looking like something the proverbial cat might drag in. He was not prepared, even admitting that the cute little guitar ending to one song was the only thing they had rehearsed. Off tune (wrong tuning, which is different, I know) with the guitar, forgetting where he was in songs, and generally acting as if this was his first time in front of an audience while overacting as "cool", he simply did not impress. Again. I remain prepared to enjoy his music, and work, but he has to be prepared too.

One of his songs seemed to have some lingering hate in it... or advanced dislike. Does the guy have a child with someone who he is no longer with? I seem to recall he does (is it Catherine MacLellan?) Anyway, if he does, she won't particularly like this tune. Yikes!

If Al Tuck is headed for that legendary status of singer songwriter that everyone covers, he looks as if he is planning on doing the fame part posthumously.



In the end, for a $6 ticket, and a 1 minute walk, this was a lot of fun, and an expedition I may try to repeat, depending on who's playing.

Getting Churched with Hynes and Gauthier

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.

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.