Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Canada Day traditions

My earlier post on the Canada Day sunrise ceremony got me thinking of another Canada Day tradition: drinks on patios.

If you're not lucky enough to have a patio (or be invited somewhere that has one), here are some spots you can check out on Canada's Birthday to have a drink outside (weather permitting of course):

Sundance (Duckworth/George St.) has a large deck equipped with umbrellas for sunny days and heaters for more-frequent Newfoundland chillier days. They have drinks, food, and an excellent proximity to the downtown area and George Street.

Mexicali Rosa's (George St. West) has a small patio but provides tex-mex food, good 'ol nachos and lots of margarita's for warm sunny days. If you can't get down for Canada Day, try Margarita Mondays!

Greensleeves (George St.) also has a deck and really big, decently priced nachos if you're so inclined. Stop in for a pint and a gawk at those on a George St. stroll.

Jungle Jim's on George has a covered deck and their typical fries-laden food fare. If you want a drink go for a frozen concoction or their Normie beer.

Mustang Sally's is re-opening (yea!) and you can get a made-right-in-front-of-you wrap or stir fry and eat it outside on a table near Mile One. Again, great people-watching!

Of course, you don't have to eat and drink yourself silly to enjoy a good patio. There are a few coffee shops in the downtown area with outdoor seating and unlimited people watching opportunities. Hava Java and Coffee & Co. on Water St. are prime spots. Auntie Crae's also has outdoor seating and if you trek up farther out of the downtown core you're find Coffee Matters (Military Rd.) which has some outdoor seating and a huge following of committed customers (There's also Coffee Matters Two on Water St. and a drive-thru location in Paradise). Finally (and Canada Day sunrise ceremony related) you should try Sweet Relic (Power's Court, Signal Hill Rd.) for its coffee offerings and general lovely setting. Take your coffee to the road for the walk down after seeing the sun rise!

First light

This post isn't so much about food as it is about St. John's and Canada Day celebrations. If you're in town and not busy at 5am you really should make the trek to Signal Hill for the Canada Day sunrise celebration. Everyone should do this at least once in their lives and many make it a annual tradition. You will be amongst the first to see the sun rise in Canada.

Once the sun is up you can take an equally-traditional trek back down Signal Hill and have breakfast. What a way to start the day!

Here are the City of St. John's celebrations schedule for July 1, 2009:

4:00 am
Metrobus shuttle begins from the Bell Aliant Building Parking Lot, Fort William to Signal Hill National Historic Site of Canada

6:00 am
Official Ceremony begins for Happy Birthday Canada!

Here is a food-related item: you can have some birthday cake and Central Dairies products.

10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Cape Spear and Signal Hill National Historic Sites Open House

Celebrate Canada Day all day long at both National Historic Sites of Canada. Admission is free, cake, face-painting, games, scavenger hunts, prizes, guided tours and lots of fun for everyone!

Confederation Building Lobby (begins at 12:30 pm)

Afternoon entertainment featuring:

12:30 pm - Fergus Brown O'Byrne
1:00 pm - Cake Cutting
1:30 pm - Sharing our Cultures
1:45 pm - Celtic Fiddlers
2:15 pm - Sharing our Cultures
2:30 pm - Petty Rogues

*Afternoon events are free with a donation of a non-perishable food product or toonie for Bridges to Hope.

Free cake and Central Dairies milk

Face painting until 4:00 pm; Red Rocket Amusements, St. John's Regional Fire Department's Fire Truck, tattoo parlour, Rovers Search and Rescue Display, flags and seedlings and more!


FAMILY FUN
Confederation Hill

1:00pm 2:00pm & 3:00pm - Tours of the House of Assembly Confederation Building)

Eurest Dining and food stations throughout the day!

Outdoor Stage (Rain Venue: Cafeteria)

Afternoon entertainment featuring special appearance and presentation of Captain Bob Bartlett.

12:15 pm - Host: Fergus O'Byrne
12:30 pm - Celtic Fiddlers
1:00 pm - Sharing our Cultures
1:15 pm - Overview of Capt. Bob Bartlett Celebrations
Jim Payne & Fergus O'Byrne
1:45 pm - Sharing our Cultures
2:00 pm - Mary Barry
2:25 pm - Sharing our Cultures
2:35 pm - Multi-National Choir "New Canadian Voices"
2:55 pm - Sharing our Cultures
3:10 pm - The Square Knot Dancers
3:35 pm - Connemara
4:10 pm - St. John's Multicultural and Folk Arts Council presentation


FIREWORKS
Quidi Vidi Lake
10:00 pm

Scheduled for blast off at 10:00 pm, but within the hour should weather conditions not be ideal.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Take-out weather

With this week's rainy weather it's a good time to order some take-out, hunker down and watch some tv or a movie. My top hibernating take-out choices:

India Gate (Duckworth) is the cure for rainy-day blues. Order a samosa, some nann, rice, and a main (chicken korma is delish). Take it home, open it up, eat half and declare you're too full to eat another bite. Put it in the fridge and enjoy the tastiest midnight snack (or breakfast) when the lure of the leftovers becomes too much to bare.

The Sprout (Duckworth) offers veggie and vegan choices that are palate-pleasing for everyone. Go down, order the pad thai to go, and just try to wait until you get home to enjoy its yumminess. You may find it's gone before you hit your front door. Plus they offer eco-friendly take-out containers so you'll feel better about the whole process!

If you're going to order in, pizza is the sure-fire choice for delivery food in town. Old Town Pizza (Portugal Cove Rd.) has chewy crust and a great sauce. Venice (Military Rd.) is quite accommodating and quick. If you're in the West end of town (or Mount Pearl) try Chilly Willy's (Park Ave.) for pizza or anything else you fancy in the greasy take-out genre (burgers, chicken fingers) as it's been a long-time staple.

Zapata's (Bates Hill) and Quintana's (Churchill Sq.) both do awesome, homemade Mexican food and take out. A bit pricey on both counts but well worth it if you want tasty food but don't want to spend hours simmering sauces or putting together enchiladas. Ask for extra chips and salsa for sure.

Finally, I couldn't have a list of blues-beating take-out food without the old standby: fish and chips. The favorite of most is Ches's and it's convenient since there are so many locations (Highland Dr., Freshwater Rd., Topsail Rd., Commonwealth Avenue). Their best deal is the cod bites special which will give you lots of fish and chips, plus a drink. Add dressing and gravy and you're more then set to completely veg out on the couch. Other excellent fish and chips shops are Leo's (Freshwater Rd.), B&B's Snack Bar (Blackmarsh Rd.), and Big R (Military Rd. and Blackmarsh Rd.).

Thursday, June 18, 2009

June Food Events

Sunday marks the official start of summer, but things are heating up in St. John's and it's already feeling like that time of year.

Join the City of St. John's for cupcakes Friday June 19 9am-4:30pm at the Visitor Information Centre 348 Water St. and celebrate the City's birthday!

The City also has a lunch time music series ever Wednesday. Check out their website for times.

The St. John's farmers' market is ongoing throughout the summer every Saturday morning at the Lion's Club Bonaventure Ave.

Auntie Crae’s Band plays at the cafe on Water St., no purchase necessary, every Tuesday at noon.

Green Drinks: An informal get together for those who work, volunteer or have an interest in environment & conservation related issues, 7pm-9pm, no cover, The Ship (Last Wednesday of month)

The Teddy Bear Picnic is happening Friday June 26 from 11:30am-2pm at the Arts and Culture Centre (lawn).

Have a food event? Let me know!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Coffeeeee

Just found this new blog called Signal and it has a break-down of some local coffee spots. Start percolating!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Lunch time!

So it's mid-day and you're in the mood for a sandwich. Where do you go? Here are some of my tried and trues:

Breen's Deli has been my long-time favorite for a good fresh turkey sandwich. Why not go whole hog and order it with dressing the cranberry mayo? Whoever thought to mix cranberry sauce with the mayo deserves an award! Breen's also has fabulous homemade soups and other standard sandwiches, such as club and egg salad. Find Breen's at 79 Gower St. downtown, 32 Portugal Cove Rd. and their newest location at 44 Elizabeth Ave. in the old Tim Horton's.

Mana European Bakery and Deli has more than excellent fresh-made bread (must try the rye). Service is a little off some days but the satisfaction of a good sandwich makes up for it: curry chicken, corned beef and pastrami. There's also veggie selections and specialty sandwiches such as the yummy sloppy joe. Try one today at 342 Freshwater Rd. or order online.

Buck Weavers has really good grilled sandwiches, though a little expensive. And you'll have to set foot in a mall to order one (Avalon or Village). There used to be a great Buck Weavers on Elizabeth Ave. but it's now replaced by Wedgewood Cafe. Haven't tried that one yet...

Michelle's Bakery also has great breads and salads. But you can also get a great sandwich made-to-order. They're very generous with their toppings so maybe 1/2 is just enough. 799 Water St.

Colemans may be a grocery store but they've long bee known for their homemade take-away food. And their sandwiches are no exception. Best part is you can also get a bowl of pea soup on the side.

Belbins is another grocery store where you can find great homemade sandwiches. Fresh baked bread and a good selection of deli stuffs. 85 Quidi Vidi Rd.

Auntie Crae's is a spot downtown where you can grab a banana, coffee, or a freshly-made sandwich. They have a good selection of deli meats and lots of cheeses to choose from. Also, great bean salad and hummus. 272 Water St.

The Sprout has a well-known and well-loved avocado sandwich called the bravacado. The chickpea burger is also good and a great alternative for non-meat-eating sandwich lovers. 364 Duckworth St.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Summer drinkin'

A post by a blog I just discovered, A Wicked Scoff, has got me thinking about summer refreshment. Of the beer variety. We don't have a lot of local beer, but for a province and population as small as ours there's enough to go around.

Also a note of interest for anyone not familiar with our province: we can buy locally made beers in corner stores and gas stations as well as at provincially-run liquor stores.

India considers itself an India Pale Ale and is golden, mildly carbonated and has a grainy/straw taste. It's a favorite for young folk and hipsters downtown. Brewed by Molson, it features a portrait of a Newfoundland Dog on the label.

Other Molson beers unique to this province are Black Horse, Molson Extra, and Dominion Ale.

Quidi Vidi brewery in the village of Quidi Vidi in St. John's offers several types of beer and often experiments with limited offerings. There's QV, QV Light which are crisp and mildly hoppy. Eric's Red is the cream ale of the group and is heavier but still tasty. 1892 is a sweet amber ale for those who like a full beer. Honey Brown and Honey Brown Light are sweet and I have found only select customers like this one...but those who do like it are loyal. Quidi Vidi has recently started brewing an excellent Iceberg beer which is fresh, crisp and refreshing made from glacial water from icebergs. The downside is it's only available in a 4-bottle-pack and costs more than your average beer.

Storm also has several varieties: Irish Newfoundland Red Ale, Island Gold Ale, Coffee Porter, Raspberry Wheat Ale, Hemp Ale. These beers are pretty easy to find in St. John's restaurants (especially downtown) and stores.

Yellow Belly on Water St. offers four microbrews which you can order in their pub/restaurant or order in 1 or 2 liter bottles to take home. These are fresh tasting and cover most tastes of beer drinkers. First there's St. John's Stout, Fighting Irish (a red ale), Wexford Wheat (which they often serve with lime), and the signature Yellow Belly Pale Ale.

Labatt makes Blue Star here in the province, a nice fruity, light and hoppy offering. It also makes Jockey Club which is a stronger (though light) American style beer also popular by younger folks and die-hard fans. And though it's not from Newfoundland, you can find Alexender Keiths beer in corner stores in this provinces because it is produced and bottled by Labatt.

For more about local beer, have a look at this article.

Did I miss your favorite local brew? Let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Farm news

The St. John's Farmers' Market will be opening this weekend on Saturday June 6 from 9am-2pm at the Lion’s Club Chalet on Bonaventure Avenue.

Interested citizens in town have been wanting a farmers' market for quite some time. An interest group formed two years ago and had some hiccups with location changes and getting interest from farmers and producers. At this time of year, you'll find more crafts and hand-made goods than actual produce. But that shouldn't stop you from heading down there...you might just pick up a lovely homemade pie or unique local jewelery.

If you're looking for the real-deal farm experience, you should head to Lester's Farm on Brookfield Rd. or the Organic Farm in Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's.

Did I miss a farm spot? Let me know!