Food Crawl {A 50th Birthday Surprise}

Surprises, particularly birthday surprises are wonderful. I like to be caught off guard with special gifts, but planning the unexpected is really where I get my kicks! Birthdays, holidays, Tuesdays; I really enjoy celebrating the big and small life events with surprises.

On September 27th, 2013 my mom turned 50! Half a century old, is not just a little feat! For months, my dad and I had been scheming to plan something special for her. We concocted a gift that would encompass all of her favorite things: adventure, new experiences, food and drinks. We decided on a food crawl!

Essentially, I was tasked my by dad to choose 3-5 restaurants that I thought she would like and we would go to each and order a drink and a couple plates to share. And since it was a 50th birthday present, money in this case, would be no object! I was in my glory!

The restaurants were chosen, my parents were in Ottawa, the weather was perfect. We were ready to go. I even prepared an Ottawa Foodie Passport for my mom - a small booklet, where she could record the restaurants visited and what was ordered - which she loved!

My wonderful mum with her Ottawa Foodie Passport, sitting at the bar
at Town enjoying her drink, in front of the iconic octopus painting. I hope I look this amazing at 50!

We ended up going to 4 restaurants, but not necessarily the ones I had originally chosen. The problem (although not really a problem) was that it was a gorgeous Friday night and we didn't make reservations since we wanted to leisurely go from location to location.

Here are the restaurants that we did go to, and what we ordered:

Town

Our first stop was Town. The restaurant was bustling, but still inviting with a warm atmosphere and a buzz of Friday night conversations between couples and friends. I was greeted at the door with a smile and was informed that they were completely booked up for the evening, but there was room at the bar to sit. We jumped on the opportunity!

As a first stop on what would be a rather gluttonous evening, we decided on something lighter. We each ordered a drink:

• Vanilla porter
• Helmut
• Grapefruit fizz

The drinks were lovingly crafted right in front of us and when we asked any questions, the bar tender was happy to give some insight!

For food we ordered the 3 cheese plate and had:

• Grey Owl from Quebec
• Highland Blue from Ontario
• Taleggio from Italy 

Being cheese lovers, all 3 were excellent cheeses and the accoutrements served with the cheeses including apple chutney, local honey, bread crisps and spiced nuts were outstanding. The favorite cheese of the three, however, by far, was the High Blue - creamy, velvety, tart.

Oz Cafe

We arrived at Oz Cafe, off to the side of Elgin St, down the stairs, and were saw what looked to be a full restaurant. Luckily, it was such a beautiful night, the patio was open and available to sit at. The cheese plate was fabulous at Town, but by this time with some walking and a drink under our belts we were developing an appetite. We decided on ordering something more substantial to share. Since the food at Oz Cafe has a Asian inspiration to it, we decided to drink a Sapporo - light, crisp and satisfying. For food we ordered:

• Smoked trout sashimi
• Edamame
• Corn on the cob

When we ordered the food, the waiter told us that it might be a little bit of a wait because the kitchen was so busy. But we ordered and were served within about 20 minutes, so no complaints there! The smoked trout was light, delicate and had the perfect hint of jalapeno kick. The edamame were the best I have ever had; buttery, salty and totally addictive. Finally, the corn. For my family, corn on the cob holds a special place in our hearts as being a summer barbecue essential, fresh picked from my grandparents garden. The corn at Oz Cafe is something extraordinary. As my dad put it, "It tastes like steak!". The char grilled taste and salty, spicy peanut crumble on top, made it the favorite dish of the whole evening!

Johnny Farina's

This is the part in the evening that took a bit of a turn. We had planned to pop across the street from Oz Cafe over to El Camino for some tacos and tequila (my mom's favorite). Unfortunately, on our arrival, and because of the nature of our food crawl not allowing us to make reservations, we were confronted with a one and half hour wait. We have heard such amazing reviews, we were disappointed, but it will be a place to try another time! Thinking ahead, we called to the next restaurant and made a reservation. It was still another hour away, so we strolled down Elgin St. and popped into Johnny Farina's for a drink and an appetizer.

Johnny's (as my former co-workers loving called it) is a decent restaurant, with good food, great service (in my experience) and even a lunch counter (to get good food on the go)! It is a place where I used to have lunch about once per week and holds a special place in my busy former life.

We ordered a few beers and a dry gin martini (with an olive) for my mom. We also ordered the calamari to snack on while we enjoyed our drinks and caught some baseball highlights on television. Cannot say enough about their calamari. Super delicious and huge portion for the price! Definitely the perfect accompaniment for a tall, cold glass of Kichessippi beer!

 Union 613

Our last stop of the evening was Union 613. Admittedly, I had only been once before, to their basement speakeasy and was just dying to try their southern inspired food. The restaurant for 11:00 pm was at a low rumbled of people laughing and talking over their delicious smelling food and drinks. The dark and dim atmosphere is so inviting. We all especially loved the lighting in the restaurant. I have to get some of those recycle bottle chandeliers!

We were seated at one of the common tables in the back of the restaurant near the kitchen. My dad sat on the end and was fascinated the whole time, peaking into the plating station, watching all of the food go from kitchen to tables. We discussed our food and drink options at length while gorging ourselves on the briny, boiled peanuts served (which, by the way, are just beyond addictive). The service from start to finish was impeccable! To drink we ordered:

• Bourbon lemonade
• Apple pie
• 2 bourbons to taste (after dinner)

The lemonade was really great and super refreshing, but the apple pie drink was, in my opinion, one of the best drinks I have tasted. There isn't much to it, and there isn't much to say except that it tastes like apple pie, but it is heaven served in a little mason jar! My parents, after dinner, also tasted two bourbons recommended by our very knowledgeable waiter. Both were enjoyed!

For food we decided to order three things off their late night menu:

• Yard bird
• Fried green tomatoes
• Shrimp and grits

We cannot say enough about how great the food was. The fried green tomatoes were perfect; fresh, salty, cheesy and spicy. The fried chicken was so moist and satisfying. And the shrimp and grits was just perfection. The grits actually tastes like mac and cheese, which is pretty darn yummy in my books!

After Union 613 our bellies were so full, we almost couldn't move. The food crawl birthday present was a resounding success!

---

This is a great idea to do with a bunch of friends and allows you to try a bunch of different dishes at a number of restaurants without breaking the bank! Sharing is key here and it makes the evening even more fun! I am already planning my next food crawl adventure!

Happy 50th birthday to my mom! I hope you have 50+ years more of adventures!

-Tina (Turnip)

Summer Road Trip 2013 Highlights ft. Ginger Peach Mint Juleps

August 1st was finally here! After months of waiting, planning and counting down the days, it was vacation o'clock and time for the Turnip & Bean Summer 2013 Road Trip Adventure!

WARNING: This is a long post, but (we think) worth the read!

---

The Drive

The early morning came and we packed up the car, along with our best, four-legged, furry gal, Steele.

Our first, and possibly most important stop of the road trip was just two blocks away. Coffee. And not just any coffee; a rich, bold, piping hot latte from one of our favourite neighborhood coffee joints, The Morning Owl. We popped into to see our friend and barista extraordinaire, Tommy, who heated us up two breakfast sandwiches and whipped up a couple of lattes (with soy-milk for Alex, of course!). We took those back to the car, impatiently scarfed them down, and hit the highway!

Alex was at the helm and driving was pretty smooth. Because we were up so early, hunger (and a restroom break) started to set in around 10:30 am. We decided to pull over at an ON Route stop, grab some gas and pop in to use the facilities. We had thought ahead for nourishment. The evening before we packed a healthy picnic lunch. Unfortunately, what we had thought would be a leisurely picnic under blue skies, turned out to be a soaking wet, humid, in-car, stuffing-our-faces-with-hummus-and-pita-fest. Despite the inclement weather (which, by the way, cleared up about 90 seconds after we finished eating), lunch was delicious! It was a quick and fast take on the Veggie Naan'wich with Feta and Chickpea Mash recipe by Sprouted Kitchen.

The drive continued down through Southern Ontario to Niagara. Traffic was great, songs were loud. We arrived safe and sound and ready to start relaxing.

Welland Pizza

Prior to our road trip, Tina kept talking about "Welland Pizza" and how Alex hasn't had real pizza until she tried it. Well, in essence, pizza in Canada, like in the US, varies from region to region. In Southern Ontario, pizza is much different that in Eastern Ontario, for example.

So, on our first night in Niagara, after the long drive down, we were famished. We decided to order Luciano's Pizza. They claim to have the best pizza in Welland. While it cannot be confirmed with absolution that this is true, the pizza is definitely delicious and a reminder of home for Tina. A sweeter sauce with fresh toppings resting atop perfectly browned cheese. Also, in Welland when you order wings 'hot', they are actually spicy (as Alex discovered).

Key Lime Marshmallows (and other bizarrely delicious US food purchases)

Our second day, we hopped over the border with Tina's mom Bev, to Niagara Falls, NY for some much needed retail therapy. We were ready for all day shopping but as always, we became hungry, very quickly. Half-way through our shopping day, we decided to go to the Olive Garden. To make a long story short, the waitress totally screwed up Alex's order and we ended up getting free wine, a free meal, plus an extra pizza. For three people our bill came to about $17. The food and service was mediocre, but "at least we got a free meal!". After the Olive Garden debacle, we were stuffed with carbs (from bottomless salad and salty bread sticks), but it was time for the best part of shopping in the US - food! There are so many different, weird food items that can be purchased in the states, and we were in search of them! We went to both Walmart and to Tops Friendly Market. The following is a delicious list of fun food stuffs we found:

Key Lime Marshmallows (Actually so delicious, but better on their own and not roasted over the fire and eaten in s'mores. We tried it. Trust us on this.)
Peanut Butter Cheerios (Cereal made by angels!)
Italian Sausage-filled Chef Boyardee Raviolis (Sweeter than normal canned raviolis with a slight fennel taste. Verdict: pretty good!)
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Beer (Just, "Yum!")

Peaches galore at the Welland Farmer's Market

Next up on our trip was the farmer's market! Welland has a beautiful farmer's market held every Saturday morning. Busy, bustling, vibrant and alive with smiles and smells of summer. We were particularly excited to go because it happens to be peach season! A glorious time of year in the Niagara region when stone fruit are at their perfect ripeness. We picked up a bunch of things at the market to make a healthy and delicious dinner for our gracious hosts (Tina's parents). Peaches were included, of course, in that bounty. For dinner we made peach and rhubarb crumble (topped with whipped cream), which was out-of-this-world!

Breakfast at the Bleu Turtle Bistro & Niagara-on-the-Lake Fudge

Sunday we headed into St. Catharines to the Bleu Turtle Bistro for breakfast. If you follow our Facebook or Twitter, you may have already seem some tantalizing photos of our breakfast.   

Alex had Smoked salmon and cream cheese eggs benny on corn bread with tomato caper salsa.
 

 Tina had two poached eggs with crab cakes, toasted corn bread, potatoes and guacamole. 

Absolute breakfast heaven.

From St. Catharines, we went on to Niagara-on-the-Lake to look through the shops. The drive down to that region is so beautiful in the summer; blue skies and grapevines as far as the eye can see.

After doing some window shopping (and dreaming of making plans to move to the area to buy and run a Bed & Breakfast) we stopped in to get a treat at Maple Leaf Fudge. Alex got Mint Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chocolate; Tina got the classic Maple fudge. So addictive!

Family, friends and (mountains of) food

Sunday afternoon we planned to have a barbecue at Tina's Aunt and Uncle's house in the country. It promised to be a big gathering of friends and family and literally mountains of delicious food; it definitely delivered. The barbecue was vaguely southern themed. Tina's dad spent hours smoking and cooking a brisket to perfection. A truckload of ribs made by Tina's cousin Taylor, a budding-chef, were excellent. Also, delicious were the appetizers, dips, salads, desserts, and drinks made by everyone else. You wanted to stop eating, but everything was just too delicious.

To accompany an afternoon of relaxation, good conversation and swimming, we decided to make a drink. Recently, featured by the LCBO and also in Bon Appetit magazine were versions of a mint julep including our favourite seasonal fruit, peaches! We took a crack at make our own! Here is the recipe!

Ginger Peach Mint Juleps

Recipe is for one drink, but can be easily multiplied.

 

 

 

 

 

1 ripe peach, peeled and cut into slices
1 shot (2 oz) bourbon
1 handful of mint leaves
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice
ginger beer
ice

Add the peaches, mint, lemon juice and sugar into a glass. Muddle them using a spoon. Fill the glass with ice. Pour over the bourbon, and then the ginger beer. Stir.

Simple, easy and so refreshing!

Ice cream & the Midway on Clifton Hill

For our last evening, Tina and her sister Alyssa took Alex down to see Niagara Falls - her first time! We parked and walked down Clifton Hill through the crowds, picked up huge soft-serve ice cream cones and marveled at the falls. Then, we walked back up the hill and stopped in at the Great Canadian Midway. A must-do activity if you are in Niagara Falls. We played a ton of fun games, including Big Bertha and a time-consuming, not to mention nerve racking, round of Jurassic Park (Tina's favourite shooting game). After spending more money than we'd like to admit on game tokens, we claimed our prizes!


The next morning we packed up the car, said our 'thank yous' and 'good-byes' and were on the road, back to Ottawa. All-in-all road trip well-spent!

---

Friends go on journeys together by Tina

As the last part of this really long post (we apologize!), I wanted to write something special to my home girl, my sista from another mista, the Louise to my Thelma, my blog partner: Alex.

When I proposed this trip to Alex, she didn't hesitate once. She was up for anything. Little did I know months before when planning the trip, a visit with family, accompanied by a friend, would be so needed. Life has been a bit turbulent for me lately. A few select people have acted like solid rocks in my life in recent months. Alex, is one of those people.

I know she is reading this, and is saying to herself "That's what friends are for!" and "You would do the same for me!". She is absolutely right. But, it doesn't diminish the fact that she has been a friend, a sounding board, and an unrelenting supporter and for that she, at the very least, deserves a public "Thank you" from me.

Friends go on journeys together;  be they, vacations, trips to the market, emotional roller coasters, walks down memory lane or road trips. Alex, thank you for going on this journey with me. I cannot tell you how much I needed it. Cheers to us, and to many, many more adventures in years to come (until we are fabulous old ladies wearing an obscene amount of quirky jewelry, walking with canes, fighting with young people to snag the best clothes in the thrift stores).

Cinco de Mayo Caesars

In summer 2012, we rented a cottage in Mont Tremblant where 14 of our dearest friends gathered together for a week's vacation. It was one of the most fun vacations I have ever had. Besides inside jokes and memories to last a lifetime, that week brought us one important thing: Caesar Sundays. Since the first Sunday of that vacation, not every Sunday evening, but many, have been spent sipping Caesars with some of our closest friends.

For this Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would take a crack at making my own mix to make some extra special Caesars featuring tequila instead of vodka. Why? Because what is a Mexican holiday without tequila?

Cinco de Mayo Caesars

 

Homemade Caesar Mix

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

3/4 cups water

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large carrot, diced

2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sriracha (more can be added later when mixing the drink)

1 teaspoon Mott's clamato rimmer (if you do not have this replace with 1 celery salt)

1 handful parsley

1 handful basil

Add all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend the mixture until very smooth with no visible or distinct pieces left over. Strain the mixture using a fine sieve to remove any extra pulp. Transfer to a container, like a mason jar, store in the fridge until ready to use. I do not recommend making this too far in advance. It would be best to use in the same day.

Mixing the drink

1 low ball glass

Mott's clamato rimmer (again, this can be replaced with celery salt)

Garnish (traditionally a celery stalk, but I used a lime slice, a pickle and a red pepper stick)

Straw

Ice cubes

Tequila

Homemade caesar mix

Worcestershire sauce

Hot sauce

First, take a wedge of lime and run it around the rim of the glass. Tip the glass over, into the rimmer mixture or celery salt, making sure to coat the edge of the glass well. 

Add the ice to the glass, along with 1 oz of tequila, 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, extra hot sauce to taste, and top the glass up with the homemade caesar mix. Mix well with a spoon. Garnish and serve with a straw.

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)