‘Twas the day before the day before the day before Christmas

‘Twas the day before the day before the day before Christmas

‘Tis the season for road trips and lunches on the go. And the young Waffles had been bugging us for a stop at Tim Hortons for weeks now. Despite my strong will, Ms. Waffle joined the fray as we headed out for Frontenac County for the Noël festivities. I had other helpful suggestions along the way. But it seemed there was no way around it. We would have to stop around 12:30 in Carleton Place, since it would coincide with my car’s need to be fed too. I was dreading the arrival. It is the Holidays. It would be packed. It would be loud. It would smell like bad coffee and candy canes. Neither the McDonald’s next door nor the A&W across the street could sway them. In they went into the Timmies. The thought occured to me that I could just fill up and keep driving. All the presents…

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Christmas Lunches at the 3 Brewers

‘Tis the season for Christmas lunches, and so it was the case today at Les 3 Brasseurs. Not that I was on a Christmas lunch – but it seemed that the entire place was occupied by Christmas Lunchers. Not that the place was packed, however. There were plenty of seating available, and we were brought to a comfortable booth on the second floor. One one side, 5 different groups of Christmas lunchers. On the other side, 1 mega-group of Christmas lunchers. Fa la la. Marc-André and I didn’t take too long to decide – we would go for the daily lunch special. We ignored the Tuna Melt and barely considered the Chicken Pesto Penne and opted for a Flammekueche of our choice for $12.99. On the side, you can add a salad or a soup for $1.50, which we did. And to drink, the 1/2 pint of blonde is at…

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Christmas is cancelled!!

A reader alerts me to another reader’s great dismay in this Holiday Season, as the news of the closure of an Ottawa institution is spreading amongst his circle – and as friends go on suicide-watch: —————– Dear friends, I just learned some truly crushing news which has effectively ruined the holidays for me (particularly our family new year’s tradition). I see no reason your holidays should be spared …. After 64 years — the last egg roll My stomach doesn’t know why I live in this town any more. – kd —————– There you have it, dear Wafflers. Cathay is no longer, having closed yesterday after 64 years of pleasing generations of palates. Opened in 1946, the Year of the Dog, this Canadian-Chinese restaurant was always busy for lunch, especially upstairs, where the all-you-can-eat buffet was attracting blue and white collar workers alike, politicians of all trades, children and seniors.…

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