Year: 2009

Restaurant Dec 1, 2009 The Waffle 1 Comment We were in Gatineau looking for a place to eat after an appointment related to the Waffle jr., and we decided to stop at Madisons. Madisons is a new chain of restaurants which label’s itself a New York City Grill & Bar. It has 12 locations, all in the Montreal area with one exception: the Gatineau establishment, located on the beautiful Maloney boulevard. It is on a prime real estate spot: the parking lot shared by Canadian Tire and Future Shop. The concept is a little more open than Bâton Rouge if you can believe it – not a lot of quiet booths here – the atmosphere is meant for the professional crowd, with a constant buzz of professional chatter. We sat down and peered at the menu sections – salads, pasta, ribs, chicken, fish, sandiwiches and burgers – everything for everyone just as…

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Restaurant Nov 21, 2009 The Waffle No Comments After spending the night competing at the World Trivia Night – where our team, the Riverside Pub, had a respectable finish but was mostly proud of having raised the most money for the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa – and spent the remainder of the night celebrating our success (and I am not talking about our ranking). As the hectic flow of bar-goers was pouring out on Elgin street, I decided to walk away from it all in order to collect my thoughts, and, as always, I had many of them. I passed the Golden Arches located on Elgin, I hesitated, then I walked away. But the damage was done. I kept walking, but a thought started creeping in my head – I was going to lose my free small fries!  The deadline to claim my winnings was November 23rd.  I could…

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Restaurant Nov 21, 2009 The Waffle 5 Comments We were shopping for furniture in Vanier, of all places, and got hungry.  I decided the place for us to go was just up further on Montreal road:  the Newfoundland Pub. Mel had never been, but it is worth the detour even if it is a bit far from downtown. The place looks like nothing from outside. It is not an area of Vanier known for its architechture – in fact, it looks like an industrial building. There is a small parking lot available for patrons. You enter and notice immediately the decor.  It is a bit old and tired, but it is part of the charm of the place.  Newfoundland is all over, complete with a Lobster on the ceiling. They have live bands in the evening, pretty much everyday, but the place was not very busy on this Saturday afternoon.   As usual, regulars…

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General Nov 21, 2009 The Waffle 3 Comments “Are you in town?” That’s how it all began.  An email from my friend Sonja, wondering about my whereabouts.  Yes, I was in town. Lucky for me – her partner had a pair of tickets for the Ottawa Senators, and didn’t – couldn’t – wouldn’t go. Whatever the reason, I was very thankful that they thought of me to dispose of said tickets. And I was even more so once I showed up. It was 6 PM.  No time to waste – we were on our way, first downtown to pick up the tickets, then to the Scotiabank Place to see if the Sens could beat the Sabres. First surprise: location.  These babies were located in a Suite 105 A.  Second surprise, the suite sponsor:  Bell Canada.  Don’t ask me how he got them – I do not know.  Third surprise: that…

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General Nov 13, 2009 The Waffle 2 Comments Friday night, the best deal in town for oysters was not the Metropolitain (1$ an oyster, 4 to 7), it was not Whalesbone (they rarely have them below 2$ a piece), and it was not Big Daddy’s (they also offer a buck a shuck Happy Hour). No, the place to be was l’Institut Canadien-Français d’Ottawa, located on Dalhousie.  Founded in 1852, the ICFO held its first annual oyster dinner in 1870, an event that has been held every year uninterrupted to this day. After a great sales’ pitch by a long-standing member who happens to work at my curling club, the Royal Canadian Navy Curling Club my team mate Ken and I decided to go for it – we both enjoy oysters very much, he being half-acadian, me being an athlete needing energy.  For good measure, Ken brought two of his anglo neighbours and…

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