Home 2013 (Page 2)

Year: 2013

Freetime at the Freehouse

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The NDP Caucus strategy session was coming to an end, and before the last part began, we had some free time for lunch. Where should we go to enjoy this freetime? To the Freehouse, of course! The Freehouse was established by a Saskatchewan consortium that includes several New Democrats, most notably former NDP MP Lorne Nystrom. There are two successful locations in Saskatchewan, the Cathedral Freehouse which opened in 1996 in Regina and the Spadina Freehouse which opened in 2002 in Saskatoon. The consortium tried to expand to Winnipeg, but sadly, the Osborne Village Freehouse didn’t last very long. The Spadina Freehouse is located strategically in the heart of downtown Saskatoon, across from the Delta and adjacent to the Sheraton, guaranteeing an influx of travellers attracted by convenience and the large patio. Despite the inviting bright interior, Steve, Karine and I decided to sit outside – until the sun came…

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Getting refreshed in Saskatoon

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After flying for most of the day, I finally made it to my final destination, the Paris of the Prairies, beautiful Saskatoon. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, my stomach was growling. Thankfully, our Caucus meeting HQ were at the Delta Bessborough Hotel, at the corner of Spadina and 21st Street. And what is right across the street? If you answered the Freehouse, you are right. But that’s not what I am talking about. No, I am talking about the Saskatoon Bus Stop Refresments. A classic red-and-white 1949 Bristol double-decker bus, which served London until 1965, was brought to Saskatoon from Niagara Falls in 1985 by Laurel Beaumont. At first, the food truck served fish and chips at Agriculture fairs across the province. In 1989, the Routemaster was parked and became a Snackmaster. I checked in, dropped my bags in my room and off I was to the…

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La Poutine du Parc Vert

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We left the Floribell Resort early Sunday afternoon to go home after having had a good time with family and friends. Frolicking on the beach, swimming in the lake, drinking a few cold ones. Life was good. Especially since yours truly became International Champion of Water Frisbee. But that’s another story. So we left Saint-Élie-de-Caxton and started looking for a place to have a quick bite. We hit Road 351 then Road 153 before arriving in Saint-Barnabé and spotting a Casse-Croûte just off the main street. The place didn’t look busy, but there were a few cars in the parking lot. The classic Pepsi sign told us that we were at le Casse-Croûte du Parc Vert. Built in 2005, Casse-Croûte du Parc Vert is located downtown St-Barnabé Nord, such as it is. It is basically about 20 minutes from Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan and Louiseville. They claim that everything on their menu…

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Cat’s fish

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I was looking for a new place for lunch, and I came across this video where “Skipper Dave” and “First Mate Cat” were introducing us to the delicacies served at Cat’s Fish & Chips. Fish & Chips is a great lunch item – so that’s what I suggested to Mel and we made our way to Vanier. Cat’s Fish & Chips opened in May 2012 and rapidly made their mark, winning Metro’s Choice Awards for Best Fish & Chips and Best Takeout in December. The building, located at St-Laurent and Hemlock and previously housing the Rockliff Bistro, is newly renovated and repainted in a nice sky blue colour, with a nautical-theme décor. The spot is laid back and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Inside, Emerald was waiting for us, telling us we had to wait to be seated. Directions for the Poop deck were clear and straightforward. The place wasn’t…

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My Bacon Explosion

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Ken was the first one to alert me to this new smoked delicacy called the Bacon Explosion, back in 2011. “If this doesn’t say “I love Canada” – nothing does. Mind you, your heart may end up stopping after simply reading it,” he said. The recipe was from the BBQ Addicts website and had slowly gone viral, with the New York Times publishing it’s adaptation of the recipe. BBQ Addicts came up with the recipe after being asked by Bacon Today to provide some barbecue bacon recipes. So the BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes was born. I promised myself I would try it out, and I finally I got around to do it, inviting Scott and his crew to come over and help us making and mostly eating it. Here’s what I used: 2 pounds of thick cut bacon 2 pounds of Hot Italian sausage meat 1 bottle of…

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