A Chili Cheese Dog on James Street

After a Gargoyles’ game, the boyz usually end up at Whisper’s, in Westboro. However, it being Westfest, the team’s social convener decided that it was a no-go tonight and suggested we head towards James Street to hang out on the James Street Pub patio, the biggest on Bank Street. So we did. And instead of munching on our regular team wings and team nachos, it was each their own. I simply couldn’t bring myself to order chicken wings – at $13, it seemed expensive, and considering the small baskets that came for some of my more foolish teammates, it was the right decision. But what to do instead? I pondered that as the team was quenching it’s thirst with a variety of beverages, notably the $20 Buckets of Labatt 50, Budweiser or Bud light on special on Sundays at JSP. Despite being part of the Heart and Crown family since…

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Poor Filet-O-Fish

McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish has always been the ugly duckling of McDonald’s menu. Yet for some reason, as I looked for a quick meal at the McDonald’s on Bank at Sparks, I ended up ordering it. I can’t recall the last time I did that, and can’t really explain why I did. Perhaps it was the price? The Filet-O-Fish is the cheapest of McDonald’s big sandwich selection. At 410 calories, it is also the, ahem, healthier choice. The Filet-O-Fish was the first non-hamburger offered by McDonald’s. It was created in 1962 in Cincinnati and at first, was offered only on Fridays to attract practicing Catholics – According to church canon, Catholics being required to abstain from meat on Fridays. Along with the Hula Burger (grilled pineapple with cheese on a cold bun), McDonald’s tested the two non-meat-catholic-friendly-on-Fridays sandwiches, and clearly nobody cared much for the Hula Burger. Yet, not a lot of…

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Sometimes, St-Hubert is what you need

Sometimes, things are not going your way. When that happens, comfort food is the way to go. Today, things weren’t going my way. So when Karine suggested that it was a day for St-Hubert BBQ, I didn’t protest much. So we made our way to the rotisserie in Hull. The place was packed, as it often is for lunch hour – the parking was full, and the street parking spots were all taken – we had to park 3 blocks away. But the restaurant is spacious, and they sat us down in a booth in no time. Their Lunch & Go formula, available from Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m is very popular, hence the packed parking lot, and most of the items are served in no time. You can choose from Chicken Fillet, Ribs, Chicken Pot Pie, Hot Chicken, Half Chicken Salad Sandwich and Soup, Chicken Fillet…

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The Chelsea Pub is The Waffle’s new locale

Since we moved to Chelsea, our habits have changed somewhat. And we are starting to have our habits at the Chelsea Pub, on Old Chelsea road. Since we moved to Chelsea, our habits have changed somewhat. And we are starting to have our habits at the Chelsea Pub, on Old Chelsea road. Basically, it is our new locale. And indeed, on Saturday afternoon, after running a few errands at Broue-Ha-Ha and at the Meredith Centre, I asked my better half if there was somewhere else that we needed to go. She answered negatively. If rephrased – was there somewhere else she would like to go. And indeed, we ended up at the Chelsea Pub. I first wrote about the Chelsea Pub during the 2011 election, but I’ve been going more often lately. The spot is cozy, kid friendly (most of the time!), offers an interesting menu and a great selection…

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A Bofinger in Montreal

The NDP Convention was over, the set had been struck and delegates were leaving Montreal happy and motivated. My train wasn’t leaving for another couple of hours, and fellow delegate Tania had to wait for her plane. We decided to look for a place to celebrate a successful Convention, and started wandering the streets of Montreal, ending on Ste-Catherine, heading west. A new sign on University street intrigued me: Bofinger. But more importantly, there was an umbrella featuring St-Ambroise’s Blonde. We found our spot. Turns out, it was an American BBQ joint. I wasn’t about to turn around! I remembered hearing about a BBQ spot called Bofinger that had opened a couple of years ago in NDG. Turns out, this is the same guys! Bofinger Barbecue Smokehouse first opened in the NDG neighborhood of Montreal in 2007. The place was immediately successful, and there are now 3 other locations: on…

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