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Year: 2018

Beckta’s Rooftop

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Our anniversary was coming soon and the kids were away at Camp Mami and Pappi so we were free to decide and do something fun and unusual. An email caught my attention as a great way to celebrate. Beckta was inviting us (well, me!) to an evening of BBQ and libations on a rooftop. Their friends at Enright Cattle, a family farm near Tweed, were going to help Beckta host a BBQ on their rooftop patio. For $65 per person, we could enjoy five BBQ options and two beverages. $65 for all you-can-eat-Beckta on a rooftop? IN! We arrived there early, to make sure we could enjoy the beautiful August sun. We were greeted by Stephen Beckta, who promptly directed us to the bar. Good man. To drink, there were a couple of options: Cave Spring Rosé or their house made Sangria, or beers from Kichesippi: the Heller Highwater or…

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The Kitchen is open

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We’ve been going on a golf trip to Alexandria Bay, NY, for over a decade now. We have our habits. We’ve tried a few places. And considering the size of the place, it is pretty rare that we even try to discover something new. On Friday night, a few guys were going to go to Cavallario’s Top Of The Bay to munch on Burritos and quaff some A-Bombs. But Turk and I didn’t really feel like it. We searched the area for something different, something fresh. And we found The Kitchen. We went on a reconnaissance mission, to assess the location, the menu and available space. At the gate, a friendly greeter happily answered our questions and gave us a quick tour. The Kitchen is located in The Captain Visger House, a beautifully renovated bed and breakfast, it is a Victorian house located in the heart of town, right across…

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A Toast to our Founding Fathers

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For one evening, we were asked to forget about the political negotiations and intrigues that led to the birth of Canada to reflect on a more important question: what did the Fathers of Confederation (and their female guests) eat and drink at the Charlottetown Conference of 1864? Apparently, wine and extravagant meals played a vital role in convincing the Maritime provinces to join Confederation. Well, then. A Toast to our Founding Fathers was the first event in the Canadian Museum of History’s series of tastings inspired by historical events. Thanks to Audrey’s instigation and LP’s organizing skills, 15 of us were set to feast on a four-course dinner inspired by the Conference, prepared by the Museum resident chef Michael Lasalle (formerly at Chez Edgar). To wash everything down, a wine tasting led by renowned sommelier Véronique Rivest, the first woman ever to reach the podium at the World’s Best Sommelier…

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Trudeau lose his Chef

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Looks like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is searching for a new Chef. After a 15-month stint at 24 Sussex, where the PM doesn’t live while he waits the residence to repair itself, Katie Brown Ardington is going back to the private world and is becoming the Executive Chef at Steve Beckta’s three sister restaurants: Beckta, Play Food & Wine and Gezellig. I am thrilled to announce that Katie Ardington has rejoined our restaurant family as Executive Chef of @Becktadining @playfoodandwine & @gezelligdining after a 15-month stint as the private Chef for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. #welcomehome pic.twitter.com/iKP5vQ5yNL — Stephen Beckta (@stevebeckta) 17 avril 2018 As a teenager, Ardington got started in the food industry as the “dish pit” at the Isaac Brock pub in Brockville (now known as The Union Jack pub). She moved on up the pub’s food chain, becoming prep cook, garde manger, and then fry cook. She…

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Rubio’s surfing above the competition

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We were shoe shopping in Mesa. Time flies when you shoe shop with kids. Because nothing matches the cross-specifications required by Ms. Waffle and Mini Waffle – and when it does, the shoe doesn’t fit. Suddenly, a Spiderman shoe seemed to fit the bill. Alas, I noticed that the left shoe’s blinking light wasn’t working (a clear specification). In order to convince Mini Waffle to agree to the non-blinking Mickey Mouse snickers, Ms. Waffle tried to bargain lunch at a restaurant of his choice. He picked St-Hubert. Unfortunetaly, the closest one is a 37 hour drive away. Back to another pair of blinking Spiderman, previously rejected by Ms. Waffle because they were too heavy. But admitting defeat on shoes meant she got to pick lunch, and selected Rubio’s Coastal Grill. Rubio’s Coastal Grill, formerly known as Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, is a fast food chain surfing on the growing “Fresh…

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