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Year: 2021

Hitting the spot on Christmas Day

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Hitting the spot on Christmas Day

We arrived at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal with plenty of time to spare before we boarded the Queen of New Westminster to Nanaimo. We only had snacks on our journey so far. It being Christmas Day, lots of things were closed in the terminal area. Vending machines were not a wanted option. So I headed over to the Tsawwassen Quay Market to check it out, fingers crossed. The air was fresh and the wind was brisk. Tsawwassen market is a small retail market that showcases a West Coast theme and lifestyle, featuring fashion and crafts. There are usually plenty of food options but today, only three were open. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was immediately ruled out by me. Two options were in the running: Salsa, a Mexican joint offering tacos, quesadillas nachos, enchiladas and burritos. And Frankie’s Barbecue Grill, featuring hot dogs, hot sandwiches, beef dip, pulled pork and…

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‘Tis the Season to try something different

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‘Tis the Season to try something different

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. Before we nestled the children all snug in their beds,We had to eat and feast, as after all,‘Twas the night before Christmas! Now, we were going away for a few days, so the thought of planning a traditional ‘Réveillon’ was overwhelming. So I suggested we would follow a long-establisehd Jewish tradition and eat Chinese food for Christmas. The kids were confused, so I had to explain. It’s been documented a-plenty that North American Jews have been patrons to Chinese eateries while Christians are celebrating. Historians believe that the tradition began in New York’s Lower East Side, at the tail end of the 19th century, with an early wave of Eastern European immigrants. Chinese immigrants were settling…

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Bahama Breezin’

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Bahama Breezin’

The four of us had landed in the Land of the Free for a few golf rounds and some beach time under the Florida Sun. Upon arrival, however, we were short on supplies, so our first meal would have to be out there in the danger zone. Bahama Breeze Island Grille was thus selected. Bahama Breeze is an Carribean-inspired restaurant chain, owned by Darden (Olive Gargen, Longhorns Steakhouse). Bahama Breeze is specialized in island fare, including seafood, chicken, steaks, and of course, tropical drinks. The Fort Myers location is one of 43 franchise across the United States, with almost half of them being situated in the Sunshine State. We elected to sit on the patio, which seemed a safer bet in these uncertain times. It was also a bit of a condition set by Ms. Waffle to grant me the green light for the trip. The patio was busy but…

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Lunch in the Works

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Lunch in the Works

It had been over a year since Ms. Waffle and I had ventured together to the Ontario side of the Ottawa river for a lunch date on location. After a stop at Decathlon on St-Laurent, we had a false start at the Boston Pizza in the same mall parking lot: there was a line-up and Boston Pizza is not worth the wait. So we headed south on St-Laurent in search of another spot to eat out. We soon spied The WORKS, who’s patio didn’t look too busy. We were soon sitting down and peering at the menu. Established in 2001 in Ottawa, The WORKS is now a well-established chain of craft burgers, with 27 locations across Ontario. Owned by MTY since 2017, the chain’s plan is to expand in Manitoba, Alberta and British-Columbia. The chain went through a re-branding last year, The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro becoming The WORKS Craft…

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Arrividerci, Luigi!

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Arrividerci, Luigi!

The announcement was made on Facebook and it shook our little community: after 8 years, Pizza de Luigi was shutting down its Chelsea location, and they were shutting it down basically immediately! The horror! After 8 years of running two business and 6 years of working full time while running them, the owner decided that two restaurants was too much. They will focus all their efforts into the Wakefield restaurant. Incidentally, Mini-Waffle had already selected Cheezy Luigi as the restaurant we would order from tomorrow, part of our weekly effort to support local restaurants during the pandemic. We realized what was happening only because we wanted to check the opening hours. So we decided that we had no choice but to order immediately, one last time. Because even though they will remain open in Wakefield, that is a bit of a trek for us. A family-run establishment, MJ.M.D. Pizza de…

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