A Toast to our Founding Fathers

A Toast to our Founding Fathers

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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Metrobrunch

Mrs. Waffle loves to go to Metropolitain for brunch. She regularly organizes outings there with her girlfriends. She loves it. They offer Brunch cocktails, the classic breakfast is her favorite and she often orders a Chocolatine to end her meal. (Apparently, most of her friends do too.) From time to time, she organizes brunch at the Met for other friends – out-of-towner types. And that’s when I get sucked in. The 3 of us arrived on schedule, at 10:30. The Met wasn’t very busy, on this Post-Canada Day Day. The patio was fairly full, but we could have elected to sit there if we had wished to do so – or even in the new patio annex, which includes comfortable couches under the trees – more suited for casual drinks than a meal with a toddler. So we settled in one of the left corner booths inside, and waited for…

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“Just Bon Cuisine”

We were leaving Cutler Bay for an extra day of family vacation in Hollywood, where we had rented a room at the Westin Diplomat, right on the beach. I set the GPS for my driver, and as we were heading north on the US1, I suggested to her that perhaps we should ignore the GPS direction and keep driving north on the Federal Highway, actually avoiding the I-95 to drive the scenic route, through downtown Miami and Fort Lauderdale, all the way up to Hollywood. During this vacation, we drove the entire US 1 from Mile 0 to Mile 178. Only 2199 more miles and we were in Canada. We figured it would take longer, giving just enough time for the Waffle Jr. to have a good nap, while not driving in heavy traffic, it being Sunday. It was a good plan and an enjoyable drive. But soon enough, we…

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Hey Mambo, Mambo Nuevo Latino

Back in January, Claira Calderone, Accounts & Promotions Manager for Kinki and Mambo restaurants, invited The Waffle to come out and sample some of the new items being offered to customers in 2012. I’ve been to Kinki a few times, but I’ve always walked by Mambo, noting the loud latino music that could be heard from the street, with people dancing towards the back of the place. Not my scene, I thought. Nevertheless, I was quite happy to accept the invitation, and a few weeks later, Mrs. Waffle and I were able to go and we met up with Claira at Mambo. Mambo opened in the Spring of 2007, taking the spot occupied in the By Ward market by Meditheo. A little brother to Kinki, which is also owned by Marisol Somes and Zadek Ramowski, Mambo is quite different, yet has some similarities. For instance, both restaurants are meant to…

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Pep’s Stone Crab

As we were making our way towards the John Dickinson State Park, we were keeping an eye out for a place to have dinner before getting to our vacation accomodation. The Waffle Jr. had just woken up and was, also, eager for dinner. We made an infructuous stop at Duffy’s Sports Grill on Indiantown road in Jupiter (The parking lot was full, it was Friday Night, it was a Sports grill – we though better than bringing in a starving baby). We kept going North on Highway 1, until a colourful sign attracted our attention. We were at Pep’s Island Grill in Tequesta, Florida. It being Florida, we decided that despite the cool evening, we had to have our first vacation meal outside. Pep’s has a very large deck, surrounded by palm trees and going all the way around the corner. There is also a Tiki bar at the back.…

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