Seasons Change

There's not much update but this is to round off December to an even 12 postings. I finally meet up with some long-time friends for a confab at sushi joint Fusion House on Sunday. Like most sushi places nowadays, this is an all you can eat. The fish at these locales aren't the best, but they were particularly bland here tonight. The better dishes were all non-sushi dishes such as the tempura, grilled skewers, and dim sum dumplings. So somebody should try and corner the market on all you can eat Izakayas, which are all still fairly pricey a la carte.

At dinner, a long-time bachelor friend announces his engagement after a 6 month courtship. According to his own testimony, it was more of a practical decision than a whirlwind romance (in the sense that both parties decided that things were going well enough to take this next step.) This also means that I have no more single friends and have only 1 more wedding to attend. Interestingly, their proposals all fell into two categories: either from relationships that lasted for years or after less than 12 months of dating. As there are no imminent break-ups yet, both approaches seem to be working out.

Muddle Through Somehow

More nesting inside this week even though the weather is remarkably mild for Ottawa. But it is too easy to spend each day noshing, doing some reading, and taking an afternoon nap. Rinse and repeat. Mid-week, there was a Christmas Day lunch at the relatives. The entire clan was there with only 2 missing due to illness. But with more and more members living elsewhere, especially the younger set, I can see these get-togethers either becoming rarer or sparser. After all, it is already down-graded from dinner for the last few years.

I headed once more to Upward Dog for an energy boost. But Saturday's Power Core class wasn't as enjoyable. It was virtually empty with people opting out given the holiday schedule. The casual instructions from the substitute were also off-putting. My own experience with careful, detail-oriented teachers leave me biased against "lesser" instructors.When a class seems to "harm" instead of providing a benefit to new practitioners, I'm not happy.

This time, I had lunch at Murray Street, a charcuterie next to Bite. The tomato soup ($7) and corned hash ($15) caught my eye. The soup was hot and rich, though perhaps a little too creamy. Some spoonfuls felt like slurping up pasta sauce. But overall, the crushed herb kept things fresh and fragrant. For the main, the poached egg was sufficiently runny, the corned beef tender and not too salty, and the potato hash soft and toothsome. I would have played up the onions and cheese, and perhaps add some greens or herbs, to lighten the heavy flavour.

And Mistletoes

I've been nesting this last week. First, because that's the default mode in Ottawa. But also due to a cough and sore throat. Over the last several weeks I've been dressing down, trying to see how I was able to go through winter with only a light wind-breaker back in the day. It didn't feel too bad; you simply get used to being chillier. Ultimately though, turns out you can't hack it when you're more decrepit.

With a sunny Saturday, I needed to venture outside for a bit. The Byward Market really is a beautiful and eclectic neighbourhood. Like most trendy areas anywhere, it is dominated by restaurants and shopping. But there are other businesses to add some variety. The only thing missing is residential spaces, but with the addition of condos that seems to be changing.

To rejuvenate my lethargic system, I stopped off at Upward Dog Yoga for a lunch-time class. The Power Core class concentrated on "non-sexy" poses designed to strengthen the core and not crazy poses for magazine covers. The instructor was good overall, but with most students still struggling over the arm balances, some attention to the minor details would be good. "Have fun, play around. If not today, then maybe tomorrow" is a bit vague.

With my appetite aroused, I stopped over at Bite, a burger joint in a converted house. The inside held a small bar and comfortable Ikea-chic tables. I opted for the $15 Funguy (upgraded to truffle fries for another $2). The brioche bun was a good base, since it had to hold a lot. The overall burger was rich but bland. I wanted a sharper goat cheese, an earthier portobello, and more mouth-feel for the chuck. The fries were typical bistro fare: good quality and flavour but lacking a good crunch. It was a nice lunch but nothing outstanding.

Hark The Herald Angel Sings

Having enjoyed Kith & Kin as the opener for the wonderful The Weather Station show at The Dakota, I decided to attend their annual Christmas wassail on Sunday night. It was at the Music Gallery, a more than appropriate venue since it was a church. The evening didn't start out great though, as the sold-out audience was crammed into the small reception area. With the doors not opened until 15 minutes before the 8 pm show, people were sweating and growing impatient, and several older couples seriously considered leaving. Some goodwill was restored when we finally walked through, to be serenaded with a "welcome song" by tonight's performers standing in two rows along the corridor.

The first set comprised of Kith & Kin, a trio of women who sang traditional Christmas carols (referred wryly as the "Jesus suite") as well as seasonal songs including a few drinking ballads. They were joined by some friends to add banjo, guitar, or other voices. Then we were treated to a troupe of young mummers. These children and teens acted out in rhyming couplets a story about the children of a hard-working couple who were tempted away from the "Green Knight" (who offered simple fun like playing outside) and a figure in red with horns and gold chains who supplied "better" toys such as action figures, dolls, and portable video games. Of course, everybody learned a valuable lesson at the end about the meaning of Christmas.

The second set had Kith & Kin as part of a larger 8-member choir. They followed a tradition of singing (or rather music notation) called shape-note. Perhaps to introduce the audience to this method, most songs began with the melody sung with musical notes (e.g., sol, fa, do) before the first verse. Since there isn't much arrangement in this vein anymore, the songs were older pieces, almost they did showcase two recent compositions. The music ranged from the British Isles (including Scotland and Ireland) to the Appalachians and the American Mid-West. I was particularly taken with a song based on an Armenian folk tune with its touch of Middle-East tones. The crowd was encouraged to join in on two wassails before the trio ended the night with Cool As Day as an encore.

Eat This

My visit to Bitondo's Pizza was disappointing but it gave me an obvious-in-retrospect idea: pile on the toppings. At less than $2 per addition, this would still be cheaper than the gourmet spots. But you need a cheap joint with good dough. If not Bitondo's then where else? I thought Fresca did a good job with the calzone, so I gave them a try on Saturday.

A 4-topping medium pizza here runs about $16. But I was only charged $11. When I tried to pay the difference, the owner gruffly said "pizza special". Perhaps he misunderstood my consternation; I wasn't thinking that I was being overcharged. In any case, the original order would still be worth the money. Ironically, the internet has been abuzz lately with the case of Harvard professor Benjamin Edelman threatening a chinese take-out joint over a difference of $4.

This was rich, gooey pizza, almost Pizza Hut-oily but nowhere near as unappetizing. I suspect this was not just from the abundant cheese but also the special green-onions oil mix they put on everything here. So so delicious. More importantly, the dough was soft and chewy, with a good give when you bite into it. The other ingredients were also tasty. No, I wasn't under any delusion that this was high-end, locally sourced toppings. But the salty whole black olives, crunchy onions, and pepperoni and sausage with strong flavour made the pizza. I think I've found my go-to cheap pizza joint.

Something Borrowed

On Friday, with the snow on the ground from the storm that lasted all day Thursday, I thought it was appropriate to go to another installment of the multi-disciplinary Long Winter. Now in its 3rd year, this all-ages show presents multimedia, art, food, and music. Though most people are probably there for the music and socializing.

Whether the thrill is gone (most of the "big" local bands don't play anymore) or the newer restrictions on capacity at The Great Hall, the venue isn't packed as in previous years. I decided not to wander around the other locations such as the Conversation room (muddy acoustics) or the Basement Theatre because over-zealous security could stop you from re-entering the main hall because of "capacity".

But there was plenty to do here. There were Australian meat pies from Kanga (not recommended) and Hong Kong "Bubble Cake". I tried my hands at Alpha releases of local video games: vs game Super Rookery (Joust did it better), music-based shoot-em-up Beat Warrior, and SimEarth meets puzzle game in Fate Tectonics.

Music-wise, there was a non-Toronto vibe with the first 3 bands all coming from outside the GTA. First up was Animalia (though now based in Toronto, Jill Krasnicki hailed from Australia). This singer combined industrial pop with emotional almost stream-of-consciousness lyrics. She swayed and cavorted both onstage and down on the floor. She would probably have benefited from a later time slot. Animalia was reminiscent of Nyssa, another local singer exploring dark synth-pop. The next two acts were from Peterborough. Sam Conway took the night in another, much twangier, direction. His light country had the requisite long sad titles but his lyrics weren't as clever. However, the interaction between his guitar-picking and chords and his trumpetist's melodies was beautiful. Finally, The Lonely Parade rounded out the "out-of-town" contingent. This teenage punk trio loves to alternate between fast chunky chords and groovy prog-rockesque interludes. The staid Toronto crowd wasn't a good fit at their Sheezer show but they had the perfect audience tonight. It was unlikely the teenagers moshing on the floor had heard of them, but this was music to dance to.

Army Girls had the crowd finally pushed right up to the stage. The drum-and-guitar duo also had the crowd going early with Carmen Elle's furious guitar and tight sync to the percussion. She wryly noted that it was obvious the crowd was into up-tempo music, unfortunately "those were all we had". True enough, the rest of the songs were quieter. But numbers like Give It Up still thrilled thanks to her wistful and sweet voice.

This showcase is still fun but the curators need to do a better job of integrating in other artists. Too often, they are relegated to corners where most people only give them a passing glance. Perhaps something closer to Jason Collett's Basement Revue where non-musicians also get stage time.

Brick-Roll

On Tuesday, I was in the Chinatown area for a fruitcake purchase from a home-cook. I wasn't throwing away good money; this wasn't the store-bought monstrosity packed with red and green bits. In previous years, I have enjoyed their dense but flavourful concoction full of quality nuts and fruit. Although to be fair, this year's edition seemed heavier than usual. But I'm sure it'll still be tasty and not useful only as a blunt weapon.

For dinner, it was off to Rol San. Odd that despite 10+ years looking at the "All Day Dim Sum" banner, I've never actually ordered the excellent dim sum here except during brunch. And dim sum is just a variation of the tapas, izakayas, and small plates trend that are ubiquitous in Toronto. The har gow and siu mai were plump and juicy as usual. Both the shrimp-stuff eggplant and tripe were also good. I was on-the-fence about the deep-fried pumpkin with yolk; just a little bit too greasy and gooey. I also didn't love the one non-dim sum item: the vegetarian buddha's feast with fried noodles. But I'm not a fan of any thick sauce-based Chinese food given the alternative. A good stir-fry, done right at high heat in a professional Chinese kitchen, simply can't be replicated at home.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

After listening to dating stories, I headed over to The Dakota for some live music. Most bars are normally quiet on a Monday night. But with supergroup cover band Dwayne Gretzky doing a last-minute gig here, the joint was hopping. Given that I will likely miss their New Year Eve show at the Danforth Music Hall, I was hoping for some new tunes that have been added to their extensive repertoire.

So it was great to hear several popular hits making it into the set-list tonight including You're So Vain (Carly Simon), Everybody Wants to Rule The World (Tears For Fears), Africa (Toto), and Let's Dance (David Bowie). Of course, there were also perennial favourites like Barracuda or Whole Lotta Love. Since Dwayne Gretzky doesn't play note-for-note, it was interesting to compare the solo styles of the guitarists. One favoured fast fingers and the other lots of tremolo and string bending. A Gretzky show usually runs until the wee hours. But although there were 3 sets scheduled, I headed home after 2 to get some rest for work tomorrow.

Plenty of Dish

Monday night, I stopped off at The Garrison for 416 Dating Stories where both amateurs and professionals can recount their battles. Given that defunct newspaper Eye Weekly had 2 features about dating, Dating Diaries and Blind Date, the average person obviously want to know about other people's juicy details. So the room was full with couples and singles, excited about what could happen.

The show started slow though. The emcee wanted to get some details for the next outing: the best start time, how did people hear about the event, if they want to sign up to present at the next show, should it be a singles mixer as well, and so on. But this book-keeping right off the bat felt too dull as an opening to what should be a fun night. Things improved with Dave Merheje. Being a stand-up comic, he peppered his anecdote with quips and one-liners. His holiday-themed story involved trying to get his crush to like Christmas while living in sweltering L.A. (so technically it wasn't a Toronto dating story.) Next up was spoken word poet Dwayne Morgan with a poem about the idealized man, gleaned from the pages of women magazines. It was amusing but felt like a retread of the Old Spice "I'm On a Horse" ads. Comic Rhiannon Archer was unavailable due to surgery, so her replacement Kimberley gave us some e-mail snippets from a smitten Latin fling.

After the break, local film-maker Anthony took to the stage. He garnered the most laughs and cheers for his 30-minute story. It began with the break-up of an 8-year relationship that started at the tender age of 16. It ended with him singing to a girl in front of her workplace while store-bought fireworks were being fired by his best friend. Anthony even gave the audience a rendition of that self-penned song, including the rap break. Finally, the emcee closed off the evening with her own horror story involving a weird make-out attempt while watching the dystopian film The Road. She compared this rather tone-deaf encounter to Seinfeld's "making out at Schindler's List" episode.

This series could be a hit, as most people were having a good time. But it is definitely dependent on the story-teller. So finding someone who can find the balance between humour, empathy, and give just enough details but not into TMI territory may be a challenge.

She Sings Sanctuary

With Cold Specks being stuck in The Rockies because of a snowstorm, their Friday night set at Lee's Palace was moved to Sunday. But though it was on the eve of the work week, the venue was full for her self-described "doom soul". The impeccable sound tonight, I've never heard a better mix at this venue, did justice to both acts.

AroarA's debut album takes as lyrics the poems of Alice Notley (In The Pines). Married to the wonderful verses were catchy, but trancy, arrangements. Because of their reliance on a drum machine and sampler, this duo often played over repetitive samples and beats. But they were also able to spin out subtle variations with their guitars. Given the occasion, Ariel Engle's clear voice was augmented tonight with backup vocals from Feist and Daniela Gesundheit (Snowblink). This was their strongest performance to date and many in the audience were obviously won over.

It was hard to know how to react to Cold Specks' music. With her assertive "church-choir" voice (with an attitude) and oblique lyrics, you may be tempted to stand and absorb the emotions. Yet they were also anthemic tunes especially from the new album Neuroplasticity. Anchored by driving guitar and furious drums, as well as the rumbling of a baritone sax, these demanded that you move. Most people tonight fell into the congregational mode. At one point, there was such utter silence (no glasses clinking; chatty talkers in the back) that it even unnerved Al Spx as she was tuning her guitar. She also sang a few songs a cappella, none more powerful than Holland from her debut disc. In a wrathful nod to an earlier quip about touring in the U.S. ("That country is fucked up ... somebody should tell the government"), she included along with the verses like "O death, where is thy sting?", exhortations of "Hands up, don't shoot, I can't breathe". It was an electrifying moment that made tonight more than just a pop performance.

On The Second Floor

Saturday night, I was at The Cave for an early show. This upstairs venue of Lee's Palace actually feels more welcoming than the main bar with big cozy booths, line drawings etched in the walls, and a barn-like arched roof. Unfortunately, with the early time slot, there weren't too many people here for Luka and Tasseomancy.

When Luka took to the stage, I recognized some band members who have played for Tasseomancy and Emilie Mover. The lead singer, a sad-sacked dude with a ratty mustache, didn't inspire confidence. His soft delivery about Monkey Kings was a quirky topic, but I quickly grew to like his (mostly melancholic) love songs. He had a way with turns of phrase that conveyed both wryness  ("never write about the women you love") and unabashed hope ("a heart so full of love and sorrow"). Luka would probably do better in coffee-houses than cavernous bars.

The sisters of Tasseomancy are often also a bit quirky. Although tonight, with one of them singing in her sister's bath-robe, might be the oddest. The good sound at The Cave highlighted the folkoric qualities of their lyrics ("Come my darling, it's getting late late and I'm cold"). As always, their drummer Evans with his syncopated percussions and steel drums, anchored the songs and gave them propulsion. There was no bassist tonight but a new synth player added some additional harmonies to their set.

Up In Smoke

I was in Detroit for one day on a business trip. Downtown Detroit does have some beautiful old buildings. Unfortunately, it is also packed with brutal 30 story towers and giant parking garages, as well as 8-lane streets and 4-lane one ways (so essentially the same). This landscape wasn't pedestrian-friendly. I walked down deserted streets looking for a place to have dinner. I finally made my way to Greektown, where there were a few restaurants huddling together.

The interior of Redsmoke was welcoming with a rustic feel. They specialized in dry-rub BBQ, though there was a variety of sauces for you to try. I opted for the Classic Combo ($18.99) and chose Texas brisket, pulled pork, and collard greens. The dish that came out had huge portions that would easily cost 50% more in Toronto. The pulled pork was soft and tender, it went best with the roasted poblano sauce. The brisket was a bit dry and not as tasty. I favoured the honey mustard for its sauce. The other sauces: Mississippi Mud and cherry molasses were too sweet for me. The collard greens were too runny to highlight its distinctive flavour. This was a filling and cheap dinner.

The only negative for the evening was unwrapping the utensils to find the fork encrusted with yellow dry food-bits. I've never encountered such a gaffe before. The waitstaff replaced it, but did not acknowledge the mistake with an apology. I found that unprofessional since it was their job to lay out table settings.