Yuletide Cheer

Although I wanted to do more than the typically Ottawan "hunker-down" for the winter for my visit, alternating conditions of either -39 degrees or never-ending snowfall meant that I have been hunkering down lately. But on Saturday, I finally left my den for a Holiday party (though dinner parties are also very Ottawan).

Being a minimalist sort (or perhaps cheap-ass miser if you're uncharitable), I am always impressed by a well-furnished home. This one has always been amazingly spotless, with only (recent) minor messiness in the kid's play area. With the added bonus of the holidays, we have Martha Stewart-level Christmas tree, garlands and wreaths, and a beautifully set dining table (but there were 6 rambunctious children sitting nearby). It was a pot-luck, though the hosts provided more than half of the dishes. Everyone had a good appetite and most of the dishes were more than 75% eaten, even my sad-sack contribution of some vegetarian stir-fried noodles. The only relatively untouched dishes were the goose pate and the spinach dip because there was simply too much appetizers. The pulled pork was tender, though a touch too sweet for me. In contrast, the meatballs were nicely spicy. The potato salad, lasagna and vegetable chicken cheese casserole were filling for a Winter's eve. Though everybody was filled to stuffing, we made room for some richly textured chocolate mousse cake.

With the cake and some Kinder eggs chocolate, the kids were hopped up on sugar and were bouncing off the walls. Not surprisingly, most of the dinner conversation revolved around what Santa will be bringing this year. One the consensus being that teachers who do not send "Dear Santa" letters home to the parents make things harder for Santa to make wishes come true (and thus add some additional last-minute headaches.) Oh, dear. The lengths Santa need to go through to fulfill those special requests was eye-opening. The night finally wound down and everybody went off to dream of sugar-plum Pokemons dancing in their heads.

What's In A Name

On Friday, I was at the long-running venue Zaphod Beeblebrox for some live music. With the cold snap gripping Ottawa and some unknown bands on the bill, not many ventured out tonight. I looked around the place with some nostalgia. I was last here years ago when the Shuffle Demons came through. Like tonight, it was practically empty except for me and my friend. And hard as it is to believe now, we were as young as the baby-faced crowd who came to cheer their buddies on stage. The bands tonight, oddly enough, did not play music that "matched" their names.

Chris Spencer charmed the audience with his English accent and disarming manner. His songs were typical pop about love, not love, and more love. Unfortunately, his drummer and lead guitarist were ragged around the edges, making the set a bit amateurish. The Tenebaums, all the way from Winchester, did not actually played the kind of twee music suggested by their moniker. In fact, backed by tight bass and drums, they played furious, short, and punchy punk-pop. But it was mistifying why the singer adopted a growly voice because for all the energy, their music was more pop than punk/metal.

The headliners were local band The Riot Police. Again, you would expect in-your-face music from such an aggressive name. But their background in vocal groups meant their songs were full of 2 and 3 part harmonies and little flourishes and details in the arrangements. It was catchy pop with numerous forays into "power ballad". Not to disparage their skills, but with their boyish youth, they'd probably find bigger success going after the "Jonas Brothers" crowd.

Get Together

I was heading down Rideau St to the Byward Market Friday night. Despite the ubiquity of restaurants, its touristy status means that most places in this popular Ottawa area are not that intriguing. The Smoque Shack, located in a non-descript house on York St., seemed to offer something different. But the hipster-chic facade led to a typical bar in the front, and strictly utilitarian tables at the back. These were crammed cheek to jowl to accomodate the large crowd of pragmatically dressed Ottawans.

On the menu were all manners of bbq meats and some venture into ethnic cuisine with Jerk pork and chicken. I ordered the 1/2 lb beef brisket ($16) and a side-order of greens ($6). Both dishes were average but not outstanding. The slightly sweet bbq sauce was bold and not subtle. The brisket was tender but dry. Kale and swiss chard were supposedly also "bbq"-ed. Nevertheless, they were not sufficiently cooked to really bring out the flavour, remaining rather green and fibrous. An adequate but pedestrian option in the heart of downtown Ottawa.

Cool Bunning

Christmas shopping continued on Sunday along Bloor around the Bloordale area. This area has sufficiently gentrified so that there were more choices than Dollar Marts. Near Bloor and Ossington, a bazaar offered a variety of knick knacks both "vintage" and new. The stores around Lansdowne were more niche: Zebuu offered pricy carved wooden birds from around the world, alongside soft Turkish towels and scarves; Fenigo specialized in lunch-related merchandise of all sorts: bento boxes, tiffin containers, thermos, eco-friendly metal straws.

I went in vegan baking company Through Being Cool for a snack break. In addition to baked goods, they also can mustard, pickles, and marmalade. There was also a freezer full of vegan entrees including chickpea pot pie, lasagna, and mac and cheese. I settled into a corner nook with a sugar and cinnamon doughnut ($3). It was soft and felt denser than usual, but not too cakey. I liked that it wasn't too sweet; there was just enough sugar to satisfy your palate.