BC wine? Having just returned from three weeks in Italy, my heart was still on the Mediterranean, sipping the local plonk with my family, and my mind was having a hard time remembering the last time I even saw a B.C. wine. (Despite my romantic, travel induced fog, I think I can be forgiven as they are rarely, if ever, seen on restaurant menus, neither are they prevalent at the LCBO.)

So, it was in the spirit of trying something new that I agreed to attend a "Taste of British Columbia", a tutored wine tasting organised by Savvy Company on August 25th. A quick check of the Savvy web-site revealed a highly qualified group of individuals and I looked forward to learning about wines from our West Coast.

The tasting was held at the Exposure Gallery, just above Thyme & Again Catering in Wellington West. The space was large and open, surrounded by black and white photographic art-work. I confess that I merely glanced at the works, being far too interested in wine and conversation.

We were greeted on arrival by a nicely chilled glass of Gray Monk Pinot Gris VQA 2008. I am a fan of pinot gris (not just because it sounds so pretty when said in Italian: pinot grigio) and I love to introduce it to die-hard Sauvignon Blanc drinkers. This one did not disappoint: with initial citrus notes giving way to pineapple as it warmed. I did not turn down an offer of a second taste.

Over the course of the evening, Susan Desjardins, Savvy’s B.C. wine expert, introduced us to another eight wines, four whites and four reds. She gave us the background of the wineries and included just enough personal anecdotes to make me interested in the BC winemakers themselves. She painted a pretty picture of the locations, as well... not enough to make me book a special trip to BC wine country but perhaps enough for a side trip when I am next out West.

There were two very different Gewurtztraminer wines: one from Sperling Vineyards and one from Gray Monk. The Sperling wine was desert-like and, according to one attendee, would go well with dry cake. I could see his point: a dry, less-sweet pound cake would suit the honey, lychee flavour that was prevalent in this golden-yellow wine. As is common with a higher sugar level, the wine clung to the glass when swirled and had long, viscous legs.

More after the jump...

The Taste of Wellington has come and gone for the fall of 2009, the inaugural year that it has been held during the Autumnal harvest. The past two, were held during the summer. Those of us who attended saw sites beyond the amazing dishes that demonstrate what Ottawa's "Epicurean Row" has to offer.

Long Lines:

Significant Lineups, some longer, few shorter
This particular one led up to my favourite restaurant in Ottawa, Allium.

Costumed Street Performers:

Seemingly Still Stone Statues

Drinks Anyone?
All three, seemingly frozen, shifted positions when a coin was placed at their feet.

This year, Jenn and I assembled a group of participants, including twitterati @spoonsie and @paolasepicure, for a foodie crawl. We assembled at Canvas (65 Holland Avenue).

Inside, we were warmly greeted by Canvas' owner Charles Beauregard. He presented us with the following:

Top: Shrimp and Mango Salsa Rice Paper Roll, Bottom: Local Tomato Bruschetta
In fact, the bruschetta topping was so fresh and sweet that Jenn could smell the ripe tomatoes from the door of the restaurant. The rice paper rolls were also delectable, pairing shrimp with fruit.

Lobster Mac and Cheese
These panko crumb coated morsels were sinfully good and garnered quite a bit of attention. Charles couldn't re-stock the trays fast enough.

Afterward, we headed to Foolish Chicken (79 Holland Avenue). There, we found our first line up, albeit a short one. It led to owner Natalie Aucoin, serving up bowls of corn and chicken chowder with a corn bread muffin.

Corn and Chicken Chowder with a Corn Bread Muffin
The chowder was watery and uninspired. The corn bread muffin, on the other hand was light and flavorful.

On our way to our next destination, several of us stopped in to Istanbouli Shawarma (81 Holland Avenue). There, they tasted samples of Istanbouli's regular platters and sandwiches.

Top: Chicken shawarma pita wedge, Bottom: Falafel

Next, we headed to Allium (87 Holland Avenue), where we found the long line up pictured above. When we reached the samples, we found fish tacos.

Fish Tacos

My Taco
With an in-house made tortilla, Allium's fish tacos demonstrate that fish tacos need not be made with battered or breaded fish. Instead, these tacos contained flaked pan-seared haddock and a mango, avocado, and chipotle salsa. A wonderful blend of textures and flavours, the tacos easily won the restaurant new converts.

With the restaurants on Holland visited, we turned our attention to Absinthe Cafe Resto-Bar (1208 Wellington Street W.), the restaurant I told everyone was the "go to" for Ottawa's best steak frites. There, we waited for a half hour in another line. Why? Absinthe served near full-size quarter pound burgers, made from the trimmings from its popular steak frites. Absinthe uses "hanger" steak for its steak frites, a notoriously difficult to prepare cut that is singularly flavourful if cooked up perfectly medium rare. These burgers, which according to the waiters are served somewhat larger on the regular lunch menu, are shaped from those trimmings and any steaks too small to be made into steak frites. And yes, they were worth the wait.

Burgers, fixings, and cups of lemongrass and vanilla lemonade

Hanger Steak Burger on an in-house made bun
The fixings were no less spectacular: smoked chili relish, bannonnaise, cheddar sauce, chipotles, pickles, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, and dijon and grainy mustard. The lemongrass and vanilla lemonade, a refreshing take on the classic drink.

Here is what I ended up with:

Burger topped half with lettuce and chili and half with lettuce and bacconnaise
Oh it was a burger to make a foodie cry: savory, juicy, distinctively flavorful, and grilled up perfectly. The next time I'm around the Wellington area for lunch, I will make it a point to head to Absinthe and order a hanger steak burger.

Absinthe is where my group of attendees disbanded. Some headed off to see what was left of the samples along Wellington. Others were stuffed and went about their weekend chores. Jenn and I headed to the Wellington Gastro-Pub (1325 Wellington Street W.) to drop off pictures for Chef/Owner Chris Deraiche of him, his brother, and his father at the Feast of Fields.

Now, let me reassure you, the dishes served were "samples" and they were indeed free. They demonstrate what Wellington Business Improvement Association (WBIA) volunteer and founder Dennis Van Staalduinen calls "Lethal Generosity." Leveraging the strengths of the Epicurian Row, its extremely high density of locally-owned shops and eateries, the Taste of Wellington accomplished two things. Firstly, it allowed residents and non-residents to meet the warm and inviting people who run the shops and eateries in the Wellington West and Hintonburg neighbourhoods. The fact is that each donated their time and products to make this event successful. Money from donation boxes at every table benefited a local food bank. Secondly, it highlighted the quality of food and service that can be had.

For many more images of the event, Van Staalduien (who goes by @denvan on twitter) hosted the 300 pictures he took of the event for the WBIA on Google's Picasa Web. Go take a gander!

This morning, I found myself replying to the twitter account belonging to CTV's Canada AM morning show. Its tweet wished everyone a happy Friday and asked about our weekend plans. Here is my reply:

@CTVCanadaAm Invited a bunch of people to go to an outdoor food festival in Ottawa http://www.twitpic.com/i474q. Then, Sunday brunch :)

Outdoor Food Festival:
The outdoor food festival is a "walkable tour" of what the Ottawa Citizen's recently retired food columnist Gay Cook deemed Ottawa's Epicurean Row, the Wellington West Village. Called the "Taste of Wellington", the event is the Wellington Business Improvement Association's (WBIA) third annual. The association intends the event to offer both residents and non-residents an opportunity to discover the food shops, restaurants, bakeries, and caterers along Wellington Street W., from Island Park Drive to Somerset St. W, including some along Holland Avenue. In total, 32 venues will participate, many serving free food samples.

Here is a partial list participants from the WBIA website:

• Absinthe
• Allium
• A?Roma Meze
• Bridgehead
• Canvas Resto Bar
• Cozy's Diner
• Credible Edibles
• Emerald Bakery
• Harvest Loaf Bakery
• Helen?s Cuisine
• Herb & Spice
• Istanbouli Restaurant
• Khatoon Persian Restaurant
• Nectar Specialty Tea Shop
• Ottawa Bagelshop
• Parma Ravioli
• Petit Bill's Bistro
• Royal Oak Tavern
• Siam Bistro
• Sushi Umi
• The Diner
• The Wellington Gastropub
• Thyme & Again
• Viña del Mar
• 3 Bakers and a Bike
• 3 Tarts Bake Shop

My more loyal readers will immediately recognize a number of these food shops and eateries as the foodiePrints' team calls this neighborhood home. We visit many of them often.

Besides food shops and eateries, other area shops and local galleries will also participate by setting up sidewalk sales, holding special tours, and hosting live music. The Westboro Massage will set up a street side massage station. The Elmdale House Tavern will host Barry Buse and his band Still Dangerous just outside its doors.

The Taste of Wellington will also launch the Herb and Spice's 36th anniversary celebrations. And, the Great Canadian Theatre Company at the corner of Holland and Wellington will offer a peek at its new cafe, Viva Loca.

The event starts at 1:30 pm on Saturday, September 26, 2009 and runs until 3:30 pm.

Unlike last year, to participate, admission may not be free. Participants may be required to purchase a $5 button. This, according to September 2009 edition of the Hintonburg Voice, the Hintonburg Community Association's newsletter.

...2009 will see one major improvement: visitors will now purchase a $5 button to participate in the event, with all proceeds going directly to charity...

Having spoken to several of the venues, I have not been able to get this confirmed. The cards (above) only say that the samples are free.

After the event, the WBIA encourages everyone to stay, shop, and make reservations for dinner.

Me, I decided to invite a number of people to join me and Jenn on a "foodie crawl." Our aim, to wander the neighbourhood in a large group, sampling, chatting, and having a great time. It will also be a mini-tweet-up as several of the tweeps I follow will be coming along.

Sunday Brunch:
The next day, Jenn and I chose Canvas to host September's meeting of our brunch club. This time around, we went beforehand to try it, as we did not want a repeat of another somewhat disastrous brunch.

Canvas now serves brunch from 10:30 am until 2:30 pm. Here is the menu from our visit.

Menu

From it, I ordered the eggs benedict ($14.00) and a coffee ($2.75)

Eggs Benny
Instead of the traditional ham, in-house duck prosciutto was substituted giving the runny yolks a cured flavour to carry. It was served with surprisingly flavourful smashed fingerling potatoes with sweated onions, fresh melon, a wedge of grape fruit, a slice of ripe white Niagara peach, and local berries.

Runny Poached Eggs

Duck Prosciutto

Jenn ordered the frittata of the day ($12.50) with brioche toast and a lychee juice ($2.75). The frittata turned out to be zucchini.

Zucchini Frittata
Accompanying the frittata were the same sides as mine.

Jenn thoroughly enjoyed her frittata. It was made with fresh young zucchini, onions, and very young chives. She feels that it was started on the stove top with butter, but finished in an oven. The egg was delicate, lightly seasoned, and seasonal.

All-in-all we were impressed, making Canvas a good candidate for the brunch club.

Here is Canvas' new business card:

Business Card

This just in: The thrift shop on Wellington got into the spirit of the Taste of Wellington too.

Display in front of St. Vincent De Paul

Particulars:
Canvas Resto-Bar
65 Holland Avenue
(613)729-1991

As a resident of Wellington West, I am very proud of our stretch of West-End Ottawa's epicurean row. And, I do my best to support the local businesses in the neighbourhood. Thus, I look forward to the Wellington West's Business Improvement Association's (BIA) "Taste of..." event every year. 2009 will be its third annual. However, spring has almost completely sprung without any sign of the event.

A quick look at the BIA's calendar of events explains why. The event has been rescheduled for the fall (September 26, 2009), making it an Autumn event instead of a Spring one. Such isn't a bad idea since the event has been a May occurrence during the past two years. Seasonal ingredients such as locally farmed fruits or vegetables must have been somewhat difficult to come by. Moving the event to the fall means that local restaurants and the Parkdale Market can exploit the glut of Autumn produce.

Cool! So long as the powers that be haven't canceled the event! I'll have to check back with the Wellington West BIA's website more often...

Update: The Taste of Wellington seems definitely a go and more eateries are involved this year!

Maps to Taste of Wellington
Join us for a foodie crawl!