It started with the Brick Works Picnic where I volunteered my services for the morning. I would help with Food and Beverage in a particular section, mostly ensuring the Chefs had whatever they needed for their tables. I was to help them set up upon arrival, give them whatever they would need during the event (napkins, ice, water, glasses, etc) and roam, ensuring things were going smoothly. For this I would get to attend the picnic as a guest at the end of my shift, which I consider to be a very generous offer considering the rest of the population got to pay $110 in order to attend. Not bad for three hours of volunteer work.
As I would be working for the better part of the picnic I chose to leave my camera at home. It would only get in the way. Boy, I really suck at this documenting through pictures thing, don't I? I am sure, however, that you can find pictures of the event on the internet, media pictures, way better than anything I could take with my little Canon A530 4x digital zoom.
There was food everywhere. At the end of my shift I had over an hour to sample the food and wine and so I did. Andrea, another one of my fellow volunteers, and I went from table to table to table sampling everything from elk tartare to raw oysters to empanadas. The wine was also abundant, up until the end. Or maybe because it was the end??? We were doing the rounds around 3:00 pm and some of the vendors were pouring liberally, far more than the "sample size" I was expecting. The only table whose food I didn't get to try was Pangaea. When I finally made my way over there I saw only two boxes with produce on the table, no food and nobody manning it -- they had packed it in.
A highlight of the day was meeting Chef Jason Bangerter of Oliver Bonacini's Auberge du Pommier. He was so patient while I gushed over the food and told him how I'd been following him on twitter and how I loved the pictures of the empanadas and the braised tongue he'd posted. I even told him I am going to Auberge for my birthday and he was kind enough to say that he'd drop by and say hello if I send him a note to tell him when I'd be there. Thank you, Chef, don't mind if I do!
When I finally made my way out of there, onto the shuttle bus and then into my car, in my food induced near comatose state I decided that there would be no better way to spend the evening than taking Jen out for dinner. Yes, dinner. I am not sure how I could think of food at a time like that but I did. So we wrapped up the day with disappointing food at nearby Crabby Joe's. I wasn't hungry so the overcooked pasta went back almost untouched. Jen's beef sizzle was also mediocre with overcooked rice and too-saucy beef. Who am I kidding, we knew what to expect going in. Our favourite restaurant, Chinook, is closed on Sunday, and so is Orleans. We wanted cheap food that filled the stomach and that we got. That cold Corona was the best thing I had there.
Tomorrow, dinner is at my house. I have the day off from work so I have plenty time to make that tomato chutney and butter lentils for my indian spice and yogurt marinated chicken.
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