master of love

Today was freaking cold. By the time I arrived to an obscure town formerly  known as New Berlin, it was -9'5 C. Even if it is still autumn time in the Northern hemisphere, in this forgotten -for good reasons- location of the Offtarian geography, it feels like the winter has already arrived for good with a generous dose of nasty temperatures.

The only reason to be there was a great concert, which somehow ended up being close to magical. In this phenomenal evening, the "Victim of Love" turned out to be a "Master of Love".

Yes, no other than Charles Bradley was able to make such a miracle happen.

down to TO

Flying back from La Guardia on a clear day provides a pretty neat view of Ontario lake, and most of its surroundings. Just a few minutes before landing, I was able to take a photograph of what apparently happens to be the fourth biggest city in North America.

Down there is where sometimes I feel the urgency of having a little bit of fun in the kitchen. And if I have the chance to find fresh produce from not too far away, then there is a real extra motivation.

onglet of the year

We spent November 30th in Montreal; a fast and unforgettable day. We stayed at the superb Gault, which by now almost feels like home: extremely nice -but not fake- service, spacious architecture and delicious crêpes with sirop d'érable and berries for le petit déjeuner. This time we got room 450, a highly recommendable corner; the one with light at the top.

The purpose of this trip was checking a show at Place des Arts, again. The music was not quite my cup of tea. In fact it gave me a severe headache; the first one in years. The dance element was far more interesting, but still not my thing.

My hungry stomach was ready to revisit L'Express on St-Denis -a classic-, where we had a reservation at ten. 

sushi of the year

Before our simple and delicious dinner at Roberta's, we had an outstanding meal at Neta. This time we seated at the sushi bar, where we could follow the fascinating action behind the counter.

Víctor, our skilled waiter from México DF, took really good care of us, and the last drink he offered was mind blowing: "Tobindori Shizuku" Saké Daiginjo (38%), brewed by Kaika Saké.

roberta's charm

An entertaining visit to the Brooklyn Academy of Music last month made us hungry. From such a glamourous building we moved into a more basic construction, which in corrupt sPain could easily be called "chiringuito".

Our cab driver, original from Guinée, got kind of lost before finding our destination. Once we got there it felt like we were in the wrong place, in one of those unknown locations you would not like to walk around a little before midnight. In fact, it first reminded me of my night visits to Blokosso, by the Ébrié lagoon, a few decades ago. 

I know Ivory Coast it too far away from Brooklyn, not only from a geographic perspective, but from that first view it was hard to identify major differences.

boogie christ extraordinaire

Last week was the one and only boogie time of the year; in my world it could perfectly be named the boogie easter or the boogie xmas. 

It started with Brian Setzer at CitS, and it finished with Joseph Arthur at the Drake. Radically different shows, but similarly captivating. Last time I saw Mr. Arthur it was in Montreal, just a few weeks ago. That show was great for underlining his natural talent to perform under all sorts of ongoing tech limitations.

Last Friday he played his second concert as part of The New Professionals, which I would happily call The Über Professionals, since they literally nailed it. 

boogie man extraordinaire

Last night I had the opportunity to enjoy the best show I've seen in a very long time. The one and only Brian Setzer is not only a phenomenal guitarist, but an incredible performer and brilliant master of ceremonies.  

While it was snowing outside, two big red trucks were parked by the stage door. Intentionally, or not, it looked like if they were touring with santa, the santa of boogie. The Xmas season was officially on.

It was a real dream come true, and not because of the Xmas component. The concert was splendid from the very beginning to the very end, and that  orchestra was as solid as granite; in car terms, nothing less than a Bugatti.

snow premiere

The snow is here, after enjoying a sunny cool day in the big apple. As soon as we stepped into the plane, the white powder started covering the runways in La Guardia. That's what I call perfect timing.

Our day, without any tactic on the table, ended up being a quite enjoyable one, starting with an impressive small latte at Saturdays Surf. This time flat whites weren't on the Saturday "menu".

Another great thing about this little store, besides the employees skate boarding inside the shop, is that they also carry chocolate from the Brooklyn-based Mast Brothers. This trip they didn't really change much of their selection, other than the paper decoration.

The last bites and zips of the day were courtesy of Air Canada; luckily at that point I was no longer hungry.

keep it beautiful

Seriously? There's no question about the beauty of this 1965 Malibu. But has anyone within the Ontario "circles on power" done anything to keep the province beautiful?

LCBO: a tyranny of the dumbest

These four letters, LCBO, could easily stand for Liquid Colonoscopy Brewed in Ontario. It's weird, but each time I visit this chain of alcoholic beverages, I get sort of depressed; it's ridiculous. Can you imagine a kid walking into a candy shop and getting sick of it? The only rational explanation would be either the kid doesn't like candy, or the shop owner is a completely dumb pachyderm.

After visiting the SAQ last week, I could also realize the LCBO has not only the largest imaginable list of undrinkable wines, but for those which are drinkable, they will rip off the good and neglected Ontarians. Here's a clarifying example: while in Montreal I bought a bottle of 2007 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon for $62,75, which in the end costed me $56,47 because of an additional 10% rabais mystère, exactly the same wine was featured last month on one of the LCBO's glossy pamphlet for $83,95.

This represents an almost 34% increase when buying this Californian wine in Ontario versus Québec. The intriguing thing is that for a very long time I was told taxes are higher in QC, so are Ontarians that much richer than Quebecers? Is the LCBO favouring cheap shitty wines just because they don't know better? Or is someone at the LCBO getting really generous presents from those gigantic multinationals producing cheap and vulgar wines?

A friend was telling me this dated monopoly -the bloody LCBO- auctions fabulous wines, but why on earth should anybody have to go to an auction to buy a decent bottle of wine? I can't imagine having to buy a ticket for a silly auction in order to purchase a good car, a nice piece of meat or a fancy pair of shoes.

I have no problem with a disgusting government apparatus selling horrible wine, but why is a provincial authority deciding which wines can Ontarians drink or not drink? For the same reason, this medieval system could also dictate which books are available in Ontario, or which music is illegal. Just like in Cuba or Venezuela, two champions of democracy, as we all know...

It is both ridiculous and nauseating. Hard to understand how this is happening in a country which not too long ago was supposed to be an advanced democracy. A few centuries ago not even the infamous Spanish Inquisition went that far. It looks like George Monbiot was right, unfortunately, when last September he wrote for The Guardian: "Like Canada, Australia is slipping back down the development ladder...". And it would make a lot of sense to add the LCBO is the undeniable probe of a hidden, but alarming Canadian undevelopment.

dinner après chouinard

Our first autumn visit to Montreal had a common denominator with the previous one: Le Comptoir. This time it was enhanced by an unexpected debut: Pedralonga on the wine list. Yes, Miguel's wine has finally made it to Québec, which means that in Offtario this could eventually happen by 2033, if lucky...

It was a night of "entertainment", so we started at Théâtre Maisonneuve to watch two pieces by Compagnie Marie Chouinard: Mouvements after Henri Michaux book, and Gymnopédies after no other than my admired Erik S. 

The first one was the one I enjoyed the most, even if the music at some point was a little enervating, not far from the excruciating bakalao beats.

caerdydd

A very recent trip to OSW (Old South Wales) was merely accidental and perhaps a waste of my time, but this piece of truffled Welsh rarebit provided a short moment of digestive interest...

Right on High street, very close to the castle, the venue had a rather inviting entrance with a golden pig showing the way down.

the fruitful fall

The autumn is full of sweet delights and honey is one of them. On top of some "requesón" it certainly rocks the boat...

tomate pera

It is not a pear, but it looks like one. And it does not look like a tomato, but it is one. That's how weird life is in the XXI century.

dark hoof

After years talking about it, we finally made our way to this Torontonian icon.

It was expected to be meaty dinner, and it was indeed, with its own character.

en el mercado de san lorenzo

A few weeks ago we needed new potatoes and St. Lawrence market was the place to find them. The ones on the left were Canadian, and the ones on the right were from the US. Why? I have no idea. It's one of those mysterious things that often seem to take place in Offtario.

breakfast in offtario

As George Monbiot wrote a few days ago in his article "Abbottalypse Now", Canada is slipping back down the development ladder -like Australia now-, brutalising and degrading public life. Yes, I got that impression a while ago.

It is truly unfortunate. And breakfast is one more indication of such a tragic reality. Nothing around here is even close to FAB on Forbes, Single Origins on Reservoir or Lumiere on Bourke.

So nothing else than simple domestic attempts are all what can make the early hours of the day manageable and digestive.

We do have a number of Mud dishes, which try to infuse a little bit of the former Aussie flavours of life.

Weekends usually incorporate a more dedicated effort, often leaded by no other than Lynn, and bacon or eggs can join this primary equation...

However, the norm often happens to be our Mariage tea, usually Prince Igor or Bolero, fruit and some sort of baked good, introduced by a fast shot of kefir.

momo-fuk-u yeah

Monday dinner brought us back to Momo's eatery on University for the second time, just some days after the second visit to a far more exiting Ko in NYC.

Our thirsty throats were refreshed with the two cocktails on the menu: G & T (Aperol, rosemary, balck pepper) and Sumojito (Rum, peach, pineapple). They were drinkable, but not even close to the exciting Godzilla from Neta.

We both started with a shitake bun (hoisin, scallion, cucumber), which was very good. I love shitake mushrooms, so I guess this one had to be a great start.

Lynn chose to bird option, and since there was no duck on offer, she had smoked chicken ramen from the Harrison Co-op farm, with miso, menma and an egg.

I wasn't expecting to find tongue on the menu, so I tried the Tonkotsu noodles. The tongue was from McGee Farms, and it came with crispy scallop, egg and half a crabapple. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure the egg was necessary.

This short menu was a rather filling one, so we didn't even consider the two sweet options: peach cheesecake or chocolate pudding. Perhaps next time...

intrigued by the apple

Each time we go back it seems like NYC is the right place to recover from dull Offtario. I find it extremely hard to justify such a retarded difference.

neta vs nobu

Great week for the most recent b-day celebrations in New York City.

Four culinary stops were intended to sort of emulate this same time of the year, twelve months ago. For American standards they were neat, but perhaps not so much if we look at the big picture.

The cocktail of the week was one to remember: Godzilla. Nesta's menu describes it as an adventure packed full of shishito and Serrano pepper infused green chartreuse, Chinese celery, and rimmed with a spicy lime salt.