Every spring, I like to get away to Toronto to re-charge my batteries. For me, it’s a mini-vacation away from the daily routine and from work. It’s a chance for me to catch up with my girlfriends, do some shopping and, of course, eat! There’s nothing like coming home relaxed with a suitcase full of new clothes and a satisfied stomach. Although my piggy bank might not necessarily agree… Because I travel during spring break, my friends are usually at work during the day, so I am left to my own devices. During this year’s... | Continue reading article

Apologies to our loyal readers, we have been less than diligent about putting together posts of late. This week, leading to the Victoria Day weekend in Ontario, the team has had to shift gears to address other priorities. Some deal with our day jobs. foodiePrints has never been and likely will never be revenue-generating. Others involve our wine blogger Claire, getting married. That’s right folks. She who pens foodiePrints’ wine reviews on Wednesdays and a handful other forays into fine food will give up her bachelorette status on Sunday. Please join me in wishing she... | Continue reading article

Ottawa got a reality check last Wednesday with respect to the oncoming storm that will be our fair city being dragged into the modern world of street cuisine. Last Wednesday, the City of Ottawa hastily put together a launch event, asking food trucks and carts to assemble at Marion Dewar Plaza (City Hall) and help raise funds for the Shephards of Good Hope. Pandemonium ensued. Over 500 bracelets sold out between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on which media outlet you follow. At $10 a pop, the bracelets raised $5250 for the religious organization that... | Continue reading article

Early this morning, I noticed a very strange tweet from the chef/owner of the neighbourhood sushi restaurant I frequent, Sushi Umi (1311 Wellington Street W.). Normally, Chef Chris’ tweets and Facebook page updates are less than regular, mostly business-oriented. He announces specials and new products Sushi Umi offers. Yesterday, he tweeted: @sushiumiottawa (May 7, 2013 4:01 pm) warning to all clients. this post is invalid. sushi umi never agreed to such promotion or was aware. Do not buy… http://fb.me/2iK78tFKt Randy Fitzpatrick and Dave Loan, restauranteurs of Petit Bill’s Bistro (1293 Wellington Street W.) an Zen... | Continue reading article

Mums are people, too. And, although we toil the other 364 days of the year, come Mother’s Day, we appreciate a little pampering. This year, I was sent a lovely basket containing all the fixings for a “Passionate Sangria”: a bottle of Solaz Tempranillo Caberbet Sauvignon (a great summer red at a great price $10.95), a bottle of Duff Gordon brandy, a bottle of Cinzano sweet red Vermouth, fruit juice, whole fruit and even a pitcher in which to mix my sangria (a nice touch, by the way). Sangria is traditionally a fruity red wine... | Continue reading article

This spring, the weather in the Ottawa region began with bitter reminders of winter, complete with flurries. Then, we dallied briefly with warmer seasonal breezes. Everything, apparently foreplay. Summer arrived shortly thereafter. The forecast highs during the first week of May averaged 24 C (75.2 F). The heat and sunshine were unexpected, but not unwelcome. As you can likely discern, Canadians are adept in talking about the weather. It probably has something to do with practice, our experiencing nearly all possible weather phenomena from blistering heat to bone-chilling cold, even the odd torrential downpour. The... | Continue reading article

Last month, Toronto hosted the 7th annual Terroir hospitality and food industry symposium. This year’s theme was stories, memories, and culture that surround food. Invited speakers included renowned chefs Rene Redzepi of Denmark’s celebrated Noma and Mangus Nilsson of Sweden’s Faviken. Redzepi’s restaurant has claimed the top spot for the past three years on San Pellegrino’s list of the World’s 50 best Restaurants. He often refers to Nilsson as his “successor.” Needless to say, both Noma and Faviken have taken the culinary world by storm, reinforcing the pillars of what is fashionable in modern food:... | Continue reading article

If you remember, a few months ago I ventured over to Gatineau to follow-up on the rumour that they sold wine. Once I confirmed the rumour to be fact, I sampled a bottle of their lowest-end wines, a bottle of Yellow Dune red wine, a not exactly fantastic $11 wine. Julia Wine is a wine broker. They buy wine in bulk from producers around the world and bottle them in Canada for sale in the province of Quebec exclusively at Costco. Wine brokerage  is not an inherently bad things.  However, in the same way as the... | Continue reading article