lovehockey

I remember reading a brief story in the Edmonton Sun, probably back in the late 80s, about a couple about to marry. If I recall correctly he took her last name. His name: Robin Thursday. Her name: Tuesday Hood.

Mine is pretty self-explanatory. My American mom met my Canadian dad because of hockey. I was born and raised in Canada, so I've been watching (and talking) hockey all of my life. Santa pays for my NHL Center Ice subscription. I'm typing this while watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. The NHL should not be playing in June.

Sorry, Don, for not answering your question earlier! The SO is out of town for a while so I posted the question in order to provide some incentive to get out and be a single diner, which I have no problem doing. He doesn't like seafood, and I like it as long as it's cooked (I'm boring that way). Otherwise, I'm open to pretty much anything. I appreciate all the answers above! Some of the places I've visited already, but am in the mood to visit again!

I have no problem sitting at the bar. Merci.

Visited Zest last night with two out-of-towners. I'd been meaning to try this place, and a pretty quiet night on Barracks Row meant that we were able to be seated a bit after 7:30 without a reservation. Our main server was a trainee and we were a pretty laid-back group, so the little service slip-ups like mentioning the special right when we were ready to order were forgiven. We could tell she was nervous and she admitted we were her first table of the night, but as time went on she got more comfortable and was great about refilling water glasses. At the beginning another server was with her, but she didn't get involved. The out-of-towners got the Mediterranean Penne Pasta and the Mixed Grill, and I got the Pan-Fried Blue Catfish with Orange Guajillo Sauce. The sauce was at first sweet, but then the heat showed up. I liked the dish. The Mixed Grill eater thought the steak was OK but enjoyed the rest of the dish (shrimp, potato croquettes, French beans). The pasta eater said she enjoyed her dish. We split the brownie sundae, and the server poured the hot fudge over the brownie and ice cream until we told her to stop. It took a while for that to happen! Wines were ordered by the glass, a Zinfandel (Artezin, California, 2010) and a Riesling (Sagelands, Oregon, 2008). I got the latter and enjoyed it; I prefer Rieslings that have some sweetness but aren't overly sweet, and this was just right. Overall, two glasses of wine, three entrees, and one dessert was less than $100 before tip. I think Zest has some location challenges because they are the last restaurant on Barracks Row before I Street and the freeway overpass, so people coming from the Metro might not walk that far. But I'd go again. It's one of the more affordable dining options on 8th Street between the Metro station and the freeway.

Yelp: $1.9 Billion Angie's List: $1.3 Billion donrockwell.com: integrity, no question

I'm probably very wrong, but they gave you a fork instead of a spoon?

I'm out this time because I'm not a fan of Chardonnay. Yes, maybe I'd like this one but I'm not going to drop $20 to find out. Sorry!

Trip was cancelled so I'll be there with a few flavours of Nanaimo Bars.

My trip has been cancelled, so I and Nanaimo Bars will definitely be in attendance.

Tonight was the night that the SO and his parents sampled it. To introduce the cast: The SO will drink pretty much anything, but prefers Malbecs and Rosés. The mom's go-to wine is Chardonnay, although she's willing to try new grapes and has enjoyed other whites and white blends I've bought. She also drinks Merlots that are not fruit bombs and is open to other reds that are the same. We've recently introduced her to Malbec. The dad's go-to wine is Pinot Grigio. I've also introduced him to other whites and blends with success. He rarely drinks reds that are not in Sangria form so I was surprised when he liked two from Montefalco that I purchased at Arrowine. The bottle says that roast chicken pairs well with the wine, so I opened it for tonight's Thanksgiving in May, that featured chicken, stuffing, beans, potatoes, and cranberries. While I was just going for general impressions I did ask about whether they tasted grape juice and the answer was a collective no. That being said: SO: Liked it. If I bought it again he'd certainly have no problem drinking it. Mom: Ditto. Dad: Proclaimed it the best red wine he's ever had. Said it was very smooth and fruity. Superlatives galore. Because of this I must credit lperry and Ericandblueboy for making me look good. To Arrowine I go again...

If you are going to Canada and have a Bank of America ATM card, you can avoid the big fees if you visit a ScotiaBank ATM. They may charge you a currency conversion fee, but I'd have to look way back for that. Regardless, it could be much worse. As many people know, travelers checks have gone by the wayside unless they're specifically requested. And that's rare these days.

The SO and I are big fans of the Honey Pork. I got takeout from here to introduce my mom to Thai (mild required) and she and my dad loved it. If I recall, we got a chicken dish and Pad See Ew, because I like Pad See Ew.

I've visited this place many times but I've never had the Peking Duck. Yes,the decor is dated. The SO is a fan of the Chicken in Black Velvet mentioned above. It's the best Chinese along the Route 1 strip from the Beltway to who knows where. The wine list is terrible, though. BTW, they have a buffet on Sunday afternoons, from 12:30-3:30 if I remember correctly.

$13.99 at Arrowine. The back of the bottle says that fermentation and aging were in stainless steel. Here I am again to give the first tasting review. I like it. It is fruit-forward but with just enough spice to give it a bit of oomph. Had some dark chocolate with it and it didn't clash. Nose is mildly jammy. I find no need to pair it as I think it's a good sipping wine. I got a second bottle in order to let the SO and his parents try it in the next few days, so I'll try to report back on their thoughts. It will likely be with dinner so I'll try to pick the right meal to pair it with.

We visited Society Fair this evening, not knowing what to expect because the website doesn't really make it clear what is where and how to deal with it (or it could be my ineptitude). When we arrived we learned it was market on the right, restaurant on the left. As my SO was parking the car because the Lyceum warning signs scared me enough to make him park elsewhere, I ordered the Whiskey and Wine cocktail. The whiskey was definitely in there, but I thought it was more of a fall cocktail because of the influence of the cloves and star anise. He ordered the Malbec and liked it. We ordered the bread and butter, but because it hadn't arrived when the entrees did we cancelled it. He got the meatloaf (mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts) and I ordered the steak salad. We both noticed that the meat parts of the entrees were cold. My salad and dressing were good and his sides were too, but when the main parts are cold it puts a damper on each dish. I liked the meatloaf I sampled. For dessert he got the Macchiato, which he enjoyed, and we split the Afternoon Delight. Dare I say I could probably make it myself? Would I go back again? Yes. But I'd order differently to see what else they can do. He was a bit disappointed, though.

Union Station has turned into chain central. The west hall on the main level now has a Chipotle, Potbelly's, Roti, Yo! Sushi, and Chop't. There's also a Pret a Manger on that level. Quite a few of the mom 'n pops on the lower level have been replaced with chains, although a few of the former are still around. Burger King and Einstein Bagels are incoming. They also have stands near the outdoor Metro entrance. America is long gone, although Pizzeria Uno, Center Cafe, and East St. Cafe are there.

Leaving the premises helps! Seriously, not to say that Friday's glass wasn't bad, but as a sit-down-and-have-a-glass wine this evening's version was better suited. Friday's version I would pair with dinner.

It's certainly not "good, honest lawmaking." I'd call it a very poor man's quid pro quo.

If the weather and Southwest Airlines cooperate, I hope to make it in the 3 p.m. range. If I can make it I will bring Nanaimo Bars, which are a Canadian dessert institution.

Cheezepowder, perhaps you can call UnWined Belle View tomorrow and have them hold a bottle for you? I posted the first review on Friday evening, and now I'm having glass #2 tonight. On Friday I said that I wouldn't have guessed Chardonnay was involved. I can sure taste the Chardonnay now. However, as someone who's not particularly fond of Chardonnay, at 2 days open I'm liking this wine a lot more. I'm sure a part of it is because the other grapes are still hanging in there. I can tell that they're there on the finish.* In addition, I've found the acidity that hit me when I first tried it has mellowed out considerably. Not to worry, I am not surprised that a probably 3/4 full bottle that has sat in the fridge for 2 days would change! *When had my first sip on Friday my first thought was, "Must think of something profound to say." After reading others' thoughts, particularly those of juliusc91's, I'm throwing out the thesaurus.

I guess I get to start the impressions portion of the proceedings. Since I do not have the wine-tasting talents of the experts (ie. why specifically white flowers, Mr. Parker?) and many of the others on this board, here are my very basic thoughts. The acidity is very noticeable, as is the crispness. While the fruit has some punch, and does lean towards the citrus (perhaps some grapefruit?), it's not overpowering. I found the finish to be a bit long. It is definitely not sweet. If I didn't know that it was in there, I wouldn't have guessed that Chardonnay was involved at all. I'd pair it as a dinner wine, as I prefer my sit-down-and-have-a-glass whites to be a bit sweeter. But overall it's a nice, well put-together wine.

I just picked it up at UnWined Belle View (they also have it at their King Street location, just off 395). Because I'm technologically inept at the moment, in lieu of a picture I'll mention that the words "cote EST Catalan" are the biggest you'll see on the green and white label. The cap is also green, and along the side of a plant runs the words "Grenache - Chardonnay - Marsanne."

I'm in too. What a shame that I would have to drink wine

For some odd reason, reading the thread about finding a decent nonalcoholic beverage reminded me of an incident several years ago of a cocktail order that did not end well. One fateful evening my twin sister and I celebrated our birthday at a new bar in my Canadian hometown, which has a population of around 20,000 and is just outside of the provincial capital. We were sitting at a table with a group of friends and some of her work colleagues. I placed my order for a whiskey sour and the waitress looked confused. I should have taken that as my first hint to visit the bar, but I didn't. The second unheeded hint to visit the bar was when I noticed her talking earnestly with the bartender. Several minutes later I got my whiskey sour, which was in a shot glass and dark pink in color. It turns out that in my years away from home I hadn't learned about something that had been invading bars in Canada, a raspberry liqueur called Sourpuss. And that's what I got, with perhaps some whiskey thrown in. I was a nice person and kept it (Canadians are nice people, after all ), although I did tell the waitress and the bartender what exactly it was I had been looking for. Anyone else have a story about a drink order that went haywire?