Reviewing the noshes at the Laurier Club summer thingy

It's garden party season in Ottawa. And while there's usually no garden, there are usually nibbles. As there was on Monday as Liberal Party donors gathered at the Canadian War Museum.

It was packed and the mood was ebullient, a start contrast to the mood at the Holiday party just six months ago across the river at the Canadian Museum of History. This meant Liberal fortunes have improved, and food lines would probably be longer.

Thankfully though, the lines were just at the bars and I was able to make the food rounds easily. There were pass appies and the usual charcuterie on offer, but I'll focus on the three food stations.

Up first was the bao station. At first, I was told it would be tofu bao and I was displeased. Then, that was corrected -- hey, there's also fried chicken -- and like Liberal poll numbers since February, my spirits were immediately lifted. 

The bao was fresh, the veggies crisp, and the fried chicken crunchy and juicy. A bit messy with the sauce, but delicious nonetheless.

After finishing my first glass of wine (a light pour, to be fair) I went off to find the source of what I thought, based on a discarded empty bowl, would be a risotto station. But I would soon learn that on offer was actually Ahi Tuna Poke bowls.

I was faced with a dilemma because I have always turned my nose up at tuna. I like fish, but the smell of tuna always put me off. It was put to me recently though that that's canned tuna, and I should try the higher end and fresh variety. So I decided to take a shot.

This was raw tuna, but just little bits and mixed with other things. I tried it. No off putting smell. Not saying I'm going to suddenly start eating sushi. But with sticky rice, fancy mayo and veg, this worked.

Venturing outside to refresh my wine as the outside bar was far more accessible, I found that there was a chip truck offering poutine. In the interest of food review science, I had to give it a try.

I liked the green onions, the gravy was fine, and the fries were shoestring -- regular readers will know I don't care for potato-heavy fries. My one note would be the curds. While there was plenty, I think they could have been fresher. Curd aficionados will know the freshest curds are squeaky when chewed. That was missing here. But as far as poutine goes, it was fine.

So my rankings would be in the order I ate them actually: bao, then poke bowl, then poutine.

Wine refreshed, a speech from the leader who filled the room and brightened the vibes, and then it was home to rest up for the next garden party.

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The king is dead, long live the king

You can argue on the timing, but what Justin Trudeau did today was both difficult and needed. It will take time to fully judge his legacy. There was much good. There were many things with which I disagree strongly. Overall, in time, I believe the judgment of history will be kind.

It’s too simplistic to say we moved too far Left. Policies like $10/day daycare and the Canada Child Benefit were and are good economic policies. Both allowed more people, largely women, to be able to enter or return to the workforce. That is more workers building the economy and paying taxes. Dental care is health care, and healthy people are productive and happy people.

On the other hand, balancing the budget seemed to be an afterthought and while talking about the need to invest and debt to GDP ratio for a few years is fine, there’s a limit. There needs to be a balance and we got it wrong.

The COVID pandemic was both his greatest moment and what helped to sow the seeds of his downfall. The country came together to deal with a worldwide crisis of unprecedented proportions, doing the best they could during uncharted times. In the end, Canada emerged relatively unfazed from a health and economic perspective, and by all reasonable measures he did very well steering us through. Businesses stayed in business, people stayed employed and in their homes.

But something happened to our psyche. People became more hardened. More prone to fall into conspiracy theories and alternate news. While once we could agree to disagree, now we couldn’t even have polite conversations. Factors like social media algorithms are no help. Even still today, I don’t need to flick too long through Facebook Reels or other platforms until I’m fed some very disgusting content.

It’s not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon. And it’s not Trudeau’s fault. But he became the Canadian focal point for this anger and frustration, becoming the target for unprecedented hatred and vitriol that some have made their entire personalities, and some very cynical politicians have chosen to harness for their own purposes. They should not be surprised when the Leopard Eating Faces Party comes for their face.

Add global inflation making everything more expensive and a long delay in taking housing affordability seriously enough and here we are.

I think my biggest criticism of the Trudeau era is that in recent years this has not been a government guided by fundamental principles and an overarching vision and plan. Instead, it has become a reactive one, listening to fewer and fewer voices, only concerned with putting out the next fire or media story instead of getting big things done. Which is a clear sign that a reset is needed.

I wish this decision had been made a year ago. I think it would have been better for everyone, including his family, if it had been. But in the end, he (finally) did the right thing. And now, an accelerated leadership race will begin.  I don't know who I will support. I have some ideas on who I won't.

More than a decade ago, Trudeau, in taking over a rebuilding Liberal Party, said we don’t need a messiah. And he was right. But he was also the son of a political giant born on Christmas Day who led us back to the promised land faster than anyone predicted. And the party wasn’t so much rebuilt as reimagined in his image.

In a lot of ways, that rebuild never really happened. We never had the discussions about what sort of party we wanted to be and what we wanted to stand for. Instead, we went straight into a platform and a decade of government, including two minorities where you’re just trying to get to the weekend.

Can we find our identity and a leader who can present a vision in a throne speech by March 24^th and then lead us into an election? We’re going to have to try.

 

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Eating off the Hill: Hugo Taco in Ottawa

Hugo Taco is a taco food truck attached to Social Thai, on Waverly Street just off of Bank Street in Ottawa's Centretown neighborhood. There is a picnic table if you can't wait to get your tacos home, but that's definitely a better option in the summer.

I've been a few times as it's just a few blocks from my home and it's definitely and enjoyable and seemingly authentic, albeit quite pricy, Mexican taco experience.

At the heart of their menu are corn flour tortillas starting at $6 in seven varieties:

• Al Pastor (grilled pork)
• Chorizo (Mexican sausage)
• Asada (grilled steak)
• Barbacoa (braised beef)
• Camaron (grilled shrimp)
• Pollo (pulled chicken)
• Vegano (grilled tofu)

Where it starts to get expensive is they're small, so you need 2-3. Another $1 each if you want guacamole and another $1 each if you want queso (cheese), and suddenly you're looking at $24 for a food truck meal before drink, taxes and tip.

You can get chips with guac or salsa as a side, and they also have auga fresca, Mexican cola, beer and soft drinks. There are also a variety of free hot sauces to spice up your taco, as well as lime wedges to add a little acid.

I've tried most of the tacos except for the veggie and the shrimp, because I'm not brave enough to risk taco truck shrimp. They are tasty and fresh. The meat is well seasoned and the pickled onions very tasty. It's a nice treat, but I wish they were more affordable.

I'd definitely take them over El Camino, down the street on Elgin.

But how are they not open on Taco Tuesdays?!

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Eating on the road: Lounge at Sheraton Centre Toronto

 I recently had the opportunity to stay for two nights at the Sheraton Centre Toronto in the heart of downtown across from City Hall, and I picked this location for one  reason in particular: it's reputed to have the best Marriott lounge in the city.

In recent years I have focused my stays at Marriott properties because I like them, and in order to build points and status with their Bonvoy frequent guest program. This year I've peaked at Titanium, the highest I am likely to ever hit in the program (thanks to promos and a credit card bonus). And amongst the various perks is access to the Concierge or Club Lounge if the property has one.

Amenities can vary widely, but in general it's an access-controlled area to get breakfast in the morning, appies in the evening, and to drop in for snacks and soft drinks and a quiet place to work throughout the day.

The Club Lounge at the Sheraton Centre Toronto takes up half of the 43rd floor of the property and is a sleek and modern space offering a spectacular North-facing view of the City of Toronto.

The evening appies were a very impressive spread and I could have made a meal of it, were my next stop that evening not the Blue Jays game where I needed to take full advantage of it being Loonie hot dog night. 

But there was quite the spread with olives, crudités, cheese -- the usual charcuterie stuff -- plus salads, sliders and samosas, as well as cake and fruit for desert. The next night, they even had roast beef and potatoes. The only downside was that the bar was hotel prices -- the red wine was too rich for my blood -- but soft drinks, juices, tea and coffee were inclusive.

The breakfast buffet was equally, if not more, impressive. Mango lassi for breakfast? Yes, please! The usual cereals, granola and yogurt, cheese and meats, eggs, congee, potatoes, pastries and muffins, 

And breakfast is even better with a view. The veg sausage was OK but I would have liked some bacon... Still, very much did not go hungry.

All things being equal, if you're Platinum or better with Mariott (you can also get access by booking on the Club level) this lounge is definitely a reason to stay at the Sheraton Centre Toronto if the price is comparable. 

And so is the CN Tower view from your room...

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Eating on the road: Blackhorn Steakhouse in Scarborough

Scarborough is a community that is often the first stop for new residents and citizens on their Canadian journeys. As such, the face of Scarborough is often changing and so is its food. Today, you don't have to go too far to find quality biryani, kebab and shawarma. But scratch beneath the surface and you can also still find the tastes of an earlier Scarborough tucked into unassuming strip malls and industrial areas. German deli, Scottish fish and chips and, as I tried on my last visit, a steakhouse also specializing in seafood and Greek delicacies.

The Blackhorn Steakhouse is at Ellesmere and Warden, not far from a Costco whose $1.50 hot dogs still call my name. This night, though, I had my culinary sites set higher.

As mentioned, they do have a lot of Greek specialties developed to cater to what was once a very large Greek community in Scarborough, from Greek salad and a Greek variation of bruschetta to saganaki and slouvaki. At it's heart though, it's a steakhouse and I was there for the steak.

After a perfectly reasonable Caesar salad to start (I was trying to behave myself a bit or I would have gone with the cheesy, sinful goodness of saganaki), I went with the NY strip, medium-rare with garden veg (hold the potatoes) and a side of mushrooms (because it's not steak without mushrooms).

A delicious meal cooked perfectly, and I was more than filled up without carby potatoes. The steak was flavourful and juicy, and the mushrooms well-seasoned. And while prices are going up everywhere, it still beats The Keg.

Glad there are still places like this in Scarborough for when I need a break from the biryani.

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