Hear Ye Hear : A Foodies Party [General]

2009 Jun 29
We always talk about 'doing something' together, and other than the wine tasters most of us never do...

We need to have a foodies potluck/BBQ/Cook-off, and if we plan it far enough ahead together maybe everyone can come (maybe even on a nondescript weekend into September if we have to?).

Since I can't offer my own tiny kitchen (and awkward washroom)I was thinking a picnic in the park, I think we can get BBQs at Britania?

Since we are foodies it just has to be a potluck, I think, so that we may show off to each other. And perhaps a cooking challenge/contest/ with prizes? Or should we make a communal attempt to create the best salad bar or dessert table we have ever seen!

Could/should we invite vendors? They might like to meet us! and they will probably feed us well!

So, honestly please, would you come?
Yea or Nea?

Do you have ideas on how/when/where it should be?

2009 Jun 29
I'd try to come if it were a family affair.

2009 Jun 29
I would love to attend such a foodies party and would be happy to provide ample foodstuffs for this.

2009 Jun 29
I *love* this idea. I'm in the process of doing a survey monkey with the hopes of getting people to fill it out to figure out what date would work best, and location. I'll post the URL shortly.

2009 Jun 29
OliversRock LOL the first thread I read today has the word "PARTY" in the title-;) I would love to join you. As for location/date a weekend would fit my schedule best and a bbq in the park sounds awesome.

Creating the best buffet table ever sounds awesome to me.

As for inviting vendors I could see how this would work. We could always include local farms, bakeries, etc.

I would be more than happy to bring something and to assist with the organizing if you need help...

2009 Jun 29
Anyone want to suggest various locations? I can think of two (Andrew Haydon, Britannia Beach).

2009 Jun 29
I believe Andrew Haydon has public-use grills available for charcoal grilling, where Brittania beach... well... I don't ever remember seeing them there (because I wasn't looking)

2009 Jun 29
Friends have been going to Brittania a lot lately and they tell me there are BBQs there

2009 Jun 29
Okay, so I wrote a very short survey for people to give feedback about what weekend(s) would work and numbers of people, and prefered location. It will make it a bit easier to keep track of numbers and votes!

www.surveymonkey.com

The first weekend listed is the weekend of July 12, so we'll have lots of time to plan this baby. Meanwhile, I use SurveyMonkey all day at work, and I can keep you posted as to responses and the like. Also, if people have a location that would *really* work for them, feel free to propose it.


2009 Jun 29
Thank you, I have given my thoughts on the survey.

2009 Jun 30
LWB - both you and your survey are amazing!!! (I noted July 12th is bad for me).

Considerations when fixing the date: if we do it on a Saturday we can have a rain date. If we do a Sunday we can just rain-or-shine it.

And a flight of fancy - When we firm things up can we use your survey software to make a confirmation survey for numbers etc and a question that says: I call dibs on bringing the:_________________. That way we won't get 20 bowls of coleslaw, and there won't be any punch-ups over who made the best Greek Salad (me! me!)

2009 Jun 30
I definitely like the idea of the rain-or-shine, and just choosing the weekend that works for most people. Right now there are two obvious ones, but I won't announce which for the sake of *not* influencing people who haven't taken the survey... there are about 10 of you who have, but three chose to remain anonymous (Jagash, I assume you're one).

How long should I leave the survey live for? Until this weekend, does that sound like enough time? And then a second survey to be sent out to firm up dates (with a shorter turnaround)...?


2009 Jun 30
If this happens at a time that I can go, I call dibs on making the potato salad!

2009 Jun 30
*shakes head* Sorry, I must have missed the area where I could enter my name.

2009 Jun 30
it's okay. its purpose was to avoid duplication (ie. no one can show up at fresh foodie and vote for him), and also for the arrangement of carpooling, should people want/need.

2009 Jun 30
Great idea - hope it works out for a date I can make it. We're pretty busy, so even the dates I entered are probably tentative.

2009 Jun 30
I did not answer the survey because date is really irrelevant to me. If there were a "don't care" option I'd pick that one. It is basically impossible for me to predict that far in advance :-) Any date is as good as the next.

Location does not matter so much either. Though I guess Andrew Haydon would be best for me. I don't like sandy beaches, especially not fake ones.

2009 Jun 30
Zymurgist: Fair enough. That said, I find that with so many weekends left in summer, that a lot of people have some plans and could then prioritize what days worked best for them, or work backwards (ie. July 11/12, August 8/9 doesn't work, so what days do?).

I'll post either a second survey or a Google spreadsheet in the next day or so, with questions about the date (there are two or three that stand out right now) and who can bring what (the spreadsheet might be best for this). I'll make sure to add a "I have no preference" option.

2009 Jun 30
Unfortunately, I work 12hr days every weekend, so I am pretty much a write off. Sounds like it will be fun though.

2009 Jun 30
The survey only lets us choose one day as "definitely can't make it" but I have a bunch of them because I'll be in southern Arizona for the last ten days of July. Aside from that I think we're pretty flexible.

I'll fill in the rest of the survey after discussing with wifey. For locations, I'd lean toward Andrew Haydon, Britannia, or Vincent Massey because they all have plenty of parking and quite a bit of space. Summer weekends are pretty busy...

And my usual pedantic commentary on potlucks: If people have to say what they're bringing it is by definition not a potluck -- it's a straightforward group picnic. Besides, I think 20 bowls of coleslaw might make for a pretty cool tasting experience! :-)

Anyway it's an awesome idea!

2009 Jul 3
I'm going to try and do a follow-up survey (or spreadsheet) this afternoon and I'll post it. But, if you haven't responded to the first survey with dates and you want to come (and you have a preference on dates)...please do so.

www.surveymonkey.com

(And yes, in the next one I'll have a space for "date range that doesn't work")

2010 Mar 21
So now that it's getting a bit warmer and we're all starting to peep out from under all that snow (yea right!) I propose we try to organize another potluck sometime over the next couple of months. What say you Ottawa Foodies?

2010 Mar 22
That sounds lovely.

2010 Mar 22
Sounds like fun!

2010 Mar 22
Sounds great!

2010 Mar 22
Sounds good.

I think it should be a bit warmer still before we try an outdoor potluck.

I also think that y'all shouldn't do it while I'm in Spain! Wait until I come back from Spain, and there may be Spanish goodies for all. Just sayin'.

2010 Mar 22
Now I'm excited! When do you return from Spain?

2010 Mar 22
I'm back on May 3.

Sundays seem to work well for people. We could try for May 9? Or 16? (I think the 9th is Mother's Day)

2010 Mar 22
LWB: Have you visited Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Temple in Barcelona? I would love to visit someday. Hope you enjoy your visit in Spain.

Sundays sounds good. Now I am thinking about what food I would like to offer for the potluck :) (To me,this is fun part of the event!!)

2010 Mar 23
Sounds like a lot of fun!!!

2010 Mar 26
We would really love to come, we just need enough notice!

2010 Mar 26
I'm totally there! As long as I have enough notice to book off work!

2010 Mar 31
I'd love to come and could definitely provide food, but May won't work for me.

2010 Mar 31
Alright, since we're going to start bickering about dates, there's now a survey. At this point, it's dates and place suggestions.

Given enough notice, my landlord might let us have at his backyard.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/JN7VMHN

I'm not putting a closing date on this, trying to keep planning casual. Anyone interested, go to it.

2010 Mar 31
I won't be able to answer this survey until I know where I'll be this summer as I just learned I may be living in Toronto for a few months.

2010 Mar 31
This sounds like so much fun! I'm fairly new to Ottawafoodies. Did you guys manage to organize one last year? Do we organize who makes what at all?...

2010 Mar 31
chopper we did infact have a potluck last year that's actually how this thread started. We didn't organize who brought what - people just showed up with food and we all ate ourselves silly. (Well I did anyway-;)

2010 Mar 31
Basically, we figured that everyone would want to show off and that we could hack it if we have to eat thirty kinds of macaroni salad. Which, fortunately, did not happen. (Also, Fresh Foodie has this thing about potlucks not being "real" unless no one knows who is responsible for what)

2010 Mar 31
Thirty kinds of macaroni salad would be cool.. We could do flights like for wine!

Hey, it's called pot luck not pot plan. ;-)

2010 Apr 1
LOL Fresh Foodie, that made me chuckle. I've never thought of that before, of course it has the word 'luck' for a reason ;)
I was also going to ask if there was some organized list of who brings what, good to hear we can wing it and bring what we'd like to show off.

I'm kinda new here and looking forward to meeting everyone if I can make it!