Food that's uniquely "Ottawa" [General]
2009 Nov 18
witchypoo If you are looking for non perishables to take with you I can make a couple of suggestions. I'm not sure how much time you have to work with but this coming weekend is the last weekend the Lansdowne farmers market will be open for the season. They will be open Saturday and Sunday. Avonmore Berry Farms makes nice jams, Acorn Creek has nice pickled stuff (pickles, hot banana peppers, etc.), Cuisine et Passion has nice balsamic vinegar, and the Salty Don has nice smoked salts and peppers.
Otherwise you can try the Bagel Shop on Wellington or Trillium Bakery in Old Ottawa South - they have a few local items for sale. Actually Trillium Bakery carries honey made by Heavenly Honey - their cinnamon honey is really good.
If I think of anything else I will keep you posted.
Otherwise you can try the Bagel Shop on Wellington or Trillium Bakery in Old Ottawa South - they have a few local items for sale. Actually Trillium Bakery carries honey made by Heavenly Honey - their cinnamon honey is really good.
If I think of anything else I will keep you posted.
2009 Nov 18
how are you getting there? i would suggest something made by a local ottawa baker/butcher/honey/cheese maker.
art-is-in bread
true loaf bread
something from the piggy market
pascale's ice cream (sold at piggy market)
there are a few ottawa honey makers
hot sauce
this is the last weekend of the ottawa farmer's market. not tons of people left, but you could pick up honey, hot sauce, & bread.
art-is-in bread
true loaf bread
something from the piggy market
pascale's ice cream (sold at piggy market)
there are a few ottawa honey makers
hot sauce
this is the last weekend of the ottawa farmer's market. not tons of people left, but you could pick up honey, hot sauce, & bread.
2009 Nov 18
Witchypoo - Head out to Mrs McGarrigles - Mrs McGarrigle's in Merrickville... First off Mrs McGarrigle is Canada's premier Mustard maker www.mustard.ca making specialized mustards but also has a line of chutneys, preserves and seasonings.
Additionally, the store is a "hot spot" for local other food companies to sell their wares... the Buyer for Mrs McGarrigles, has their finger on the pulse of what is happening in the homebased food biz locally... and carries a lot of things that are otherwise unknown. Just ask someone on the front cash which products are made locally and you'll be able to put together a terrific "foodie basket" in no time.
As an example:
Here is the name of another local line from Merrickville (also available at McGarrigles) that I personally can recommend... Just Wing It = www.justwingit.ca products are made by Chef Thomas Riding from Sam Jakes Inn and they are great, the website also has some excellent recipes.
Additionally, the store is a "hot spot" for local other food companies to sell their wares... the Buyer for Mrs McGarrigles, has their finger on the pulse of what is happening in the homebased food biz locally... and carries a lot of things that are otherwise unknown. Just ask someone on the front cash which products are made locally and you'll be able to put together a terrific "foodie basket" in no time.
As an example:
Here is the name of another local line from Merrickville (also available at McGarrigles) that I personally can recommend... Just Wing It = www.justwingit.ca products are made by Chef Thomas Riding from Sam Jakes Inn and they are great, the website also has some excellent recipes.
2009 Nov 18
Hi, I'm an idiot that shouldn't attempt to multi-task. I read your post wrong, and now I can't edit my response.
I always bring art-is-in bread, with an assortment of toppings. I usually buy red pepper jelly or the apricot ginger jam from Thyme and Again on Wellington. When serving I pour the jam over a block of cream cheese or smooth chevre. I cut up the bread and toast it for crostini, or it's great untoasted as well. It's amazing, and everyone usually oohs and ahhs over it. I find that these things are easily transportable.
I have also bought an assortment of cheeses from Nicastro's on Bank. They have an amazing goat cheese from Papineauville that's fabulous in salads, or on a cracker. They have other cheeses from the Quebec area that I would definitely bring a sample of as well.
I love local honey drizzled over homemade ice cream. That would be a lovely gift.
Checking out the farmers market is also a great idea, as it doesn't get much better than that.
I hope that helps : )
I always bring art-is-in bread, with an assortment of toppings. I usually buy red pepper jelly or the apricot ginger jam from Thyme and Again on Wellington. When serving I pour the jam over a block of cream cheese or smooth chevre. I cut up the bread and toast it for crostini, or it's great untoasted as well. It's amazing, and everyone usually oohs and ahhs over it. I find that these things are easily transportable.
I have also bought an assortment of cheeses from Nicastro's on Bank. They have an amazing goat cheese from Papineauville that's fabulous in salads, or on a cracker. They have other cheeses from the Quebec area that I would definitely bring a sample of as well.
I love local honey drizzled over homemade ice cream. That would be a lovely gift.
Checking out the farmers market is also a great idea, as it doesn't get much better than that.
I hope that helps : )
2009 Nov 18
Thanks for the great ideas. I am looking for non-perishables that can be transported on the plane.
Jams from the farmers' market might do the trick - maybe even the local honey.
Do you know if the Governor General has its own label? I seem to recall they used to sell their preserves in their gift shop... (?)
Has anyone had experience travelling with beer on the plane (as luggage)? Will it explode? I am thinking that a local brew might be nice too. Is it possible to bring it as carry on even if I ask the attendants to look after it?
Though I like the Art-is-in bread, I can't seem to see how it is a unique food that someone in Vancouver would consider "Ottawa". Please tell me if I am wrong. If that bread IS considered an Ottawa style of bread, I would certainly buy some.
Jams from the farmers' market might do the trick - maybe even the local honey.
Do you know if the Governor General has its own label? I seem to recall they used to sell their preserves in their gift shop... (?)
Has anyone had experience travelling with beer on the plane (as luggage)? Will it explode? I am thinking that a local brew might be nice too. Is it possible to bring it as carry on even if I ask the attendants to look after it?
Though I like the Art-is-in bread, I can't seem to see how it is a unique food that someone in Vancouver would consider "Ottawa". Please tell me if I am wrong. If that bread IS considered an Ottawa style of bread, I would certainly buy some.
2009 Nov 18
You can also get unique homemade items in the shop at Les Fougeres up near Chelsea.
If you're travelling by air remember not to pack things like jams, sauces etc in your carry-on.
I remember carrying a small case of beer and 2 bottles of Ontario wine to England as carry-on just a few years ago (the month before all hell broke loose) - that made things so much easier, or so I thought then. This past summer I packed about 9 - 500 ml beers (and my dw had some more) from Brewsters in Calgary in my carry-on, and brought some Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and Propeller beers (650 ml) back from Halifax. I wrapped everything individually in a few layers of paper and then in various clothing items and packed them in the middle of my suitcase with clothes underneath and on top. Didn't lose a thing and so didn't have to deal with irate passengers claiming their luggage and prickly Air Canada staff.
So no carryon (except duty free) but beer can go in the luggage - but I have no idea what the consequences are if one does explode! Anyone else know?
If you're travelling by air remember not to pack things like jams, sauces etc in your carry-on.
I remember carrying a small case of beer and 2 bottles of Ontario wine to England as carry-on just a few years ago (the month before all hell broke loose) - that made things so much easier, or so I thought then. This past summer I packed about 9 - 500 ml beers (and my dw had some more) from Brewsters in Calgary in my carry-on, and brought some Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and Propeller beers (650 ml) back from Halifax. I wrapped everything individually in a few layers of paper and then in various clothing items and packed them in the middle of my suitcase with clothes underneath and on top. Didn't lose a thing and so didn't have to deal with irate passengers claiming their luggage and prickly Air Canada staff.
So no carryon (except duty free) but beer can go in the luggage - but I have no idea what the consequences are if one does explode! Anyone else know?
2009 Nov 18
Andy - I am sorry, your comments have me a tad confused. It is my understanding that NO LIQUIDS basically are allowed in carry-on (be that a small satchel or a regulation carry-on sized suitcase). The ONLY way that I know that there exists of getting booze on board is to buy it at Duty Free. They then bag it up and it goes to the plane (passenger cabin) to be held by the flight crew until you get off. At least that is the way it was recently explained to me by an Air Canada Agent when I inquired about picking up some items enroute from Australia to Ottawa. It was suggested that one should purchase at the midway point, before getting on the last flight, otherwise it would have to go into checked baggage. And well we all know the perils of fragile items and checked baggage.
If things were to explode, ya end up with a disaster of suitcase, plain and simple.
I understand since the changes to carry-on luggage and the requirement for items (many of which are fragiles, like alcohol) to go into checked baggage, there are a lot of companies now that specialize in packaging that guarantees one can get fragile items to their destination safely... be it the use of simple old bubble-wrap or more complicated air bladders that surround items made of glass etc.
If things were to explode, ya end up with a disaster of suitcase, plain and simple.
I understand since the changes to carry-on luggage and the requirement for items (many of which are fragiles, like alcohol) to go into checked baggage, there are a lot of companies now that specialize in packaging that guarantees one can get fragile items to their destination safely... be it the use of simple old bubble-wrap or more complicated air bladders that surround items made of glass etc.
2009 Nov 18
Pre-9-11, I went to Daytona for spring break. Brought 4 24's of beer (Canadian... yeah, I know.... I was only 20). Each in their own duffle bag. The security screener looked at me funny, but they let it pass. And shockingly, all 96 bottles showed up in Orlando, undisturbed.
Those were the good old days... :)
Those were the good old days... :)
2009 Nov 18
Mea culpa Food & Think! I'm sorry for the confusion; what I meant to say and should have said was that I packed all those bottles in my suitcase not my carry-on; had I done so you would not have been confused. Sorry for that, I owe you one now!
And yes, the only way that booze is supposed to get on the plane is via duty-free, whether you buy it from an airport shop or on the plane itself from your carrier, though not a lot of beer is not offered for sale. Moot point if you're flying within the country though.
hhh - my memories of my good old days are fading, and so they should...
And yes, the only way that booze is supposed to get on the plane is via duty-free, whether you buy it from an airport shop or on the plane itself from your carrier, though not a lot of beer is not offered for sale. Moot point if you're flying within the country though.
hhh - my memories of my good old days are fading, and so they should...
2009 Nov 19
witchypoo you can also try La Trappe a Fromage in Gatineau. It's a cheese shop but apparently they also sell gift items.
As for taking beer with you maybe you could contact the brewery or beer store - maybe they can pack everything up for you to avoid breakage? I went to Niagara-on-the-Lake a few years ago and bought some Greaves jams while I was there. I bought them directly from the store and they packaged everything up in a cardboard box similar to the ones that a six pack of beer comes in then they placed it in a styrofoam box. Although I was travelling by train it was one less worry for me.
Good luck with the foodie gifts and let us know how you made out.
As for taking beer with you maybe you could contact the brewery or beer store - maybe they can pack everything up for you to avoid breakage? I went to Niagara-on-the-Lake a few years ago and bought some Greaves jams while I was there. I bought them directly from the store and they packaged everything up in a cardboard box similar to the ones that a six pack of beer comes in then they placed it in a styrofoam box. Although I was travelling by train it was one less worry for me.
Good luck with the foodie gifts and let us know how you made out.
2009 Nov 19
If you could manage to bring a small cooler, the type that is collapsible: Tourtiere from Les Fougeres... Amazing! OR a duck leg confit from Mariposa farm, that is in the area. The boutique at Les Fougeres is an excellent idea!
How about Beau's beer? I have brought beer in my luggage before, I had sealed them in ziplocks just in case and wrapped them up in the middle or the corners of your suitcase, where there is more protection...
How about Beau's beer? I have brought beer in my luggage before, I had sealed them in ziplocks just in case and wrapped them up in the middle or the corners of your suitcase, where there is more protection...
2009 Nov 19
"Socks are your friend and put the bottles in a plastic bag just in case." - That's the spirit! I've done the same thing, although lately I've been wondering if there are any beer travel cases out there like there are for wine.
One bottle of Beau's might just fit into a wooden wine gift box sold at the LCBO/Vintages. Better yet, buy one of the holiday gift sets that come in a nice box, drink the contents and use the box as a fancy travelling case for your Beaus!!
Returning to topic...my relatives out west always want sage from Ontario every Christmas. I guess it's just not as good out there. Local blueberry jam, too.
One bottle of Beau's might just fit into a wooden wine gift box sold at the LCBO/Vintages. Better yet, buy one of the holiday gift sets that come in a nice box, drink the contents and use the box as a fancy travelling case for your Beaus!!
Returning to topic...my relatives out west always want sage from Ontario every Christmas. I guess it's just not as good out there. Local blueberry jam, too.
2009 Nov 20
Chocolates are another option from Stubbe's or from Koko Chocolates. Not quintessential Ottawa, but they travel far better than Beaver Tails or Chicken Shawarmas. I never mind getting Callebaut chocolates for Christmas from relatives in Calgary as they are something different from what I usually get even if they are not unique to Calgary, for example.
witchypoo
I am visiting relatives over Christmas and would like to bring them something from here. Food that is in the same genre as Montreal Bagels, BC Smoked Salmon, Niagara Peaches or even Nanaimo Bars. I know that those types of foods are purchasable across Canada but it is always so nice to get something from the place from where it originates.
And not maple syrup...