Cobra Ottawa - new foodie experience [General]

2010 Feb 6
I'm surprised I don't see any forum topics on this -- for the past few months chef Marc Lepine of Atelier has been sporadically retweeting posts from the Twitter account CobraOttawa (twitter.com/cobraottawa). CobraOttawa recently posted a link to the website www.eatcobra.ca , where there is a box to input your email address and not much else.

Just this morning I received an email asking me what my favourite potato chip flavour was, giving an outline of what Cobra is, and a few other things...I'm not going to post the full text of the email because I kind of like the mystery surrounding the whole thing (I'm sure another foodie will post it eventually), but all OttawaFoodies should definitely sign up!


2010 Feb 6
Ive signed up, but Im not really sure to what exactly...

2010 Feb 6
I've been following them on twitter, albeit reluctantly because I'm really not a fan of manufactured buzz. I also went to their website but I'm not going to put my email address into a webpage that just says "Email: ______ [Submit]" and nothing else.

The mystery is more annoying than anything else. The food will have to be very good to compensate for that.

2010 Feb 6
w00t! ^^^^^^^^what he said

I hate surprises to begin with. And to me this is just making it more about it than about food. It is beyond food and is now something else and no longer has much to do with food. No thanks.

2010 Feb 6
really no idea what's going on and it appears very bizzare and mysterious. oh all should be revealed in time as if its good, the surprise element is a big factor. maybe it's a comic book superhero, a new business concept wanting to grab you or a new movement in food culture?

wasn't exactly sure on signing up but what the heck.

2010 Feb 6
Maybe it is the reintroduction of Club Z!

You young'uns won't get the reference, though :-)

2010 Feb 6
I remember the guy with the top hat dancing around singing ..."the best things in life are free..."

2010 Feb 7
I'm wondering if it's similar to Charlie's Burgers in Toronto - that's supposed to be great value.

2010 Feb 8
LOL. Club Z. Was this before or after Zeddy the Bear?

2010 Feb 8
LOL, Club Z circa 1986... Zeddy probably earlier.

I remember it well... Zeddy used to send Bday cards to the kids in the weeks ahead of their big day... complete with coupon offers with Mom in mind (HINT... buy your gifts here). In the Club Z Days, BONUS POINTS were offered.

Smart marketing... infact beyond S&G Green Stamps (or were they pink...anyone remember the really old days when IGA used to offer those 1950s thru 1970s?) Club Z would be the most successful Loyalty Program in Canadian History, so much so, that it single-handedly is the reason there are so many Loyalty Programs in Canada today... the most successful now being Air Miles Rewards (those blue cards).

Club Z became HBC Rewards when HBC started buying out other stores and joining them under the Zellers Brand (Towers - KMart etc). The idea was to promote loyalty to the HBC Group, but also to attract shoppers away from the competition (because at the time some KMarts remained, and WalMart was moving into Canada). The idea that one could accumulate "points" at both Zellers & The Bay was very appealing to Shoppers (especially as WalMart was not offering any such program). HBC Rewards was offered across all HBC Stores (The Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters etc) starting in the late 90s or early 2000s.

2010 Feb 8
I recall Zeddy being later actually

2010 Feb 8
Zym - Maybe so as you recall, but he was definitely around mid 1980s (as I said I remember due to the kid's Bday Cards). Out of curiosity, I did a GOOGLE Search and found this reference to Zeddy & The Canadian Red Cross, and it says he was the Zellers Mascot since 1986 = www.redcross.ca

LOL, I believe we at one time had one of the bears pictured... I seem to remember the yellow sweater.

2010 Feb 8
Looks like neither of us were right - they were both introduced in 1986

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Z

2010 Feb 8
back on track here, people (Zellers?!)

i take it this is some sort of underground supper club...

2010 Feb 8
i've signed up!

2010 Feb 9
I'm signed up too!

2010 Feb 9
Me too! I've been waiting for something like this to happen in Ottawa for years since traveling to San Fran.

2010 Feb 11
Wow. I also signed up.

But there's something really creepy about the thank message after you sign up:
"Cobra will contact you".

It feels a bit like fight club, really.

2010 Feb 11
OK I signed up - what the heck - my spam filter is up to 20-40 per day now anyway.

2010 Feb 11
runs and huddles in the corner and waits for the Cobra to "contact me".

Meh...signed up as I figure life is too short for some venom spitting snake to scare me. HA! Take that Cobra. Wonder what it is all about though! All I can think of is that terrible Stallone movie where he hit every person he shot at yet NO ONE could hit him...ever.

2010 Feb 11
After attending COBRA: The Musical several years ago at Fringe, I don't particularly care to add more Cobra to my life, even if I'm not a particular fan of the Joes.

2010 Feb 11
I think I officially have the creeps. I just got my response from the whole Cobra thing. Them being secretive about wanting me to spend $$$ on some supposed charity dinner is not the way to go for me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. This is what they sent and I ask before you look at it (if you have not seen it already) is why any restaurant can NOT serve a meal that is unusual like thay are on about:

WHAT IS COBRA?

Cobra is a project being run by a very well known Ottawa Chef. It is a series of random evenings when a highly unusual dinner will be served for a very small group of people.

WHY?

There are 2 purposes to Cobra.

The first is to give Cobra 100% creative freedom to present you a dinner that could never be served in a normal restaurant. This is NOT for anyone who is a picky eater, or who is easily offended.

The 2nd purpose is to raise money for charities. Cobra is doing this for absolutely no cost. But we will collect $100 cash per person and donate it to a different charity each night.

HOW DO YOU GET IN?

There will be a lottery-style draw of a handful of names 2 weeks before the night of each dinner. If you are selected, you will be notified. You may bring one guest. When you confirm that you can make it, directions will be sent to you. To get your name entered into the draws, answer the 3 following questions in a reply email. It's that easy.

#1) What is your favorite potato chip flavour?
#2) What is your favorite Christmas song?
#3) What is your favorite movie?

2010 Feb 11
Hmm. It still leaves me cold, but if people are willing to participate and the proceeds go to charity then I say rock on!

I'm not sure I understand how they can run this "for absolutely no cost." The implication in the message is that the full $100 goes to charity, but that just doesn't compute. Unless they're freegans! (en.wikipedia.org) -- that would also explain why restaurants couldn't serve the food... caveat eator! ;-)

Anyway, I'm happy to stick with Atelier for my blind-menu needs. :-)

2010 Feb 12
This is exciting! I can only imagine what kind of delights one could wind up indulging.

I hope I get chosen for one of the mystery dinners!

2010 Feb 12
Heheh. I had a weird dream about Cobra last night. That it was run in this old building that no one could keep a restaurant running in (think: the place across the street from Fida's). A bunch of faceless foodies showed up, having paid our $100 in advance, but then the dream ended...so, I don't know if we got ripped off or not!

2010 Feb 12
Gotta say this whole thing is interesting but at the same time gives me a wierd feeling (ya know, like when the hairs stand on end at the back of your neck).

I would have to say this "foodie experience" isn't for me, I much prefer when I am PAYING for my food, to know that it is by a recognized Restaurant / Vendor.

And oh ya about that payment part... $ 100 CASH and the bit about one can bring a guest (assume that is another $ 100 CASH)... and the money goes to charity (what charity.... the Bob & Doug MacKenzie Nightly Beer Fund?)

And where exactly does this food come from?
(as Fresh Foodie pointed out, they are trying to run this at no cost to them?).

Underground Food Event, lol so apptly named... Underground Food (the images that evokes well lets just say they are better left unnamed).

Nah, too many "Red Flags" for me. I'm out.

2010 Feb 12
Danger, mystique... cobras... where's your sense of adventure? ;)

2010 Feb 12
I'm there, dude. With bells on.

If Cobra reads OF (you never know): feed us squab or I'll be sad.

2010 Feb 12
If I'm invited, I'm definitely going! Woten and I have been tossing around the idea of an underground dinner party for a while... cervelle de veau anyone?

2010 Feb 15
au beurre noir!

2010 Feb 16
Not that creepy - you pay $100 at some restaurant even after you get fed a pile of crap (and leave complaining). (NOTE the you is not a personal reference to anyone)

Sounds exciting, I don't care what they do with the money just hope I have something astounding, if not bye bye.

BTW when I think of what they can't serve in the restro I'm thinking suitcases full of non-pasteurized meats and cheeses snuck in from all corners of the world. I guess I could be in for a surprise if FF is on the right track.

2010 Feb 18
I've signed up too, the whole mysterious thing is kinda fun, but a little scary too. While it's a neat idea, it does seem a little strange to get directions to go somewhere for dinner. I'm imagining some warehouse in an alley somewhere and it makes me nervous ;) I like the idea of knowing the place I'm eating at I guess...but it tempted me enough to sign up and learn more anyway. I love that it's for charity too.
Would love to hear someone's experience if they've been to one of their dinners...sounds exciting!

2010 Feb 18
I looked at this, but will hang on a bit before I decide if this is for me...so many places to choose where to spread Charity money!! I will keep watching with an open mind...Hugs to all with kind intentions!

2010 Mar 10
Well it seem I've been selected, unfortunately, I'll be in Washington doing research at the Smithsonian.

Anyone has been picked? If so, are you planning on going?

2010 Mar 10
I haven't been picked. Can we swap?

2010 Mar 10
Chimichimi, let me email them and if they agree, It would be my pleasure.

2010 Mar 10
Same thing happened to me! I was one of five that got picked, but I'm out of town on business... BOO. I am incredibly disappointed.

2010 Mar 10
Totally jealous of you two.

I am here, ready to eat!

2010 Mar 11
I guess I have to change my choice in chip flavours - I didn't get picked either :( Whoever goes please be sure to report back.

2010 Mar 11
Saaaaad faaaaace. Chef must not like the same movies as I do.

2010 Mar 11
I gave my spot to Chimichimi, hopefully he will provide us with lots of details in exchange :)

2010 Mar 11
Kiwiw, don't suppose you'd like to donate your spot? :D

2010 Mar 11
Pam I can certainly try! I will email them right now, pm me with your info okay?

2010 Mar 11
Urgh sorry Pam, it was filled! I tried!

2010 Mar 11
Aw thanks for trying Kiwi! Appreciate it!

2010 Apr 12
Check your E-mails! I have just been ... selected.

2010 Apr 12
bah humbug! The question keeps haunting me - was it my chip flavour selection? maybe my movie picks ... weeping and waiting for next month!

2010 Apr 12
Look like its random... out of a hat type thing!

2010 Apr 13
Yes, it is random - they say so in the email. I did not receive an email though.

2010 Apr 14
Woten - have fun, in the name of food experimentation, freedom of culinary expression, and fundraising! They raised at least $1000 at the last dinner, a great event IMHO. I hope the chefs enjoyed themselves as much as the diners.

2010 Apr 26
Good luck to those diners out there who are attending tonight's Cobra dinner! Report back with details!

2010 Apr 26
Yup Yup. Warning, I will be using my girlfriends new digi cam... Don't know how well the pics will turn out!

2010 Apr 26
I'll be there tonight too :) Looking forward to it!

2010 Apr 27
Wow... what a night. Great food, great wine and ok company :P just kidding Pam! It was very nice meeting you! I'm going to post a few pics tonight. You have to help me with the descriptions! I'm sure I'm going to mess up a few of them.

The chefs (in order of service) were:

Fraser Café
Simon Fraser and Ross Fraser

Beckta
Michael Moffatt and Dirk McCabe

Atelier
Marc Lepine and Sarah Allen

Black Cat Bistro
Patricia Larkin and (Pam, did Pat have a sous-chef last night?)

Proceeds went to the Ottawa food bank.
www.theottawafoodbank.ca/

The picture is of me in Vietnam holding a king cobra marinating in snake wine :)

2010 Sep 14
Who's got two thumbs and is goin' to Cobra?

THIS GUY.

Who's got two thumbs and is skipping WSET class to be there?

THIS GUY.

2010 Sep 15
Good on you Momo, enjoy!

2010 Sep 16
Just signed up, though I don't know why I have waited so long.

2010 Sep 20
I got into the next Cobra dinner coming up in a week. Anyone else here going too? Any words of wisdom from those that have?

2010 Sep 20
TallFoodDude - Thanks to Yan, I was able to go to the first one! Be prepared to eat anything, don't shy away from the food, give everything a try, and watch your wine/drinks so they don't get swiped by other attendees who don't bring drinks of their own to share (if you're concerned about that). Most of all, enjoy the experience and meet new people, connect with innovative & creative chefs and don't shy away from asking questions of the chefs, or watching them as they prepare the food if you're interested in some particular technique.

2010 Sep 21
Any one know how they work with people with food allergies?

2010 Sep 21
It is advised that you not attend if you are a picky eater, I would probably lump people with food allergies in there as well - this is about submitting yourself to chefs on their day off with ingredients often given to them to create a dish without ANY limitations. Of course, I'm just going based on the correspondence sent to me for the event I went to - it would be best if one of the chefs coordinating this piped in at this point, I could be completely wrong.

2010 Sep 21
Then again some allergies are easier to deal with than others.

2010 Dec 1
I just got an email from Cobra, stating that the next event on the 13th will be done via auction rather then random draw. People will bid certain donation amounts, and the folks who donate the most to charity will get in.

Curious about people's thoughts on this.

2010 Dec 1
Not all that surprised they would move to an auction style. I think they'll get a lot of money for each spot, much more than 100$. Good for whatever charity they decide to sponsor, bad for me as it means my chances of going have moved from very small to infinitesimal (as in, if I win the lottery and can then afford to bid in that auction).

2010 Dec 1
Good for them. They know how big this could be, and since it's for charity, why not, right? On the other hand, I won't be making any bids anytime soon...the top donations are being posted on Twitter, and the high one right now is $500.

2010 Dec 1
Isabel, I am with you on that one.

2010 Dec 1
It actually kind of makes me sad that they are doing this. Sure, more money to charity but it turns it into a yuppie thing for people with money rather than a true foodie thing.

2010 Dec 1
It's entirely voluntary so they can do it any way they want. If people are willing to pay tall dollars to charity to eat funky food, why not?

2010 Dec 1
Everybody's right! (But I believe that my thinking is aligned with Pan Bagnat's.)

It's rather clever.

On the one hand: people are now able to buy their way into Cobra.

On the other hand: it's not really buying your way in if it's for charity, right?

Guess I'm just bitter that there's no way I can afford to buy my way in ;)

2010 Dec 1
This is a most unfortunate development, in that Cobra Ottawa has lost sight of its original intent -- and that is, to deliver off-the-wall, adventurous cuisine to those with adventurous palates. They have become intoxicated by their own success. A common result.
While I completely understand their need to limit attendees through a raffle system (theirs being a restricted rotating space), it appears to have lost focus and is now (this time, anyway) restricted to those with Deepest Pockets in the name of worthy charity.
Well, that is their business; they can run their elitist club as they wish. Too bad it went to their heads, so darned quickly.
Those of us on the outside looking in may marvel, but I think this has moved well beyond the reach of lesser mortals. They may as well post a notice on the bulletin board for those with bulging chequebooks at the Rideau Club.
Sad, really, that most are simply being cut out with dispatch.

2010 Dec 1
The email very cleary states that this is a one time only event.

It goes right back to random draw afterwards.

It's Christmas, and yes, we want to raise more money at this dinner. This was the best way we could think to do it. Our apologies if it rubs you the wrong way.

2010 Dec 1
I have to agree with Omnivore's Ottawa. I never thought much of this in the first place, but now I think even less of it. If rich people want to donate to charity they should just donate to charity and expect nothing in return.

2010 Dec 1
Only the creators of Cobra Ottawa can speak to their original intent, and they of course have every right to modify that intent as they see fit. However, I was always under the impression that the intent was first and foremost to raise money for charity. This was accomplished by offering off-the-wall adventurous cuisine to those with adventurous palates, as Ron Eade said.

They haven't changed any of that -- they're just adjusting their pricing model to maximize charitable benefit. It's an honourable thing to do, and we can only "blame" their recent surge in popularity for it. That popularity is no doubt in part due to coverage in the blog of a certain Ottawa Citizen food editor. ;-)

Charity auctions are nothing new, and to condemn this recent development requires one to assume that foodies themselves were the intended beneficiaries of the Cobra Ottawa folks' time and effort. Generally speaking, Foodies as a group are not those most in need of charity! :-)

2010 Dec 1
Odd that you chose to call yourself Cobra Ass. Some may call it narcissism. Bonne chance.

2010 Dec 1
FF - well put, and I say that as an ex-participant and supporter of Cobra. Now only if they offered tax receipts...

2010 Dec 1
I'm growing weary of the plethora of food events in this city that hoist themselves on the honourable pedestal of "raising money for charity." As if that excuses poor behaviour, elitism, or non-accountability. Gold Medal Plates jumps readily to mind -- you will never see a gross vs. net accounting in public for this extravaganza. Never.

Please, the true definition of charity is to donate time or money with no expectation in return. That is the definition of charity. It does not embrace the concept of elitism, or quid pro quo, which is completely foreign to the concept.

2010 Dec 1
Well someone just gone done pooped on that parade. No charity for you!

Also, to compare GMP to Cobra is a major stretch. And, by the way, there are all sorts of charitable lottery AND auctions which serve great causes, this is one of them. They never touted themselves as providing off the wall zany foods to the masses, they are out to make the most $ possible for charity.

2010 Dec 1
C'mon, Chimichimi, I'm just making sense. Real charity is to help others with no expectation of return. It is not an elitist club open to only those with deepest pockets. Cobra Ottawa, in this instance, has lost its way, perhaps blinded by success. To which I say, grow up boys and girls. They have lost sight of their mission statement.

2010 Dec 1
It's not a club - it's a fund-raising event. To make the most money possible for a charitable cause? Sorry, I'm x-posting from the twitterverse, but the negative spin on this is unnecessary. I'll let the cobra folks defend their position, but I see nothing wrong with this at all.

2010 Dec 1
Well, Chimichimi, then yours is obviously not an egalitarian world. Or even fair. Pity.

BTW, the latest bids are $500, $350, $350, $300, $300. Anyone you know?

My point exactly. Elitist.

2010 Dec 1
I'm with the previous comments - I suppose it's good that they're trying to raise more money for charity, but I also suppose I won't be able to attend the next gathering if I wanted to.

Omnivore - Even at $100, many people in today's enviroment wouldn't be able to attend this gathering. At the end of the day, I'm assuming this idea was done with the best intentions in mind?

I don't think there is a happy in between on this one.

2010 Dec 1
I was thinking the same thing - even at $100 it was elitist especially with no tax receipt. Now it is just far more so.

But it is an interesting discussion. One could argue that not giving out a tax receipt makes it more charitable because there is less in return. Though still something in return (food) so not true charity.

I've always been skeptical of things that "donate a portion of proceeds to charity". If people want to donate to charity they should do that. Businesses only do this to pull at heart strings and make them look like the good guy. It is manipulation at its worst.

2010 Dec 1
zymurgist - I take a bit of exception to the comment about businesses.

I've run 3-4 different companies in the past 10-15 years and I've always done a few charity events that were always done with the best intentions.

One of my businesses operates with virtually no margin and every Boxing Day, instead of trying to compete with all the big box players, I use to run a promo asking customers to donate whatever they could to CHEO through us and we would sell them whatever they wanted at cost.

We raised about $500 each year for CHEO, but every single year we had some people complain about it. What a bummer - last year we decided not to do anything at all for charity and just sell everything at cost because it made my staff and I feel terrible that people trashed us for trying to do something good.

I've also done live events with radio, bbqs, concerts, etc, etc to support CHEO and other causes.

I do this stuff to try and be more community oriented - to try and help people. I also contribute to a couple of other causes on my own.

Yes, we could just do things silently, but why not try and do a lot more with the help of clients who are willing to support us and charities.

It isn't all about manipulation, making money, etc. Making money is nice, but being part of a community is a lot more fulfilling.

2010 Dec 1
Zymurgist, at the end of the day, charity begins and ends at home. Normally, it is anonymous.

This idea of culinary exclusivity is, to me, given the original stated (and lost) parameters of Cobra Ottawa, is far, far off from the original course. As I said, in the above posts, they have become too infatuated with themselves. (Hey, we have something going here -- let's milk it!)

But, whatever, they can enjoy their exclusive enclave and rejoice in their elite good works -- which, to me, as an outsider, says more about them than anything else.

2010 Dec 1
Mr. Eade, thank you for sharing your opinion of us. We get it - we are arrogant, we are elitist, we are infatuated with ourselves, we are blinded by success, we are narcissists. If you have anything constructive to add, by all means do.

Thank you everyone else for defending us and supporting us. Bids continue to come in, and we are encouraged by that.

2010 Dec 1
You are absolutely right KitchenVirtue - my apologies to you and any other small business person who may have been insulted. Some people definitely do have their hearts in the right places. I was thinking primarily of big business, who if they are traded on the stock market are required by law to think of profit and nothing else, and are only allowed to think about things like charities, society or the likes insofar as they are useful as tools towards higher profit. Thankfully this does not generally apply to small businesses.

2010 Dec 1
hokey smokes - Mr Eade, and everyone else complaining - cobra is clearly made up by a bunch of chef's who want to have some fun - not to stoke your egos or cater to the foodie elite. I can't afford to go either - but its not like they have to consult with you or any of us - they are a group of friends having fun on a day off. Its not your or anyone else's right to bash them. Jeeze they don't even have to give any money to charity - although that might see them on the wrong side of the bi-law enforcers. I'm a proud foodie - wishing I could join in. Lots of people who would like to go to their restro's probably can't afford that either - does that make the restaurant owners infatuated, elitists? Ron - be happy at least you get a free ride on the citizens bill once in a while.

Everyone -take a pill, get a life, and donate to your favorite causes. Hopefully all of us are lucky enough to have food on the table during the holiday season.

cheers, time for popcorn -

2010 Dec 1
Holy smokes. This sure makes for some rich late night reading!!

I hope there will be some reflection on the level of venom directed at this fundraiser. It just seems so misplaced considering what a small affair this is. If the existing bids stand, the dinner for 10 will go for $1800. Then there are expenses to cover. So the Snowsuit Fund will see less than $1800. A number of people will have put in some free time and effort to try and pull this off. If I decided to run a charity event by selling 10 seats at my dinner table and it went to the highest bidders, I hope you wouldn't give me such grief for my efforts. And when word gets out that I am an amazing cook, the bidding is going to be crazy!! Yes, the truest charity is anonymous but much is shared about giving in an effort to encourage others to consider giving as well. That becomes the trade-off of not being totally anonymous.

The lowest bid right now for this Cobra dinner is $300. And that is for a couple, so $150 a person. I just read an article on Omnivore's Ottawa that there was another $100 dinner last night at the Courtyard Restaurant. So $200 a couple and nothing going to charity. Apparently the club has had a turnout of 22 to 45 people over its 14 dinners and at least Ron and Mike are there every time. Maybe others are frequent club members. I have never ever read a thing on Ottawa Foodies about this club being elitist. But apparently by some people's standards, based on comments above, Ron's included, this club would be considered elitist. I go to the same restaurants as the supper club and I have personally never spent as much as $100 at any of them. I order what I enjoy and will keep me satisfied and it just never comes to that much. I guess that means I am not a supper club candidate. If people want to pay as much as $100 for a supper club outing, I figure it is their business and if someone wants to spend $100 for a Cobra dinner and throw in an extra $50 for charity (x 2 gets you to the $300), why all the bluster?????? Even at the highest bid of $500, it a charitable donation of $150 above supper club prices. Heck, that means staying home from supper club 1.5 times and giving the money to the snowsuit fund instead. So like I asked before, why all the bluster???

Can anyone tell me who bought the Fisher/Underwood dinners last week without doing a google search? $24,000 for 8 guests. And that dinner was sold twice. So they raised $48,000. The evening was held in support of Roger's House pediatric palliative care facility and the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Programs. Where was all the judgmental fuss about those folks buying those dinners??? Has anyone asked for an accounting of the events?? My hope is that Roger's House will deal with that aspect of the event and they don't need me to audit them too. Its not my place. Between Rogers House and CRA, I am sure they are covered. It wouldn't be my thing to buy a dinner for 6 of our friends for $24,000, but I am pretty sure it is not my business if someone else does.

Good luck to everyone trying to sort out your thinking on this one. There seems to be a lot of heated opinions going around. Get a good night sleep and maybe take a few moments to reflect. Far be it from me to know if you are elitist, arrogant, egalitarian, unfair, infatuated, poorly behaved, blinded by success, unaccountable, narcissistic, yuppy, sad, bitter, petty, cheap, tired, bored or internet trolling. I can't even imagine where some of this is coming from. All I know is, Food is Fun. (If this thread was some sick joke to get me to bid $600 on the Cobra 6 dinner, it just might work!)

2010 Dec 2
Last I checked, the intent was to ensure 100% of proceeds went directly to the charity, as per the email I received... unless this has changed... again, cobra folks can interject here. Many of the ingredients, drinks, space, dinnerware/cutlery, etc. were gifted/sacrificed towards the cause to make it happen. The only gains they make out of this are experimentation, a break from the routine, and very limited exposure (not that most of the chefs participating need it), especially now if they're just going to catch flak. I think some very poor assumptions have been made re: what cobra is all about - exercise some due diligence before throwing well-meaning ppl under the bus.

2010 Dec 2
From:
A Top-Secret Supper Club, Revealed
By Ron Eade, The Ottawa Citizen October 6, 2010

"There are two purposes to Cobra," says a sketchy e-mail one gets after making the initial online inquiry.

"The first is to give Cobra 100-per-cent creative freedom to present you a dinner that could never be served in a normal restaurant. This is NOT for anyone who is a picky eater, or who is easily offended.

"The second purpose is to raise money for charities. Cobra is doing this for absolutely no cost, but we will collect $100 cash per person and donate it to a different charity each time."

Although it's presented as "The second purpose" , it appears to me that it is not the secondary purpose, but the primary purpose of Cobra. In other words, raising "money for charity" is the primamry reason for Cobra and "presenting people with dinners that could never be served in a normal restaurants" is the means to this end.

Omivore's Ottawa writes at 3:41pm :

"This is a most unfortunate development, in that Cobra Ottawa has lost sight of its original intent -- and that is, to deliver off-the-wall, adventurous cuisine to those with adventurous palates."

Where is the mention of raising money for charity here.

Omivore's Ottawa at 4:30pm

"They have lost sight of their mission statement."

Please share (post). All I have is what appeared in The Ottawa Citizen (see above).

(Can anyone else please post the Cobra e-mail that one recieves when invited to join one of the Cobra dinners.)

Omivores's Ottawa at 4:20pm

"Please, the true definition of charity is to donate time or money with no expectation in return."

I can't seem to find that definition ... not Wiki, not Oxfords Dictionary or any other universally accepted source. Looks like your own definition of charity, Omivore.

Chimi touched on this; Charitable lotteries and AUCTIONS are not only common place but also recognized by government. Both offer quid per quo and are still charity functions.

This all sounds like sour grapes to me .... a person trying to mount some moral high horse and swipe at Cobra and Golden Medal Plates ? Both of which are NOT accountable to you, Omivore's Ottawa. So whay all the finger wagging name calling ?

I hope The Ottawa Citizen, sometime in the future, can bid on (and win)a place at one of the Cobra dinners. This way Ron Eade can give us foodies, who read his artcles and blog, an update on the goings on at Cobra events.


2010 Dec 2
Actually, that is one thing that would be nice: if Cobra were able to provide tax receipts for this. That way we can profit from the charity, too ;)

2010 Dec 2
Yeah, the lack of tax receipts honestly makes me suspicious. I wonder if they got tax receipts for the Rogers House event mentioned above. Do the people and organisations involved in Cobra get tax receipts for the money they hand over to the charity?

Really it just does not matter to me. In sleeping on it like Food is Fun suggested, I admit it is better for the charities. But it was already not something I'd be the least bit interested in to begin with, and now it is even less so because of the higher price tag.

To me food should always be first and foremost functional - feed and nourish. The further away from this we get, the further into irresponsible nonsense we go. Of course, Cobra is not alone in food-related irresponsible nonsense. This is a key reason why I'd never go to an expensive restaurant even if I could afford it. Which goes back to my personal motto - just because you can, does not mean you should. Lack of personal and collective restraint is killing this planet.

Bottom line I guess - better for the charities if you are into this sort of thing. In most people's views that's net benefit. To me it is tough to weigh this against the spread of more irresponsible nonsense. Though I guess in the new bidding format it is no more or less irresponsible or nonsense, so probably no change there.

And just so we're clear on what I'm talking about - our eating habits are destroying this planet. More quickly than slowly these days, too. So, one more kid will have a snowsuit, but 6 billion people will not have a planet to live on. Tough call? Not for me.

2010 Dec 2
I just figured this out - 2 possibilites
1. Ron Eade is suffering from post Microsoft introduction rage, following the removal of his office Mac
2. Ron hasn't figured out how to password protect his accounts on his snappy new PC - and someone has taken over his account and started to flame.

Discuss ....


2010 Dec 2
zymurgist said "But it is an interesting discussion. One could argue that not giving out a tax receipt makes it more charitable because there is less in return. Though still something in return (food) so not true charity.

I've always been skeptical of things that "donate a portion of proceeds to charity". If people want to donate to charity they should do that. Businesses only do this to pull at heart strings and make them look like the good guy. It is manipulation at its worst."

Zy although I agree 100% with what you said alot of fundraising dinners are a big draw. As a former volunteer with Opera Lyra I had the opportunity a few years ago to volunteer at their big fundraising auction held every February. They hold a number of fundraisers during the course of the year - the Diva auction being the biggest - to help subsidize the cost of staging their operas. It isn't cheap - the opera company rents everything - the hall, the sets, the costumes, the works - hence the high ticket prices. But, from my observation, throwing in a fabulous meal to raise funds draws crowds and the odd celebrity in attendance doesn't hurt either-;) I'm not defending the Cobra dinner - I still think it is elitist and becoming moreso - but those dinners do draw people with deep pockets. I on the other hand give a little money to my three favourite charities through the United Way and leave it at that.

Captain Caper Mr. Eade did in fact attend a Cobra dinner and he reviewed it on his blog: communities.canada.com

2010 Dec 2
What concerns me far more than missing tax receipts, elitism, the philosophical underpinnings of charity or hot phoque sandwiches is internet forums devolving into latter day, more meanspirited versions of the high school cafeteria.

This thread is way too chippy, and in my view there has been a bit of a pattern of this lately.

Discuss topics substantively on the merits, keep the personal and ideological comments out of it...

2010 Dec 2
"Discuss topics substantively"?

So we should all just be superficial and not care to look below the surface of anything? I don't live my life like that. In fact, I believe fundamentally that people (individually and collectively) living their lives superficially is a major part of the problems in our world today.

Yeah, things are getting chippy here. I won't disagree with that. Chips fly when you dig. Not sure what to do about it except to try harder to reach a balance.

2010 Dec 2
Actually Mr Eade did not attend the cobra event, he just summed things up from various internet postings and borrowed Momo's pics.

Lets get chippy! But we should move that conversation into the Fry forum.

Monty where the popcorn? (tuffle butter and foie for this one).

Zym - don't forget you are wasting all those good grains in the brews that you make that could go to feed the hungry - shame on you! (just kidding, but if you want to dig - you can dig yourself into all kinds of holes). Actually I think the lack of beer is steering the conversation into the wrong area.

prost.

2010 Dec 2
Oh I do far more digging with myself than anyone else, believe me. For example, I will tell you that is rare for me to eat out and not think of all the waste I directly and indirectly generate in doing so. To keep it on topic. But I dig a lot further than that.

And yes, I know there are better ways to dispose of spent grains than a compost heap, which is why I want urban chickens, dammit! I will say that the last pig I bought and still have a lot of in my freezer was fed in part on spent grain from a brewery. And the 2nd last full chicken I bought.

Lack of beer? Not over here. :-)

I think a part of the balance is being respectful. Which for example I was not when I used a broad brush to paint all businesses who do charity events.

2010 Dec 2
I like chips. Om nom nom.

Sourdough - Hilarious

I'm going to play devil's advocate here to bring light to what one could see as blatant hypocrisy: OmniOttawa has got a dinner club verging on what he himself calls elite but publicly touts as astonishingly low priced (not sure that a $95/pp meal is actually affordable in this economic climate for the majority of people - to turn the tables, the OmniOttawa dinner club is rather unfair and exclusive)... and ultimately one which serves NO charitable benefit. In fact one could argue it largely serves the purpose of highlighting restaurants in his blog, which is a nice form of marketing & PR, helps develop a rapport between him and local business & the Ottawa food-blog community and keeps himself in the business of staying relevant as a food writer for the Citizen. Now which one appears to be the egoist, elitist event? One must wonder if his own meals from his supper club are covered by a per-diem, or are written off at the end of the tax year? Conflict of interest? Dinner club envy? Altruism envy? It's not clear where the anger comes from, but if he has negative feelings about GMP as he has publicly aired, it would be best to separate those from Cobra as they are unrelated events. If you don't like the current state of charitable events in general, then say so. Choose your words though, smearing well spirited endeavors just looks bad, it's very unbecoming, and detracts from the efforts of well-intentioned people.

2010 Dec 2
Here's the thing. Gold Medal Plates? It's a charity event. Cobra operates as a charity as well. Private charity is not democratic. It is, in fact, elitist as it operates on the assumption that there are haves and have nots.

The way that Cobra made themselves democratic was by selecting guests through a draw. Since they've taken away that democratic element, the 'elitist' aspect comes to the forefront. I don't really have an opinion on this, but I though it worth mentioning that really, Cobra is no different than other charity operations and at least at the end of the day, the money will go to a good cause.


2010 Dec 2
Ron stop bitching. Won't help you one bit in the future. Many food writers and reviewers can wear out their welcome fast for invitations. I'm sure if you had the chance to attend a previous event, you would speak differently now. If you don't like it, start up you own secret charity dinner since you're so into food if Omnivorse isn't enough already. Actually it would be so nice to have more charity potluck dinners running around town with some chefs, caterers, good home cooks, foodies and bartenders.

For the auction to skyrocket are there any tips on what to expect?Cobra is still priceyyyyyy. But hey, maybe not if we get to eat sushi off nude males and females this time? :P

XOXOXX KC

2010 Dec 2
Hee, hee, I gave you the "thumbs up" even before I got to the nude male and female part :-)

2010 Dec 2
I gave the thumbs up to Cobra Ass. for indicating that the silent auction was just for this particular dinner and that things were going back to the lottery approach for the next dinner.


2010 Dec 3
Thank you Chimi for playing the devils advocate.

Black kettle syndrome abounds.


2010 Dec 3
Some issues I have with some of the statements above.

Elitist
The word elitist is value laden and ultimately meaningless. It sounds like the Marxist concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat, a failed concept, is alive and well in the hearts and minds of a few people on this site.

To some, a food club is a sign of snobbery or elitism. So would wine tastings. Just because you cannot afford something or decide that you do not want to pay for something, does not make those that do, elitist. It just makes them different; it is not about morality, but about individual preferences and choices. Some choices may be more efficient than others, but it has nothing to do with right and wrong.

FAIRNESS
I cannot think of a fairer way to price a product or a service (be it for charity or profit) then to let the market decide. I would not trust anyone (including myself, you or government) to set a "fair price" for a Cobra meal. What is the criteria for fair? I really hope that they do away with the random selection and move to an auction permanently, regardless if I can afford it or not.

A random selection is not more fair than an auction. To be chosen by a lottery makes you lucky. Is being chosen over others with the same abilities, desires and interests fair? Besides the world is rarely fair, why on earth do you think you are so different?

CHARITY
What special insight or moral authority does anyone have to judge the motivation for giving to a charity? To quote from above

"Please, the true definition of charity is to donate time or money with no expectation in return"

... really?

There is always a return, it is just not always tangible. It makes some people feel special and really good about themselves, others just feel morally superior - are those not returns?

Cobra Ass, I encourage you to price your dinners to maximize the amount you can give to the charities. Good for you!


2010 Dec 3
Mybluestar - I was just coming here to post almost exactly what you said. Cobra is not elitist. It may be EXCLUSIVE but it is not elitist. Ron Eade's supper club is EXCLUSIVE for almost the same reasons.

FWIW, my understanding is that 100% of the "entry fee" to Cobra is donated to charity, NOT a portion of the proceeds or a portion of the profits. Attendees bring their own wine and I suspect that a great deal of the food is donated (I mean, is there really a booming market for duck testicles and squab?).

Everyone has an equal opportunity to pay $100 (or this month, whatever they can afford) to participate in Cobra. Just as everyone has an equal opportunity to pay $100 for a CHEO lottery ticket. Or $xxxx for dinner at the French Laundry. These things are not "elitist".

2010 Dec 3
I expect Ron now regrets having projected his concerns about the Gold Metal Plates event onto the different beast that is Cobra Ottawa.

Hashing out this sort of thing is exactly what discussion forums are good for! Thanks, everyone, for keeping the discussion fairly civilized by internet standards.

Mr. Eade might be an opinionated codger at times but do keep in mind that he makes kickass rilletes! :-)

2010 Dec 7
Wow! Quite the reaction... I have a hard time understanding some of the venom (pun intended) directed at Cobra.

I attended the first one and what I saw was a group of chefs that welcomed a group of strangers off the street, on their night off, in their home, because they love their craft and decided to raise some money for good causes.

And yet, some people just decide to bitch about it... Unbelievable!

That handful of chefs have done a lot to raise the bar of our local culinary scene. Restaurants that we can be proud of, that stand out from the sea of Riocan franchises.

Marc, Sarah, Steve, Charlotte, Patricia, Michael and all the many others involved in Cobra, you rock! Don't let the small minds get you down...

2011 Jan 12
Bit of an update --
Tweet by CobraOttawa last night:
"Nice to see our format adopted by the mainstream: RT @roneade Nest Omnivore's Ottawa supper club is very interesting..."

Read about it the Eade's supper club for yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if you guys already know about this.
communities.canada.com

Thoughts?


2011 Jan 12
A few thoughts:

The event sounds really cool! I think it's awesome for the students, a really good experience.
Truth be told, my opinion of Mr. Eade is that he's incredibly polarizing. I'm sure he'll have no problem filling seats at the dinner, in part because of parents of the students, but also because he's got a readership base that is strong enough to have pulled off 15 supper clubs. Good on him, then, for doing this with a greater cause.

But yeah, I'm glad to see that Cobra is taking it tongue in cheek. Or in stride. Or both. #needmorecoffee

2011 Jan 12
Good for Ron - I can't fault anyone for their benevolent efforts!

LWB - Well said.

Just wanted to point out that the Cobra format is not unique/patent/whathaveyou - other fund-raising private dinners have happened in the past, notably the underground/pirate dinners in SanFran, Chicago, NYC, Montréal, etc. However, it's certainly unique to this area, and my experience at one was most enjoyable. They aimed to provide a smaller, intimate, interactive experience. Ron's is more about exposing the school's program to the masses; the chefs are very fortunate to have the resources & space available to them to make this event possible. Perhaps some of the flak he received helped steer him towards a more benevolent endeavor and not a wholly capitalist one which - coincidentally - benefits his column? ;)

2011 Jan 12
The culinary arts program sounds excellent, and I think that the format will work really well for a fundraiser such as this. Cobra's proven that it can be done successfully (and deliciously), so it's good to see it being applied in other fora.

2011 Jan 12
It seems his site is down, I was looking for some more info on the event. It wasn't clear to me if the school was organizing this event or if this was run entirely by Ron's dinner club? Anyone else having problems with the site?

2011 Jan 12
Chimichimi When I typed Ron's website address in my internet browser his blog came up but the previous information about the supper club has been removed. I read the info quickly this morning with the intention of going back to it later so I only have general information. I believe there are five chefs involved and they will be paired up with students from Longfields-Davidson high school. I'm not clear as to whether or not the dinner is exclusively for Ron's dinner club. I believe diners were requested to reserve in advance so they can sit together so there might possibly be other groups there as well such as parents of the students.

2011 Jan 12
Pasta Lover, you're bang on. It is/was (?) being run in conjunction with Longfields-Davidson Heights's culinary program.

If memory serves, the chefs who will be paired with students came from Town (Steve Wall), Whalesbone (the catering though; it wasn't Chef Langley), Zen Kitchen (Chef Caroline Ishii)...and two others (one of which *might* have been Castlegarth, but I don't recall for certain).

The link (communities.canada.com) brings up an error.

2011 Jan 12
Ah ok, so it's the school that's organizing the event. Credit is due to the chefs & school administration! Good on them!

2011 Jan 12
Just to clarify for your readers, the Omnivore's Ottawa Supper Club posting of this morning was taken down by me at the teacher's request pending official approval by the school board. This came as a surprise to both of us. I have no interest in making the teacher's life difficult, and I think it's useful for the students that this the event to go forward. As soon as the official approval is given, the posting will go back up. Kind regards to OttawaFoodies readers everywhere. I apologize for any confusion this might have created. Ron.

2011 Jan 15
Just a bit of clarification on tax receipts. I work at Bruce House and started A Taste for Life 13 years ago. CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) does not allow a charity to issue at tax receipt if ANYTHING is provided to the donor in return. In the case of an auction for example No receipt to bidders at all. Even if they paid more than the book value of an item.

(So at Taste, you pay the resto for your dinner and make a seperate donation to the cause if you like. Restaurants donate 25% of sales and they get a receipt)

A slight twist is that if you buy a gala ticket - say for $100.00 and the gala costs $50 per person to put on, organizers can provide you with a tax receipt for a portion of your ticket price. But CRA really watches this and you have to have great records backing up your costs.

In the case of Cobra they would have to be able to PROVE the cost of the dinner was significantly less than folks paid. A big pile of book keeping and red tape would ensue. I doubt Cobra organizers would want to go there.

Lots of good chat here about charitable orgs and events. Hope this clarifies one aspect!

2011 Jul 25
I've received an invite for the next Cobra dinner on Monday August 1. Since, none of my friends are adventurous enough to try it, I figured Id send an open invitation to the members of OF. If you are interested in being my +1, let me know...

The cost is 100$. You pay for your own spot, obviously. I really have no preference with regards to who comes...


2011 Jul 25
Yan - have an awesome time & enjoy! Whoever goes with you will have a blast, I am sure.

2011 Jul 27
Hey Yan - I noticed that this is your second time being given an invite to Cobra. I know it is by draw, but I've noticed that some seem to get more than one "draw" LOL.

I'd certainly enjoy going, but cannot this month.

Enjoy!!

2011 Jul 30
Yan, if you still don't have someone to go with, I would love to come out!!

2012 Apr 19
Sadly I wonder whether this is still alive? I saw Marc Lepine's tweet about the 100 course menu for CharliesBurgers, whose web page looks Cobra like (wouldn't take much). Does anyone know if Charlotte Langley was the driving force for Cobra or if there are plans to do it again?