Jump to content
Jambands.ca

Ottawa food and wine show


bouche

Recommended Posts

I've been a couple times (though not in the last few years). You pay your money to get in, and from then on, you exchange tickets (you may be given some with your entrance fee; they're also available for purchase, at fifty cents [or so] per ticket) for samples at the various booths around the floor. Different samples will cost different numbers of tickets: some will be two tickets, some will be three, some will be a lot more than that. You can also get brochures and flyers and things from some of the booths.

It can be a fun night, but can also be frustrating, as you usually can't actually buy (and walk away with) anything. If you find, say, a wine that you like, you will have to go track it down from the LCBO. (I've been to wine tasting nights put on by the LCBO, and they're a lot better, because they'll have an order desk, so you just keep track of which wines you want, place your order, wait a week or two, and pick it up at your local LCBO outlet.)

If you've never been, definitely go; be prepared to spend more than the door fee, though. (And they also have a lot of different foods, too, so if you're not into wine, there's still lots to see/sample.)

Aloha,

Brad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What should I expect?

I've only been once years ago and have been meaning to return but something always came up!

I had a blast the one time I went. It's a big drunkfest under the glare of a totally lit up Congress Centre. It's like drinking in a mall. Was pretty messy towards closing and it developed a meat market vibe. And towards the end I was getting free drinks from some of the vendors trying to unload stock. There is beer, wine and liquor. And the food is great if you want to take a break.

So yeah... if you like the salacious you definitely want in on this.

(I wonder if the festival organizers would like to use my testimonial for next year. ;) )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did anyone go? Christine and I got there around 4pm on Saturday. There were two massive lines outside the building: one for ticket holders, one for those without (that would be us). With nothing better to do we stood in line for about 45 minutes before our lined moved at all. 10 minutes later more people were let in. But about 30 minutes after that (close to 6pm now) we were informed that if we didn't have a ticket we weren't getting in. SOLD OUT!!

We left bitterly disappointed but I've learned two lessons for next year:

1. Buy your ticket in advance

2. Get there at 1pm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got there Saturday around 2, waited in various lines for about 30 minutes, but after that it was all good. Crowded in the show, but not as bad as years past I've found.

This year I had three goals.

1. Concentrate more on the food than the wine

2. Find some nice Shiraz (my goal for every wine show, I grow out of them quickly)

3. Find some nice ciders

As for goal number 1, here is my list. Not all the correct names of the dishes, but you get the gist of it.

4 small smoked salmon on crackers

1 big smoked salmon on bread with cream cheese, capers, onions, dill

2 massive scallops with cracked peppercorns in a strawberry salsa

3 shrimp and creamcheese rolls

1 chicken and cheese crepe

1 beef with mint medallion

2 duck with orange confit

1 steak with wassabi mashed potatoes

2 large skewered king prawns

4 crab cakes

Lots of cheese samples

Lots of bread and oil / vinegar samples

1 mixed game meat with teriyaki chilli

Wassabi mashed potatoes are amazing. I've had them before at the Manx but forgot about it.

As for goals 2 and 3 - I found a very tasty Shiraz after about 9 or 10 'normal' ones. But I forgot the little slip that had the name and LCBO number on it. And after all the people and hubbub I can't remember what country it was from even. Dammit. And there were no good ciders there.

Great but expensive way to spend an afternoon.

AD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I forgot the little slip that had the name and LCBO number on it. And after all the people and hubbub I can't remember what country it was from even.

This is why I wish they would have an LCBO order desk right there in show, so you could at least order stuff (to be delivered) right then and there.

Aloha,

Brad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

Hope to see you guys there. I picked up a couple of tickets for me and Christine. Plan is to get there for 2 on Saturday but I'm also thinking maybe we should get there earlier.

I'll need to focus on food over drink if I hope to make it to Mavericks afterwards. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i talked to someone this morning that spent an hour in line getting tickets last year, so yeha i'd get em in advance

'course this guy got there at about 3:00 or something like that... anyway

oliver's theory too is that if you decide NOT to go, you can dump your tickets to the folks that are in line on saturday waiting to buy. go for the last person in line that's the highest bidder of course ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so...if we show up around 2 are we gonna get in those crazy lines you mentioned above? it's better maybe to go buy advance tix today? i'm still not sure if i'm going, but what do you recommend on that front?

buying advance tickets means you pay an extra $3.25 service charge to ticketbastard

i'm not gonna recommend anything for fear of having potentially false information ruin anyone's day. (ie things might be different that in previous years)

tomorrow i'm gonna show up as close to noon as possible, without advance tickets. unless my girlfriend has bought advance tickets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...