Author: Dan Dickinson

Cover photo by Rob, used under Creative Commons license

Happy 12

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Whereas in the past we’ve used our anniversary as an excuse to try the tasting menu at restaurants like Canoe, Scaramouche, and George, this year neither of us had it in us. On the flight back from Halifax yesterday we both agreed a) that we’d eaten entirely too much rich food in the past week, and b) that we didn’t have the energy to sit through a four-hour meal. Plus, Nellie thinks she broke her toe, so getting her into fancy heels was a non-starter.

Instead, we cobbled together a rather ingenious little plan: comfort food + killer wine. And so it was that we drank a bottle of Benjamin Bridge 2003 Brut with a bowl of plain potato chips, walked to Triple A where we ordered food and drank Koval bourbon and Steam Whistle and did whiskey shots with Chuck & Jeremy, and came home to eat pork ribs and chicken+waffles with a bottle of Le Vieux Pin 2013 Equinox Chardonnay. It was all delicious, and it was exactly what we needed.

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.:.

Cover photo by Rob, used under Creative Commons license

Cover photo by Tom Magliery, used under Creative Commons license

“It’s true. All of it. The Dark Side, the Jedi. They’re real.”

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We just got home from a vacation in NS a few hours ago. It was comprised of the usual eastern downtime: family, relaxation, food, drink, cribbage, dogs, driving, etc. It was like any other Christmas, except shockingly warm on the 25th (I walked across the yard in jeans and a t-shirt).

We did also manage to watch two new movies. Nellie and I already had tickets booked to see the new Star Wars on the 28th, but we knew we couldn’t wait that long, so we went in Truro.

I thought Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was fantastic. It wasn’t high art — it was largely derivative of the original trilogy — but it was completely necessary to restore people’s faith in the series. It was completely reverential of the original trilogy, and miles ahead of the three prequels. A re-watch of Revenge Of The Sith (the least bad of the three) just confirmed that.

We also watched Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (imdb | rotten tomatoes), which was surprisingly entertaining. Non-stop action, pretty good story. I’ll keep watching these until Tom Cruise is in a walker, as long as they’re like this.

.:.

Cover photo by Tom Magliery, used under Creative Commons license

Cover photo by stevenw12339, used under Creative Commons license

“Baskin-Robbins always find out.”

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Last night, after we both finished working (yup) we watched Ant-Man (imdb | rotten tomatoes). It wasn’t great, but it was pretty good. Better than the whole ant-man concept should have been. Paul Rudd has enough natural charisma to be a decent, if slightly unbelievable, lead. The supporting cast were all good too, especially Michael Peña who stole nearly every scene he was in.

.:.

Cover photo by stevenw12339, used under Creative Commons license

 

Cover photo from Quantum Coffee's site

A day off (sort of)

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On Friday I took a vacation day from work. Of course, I still had to work; I just did it from home, and a few other spots.

After making myself an espresso at home I had a meeting at Dineen Coffee. I took the streetcar across King and had lunch (and some tasty beers) at Wvrst. Then more coffee at Quantum, where I tried their cappuccino and espresso and got a couple hours of work done — that place is quickly becoming one of my new favourite places in the city.

Side note: four strong coffees before 4:00 leaves one fairly jumpy.

Last night Nellie and I ordered Indian, drank Two Sisters Riesling, and finished season 1 of Jessica Jones.

.:.

Cover photo from Quantum Coffee’s site

A man’s gotta eat

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

My whole life for the past few months has been about work: Go to work, come home, eat dinner, open the laptop, do more work, sleep (not enough), wake up still thinking about work. Repeat.

I’ve still managed to get some pretty good meals into me though, and with good friends too.

A few weeks ago Nellie and I went to Rodney’s for the first time with a bunch of colleagues. It was a fun night, but a funny thing happened too: our server and I slowly came to the realization that we went to Dalhousie at the same time, lived in the same residence, and played intramural basketball against one another. Small world.

Not long after I met up with my buddy Pat, in town from Milwaukee, at the Monk’s Table.

Earlier this week Nellie and I went to an Ontario Wine Society event at Barque Butcher Bar. We tasted several Pinots from a single vineyard (the Lowrey vineyard in St. David’s ON) but made by four different wineries: Bachelder, Leaning Post, Adamo, and Five Rows (who own the vineyard). Barbecue isn’t what you’d normally think of as a wine pairing, but it was damned tasty. If I find myself out around Roncy again I’ll definitely find my way back there.

Last night we reprised our recent meal at NAO, this time with T-Bone and The Sof. It was even more epic than the first one: a ton of great starters, three delicious steaks (order of deliciousness: the swinging rib Canadian prime; the David Blackmore wagyu rump; the bone-in US prime) and sides, and some outstanding wine. The sommelier (who remembered us from last time) picked a couple of bottles that weren’t on the list, and both were tremendous: a Babosa Negra from the Canary Islands, and a Forefront Cab Sauv from California.

.:.

Cover photo from the Barque site