TASTE of Wellington West Virtual Event Archives •Wellington West BIA

Did you miss one of the TASTE of Wellington West 2020 virtual events? You can find them in the videos section of our Facebook page; or check out the TASTE of Wellington West 2020 playlist on our YouTube channel; and, they will all be available here on our website, shortly after they are released.

TASTE of Wellington West 2020 – Introduction to Paula Roy

September 15 – Takeout Unboxing: Absinthe

For almost 15 years, Absinthe Café has been treasured equally as a great spot for date nights, lunches with friends or a drink and a quick bite. Chef-owner Patrick Garland, born and raised in Hintonburg, uses his training in classic French cuisine to turn out inventive bistro-inspired dishes that showcase locally-sourced ingredients. Absinthe began offering takeout earlier this year and the comprehensive to-go menu reads like a ‘best of’ list, featuring pastas, chowder, burgers and so much more (including an impressive array of house-made desserts).

For the Taste of Wellington West’s inaugural Take Out Tuesday unboxing video, Paula Roy selected the BBQ for Two package from Absinthe. Watch as she reveals the many element of this delicious meal. It’s a perfect hybrid for those who enjoy cooking but are pressed for time – all the sides (generous portions of Caesar salad, coleslaw, focaccia and two different desserts) are prepared and all you have to do is fire up the grill and cook two restaurant-quality New York strip steaks which are bathed in a chermoula marinade. Detailed – and often humorous – instructions are provided by Chef Garland for cooking the steaks and reheating the other meal components.

Absinthe offers takeout Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 – 8:30 and you can order online or by phone up to seven days in advance or as little as one hour before pickup time. Wine, beer and cider can be added to any food order.

If you opt for takeout from Absinthe – or any other Wellington West restaurant – during our Taste of Wellington West 2020 food festival, running September 14 – October 10, be sure to post a picture of your meal on social media and tag it #tasteofwellingtonwest to be entered in our draw to win a $50 gift card from the Wellington Village or Hintonburg merchant of your choosing.

September 17 – Cooking Demo: Take your charcuterie board to the next level

When it comes to food trends, charcuterie boards are holding steady and for good reason. They’re fun, flexible and super delicious too. With a generous supply of great meats, cheeses, pickles, crackers and more available in Wellington West thanks to our many deli counters and food shops, it’s easy to put together a great charcuterie board.

Paula Roy of Constantly Cooking offers her top tips for assembling the best boards:

Incorporate a variety of colours, flavours, textures and display heights plus salty, sweet and spicy elements
Make items easily accessible with enough spoons, forks and knives; also roll, fold or cube meat for easy pickup
Have at least one hard and one soft cheese
Add a flavourful grainy mustard which is usually a popular condiment
Include several different types of bread or crackers and don’t forget a gluten-free option
Consider assembling individual boards for socially distanced entertaining
Add some crunch with roasted nuts
Use wooden boards, slate tiles, platters, trays, etc.
Pickles and chutneys are great flavour boosters – try a cranberry and onion chutney and pickled cherries or blueberries
Don’t forget honeycomb – a must-have for the best boards!

Whether you choose to get creative with charcuterie for your next family game night or a backyard visit with friends, know that you’ll have a great selection of options in Hintonburg and Wellington Village. Get creative, take some pictures and post them on social media during the TASTE of Wellington West 2020. Be sure to tag them with #tasteofwellingtonwest and you will automatically be entered into a draw for a $50 gift card from the local merchant of your choosing.

September 18 – Kitchen Hacks: Hints and Tips

Are you wondering what an acorn squash and an ice cream scoop might possibly have to do with each other? Well, you can find out if you watch the Taste of Wellington West Kitchen Hacks segment. Local chef, recipe developer and TV host Paula Roy shares some of her favourite tips for making your cooking time easier and more successful. Be sure to stay tuned right to the end of the segment because she saves the best for last! Paula enjoys sharing helpful ideas such as these in many of her recipes, found on her comprehensive website Constantly Cooking, as well as in each episode of her popular show Paula Roy’s Favourite Foods on Rogers TV.

For Taste of Wellington West, the Spread Out edition, she gathered some great ideas from local chefs as well as drawing from her own arsenal of handy tricks. If you try any of these kitchen hacks during the TASTE of Wellington West 2020, please post a picture of it on social media with the hashtag #tasteofwellingtonwest and you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to win a gift card from the local merchant of your choosing.

September 22 – Takeout Unboxing: Parlour

Parlour, conceived and created by Erin Clatney and her DISH Catering team, may be one of the newest elements of the vibrant Wellington West food scene, but it’s already garnering rave reviews. Parlour operates out of an historic building which has served as a church, brothel, funeral home and, in its most recent incarnation, a portion of the Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli (still located next door).

Theirs is a short but appealing menu; the food can be taken home or enjoyed at Parlour’s charming little patio, weather permitting. You can pre-order online or by phone then venture to Parlour to pick up your food, or read the menu painted on the shop windows and place your order in person. A small but appealing selection of wine and beer is also available for takeout with food orders.

Parlour’s feast menu includes grilled corn chowder, a salad composed of local Terramor Farm greens, exceedingly delicious French fries plus marinated flank steak, perfectly grilled and expertly sliced, served with a few grilled vegetables and a delicious chimichurri sauce on the side. If you prefer, you can order your feast with spatchcocked (flattened) chicken, also grilled to perfection. Feasts are available in half (serves 2) or full (serves 4) sizes and in both cases the portions are extremely generous. Whether you choose one of the Feast options or any of Parlour’s other a la carte takeout menu items, you’re sure to be delighted with the fare.

Be sure to post a picture of your #TakeoutTuesday selection on social media between September 14 and October 10 and tag it #tasteofwellingtonwest to be entered in our draw to win a $50 gift card.

September 24 – Assembling the perfect Wellington West picnic

Did you know you can find everything you need to put together the most amazing picnic right here in Wellington West? There are so many wonderful food purveyors throughout Wellington Village and Hintonburg that you’re sure to find all the elements you need for a fun and flavourful outdoor feast. Paula Roy has a few ideas to get you started:

Bread by Us – milk buns and focaccia
Wellington Butchery – potato knish and smoked meat knish
Marche Hintonburg Market – deli meats
Herb & Spice – fresh local vegetables and fruit
Thyme & Again – smoked salmon spread
il Negozio Nicastro – olives and pickled onions
Ottawa Bagel Shop – crackers and cheese
Stella Luna – gelato and cones
Les Moulins La Fayette – sweet treats

As part of this year’s Taste of Wellington West – the Spread Out edition – the Wellington West BIA and our member merchants invite you to assemble your own picnic. Get creative, take some pictures and post them on social media between Sep 14 and Oct 10. Be sure to tag them with #tasteofwellingtonwest and you will automatically be entered into a draw for a $50 gift card from the local merchant of your choosing.

September 25 – Cooking Demo: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

This dish from Paula Roy is so easy and delicious, her family likes to call it ‘winner winner chicken dinner’. Its real name is roasted chicken with cherry tomatoes and you can find the recipe (plus hundreds of others) on the Wellington West-based ConstantlyCooking.com.

One of the best things about this chicken dinner, aside from the facts that it only takes minutes to assemble and requires very few ingredients, is that you can prepare it up to 48 hours ahead of time then tuck it into the refrigerator until you are ready to pop it in the oven. On a busy day, there’s something so comforting about knowing that a freshly-made dinner can be served up so easily.

Whatever takeout you do choose, be sure to take some pictures and post them on social media between Sep 14 to Oct 10 with the tag #tasteofwellingtonwest to be entered into a draw to win a $50 gift card to a local merchant of your choice.

September 29 – Takeout Unboxing: The Soca Kitchen

Even if you like to cook, it’s always fun to enjoy a terrific takeout meal. We are fortunate to have so many great restaurants in Wellington West that have really elevated their takeout offerings this year. In addition to giving us a chance to savour delicious food in the setting of our choosing, purchasing takeout meals is an important and effective way to support our local restaurants.

While The SOCA Kitchen, which specializes in authentic South American cuisine, has quite an assortment of takeout (and delivery) meal and beverage options listed on the SOCA at Home portion of their website, their DIY Taco Kit is one in particular that is sure to have broad appeal. It contains all the components needed to craft 16 delicious tacos, including a dazzling array of flavourful, colourful toppings. Best of all, the kit comes refrigerated and includes detailed instructions so you can reheat and serve at your convenience. You’re sure to have a super delicious #TakeoutTuesday with this offering.

September 30 – Pizza Showcase, part 1

Did you know there are around a dozen places to get pizza in Wellington Village and Hintonburg? We are fortunate to have a terrific mix of styles and flavour profiles and there truly is something available to suit almost every pizza lover’s preference. In this pizza showcase, the first of two, Paula Roy offers an interesting ‘show and tell’ highlighting six of our area’s pizza possibilities.

This week’s pizza roundup includes Domino’s, the Carleton Tavern, Heartbreakers Pizza, Caffé Mio, Anthony’s and Pubblico Eatery. No two pizzas are alike and Paula shares her impressions (all favourable) as well as some neat facts about each business.

If this segment inspires you to grab a pizza during this year’s Taste of Wellington West food festival, be sure to post a picture of it on social media (tagged #tasteofwellingtonwest) and you’ll automatically be entered into the Wellington West BIA’s draw to win a $50 gift card from the area merchant of your choice.

October 1 – Pizza Showcase, part 2

It is not a stretch (as in stretchy dough) to say that there is a pizza for almost every taste to be found in Wellington West. Whether you like to keep things on the old-school, simple side or crave something more exotic, you likely need look no further than Hintonburg or Wellington Village. Paula Roy has created a second pizza showcase video to demonstrate six more enticing pizza options available close to home.

This second pizza roundup includes The Wood on Wellington, Pizza Pizza, Joe’s Italian Kitchen, Metro, Fil’s Diner and Tennessy Willems. Distinctive toppings and varying styles of dough make each pizza selected unique, just as the businesses that offer them are also unique. Many are longstanding community favourites while others are newer on the scene but garnering rave reviews.

We hope these pizza segments inspire you to try a new pizza place in the area, or perhaps break out of your delicious pizza rut and try a new menu item at your favourite spot. If you do indulge your love of pizza during this year’s Taste of Wellington West food festival (Sep 14 – Oct 10), be sure to post a picture of it on social media (tagged #tasteofwellingtonwest) and you’ll automatically be entered into the Wellington West BIA’s draw to win a $50 gift card from the area merchant of your choice.

October 6 – Takeout Unboxing: The Elmdale Tavern

“Take the tavern home” sure has a catchy ring to it, doesn’t it? That’s the Elmdale Oyster House and Tavern’s clever slogan to accompany their takeout food program which is proving to be very popular. The Elmdale, as it’s commonly known, has been a Wellington West institution for over 80 years and their friendly service and delicious food are both legendary.

The Elmdale’s takeout menu includes daily specials; options also include well-executed pub fare and impressive seafood. It’s best to call to find out what’s available if you’re planning to order for Takeout Tuesday (or any other day of the week). Paula Roy ordered an expanded version of their Fried Chicken special available every Tuesday: the family-style Fried Chicken dinner is a best-seller and for good reason – 10 pieces of hot, crispy fried chicken plus pickles, lemon wedges, sauces, coleslaw, rolls and potato salad. It is packaged to travel well and you can even reheat the chicken with success if needed. This menu item must be pre-ordered ahead of time.

Taste of Wellington West runs from September 14 to October 10 so if you choose to order fried chicken for your friends or family, or anything else from the Elmdale for that matter, don’t forget to post a picture of your Takeout Tuesday selection on social media and tag it #tasteofwellingtonwest to be entered in the Wellington West BIA’s draw to win a $50 gift card.

October 8 – Cooking Demo: 10-minute Thai soup

So many people love Thai food and while we are so fortunate to have a great selection of Thai restaurants in Hintonburg and Wellington Village, sometimes it’s fun to play around with favourite flavour profiles at home. This easy soup recipe from local food expert Paula Roy is a great ‘clean out the fridge’ dish that is fast, fresh and flavourful. And best of all, it really takes just ten minutes – including chopping time – to prepare. You can find the full recipe here on the Constantly Cooking website.

If you feel inspired to make this delicious soup at home, please post a photo on social media between Sep 14 – Oct 10 and add the tag #tasteofwellingtonwest to be automatically entered into a draw to win a gift card from the Wellington West merchant of your choice.

October 9 – Cooking Demo: Mastering quick pickles

Taste Cooking Demo: quick pickles

Raise your hand if you’re one of the people who has become more engaged in cooking this year. We’ve had the sourdough bread craze, shortages of flour and yeast and an overall upswing in home meal preparation. Another big food trend for 2020 has been canning and preserving food. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers would be proud to see this resurgence; they took such pride in having cold cellars packed with rows of jams, pickles and preserved vegetables. If you’re interested in pickling but not prepared for the major production that is sometimes required with the old-fashioned big-batch method, you’ll likely enjoy watching this demo from Paula Roy to learn about quick pickles, sometimes called refrigerator pickles. Made in mere moments, one or two jars at a time, quick pickles are a great way to transform small amounts of excess produce into delightfully tangy morsels to liven up all kinds of meals.

The recipes covered in this demo are as follows:

If you fall in love with quick pickling please know there are lots more ideas for you on the Constantly Cooking website.

Should your daily walk take you by the Parkdale Market and some farm-fresh produce catches your eye, why not bring it home and make a jar or two of quick pickles? If you do, be sure to post the recipe on social media and tag it with #tasteofwellingtonwest between Sep 14 – Oct 10 to enter our draw for a $50 gift card from the Wellington Village or Hintonburg merchant of your choosing. Be sure to visit the Wellington West BIA website for the full slate of Taste of Wellington West 2020 virtual programming.