For the second year in a row, the Scottish Society of Ottawa will be holding a Hogmanay to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, Scottish Style. The event will be taking place at Ottawa City Hall, where party goers can enjoy live music, traditional Scottish food, Scotch tasting, entertainment for children, skating on the Rink of Dreams, and fireworks at the stroke of midnight. What’s more, Hogmanay is completely free, except for food and alcohol, which certainly beats hefty cover fees usually charged anywhere else on NYE. Founded by... | Continue reading article

New Year’s eve in Ottawa is not going to be the same again for those who attend the Gatsby New Year’s Ball, which is expected to be the most glamorous party in town this week. The organizers, Tami Varma, Scott Porter, Sam Patil and Poppy Vineberg, expert party planners, wanted to create the biggest new year’s event this city has ever seen. They secured the Former Grand Trunk Union Railway Station (now the Canada Conference Centre) and will transport the building back to its glory days. NEW YEARS GALA 2014... | Continue reading article

Imagine my delight when stumbling through the snow—taking a shortcut to where I was headed—I hit a bright blue corner house and walked in to taste some of the best vegetarian tacos in town! I was on my way to Fraser Café for a quick lunch. There aren’t many healthy, fun and vegetarian options in my hood, you see. And of the few there are, none are affordably priced. Which is why Ola Cocina is a dream come true. Located just parallel to Beechwood Avenue, on 62 Barrette Street, the... | Continue reading article

Inspired by the quaint winter markets still popular across Europe, Wakefielder Jackie Hansen proposed that her village launch one of their own. This Saturday, that community will welcome revelers from across the Outaouais and NCR to celebrate the season at the Wakefield Christmas Market. I got a chance to ask Jackie what’s in store and what it’s about. “We are so excited to start this new holiday tradition! I wanted to create an event that I’d want to go to.” Billed as family-friendly, the new market – just a 30-minute... | Continue reading article

There’s another food event in town this weekend. The Underground Chef’s Market is bringing together some amateur and professional food folks at the Ottawa Convention Centre to experiment with their ideas and show off some skills. It should be an interesting opportunity to taste some new stuff. There are only two names on the list (327 Wine Bar and Gong-fu Bao) that I recognize.Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and food at the show is priced between $1 and $10. We shot a few questions over... | Continue reading article

Given today’s popularity of hipster cafes and artisanal coffees, it is easy to overlook that tea has also been seeing a renaissance that goes far and wide beyond the traditional afternoon cup of our forbearers. To a novice, the dazzling array of tea types, origins, techniques, and appurtenances at local specialty shops may be daunting indeed. The third annual Ottawa Tea Festival, taking place at the Ottawa Convention Centre this Saturday (November 23) is a great venue to introduce first-timers to the world of tea, or to expand the knowledge and... | Continue reading article

Post by Devan Marr. What if we told you that you could enjoy specially selected canapés, a Costa Rican-inspired dinner entrée, a guided matching and tasting of 8 exquisite desserts and 4 exceptional coffees, and help South American children obtain access to education?  Well, tonight, you can! Algonquin College’s Restaurant International will play host to “Discovering the World of Coffee” a dinner event prepared by the Algonquin Culinary Management students. Expect delicious snacks like ceviche, beef carnitas, and chicharrón, a latin style crackling dish.  From personal experience, the food prepared by... | Continue reading article

Today’s roundup is chock-a-block full of adventures, and also gives you the chance to win your very own delicious vegan cake. Read on to find out more. The second weekend of Support Local starts off tonight down at Flock Boutique, where Purple Urchin is setting up a pop-up apothecary. Just down the street at Twiss & Weber, you’ll find a trunk show featuring local designers, and Wunderkammer kicks off the holidays tonight in the Market. Friday night, A Curious Shop loves its customers back with fire spinning, treats and deals... | Continue reading article

Lisa Gualtieri and Justin Palmer had mused about becoming organic farmers. To take the giant leap of throwing everything into a farm as amateurs, though, was a daunting proposition. Enter Just Food’s Start-Up Farm Program. Currently winding down its first year, Ottawa’s very first Start-Up Farm Program provides participants with access to land, shared infrastructure/equipment, and training. Its objectives are to increase access and reduce barriers for people to get into farming in the Ottawa region, help people start successful farm businesses, and generate local food for the local market.... | Continue reading article

In choosing my top bakeries, I had two things in mind: quality and authenticity. Of course, between these words you’ll find my personal taste. While compiling this completely subjective list, my aim was to bring to light the artisans whose hands have baked the kind of goods that have left me satisfied and craving for more. That’s a contradiction in terms only a very good croissant or an excellent baguette can masterfully balance. You may say, what about The French Baker or Art-is-in, and I say, yes—the bread of the... | Continue reading article