Lots left to do in Burlington before summer ends

Although it’s already halfway through August (and who can believe it?), there is still plenty to do in Burlington before the summer ends. 

There are two great events running in August at the Royal Botanical Gardens.  Food lovers should be sure to check out their “Edible Weekends” featuring cooking demonstrations, educational workshops, special menu items, taste-testings and more!  A different taste is highlighted each weekend, with tomatoes and salsa featured August 20th and 21st, garlic highlighted August 27th and 28th and gourds showcased September 3rd to 5th.  With so many flavours, this event certainly promises to be delicious! 

Music lovers should also visit the RBG for Red Hot Jazz and Cool Blues  which takes place Wednesday nights from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Hendrie Park.  Performances run until September 7th, so you still have lots of time left to enjoy the music!  Enjoy a cold drink, some barbecue and the lovely garden while listening to award-winning jazz and blues musicians.  Concerts take place rain or shine.      

If you’re up for something a little spookier, then Ghost Walks at Bronte Creek’s Spruce Lane Farmhouse are definitely for you.  Staff members will guide you through the house and barn, providing an educational tour highlighting occurrences, beliefs and unexplained happenings.  The walks take place Sunday evenings beginning at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. and last 45 minutes.  Meet at parking lot F to join the tour which is included with regular admission to the park.  Although the walks are more educational than scary, they are best suited for children over seven.     

Looking for something fun to do with the whole family?  Look no further than this weekend’s Children’s Festival!  This fabulous two day event is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and promises to be filled with fantastic activities and entertainment that kids will love.

The festival kicks off Saturday August 20th at 10 a.m. with the 4th Annual Discover Sandcastles Competition at Beachway Park.  There are four categories in which you can compete: child (ages 4-12), youth (ages 13-17), adult (ages 18+) and family (all ages with a maximum of 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children).  Simply visit the event’s web page to register using RecExpress.

Love sandcastles but don’t necessarily want to compete?  There is plenty for you to do too!  Come and watch Master Sand Sculptor demonstrations, listen to live music, take part in fun activities, grab a bite to eat and enjoy a marketplace all on Burlington’s beautiful beach.  Local children’s book author Sylvia McNicoll will be emceeing the day, so bring your books down to be signed.  Also be sure to vote for your favourite sandcastle for the People’s Choice Award and stick around to watch the award ceremony at 4 p.m. to see the winners.   

The fun continues on Sunday August 21st at 10 a.m. with the Children’s Festival in Spencer Smith Park.  Come on down and enjoy play zones, pirate ship inflatables, a SpongeBob SquarePants meet and greet, talking parrot shows, entertainment and more!  From 12:30 until 1 p.m., kids are encouraged to participate in the Promenade Parade.  Come dressed as a pirate, prince or princess and join the fun!  Although the day’s activities end at 4 p.m., you can come back to the park at 7 p.m. to join the Amazing Captain Corbin for a magical Pirate show followed by a 9 p.m. outdoor screening of a pirate movie.  Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the show! 

Speaking of fabulous festivals, who can resist the deliciousness that is Canada’s Largest Ribfest?  Come down to Spencer Smith Park September 2nd to 5th and sample some of the best ribs from 18 of North America’s top ribbers.  Visit their website for a $3.00 off ribs coupon, valid Friday September 2nd from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Ribfest isn’t only about the ribs though!  You can get all sorts of food including chicken, hot dogs, pizza, corn, French fries, fried onions, doughnuts, ice cream and more!  There is also fantastic musical entertainment, crafters and activities and games for kids of all ages.  It is definitely not to be missed!

So shake off those end of summer blahs and go out and enjoy all that Burlington has to offer!      

TC Kat

Tasty Burlington

One of the benefits of working at Tourism Burlington is that we are in the know about things such as the wonderful fixed price dining program – A Taste of Burlington. Since we coordinate this program with the restaurants we try to get out and try some of the fare as secret shoppers, a tough job but someone’s gotta do it!

This week several of us have had a chance to try some the Taste menus and wanted to share some of these culinary experiences.

Earlier this week myself and a colleague tested out the lunch menu at Red Canoe Bistro at 398 John St. (just north of Lakeshore). Red Canoe features modern Canadian cuisine that includes regional ingredients. We have attended several functions here in the past and the food has always been fabulous! Tobias the owner/chef greeted us when we arrived and indicated that the weekends have been a busy time for the Taste program. We settled into a great table overlooking the street and studied the menu for some time before deciding on our choices. We both opted for the Shaved Market Vegetable Slaw with Niagara Vineyards Vinaigrette,Toasted Walnuts and Frutis　which was the local food option. We received ample portions and the slaw was crisp, and had a refreshing bite. My colleague chose the vegetarian option the Smoked Gouda, Mushrooms and Spinach Quiche with house made Pastry with tossed field greens and she said it was very good. I enjoyed the Pulled locally raised Pork Pasta Penne which was also local food option, with Spiced Tomato Sauce, Roast Sweet Peppers. Again it was a fairly large portion and I savoured every bite of the melt in your mouth pasta and pork with a nicely spiced sauce. After the first two courses we couldn’t do justice to the dessert so we took it to go and I treated myself later to the Citrus Gateaux with mascerated local berries – heavenly!

Last night I joined a friend at Nonna’s Cucina Ristorante which is located at 127 Plains Rd. E. west of Waterdown Rd. This home style Italian cookery is connected to Bernadino’s Gourmet Foods and is owned by husband and wife team Jose and Elena Geada. When we arrived it was fairly quiet but by the time we left there was hardly a seat left in the place. The décor was very pleasant with large family photos taken in their trips to Europe giving the space a warm, personalized touch. After reviewing the taste menu we both decided on the Caesar salad, Veal Picata with sautéed onions, capers, and lemon sauce with a side of penne in pomodoro. The salad was crisp with a slice of Italian style bacon and freshly grated parmesan and came with fresh bread and olive oil for dipping. The penne was light with a tasty tomato sauce and the vela was tender with slivers of lemon zest and capers in a light sauce. Our dessert was a melt in your mouth custard tart dusted with icing sugar. It was a very enjoyable meal with great company, atmosphere and food, we will be back again!

Our summer travel counselors have also managed to swing by a few restaurants for the "Taste" program, and have a few experiences of their own to share.

On Thursday, Kat and Linda C. took a well deserved break from coordinating the Taste of Burlington to actually try it out, and Kat had only good things to say about Honey West:

My meal began with the lobster bisque that was creamy and rich with plenty of chunks of lobster accompanied by that tried and true appetizer classic, garlic bread. The chicken apple brie panini with romaine lettuce and garlic aioli was my mouth-watering second course and the side of fries were a special treat - hot and lightly salted with sea salt and topped with parmesan. Finally, I was treated to a fantastic cheesecake for dessert with a hint of lemon that did not overpower, simply delicious. Linda had the peanut butter crème brulee and raved that it was not only decadent but the peanut was not overpowering but an unexpected flavor treat. The server was great and was attentive without being overbearing and all the courses came out promptly which is great if you are "on lunch". The meal was delicious, however, as an employee of Tourism BurIington, I feel obligated to offer you one warning. If you’re dining at Honey West, make sure you come on an empty stomach! You will be getting your money’s worth of food, and then some! There’s a very good chance you’ll have some delicious leftovers!

Alright, change of pace. Natalie here reporting on a trip to one of Burlington’s newest restaurants, the Alex, located on the south end of Brant Street. When my handsome gentleman friend and I arrived, we were told they were lucky to have a table without a reservation. And believe me, there’s a reason why this little place is getting so busy. From the Taste of Burlington menu, we shared the duck confit appetizer, the butter roast black cod with spiced tomato and lobster orzo entrée, and finished our meal with a tangy and delicious summer berry cobbler with lemon curb brulee. Sounds good right? Like really good? I promise you this meal was even better than it sounds. Not to mention that, in addition to the "Taste" meal, we also ordered the duo of bacon. This dish consisted of bacon-wrapped duck fat fries, and (brace yourselves) bacon wrapped bacon. Bacon. Wrapped. Bacon. Nuff said. I highly recommend the Alex. Try it out, but make sure you call for reservations!

There is still time to enjoy A Taste of Burlington as it is on until Civic Holiday Monday August 1^st. Visit the website to check out the 21 restaurants participating this summer and their great menus. Diners who order from the Taste menu at each location receive a ballot to enter into a draw for a gift basket filled with gift certificates from some of the participating restaurants. Bon Appetite!

From Our Own Backyard

Guest Blogger: Niki from Springridge Farms

We are looking forward to all of the local, seasonal foods Ontario has to offer over the summer! At Springridge, we can’t get much more ‘local’ than enjoying the strawberries grown right in our own backyard on Bell School Line. Even though strawberry season is winding down for us in July, we hope our Springridge friends will continue to “eat local”.

Over the next few months, Farmer John and Farmer Tom will keep our barn market stocked with the freshest produce, grown in Ontario, by some of their farming friends. The first sweet peas of the season are now available in our market and soon we will have sour cherries, sweet cherries, new potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, peaches and corn.

In celebration of local food, we are hosting an Evening with Lynn Ogryzlo, culinary expert and author of The Ontario Table. With a background in Niagara’s wine industry, Lynn has shared her knowledge as a food, wine and travel writer. She has developed more than 1400 recipes devoted to local and seasonal food. Her latest book, The Ontario Table is more than a cookbook; it is an agricultural journey designed to introduce you to the people, food and culture of Ontario’s local food.

Lynn Ogryzlo will also highlight her Buy, Eat, Drink and Think Local Challenge. She is rallying for consumers to adjust their shopping habits and make an effort to spend just $10 of their grocery budget on local food each week. This will lead to an influx of money staying in our own communities. 

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, July 13 from 5:30pm-8:00pm for an evening of hors d’oeuvres featuring local, seasonal farm foods, special guest Elizabeth Baird - Food Editor Emeritus of Canadian Living, after hours shopping and an exclusive book talk and signing. RSVP to events@springridgefarm.com as space is limited.

We are also welcoming our friends from A Taste of Burlington at the event. This summer they are focusing on local food promotion and encouraging restaurants to include Ontario ingredients on their menus. This summer’s A Taste of Burlington is taking place from July 18 – August 1 and is a wonderful opportunity to sample some of Burlington’s finest restaurants that help make the city a growing culinary destination. Look for the ‘Eat Local’ logo on menus.

Eat local all year ‘round! Try freezing or preserving your Springridge strawberries so you can enjoy them in the depths of winter. Just hull the berries, place whole on a cookie sheet and freeze. Package quickly and return to freezer. Or try Foodland Ontario’s recipe for Freezer Strawberry Jam.

Bon Appetite!