golden triangle

Avant-Green Eco Art Fair and Barbecue

Saturday August 15th 10am-3pm

Minto Park (Rain venue - Jack Purcell Recreation Centre)

Come join Ecology Ottawa as they launch their first summertime environmentally-friendly art event: Avant-Green! Eco Art Fair and Barbecue. This show will feature a variety of environmentally-friendly artists who create beautiful and original art using non-toxic paints and materials. This open air celebration, which will take place in Minto Park, downtown (Elgin and Gilmour) on Saturday, August 15th, 2009 between 10am to 3pm, will also feature a vegetarian barbecue and bake sale. Family fun will include a special painting space for kiddies and adults alike to express what the environment means to them!

Some featured artists will include: Stefan Thompson, Maria Von Finckenstein, Marie-Josee Laviolette, Vaishali Chouhanwith Eco-Equitable, Hans Aggarwal, Jennifer Cook with Re-Claimed, Trish Rossiter, and more!

For more details on the art fair and the events, please contact Guy Marsan at 613.237.6522 or guymarsan@gmail.com. More information can also be found at www.ecologyottawa.ca.

Note that should it rain the venue will be moved to the Jack Purcell Recreation Centre across the street (320 Jack Purcell Lane).

Kelp Celebrates at the Mayfair

Photo courtesy of blurasis (aka Ming Wu) on Flickr

Photo of Jim Bryson courtesy of blurasis (aka Ming Wu) on Flickr

The Kelp long weekend, celebrating the record label’s 15 years, got an early start Thursday night at the Mayfair Theatre. It marked the old theatre’s first live concert since the new owners took over in January. And man did they ever put on a great show!

From the moment I entered the building I knew this would not be an ordinary concert. You could buy popcorn at the concession stand, for instance, and they had a movie screen that they put to great use (more on that later). Of course, the more things change the more they stay the same. The large crowd eagerly awaited some of this city’s favourite musicians with beers in hand (yup, the good people at the Mayfair got a liquor license for the night).

Before hometown heroes Jim Bryson and the Acorn did their thing, Anders Parker, of Vermont, hit the stage. I had never heard of Parker before and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. He stood in front of the first row of theatre seats with only his acoustic guitar in hand. There’s a certain vulnerability that comes with that kind of solo performance. The musician can only depend on his own charisma and ability to hold the audience’s attention. It’s a good thing Parker wasn’t lacking in either category.

Click to continue reading “Kelp Celebrates at the Mayfair”

Cool Places to Watch Obama’s Inauguration

Man of the day

Watch history live over lunch at one of these Ottawa hangouts, and try your best not to let those feelings of “why can’t we have one of those” (inspirational politician, not handsome black man) seep through. The musical prelude starts at 10, the official stuff at noon. All the cool kids will be tuning into BET’s extensive coverage which will go from 6am to 3pm on January 20th, 2009.

1. East African Restaurant
The Rideau Street restaurant will have a big screen TV and ethiopian food. What more could you ask for?

2. James Street Pub
Ask your server to turn off the curling tournament on one of the Bar’s 20 TVs, and salt your fries with tears.

3. Why not watch it at D’arcy Mcgee’s and join in on Parliamentary Hill gossip about the new President?

4. Other suggestions?

NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS 2

Another Elgin restaurant is breaking the law. Across the street from Oz Kafé, The Standard comitted its own liquor faux pas and is now closed until January 9th.
The crime? Serving liquor after hours.

Are Elgin Street restaurants worst than others? Or is the city cracking down? 2007 saw Fesco Bistro also closed for bad behaviour during the Senators’ playoff run.

NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS

The Oz Kafé is still in the dark. The Elgin Street restaurant had its liquor license suspended after an inspector spotted a customer walking out from the patio with a drink.
Dinners will have to find a new spot to eat until January 7th.

UPDATE: Oz isn’t the only spot breaking the law. Across the street, The Standard comitted its own liquor faux pas and is now closed until January 9th.
The crime? Serving liquor after hours.

The Best Two-Egger in Town

Courtesy of malias on flickr

Courtesy of malias on flickr

It’s the little black dress of breakfast: two eggs, toasts, potatoes. This cheep and easy standby is a favourite of students trying to forget last night and seniors trying to remember the last ten minutes. For those of you left jaded by decadence weekend brunches, try getting back to basics at these downtown(ish) hangouts.

  1. Mayflower – 247 Elgin Street – $3.35
    What the two egg breakfast is all about – the only way to get more bang for the buck is to lay the eggs yourself. Be sure to get a table in the back where the atmosphere is more English pub, less greasy spoon. Hippies beware: The Mayflower is a known conservative hangout.
  2. Bramasole – 428 Bank Street – $5.95
    Time warp back to the 1950s… or at rather to the 2008 hipster version of it. Although its not the best deal in city, the food is good and plentiful and the decor is the cat’s meow.
  3. Ada’s – 510 Bank Street $4.50
    Maybe its the sizzle from the kitchen, or the colourful checkered table clothes, or the waitress in her blue jeans and a T-shirt, but Ada’s is where you go to feel like an Ottawa insider. The meal is cheep and satisfying but, coffee refills are $0.50 a pop! Gasp!
  4. Wild Oat – 819 Bank Street $6.50
    The two-egger with a hippie twist: you pay a little extra for the virtue of Fair Trade Coffee and organic eggs. Go for the Spelt bread and the homemade jam. Conservatives beware: dreadlocked vegan types love spelt bread.

Any other favourites? Add a comment and let me know.