Oh Canada, Thank you for Beaver Tails!

Banana Nutella Beavertails

I first tried Beaver Tails in Manila—pretty much everything is in Manila! Sometimes, way ahead of Canada or the US. I remember enjoying this addictive pastry with my friends when we’d go to the mall. Here in Ontario, I managed to get Beaver Tails only in tourist spots such as CNE, Toronto Zoo, and Byward Market (in Ottawa—the same location US President Barack Obama visited as well!) and Canada’s Wonderland. They only have about 15 locations in Ontario listed.

These whole-wheat pastries are stretched by hand to resemble the tail of a beaver, one of Canada’s best-known national symbols. These are truly delicious! I haven’t had a Beaver Tail in a long, long while. So, you can imagine my excitement when we had a food truck for Beaver Tails come over for an office event. Wahoo!

Despite the cold and slushy sidewalk, my friends and I walked over to the food truck to get our awesome treat! I got a banana chocolate Beaver Tail. It was to die for. The Beaver Tail was deep-fried to perfection (of course, it was deep fried, why else would it be so delicious?!) The pastry was warm and flaky with a bit of a crunch. And, having some Nutella on it makes it a sure win!

I got an extra treat to share with the girls—with cheesecake and Skor crumbles. Another decadent Beaver Tail. It was rich and creamy with wonderful, crunchy bits of Skor. Delightful!

So, if you manage to find a Beaver Tail cabin or food truck, don’t let the opportunity to try this Canadian treat pass you by. Yum!

Oysterlicious! V-day date night at Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill

Oysterlicious @ Starfish

Winterlicious booking. done

Valentine’s date blocked off in calendar. done

Kids to be watched by grandma. done

All systems go for our dinner at Starfish!

Snowstorm expecting 25cm on the day itself. Aarrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhh.
But Hubby braved the weather and still took me for our dinner date downtown. Smile. Awwww

We arrived early for our dinner at Starfish. It was a good 5-10 minute walk from the King subway station. The place only had a few customers—either we were too early or most folks did not venture out on this snowy day.

I was pretty-pumped about checking out this joint, being Zagat-rated: “Very Good to Excellent.” Also, their oyster-shucker has won a few Guinness World Records for most oysters shucked in a minute along with other oyster-shucking awards. Cool!

I started with a Caesar. After all, we were in a place known for mollusks. Where else can you get a really good Caesar? It was pricey at $12 a glass, but it was GREAT! And with an actual clam on top! It was peppery and spicy with a little bit of a tang. Just perfect for the dinner I was about to enjoy.

Bloody Caesar @ Starfish

I ordered the Shucker Paddy Oysterlicious, a 3-course Oysters-Only Dinner. On the bed of salt, I had 6 Little Neck Clams from PEI, 12 Malpeque Oysters (also PEI), 8 Fanny Bay Oysters from BC, and 3 Kumamoto oysters (from WA). Now, I’m no connoisseur of oysters to be able to tell which was a better variety. They were all good. But they were not quite as great as the oysters we used to enjoy in Manila, which had some sweetness to it. I enjoyed my freshly-shucked (from the bar) oysters with some grated horseradish and cocktail sauce. I tried it with the onion and vinegar sauce, which is how I usually have my oysters, but it wasn’t doing it for me. I managed to consume the entire jar of cocktail sauce on the table!



Vinegar and Cocktail sauce waiting for the oysters freshly shucked from the bar

Hubby also got some Malpeque Oysters and had Wild Striped Bass for his main. He gave me a portion to try. The Bass was wonderfully-cooked. The skin was crunchy and the Moroccan-spiced carrots and chickpeas brought out the flavour of the fish. It was beautifully presented on a bed of parsnip puree. The serving was quite small, though, so in that sense, I would say that this set for Winterlicious was not good value.

I shared the dessert with Hubby (my dessert was supposed to be the Kumamoto oysters!). The Sticky Toffee pudding was absolutely divine, served warm and moist. The toffee glaze was not so overpowering. It was the perfect dessert to replace the taste that the horseradish and cocktail sauce left lingering in my taste buds.

Sticky Toffee Pudding @ Starfish

I finished all the oysters and clams in the bed with little help from Hubby. I did not think I would survive dinner on just oysters, but it was surprisingly satisfying! It actually kept me full. What was better was that there were no bathroom incidents as a result of all the oysters I ate. I did get my recommended daily allowance of zinc—many times over. It was truly Oysterlicious! Cheers!



Another local find in Hunstville: Westside Fish and Chips

Before heading home from Deerhurst and braving the snow, we decided to grab some lunch. I saw Westside Fish and Chips the previous day so that was where we decided to stop. While waiting to be seated in this cozy family restaurant, we marveled at the teapot collection. Teapots of all shapes and sizes lined the walls, cupboards and window sills.

In the bulletin boards, we also saw that Westside won a buttertart making contest. We had been wondering which pie we would try among those in the display chiller, but that poster made deciding what we would have for dessert easier!

But really, it was not hard to decide what we will order. We got some haddock and half and half fries—half regular fries and half sweet potato fries (upgraded for an additional cost). While waiting, we played with some of the Trivial Pursuit cards on the table.

The meal came with tangy-sweet and crunchy coleslaw and delicious homemade gravy. They had tartar sauce and lemon juice in packets, however, so less points for them on that.

The fish was a bit on the small side. DD#1 could have easily eaten two. We were full with the generous serving of fries, though. The batter was crunchy and not greasy. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked. 6 pieces of fish with the sides cost about $30. It was ok but does not qualify as cheap eats for me given the size of the fish.

Fish and Chips @ Westside in Huntsville

Sweet potato fries

So now we’ve come to the apparently famous buttertart. I would have to say I was not wowed. It was just ok, and actually on the sweet side. A good way to end a fish and chips meal but it made me wish I had ordered the lemon meringue pie instead.

Butter tart

If I were a local, I would probably eat here all the time. It is a good go-to place for fish and chips. You can rely on them being open and they also have all day breakfast. What more can you ask for?

Hubby’s winter birthday getaway at Deerhurst Resort

It has always been tough to find getaways for Grandma’s and Hubby’s birthdays with the hard to predict, intense winters. It is simple enough to book months or weeks away but as the date grows closer, you pray that there will be no snowstorms or extreme cold alerts. These make for treacherous long drives and the extreme cold makes for a very short or even cancelled outdoor activities. We had been lucky so far even if some of the drives we have taken were less than ideal.

This year, I wanted to check out the place where they held the G8 summit a few years back. Hey, if this was good enough for the world leaders, it must be good. Anyway, we checked in at Deerhurst just before 2pm. Our 2-bedroom condo rental was ready so we drove up to our condo (a short drive from the main Pavilion) and settled in. There was a full service kitchen with a fridge and stove and complete with plates, utensils, pots and pans! Ideal for folks staying longer, there were also a dishwasher and a washer/dryer inside the unit. Coffee maker, toaster, microwave and hot water kettle were also available.

Maybe 15 years ago, this was a luxury condo. But by this time, it really needed to be renovated. The TVs were not yet flat screen, the wall paper was faded and the overall feel of the place was old. It was cozy and clean, but was in need of an update. Surely the Summit lodges where the world leaders stayed were much better. Right?

Anyway, after settling in, we promptly headed for the Golf Academy to borrow gear for winter activities. Grandma stayed in the room to relax. They have a spa in the Pavilion but it was pretty pricey. It was our first time to do Cross-Country skiing. After borrowing our skis and poles, we set off for the trails. It was so much fun, even if I couldn’t master the small slopes. Sigh, I feel old. But I was so happy to see the kids getting the hang of it after just a while. DD#1 kept going back up the slopes as she enjoyed going downhill! I know this is not something to be proud of, but I think I am at the same level as my 5-year-old. Hubby thinks she is better. Whatever. It was fun! And really, they had to thank me for taking photos, while trying to learn to ski at the same time! That multitasking ought to count for more in my opinion!

After about 2 hours, we traded in our skis for skates. The girls couldn’t manage their helmets so I wouldn’t allow them out to the frozen bay. It would have been nice if they had experienced skating in an outdoor rink. But well, no helmet, no skating for them. So instead, we grabbed some dinner back at the condo and then headed back to the Pavilion for some indoor swimming. The swimming area was recently renovated, at least. There was a lifeguard on duty and the heated pool was clean. Can’t say much for the changing rooms but I loved the hot tub. It was perfect for getting the chill out of me. The pool was a bit deep for the girls, even in the designated shallow area, but I am happy to say swimming lessons have paid off.

After a relaxing night with wine (and hot chocolate for the girls) by the fireplace, we all retired to our rooms (one room shared by Grandma and the girls and the other for me and hubby) and slept in the comfy bed.

The next day brought another great adventure. We went snowshoeing right after breakfast. Everyone agreed it was not as fun as Cross country skiing but this time, I had no slopes to conquer. Ha!

They have other winter activities for a fee—dog sledding, carriage rides, horseback riding, snowmobile adventures. All these had to be booked in the Activity desk.

We, however, ended up doing something indoors for another activity DD#2 had never done before—rock climbing! DD#1 climbed the wall like a pro (at least for the easy wall :P) and DD#2 almost reached the top—just two rocks away! They had way too much fun that they didn’t even ask if they can go to the arcade next door. Joy! By the end of this activity, it was time to check out.

It was a good, memorable trip for us. A tricky drive back home, but fun, nonetheless. As for Deerhurst, they seem to have more summer activities than winter ones--a good reason to come back. It is a nice enough place to check out but should be updated soon.