I took some time off from the rewrite today to take in not one but two terrific meals. The first was brunch with the lovely Jane McLean (Charisse in The Time Traveler’s Wife, Tammy Okama on Dexter, Jane Richards on Terminal City, and – soon – Fiona Rivers on The Transporter) at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village, a quaint little neighborhood in the city’s west end. Our chat veered from the personal to the professional, covering everything from food and family to producing and pitching for television. Jane is smart, talented, ambitious but, most important of all, well-grounded, and I have no doubt she’ll be accomplishing much much more in the not too distant future.
After brunch, it was downtown to run errands. Among the things I had to pick up today: an electric tea kettle, a gift for Keiko, new sweat pants, and –
So the other night, on our way to have dinner with Mike, we happened by a restaurant called Marben that was advertising a monthly pig roast dinner. I immediately thought of the wonderful Whole Hog dinners I enjoyed at Fuel/Refuel over the years and wasted no time in making a reservation.
Well, tonight we went in for our pig feast. It was family style serving – a pork platter of various cuts including shoulder, belly, crispy spin, and select pieces from the head and neck area – accompanied by several side dishes including some amazing baked beans, just fine green beans, and marvelous swiss chard. As for the pork – delicious! I was working my way through the feast when Akemi warned me to slow down and save room for the next dish. “What next dish?”I asked her. “This is it.” She thought I was kidding. “There is no next dish,”I repeated. She still thought I was kidding. Three more rounds of this and it finally dawned on her that THERE WAS NO NEXT DISH. She was evidently expecting the meal to play out along the lines of the aforementioned Fuel/Refuel Whole Hog Dinner – several different plates featuring different parts of the pig (ie. crispy pig ear with salsa verde, pig tail consomme, crispy brain with fried green tomato, birch syrup milk chocolate pie with candied bacon, etc.). While she may not have loved the meal, I thought it great and will definitely be making a return visit.
Also in attendance that night, coming in about an hour after our seating…
It’s a veritable Stargate reunion in Toronto! And it just keeps getting bigger. The cavalry heads into town tomorrow night in the form of my buddy Carl Binder who’ll be riding in to lend us some much-needed support on The Transporter. Also got word from Michael Shanks that he’ll be coming back into town to film a guest spot on another locally-shot series – well in advance of his planned return for the August Fan Expo (August 25th-28th) with wife Lexa Doig. Get your tickets now!
That is NOT a flour tortilla, with or without black beans. You need to come to south Texas and enjoy some real ones. San Antonio has truly fine Mexican cuisine without the dangers of actually going over the border (which I won’t do anymore).
That pork dinner and dinner looks awesome. 🙂
Warning – gross content: Has anyone seen the YouTube video where they put a raw piece of pork in Coke? You might not want to watch it if you are squeamish… or really like pork, as it may very well turn you off. 🙁
My friend in the U.K. told me about it, that he actually tried it and sure enough, he had the same results. However I still eat cooked pork. LoL 🙂
whoops, I meant: That pork dinner and desert looks awesome. 🙂 LoL
nice… had a feeling you’d meet up with Jewel Staite… she mentioned she had to be in toronto for a few months… maybe for her secret tv project?
That pork dinner reminds me of a dish I had in Bavaria: Schäufele – cured roasted pork shoulder with the crispy cracklin’ skin on. Mmmmmmm.
I’m glad you’ve had so many visitors. It sounds like you’ve been having fun.
Coucou 🙂 comment allez vous? Moi super, il fait un temps magnifique ici, je profite donc au maximum du soleil et de la plage!! 🙂
Yahh Jewel, Martin!! ça fait tellement plaisir de les revoir!!
Ce repas avait l’air vraiment très bon, d’où provenait le vin rouge que vous buviez? #Bordeauxisthebest
En ce 1er Aout je souhaite un très bon Anniversaire à Andria:)!!
Gros bisous!
Anais:)
Ah, so nice to see those folks again,and meet new folks. Jewel is such a cutie, and Marty is always a welcome site. Glad to hear everyone is staying busy, and are able to spend sometime helping you overcome your homesickness. and then there is your new favorite chocolate place(big help).
Joe do you ever go back to any of your high school reunions(if they have them)?
Speaking of Stargate alumni, have you seen Colin Cunningham in Falling Skies? His character, a sort of renegade opportunist, is one of the most vivid characters on the series. Also fun.
Mmmm, piggie pig-out!
And yeah, that is NOT a flour tortilla of any kind. They can call it a tortilla all they like, but that ain’t what it is.
Both meals make my empty belly ache (skipped breakfast again due to the whole oversleeping thang). The pork; I feel a little dizzy, it’s almost too delicious to look at. The tortilla looks so good and fresh.
Yay to Marty and Jewell!
I saw an odd SG1 ep yesterday; it had puppets, two kids from Glee playing younger versions of the team, Sam marrying O’Neil and Stanford Blatch. I can quote Atlantis eps but I’m still lost when it comes to SG1.
Wow, talk about delicious! And the food looks great too.
Guess YYZ is not turning out to be so lonely a place after all.
LOL Jewel posted on her twitter asking about foods while she was in town and I told her to ask you as you would know the right places by now. 🙂
I actually got queasy over the crispy brain… There simply are things I am not culturally inclined to want to eat— that would include tongues, brains, insects, rodents in any form, dogs and horses. Oh and squirrels, possum and raccoons. And intestines. Leave those off them menu, I’m good.
Jewel is evidently working on a series called Bomb Girls, set in the 1940’s.
Good for her!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2056343258
Did read a Michael Shanks interview (Good practice for your French!):
http://www.excessif.com/serie-tv/actu-series/dossiers/stargate-sg-1-interview-michael-shanks-6603915-760.html
I do not think history will let Stargate go away like that.
I am almost certain that show will be back in some time. There is too much legacy for it to disappear like that! May take a couple of years but it will be back
Is it my imagination or is Jewel Staite hotter now than ever before?
In case you plan to do mailbag any time soon… What’s with the photo Greer was holding in the end of “Space”? Thanks!
Hi Joseph,
i am from Germany and i just wanted to say: i loved your work of Stargate really much. I know i am wrong here, but i cant see any other way to contact you :).
I just wanted to say, that i really enjoyed SG-1, SGA and of course SGU. It was a good idea, good new Characters and a fresh new concept with SGU, i liked that really much. But sadly not everybody did… Bad that there wont be a cinema movie or anything else to give us a nice finish of the series. I hope it will return someday, also i hope you will return Joseph and please, please dont let Stargate die!
Joe,
Are you a fan of the H.B.O. hit “True Blood”…? Janina Gavanker plays a lady named Luna Garza who turns into of all things a Horse…..This show is KOOL…
Here you go Joe:
http://doctordarby.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/transporter-the-series/
Dr. D.
Jewel looks great!
It was 103F here today. On my third shower…..