The Waffle

“Are you in town?”

That’s how it all began.  An email from my friend Sonja, wondering about my whereabouts.  Yes, I was in town. Lucky for me - her partner had a pair of tickets for the Ottawa Senators, and didn’t - couldn’t - wouldn’t go. Whatever the reason, I was very thankful that they thought of me to dispose of said tickets. And I was even more so once I showed up.

It was 6 PM.  No time to waste - we were on our way, first downtown to pick up the tickets, then to the Scotiabank Place to see if the Sens could beat the Sabres.

First surprise: location.  These babies were located in a Suite 105 A.  Second surprise, the suite sponsor:  Bell Canada.  Don’t ask me how he got them - I do not know.  Third surprise: that one was one for the folks from Bell Canada, who were wondering how the heck I got the tickets.  ”No worries, my cell phone is with Bell.” (And it’s not like anybody checked our tickets…)

“We have plenty of food, help yourself,” stated the Bell Canada man.

No worries, I thought.  I’ll try to eat for as much as I have paid ever since becoming a Bell customer.

“Would you like a beer,  a glass of wine?” our host continued.

No worries, I thought,  I’ll try to drink for as much as I have paid ever since I became a Bell customer.

“No, you won’t!” thought my wife, loud enough for me to hear.

We looked for our seats.   They were in the first row of the suite. We didn’t have too sit there, said the Master Host from Bell, we all sit wherever.  The Hell with that - I sit where my tickets said I should sit.  I sat down, a Corona in one hand, a program in the other. Game on!

After a few plays, we decided to explore the food options, They were not kidding when they said they had plenty of food.

In the middle of the suite, was a nice spread of fresh fruits, dried fruits, crackers, cheeses, and the highlight, smoked salmon and pumperknickel bread.

The salmon was great. Fresh lemon was available.  I had a healthy helping - no bread, I went for a few crackers instead.

A nice salad was available for the guests. Spinach with mushrooms, cherrry tomatoes and mangos.

The mushrooms were cut a little thick, making the salad a bit dry, but everything was quite fresh.The dressing on the side was a poppy seed one, sweet and sour variation.  It brought out the mangos nicely, and as long as you didn’t drown your salad in it, complimented it well.

A selection of sandwiches were also available, I tried a roast beef one.  Made with Ciabatta bread, there was, as it is usually the case when sandwiches are made with that type of bread, too much bread and not enough in the middle. The beef was good enough, the lettuce could have been crispier, there was some mayo - no cheese, no mustard - and definitely too much bread.

Warm food was also offered in the suite. Spring rolls, filled with black beans, crab cakes, shrimp chips, and a warm potato salad.

The crab cakes, if fresh, would have been terrific.  But they had been in the warmer a little to long, and the bottom was a bit mushy.  Inside, it was tender, chunky, flavourful. Too bad about the texture.

The shrimp chips were also mushy - they aren’t meant to be kept warm and steamy.  Discarded.

The potato salad, however, was great.  Nice russet tatters, cut in chunks, carrots, green onions, red onions, red peppers, in a creamy sauce and kept warm.  It was well done.

Being in a suite gives you access to a different fare, that is for sure.  And it made the Senators’ win even sweeter.

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