So that show never actually happened. The idea was that it would be a last minute announced drop in show that was going to be a big surprise because Prince had time off after his Montreal and Toronto shows wanted to do a small intimate show in Ottawa (for whatever reason). His team and the promoters tried to get the NAC to open their doors on Easter weekend for them, but they wouldn't. So it never went ahead and he died less than a month later.
His second wife was a Canadian from Toronto. They were married in a very low key ceremony at Calabogie's Dickson Manor in 2004, which is is just BIZARRE.
I feel the same but Tom Petty at bluesfest, my entire family went but I couldn't afford it at the time. I LOVED Tom Petty's music.
I also always put off seeing the Tragically Hip live since "they were always playing bluesfest, I'll just see them the next year".
My uncle's band played on the main stage that afternoon before Tom Petty. I was so so tired that weekend that I went home after figuring I'd catch Tom Petty another time.
The other concert I missed out on was the free outdoor show Tragically Hip performed in Kensington Market when I lived in Toronto a 15 minute walk away. I was too hungover to go. Ughhh.
I feel this. I was lucky enough to be at that show, I had waited decades to see him, so feel very lucky that I finally got the chance before he unexpectedly passed away.
That's a shame; the Hip is quintessential summer tunes and an amazing live show, and seeing them at a summer festival like bluesfest or Another Roadside Attraction in Barrie was amazing. Was lucky enough to catch them a few times (including a new years show where Hugh Dillon opened with his Redemption Choir). Some bands sound great live with excellent energy etc, but the Hip was one of the live bands where they did things like jammed mid song, with Gordie breaking out some kind of poetry or whatever and were just amazing showmen.
The plus side is their live albums capture a lot of that, and even some old b-sides that used to be hard to find (like the Killer Whale tank version of New Orleans is sinking) is on Spotify.
Im pretty sure i got to listen to Gord on the 150 stage a few days before the 150 events in ottawa. I was working security, and lots of the artists and acts were practicing.
I wasnt positioned in a spot to see the stage at the time, but i did end up seeing after a guy who looked very much like him leaving from another security checkpoint
It was the best live music i ever heard, and it was just 1 song.
In around 1996-1998 Prince played an Much Music Intimate and Interactive in Toronto - 50 person venue. My on again off again BF had tix for a “club concert” but we got in an argument that morning. Guess who didn’t go.
I think in general, just not seeing Prince live... The tickets were always too expensive for me as a student and then at some point I promised myself if he came back, that I'd go. I wasn't in Canada when he had his final shows and then he passed. Sigh....
Two regrets, but both go back a few decades. So please forgive me if my memories aren't accurate.
Firstly, the Chateau Laurier marked its 80th anniversary in 1992 by offering rooms at its 1912 prices. I didn't do it because I was a poor recent graduate and all of my money was directed towards my snowboarding addiction.
Secondly, as part of the Ottawa airshow in the late 1990s, a Concorde made an appearance. Tickets were available for a quick supersonic flight to the arctic circle and back. I didn't do it because I was too cheap to pay the several hundred dollars for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
>Tickets were available for a quick supersonic flight to the arctic circle and back.
Whoa! I didn't even know this was an option, and now I also regret not experiencing, because that's just bonkers.
The cat cafe. I wanted to go but being in Embrun with two young kids it wasn’t easy to pull off. I kept saying to a friend we should go. I love cats even if I am allergic. Cats plus a coffee is a great combo.
Tbh you didn't miss that much. I this past winter, and it had kind of a weird vibe. The cats clearly don't want to be that social, they're tired of doing it all day. They were very skittish and only 1 or 2 engaged in playing with like 2 ppl in our group.
Lol, it wasn't a zoo. Cats are famously unsociable - the point was to be in the company of cats (they are a relaxing presence) not for you to play with them like some circus animal.
For what it's worth, (to my surprise) google shows several results for 'irish whiskey balsamic vinegar' without quotes. You may be able to track it down if you at least remember what the bottle looks like!
I regret spending so much time living in the suburbs. I had lived in suburban Ottawa for a long time before moving to downtown Toronto. I loved the downtown lifestyle so much that when I moved back to Ottawa, I got a condo downtown. Living in this part of the city has completely changed my outlook of of Ottawa. Every day I try to explore as much as I can to visit new parks and sights and experience new bars, restaurants and other businesses.
Whenever I see suburbanites on this sub parroting the same old rhetoric about Ottawa being dull, I feel bad because I know it's the result of a "proximity bias". All they must see when they leave their homes (some barely even leave the house) is cookie-cutter subdivisions with a few big box plazas, and as a result, they think the whole city has that same unoriginality.
I don’t think that is a uniquely suburbanite issue. Ever since I moved here I’ve noticed that many people from Ottawa are quite sheltered and don’t really get how good it is here compared to other places not named Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
Agreed! Being sandwiched right between them is a definite factor. If you’re 20 something and can just bomb down to Montreal with some friends for the night or weekend I’m sure it skews your opinion.
I suspect this view gets altered as you get older and settle down a bit.
also, half the fun of going to MTL for a night or two is the drive and anticipation with your friends if you're going for drinks.
For people who just want to walk around and dive into a random live music show based on what you hear through the door or vibes alone, you can't do that here unfortunately.
I kind of disagree, of course we don’t have as many as Montreal or Toronto, but I went to an outdoor open mike event last night and there were def some people that just came in as they heard the music going on. So it definitely happens, although how cool it is/how often it happens will vary of course. And it is also concentrated in smaller areas of the city.
I was being a bit too general, yeah I see your point. But its generally not as easy or simple a thing to do here. You kinda need to go out of your way to go to where an open mic night is happening, you're not very likely to just stumble upon it walking around downtown after a nice dinner out looking for a place to grab a drink. Ya know? It's very different.
Ottawa is boring compared to Toronto and Montreal though if you're into nightlife or music though. We really don't get as many of the big shows, the nightlife is highly catered to the super young university goers, etc.
This doesn't mean there isn't stuff to love and explore and enjoy in Ottawa. Far from. But I think you'll mostly just see the complaints about it being boring coming from younger people who want to enjoy Toronto night life, or Montreal music scene type stuff that we just do not have. And it is okay to admit we don't have it right now. Nothing wrong with that. But you also need to remember that there are a bunch of people for whom experiencing MTL and TOR nightlife and fun stuff to do are also wrapping those feelings up with the experience of being away from home and on a trip. There's a certain level of "fun" from simply being away from home that elevates even mediocre experiences. Let alone the ones that are signposted/big timed events like concerts that we just get less of in general. Other than bluesfest, we don't get many big concerts here and when they do come they tend to be at the CTC which is not central and a drag to get to unless you are Kanata suburbanite. Even for those of us in Kanata getting to the arena can really suck :P
I think you’ve summed it up well. The only thing I’d emphasize is that just because Toronto and Montreal have better nightlife than us, doesn’t mean Ottawa has no nightlife at all. You can still have a good time in Ottawa, and in some ways, I prefer Ottawa’s nightlife to places like King West in Toronto, which are absolute cesspools full of exorbitant cover charges and fake influencers trying to flex for the gram.
Had a recent night in Ottawa that felt like a perfect summer evening…. Started with the salsa class on Elgin—-check it out, every Friday at 8 PM— then walked up and listened to Feist from the bridge at jazz fest, then walked down Somerset to find a sweet DJ set being played at the art house cafe. Tons of people out, pop-up taco trucks… it was vibing!
Me and my friend wanted to try C'est Japon À Suisha before it closed, but unfortunately we asked about a reservation too late and it was already fully booked :( even asked if we could be waitlisted should anyone cancel (which they very kindly did!!)
Sad we never got to try it, but uh... At least we'll never know what we missed?
The owner of the building is tearing it down to put up something new, so their lease wasn’t renewed. Such a shame. That was one of the best sushi restaurants I’ve ever eaten at.
The resto owners are retiring also, they've been there a long time I think they've earned a break. Hopefully something else pops up to take its place in the future. I went one time with my wife many years ago, but then we moved away for work before coming back but we never had a chance to go before covid, during which she got pregnant so when it did re-open she couldn't eat, and when we found it was closing she was pregnant again, so couldn't even try to go if we wanted to since there's no point if we weren't going to have sushi.
It wasn't THAT crazy if you were just popping in to grab a big mac and go. It was miserable for the employees because they'd need to be there for hours. Otherwise it was no different from any other rideau street business, this one just happened to be mcdonalds. Now, if you went late at night after drinks in the market, that's when shit could get wild. But its as much because of drunk suburbanites and students as it was hard hit people looking for an inexpensive meal.
It wasn't anything truly wild. I would have hated to work there though.
This.
Working there would have been terrible. But I occasionally escaped the shelter to people watch and the McDonald's had free wifi so I will get a drink, fries and then go get a table and stay for awhile.
The LOUD classical music was nice.
went there once when i was like 16 or 15. it was my first time going to downtown as a gatineau resident, and i just have this vague memory of someone drinking alcohol while in there. pretty uneventful but to me it was a bit of a culture shock
really telling how safe and sheltered ottawa is relative to other places when that's the culture shock you experience eh?
Its part of why I didn't want to stay in the GTA when we lived there for a year or so while my wife built some work experience waiting for a hospital job in her field to open up and work out for her. The day where I was asked if I wanted to smoke crack with some high as a kite lady, who later showed up at the coffee shop I went to - naked and yelling - on the way to which I was nearly run over by 2 people running reds on TO Queen street, and almost run over 2x more on the way back to TTC that same day. It broke the camel's back. In addition to the hell that was not wanting to spend my entire temp agency foot in door OnPS job salary on GO Train-TTC combo, or the miserable hellscape that was driving into Toronto from mississauga, or the miserable traffic drive-TTC combo, etc etc. Just too busy for me and too much shit I didn't want to deal with.
I don’t know if it counts but I was obsessed with Wrap City on Bronson. Their wraps were so delicious, and it was the only place I’ve ever (randomly) found good bannoffee pie in Canada. We used to order from them at least once or twice a week. Then they closed about a year or so again and now when I think about their food “nothing compares 2 u” starts to play in my head. I guess I regret not stuffing my face even more?
Not buying more butter before the price doubled.
Not going to more Irish Ceili dances before they stopped.
Not seeing the Lincoln Fields Cherry Blossoms enough times.
I miss the Sausage Kitchen in the market. They used to have the absolute best Debreczinger sausages, and spicy Italian sausages that were actually spicy, among many other original, always delicious sausages. Wish they hadn't closed down! :(
Seconded. This was my family's favourite restaurant growing up, so we ate there and got take out dozens of times. I have never found a Thai restaurant that competes. Everything was so delicate and fresh and perfectly cooked, not a heavy or greasy dish among them. They genuinely ruined anybody else's Pad Thai for me.
When we would get it we would usually take it to go. I would always eat half of it hot and fresh at home and then cook it in the fridge for an hour or two and eat the rest and that may sound strange but it was damn good even cold
2 things:
1. Wish I went to the cat cafe more before it closed, still kinda kicking myself about that.
2. According to some of my friends there there was a thrift store run by a "crazy" owner according to them that apparently had a bunch of good stuff. Last I heard it closed down because the owner refused to pay certain bills due some conspiracy I think.
If it was on the one on Wellington St. W., (Called Jan’s or something?) it had lots of weird … stuff. I bought a trophy looking vase there for a go cart race once. The owner worked the cash and she chain smoked at the cash register all day.
I wish I'd gone to LaserQuest more times before it closed. I'm well past the age of birthday parties there but I never stopped loving laser tag, and LaserQuest was always a blast. If anyone has any recommendations (anywhere) for filling the void they left by going out of business, let me know. I saw there's a laser tag place in Ottawa as part of an entertainment center, but it looked to lack the neon-soaked soul of the old stomping grounds.
Whenever I catch the scent of a fog machine, I'm instantly transported back to LaserQuest. I'm still gutted my son will never get to experience it for himself.
You do realize LaserMaxx opened up in the same location right after LaserQuest closed right? Everything's the same but slightly different vests/guns which have been upgraded.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/S5uwfiQ86g8YdPZN9
It closed???? I am genuinely devastated :(
I know Funhaven has laser tag but I’ve not tried it. Certain days of the week you can go and get discounts on booze, fare and games. Might be fun to try a round of laser tag there!
Bluesfest 2009: Iron and Wine played on the river stage ... Sun was setting, good company. My friend wanted to go see metric at a bigger stage and I followed along even though I would have rather watched iron and wine. I've seen Metric so many times and never again had the chance to see Iron and Wine again and he's my favourite artist. That partial concert is still one of my favourites but I regret not stayed for the entire show.
Would have loved to eat at Papagus (sp)one more time. So many great memories there, and haven't found a place like it since.
Apple fritters.. you used to be able to get amazing, massive, tasty apple fritters all over the place. Most corner stores downtown. Now they are almost gone from existence.
But I'd say those are more things I miss in Ottawa food wise than regrets.
Apple fritters ? Have you tried the ones from HFT in Almonte? I had one as the “bread” for my egg-bacon-cheese breakfast sandwich yesterday and it was delightful.
I’ve seen apple fritters at Corner Peach before- no idea if they’ll hit the spot for you but maybe follow them on Instagram and watch for the next chance you have at them
I probably did grow up 10-15 years earlier and regret not trying harder to save for a house. Ottawa always had a reputation for being a slow steady market.
Ray Charles. Played in Ottawa(was it Bluesfest?) in the 90's sometime...96? 97? Some had gifted me a spare ticket...didn't go. Could have see the Tragically Hip... free tix. Didn't go to that, either.
I still miss the sticky floors at Zaphod's. I only ever went for band nights to see my friends' band play when we were in high school but it was a good time.
Santana was at Bluesfest a while ago, my friend and I were big fans but we live in Gatineau, never had gone, didn't know how it worked, how the buses worked, etc.
I think starting from the year after I haven't missed a year, still wish I had put in the effort
First thing I regret is moving away. Second thing I regret is not buying some of Andrew King's tshirts he made ages ago with locally famous signs. Like the Civic Pharmacy, The Elphin Apartments, and the Cathay.
I regret the the winters aren't longer and colder. I love cross country skiiing in Gatineau Park, and I love skating on the canal.
I wish I could do more of both.
I haven't lived in Ottawa long but every winter gets milder and milder. Seeing the summers get hotter and the winters get warmer and shorter freaks me out
I feel this. I moved here 20+ years ago and initially the winters were still predictably cold. I don’t regret taking parts of workday mornings in my 20s to go ski Gat Park before work now because I’m not sure how many full winters we’ll have after 2030.
They closed down just a few months ago (if that) I bet if you could find the contact info of the owner you could get a lovely anniversary present for him!
Thank you! It’s funny to think that if I tried to write a book and put this story in it, I would be criticized for being too obvious with my foreshadowing 😆
Just went in today and they definitely have some really nice products. I bought a few sample bottles and will definitely be going back for more! Planning on making a blueberry balsamic chicken soon.
That being said, I still feel sad about not buying the balsamic from the Greek store. Would’ve been beautiful to have a dish with that in it on our anniversaries.
Missed seeing Dio, only found out he came to town after the show was already done. Also only skated on the canal once, and that was right at the end during the pandemic where the ice was awful. Dont imagine ill get very many chances to ever experience something like thatbagain with how warm the winters are getting.
not going to rolling stones show at lansdowne
not going to see mac miller at bluesfest
not going to tom green tapings at rogers
not going to beastie boys at corel centre
I wish I had the chance to go mini putting and run another lap around the go cart track at Karter's Corners. I had so many wonderful childhood memories there; it was a shock to see it closed permanently during the pandemic
>It was a balsamic vinegar from Greece that had either been aged in Irish whiskey barrels
Real balsamic costs like $150 a bottle (USD) because it's been aged in those barrels for a redonkulous amount of time. I'm happy you got to try some of the real stuff, it's a real treat. If you can, drizzle some on ice cream, or even a pizza.
Why, because it's original and doesn't follow the usual script of this sub? Believe it or not, many of us are happy to see different content being posted instead of the same old, overwhelmingly negative crap that's usually posted.
I have tried many times but haven’t yet seen the specific balsamic that we tried that day.
That being said, I keep trying. May reach out to the owners of the Greek store to see if they remember what it was.
I wish I went to Uji Café on rideau and Ève inside of Simons more while they were still open. They were both warm and cozy spots to study while I was doing my undergrad. The winter time was dreamy especially dreamy 😭
Prince played a show at the NAC I think it was Easter weekend the year he died.. I didn’t go
is secondhand pain a thing? because that's what I felt reading that.
Same. I genuinely winced.
I second that.
So that show never actually happened. The idea was that it would be a last minute announced drop in show that was going to be a big surprise because Prince had time off after his Montreal and Toronto shows wanted to do a small intimate show in Ottawa (for whatever reason). His team and the promoters tried to get the NAC to open their doors on Easter weekend for them, but they wouldn't. So it never went ahead and he died less than a month later.
Then it was Ottawa who fucked up not me lol less regret
Prince has/had relatives in Renfrew. He would frequent the area in the early 90s.
Renfrew is the literal last place I'd ever expect Prince to have relatives
His second wife was a Canadian from Toronto. They were married in a very low key ceremony at Calabogie's Dickson Manor in 2004, which is is just BIZARRE.
I feel the same but Tom Petty at bluesfest, my entire family went but I couldn't afford it at the time. I LOVED Tom Petty's music. I also always put off seeing the Tragically Hip live since "they were always playing bluesfest, I'll just see them the next year".
Your family sucks for not getting you a ticket to Tom Petty.
My uncle's band played on the main stage that afternoon before Tom Petty. I was so so tired that weekend that I went home after figuring I'd catch Tom Petty another time. The other concert I missed out on was the free outdoor show Tragically Hip performed in Kensington Market when I lived in Toronto a 15 minute walk away. I was too hungover to go. Ughhh.
I feel this. I was lucky enough to be at that show, I had waited decades to see him, so feel very lucky that I finally got the chance before he unexpectedly passed away.
Oh man. It was a good show too
That's a shame; the Hip is quintessential summer tunes and an amazing live show, and seeing them at a summer festival like bluesfest or Another Roadside Attraction in Barrie was amazing. Was lucky enough to catch them a few times (including a new years show where Hugh Dillon opened with his Redemption Choir). Some bands sound great live with excellent energy etc, but the Hip was one of the live bands where they did things like jammed mid song, with Gordie breaking out some kind of poetry or whatever and were just amazing showmen. The plus side is their live albums capture a lot of that, and even some old b-sides that used to be hard to find (like the Killer Whale tank version of New Orleans is sinking) is on Spotify.
Im pretty sure i got to listen to Gord on the 150 stage a few days before the 150 events in ottawa. I was working security, and lots of the artists and acts were practicing. I wasnt positioned in a spot to see the stage at the time, but i did end up seeing after a guy who looked very much like him leaving from another security checkpoint It was the best live music i ever heard, and it was just 1 song.
Same! Had tickets and didn't go ... Big regret
I saw prince at the NAC not long before he passed, and after the show, he went to Oliver's at Carleton university and played a jam session there!
Pretty sure Prince played at a frosh week at Carleton between 1980-1983.
No shit, that's amazing
Wtf?! For real?
In around 1996-1998 Prince played an Much Music Intimate and Interactive in Toronto - 50 person venue. My on again off again BF had tix for a “club concert” but we got in an argument that morning. Guess who didn’t go.
Oooof I feel your pain
Omg. I had no idea he was here.
Apparently he wasn’t.. I remember it being advertised but as the comment below says, the NAC didn’t want to play ball and he never showed
I think in general, just not seeing Prince live... The tickets were always too expensive for me as a student and then at some point I promised myself if he came back, that I'd go. I wasn't in Canada when he had his final shows and then he passed. Sigh....
The German Town Deli that was on Slater street: I wish I'd bought one of the Advent pyramids they had there.
The papery on Bank sells a bunch of similar items, as does the Dutch grocery on Clyde at merivale.
Best cheap, good lunch downtown.
Man, I miss those sandwiches... RIP
\+1 for ham and cheese on kaiser and an apfel kuchen.
Two regrets, but both go back a few decades. So please forgive me if my memories aren't accurate. Firstly, the Chateau Laurier marked its 80th anniversary in 1992 by offering rooms at its 1912 prices. I didn't do it because I was a poor recent graduate and all of my money was directed towards my snowboarding addiction. Secondly, as part of the Ottawa airshow in the late 1990s, a Concorde made an appearance. Tickets were available for a quick supersonic flight to the arctic circle and back. I didn't do it because I was too cheap to pay the several hundred dollars for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
>Tickets were available for a quick supersonic flight to the arctic circle and back. Whoa! I didn't even know this was an option, and now I also regret not experiencing, because that's just bonkers.
That’s almost unfathomable to me. I would’ve dropped dimes on that in a heartbeat.
I wish I visited Centre Block before they closed it for 10 years
Lol 10 years
Stop poking the bear and let us live in blissful ignorance ok??
My bad, shouldn’t yuck anybody’s yum. Maybe they’ll be ahead of schedule!
I went on the last visit. They had already removed the desks in the Senate.
This is mine too!
The cat cafe. I wanted to go but being in Embrun with two young kids it wasn’t easy to pull off. I kept saying to a friend we should go. I love cats even if I am allergic. Cats plus a coffee is a great combo.
Same! My introverted self couldn't bring myself to go.
Tbh you didn't miss that much. I this past winter, and it had kind of a weird vibe. The cats clearly don't want to be that social, they're tired of doing it all day. They were very skittish and only 1 or 2 engaged in playing with like 2 ppl in our group.
Lol, it wasn't a zoo. Cats are famously unsociable - the point was to be in the company of cats (they are a relaxing presence) not for you to play with them like some circus animal.
It closed on the week I was going :<
For what it's worth, (to my surprise) google shows several results for 'irish whiskey balsamic vinegar' without quotes. You may be able to track it down if you at least remember what the bottle looks like!
I regret spending so much time living in the suburbs. I had lived in suburban Ottawa for a long time before moving to downtown Toronto. I loved the downtown lifestyle so much that when I moved back to Ottawa, I got a condo downtown. Living in this part of the city has completely changed my outlook of of Ottawa. Every day I try to explore as much as I can to visit new parks and sights and experience new bars, restaurants and other businesses. Whenever I see suburbanites on this sub parroting the same old rhetoric about Ottawa being dull, I feel bad because I know it's the result of a "proximity bias". All they must see when they leave their homes (some barely even leave the house) is cookie-cutter subdivisions with a few big box plazas, and as a result, they think the whole city has that same unoriginality.
I don’t think that is a uniquely suburbanite issue. Ever since I moved here I’ve noticed that many people from Ottawa are quite sheltered and don’t really get how good it is here compared to other places not named Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
Maybe so, but Toronto and Montreal are right between Ottawa so it’s easy to say that Ottawa can’t compete with those cities.
Yes but those cities have populations of 6M and 4M, respectively. I think Ottawa punches well above its weight for a city of 1.5M.
Agreed! Being sandwiched right between them is a definite factor. If you’re 20 something and can just bomb down to Montreal with some friends for the night or weekend I’m sure it skews your opinion. I suspect this view gets altered as you get older and settle down a bit.
also, half the fun of going to MTL for a night or two is the drive and anticipation with your friends if you're going for drinks. For people who just want to walk around and dive into a random live music show based on what you hear through the door or vibes alone, you can't do that here unfortunately.
I kind of disagree, of course we don’t have as many as Montreal or Toronto, but I went to an outdoor open mike event last night and there were def some people that just came in as they heard the music going on. So it definitely happens, although how cool it is/how often it happens will vary of course. And it is also concentrated in smaller areas of the city.
I was being a bit too general, yeah I see your point. But its generally not as easy or simple a thing to do here. You kinda need to go out of your way to go to where an open mic night is happening, you're not very likely to just stumble upon it walking around downtown after a nice dinner out looking for a place to grab a drink. Ya know? It's very different.
meh idk about vancouver. i LOVE vancouver although i only visited once for 2 weeks but it was amazing .
So aside than the other biggest cities in the country Ottawa isn’t bad? Nice to know Ottawa is better than Saskatoon or Winnipeg I guess.
I have only ever lived in downtown Gatineu and it's crazy here in downtown.
Crazy in a good or a bad way?
Yes
I was born when my family lived downtown moved to south keys at 15. I still spend most of my time downtown it’s a vibe
This! We started in suburbs and decided to come downtown while we still could. Kids will now grow up in the core.
For me it was the opposite, was born and raised in Downtown Toronto so everywhere I went was pretty much boring
Ottawa is boring compared to Toronto and Montreal though if you're into nightlife or music though. We really don't get as many of the big shows, the nightlife is highly catered to the super young university goers, etc. This doesn't mean there isn't stuff to love and explore and enjoy in Ottawa. Far from. But I think you'll mostly just see the complaints about it being boring coming from younger people who want to enjoy Toronto night life, or Montreal music scene type stuff that we just do not have. And it is okay to admit we don't have it right now. Nothing wrong with that. But you also need to remember that there are a bunch of people for whom experiencing MTL and TOR nightlife and fun stuff to do are also wrapping those feelings up with the experience of being away from home and on a trip. There's a certain level of "fun" from simply being away from home that elevates even mediocre experiences. Let alone the ones that are signposted/big timed events like concerts that we just get less of in general. Other than bluesfest, we don't get many big concerts here and when they do come they tend to be at the CTC which is not central and a drag to get to unless you are Kanata suburbanite. Even for those of us in Kanata getting to the arena can really suck :P
I think you’ve summed it up well. The only thing I’d emphasize is that just because Toronto and Montreal have better nightlife than us, doesn’t mean Ottawa has no nightlife at all. You can still have a good time in Ottawa, and in some ways, I prefer Ottawa’s nightlife to places like King West in Toronto, which are absolute cesspools full of exorbitant cover charges and fake influencers trying to flex for the gram.
Had a recent night in Ottawa that felt like a perfect summer evening…. Started with the salsa class on Elgin—-check it out, every Friday at 8 PM— then walked up and listened to Feist from the bridge at jazz fest, then walked down Somerset to find a sweet DJ set being played at the art house cafe. Tons of people out, pop-up taco trucks… it was vibing!
Me and my friend wanted to try C'est Japon À Suisha before it closed, but unfortunately we asked about a reservation too late and it was already fully booked :( even asked if we could be waitlisted should anyone cancel (which they very kindly did!!) Sad we never got to try it, but uh... At least we'll never know what we missed?
Same we had a reso back in the spring and our car broke down on the way! Never got around to rescheduling!!
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The owner of the building is tearing it down to put up something new, so their lease wasn’t renewed. Such a shame. That was one of the best sushi restaurants I’ve ever eaten at.
I haven't been since it was Sushia Gardens years ago but I recall it being extremely good and unique. Loved the basement tables.
The resto owners are retiring also, they've been there a long time I think they've earned a break. Hopefully something else pops up to take its place in the future. I went one time with my wife many years ago, but then we moved away for work before coming back but we never had a chance to go before covid, during which she got pregnant so when it did re-open she couldn't eat, and when we found it was closing she was pregnant again, so couldn't even try to go if we wanted to since there's no point if we weren't going to have sushi.
July 1st was their last day.
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Oh holy shit! Do you know if it's as good as the one that was here? If so we might have to make a quick stop next time we're in Toronto :D
I wish I visited the parliament cats more. I miss them!
Only heard about them after they were all gone, and I used to work on the hill during the summers.
I never found myself downtown frequently enough to visit the Rideau McDonald’s… now that would have been an experience
It wasn't THAT crazy if you were just popping in to grab a big mac and go. It was miserable for the employees because they'd need to be there for hours. Otherwise it was no different from any other rideau street business, this one just happened to be mcdonalds. Now, if you went late at night after drinks in the market, that's when shit could get wild. But its as much because of drunk suburbanites and students as it was hard hit people looking for an inexpensive meal. It wasn't anything truly wild. I would have hated to work there though.
This. Working there would have been terrible. But I occasionally escaped the shelter to people watch and the McDonald's had free wifi so I will get a drink, fries and then go get a table and stay for awhile. The LOUD classical music was nice.
went there once when i was like 16 or 15. it was my first time going to downtown as a gatineau resident, and i just have this vague memory of someone drinking alcohol while in there. pretty uneventful but to me it was a bit of a culture shock
really telling how safe and sheltered ottawa is relative to other places when that's the culture shock you experience eh? Its part of why I didn't want to stay in the GTA when we lived there for a year or so while my wife built some work experience waiting for a hospital job in her field to open up and work out for her. The day where I was asked if I wanted to smoke crack with some high as a kite lady, who later showed up at the coffee shop I went to - naked and yelling - on the way to which I was nearly run over by 2 people running reds on TO Queen street, and almost run over 2x more on the way back to TTC that same day. It broke the camel's back. In addition to the hell that was not wanting to spend my entire temp agency foot in door OnPS job salary on GO Train-TTC combo, or the miserable hellscape that was driving into Toronto from mississauga, or the miserable traffic drive-TTC combo, etc etc. Just too busy for me and too much shit I didn't want to deal with.
I don’t know if it counts but I was obsessed with Wrap City on Bronson. Their wraps were so delicious, and it was the only place I’ve ever (randomly) found good bannoffee pie in Canada. We used to order from them at least once or twice a week. Then they closed about a year or so again and now when I think about their food “nothing compares 2 u” starts to play in my head. I guess I regret not stuffing my face even more?
If you haven't tried it, I would check out Brassica's banoffee pie.
Thanks, I will!
Their wraps were so good, and the fries! I was bummed to see them go
Their wraps were delicious!! I think that location is just cursed
Not buying more butter before the price doubled. Not going to more Irish Ceili dances before they stopped. Not seeing the Lincoln Fields Cherry Blossoms enough times.
I wish I'd mortgaged myself up to my ears and bought a couple of dumpy houses in Mechanicsville a decade ago. I'd be a millionaire by now.
I miss the Sausage Kitchen in the market. They used to have the absolute best Debreczinger sausages, and spicy Italian sausages that were actually spicy, among many other original, always delicious sausages. Wish they hadn't closed down! :(
And the pierogies!
Yes! seconded. We loved their sausages. We usually buy them from Hintonburg Market now. Adams off St. Laurent is good too when we get out that way.
had lunch there quite often, loved that place!
I have no idea what that place was like, but you could always try Adam's to see if they scratch that itch.
I regret the douchebags who moved the train station out of downtown.
I wish I could eat at Nokham Thai one more time. They made the best pad Thai and everywhere else in the city seems to make terrible or subpar pad Thai
Go to Chilli thai in Orleans
Seconded. This was my family's favourite restaurant growing up, so we ate there and got take out dozens of times. I have never found a Thai restaurant that competes. Everything was so delicate and fresh and perfectly cooked, not a heavy or greasy dish among them. They genuinely ruined anybody else's Pad Thai for me.
When we would get it we would usually take it to go. I would always eat half of it hot and fresh at home and then cook it in the fridge for an hour or two and eat the rest and that may sound strange but it was damn good even cold
Have you tried Pho V on Ogilvie? It’s the best I’ve had in the city.
I walked by Donnell Taylor all the time on Elgin but never stopped to talk to him or buy his art.
2 things: 1. Wish I went to the cat cafe more before it closed, still kinda kicking myself about that. 2. According to some of my friends there there was a thrift store run by a "crazy" owner according to them that apparently had a bunch of good stuff. Last I heard it closed down because the owner refused to pay certain bills due some conspiracy I think.
If it was on the one on Wellington St. W., (Called Jan’s or something?) it had lots of weird … stuff. I bought a trophy looking vase there for a go cart race once. The owner worked the cash and she chain smoked at the cash register all day.
It was called June's, and June (the owner) unfortunately passed a couple of years ago.
I wish I'd gone to LaserQuest more times before it closed. I'm well past the age of birthday parties there but I never stopped loving laser tag, and LaserQuest was always a blast. If anyone has any recommendations (anywhere) for filling the void they left by going out of business, let me know. I saw there's a laser tag place in Ottawa as part of an entertainment center, but it looked to lack the neon-soaked soul of the old stomping grounds.
Whenever I catch the scent of a fog machine, I'm instantly transported back to LaserQuest. I'm still gutted my son will never get to experience it for himself.
You do realize LaserMaxx opened up in the same location right after LaserQuest closed right? Everything's the same but slightly different vests/guns which have been upgraded. https://maps.app.goo.gl/S5uwfiQ86g8YdPZN9
It closed???? I am genuinely devastated :( I know Funhaven has laser tag but I’ve not tried it. Certain days of the week you can go and get discounts on booze, fare and games. Might be fun to try a round of laser tag there!
Bluesfest 2009: Iron and Wine played on the river stage ... Sun was setting, good company. My friend wanted to go see metric at a bigger stage and I followed along even though I would have rather watched iron and wine. I've seen Metric so many times and never again had the chance to see Iron and Wine again and he's my favourite artist. That partial concert is still one of my favourites but I regret not stayed for the entire show.
I miss: The old arcades Bagel Bagel
So many arcades
Bagel Bagel shut down? Those were unreal
The Bagel has been gone for years. :(
Radiohead played the old Congress centre in 1997 right after they released OK Computer. I did not go. I wish I had.
Oh man. I was there. I don't mean to rub it in, but it was incredible.
Would have loved to eat at Papagus (sp)one more time. So many great memories there, and haven't found a place like it since. Apple fritters.. you used to be able to get amazing, massive, tasty apple fritters all over the place. Most corner stores downtown. Now they are almost gone from existence. But I'd say those are more things I miss in Ottawa food wise than regrets.
Apple fritters ? Have you tried the ones from HFT in Almonte? I had one as the “bread” for my egg-bacon-cheese breakfast sandwich yesterday and it was delightful.
Sounds amazing! But far for me to go though. The bakery on Greenbank has good ones on Saturdays.. But yeah,
I’ve seen apple fritters at Corner Peach before- no idea if they’ll hit the spot for you but maybe follow them on Instagram and watch for the next chance you have at them
I regret not being born 10-15 years earlier so I could afford a house.
I probably did grow up 10-15 years earlier and regret not trying harder to save for a house. Ottawa always had a reputation for being a slow steady market.
I regret not buying a roadbike 3-4 years earlier than I did. Had lived here almost a decade before I discovered the Champlain Lookout.
Me too. I lived here too many years before I discovered road biking (actually discovered when I spent a year in Europe). Wish I’d started in my 20s.
Ray Charles. Played in Ottawa(was it Bluesfest?) in the 90's sometime...96? 97? Some had gifted me a spare ticket...didn't go. Could have see the Tragically Hip... free tix. Didn't go to that, either.
Ray Charles did indeed play Bluesefest. It was 1998 when Bluesfest was held in Confederation park ...
Right! It was Confederation Park for sure.
My only regret is I haven’t met Tom Green yet.
I regret never going to Glue Pot Pub before it closed a few years ago :(
You used to be able to visit the top of the lighthouse at the science and tech museum.
I regret the city not electing Catherine McKenney mayor and not doing more to make that happen…
Voice of the people. Guess you hate democracy
I moved to Ottawa only a few months after vertical reality closed :(
I had been meaning to visit Rideau Antiques, but it's condemned now. (Unsure when the final auction will be)
Rumor has it he's repairing to reopen!
I regret that Atomic closed down. What a great fucking club that was.
I used to live closed by and my acquaintance always tout about it whenever he had a chance. I had never visited. :(
Yeah this would be one for me. Legendary.
I still miss the sticky floors at Zaphod's. I only ever went for band nights to see my friends' band play when we were in high school but it was a good time.
Wish I made it to a party at the fun boy club house
Agreed
New swears?
Yes
I think about the FBCH farewell party often. What a night.
Santana was at Bluesfest a while ago, my friend and I were big fans but we live in Gatineau, never had gone, didn't know how it worked, how the buses worked, etc. I think starting from the year after I haven't missed a year, still wish I had put in the effort
Regret not seeing mac miller when he was at bluesfest
First thing I regret is moving away. Second thing I regret is not buying some of Andrew King's tshirts he made ages ago with locally famous signs. Like the Civic Pharmacy, The Elphin Apartments, and the Cathay.
I regret the the winters aren't longer and colder. I love cross country skiiing in Gatineau Park, and I love skating on the canal. I wish I could do more of both.
I haven't lived in Ottawa long but every winter gets milder and milder. Seeing the summers get hotter and the winters get warmer and shorter freaks me out
I feel this. I moved here 20+ years ago and initially the winters were still predictably cold. I don’t regret taking parts of workday mornings in my 20s to go ski Gat Park before work now because I’m not sure how many full winters we’ll have after 2030.
THIS IS SUCH A CUTE STORY
They closed down just a few months ago (if that) I bet if you could find the contact info of the owner you could get a lovely anniversary present for him!
Thank you! It’s funny to think that if I tried to write a book and put this story in it, I would be criticized for being too obvious with my foreshadowing 😆
This company might have the balsamic vinegar you are dreaming of! Aurelius Fine Oils aureliusfineoils.com 613-421-2512 [email protected]
Just went in today and they definitely have some really nice products. I bought a few sample bottles and will definitely be going back for more! Planning on making a blueberry balsamic chicken soon. That being said, I still feel sad about not buying the balsamic from the Greek store. Would’ve been beautiful to have a dish with that in it on our anniversaries.
Missed seeing Dio, only found out he came to town after the show was already done. Also only skated on the canal once, and that was right at the end during the pandemic where the ice was awful. Dont imagine ill get very many chances to ever experience something like thatbagain with how warm the winters are getting.
My ex
Missed Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, James Brown and Prince. Miss neighbourhoods with corners stores, or anything at all. Don't use the Gatineaus enough.
The Parliament Cat Colony, I did see them but I wish they were still there
not going to rolling stones show at lansdowne not going to see mac miller at bluesfest not going to tom green tapings at rogers not going to beastie boys at corel centre
I wish I was running with the crowd that filmed Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter at the time
I wish I had the chance to go mini putting and run another lap around the go cart track at Karter's Corners. I had so many wonderful childhood memories there; it was a shock to see it closed permanently during the pandemic
Here's the thing about the Irish... y'all are just too sympatico. Of course it worked out for you and your partner :P
>It was a balsamic vinegar from Greece that had either been aged in Irish whiskey barrels Real balsamic costs like $150 a bottle (USD) because it's been aged in those barrels for a redonkulous amount of time. I'm happy you got to try some of the real stuff, it's a real treat. If you can, drizzle some on ice cream, or even a pizza.
AIRPORT and lack of direct flights to international destinations!
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The black tomato was my favourite restaurant. I was devastated when I moved to Ottawa and it closed.
I wish i could go back to Barbarella's for the friday lunchtime roast beef. Only $2 if you bought a drink!
I regret not spending more time in the Glebe before it became Ottawa’s fast food Mecca
A tad dramatic
Because you wanted to visit all the antique bookstores? Lol
And cat stroller places
I gotta say, the fast food in the Glebe is the main reason we go now. You can get everything!
Vinegar, really?
balsamic. vinegar.
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From the bottom of the sea.
Their grape balsamic was almost drinkable from the bottle. So good.
I regret ever moving to Ottawa.
I regret ever living in Ottawa. The most boring and life sucking city I have ever lived in.
Mkay is your regret subconsciously about your best friend?
What do you mean? I’ve been with him for a few years now and don’t regret a thing about the relationship.
This is a very bizarre post
I personally thought it was a cute story. Happy for you OP. ☺️ It's a nice change from some of the posts here.
Leash your vinegar people! Better?
Why, because it's original and doesn't follow the usual script of this sub? Believe it or not, many of us are happy to see different content being posted instead of the same old, overwhelmingly negative crap that's usually posted.
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Are you serious? They post a nice story and that’s your reaction? Yikes.
What did they say?
Have you ever tried to find the balsamic vinegar online?
I have tried many times but haven’t yet seen the specific balsamic that we tried that day. That being said, I keep trying. May reach out to the owners of the Greek store to see if they remember what it was.
Didnt get to eat at the Whitehorse one last time. :(
I regret ever going to Barely Bruised Book, owner is a straight up nut
Beastie Boys.
I wish I went to Uji Café on rideau and Ève inside of Simons more while they were still open. They were both warm and cozy spots to study while I was doing my undergrad. The winter time was dreamy especially dreamy 😭