Originally published in [here] (herenb.com)
June 18, 2009
(for pics go to fundyfoodfestival.com or Dan Jones’ blog)
[brufrog]
The latest incarnation of the Fundy Food Festival was held on Saturday June 6 at the new Cruise Ship Terminal on the Saint John waterfront. This charitable event (proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of Saint John ) is an annual celebration of local food and foodies that started in 2002, and has moved around various venues, growing steadily. In previous years it has been at the Saint John Arts Centre, Harbour Station, Market Square, and Lily Lake Pavillion.
The move to the new location was made to provide more space, and attract more attendees and vendors. The Fork It Over team decided to head on over and see whether the move was a good one.
[Dan]
The Fundy Food Festival was a huge success in terms of ticket sales (it sold out), organization (booths were spread out, volunteers were eager to keep the place clean, the auction ran perfectly), venue (beautiful new cruise ship terminal), and as a fundraiser (thousands raised for the Boys & Girls Club). However, was the success of the event as a whole matched by great food and beverages? Definitely! I managed to visit 19 booths out of the more than two dozen on hand for the fest and there were many highlights and not too much to complain about.
[Brufrog]
It was definitely a different scene from previous years. I was on the Board the past few years, helped out a bit this year, and, after spending the full 4 hours (5:30-9:30 pm) I think the move was a great one. I enjoyed the ample room and it allowed for some music (DJ Richard Cassidy was spinning funky and indie tunes). You could also view the harbour, and go outside for some fresh air from time to time. As in previous years, the food selection was eclectic and delicious.
[Dan]
First stop was Sense of Tokyo and they had two options, tempura and sushi rolls. I opted for one of each as they had two tickets in the booklet. Tempura is tricky if it isn’t fresh, as the crispy batter won’t keep for long. The tempura was decent enough but it is better ordering fresh at the restaurant, one of my favourites in the city. The sushi roll was filled with smoked salmon, cucumber, some sort of leaf, and several other veggies. It was great and I could have eaten those all evening long had I not had to sample lots of other dishes. Speaking of frying food with a coating at a food fest, Boilerworks had a panko crusted chicken wing that lost quite a bit of its crunch by the time I ate it. However, panko on a chicken wing is a terrific idea but maybe not the best setting to serve it in. Wings are tough to eat at this sort of venue also without looking like a messy fool – which I did by the end of the night (don’t wear a white shirt to a food fest). I have to mention there were other vendors who had not so friendly food fest items although great food at a proper restaurant.
[Brufrog]
I started with the tasty mini fish and chips with tartar froth at the SJAH booth, then made sure to grab some pizza from Pomodori, who had partnered with Spearville Flour to have a wood oven just outside the main entrance. I simply love their pizza. Other highlights for me included the sushi, the Indian food from Mrs. Mohindra, and Fackleman’s Chocolates.
[Dan]
There were two wine distributers and one brewery represented at the fest but Brufrog can elaborate more on the drink selection. All I have to say about the wine vendors, 1 ounce isn’t much of a drink.
[Brufrog]
I’m of mixed feelings about wine and beer at this fest. It isn’t a wine and beer fest; it has always been a family oriented food focused festival. So there were not a whole whack of booze vendors, unlike some other festivals. It would be nice in some respects, but it would get more crowded and the vibe would change. I don’t like the tipsy fashion show on the evening events at the Moncton wine show. I think people come to the FFF to eat a bunch of tasty bites, and maybe have a few sips of wine or beer to wash them down. That works. The wines available were from Trafton, a Saint John based wine agency, and Churchill Dauphinee, an Atlantic owned and run group. Moosehead were pouring the only beers.
[Dan]
My favourite items of the evening came from Sebastian. They were offering a mini twice baked potato with a small dollop of crème fraiche and topped with caviar and duck puff pastry. Both were amazingly delicious yet simple and they were probably the easiest to eat out of what I had. Another highlight was the local sturgeon served up by Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc.. They were serving smoked sturgeon topped with caviar served on a pancake-like bread and also smoked sturgeon pate on bread. Smoked sturgeon is something I have never had before but I am craving to eat it again soon. Even though I am not much for desserts I couldn’t finish the article without mentioning how good the whiskey gelato was from Opera Bistro at their son Mario’s booth.
[Brufrog]
The festival was a big success from just about every angle. The sound system was a little dicey, making the announcements from CBC Rachel Cave (looking fetching in a fancy dress) a little hard to hear, and the Chef Auction a bit difficult for Liz Isaac to run. That said, Liz helped raise record bids for a range of excellent chefs, who each offered packages for hopeful foodies. The package from Chef Jesse Vergen of the SJAH went for the highest bid: $1000! The only other regret I have is that the festival had far fewer kids than the past, but that is the nature of an evening event. But the good thing is that it is local kids who need help that benefit from the funds raised. That’s a fair trade-off.
Brufrog hops around at frogspad.ca, while Dan J can be found at foodontheoffense.blogspot.com.
