OCFF Conference

We're back in Ottawa once again, this time for the annual Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference. My Man drove up on Thursday and I followed him up by train on Friday afternoon.

The conference is good fun, and there are lots of networking and promotional opportunities for artists from across the country - and since between my Man's work on the board of the OCFF and the fact that we've taken the guitar to almost all of Canada's folk festivals over the last three years, there are lots of folks we know here too.

My Man ran a panel this morning called My Roots, My Influences, featuring Lynn Miles, Kyrie Kristmanson and Elijah Wald, and last night took the guitar to a great "guerilla" showcase hosted by the delightful Blair Packham.

Tonight we had the evening to ourselves, and visited a new restaurant on Murray Street, right across from the Murray Street Kitchen, called Navarra. It was a remarkable experience, and one of the finest meals we've had in some time.

We had not made a reservation, but fortunately two of the four seats at the bar were available, overlooking the front part of the kitchen where the final plating is done - so we had the best seats in the house!

We perused the menu over a glass of Cava. It was an incredibly difficult decision! The menu consisted of the chef's artist statement, a selection of eight appetizers and then eight mains, followed by a half dozen dessert/cheese options.

My man chose to start with the foie gras over chocolate. I went with a dish I can never resist - the beef tartare. Both were wonderful. The tartare was served with a "leathered" prosciutto dusted with pistachio and crostini - heavenly.

Both composition and presentation were exquisite, and our server, Sarah, was well versed in both the ingredients and the wine list. Speaking of wine, we had a very juicy and full-bodied Jumilla that was utterly delightful.

For our mains, I chose the halibut, which was served over roasted mushrooms and Serrano ham on a bed of butternut silk, and my man went with the pork belly. Once again the meals were beautifully composed, the portions were perfect, and the food was cooked to perfection and presented like a work of art.