Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Mr. Dryden's got a beef

The August 7 issue of Macleans contains an amusing little behind-the-scenes collection of "Ottawa Outtakes" by Mitchel Raphael.

It seems that Liberal leadership candidate Ken Dryden can't find a "hamburger he likes in all of Canada."

According to the article, this leadership race is hard on him. Back in the good old days, when he was goaltending for the Canadiens and even when the Liberals were in power, "his people would call ahead to find the best burger and milkshake places."

"..The only place that satisfies his palate these days is south of the border at Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in the Boston area..."

(Poor baby!)

Raphael goes on to describe how Dryden co-hosted his Toronto constituency BBQ with Ontario MPP Monte Kwinter, but didn't eat a thing. His wife apparently is a gourmet cook, which may partially account for his demanding palate.

But I have to ask you, how is a man who can't even enjoy a good old Harvey's or Wendy's going to relate to the common folk if he is party leader or worse yet, Prime Minister? I mean that would be as bad as being born with a silver spoon in your mouth and owning a huge shipping company, wouldn't it?

Canada's burgers aren't good enough for you Ken? Come on! Choke one down. Pretend you're on Survivor!

* * * *

Ironically, I just stumbled across this post from yesterday, by A BCer in Toronto! Pics and lots of links. I could have saved myself a lot of typing if I had found that first!

74 comments:

RGM said...

If he's ever in BC and travelling over the Coquihalla, he should stop in Merritt at the Home Restauarant for a Rocky Mountain Burger. Beef, bacon, and ham, and cheese. The stuff drips enough so that you can use it as an alternative to ketchup. Yummy, makes me wish I was back in B.C.

But that thing about sending people ahead to scout out burger joints, that's just out there. No way can a normal person relate to that. "Hey Joey, y'all run on ahead and find me a good burger joint before we hit the Greyhound tomorrow."

Joanne (True Blue) said...

The stuff drips enough so that you can use it as an alternative to ketchup.
Oh, boy! I'm hungry already.

Red Tory said...

Petty much?

p.s. Best hamburger I ever had was in Milwaukee.

trustonlymulder said...

I was always partial to a sloppy greasy burger from Johnny's Burgers. A little hole in the wall on Victoria Park Ave. in Toronto, just south of Shepherd. My dad used to take us there as kids all the time.

And what's wrong with a good old Lick's burger? They're monstrous and quite tasty.

But this begs the question. Has anyone measured Ken Dryden's waist lately? After Harper got a bad wrap for hoisting a bit of heft, I only think it's a fair question. Mr. Dryden isn't in NHL Game shape anymore. Perhaps a soy burger or some sushi would do him some good.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Petty much?

I know, Red. I should have checked with you before selecting a topic this morning.

My bad.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Mulder, Johnny's burgers remind me of a place in Waterloo - Harmony Lunch. Same idea. Greasy, sloppy burgers piled high with greasy sauteed onions. Dad would bring those things home and the paper wrap would be soaked with fat. But delicious!!

Yes, sadly now, I choose veggies burgers over beef most of the time to keep the pounds off, but I still give in once in a while.

Hey, anyone ever heard of Paul Weber's on Hwy 400 around Bracebridge, Ontario? That place is not just the home of a great burger - it is an experience; a Southern Ontario icon. If that isn't good enough for Ken Dryden, then the man is hopelessly spoiled.

Sara said...

he couldn't afford anyones burger right now anyways!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Sara, that's right! He had to let his paid campaign staff go, didn't he? The glory days are over, Kenny boy.

How the mighty have fallen!

Sara said...

I just saw your thing on Redman,,ooooo I'm mad. We have a member of the Coalition where you are as well and I'm calling her and will get him to as well!

thanks eh

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Sara - I'm glad you're following up on this. I was going to post something, but I figured it would be better coming from you in this case. Thanks.

VW said...

Odd that he's been in Ottawa for over a year and he hasn't discovered The Works restaurant on Richmond Road. Excellent variety of burger toppings, great draft and reasonable prices.

Anonymous said...

I prefer Annie's homemade! I make 'em big, thick and juicy.. and everything is fresh! LOL

Joanne (True Blue) said...

VW - Yeah, I think a lot of Canadians are insulted about this!

Annie - Homemade is best; that's for sure. You can control the fat content, spices, etc. I love them with grilled Kaisers.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Some people just have no sense of humour...

Nicole said...

Petty much?

Like I said at Zac's....Karma can either be the biggest Bitch...or the bestfriend you can ever have in life! { oops, sorry Jo!!}

jdave.....have missed you! Thought maybe that your girlfriend DID indeed beat you like a redheaded stepchild! Ps...been slow with the fanmail....have only had a friend of YOURS pop over..gushing your virtues LOL
Captain Obvious

Nicole said...

Well at Bcer's it sure got some good chuckles, from fellow libs as well. Yesterday, lots of blogs were chtting about this infact

Jeff said...

Thanks for the link Joanne. Harvey's is pretty good, if a tad pricey. Wendy's, for all their good marketing, always disapoints when I go there for lunch. Except for the side chilli, yum.

You know who liked Harvey's? Jean Chretien (remember the bit with Rick Mercer). Man of the people, Jean was.

Jeff said...

Thanks for the link Joanne. Harvey's is pretty good, if a tad pricey. Wendy's, for all their good marketing, always disapoints when I go there for lunch. Except for the side chilli, yum.

You know who liked Harvey's? Jean Chretien (remember the bit with Rick Mercer). Man of the people, Jean was.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

at Bcer's it sure got some good chuckles, from fellow libs as well.

Nicole, BCer's post was brilliant! lol! I wish I had read it first, before posting mine. I probably would have just linked to it, because his is far more witty. Altogether quite a good blog (for a Grit).

Man of the people, Jean was. I agree. He was the kind of PM you loved in spite of himself. ;)

I love Wendy's salads. Yeah, and the chili. I am getting so hungry.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I have a sense of humour...This post just wasn't all that funny.

Next time I'll use you and Red for my focus group before posting.

Nicole said...

That's right jdave...one of your pals popped over to my place under the devil made me do it thread and tooted the jdave horn. Thought you knew....

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I removed 'Comment Moderation', so please be good! No over-the-top personal attacks, garbage etc. Thanks.

We'll see how things go.

Sara said...

Vw,

the works used to be a mafia front run lol I won't eat there out of fear lol

yes, I think Dryden should go there lmao

jdave nice to see you back, what is your giggle button off? It was funny! So was the timmy's comment though, I say deport anyone who does not drink Timmy's.... FOR OUR NATION SUPPORT TIM HORTONS!

Well ok not that far but it is damn good coffee eh


Jo,

it was very funny and I love a good run down of stay at home hating Big D anyways :)

always a pleasure people,

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Thanks Sara.

[Ever the diplomat..] ;)

FOR OUR NATION SUPPORT TIM HORTONS! I don't think our nation could stop itself from supporting Tim Hortons! What the heck do they put in that coffee anyway? It's beyond caffeine.

Sara said...

its called political roofies...

Joanne (True Blue) said...

lol!!! Good one, Sara. You must have had yours already this morning!

Nicole said...

I am starting to get a real complex...I think jdave REALLY doesn't like me....whenever I post a comment he usually disappears.
LOL

Anonymous said...

hey joanne, I had a few minutes between laptops and i checked in to have a quick look....bad timing right before lunch!! Down below me in the mall sits one of the BEST hamburger places in Hamilton, Toby's Good Eats. And you had to make it all the more harder to resist by mentioning Weber's now didn't you? My lunch bag tuna on whole wheat just won't do today :)

Nicole said...

Ha!!
To quote one of my favourite movies " Wedding Crashers"....Don't ever leave me...cause I"LL FIND YOU"....LOL
YOU WISH!!!

actually jdave...I'd be more concerned about Sara, being that you all live in the same neck of the woods and all.
Remember, you are too old for me but...paranoia IS a huge turn on

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Debi - Resist, resist!! That whole wheat on tuna is SO much better for you!!

But Webers, yeah. Mmmm. I can just smell the burgers sizzling on the grill. With those crunchy pickle slices, and the buns toasted perfectly. And the music, and the holiday atmosphere...

Anonymous said...

ok, that did it!! i'm saving myself for Webers.

Zac said...

The best burgers in Canada, nay the world, are at White Spot restaurants out in BC. Triple-O sauce is to die for.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Debi, that could be a long wait! lol!

Zac, if I'm ever so lucky as to be able to visit B.C. I will certainly keep that in mind. I wonder what they put in their sauce?

RGM said...

Zac you are so dead-right, I think I went to White Spot at least 3 or 4 times during my two-week visit back to Kelowna in February. The B.C. Burger is soooo good. Might be time to charter up another trip home!

Zac said...

I wonder what they put in their sauce?

I haven't the slightest clue. Its a secret but its just awesome.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

RGM, if White Spot's that good, maybe someone should make sure Dryden has checked it out. Our Canadian reputation is at stake! We can't lose out to the States on this one. It would be humiliating.

Zac said...

Richard, last time I would out there I was in Vancouver/Victoria and Gulf Islands for about 3 weeks. I must have gone to White Spot about a dozen times. My flight home was a 10 in the morning and I begged the cooks at the white spot in Vancouver Airport to turn the grill on early and make me a burger. At first they said no, but when I told them I was from Ontario and very deprived of White Spots they agreed.

Zac said...

This conversation is making me hungry.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

That's it! I'm booking a flight to B.C.!

Zac, that was a cute story about them starting early to make you a burger. You must have charmed them. ;)

Sara said...

ok first,

jdave awwww your so sensitive, why do you think we pay Nic to scare you hehe

Zac, how could you like anything called the WHITE SPOT.... ummm ewwwwwww maybe as an xrated shop i suppose but to each their own...

Debi,

I had chinese at that mall of yours in Hamilton and ewwwwwwwwww, I must say I never tried the burgers but the thought of the Chinese just put me off!


Donairs from Halifax now those are just amazing, don't believe me ask Peter Mansbridge! He put in on the National lmao...

just to let you all know Garth Turner has agreed to an interview with my blog and I am impatiently awaiting my answers as we speak!

Stay tuned we're interviewing MPtv on blogosphere!!!

I gave a question that you would ask too Jo just for you!

Jeff said...

I've never been a big fan of White Spot burgers, but then it's probably not fair for me to judge them as I've not had a burger in one of their fancier sitdown eateries, just at:

1) The Pacific Coliseum during Vancouver Giants games

2) BC Ferries ships on the high seas of the Straight of Georgia

I also don't care for thick cut fries (prefer them thin and crispy), so that's another White Spot knock for me.

Sara said...

I lke thick cut and big, you see size really does matter with the fries of course :)

mmmm I can taste a donair now,,, 15 days until I get one in Halifax wahooooooooo

Zac said...

You must have charmed them. ;)

More like crying like a child until I got my way.

Zac said...

Jeff, they're not for everyone, but for me their heaven. The food on the ferries I find is pretty garbage anyways. Next time your out on the west coast check one of their actual restaurants. You might be surprised.

BTW, Vancouver Giants? Did they change the name of the Vancouver Canadians? Or am I thinking of something else?

Sara said...

I could see Dryden in his retirement running around for Wendy's yelling WHERE"S THE BEEF,,, and then crying in American!

The way he's running his campaign that seems to be the only way he will be able to fund his own retirement hehe... I'm a nasty pickle today...

Joanne (True Blue) said...

just to let you all know Garth Turner has agreed to an interview with my blog and I am impatiently awaiting my answers as we speak!

Wow! Congrats, Sara! This is awesome. I can't wait to see it.

I gave a question that you would ask too Jo just for you!

The suspense is killing me.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Jeff, we've all heard what you don't like now in burgers. Tell us about your favs!

Nicole said...

Zac, next time I am out in Van, I'm gonna go to a White Spot, and think of you :-D.
Since you have time for all this hambuger chat, come to my thread about the Sask boy that was taken by that child molester. I am curious as to your input on what should be done about criminals { esp. repeat offenders, time and again} with crimes against children.

Nicole said...

Jo, not to jinx you, but my goodness, has the CM removal worked out!!!

Jeff said...

Zac, the Giants are Vancouver's Western Hockey League (WHL) franchise, they play out at the PNE COliseum where the Canucks used to play before GM Place.

Burgers I like? Hmm. Well, in the fast food area Harvey's is probably tops, A&W is decent too. I don't frequent any gourmet places of burger stands enough to form an opinion there. When I have access to a bbq, I'm partial to the President's Choice Thick and Cheesy patties. Yum.

Zac said...

Sorry Jeff, I was thinking baseball

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Jo, not to jinx you, but my goodness, has the CM removal worked out!!!

Yeah, it's better for me too, Nic. Less time-consuming!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Jeff, Harvey's is hard to beat, for a chain. If you get a chance to go to Weber's in Orillia though, don't pass up the opportunity!

PC Burgers are quite good. I like the taste of those cheesy ones, but I pay for it later. Usually stick to the lean burgers, and even veggie burgers with grilled peppers and onions are quite tasty.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Sorry, Webers is actually located on Hwy 11, which runs off of Hwy 400.

http://www.webersrestaurants.com/his.htm

Sara said...

That is a lot of comment over one damn burger!

Nicole said...

Hey...the US has Harold and Kumar go no White Castle....well Canada has Jo and Zac Go to White Spot!

ok..groan, I know....blame it on the heat..
actually, we have a thunderstorm watch right now, it's getting pretty black and scary looking outside, but man do we need rain!

Marc said...

Since I don't usually don't follow things political with much intensity, I will comment on this and say that Weber's does indeed have the best burgers around.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Weber's does indeed have the best burgers around.

lol!!! Great to hear from you, Marc!
Do they have burgers in Germany?

Sara said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sara said...

hey you, you made bloggers of the month,, what do you do in your spare time anyways lady hmmmm hehe

go to blogging tories and top left

Joanne (True Blue) said...

what do you do in your spare time anyways lady

Mmm... Just what are you insinuating, Madam?

Sara said...

you seem to have Stephen taylor rapped around your finger hehe..

lightening here now,,, hope it breaks the heat, I think I've worn out my bikini

Mac said...

Joanne (True Blue) said... "That's it! I'm booking a flight to B.C.!"

Oh? Coming to visit? I'll bake a cake!!

White Spot burgers are good and triple o sauce is good... and the fries are "endless" (free refills is always fun). I like the fries at Red Robins restaurants better than White Spots (they're also "endless') but I'm gaining weight just thinking about this...

Candace said...

Red Robin's Stampede burgers beat ANYTHING White Spot can do.

PS: the "special sauce" is Thousand Island dressing with some ketchup thrown in.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Candace - Thanks for sleuthing out the "special sauce". Sounds like too many calories. But then, so is everything we're talking about here.

Mac - but I'm gaining weight just thinking about this...

Me too. *Sigh* I'm going to have to do a weight-loss post soon.

Hey Mac, congrats on actually writing something on your blog!! I'm looking forward to reading more. I promise I will be a frequent visitor. Keep at it, buddy!

Sara said...

i went to Macs blog and didn't see anything :(

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Sara, go to comments in the preceding post. (Radwanski Wrap-up). In one of Mac's comments near the end there is a link to his blog, but he's having problems linking it in blogger.

My son set me up, so I can't really help him there. Can anyone else?

Sara said...

its not showing, but if he needs help tell him to email me...

Joanne (True Blue) said...

O.K. Sara. I'll suggest that to him. Thanks.

Mac said...

Thanks, Joanne & Sara. I'll take whatever help I can score. I'm going to try to post my link here again...

Enig-Mac

Zac said...

Ahh, Mac, I forgot you were on the west coast. You must be enjoying some white spot right now. You lucky bastard.

Candace, Red Robin is good, but White Spot kicks their asses. I'm sorry your living in la-la land, uhh, I mean Alberta.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Mac, yeah, when I click on your name it goes to your profile, but there's no blog name to click on from there. Mmmm... Any ideas anyone???

Mac said...

Joanne, do you see the link in my more recent post in this thread? Does it work for you? It works for me...

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Mac, when I click on Enig-Mac, it works, but not when I click on your name. That's puzzling. I'm going to ask my IHTG about it.