The EX EXcess

The EX - EXcess - CNE Part 2 

ex·cess         ikˈses,ˈekses/
noun1. lack of moderation in an activity, especially eating or drinking. 

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I went back to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) a second time this summer.  I normally only go once per year but I went for the first time on Food Products Day and to see Rick Springfield the first time and ironically I didn't eat as much food on Food Products Day as I did the second time around.  It ended up being an End of Summer Pig Out session.

My friends and I decided to take advantage of the $6 after 5pm deal and the 4 of us met up at the CNE around the Food Building.  This should give you a hint to our time there.  I was the first one to get there of course.  I am always the first one especially where there is food.  I decided to wander around the food building and find a couple of the things I didn't find the first time I went.  I was looking for the Snow Crab Fries and I found them at the Pull'd vendor.  There was only a couple of people in line so I decided to get some.  The Snow Crab really was the best part of this.  My friends still weren't there so I wondered around some more and found the Poutine balls from the Vienna booth.  Even though I got some fresh out of the fryer they didn't seem to be as hot or gooey as I thought they would be but a nice concept of cheese curds wrapped in mashed potatoes and fried and topped with gravy.  I think these might be cool as poutine pops on a stick without the gravy but maybe a dipping sauce.  I am sure that will come one of these days.




Then 2 of my friends arrived and they wanted to get the Colossal Onion.  I had one the first time I went but said I would share with them.  I have to add that it's the first thing you smell as you head toward the food building so I bet they sold a lot of them.  They really are delicious and the dipping sauce is great too.   Oh I must mention that one of my friends wanted to get something cheap so he got the 99cent Spaghetti which was actually $1.05 and then for some reason just as he was getting to the end of it he dropped it and guess what.. Tomato sauce hit the 3 of us but on his new baby blue shorts the worst  Luckily I wear a lot of black so the tiny drops that I might have been hit with didn't show up.  We took the Colossal Onion outside to finish it and my friend and I picked up some Ice Tea from Coffee time which turned out to be really bad Ice tea that we both regretted picking up.  I actually brought a bottle of water but it was so hot that wednesday they said the hottest day of the summer this year so I needed a lot of hydration and that's why I got the ice tea.  Skip the Ice tea and look for the fresh lemon lemonade that we got in one of the buildings later that night which was so much better.   Anyway my last friend finally showed up at 7pm after texting numerous times that she was on her way before that and we waited for her outside the food building and saved her some of the Colossal Onion.

Finally we started walking around the CNE.  We watched a bit of the Parkour show from outside of the seating areas so we could only see part of it.  Then we moved on to the Arts and Craft building.

Then we walked over to the Midway.  I am so NOT a fan of the rides, spinning around after eating a whole bunch of foods you shouldn't eat and then walking around in the heat is never a good idea but we all agreed to get on the SKY Ride which is the ski lift thing that goes over the midway.  I liked this idea because it's not insanely high and you can sit down and see a view of the whole Exhibition Place.  I took this photo of the Ferris Wheel from the ride.  It's also a great way to get from one end of the Midway to the other end.  It cost about $6 and a couple of lineups to do it though.  But it was fun.

Because of the Sky Ride we ended up close to the Princess Gates so we went into the Enercare building where we got the great lemonade drinks.  By far the only semi healthy thing I had at the CNE that night.  It would be super healthy if they skipped the sugar but I had just enough sugar to make it perfect and super refreshing and hydrating on a hot and steamy night.

The enercare building is a great place to shop for all kinds of things but we just took photos of a bunch of fun things there.

Then it was time for more food as the Enercare building was closing and my friend decided she wanted to shop just as they were trying to get everyone out.  So after waiting for 20 minutes for her to return we finally got out and headed back to the midway.   Then it was time for dessert.

Once again I was on a mission to find one of the new foods this year and it took a little while to find but we headed over to Pickle Pete's to get Deep Fried Cheesecake.   I think this was the most delicious thing I had at the CNE that night.  Imagine a soft plain cheesecake wrapped in a wonton wrapper and deep fried and topped with a chocolate drizzle.  The cheesecake was warm soft and creamy inside and the crunch from the wonton wrapper outside was amazing.  My friends shared a Deep Fried Mars Bar.  I have never had one before but they have had them in years past so I am sure I will try it one day.  Pickled Pete's had all kinds of deep fried stuff including pickles, green beans and there was also chocolate covered bacon and more.  Tucked way at the back of the midway but there was a hefty lineup waiting for deep fried crazy things.

Well that was it for us.  It was FRYDAY on a WEDNESDAY for me.  Everything I ate was deep fried.  I really went on a Pig Out binge and after the Food and Wine Festival and  Toronto Film Festivals I am going back to eating like a normal person and going to try and start to get Organic food delivered every week to cook at home.  Will see how long that lasts before I am back to eating at festivals again.   

The EX is a place of Excess.  You shop, you eat, you eat some more, you eat a whole bunch of things you shouldn't eat,  you spend money on rides, you gamble, you see some shows and you walk a whole lot.    I never eat this many fried foods in one day but the Ex is only for a short time once a year so enjoy it while you can and try and live a little less excessively the rest of the year.  Oh wait.. I forgot Thanksgiving and Christmas is up next.   Well luckily I don't celebrate either of these holidays so I can hopefully get back on track after the summer of food festival excess that I have experienced.

Enjoy the Hot Summer Festivals and stay hydrated and as healthy as you can.  

10 Things to DO at the CNE

I went to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) on a quiet wednesday in the first week of the EX.  I prefer to go midweek before crowds of families go.  It's much easier to walk around and the lines are shorter.  The weather was perfect.  Sometimes it rains for days during the EX so you have to pick a good day to go.  I had a jam packed day of a bunch of different things to do.

Here is a list of 10 things to Do at the CNE

1. EAT THINGS YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T EAT

I didn't eat as much stuff as I hoped I could but I did manage to pack in a couple of days worth of calories from what I did eat.  I split a Collossal Onion with one of my friends and had to find the new Frosted Flakes coated chicken on a stick to try.  Anything fried and on a stick is popular at the CNE. The chicken was great and so was the onion.  Why does fried stuff have to taste so good?  I had to get one of my favourite yearly tradition foods and got the hot off the waffle press Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Cool vanilla ice cream wrapped in warm waffles. what's not to like and you can walk and eat it.  There was a couple of new things I couldn't find and then it was too late to get it so I hope I get another chance to get back to the CNE before it's over to find them.

2. SEE FREE MUSIC SHOWS

I must admit that I was never a huge General Hospital fan so Rick Springfield as Noah Drake doesn't mean much to me but I was around for the music of the 80's plus so I remember when his hit JESSIE"S GIRL took off.  I wasn't a huge fan of his music but he has 17 top 40 hits so I was familiar with some of them.  But I became a fan when I read his book and saw the documentary about him and learned about his crazy life.  Since the shows are free at the Bandshell I had the opportunity to go see his show while I was at the CNE.  I sat in seats at the back with my friend and his friend but I got annoyed with the couple in front of us making out while standing. All I could see was them, so I got up and left my friend and moved closer to the stage and stood in the area in between the bench seating.  Because I did this I was able to take this photo and be there for when he decided to do some crowd surfing and actually walked as far as I was in the crowd.  I actually was able to touch his arm as he tried to climb down to the ground from the bench beside me.  Yeah I wouldn't have been able to do that if I had just sat in the crappy seats at the back so I was glad I did that.  I had a great time while on the other hand my friends sitting at the back had a horrible time and hated it.  I must say that my friend isn't really a fan of his music but he isn't exactly the demographic that Rick Springfield sings to either.  It's more my demographic.  By the way he is now 66 but has the energy of a 26 year old so you have to be inspired by what he has accomplished.  Heck he is starring in a movie with Meryl Streep right now where he plays an ageing musician.. not much of a stretch but his character is a good guy in the movie to Meryl's messed up character.    Morale .. don't sit back... go for it.

3. SEE CELEBRITY CHEF DEMOS

Everyday during the festival there are celebrity chef demos in the Enercare building.  I checked out Zane Caplansky (owner of Caplansky's Deli} and also TV personality and more.  Zane is a good Jewish Ambassador and has lot's of stories about his customers and his passion for the Deli business.  He is also featured in the documentary Deli Man which is a must see Documentary.  He was talking about brisket and burgers at the demo and then he did a trivia question giveaway after his demo.
Some chefs that I would recommend going to see are Bob Blumer, Chuck Hughes, Matt Basile and Matt Dean Pettit.  There have already been a few great ones and some new ones this year.

4.  WIN STUFF

I won a jar of Caplansky's mustard without even trying too hard.  Zane Caplansky asked the trivia question "What's Zane's favourite condiment?"   too easy when he sells mustard for his smoked meat.  So I got a jar of mustard.  Good way to try it.  Now all I need is some good smoked meat to slather it on.

5.  GO ON RIDES

Well I didn't go on rides.  I don't do rides but I do like to take photos of them but I would have to say make sure you go on the rides before you eat any of the crazy CNE foods.

6.  TAKE SILLY SELFIES

There are always opportunities to take silly selfies at the CNE.  I stumbled on a section of the Enercare building where there was a whole display of Sherlock so I took this fun selfie with Benedict Cumberbatch since I can't do this if I see him in person at TIFF.  

7.  SHOP FOR ALL KINDS OF STUFF

I need some good luck so I found this evil eye bracelet in the International building for $5 and hopefully it will drive away any evil spirits but either way it's pretty and it was inexpensive and will remind me of the CNE.   So it's a good thing.

8.  MEET UP WITH FRIENDS

I met up with one of my friends during the day and we shopped and ate and walked around and then I met up with my other friend after he finished work to go see Rick Springfield at the Bandshell.

9.  STAY HYDRATED

Maybe having the new Coffee and donuts Shake from Fran's isn't the best way to stay hydrated but it is something new to try.  But I do recommend bringing a bottle of water because some of the building can get pretty hot, especially the food building and a bottle of water can cost about $3 sometimes.

10.  HAVE FUN

It's only once a year so splurge.  Shop, eat, play games, go on rides and do whatever you want to try at the CNE because you only live once so go for it.


*disclosure  Entrance to the CNE was complimentary but all opinions and photos are my own.

Hate the long lines in the CNE food building? There's an APP for that.

Have you ever gone to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) and ventured into the Food Building to get food and have decided on what to get based on the shortest line?  Well what if you could just pick the food you want and skip the line?  

Well there is a NEW APP for that.  

The team at Grabb (an app that allows you to pre-order & pay for food at your favourite downtown Toronto restaurants) created the app that will allow you to pre-order your food while you are busy walking around the CNE and it will notify you when your order is ready. You can also order through Grabb's regular app.

You can download the APP for your IPHONE from the APP STORE and for ANDROID from GOOGLE PLAY.

When you place & pay for your order it goes to the restaurant on an iPad that is solely dedicated to The Food Building app orders. You will get a notification through the app when your food is ready. There is also a countdown that shows you approximately when you will get that notification so you can go on another ride, use the washroom, or continue spending time with friends until the moment your food is ready.

There are The Food Building signs at each partnering vendor so you can walk right up to that sign and get your food instead of waiting in the regular line! It's designed to make sure a lineup doesn't occur! 

The app can be used for these select vendors inside The Food Building

Vendors include:

• Pho 88 
• Fran's Restaurant 
• Pull'd 
• Epic Burgers & Waffles
• Jake's Lobster 
• Far East Taco 
• St. Louis 
• Mac N Cheesery 
• Just Cone It 
• Ye Olde Fudge Pot 
• Bouchard's Poutinery
• The Funnel Cake Shop 

This covers some of the new and most likely most popular vendors in the Food Building and foods such as  - Deep Fried Red Velvet Oreos, Pizza Cones, Double Bacon Grilled Cheese, Donut Burgers, Funnel Cake, etc.

 This is what the App looks like.

The Food Building is one of the most popular and most talked about features of the CNE. It’s predecessor, the Pure Food Building, was demolished in 1953 and the $1.5 million dollar structure, we know as the Toronto Star Food Building, was built in its place.

The building has become a hub for innovative and quirky food experiences. With local restaurants serving cuisines from around the world and vendors who return to serve traditional fair favourites every year, there really is something to suit every taste and every budget. 

I haven't been to the CNE yet this season but I am curious to see how this new APP works out for the convenience of people attending the EX.  If you try it let me know your experience with it.  I am going to try and go this week and will do another blog post on the foods I check out.

*Information provided by The Food Building Blog.  

For further info check out The Food Building website: http://thefoodbuilding.ca/

Let's Eat at the EX

It's the end of the first weekend of the Canadian National Exhibition and I am finally getting to writing this post about Opening Day at the CNE.  I try to go to the Ex at least once a year to check out the food and sometimes the music artists.  I skip the stomach wrenching rides and the money burning games and head straight for the Food Building to see what's new in food weirdness.

This year only had a couple of weird things and a few sort of new ideas.

This year some of the New Food Items were:

1.  Cocoa Fried Chicken - (Coco fried chicken) this one doesn't sound right to me, although people put honey on fried chicken and waffles but for some reason this one doesn't appeal to me even though I love fried chicken and chocolate.

2.  Smore's BAO - (Far East Taco) I kind of get this one and might of tried it if I had more room in my stomach.  It's a white steamed Bao bun filled with Smore's fixings like Marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers.  I guess it just makes it portable because I am not sure the Bao is really necessary.  To me a case of if it's not broke why add a Bao bun?

3.  Butter Coffee - (Hula Girl Espresso) I did try a small sample of this one and didn't really find anything weird about it.  It was from Hula Girl.

4.  Crowbar - (Hula Girl Espresso) This is this year's (Cronut)  it's basically a new version of Pain au Chocolate, it's a chocolate bar stuck in a croissant.  I tried the Caramilk bar Crowbar.  This was also from Hula Girl.  It was good but I think the basic Dark Chocolate Pain au Chocolate is a lot better.

5.  Thanksgiving Waffle - (Fran's) This is one that I really wanted to try but it was massive and if I would have had this I probably wouldn't have been able to eat anything else.  Although it really smelled good and I would love to go back just to try it another time.  It consists of a stuffing waffle with turkey on top with gravy and cranberry relish.  This one makes sense to me but I would probably want it more if it wasn't supposed to be summer right now.  This one is from Fran's, it was there first year ever at the CNE.

6. Elvis Grilled Cheese (Coffee Zone) - I didn't see this one but it's located in the Midway section.  A grilled cheese with Bacon and peanut butter and I think it has banana in it too.  Not so original as Elvis was eating them years ago but I guess new to the Midway of the Ex.

7. Spicy Peanut Butter Sriracha Rolls (Fran's Restaurant) - I was curious to try this one but wasn't too sure and thought I might go back to try it but didn't.  

Ok, so I only tried a couple of things out of this new foods list and I liked them but wasn't blown away by them.

What else did I eat?  I went for the not so well known Dutch Frites, I met the guys behind the Dutch Frites booth at the TOFoodFest where they told me they were going to be at the CNE this year so I hit up their booth first thing before I got too stuffed on other things.  I sampled their frites at the TOFoodFest and decided to get a full, although it was a small order of Frites with a side of the garlic mayo.  I was going to get the Poutine but thought it would have done me in for other food but I would recommend that if you want to try the full on flavours.  Dutch frites are twice cooked fries.  They fry them twice to make them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.  The ones I had at the TOFoodFest seemed to be cooked a bit better than the ones at the CNE though but if you like good fries it's worth a try.  

These frites filled me up but I continued on my Carb loading and had the Crowbar after these and then I was fully carbed out and wandered around the buildings where I stumbled on the Cheese Tasting seminars.  Can't walk passed cheese without having some so I sat in on a cooking demo one, although it was more of an assembling demo.  They made an appetizer of an endive leaf with beets, a piece of cheese and a radish slice.  I went back for the cheese demo where they sample 6 different kinds of cheese.  They also had cheese samples outside of the booth where they were selling some of the cheeses.  So I stuffed my face on some really tasty cheese.  My favourite was the 5 year old cheddar.  I really wanted to buy some but didn't want to carry cheese around the EX.   I did win a Black Cheese Apron for answering one of their trivia questions but I would rather carry around an apron than Cheese.

So after having my carb load at the Food Building and then some cheese loading at one of the other buildings it was time to continue wandering.  I really wanted to try some more food but only had room for one more of my traditional food stops at the CNE.  Yes the classic ICE CREAM WAFFLE.  It's such a simple thing but the combination of a fresh hot waffle and some cold Vanilla Ice Cream just seems to work and I was ok with the ice cream melting down my arm while I was eating it because the taste is simply good.



I would have loved to get a bunch of things to go to try the next day.  Maybe they should have a take out section next year.  I would be into that.  I did take home one thing though.  When I started wandering around the Food Building I saw a great fudge booth with a bunch of different flavours.  I picked up this delicious piece of fudge that I have been nibbling on for the past few days but I forget what this flavour was called but I can tell you it's yummy.

One of the other Carb heavy foods that entices you as you wander around the midway is the smell of the roasted corn.  I like my corn roasted without the husk but the smell of the corn roasting makes you salivate for one.  I skipped it but I suppose it's one of the healthier carb options at the EX.  

I guess there isn't much of a demand for salads at the EX because they don't have smells that waft through out the walk around the CNE grounds

One of the other attention grabbing foods that I spotted while walking around were these Flinstone sized Turkey legs.  They brushed them with BBQ sauce.  I guess they are catering to the Big Meaty guys with this one.  Although it was a woman that I saw purchasing one.  Can you imagine a woman chomping on a turkey leg while wandering down the Midway.
They did look good though.


The last thing that I had was a bit of a disappointment.  It was this large lemonade.  I love having ice cold lemonade in the summer but this stand gave me sugar water.  I could barely taste any lemon and pretty much tasted a spoonful of sugar in a little water and ice.  I think I just picked the wrong lemonade vendor because I have had lemonade at these big yellow lemon stands before and it was great.  This one not so much.

That was it for my food adventure at the EX.  The only other thing I had was a Tim Horton's Ice Cap while walking around in the sun in the afternoon.  The one thing to note is they don't sell small sizes at the EX so I had to get the medium size which contributed to me not having room in my stomach to try more foods.  If I go back again before the end of this season I will try and have a lot more variety of foods although I think the CNE foods tend to be super Carb heavy.   Cheap, easy, filling and addictive.   Not a great place for someone that is on a low carb diet.  

It was the perfect day to go to the EX.  It's was the Opening Day on a friday when it was only $8 for admission.  The regular price is $18.   It was also not super jam packed so it was comfortable to walk around and not get run over by strollers or people carrying large stuffed animals.  There were also no long lineups for food and other things which was amazing.  I have never been there on opening day before and really found it great.

Here are some other pics that I took at the EX that day.  I really love all the colors and lights.