Chicken 'n Ribs

Impressed by our visit last year, we were eager to come again and enjoy the flavours, sights, and smells of the Ottawa International Chicken and Rib Festival. I met up with Karen after work at Bank and Sparks and we quickly took our place in line at Uncle Sam's (pictured left) from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As we were waiting in line, we noticed that each time someone ordered a full rack of ribs, the guy manning the barbecue would slam his first into a cow bell above his head, proclaiming 'full rack' in the deepest and loudest voice he could muster. It was quite entertaining. Needless to say, when it was our turn to order, we got a full rack of ribs and our bell blast. The price had gone up to $22 this year (from $20 last year). We took our ribs and went and sat down at a patio table along Sparks Street. The ribs were excellent..

Next, we went to get some gelato on Elgin Street. We got a small cup of half chocolate Skor, half blackberry, which turned out to be a very nice combination. We went back to the festival and met up with friends. Our friend Dan, recently arrived from Toronto, parked his motorcycle right there on Sparks Street. With sustenance in hands, we went up to Parliament Hill and sat on the lawn, where preparations were already underway for Canada Day.