Jazz Up Your Taste Buds!

All photos by Andre Gagne.

With a buffet of musical selection well into the early morning hours, festival goers at the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival are going to have to stop sometime for some chow between shows. Thankfully, there’s a variety of vendors in the park serving up hot eats and cool treats. Here’s a look at where you can go to “jazz” up your taste buds. 

Vendor: Breyers Ice Cream

Menu: Various ice cream flavors including Black Cherry, Maple Walnut, Mint Chocolate Chip and Pralines and Cream

Vendor Recommended: Cookies and Cream

Show to snack to: This would be a tasty treat while listening to Sarah McLachlan (June 25). Her songs are sweeter than ice cream

Vendor: Crazy Canuck Smokers 

Menu: Ribs, pulled pork, chicken, baked beans and slaw

Chef Recommended: The Vegetarian Nightmare

Show to snack to:  With a combo of pork ribs, pulled pork and chicken, try not to feel guilty chowing down while checking out vegetarian Micheal Franti (July 2)

Vendor: Green Papaya

Menu: Thai dishes like Pad Thai, Green Curry Chicken and Springrolls.

Chef Recommended: Chili and Basil Beef

Show to snack to: Enjoy a Shake A Salad and lemongrass iced tea while being blown away by Japanese “death jazz” sextet Soil & “Pimp” Sessions (July 2)Vendor: Slushy Bear

Menu: Various flavors of slushy

Vendor Recommended: Blue Raspberry

Show to snack to: Blue Raspberry and the blues would have gone well together at Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite (June 22)

“ALL jazz music goes good with Lebanese cuisine.” -Ozzy (Ozzy’s Food on Wheels)

Vendor: Ozzy’s Food on Wheels

Menu: Lebanese cuisine

Chef Recommended: Chicken Shawarma Platter

Show to snack to: Settle into a Jibber Jazz Jam-Along (June 24-July 1, except Canada Day) by the Confederation Park Fountain

“Our juice is like jazz. There’s a lot of ingredients and when you combine them together you get something beautiful.”
-Mordechai (Shooka Juice)

Vendor: Shooka Juice

Menu: Fruit and vegetable juice and smoothies

Vendor Recommended: The Carrot Cake (carrot, banana, raises, pecans, peach, cinnamon and silan)

Show to snack to: With all the dancing you’ll do to Trombone Shorty (June 27) you’re going to need a juicy thirst quencher

“Oh my gosh, there is such a variety of Caribbean food. Ideally you should try the Jamaican patties.”
-Iddi (Mugena)

Vendor: Mugena

Menu: Caribbean Cuisine (Roti, Jamaican patties, etc.)

Chef Recommended: Patties slathered in Mugena hot sauce

Show to snack to: Food from the Caribbean and Beach Boy Brian Wilson (July 3) go together like waves and a surf board

Vendor: Concept Espresso 

Menu: Coffee and sweet treats

Vendor Recommended: Iced Latte

Show to snack to: Sip and be hip with the 24th Street Wailers (June 26)

“We’re a comfort food trailer and depending upon what kind of music you’re listening to our food can be pretty comforting as well.” -Corinne Carroll (Culinary Meltdown)

Vendor: Culinary Meltdown

Menu: Comfort foods like grill cheese and Mac & Cheese

Chef Recommended: One of the signature Mac & Cheese dishes

Show to snack to: Comfort food and with Jim Bryson (June 30)

Vendor: Eat Mini Puffs

Menu: Mini pancakes smothered in Nutella

Chef Recommended: Add some maple syrup to your mini puffs to be extra sweet

Show to snack to: Your light and fluffy mini puffs would blend well with the sweet sounds and airy vocals of Stacey Kent (July 2)

Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series will provide a unique look at some of your favourite summer events.We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season. Your city! Your festivals! Your summer! Like a good sunscreen, Ottawa Life has you covered.