Ribfest @ Centennial Park

**VERY DELAYED POST DUE TO MY GIVING BIRTH AND ALL :-) **
****************************
My sister-in-law wanted to go out for Canada Day, and as Enrique would be helping his friend move and I had to watch Kayla, I thought it would be much nicer than sitting inside the house watching TV.

I knew it would be packed, but I was not ready for this. The veritable sea of people moved en mas towards the front of the BBQ lines. Granted, we got there earlier (say, about 2.30pm) than most, but it was only going to get more crowded in the next couple hours.

We got in the gate (the security checked me for alcohol, which is funny, since I believe I'm visibly pregnant) and checked out the main alley of generic stalls, some selling clothes, others jewelry, others yet snacks of various kinds. There was a martial arts demonstration. We stopped by the lollipop shop and at 6 for $5, we vowed to get two each on the way back. We did stop in at a jewelry stall where there was a sale - I bought Jev and Kayla necklaces (Jev a blue bead and shell strands with silver buckle encased front, Kayla a silver starfish, and myself, a beige oblong and blue round shell combo with silver pieces strung between them). After that, we were getting hungry, and it was time for the ribs!

Think of a fairway, one side the front windows for all the BBQ vendors with their pits visible and prominently wafting smoke to attract patrons, one after the other, all too far to see in one go. We didn't even walk to the end of the line to see which we prefered - Jev had been there before with Dennis and they were both fans of Crabby's. She was adamant on going there again for how good they were, and I'm always up for a recommendation, so we got in the already long line and waited. Every line was long. There was no getting around it. But I guess that's what makes it part of the experience - you wait with your people, you chat, you figure out what you want, and you anticipate the food. I even went to the front to take a picture of the options so we could spend our time in line deciding. We all got the same thing; a 1/3 of ribs and coleslaw, but instead of a double coleslaw, Jev got her second side as baked beans. It was so hot out, I just wanted the cool of the veg.

Manouvering out into the park outside the gates was an ordeal! We managed though, and it wasn't long before we found a spot to spread our blanket and get our drinks. I carried our drink bag (bless her soul, Jev helped me) and my Perrier was still icy (how refreshing!). Jev had a Fresca and Kayla wanted her water. Soon we were tucking into the ribs.

Mmmmm... What to say about these ribs. They were fall off the bone, just as they should be. They weren't too saucy, but they were flavourful and juicy. More sweet, not tangy at all, but hearty. All in all, it was some great meat. Hell, if I was scraven, I would have wanted a whole half rack, but a third did me just fine. The coleslaw as well was crisp and light. An overall good meal. Eating picnic style can't hurt the experience, especially with an icy cold Perrier to wash it all down. Odd sightings as we ate: Guys playing soccer and then football just a 'little' too close for comfort, seeing as I have to guard two of us, a three legged Chocolate Lab who was super active and cute, and watching the line for the Ribfest gate double, triple, and quadruple in length.

But we went back in. Jev and Kayla lined up and I waited until I saw them, folded up the blanket and joined them. It was actually moving quite fast. We went back in, got our lollipops, (they got Jev = Coconut, Cotton Candy / Kayla = Coconut, Maple Bacon / Me = Maple Bacon, Raspberry). We headed back to the car after that, but not before sitting down near a tree to enjoy ice cream from a truck. It was the perfect end to the meal, and there were no real great desserts to be had inside the gates. Even the funnel cakes weren't served with any ice cream.

Leaving the grounds was much easier than coming in. The traffic was far less congested. And we were happy with our day.