May 31, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Festivals & Events
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From it's humble beginnings as fort St. John's only movie theatre, the Lido has now established itself as, not a movie theatre, but one of the town's most popular event venues. Channeling the image of Classic Hollywood and keeping the crowd happy with class acts from comedy to music to even fundraising galas the Lido plays an integral part in the development of the local entertainment scene.
As a thank you to the local Visitor Centre for it's partnership in ticket sales, the proprieters of the Lido supplied us with complementary tickets to one of their monthly Comedy Detour shows. The Lido hosts rising and established Canadian Comedy acts as a part of their Comedy Detour on the final Friday and Saturday nights of each month. Last night we were treated to an exceptional standup routine by Dylan Mandlsohn.
The opening act (a young man from Edmonton) was not altogether bad, but it was also heavily reliant upon crude humour and relatively offensive jokes. Some members of our group found his performance rather less than pleasant.
After being served another round of wine at the intermission (the waitresses were professional, efficient, and effective) we were introduced to the talented Dylan Mandlsohn. His performance more than made up for the somewhat shakey opener. We convulsed with laughter from start to finish. From brilliant mimicry to insightful social commentary Mandlsohn offered an endlessly entertaining and amusing show. Not only did he provoke laughter but this renowned Toronto-native also left the audience with some remarkably accurate and thought-provoking observations.
All of us girls from the Visitor Centre thoroughly enjoyed our foray into the local comedy scene (complete with a private booth!) and will likely darken the Lido's doors on future Comedy Detour nights. Assuming the talent is always of Mandlsohn-esque quality I would unquestionably reccommend the Comedy Detour for Girl's Night or really any other time you need an excuse to get out and giggle.
May 19, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Dining
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I'm usually a bagged lunch sort of girl, but I hadn't seen a friend in a good long time so we decided to hit up a local coffee shop for lunch.
After a somewhat brisk walk through our unseasonable weather (blowing snow and below zero in MAY!) we entered the spacious confines of Whole Wheat & Honey. I had been there many times in the evening for local music events but never had I eaten there.
The coffee is fairly average, as good as anywhere but nothing stellar, but today I fell in love with their Souvlaki Wrap and Spiced Chai Latte. Having just had my wisdom teeth out I've been banned from crispy breads and the like, fortunately the souvlaki wrap was contained in a soft warm pita. I also found the filling delicious, fresh vegetables, from olives to cucumbers, to a variety of greens layered over warm sliced chicken (not processed!).
The chai was hot and aromatic though perhaps a bit sweet. I forgave the slight excess of sugar for the presence of an actual porcelain mug! I cannot begin to express how much I prefer the aesthetic of a real mug to a paper cup.
The atmosphere is pleasant and light. We sat in comfy leather armchairs near the little gas stove and the collection of instruments donated to the venue for impromptu musical endeavours. Though perhaps warmer than it needed to be, the place offered a cozy reprieve from the snowy May afternoon outside.