I like to “unwind-ulax” – a lot. Nothing makes me happier than finishing a day of work, coming home, enjoying a nice meal with the hubby and just sitting…unwinding and relaxing with my good friend Netflix. I also love a good casual Friday, where I can loosen up the work dress code with some great denim and a nice shirt, and then meet up with friends and the Hubs for a nice cinq à sept for some more unwindulaxing.
This Friday though, I’ll be stepping up the casual Friday game by spending the evening with the National Art Centre (NAC) for their incredibly popular Casual Friday’s series. This Friday, the NAC Orchestra will be performing Stravinsky’s Italian-influenced music for the ballet Pulcinella. Sigh – thank you NAC for combining my favourite things: great music, casual Fridays and great food. Yes – GREAT food. Let’s chat about that a bit.
The pre-concert reception will take place at 5pm in the Southam Hall Lobby, which is open to anyone regardless of whether or not you will be attending the concert. Guests can enjoy cocktails and tapas available for purchase along with amazing live jazz. All food offerings are prepared onsite by the NAC’s culinary team which draws inspiration from each Casual Friday concert. This lends an authentic and original flair to the tapas menu.
Tapas tickets may be purchased onsite for $8 the night of the concert, and tickets are valid for any Casual Friday performance during the 2016/2017 season. Check out the lovely menu:
Friday, December 16th menu features:
DF = Dairy Free | GF = Gluten Free | V = Vegetarian
1. Italian spiced lamb meatballs – crispy parmesan – rosemary tomato sauce (GF)
2. Prosciutto – black olive tapenade – melon pearls – flatbread
3. Arancini di Riso – risotto rice balls – roasted garlic & truffle aioli sundried tomato pesto (V)
4. Salt cod antipasto – tomato confit – marinated artichoke hearts – green olives – roasted red pepper (GF, DF)
5. Pizza Margherita – tomato sauce – buffalo mozzarella – fresh basil (V)
6. Roasted eggplant roll – ricotta & flat leaf parsley – tomato bruschetta (V, GF)
Wine features:
Columbia Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Chardonnay
At 7pm, the 90-minute concert performed by the NAC Orchestra will start (without intermission). At 8:30pm, the post-concert will go down in the Main Foyer and will be open to all, whether or not you attended the concert. Come and mingle with the NAC Orchestra musicians and you do not want to miss DJ Trevor Walker of Mercury Lounge fame spinning beats for the par-tay!
So, please come join us in this fun Casual Friday night courtesy of the NAC. Tickets are a steal at $29 (tapas and cocktails not included) and I encourage you to wear your favourite, ugly Christmas sweater for the night’s festivities!! Come on…it’ll be fun! See ya there!
Dominique is a Canadian-based fashion and beauty influencer with a strong voice in Ottawa’s black community. Since launching her blog Style Domination in 2015, she has amassed a global fanbase. Dominique shares her life through beautiful imagery and compelling story-telling that speaks to her fans on a personal level. She’s been featured in The Guardian, Flare, The Kit and Cityline. She also hosts events for Dress for Success, the Gem Conference, and has been named a United Way Person 2 Know for the past three years.
