Tonight, Da got SharkBoy and I a pair of tickets to Empty Bowls, at the Gardiner Museum. A yearly fundraiser put on by local artists (who make the bowls) and chefs (who fill the bowls). Purchasing a ticket gets you an original bowl and access to 20 chef stations serving up the most exotic soups I have ever seen. Money goes to Anishnawbe Health Toronto, a centre for the well being of Aboriginal peoples. The doors opened at 5 and Da tells me there was a line up started around 1pm. When we got there, there was a mini crush to get inside to the last remaining 60 or so bowls.

Here’s mine (click all pics to embiggen)
Note the bright orange and two chambered chip dip style. Bless SharkBoy for elbowing his way past an old lady to get it before it flew off the table! Yes, I know it’s rather greedy of me to choose a two chamber bowl, and I was hounded at all the stations if I wanted a “Number one or Number two?” I refrained from any poo jokes. One curious characteristic of the bowl was it’s lack of footing, making it impossible to put down. See the video of my spinny bowl:

The crowd was shovey and excited. Always are when you mention free food!

It was a feeding frenzy. At one point I was shoved in and out of a line for the mystery soup that tasted so good I nearly wept! And people were not kind about my large frame and my greedy bowl. Many comments on “You’re eating right, my friend,” with regards to my ability to fill up two soups at a time. Which I never did! Fuck ’em. I was in food heaven. There was thick fishy miso soups, brisk bisques, fruity dessert broths, pea soups, oyster drops, antique pork chunk soups and my favorite, a rhubarb and sour cream …thing, from Jamie Kennedy’s restaurant. YUM!

I did find it a bit ironic that this whole event was an excess of food gluttony inside one of Toronto’s most beautiful new museums when the Anishnawbe house helps people break the cycle of street living and homelessness. Maybe not ironic so much as guiltily feeling making. Thank god for the walk home.