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Ribbers will bring trade secrets to Ribfest By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF For some, it's a seasonal obsession. For others, the passion is yearlong. Ribbers come in many shapes and sizes, and from June 22-24 all those shapes and sizes will be here for the first Oakville Family Ribfest. The Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar-sponsored event has drawn seven rib-cooking artisans, who will give residents the opportunity to taste their creations when the event kicks off on the grounds of Sheridan College, 1430 Trafalgar Rd. Oakville ribber Mike Cuttle will be among those participating. "As a local guy who employs local people and pays taxes in the community, I think it's a great opportunity for us to be one of the players," said Cuttle. "We really appreciate the chance Rotary gave us." Cuttle co-owns Puckz Pub at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, Jake's Boathouse Restaurant in Brampton and Jake's Grill and Oyster House in Burlington. They all have ribs on the menu. While Cuttle said he does not participate in the extensive ribfest summer circuit, like some other ribbers do, he does attend ribfests in Brampton and Erin, Ont. annually. "We've been serving ribs in our restaurants for 32-plus years, so we think we're pretty good at it. Customers tell us we have a great `fall off the bone' flavour, " said Cuttle. "It's one of the things we've been known for over the years. We steam our ribs in beer and there are a lot of interesting flavours in our ribs." Cuttle said that besides being a fun family event to participate in, the new ribfest is great because it gives him the opportunity to promote his business. While Cuttle said his ribs have won awards at some of the ribfests he has participated in, these are not the standards he uses to judge the quality of his ribs. you can receive is repeat business from your customers." During Oakville's Family Ribfest, Cuttle will be found at the Rattlesnake Jake's rig. While it's Cuttle's business to make ribs all year long, this is not the case for many of the other ribbers. Dave Kent, owner of Guelph's Silver Bullet Bar-B-Q rigs, is not affiliated with any restaurant and during the winter he works with bikes at Guelph's Royal Distributing. During the summer, however, he attends ribfests in Ottawa, Brockville, Cobourg, Bowmanville, Whitby, Pickering, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Burlington, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Guelph, Gravenhurst, Barrie and more. Silver Bullet Bar-B-Q has received numerous awards for 3 · Thursday, May 31, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com MARTA IWANEK / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER / @halton_photog ribbers: Mike Cuttle, left, of Puckz Pub in Oakville and Jamie Myers, of Jake's Grill & Oyster House in Burlington will team up as ribbers at Rattlesnake Jake's booth at Oakville's upcoming ribfest June 22-24 at Sheridan College. "I think we're award-winning from the standpoint that we have had restaurants in business for close to 30 years and our customers keep telling us that they love our ribs," he said. "I think the greatest award its showing at these ribfests with Kent stating Silver Bullet took home more than 20 awards last year alone. This included the `Best Pig Rig' award and first runner-up for the `People's Choice Best Rib Team' award at the Burlington Ribfest. "We have our own special rub, which is a dry rub we put on the ribs before they go into the smoker. We also have our own proprietary barbecue sauce," said Kent. "All the Silver Bullet technology came from Texas about 12 years ago. We got a new rig two years ago and we got another new rig this year, so we can be at two different events at the same time. This year one rig will be in Oakville and one rig will be in Ottawa." Kent said he has been a ribSee Ribfest Page 4 Inside Opinion.............................................6 Health.............................................22 Sports..............................................23 Classified........................................29 Partial Delivery: Pharma, Guardian, Freshco, Food Basics, Metro, Pharmassist, Gino's Pizza, M&M Meats, The Bay, Pizza Hut, Hydropool Hot Tubs, Double Oak Homes, Bluestone Project, JYSK, Hardwood Design Centre, Longo's, Sobeys, Best Buy, Future Shop, Red Plum, Toys R Us, Home Outfitters, Part Source, Shoppers Drug Mart, Zellers, The Brick, Sears, Kohl & Frisch, Loblaws, Fortinos, Canadian Tire, Superstore, No Frills, Uncle Ben's, Walmart, Maritime Travel, Pharma Save, Staples For home delivery & customer service call (905) 845-9742 Mon., Tues. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed., Thu., and Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (open for calls only after 5 p.m.) Closed Sat. and Sun. New subscriptions call (905) 845-9742 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com · Haircuts for kids in specialty cars · Private parties for boys and girls · Boutique style shopping WHAT WE DO: $16 GRAND OPENING SPECIAL · Game Systems and DVDs for older kids · Updos, Highlights and Feathers 380 Dundas Street East, Oakville (SE Corner of Trafalgar and Dundas) Call (905) 257-7750 for your appointment today! *Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Offer expires July 31 2012. www.littlesproutscutsforkids.com UPSTAIRS There is nothing new about sailing by castles on the Rhine River and stopping to explore holiday markets that dress up Central Europe's historic town squares each December. What's new is a ship that lets you fully enjoy the winter wonderland out your window. Uniworld's all-weather Antoinette has a heated observation deck; and suites with balconies that transform into glassed-in "conservatories" with the flip of a switch. Wintertime sightseeing hassles ­ driving in snow, finding a parking spot ­ are eliminated, since the ship docks in the centre of town, a few steps from the hot mulled wine, handmade crafts and homespun festivities. Visit the delightful Christmas Markets of Basel, Switzerland and Strasbourg, France. Then, continue on to Germany ­ where many of our signature holiday traditions began with stops in lovely Medieval towns such as Heidelberg, Mainz, Rüdesheim and Koblenz, as well as the majestic city of Cologne. As you sail the legendary Rhine, especially the 40 miles along the Upper Middle Rhine Valley which have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you'll be captivated by the ancient fortresses, Medieval castles and half-timbered villages ­ all set in a winter wonderland. Rhine Holiday Market cruises aboard Antoinette, Basel to Cologne or reverse, depart 25NOV, 02DEC, 09DEC and 16DEC12. Sample fare: 09DEC12 Category 5, USD2449 plus Taxes and Fees USD138 ­ less USD350 if paid in full with reservation. www.uniworld.com Oceania Cruises' Riviera, christened on 11MAY12 in Barcelona, was designed for epicureans. The 1250-passenger ship sports 10 dining venues plus a Bon Appétit Culinary Centre for hands-on learning and Le Reserve by Wine Spectator, a professional-level facility for wine tastings and wine-pairing dinners. Oceania has announced two 10-day "Bon Appétit Wine & Food Festival" cruises this fall. The Riviera cruise, sailing 14OCT12 from Athens to Rome will feature chef Stephen Lewandowsi of New York's Tribecca Grill, while Chef Ken Oringer, of Clio in Boston, will sail aboard the sister-ship Marina 22OCT12 from Athens to Istanbul. The chefs will offer demonstrations, hands-on cooking classes and market tours in select ports along with wine tastings and dinners featuring recipes from Bon Appétit magazine. The ships' Bon Appétit Culinary Centres have 24 workstations each, and classes cater to all levels of aptitude, from beginner to master-chef level. Call us for details. www.oceaniacruises.com WE'VE MOVED RHINE HOLIDAY MARKETS Saturday June 2nd, 2012 BON APPÉTIT! Hopedale Mall, 1515 Rebecca St., Oakville t ravel@mctavishtravel.com OR visit www.mctavishtravel.com McTavish Travel · 905.827.1100 Ont Reg No 1437985 Call us for reservations!