Urban Deli Tag canadians

Host of Off the Beaten Palate, Michael-Ann Rowe

If you’ve been in Urban Deli you may have noticed our owner Liz is often a whirlwind of activity. However, she is almost zen-like when compared with her sister, Michael-Ann (aka Mikey, aka MA), who lives in New York City when she’s not traveling the globe or coming back to New Brunswick.

Each sister has her own distinct characteristics but they also have many in common. Not the least of these is a passion for food. Where Liz opened her own restaurant, Urban Deli, Michael-Ann created her own television show, Off the Beaten Palate.

You’ve probably seen Mikey in the Deli as she brings her energy back home to New Brunswick every chance she gets. In fact, the first show of Off the Beaten Palate showcases our great province.

Now Michael-Ann’s show is nominated in the 2012 Taste Awards (aka the Tasty Awards). If you’re unfamiliar with them, here is how they describe themselves.

Off the Beaten Palate

The Annual TASTE AWARDS (aka the TASTY Awards) is the premier broadcast awards show to celebrate the best in food, fashion, and home lifestyle programs on TV, in Film, Online, and on Radio. The goal is to recognize and acknowledge outstanding excellence in video and film content focused on food, drink, fashion, design, and home lifestyle.

The awards are a pretty big deal in the world of food. Other people up for awards in various categories are the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver with shows like Kitchen Nightmares and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

MA’s show finds itself in the Best Food Travel Series: Web (there are five shows nominated in the category).

Mikey will go just about anywhere to explore culinary delicacies from their roots.

What is Off the Beaten Palate?

Host and narrator, Michael-Ann Rowe, is a food lover, restaurateur, and TV personality, who takes an unabashed and inquisitive approach, as she travels the globe disclosing culinary delicacies from their roots.

We’re all pretty excited about Mikey’s nomination given that the show has not yet launched. But keep with us at Urban Deli for news of a PBS airing date in March, 2012! Canadians everywhere will have a chance to see it.

She’ll be heading to Hollywood soon for the January 12 Tasty Awards show (and we’re pretty envious because it sounds like it will be a snazzy red carpet affair).

We’re wishing her all the best as her culinary adventure takes her to Tinsel Town to hobnob with celebrity foodies and others as they celebrate the best in food television.

If you’re curious about Off the Beaten Palate have a look at the the trailer. You can also read about the Tasty Awards and Michael-Ann in this Huffington Post article.

Off the Beaten Palate:

Michael-Ann Rowe, host of Off the Beaten Palate, takes a break while shooting an episode back home in New Brunswick.

We can’t begin to understand what the people in Haiti are experiencing or how Haitian Canadians are feeling given the scope of the disaster. How do you wrap your mind around it? But we do understand the need for help. So though it may be small in comparison to the need, we’d like to so something.

As of tomorrow, when you’re at the Urban Deli and paying for what you’ve ordered, we’ll be set up so that if you want to, you can give whatever change you get back to Haiti. We’ll have a jar by the cash register. Or if you just want to drop something in there, please do.

And for the next few Saturdays when you’re in the Deli, if you order fries (what we like to call Potato Frites), the money will be going to Haiti.

Any money raised will be going to the Canadian Red Cross for Haiti relief and rebuilding.

There are many other ways to help Haiti as well. The CBC has a pretty comprehensive list on their web site (just scroll down the page a bit).

One of the largest is, of course, the Canadian Red Cross. From the CBC site: “The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. Donations can be earmarked to the Haiti earthquake fund. Canadians who wish to give may donate online by clicking here. Donations can also be made by calling 1-800-418-1111 or by visiting any Red Cross office.”

By the way, watch out for scams. Sad though it is, there are people out there who would take advantage of this tragedy, particularly online. Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs has a page How Canadians Can Help that has a lot of good information on what to donate, experienced humanitarian organizations, as well as other information on “major disasters and other emergencies abroad.”

People here in Saint John have very real connections with Haiti. Our thoughts are with them.

Tag: canadians

Sisters with a passion for food

A little something for Haiti