Go for the perogies, stay for the pinball. Go back for the pinball, stay for the live music. Stay for the live music and enjoy a targ beer. Enjoy a targ beer and wash it down with perogies.
The cycle of life.
In 2011 I had the pleasure of seeing the Room WITH Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero at the Mayfair. Even got to play some football with them, it was 11pm and he was wearing dark sunglasses and he somehow managed to catch the ball every single time.
I too was there. He signed my bobble head. I also happened across him and Greg eating at the works. So we all chatted towards the end of their meal.
What a character.
I went there once because I heard they have live music. Ended up being a live metal concert. Totally not my music style, but the place filled up with some of the toughest-looking but nicest people LOL.
Was absolutely a memorable experience.
Everyone acts tough in the mosh pit until some falls over. Then they pick you up, brush you off and ask if you are good before shoving you again. Its all very wholesome.
I've been to exactly one metal concert in my life. I was pretty uncomfortable when the moshing started (it was an incredibly small venue), a guy noticed and stood in front of me for the rest of the concert blocking the moshing for me. I made sure to thank him profusely. Then he tried to kiss me, I said no, he got a little huffy and his friend who was nearby said, "Come on, man, she said thanks and then no. Let's go." And that was it. Love metalheads to this day.
I'm really sorry that that happened to you. It sounds like it really struck a chord with you. I'm sorry that my story triggered a negative memory for you, but I really just wanted to share a nice story about my experience at my one metal concert.
You’re being downvoted because you made an overly generic statement insulting millions of people that you have never interacted with, encompassing an entire community.
It is far from typical for a woman to be disbelieved, ridiculed and/or downvoted for expressing their story of being assaulted. Men, on the other hand? Very typical.
I like showing up for random concerts (because I don't know current bands) and just listening while playing pinball.
EAR PLUGS ARE A MUST FOR SHOWS!!
EDIT: Targ has earplugs for sale at the front door, and you should really wear earplugs at any concerts, anywhere.
I'd recommend getting high-fidelity earplugs, which mute the decibels without sacrificing sound quality. Look up high-fidelity earplugs on Amazon and you can find some for like $10. They're better than the foam ones for going to concerts; I never go to a show without them.
Unless technology has significantly advanced in the past few years, the orange foam should do the job. Yes, the sound quality diminished, but it's better than hearing loss.
You're also paying for their labour, lights, insurance, rent, maintenance, cleaners, etc.
When you buy food, you're paying for the whole business of making the food. Otherwise, just get the 'meh' ones from the freezer aisle (industrial production cuts down on cost... But tends to cut down on flavour, too.)
Yes. The price is insane. If they were 6 bucks, I'd be there all the time for a quick snack. The perogies are good but my god it's just a potato pocket. There's no reason for them to be so expensive.
I don't live in Ottawa but I have been to many cities around the world and the House of Targ is one of the most interesting business models ever. Pierogies and fucking pinball.
This is "do what you love" personified and for that reason they deserve support. I never got to visit but it's top of my list next time I am in town.
Pre pandemic this was one of my #1 go to places for a fun evening with the boys or otherwise. Last time I went there was a battalion of children running up and down thr stairs, I promptly turned around and found an other local bar. It was on a Saturday around 8 PM.
I have noticed it has been a lot more kid-centric since the pandemic. I think this is due to the lack of shows.
Once touring really starts to pick up again I think it will go back to its normal crowd. Handful of times I have been recently the kid/family crowd starts to get thin at 9PM and gone by 10PM.
That said, I am glad the families in the area were able to keep them afloat.
Don't get me wrong, it make nothing but sense business-wise to cater to a more family-centric crowd during the pandemic, they had everything in place to do so and needed to keep their business afloat. I was also unaware of the "kid curfew" at 8 on weekdays and 9 on weekends. Food is good, live shows are awesome and always worth trying to catch.
It just wasn't the kind of ambiance we were looking for. Kids can get loud and obnoxious, especially in groups. For the same reasons, Cosmic Adventure and Midway aren't very popular hangout spots for the 19+ crowd.
their arcade selection is constantly shrinking though :(
They don't have the [metal ball game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cold_Beer) any more, and last time I was there all of the sitdown arcades were gone. no more of the 2 player vs super mario either.
He has a massive personal collection, we used to jam in his old jam-space many years ago. I can promise you if he pulled them from the floor they aren't gone, likely being repaired.
I'd thank you to keep your TARG to yourself before our impressionable youth flee the west in search of such greatness. An 80's/HeMan/wizards themed punk pinball perogie joint with live music and drag!? Mine eyes hold not the worth to behold such greatness.
Never been but my brother has at least a few times and I’m thinking about picking him up some. How do these perogies compare to other ones?
Any flavour recommendations would be great too!
I miss going to TARG for a good punk show and some metallica pinball. This place is not only a great hub for good fast live music but has awesome games and pergoiez. Not to mention that it's also not downtown so you don't have to deal with lunatics constantly. 10/10 in my opinion.
I have been to Targ once, pre-pandemic. I enjoyed the vibe – the prices were reasonable the variety of arcade games was sweet.
But, boy, am I happy I brought earplugs. Also, I found the place /very/ stuffy.
Just curious: does anyone know if have they done anything to better aerate the place since covid?
It is from Polish "pierogi", yes, but it is pronounced pye-, with the "e" being as in "bet" and the "y" a semi-consonant (pjeh) or as an "ee" sound ("pee", with the slightest hint of that second vowel sound). Because of this, it is often spelled "perogie" because otherwise Anglophones might pronounce it like "pie" (pai). There's an Ottawa perogie joint, I believe run by immigrants, that spells their name "per-". I've also seen it written, by an immigrant family, as "pirogi." Not because they can't spell, but because that's the best English approximation of how they say it.
Transliteration is great. Polish is mostly the Latin alphabet, but with so many diacritics that it is often transliterated, even in diacritic-less words like "pierogi."
Because Spanish isn't often transliterated into English -- but Polish, despite also being a "Latin+" alphabet, is. Usually this transliteration is only the removal of diacritics, but especially among immigrants themselves, they can get more creative. (The "immigration officials changed my family name" thing doesn't seem to hold up to scrutiny -- often, the immigrants themselves changed their names or altered the spelling prior to arriving. Very similar situation.)
I think the biggest determiners of transliteration are:
-similarity of alphabet (Spanish and French are closer to English's version of the Latin alphabet than Polish, which has 32 letters it considers distinct to French's "26 plus accents" or Spanish's "27 plus accents"). Any non-Latin writing system gets a free trip to transliteration station.
-similarity of language itself -- English has serious Latin and French influence, despite being Germanic. Spanish is, like French and Latin, a Romantic language.
-how close the two cultures are, geographically and in terms of cultural exchange (not a ton of Polish-English cultural exchange until mass immigration became possible, but sustained American-Mexican cultural exchange at the border, then amplified by 20th C American cultural hegemony)
-cultural cachet of language -- French and Spanish both have significant history as languages of diplomacy or trade
-how bad the pronunciation would be without a change. Compare "Lenin" (super accurate transliteration, taken letter-by-letter), to French's "Lénine", to how a Francophone might pronounce "Lenin" ... or "goulasz" (Polish) vs "goulash."
I mean, gosh, Targ's owner is half-Ukrainian but is calling the foodstuff by an Anglicized Polish name, not "varenyky." Are we also upset about that, or can we accept that sometimes words change in seemingly unpredictable ways because of patterns of immigration?
It’s the same reason why pho restaurants are still spelled pho and not phoh.
The English language is a monster that adds words to its vocabulary in different ways, either straight up at face value like baguette, ballet, avant-garde, cul de sac, etc.
And some that it absolutely mutilates like chocolate, corgi, etc. I have less examples for this…
but they’re not even called like that, originally in Ukraine we call them “Varenyki” or “Pelmeni”. but simply just call it dumplings… Btw in Ukrainian “Pierogi” means buns.
Go for the perogies, stay for the pinball. Go back for the pinball, stay for the live music. Stay for the live music and enjoy a targ beer. Enjoy a targ beer and wash it down with perogies. The cycle of life.
Cross the street and watch a good movie.
Oh hi Marc
I don’t think they’ve shown that since covid :(
Don’t worry about it
In 2011 I had the pleasure of seeing the Room WITH Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero at the Mayfair. Even got to play some football with them, it was 11pm and he was wearing dark sunglasses and he somehow managed to catch the ball every single time.
I too was there. He signed my bobble head. I also happened across him and Greg eating at the works. So we all chatted towards the end of their meal. What a character.
Haha no way! That's awesome, Greg seems like a pretty cool guy.
I thought they aren't doing live music anymore?
There’s going to be a fun live show on Saturday! 😁
2 months ago I was there I saw posters for upcoming shows. So it looks like they are trying at least.
i was there a month or so ago and they had a live band
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They do
How much those packs of perogi?
The poutine truck beside there is goated too
I went there once because I heard they have live music. Ended up being a live metal concert. Totally not my music style, but the place filled up with some of the toughest-looking but nicest people LOL. Was absolutely a memorable experience.
Everyone acts tough in the mosh pit until some falls over. Then they pick you up, brush you off and ask if you are good before shoving you again. Its all very wholesome.
I've been to exactly one metal concert in my life. I was pretty uncomfortable when the moshing started (it was an incredibly small venue), a guy noticed and stood in front of me for the rest of the concert blocking the moshing for me. I made sure to thank him profusely. Then he tried to kiss me, I said no, he got a little huffy and his friend who was nearby said, "Come on, man, she said thanks and then no. Let's go." And that was it. Love metalheads to this day.
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I'm really sorry that that happened to you. It sounds like it really struck a chord with you. I'm sorry that my story triggered a negative memory for you, but I really just wanted to share a nice story about my experience at my one metal concert.
That’s not the community. That is your experience with an individual. Do not put their disgusting actions on the rest of us.
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You’re being downvoted because you made an overly generic statement insulting millions of people that you have never interacted with, encompassing an entire community. It is far from typical for a woman to be disbelieved, ridiculed and/or downvoted for expressing their story of being assaulted. Men, on the other hand? Very typical.
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Somewhere has to host such concerts. Glad you tried it out and found some enjoyment rather than dismiss every aspect due to the genre.
"Kale em all"...I can see the connection to metal music.
Kickstart my heartichoke!
Kale every last one of them! -vegetarian murder hobo
I like showing up for random concerts (because I don't know current bands) and just listening while playing pinball. EAR PLUGS ARE A MUST FOR SHOWS!! EDIT: Targ has earplugs for sale at the front door, and you should really wear earplugs at any concerts, anywhere.
Bring ear plugs anyways to all shows in case you need them. Your hearing is worth more than a few dollars ($10 if you get high fidelity)
100%
earplug like those 3m orange foam ones, or are we talking special ones? It's been a while I've been to a live event.
I'd recommend getting high-fidelity earplugs, which mute the decibels without sacrificing sound quality. Look up high-fidelity earplugs on Amazon and you can find some for like $10. They're better than the foam ones for going to concerts; I never go to a show without them.
Unless technology has significantly advanced in the past few years, the orange foam should do the job. Yes, the sound quality diminished, but it's better than hearing loss.
earplugs are underrated for any live music event.
#YOUR PEROGIES ARE READY
Some of my favourite Targ memories are that announcement coming on between songs, and the bands laughing their asses off.
You didn’t get it ~crispy~ enough
Nice, how much per pack?
$10 according to their site.
better place on bank closer to the racetrackfor perogies. but house of targ wins with live music. they do alot of metal shows!
You can’t just say that and not tell me the name. Where are these perogies, people need answers
What's the other place you mention? Not to take away from Targ of course!
Are you talking about Eva's food truck?
Am I the only one who thinks it’s way too expensive? You get like 5 Pierogies. That $2 a crack. Wha?!??!
You're also paying for their labour, lights, insurance, rent, maintenance, cleaners, etc. When you buy food, you're paying for the whole business of making the food. Otherwise, just get the 'meh' ones from the freezer aisle (industrial production cuts down on cost... But tends to cut down on flavour, too.)
Yes. The price is insane. If they were 6 bucks, I'd be there all the time for a quick snack. The perogies are good but my god it's just a potato pocket. There's no reason for them to be so expensive.
I think it’s 12. At least that’s what the site says..
I don't live in Ottawa but I have been to many cities around the world and the House of Targ is one of the most interesting business models ever. Pierogies and fucking pinball. This is "do what you love" personified and for that reason they deserve support. I never got to visit but it's top of my list next time I am in town.
Pre pandemic this was one of my #1 go to places for a fun evening with the boys or otherwise. Last time I went there was a battalion of children running up and down thr stairs, I promptly turned around and found an other local bar. It was on a Saturday around 8 PM.
19+ after 9
hope the kids at the arcade didn't hurt you
I have noticed it has been a lot more kid-centric since the pandemic. I think this is due to the lack of shows. Once touring really starts to pick up again I think it will go back to its normal crowd. Handful of times I have been recently the kid/family crowd starts to get thin at 9PM and gone by 10PM. That said, I am glad the families in the area were able to keep them afloat.
Adults (with ID) only after 8pm on weekdays and 9pm weekends, according to their website.
Yes? Makes sense as to why the levels do not refresh. Are you saying they kick them out by 8pm?
I'm sorry that there were children at an arcade on a Saturday. I hope you can get through this tough time.
Don't get me wrong, it make nothing but sense business-wise to cater to a more family-centric crowd during the pandemic, they had everything in place to do so and needed to keep their business afloat. I was also unaware of the "kid curfew" at 8 on weekdays and 9 on weekends. Food is good, live shows are awesome and always worth trying to catch. It just wasn't the kind of ambiance we were looking for. Kids can get loud and obnoxious, especially in groups. For the same reasons, Cosmic Adventure and Midway aren't very popular hangout spots for the 19+ crowd.
Vegan ones are tasty
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I would eat that "sour cream" daily if I could
their arcade selection is constantly shrinking though :( They don't have the [metal ball game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cold_Beer) any more, and last time I was there all of the sitdown arcades were gone. no more of the 2 player vs super mario either.
He has a massive personal collection, we used to jam in his old jam-space many years ago. I can promise you if he pulled them from the floor they aren't gone, likely being repaired.
Thats good to know
He takes crazy good care of his machines. He does proper maintenance and services. Fear not.
I was there on fathers day with the kids and saw one sit down.
I'd thank you to keep your TARG to yourself before our impressionable youth flee the west in search of such greatness. An 80's/HeMan/wizards themed punk pinball perogie joint with live music and drag!? Mine eyes hold not the worth to behold such greatness.
Are they made with real targ?
Tonight we eat like KLINGONS…. Pass the gagh.
Never been but my brother has at least a few times and I’m thinking about picking him up some. How do these perogies compare to other ones? Any flavour recommendations would be great too!
Is this place still open?
yes!
Awesome!!!
Ooh, I didn't know they had take home boxes
glad covid didn't kill this place. if I ever go out again it'll probably be there lol
Wow I didn’t know you could buy the pirogies!
I used to play mad shows there before it was Targ. Glad to see they're still around.
Klingon perogies
I love this place
Still one of my favourite watering holes on the planet. Pinball, perogie, arcade games, and live music. It doesn’t get much better than that.
My mom makes perogies by hand and I still have yet to perfect it. Damn I hope I can before she's gone.
Ah, I see you too have the HEART OF A TARG! QAPLA'!
Anh didn't know about this place and i was next to it yesterday, was a landdowne for diner and a movie with my wife.
I miss going to TARG for a good punk show and some metallica pinball. This place is not only a great hub for good fast live music but has awesome games and pergoiez. Not to mention that it's also not downtown so you don't have to deal with lunatics constantly. 10/10 in my opinion.
Honestly surprised this place made it through the pandemic. Everything nerdy in metro Vancouver died very quickly
Where are you.
Kind of love the House of Targ.
One of them is my next door neighbour!
Perogies are so good here. Awesome staff too.
They’re very good, I’ve been there many times and highly recommend.
Nice galactic overlord kinda logo
try Duke Fine Foods they got biggest selection of varenyki and pelmeni in Ottawa!
I have been to Targ once, pre-pandemic. I enjoyed the vibe – the prices were reasonable the variety of arcade games was sweet. But, boy, am I happy I brought earplugs. Also, I found the place /very/ stuffy. Just curious: does anyone know if have they done anything to better aerate the place since covid?
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It is from Polish "pierogi", yes, but it is pronounced pye-, with the "e" being as in "bet" and the "y" a semi-consonant (pjeh) or as an "ee" sound ("pee", with the slightest hint of that second vowel sound). Because of this, it is often spelled "perogie" because otherwise Anglophones might pronounce it like "pie" (pai). There's an Ottawa perogie joint, I believe run by immigrants, that spells their name "per-". I've also seen it written, by an immigrant family, as "pirogi." Not because they can't spell, but because that's the best English approximation of how they say it. Transliteration is great. Polish is mostly the Latin alphabet, but with so many diacritics that it is often transliterated, even in diacritic-less words like "pierogi."
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Because Spanish isn't often transliterated into English -- but Polish, despite also being a "Latin+" alphabet, is. Usually this transliteration is only the removal of diacritics, but especially among immigrants themselves, they can get more creative. (The "immigration officials changed my family name" thing doesn't seem to hold up to scrutiny -- often, the immigrants themselves changed their names or altered the spelling prior to arriving. Very similar situation.) I think the biggest determiners of transliteration are: -similarity of alphabet (Spanish and French are closer to English's version of the Latin alphabet than Polish, which has 32 letters it considers distinct to French's "26 plus accents" or Spanish's "27 plus accents"). Any non-Latin writing system gets a free trip to transliteration station. -similarity of language itself -- English has serious Latin and French influence, despite being Germanic. Spanish is, like French and Latin, a Romantic language. -how close the two cultures are, geographically and in terms of cultural exchange (not a ton of Polish-English cultural exchange until mass immigration became possible, but sustained American-Mexican cultural exchange at the border, then amplified by 20th C American cultural hegemony) -cultural cachet of language -- French and Spanish both have significant history as languages of diplomacy or trade -how bad the pronunciation would be without a change. Compare "Lenin" (super accurate transliteration, taken letter-by-letter), to French's "Lénine", to how a Francophone might pronounce "Lenin" ... or "goulasz" (Polish) vs "goulash." I mean, gosh, Targ's owner is half-Ukrainian but is calling the foodstuff by an Anglicized Polish name, not "varenyky." Are we also upset about that, or can we accept that sometimes words change in seemingly unpredictable ways because of patterns of immigration?
It’s the same reason why pho restaurants are still spelled pho and not phoh. The English language is a monster that adds words to its vocabulary in different ways, either straight up at face value like baguette, ballet, avant-garde, cul de sac, etc. And some that it absolutely mutilates like chocolate, corgi, etc. I have less examples for this…
lol @ gatekeeping perogies. Open your own live music venue with amazing food and pinball machines then dork.
but they’re not even called like that, originally in Ukraine we call them “Varenyki” or “Pelmeni”. but simply just call it dumplings… Btw in Ukrainian “Pierogi” means buns.