Welland Food Festival is very... um, Welland

We've only heard good things about the annual Welland Food Festival. The Smokin' Buddha, who catered Karissa & Kevin's wedding, were scheduled to be sampling and Anna Olson was to be having a cooking demonstration so that pretty much sold us.
We decided to check it out on Saturday afternoon. After seeing Anna's demonstration on preparing celery soup, we went in for the food tastings. The set-up was not really easy to figure out, so we walked... and walked and circled several times looking for The Smokin' Buddha. We finally decided that they must have been a no-show. And nothing else looked even remotely appetizing. After feeling finicky, I finally chose the Rex, a Welland staple for Italian cuisine. I bought a sample of Gnocchi, tasted it and had an immediate reaction of being transported to childhood, "Tastes like Scarios." Which means they were really yucky.
It really ticks me off when I pay money for disappointing food. If I can make something yummier at home, why bother have someone else destroy my love for food?! Some of you may suggest that the simple luxury of not making it yourself is enough to justify it. Not the case here - it's just a real piss-off that a restaurant would think they should be making money off less than great food. It's not even a matter of personal taste here - there's just poor quality, lack of imagination and questionable taste buds.

Oh, and back to talkin' Scario's. I found a total 80's flashback ad for Scario's and UFO's on You Tube. I can just picture these cans on the shelves of Welland's old Valdi, Pupos or Bargain Harolds.