(Timothy Neesam/CBC News)

By Amber Hildebrandt, CBC News

Protesting is hard work. Out in the sun. Walking for long periods. Waving placards. Shouting, chanting, singing.

Then again, so is reporting. Forced to stay in a virtual cave (aka the media centre). Typing madly to meet deadlines. Listening to official after official drone on.

Either way, both are being fed - for free - as they toil away during the G20 Summit. And both kitchens/cafeterias are inaccessible to the other.

But that's where the similarities end.

Inside the media centre, journalists are getting a sampling of food by some of the city's top chefs.

At 5 p.m. Friday, a beef and shiitake mushroom tasting was scheduled. At 9 p.m., a tasting by Jamie Kennedy.

There's also a cafeteria. After a lunch of orange chicken, one CTV cameraman remarked that it was "dynamite." 

Over at Allan Gardens on Friday, protesters were dining on more limited fare. The People's Kitchen, a collection of community organizers who are feeding protesters, cooked up a few options: couscous salad, roasted potatoes and chicken, salad and radishes with dressing.

"Delicious by all accounts," CBC's Prasanna Rajagopalan said of reactions to the food. "Looks great."

In the end, it's all just sustenance, right?