Food Review: Billabong Gastropub

Billabong Gastropub

121 Osborne St

I have been meaning to write a review of billabong for over a year now but what finally pushed me to put my pen to the page (fingers to the keyboard?) was a few serendipitous events that lead me to have brunch here this summer.

Billabong gastropub is in the heart of Osborne village. It is a nice alternative to The Toad, especially on nights where the appeal of the crowds and fake Irish accents put on by drunken strangers wears off. Some night Billabong is quiet, sometimes it is packed. But when it comes to brunch it is always empty, and that is a shame because it deserves more attention. I would much rather eat here than wait in line at the Osborne Village Cafe or at Stellas. In truth I never like to wait in line.

For dinner I have ordered:

• Village Burger
• Arugula and beet root salad
• soup of the day (squash soup)
• Red pepper bruschetta

For breakfast I have ordered:

• Billabong breakfast
• Stuffed French toast
• Huevos Rancheros
• Ginger lemon carrot potato pancakes

The red pepper bruschetta is a safe bet because goat cheese makes everything better. The squash soup was very good, the village burger was nothing special.

The stuffed French toast blows my mind makes my mouth water just thinking about it. This is a must try dish. Whenever I think about ordering something else on the menu I end up changing my mind and ordering the French Toast anyway. As a result it took a few visits before I tried anything else. I promise that the huevos rancheros are good (I finished my wife's order). The Billabong breakfast is a classic brunch order and they do not deviate from the tradition (A friend let me try some of his). But you know what I will be ordering when I go there. 

Until next time, 

Food Review: Chew

Chew

532 Waterloo St.

If you want to eat incredible food and have it served to you by a larger-than-life basso profundo than chew will steal your tastebuds and your heart along with it. It is impossible not to be charmed and swept away. The place is tiny and they have to limit the amount of time you can stay, but this means the service is attentive and efficient so you still feel like you are having a long and lingering meal. My wife and I took my mother and grandparents out for dinner to celebrate their birthdays and we chose this place because we suspected it would be quiet enough for everyone to hear each other speak. We were right.

We decided to order a number of dishes and share the food so that we could try as many things on the menu as possible. We ordered:

• Manitoba tomatoes. These were in season and therefore fantastic. The overall preparation only made them better.
• Chanterelle mushrooms/ porcini parpadelle. This was the first time I had eaten Chanerelles and so I cannot compare the preparation but the dish was fantastic regardless.
• Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi. Buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil oil and well prepared gnudi made this dish memorable.
• Bread with bone marrow butter. 

We were also told that we were unlikely to find a better prepared duck anywhere. I did not try any but my mother did and she agreed. So you should consider that as well.

Overall we had a terrific time and just when we thought it could not get any better, they sent us home with muffins. I really cannot say anything bad about this place. You really must go.

Until next time,

Food Review: Barley Brothers

Barley Brothers

655 Empress St

I had heard about this place before it opened but it took me a few months to get there. One of the reasons for this is that I am rarely in the area of polo park. Another is that I didn't want to be the DD when I was going to a restaurant that has at least 60 different beers to choose from. I also heard that they were working out a few kinks in their service and their staff were still learning the beer menu when a few friends went a about a month after they opened. I figured I would wait for a while and let some of that get sorted out.

The place is spacious. It is new and clean in a mass culture sort of way. I can't really quantify the effect this had on my experience. But it kind of made me feel like I had been to a million places like it before. You could argue that this is a good thing or a bad thing. It depends on the person.

The beer menu was enough to take me out of familiar territory. With so many brews to choose from it is very lucky that they offer flights (a sampler of several beers). I was won over by their beer menu. I ordered two flights of beers that I had never heard of before. But what about the food?

We ordered:

-The Hot Pretzel

-Perogies (with saurkraut)

-Kale Salad

The food also took a really long time to arrive. I also thought it was a little bit expensive for the quality. On the other hand the price is probably necessary in order to subsidize the huge variety of alcohol that they offer. I would have happily paid more for beer if the food was better, but I am probably in the minority. Our server was comfortable with the beer menu but could have visited us a few more times to fill water, and ask if we wanted more to drink or eat. The hockey game was very loud so it was hard to talk even though the restaurant was almost empty. Some people in my group did not enjoy their meal. I thought mine was good but nothing special.

It is worth noting that I wrote this review in late December 2013 so these things may have changed. I hope so, because it is a great place to drink. I just wish it were a better place to eat.

Until next time,

Food Review: Bella Vista Restaurant & Pizzeria

Bella Vista Restaurant & Pizzeria

53 Maryland St

I have been going here at least twice a year for several years now and every time I go I enjoy myself thoroughly. This place is an essential part of my conception of West Broadway. It is great food served without pretense. This is not formal dining but to tell you the truth I enjoy it just as much (and more sometimes).

The restaurant section is able to accommodate a group of 12 fairly well.  They do pitchers of two rivers and pizza can be ordered in large quantities.

In the past I have ordered:

-Sicilian Pizza

-Vegetable Pizza

-several pasta dishes.

All the food is incredibly garlicky. I am a garlic-lover but sometimes it's even too much for me. The Sicilian is especially potent so don't order that one if you don't want garlic and oregano to be on your mind for hours after you have eaten. The vegetable one is subtler. I don't think that I need to list all the pasta dishes I have tried there because they have been consistently tasty and similarly garlicked (and their menu is not online, so I don't have a tool to jog my memory).  I like them all. This is a great place for a casual dinner out.

Until next time,

Food Review: Tony's Pizza

Tony's Pizza
1100 Pembina Highway

Tony's Pizza is a landmark that I pass by all the time on my way south down Pembina. I've been wanting to try this pizza for at least a decade but it just never happened. I kept chickening out and ordering something familiar, or forgetting to check where they deliver, or some other excuse. But my in-laws decided to order from them a few weeks ago and I was overjoyed! I really enjoy order-in meals with my in-laws because my mother-in-law doesn't feel obligated to spend the whole evening in the kitchen. I won't bother describing decor of the restaurant because it is a take-out pizza place and that pretty much means that there's a lot of kitchen and a bit of front counter. 

We ordered:

- The Greek Pizza

- The Cheese Pizza

Both of these pizzas were delicious, but maybe a bit salty because of the generous amount of cheese. The sauce was tasty but didn't dominate the flavor of the food. The crust was deliciously fatty. The pizzas were clearly made with care and attention and they tasted great. Best of all, they didn't give me a stomach ache like some order-in pizza does. This place gets a 4.5/5 in the "just give me a great tasting pizza" category. 

Until next time,

Food Review: Corrientes Argentine Pizza

Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria

137 Bannatyne Ave

This review has been sitting in the "posts not posted" folder of my computer for almost six months and I decided it was time to let it see the light of day. There was no reason that I didn't post it until now. The entry just got lost in my file system for a while.

The day we went was busy and the only spot we could get in the restaurant was a small outdoor cafe-style table for two in the back. It was shorter than the rest of the tables and the server had to kneel to converse face-to-face with us, or else tower above us. It was sort of a fun atmosphere and the awkwardness of our table height made the whole place feel friendlier. That in turn helped make up for the fact that we were dressed the cold, not for going out for dinner.

We ordered:

- Rucula Pizza

- Humita empanada

- Argentine Beer

My wife and I thought that the food was tasty but not exceptional. Our omnivorous friends were quick to point out that the meat pizzas are really good. I can't confirm or deny that. However, it is probably true because our main complaint about the vegetarian food was that it needed more salt. A vegetarian dish shouldn't just be a meat dish without meat. It needs to be something unto itself, and part of that is compensating for the lower salt content of vegetables. This is a restaurant that seems to be better for omnivores. So, if you are omnivorous my advice is reserve a table ahead of time and try it for yourself.

Until next time,

Food Review: Waves Restaurant & Lounge

Waves Restaurant & Lounge

330 Kennedy St

I noticed this place open quietly a few months ago. It took a while to get enough places off my list to justify going here. I waited even longer because I still mourn the closing of the Lo Pub. In any case Waves Restaurant & Lounge is a strange mix between newly renovated and the old décor. They have a range of food from Caesar salad, to Kebabs, to Butter chicken. My guess is that they are trying to offer something to travelers from everywhere. We wanted Indian food, so we ordered from their Vegan & Gluten-free menu.

We ordered:

Mix Vegetable Curry

Chick Peas Curry

Both of these dishes came with spiced rice. By adding this additional flavor to the rice it transformed from being a vessel for the curries to a full-fledged part of the dish. The rice was the thing that really stood out in this meal. The rest of the food was also enjoyable. I was happy with the price we paid and we left feeling full.

Until next time,

Food Review: Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant

Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant

93 Osborne St

Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant is the newest watering hole in Osborne village. It has been open for a little less than a month.

A new restaurant in Osborne village is bound to get a lot of business,  especially on a weekend night. Therefore, the group that I was expected to wait a long time and we did. It seems that winter doesn't cause Winnipeg's hottest district to freeze over.

The group I was with came to drink and to talk. As a result, my review lacks the meat that some of my other ones have (I couldn't resist the pun). The menu contains a range of burgers, appetizers, and a few mains. There isn't a lot of food. I promise I will try the veggie burger sometime in the future, but for now I will confine myself to the two things I did sample: the cheese platter and the drink section of the menu.

The cheese platter:

This is an idea I have seen at a few restaurants now. I love it. My group had wine and cheese and enjoyed paring the food with the extras the platter contains: figs, candied cashews, strawberries, tomato jam, and bacon jam. There were crackers and toasted baguette to put the cheese on.  The server told us that they change the cheese every week, which is a great idea!

The drink menu:

The main focus is the drink menu, which is sizable. Their list of beer on tap is good and there are a few more bottles. They have a fairly sizable wine collection ranging in price from just over $20 to over $60. I am not detail oriented when it comes to wine, so I cannot comment on the quality of the selection, only the quantity.

I enjoyed myself immensely and  we even had a good conversation despite the moderate-high noise level.  I will be back.

Until next time,

Food Review: Deseo Bistro

Deseo Bistro

696 Osborne Street

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2014

Walking into Deseo from from the cold of a Winnipeg winter is a pleasure. The restaurant is cozy without being crowded. Their services is extraordinary, their choice of art is interesting, and their willingness to accommodate vegetarians a real pleasure. Reserving a table online was convenient. I cannot say enough good things about this place. This is very clearly one of the best restaurants in the city.

We ordered:

Goat Cheese Cheese Cake (amazing)

Crisp Cauliflower

Black Truffel Gnocchi (amazing)

Crunch Salad (amazing)

Faro as Risotto

On my second we ordered:
Eggplant
Beet Salad
Chicken
Tagliatelle

The goat cheese cheese cake changed my wife’s life. The crunch salad very nearly changed mine. The rest of the food was fantastic but they were not as good as those dishes, but how could they have been? Then I tried the chicken. Man oh man that chicken is amazing! The battering, the hot sauce, and the exquisite juiciness of the meat was more than incredible. It may have been the best chicken I have ever eaten. The eggplant also stood out, it was perfectly cooked and very tasty. These dishes are everything I look for in professionally prepared food: well balanced flavors, rich but not heavy, perfectly portioned, nice to look at, and impossible to replicate in my home kitchen without many flops and tons of practice. Deseo charges exactly the price I would expect for food of the quality they offer. I also happen to know that they source their ingredients locally as often as possible. What more could you want? Bring a date, bring friends, bring anyone you can. This place is worth eating at.

Until next time,

Review: Punjab Sweet House & Restaurant

Punjab Sweet House

88 Mandalay Drive

I heard about this place from a friend who said this is the best Indian food in the city. Claims like these are always a little bit hard to take seriously because there are so many choices. However, my wife and I were having dinner with some family members who regularly travel to India. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I wanted to test this food to their well practiced palate. They choose the dishes and they picked up the food so I can’t say a lot about the location or the atmosphere except from second hand account. Based on  their description it sounds like the Punjab Sweet House is very much family run, with grandpa sitting in a chair supervising the on goings and the grandchildren playing at a table nearby.

We ordered:

Burtha

Chana Masala

Dal Makhni

Shahi Paneer

Mix Vegetable Curry

Samosas

Nan

Rice (I don’t know if it is included in the price)

Of these, the chana masala stood out as the best chickpea curry I have tried in a restaurant.  All the other dishes were very good as well. The samosas and the naan were pretty standard. My globetrotting family members said the food was authentic and very tasty. I should mention that everything is vegetarian, which disappointed the butter chicken lovers at the table. This is the best Indian restaurant in I have been to in Winnipeg.

If you go to their restaurant you can order from the buffet, which gives you a range of delicious food what isn't expansive, but it is delicious. They sometimes change what is served so it would take along time to get tired of this extremely well priced buffet. One of the interesting things about eating in is how good the service is. There is always a staff member checking to make sure you have enough hot naan or making sure you are enjoying your food. Its nice.

Until next time,

Food Review: Pizzeria Gusto

Pizzeria Gusto

404 Academy Rd

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2014

Pizzeria Gusto is a cozy restaurant with a very nice patio. I will betray the fact that I ate here several months ago by saying that we ate outside. The patio has tables as well as couch for a more casual dining experience. Since we didn’t have a reservation and it was busy we were relegated to the couch. I say relegated, but I actually enjoyed sitting there a lot.

I have eaten here several times and the food is consistently good.  

We ordered two pizzas:

-          Quatro Fromaggi (with a cracked egg on it)

-          Ryall

Both of these pizzas satisfied our craving. The Quatro Fromaggi was especially good with the egg on top. There is a wide range of options and flavors with the meat pizzas, and for once there is also a respectable range of vegetarian options. It is true that most are the same as the ones you get everywhere. Here they do them well, but sometimes I wish restaurants would have a bit more derring-do in creating their veggie pizza options.

All in all it is a wonderful place to bring a date, have a nice evening, and eat at the nicest upscale pizza in Winnipeg.

Until Next Time,

Food Review: Bard & Banker Pub

Bard & Banker Pub

1022 Government St

Victoria, BC

This is one of the prettiest pubs I’ve ever been to. It is located in a historic bank building. Stepping in, I felt transported into an imaginary UK where everyone drinks in grand halls adorned with brass and built of dark wood. The illusion was maintained when I saw the beer menu, which was impressive and included a great selection on tap.  I was seated promptly and the service was good.

I ordered the house made veggie burger

I thought that the veggie burger was entirely forgettable.  I asked my friends how they thought the food was and they agreed with me. This place is a pub first and a restaurant second and it would do you well to keep that in mind. Overall, it was a great place to have visited because of the beer selection and the beautiful architecture but you should come here to drink not to eat.

Until Next Time,

Food Review: Sam’s Deli & Bistro

Sam’s Deli & Bistro

805 Government St
Victoria, BC

I had finally checked into my hotel and I spent a few confused hours without food wondering around downtown Victoria. My ultimate goal was to sit by the beach in Beacon Hill Park (which is fabulous) and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet for a few hours before my friends’ flights arrived and I would have to deal with the hustle and bustle of the conference I was attending. This meant that I went to the first place that looked like I could get food fast. Sam’s Deli & Bistro was where I ended up.

It is a neat idea: it had the fast-food-sandwich-joint-style of serving and choices (bread, meat etc, veggies, sauces). The twist was that instead of having tons of bread and veggies, it was pretty much a regular homemade sandwich. The bread was plain old grocery store bread and it came packed in a little plastic container. Unfortunately, everything cost extra (avocados, pickles, even some of the bread options) and it was very unclear what was on the veggie sandwich.

Ultimately, it cost more than I wanted to spend and it tasted like a sandwich I could have made at home. At first this upset me because I should have just gone home and made the darn thing for cheaper. If you are a Victoria resident you should feel the same way; but this is the tourist zone. People who go here are probably far from home and don’t want to buy bread, pickles, tomato, mayo, avocado etc.. for a home-style sandwich because they would have to figure out what to do with them later. They just want that piece of home away from home and it can definitely be found in the sandwiches here. In that sense it is a decent place and I did enjoy it. I just wish it was cheaper.

Until next time,

Food Review: Li’L Viking Lounge & Harbour Dock Café

Li’L Viking Lounge & Harbour Dock Café

Gull Harbour Marina 

Hecla Island, MB 

I was going through my 'posts not posted' folder and found a few reviews from the summer that I never got around to posting. This place is probably closed for the season, but it will be open next spring.

This is pretty much your choice of dining out in Hecla Island Manitoba. The restaurant is located inside the main floor of the old fishery and oozes with the old Manitoba tradition of screened in patios. The place is clean and the view of the harbour is quite scenic as the sun goes down. The task of trying to keep a restaurant open seasonally in a less frequented part of the province means that the food is more expensive than in the city.

The restaurant attracts a variety of clientèle from sports fishermen to elderly vacationers to families, and as a result they have a standard beer menu and a fabulous array or locally made deserts. They make cinnamon buns in-house, and I am told that they disappear within hours of their creation. They also make brownies and some other lighter squares. However, the big selling point is the pickerel. It is obvious that their other menu items play a secondary role to their locally caught fish. I don’t usually order it, but my family always does.

I have ordered:

-          Nachos

-          Coconut Cream pie

-          Greek Salad

-          Caesar Salad   

-          Pizza

-          French Fries

Most of the food is made well and will appeal to your fast-food/pub food cravings. The coconut cream pie is very good. It is really nice the French fries are not greasy. The fish and chips (I am told) are moist, flavourful, and well battered. If you are staying at the lighthouse inn or the resort and you want to spend the evening looking at the sunset over the lake, this is the place to be.

Until next time,

It's been a while...

As it turns out, it has been over a month since my last post. There have been a few reasons for this:

1) I am very busy at work so instead of writing blog posts I have been working.
2) I have been eating out less because my wife and I are trying to save money so that we can travel for a few months next year, or buy a house, or both.
3) I have been re-eating at places and updating those posts
4) I keep wanting to post about other things related to food but running out of time to do so.

Here is a teaser trailer of a few blog topics I have been thinking about:

- Borscht Burger Recipe
- Food story interviews
- Talk about a major food choice my wife and I made that we are just starting this week.
- Type up a few more food reviews that I have lurking around
- Edit a few of my older posts more carefully because some of them need it.

I hope to write again soon,

The Best (Veggie) Burgers in Winnipeg

Updated: March 2014

Burger week was a ton of fun for me. During the week I subjected my patient wife to five restaurants that had competing burgers and one place that has a good veggie burger but wasn't a part of the festivities. Of these five, only two (Underground Café and Boon Burger) had entered vegetarian burgers in the competition. This led me to create my list of top veggie burgers in Winnipeg. However, I realize that I have not ordered burgers from several places which might hold their own in the competition, so I am also posting my veggie burger bucket list as well.

Last winter I started cooking through Joni Marie Newman’s “The Best Veggie Burgers on The Planet”. It has given me a good idea of what can be done with a patty. From this book it is clear that veggie burgers have made a lot of progress in the last few years. They have been transformed from pale imitations of meat to a self-confident food that doesn't even pretend to be beef. Based on experience, there are two camps of veggie burgers. The first camp is the good-ol-fashioned-burger. The distinguishing feature of this group is that most of the flavor comes from the patty. They tend to be simpler and have the traditional burger toppings: pickle, lettuce, tomato, cheese (sometimes), ketchup, mustard (sometimes), and relish (sometimes).  The second group is the topping burgers. In this group the flavor is dominated with sauces, veggies, condiments; the patty’s role is secondary.

What do I like in a burger?  I like a bun that is slightly crusty and a bit chewy. I want every bite to taste the same (an even spread of flavors). I want it to be small enough so that I can taste the whole thing in a bite. 

So, what does Winnipeg have to offer? A lot!

Top 5 Veggie Burgers in Winnipeg:

1) Dessert Sinsations - Yes, that's right! Dessert sinsations has a knock-your-socks-off delicious veggie burger. The housemade patty is bursting with flavour, the fixings are top notch too, and they give you a steak knife to cut it into manageable pieces because otherwise it will be all over you.
2) Boon Burger – The bacon cheese burger – this is a classic burger prepared with extraordinary zeal. It is smoky, it is ‘cheesy’, the bun was pleasant too, and it wasn't overwhelmed with sauce.

3)  Unburger – The Bella – This burger is a classic portabella-style veggie burger. If you don’t like blue cheese don’t order this. If you like it, you’ll find paradise on a square bun.  

4)  Osborne Village Café – The Curried Chickpea and Wild Rice Burger is the best of the curried burgers. It is everything I wish the one at Cousins was. The sauces are lovely, the burger is flavourful without overwhelming.
5)  Elements – Their veggie burger is fabulous as well. It has all the classic toppings with a patty that deserves the attention it gets. UPDATE: I had put this in second place this summer but when I tried it a second time in winter it wasn't nearly as good. I will try it again to see if I had it on a bad day.

Other ones I've tried:

The Underground Café – The Fabulous Sun-Burger is one of the best in the city because of its unbeatable lime-dill sauce. If I liked the patty a bit more, it would easily have made the top 10.
Mondragon – Usurped from 5th place by the burger at the Osborne Village Cafe! This veggie burger has been around for a long time. It was the first veggie burger I ever tried, and as far as gool-ol-fashioned burgers go, this is one of the best. The patty has a hint of curry. The whole thing is very well done. UPDATE: Unfortunately Mondragon is no longer open. We have lost a pretty great burger and a much greater part of Winnipeg's culture.

Market Burger – I have tried both their veggie burgers and I think they are tasty but nothing special. They are probably in the top 10 burgers in the city because of the options for customization.
The Grove - UPDATE: After returning to The Grove to try the burger I found that it was still a good burger but not as good as I remembered it to be. It is the good-ol-fashioned burger style. It is a really good patty, but not the best. Probably sitting in 6th place right now for the best burger in the city. I had placed it in the top 3 before.

Cousins Deli & Lounge – Cousin’s is often considered the best veggie burger in the city by my peers. I am not as big a fan. The patty is dense and a bit dry. It is another example of a top 5 burger with a top 10 patty.

Billabong Gastropub - The Village burger. This one is a middle of the road. It has good toppings, but the patty is not my favorite.

Stella's Café - This burger is presented well and comes with plenty of potatoes and coleslaw on the side. But in a competition of flavor this curry burger doesn't stand out from the crowd.
The Nook  - This is a classic diner burger gone vegetarian. Add some ketchup to make it a bit saucier and enjoy this solid burger.

My Bucket List:

Prairie Ink – Suggested in an article by The Manitoban, this one looked interesting.
Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant - I like the one at The Grove. Why not try this one as well?

Daly Burger – I hear great things from my carnivore friends. At 4.95, why not try their veggie burger?

I will keep this list up-to-date.

Until next time!

Food Review: Market Burger

Market Burger

645 Corydon Ave

 
One of the huge advantages of market burger is their rooftop patio, it affords good views of the vibrant part of Corydon ave. The décor is hip and the food is as local as possible. The staff were friendly, and our server visited us regularly. But like most restaurants that have just opened there were a few glitches; the most interesting ones involved their menu. They advertise a gluten free burger but the menu has it on a whole wheat bagel.  The server was nice enough to clarify: they have gluten free buns – the issue was a misprint on the menu. The second menu issue we noticed was also caused by a misprint. the Menno poutine did not list meat in it despite containing sausage. Sadly, the dish was prepared and on our table before we found out. We had a long debate about whether to eat it or not, but ultimately we sent it back. They were very apologetic about it and gave us frings as a replacement (which was more than enough solace).  We also noticed that they boasted serving local beer but didn't have Half Pints listed (which seemed like a pretty big slight). I asked the server and it turns out that they do have serve Half Pints, Farmery, and Fort Garry brews but, once again, they didn't get it on the menu.

I won’t dwell on this; I have made errors that were equally as silly but somehow found their way into print. Staring at something for too long almost guarantees that important discrepancies will be missed.  I went there to eat, not to copyedit. I say let bygones be bygones and hope they reprint their Manitoba-shaped menus with those corrections. They may have already since this post has sat in my 'posts not posted' folder for several weeks already.

On to the burgers!

They have 2 vegetarian patties, as well as a make your own option, which amounts to good variety of burgers for veggie folks. The French fries have an amazing array of delicious sauces (honey, mint, and jalapeno!) which are sure to be a foodie pleaser. They also serve Cornell Creme Ice cream, which is locally produced on a small scale. We tried the vanilla ice cream and it was great to see that it had the little black flecks suggesting that it was made with vanilla beans. It’s definitely worth trying!

The patio gives it a serious advantage over most (all?) of the fancy burger places in Winnipeg. Overall it is a great place to hang out on a sunny day, have a few beer, and eat a decent burger.

               

                Until next time,

Food Review: The Blue Fox Cafe

The Blue Fox Cafe

919 Fort St. Victoria BC

Three words describe the Blue Fox Cafe: wow, Wow, WOW! The atmosphere is cozy, bright, and fun. The artwork on the walls is interesting and local. The serving staff and the host were impossible to beat (I really really mean this). One of the people I was travelling with is anaphylactic to eggs and nuts and this was the only place (of the 6 places we ate) that didn’t serve him something with eggs or nuts in it – and they are a breakfast joint with a mostly eggy menu! On top of this, we waited in line for breakfast for 40 minutes in the rain and even that misery didn’t get my spirits down after we tried the food.

I ordered the Jalapeno veggie burger and the lulu lemon mimosa.

The veggie burger came with a salad that was the size of my plate when I spread it out and the white wine vinaigrette was stunning. The burger itself was huge and delicious and is probably the best veggie burger I have ever eaten. The lulu lemon mimosa blew my mind and I am going to have to try to make it at home sometime. I spent a lot of time ogling other people’s food and by the look of things the french toast, the omelettes, the colossal vegetable side, and  the fruit sides, as well as the quesadilla, were probably equally stunning.  

I would include Victoria in a road trip around Vancouver Island simply to eat here again.  

Until next time,

Food Review: The Sticky Wicket

The Sticky Wicket (The Strathcona Hotel)

919 Douglas Street, Victoria BC

I had the opportunity to spend four days in Victoria BC this week for a conference. As a result I found myself in downtown Victoria without a vehicle. This meant I had a reasonable amount of time on my hands to try the local cuisine but a limited area that I could get to. One of the first places I went was the sticky wicket, and I had trouble motivating myself to go anywhere else. The service was great and the atmosphere was even better. Winnipeg doesn’t really have the same dark wood pubs in historic buildings (with the exception of The Regal Beagle, perhaps). However, I would like to mention that it got quite loud later in the evening, so it isn't the place for quiet conversation.

 I ordered:

-          Yam Fries

-          Wild mushroom ravioli

-          Pacific cod fish & chips (I actually just sampled a bit of someone else’s)

-          Coleslaw (From someone else’s fish and chips)

All three dishes were exceptional and were perfectly priced for the portion size. The yam fries ranked among the best I've ever eaten. The coleslaw was well dressed and had baby lettuce in it, which helped prevent the slaw from being a chewing workout routine. The beer menu was also impressive, stocking a large proportion of the local brews.

If you are in the area you should go!

Until next time,

Food Review: Shawarma Time

Shawarma Time

616 Ellice Ave

This is my mom's favourite restaurant (although India Palace is probably a close second). When we have lunch together it is always here. When we order in food, it is always here. The food is reliably tasty and it comes in good time. For a while I was worried that it had closed, but I guess those rumours were wrong because it looks just like it always has: the same posters, the same staff, and the same wall of photos that replace a menu.

I usually order meal #29 – the Falafel Plate, but I have also ordered:

-Meal #26: Taboli Salad

-Meal#27: Fatoush Salad

-Meal#36: Falafel Sandwich
-Meal#42: Tomato Pie
-Combo#19: Grape Leaf Rolls, Taboli Salad, Hummos, and Pita Bread
-Combo#20: Falafel, Taboli Salad, Hummos, and Pita Bread

French fries

They are all very good. I don’t know if the earthy flavours are standard with Lebanese food, but they are a pleasant addition to the meal as a whole. The main contributors to this flavour are sesame seeds and turnip pickles. I can’t say turnip pickles are my favourite, but it is nice that they haven’t totally conformed to western tastes. Flavours you aren't familiar with can be one of the great things about eating food from a different culture.

The taboli and fatoush salads are very good. There is a lot of lemon and a lot of parsley, which is everything that I want from those dishes.  The falafels are also very well made: they are slightly crumbly but they stay together, they are cooked so that they don’t have a lot of hard bits, and they aren’t tough.  The French fries are tasty but there is way way way too much seasoning salt on them for my salt-phobic taste buds. Other winners on this menu include the tomato pie, which is basically as good as any pizza I have ever ordered! The grape leaf rolls are also fabulous. 

I really like eating here. It is a great place to go before a show at the West End Cultural Centre, especially now that the Ellice Cafe is closed. I would eat here with friends before a show at the WEC, meet friends and family here for lunch or dinner.

Until next time,