Hello Readers.  Do you experience times when things become so familiar to you that you don’t even “see” them anymore?  Living where I do in Winnipeg, I take Corydon Ave. on a continuous basis to pick up Sister #3, or head downtown or just because we love to hang out on Corydon or in the Village.  As a result I have driven past Kristina’s literally thousands of times but never, ever stepped foot inside. But that doesn’t mean that I have not imagined what the interior of the restaurant looked like and when I finally met a lunch date there, I was totally surprised.  The décor is sleek and appears to have recently been refreshed.  The place was bustling with diners as well as staff, even though we arrived after the lunch hour.  We accepted a place under the lattice on their sunny patio.  The lattice provided comforting shade but played havoc with my photos.

I anticipated that I was being treated to this lunch so I let my hostess decide on an appetizer that we were to share.  She asked if I enjoy chicken livers and the truth is, I have enjoyed them only on a handful of occasions, even though I persevere and I have tried to acquire a taste for them.  For me, it is a texture thing.  I don’t like the way that the meat “feels” in my mouth.  Does this make sense to you?  I do appreciate them when they are thinly sliced, sometimes coated and quickly sautéed.  I will say that the rich sauce that they had been braised in had deep tones of red wine and I was content to slop that up with the delicious bread that accompanied the appetizer.

We both chose Greek Salads topped with grilled chicken-my version sans romaine.  She apparently liked hers, but I must admit that I wasn’t really paying attention as our business conversation was so fascinating, I was hanging on her every word.  In addition, I was focused on my own plate of sheer loveliness.

At first I was disappointed that the feta appeared to be shaved and not cubed or crumbled into big chunky bites like I make myself at home. This is a testament to how much I enjoy the rich, salty taste of feta.  In fact, the cheese was perfect as I was able to spear a bit of chicken, a veggie and just the right amount of feta with every bite.  Eating with gusto, as I am prone to do, I tore pieces of pita off to savour every dollop of the dressing in the bottom of my bowl.

So now that I know what unfolds once you walk through the doors of Kristina’s on Corydon, I am sure to go back again.  Perhaps not for the chicken livers but definitely to enjoy a sunny salad on their cozy terrace.

Kath’s quote: “Triptolemus, one of the principal figures in Greek religion, is said to be the inventor of the plow and of agriculture, and therefore the real father of what we call civilization.”-M.F.K. Fisher

Love-that is all.

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