The north east corner of the city was where I grew up. The majority of my large family still calls East & North Kildonan “ home”. I have always felt sheepish that I reside in a south/central neighbourhood where I can walk to many of Winnipeg’s best restaurants and they have been somewhat restaurant “deprived”. The game-changer is 925 Bistro & Lounge.  My husband said this: “I’m sure that every neighbourhood would love to have a place like 925-basic and comfortable with fare that has been elevated by a talented chef.”

Stephanie is the manager of the Bistro which is owned by her family of Kelmar Bakery and Kelmar Meats right next door at Headmaster Row and Lagamodiere. We had the pleasure of meeting her on our first visit and she personally took care of us most recently.

We need her assistance to decide what to order. She started us with a shared order of Mussels which had been steamed in dill and white wine. Little spoons were delivered in advance so that we could scoop the seafood out of the shell and ladle the broth from the bowl at the same time. I have eaten mussels in Paris, New York and Montreal and I have never been offered this simple but ingenious touch. Grilled toast accompanied the dish for us to lap up the juices at the very bottom of the bowl.

My husband was tempted by the smoked ribs but decided upon the special that evening- a bison burger topped with foie gras (duck liver). The subtle buttery tastes of the foie gras were a little bit overpowered by the caramelized onion and fig marmalade, but the latter was so delicious that the special burger was a hit! The skinny hand-cut fries sealed the deal. Foie gras served in a strip-mall restaurant? That is what my husband meant by “elevated” fare.

My Slavic heritage pointed me to the Veal Schnitzel. Although the meat had not been thinned and tenderized to the delicate escalope that I am accustomed to, it held its own alongside the lemon caper sauce that adorned it. The buttered linguine and fresh seasonal vegetables ensured that the overall dish was a perfect choice for a cooler fall evening.

We arrived early that Monday night and as a result, we were sat at a quiet booth. On another visit I was there later in the evening and the place was hopping with a large group of excited diners. Be cautious about your arrival time if you are interested in intimate conversation. Stephanie tells me that they are strategizing to solve their ambient noise issue.

Kath’s quote: “My idea of heaven is eating pates de foie gras to the sound of trumpets.”-Sydney Smith

Love, that is all.

Have you driven down Sherbrooke St. recently on a weekend morning? If you have, you are likely to have seen the line ups at The Tallest Poppy and Stella’s. Another place that is a less trendy spot but just as good is called The Nook. The latter has been around long before the area became gentrified; thirty years in fact. Originally a Salisbury House, the corner spot was once known only to staff at the Misrecordia Hospital but more recently, the place draws a varied crowd. On this day, my sister and I were meeting for a quick lunch. I was concerned that we might not be able to get a seat (by a window) without a wait, but arriving just before noon, meant that we had no concern.

I selected a spinach and feta omelet from their extensive menu. The eggs were perfectly cooked (i.e. not “overcooked” which often happens with omelets) and the stuffing was plentiful. Served with a side of toast, it was a satisfying lunch.

My sister was on the spinach trail too and opted for a spinach salad with grated mozzarella, hard cooked eggs and side bacon. You could tell the latter was not the lesser ingredient of bacon “bits” as the entire crispy strip crowned the top of the dish. The hot dressing which accompanied the salad was made from what we thought were the bacon drippings and provided a savoury treat. Athina emailed me after my Canstar piece was published to clarify that this is not the case. She indicated that her vegan customers were upset. The result is a hearty salad absolutely packed with satisfyingly salty flavours.

I have it on good authority that their burgers, chicken fingers and perogies are all tasty too.

Proprietors Athina and Bill Parasidis know the formula to keep their guests coming back, sometimes many times per week: fresh ingredients, expertly prepared and served with efficiency and courtesy.

Kath’s quote: “Fortunately I am not one of those beings who when they smile are apt to expose remnants, however small, of horrible and degrading spinach clinging to their teeth.”-Salvador Dali,

Love -that is all.

A beautiful sunrise

and another glorious day on Isla.

The day started with shelling before heading into Centro to meet Sister #3 and Dona.

Even when the walk is warm on the airport road, the breezes along the malecon create the perfect temperature for our walk into town.

And you never know what sights you will see along the way.

I love the colour turquoise in whatever setting.

Beauty and colour is everywhere on the island.

I stopped at a outdoor kiosk that I had never stopped at before.

Loved the texture and colours of these coconut stocks.

Passing our time while we waited for the ferry.

For a treat we stopped at 7-11 for a coffee slushee and our favourite jalapeno kettle chips.

We love hanging out at the ferry terminal and didn’t mind at all that we had to wait for a second boat.

Sister #3 loves Casa el Pio and has been staying there for many consecutive years. We helped them haul their luggage and loved to have a fresh look around.

Casa el Pio is simple, convenient and oh so comfortable.

On our way up to the new rooftop, I spotted these old seawall pieces that other guests had collected.

The view to the south is gorgeous.

D finding the shade before we all headed to La Lomita for lunch.

Kath’s quote: “The hasty and the tardy meet the ferry.” –Arabian Proverb

Love, that is all.

We have been going to La Lomita since we first started visiting the island in 2005-see a couple of links here: 2013, 2014, They have always served their cervesa by the glass and I was never a big fan. But that has all changed. The new brightly coloured terracotta glasses must have been kept in the freezer as they were frigidly cold and made or the most thirsty-quenching beer that I can remember drinking.  We loved them so much we tried to duplicate them when we got home. Our youngest daughter found three such vessels at a second hand store and they now keep a permanent place in the freezer at our beach house.

We always order the chilies relleno, one of our favourite Mayan dishes served on the island. Stuffed with goey Mexican cheese, floating on a light and tasty tomato sauce and topped with crème fresh and a crumbling of a second cheese which resembled a feta.

Friend Donna (we call Dona while on Isla) ordered the delectable breaded fish.

Sister #3 sampled the garlic fish. Everyone was delighted by their choices as always.

I am always amazed at what comes out of La Lomita’s kitchen.

I sometimes dream about La Lomita’s lime soup featuring a spritely broth, pulled chicken and crispy tortilla chips. Portions are always so plentiful that I often take left overs home for a second meal. Such was the case on this day.

Kath’s quote: “Fish in the hands of a skilled cook can become an inexhaustible source of gustatory pleasures.”-Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin

Love, that is all.

I caught D’s cold and slept through sunrise. Since I missed the day before too, I was in withdrawl.

D took his typical walk into town to fetch the newspaper. He got a little bit sunburned the day before and spent the rest of the morning in the hammock trying to finish his book.

Since we were sticking close to home, I prepared a big breakfast in the convenient kitchen of Luna d’Miel. It was sensational if I do say so myself.

After breakfast and tidy up I went shelling.

We stayed around the apartment all day because of D’s sunbrurn. I finished my book and started a new one.

In the evening we ventured out for dinner at Basto’s with Luna d’Miel neighbours Gloria and Huw.

Since we were in the vicinity of Limon, we couldn’t head home without dropping in to visit our friend Sergio. He insisted that we stay for a glass of wine and chit chat.

We had brief snatches of time with Sergio as he worked the grill and made his guest feel right at home.

The gentleman sitting at the next time was also enjoying Sergio’s attention as well as sharing an appetizer with him and eventually we got to chatting too. It turned out he was Bob of Joyce and Bob’s Casitas del Mar. I have long admired the tidy units as we buzzed along the east shore road and was particularly intrigued because Joyce and Bob were the names of my parents.

The connections did not end there. Turns out that D knew Joyce’s sons when they work at the restaurant that D managed. It also turned out that D also knows Joyce’s brother and calls upon him for his business purposes. Joyce’s family is from Saskatchewan as is mine and her family immigrated from the Czech Republic as did mine.

We had so much fun connecting the dots in this way that Bob insisted that we stroll to his home to meet Joyce in person.

We enjoyed one last glass of wine in their beautiful walled garden under a covered palapa.

In 2016 we will divide our time between Luna d’Miel and Villas San Miquel. We are so looking forward to our first visit to the Villas. With its convenient downtown location, if D needs to stay close to home because of a cold or sunburn, I will still be able to wander town or head to North Beach. We keep thinking that the Villas will offer the best of both worlds-the convenience of Centro with views of the Caribbean!

Kath’s quote: “All true friendliness begins with fire and food and drink and the recognition of rain or frost”.–G.K. Chesterton

Love, that is all.