On the very first night that the Keg ‘n Cleaver opened on Garry St., I was one of those full-length dressed hostesses to greet you at the end of the line (which was down the sidewalk).  The Keg was my start in the hospitality business, as well as so many other successful Winnipeggers.  My family has been entwined in its history ever since that first night.    The story goes on and on, but let me fast forward to last evening.

We were invited to the preview party at the newly refurbished St.  James Keg.  Before I got caught up seeing many beloved friends, I managed to take some photos of the sleek and still cozy new interior.

How has a restaurant like The Keg managed to keep reinventing itself in new and fresh ways, when most of its competition from back when it first opened in Winnipeg, is long gone? I have two thoughts on this:

1) They have always been true to their hero product-beef.  I know how stead-fast this loyalty has been because I was one of their “smart-alec” Marketing Directors that declared that their menu would have to evolve to less red meat and items like pastas if they were going to survive (boy was I wrong).

2) The Keg’s focus has always remained on people.  Young people have been given the best hospitality training and have been taught the value of very hard work and have been richly rewarded for their perseverance and talent.  Most members of Winnipeg’s Senior Management Team started in the dish pit and behind broiler bars.  They are a “family” and therefore treat their guests as if they were being welcomed into their home.

And in the case of the St. James Keg, home is an elegant and uncluttered space.

Gone in all the Winnipeg Kegs are the rough cedar walls, the brick a brack, the huge vases full of silk flowers and the celebrity renditions on the walls.

Fireplaces have been retained and comfy booths, but everything else has been packed away with those full length hostess dresses.

Angela Chapdelaine is the General Manager of the St. James Keg.  She runs a tight ship and you always know where you stand with her.  She is a part of a Keg Family Legacy in Winnipeg.  She lost her much-loved Dad this summer.  He would have been so very proud of what she has built and achieved.

But what of the evening’s food and drink?  Yes, we were greeted by trays of well-selected wine and those amazing Keg Caesars. The array of appetizers were delectable but I kept my appetite for the teriyaki steak skewers and the prime rib sliders.  Ahh, the beef.

Kath’s quote: “Beef is the soul of cooking.”-Marie-Antoine Carême

Love-that is all.

This post will be a real test for me because my beloved camera passed away in the middle of our meal and unfortunately I have been unable to revive the poor thing.  I know that a good food writer should be able to make your mouth water without photos so let’s see how I do in the last half of this post.

The occasion was a special one as  J1 had requested that the four of us dine together at Rudy’s Eat and Drink AS his birthday gift.  I was surprized as we took our seats, that the restaurant was not busier.  Perhaps the fall-out from this “Jetless” time is more significant than I predicted.  This allowed us to choose a cozy booth where we settled in for pre-dinner cocktails.  J2 chose a “Dark and Stormy” which I thought was in keeping with the old school atmosphere of the place.  J1, who is currently studying to become a brew-master, went to the bar to survey the beer taps and fridges directly before making his selection.

First course were some munchies to stimulate the appetite.  The handsome server was smart enough to place the hand cut potato chips down in front of J2 and I.  We both consider ourselves kettle chip aficionados.  The plate was heaped with perfectly cooked centre cut chips and when I say “perfectly”, I mean quite well cooked by most standards.  The extra cooking time means that the gorgeous brown colour of the sugars  were revealed and the chips were especially sweet and nutty. The glistening salt that had been dusted over them meant that the expertly balanced sweet and salty taste that I crave, was achieved.

The only dish that I had tasted on a previous visit was the tuna tar-tare and this order was consistent in its presentation.  The tuna itself was fresh, cold and silky and was enhanced by the crunchy cucumber discs that it was presented upon.  Garden-fresh tomato bruschetta rounded out the choices.

At about this time, the parade of entrees bean to arrive.  First up was my gnocchi which I  have to say I was under impressed with.  I put this down to my own ignorance.  Why would I order a regional Italian dish in a retro chop bistro like this?

The rest of the entrees were exceptional though (and here’s where my creativity will have to commence).  D chose a centre cut pork chop that he provided tastes of.  The cut was beautifully trimmed and arrived just pink which is how our family enjoys our chops.  The loin (and the steaks that J1 and J2 ordered) were presented a top of a generous potato croquette which received as many accolades as the entrees themselves.  Crowning the chop was a crunchy apple crumble which I cannot wait to duplicate at home.  Just a simple adornment made an already delicious treat, that much better.

J2 had selected a beef filet that came wrapped in bacon for extra moistness and flavour.  Perhaps this had done the trick, but I suspect that the filet could have stood on its own as it was “butter-knife” tender and provided a succulence which J2 “oohed” and “ahed” over (literally).  J1 demonstrated how typical he was of our family-the special that evening seemed too good to be true and so he had to test the offering.  For $20 a sirloin was topped with sweet chili shrimp and was paired with a glass of Sapporo beer.  I could tell that J1 was enjoying every bite as he took small cuts of the steak to make the taste last.

We were all too full to consider dessert but decided to go for a night cap at the Garry St. Keg where J1 has recently worked and D and I first met.  What a gift it is to have adult children who want to spend time with you.  D and I know that we are blessed.

Kath’s quote:  “Then there is the beefsteak. They have it in Europe, but they don’t know how to cook it. Neither will they cut it right. It comes on the table in a small, round, pewter platter. It lies in the center of this platter, in a bordering bed of grease-soaked potatoes; it is the size, shape, and thickness of a man’s hand with the thumb and fingers cut off. It is a little overdone, is rather dry, it tastes pretty insipidly, it rouses no enthusiasm. Imagine a poor exile contemplating that inert thing, and imagine an angel suddenly sweeping down out of a better land and setting before him a mighty porter-house steak an inch and a half thick, hot and sputtering from the griddle; dusted with fragrant pepper; enriched with little melting bits of butter of the most unimpeachable freshness and genuineness; the precious juices of the meat trickling out and joining the gravy, archipelagoed with mushrooms; a township or two of tender, yellowish fat gracing an outlying district of this ample county of beefsteak; the long white bone which divides the sirloin from the tenderloin still in its place; and imagine that the angel also adds a great cup of American home-made coffee, with the cream a-froth on top, some real butter, firm and yellow and fresh, some smoking hot biscuits, a plate of hot buckwheat cakes, with transparent syrup, could words describe the gratitude of this exile?” –Mark Twain

Love-that is all.

Sister #3 has visited Montreal and New York City in the last couple of months.  This is wonderful for her but poses a problem when you are trying to decide where to take her out for a birthday supper that is special, unique and will delight her. I was thinking that the warm and cozy ambiance of Chez Sophie at 248 avenue de la Cathédrale would do the trick.

The extensive menu is full of surprizes. She had decided upon quiche when she discovered that there were also crepes and opted for the latter. The crepes themselves were perfect in their thinness and lightness and were bulging with smoky, rich salmon and then topped with drooly slices of Camembert.

Sister#2 ordered the Alsatian pizza, at my prompting. The Alsatian region of Europe brings together France, Germany and Italy.  Alsatian wines have long been our favourite because they taste to us like a perfect blend of French and German white wine.  So too, the pizza has a regional French twist with the inclusion of a creamy bechamel sauce instead of a traditional Italian tomato based sauce.

Our Mom had her eyes on the accompaniments more than the entree itself.  The three sisters love the fine taste of bread and this trait could certainly come from Mom, as the little pan buns fresh out of  the oven were a big attraction.  The big mixed salad was also tempting and so we helped her chose a quiche which would deliver it all. She took most of her quiche Lorraine home for her next day lunch.

I too had eyes bigger than my tummy.  Having savoured the bun, the salad and the beautiful little casserole of potatoes in cream and topped with cheese, I could only manage a single bite of my fried Camembert.  That taste was delicious but was even better when I took it home and had intermittent nuggets of it all through the next day, for the dish was so very rich.

Service was perfect as usual.  I almost always have the same beautiful, bilingual server take care of me.  She is proud of the food served at Chez Sophie’s and is willing to be translator between we Anglaise and French Chef/Owner Stephane in the kitchen. The restaurant was absolutely jammed early on a weekday night so pick your times carefully. But do not miss out on one of St. Boniface Winnipeg/s little gems.

It turned out that Sister #3 had a heavy cold and just wanted to get home to bed. But did she enjoy her birthday treat?  I am sure of it because  one of her beautiful and unique character traits is that she is so easy to pamper and delight.

Kath’s quotes: “The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight…”-M. F. K. Fisher

Love-that is all.

When it was J1’s family birthday dinner recently, I was surprized when he asked for a steak supper.  After all, he works part time as a dining room server at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, wouldn’t he have had his fill of red meat?  Apparently not.

D went to great lengths to select the chicest of cuts.  Nothing was too good for our son on his 25th birthday.  The selection of Angus Beef meant that the steaks were beautifully marbled and oh so tender.  Since I am the daughter of a meat man, I know that marbling contributes to taste and aging enhances tenderness.

The Cutco steak knives that I took out of their wrappings for the evening certainly impressed.  J1 demonstrated just placing the knife on top of his steak and the utensil sliding through (with no effort on his part) to produce a perfect forkful.

Also on the menu were all of J1’s favourites: baked potatoes topped with real bacon, green bean casserole and herb pull apart loaf.  The heart image below is a random piece of the loaf-I kid you not! For dessert though I was stumped as J1 is not a cake guy but I remembered chatting with a friend about a Mock Apple Pie recipe and had to give it a try.

Would you know that it was filled with zucchini from this photo?

D said with amazement at a taste of the pie: “Well this proves that you can put sugar and cinnamon on anything and it will taste good!”

Kath’s quote: “Every year the number of new cookbooks increases, but in spite of them the progress made in this most useful of the arts is not ever overpowering. On the contrary, we must regretfully admit that nowadays people no longer prepare the fine and nourishing dishes that our mothers used to make.”-Anna Dorn, Cookbook Author (1834)

Love-that is all.

Before D and I were married, I lived in four different downtown apartments all within about 4 blocks of each other  and I came to know the area south of Portage Ave. as my neighbourhood.  I went to school, worked, grocery-shopped, dined and attended a myriad of artistic events all within walking distance.  For much of this time, I didn’t own a car but I could perfectly manage to obtain everything  I needed and wanted, without one. Every once in a while D and I are tempted to choose this lifestyle again and now a days there are even more reasons to draw us back to downtown living.  I have had an opportunity to tour The Avenue apartment building recently including their splendid roof top space and could easily see myself nestled in, right on Portage Ave.

This fantasy might mean that Arkadash Bistro and Lounge could become our neighbourhood hang out.

As soon as I walked into the sleek space, I was reminded of the long  and narrow bistros of the East Village of New York city.  The decor of Arkadash is so sophisticated that it could easily hold its own in the Big Apple.  I understand that the husband of the chef was the designer/architect for the make over and my high praise goes to him and his space.

But to the food!

Lunch began with a little basket of focaccia bread with olive oil for dipping and this delicious soup of the day.  Too much time has past since this visit to remember what it was, but I do recall a spicy chili taste.

One friend chose the pulled pork.  Even though this photo doesn’t do the dish justice, I am happy to see that Chef Karen doesn’t disguise the savoury taste of slow cooked Berkshire pork with an unnecessary barbeque sauce.  The moist taste of good pork is velvety and distinctive when prepared properly and this was.  The meat was served with corn tortillas to wrap it up.

Another friend selected the Turkish grilled chicken which she enjoyed with the couscous.  Both these dishes were accompanied by baked vanilla pumpkin which received kudos.

I tucked into this lunch feature of grilled scallops with a simple pasta.  It was just my cuppa tea as the sweet meat of the scallop was all I needed with a spear of butter- tossed pasta (no sauce required).  Everyone agreed that the local ingredients and preparation was exceptional but we all wondered why the food was not piping hot.  In all honesty it was luke warm.  This is in the small points department, but hot food is a  basic dining expectation.  I look forward to visiting again when I am sure this will be different.

I will return as I am eggplant obsessed and intrigued by the starter of “Toenail of a Dog”, and the entree of “Imam Baldi”.  I had the pleasure of meeting cousins and restaurant partners Karen and Kelvin and we spoke at length about their commitment to local ingredients and serving the neighbourhood.  They have exciting plans ahead for the service of High Tea along with their continued offerings of jazz on Friday evenings in the lounge.

Kath’s quote:
“Manhattan is a narrow island off the coast of New Jersey devoted to the pursuit of lunch.”-Raymond Sokolov

Love-that is all.