Cafe Carlo was one of the very first restaurants of its kind in Winnipeg (established in 1989) and I am happy to say that I was a fan of the “rummage sale chic” cafe way back then and I am still a fan today. For the restaurant creators (and for me) it is not about the decor, it is all about the food and this neighbourhood cafe delivers!

On this day we made a late reservation for lunch and arrived as most of the other lunch patrons had departed. This gave us an opportunity to choose a window seat and get caught up before ordering. My lunch date on this day was the Mom to one of Winnipeg’s top Chefs, so we took a while to decide on the most taste-optimum dishes. While deciding, we sampled the bread and butter which set the stage for the rest of our lunch. The butter had been pureed with caramelized onion, bacon and sour cream!

In the end we shared a couple of contrasting plates. She encouraged me to sample the Fish Tacos where house made taco shells (the crunchy variety) were overflowing with greens, crispy tilapia and chipotle tartar sauce. Tastes were light and fresh and reminded me of Caribbean vacations.

On the other hand, the Butternut Squash & Ricotta Ravioli was anything but light and we loved it! Little square pockets of premise-made pasta luxuriated in a sage and hazelnut brown butter. Tendrils of freshly grated parmesan adorned the top. The tastes were deep, rich and earthy and “oh my goodness”, I will crave that taste until my next visit.

I was so satiated by lunch that all I could manage for dinner was a cup of soup.

Kath’s quotes: “One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends.”-Laurie Colwin

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

The Fisherman’s Co-op has been our go-to destination when we are craving simply prepared, fresh fish and you can’t get any fresher than sitting right on the dock where the lobster traps are stacked high and the fishing boats are tied up. Over the years we have sampled most of the menu and have been absolutely delighted with everything we’ve ever tasted. The parmesan crusted and almond crusted fish and the varied kinds of ceviche are all excellent. Sometimes we order ceviche “to go” to take along to a happy hour or as a light supper.

We love the pico de gallo and crunchy tortilla chips that get placed in front of you as soon as you sit down.

We have observed over the years that as many locals as travellers frequent the café.

On this evening, we split an order of garlic fish. It was succulent, perfectly prepared and so abundant.

But the excellent food isn’t the only draw of the Fisherman’s Co-op, it is the million dollar view:

Kath’s quote: “Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it’s fresh, we’re on the ocean. Of course it’s for sale, we’re not giving it away. Of course it’s here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH.”-Peggy Noonan

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Restaurant Abuelos was a recent find for us, near the end of our 2014 sojourn to Isla 2014 Blog Post. We were absolutely delighted by the find and (in my humble opinion) kinda wished it would have stayed exactly like it was, with its compact space and family members taking care of us.

We remembered the fabulous fish and their street sign indicated that it was still the focus of the menu.

Our server took us on a “tour” of the fish that was available that evening. I couldn’t help but think that the custom would never get past food safety standards back home. But, when in Rome….

Dinner at the second floor open dining room commenced with mojitos and margaritas in hopes that we could cool down a bit.  The evening was humid with no breeze which is very unusual for the island.

D and I couldn’t decide between the coconut shrimp and garlic fish. In the end we ordered both to split between us. Unfortunately, before he could take a single bite, he was overwhelmed by his bad head cold and had to leave and take a walk. This was in no way a reflection on the food because I had a couple of bites and it was excellent. But I had to make our apologies and have our dinner packed up for home.

Once D was feeling better (it took a couple of days), I recreated our dinner in our kitchen at Luna D’Miel. We would have loved to have returned to Abuelos later in the trip but when you are on Isla Mujeres, there are so many excellent places to eat and not enough time.

Kath’s quote: If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”-James Michener

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

The patio at 135 Osborne St. has been my favourite Winnipeg one for many years. I was delighted that the little oasis has been resurrected by The Back Rabbit Bistro. Tucked away behind the main building was a vine covered enclosure which sweeps you away from busy Osbrone St. When the strings of white lights illuminate at dusk you could be in a funky Toronto neighbourhood or historic Old Montreal.

On this evening, Beep and I were meeting D for an after work supper. We arrived in advance to be sure to get one of the coveted patio tables.

After a visit and a lovely libation, we were getting a bit peckish and decided to share an order of fries to tide us over.

These were not any old French fries. They had been lightly seasoned with rosemary, dusted with threads of parmesan and served with an aioli for good measure. After we had polished them off, I read a text indicating that D had been further delayed and to start without him. Without further adieu, we got the menus out again and surveyed the small plates and thin-crust pizzas before deciding to order pasta.

Beep’s “go-to” is shrimp and noodles and she was impressed with the number of perfectly cooked shrimp and the lightness of the white wine cream sauce on the linguine. My tastes were opposite but equally enjoyable.

The linguine I choose was pungent with tastes of fresh pesto and olive tapenade (a Southern France concoction) which was rich and hearty tasting. A crumble of feta further elevated the dish and added a creamy texture and pleasant saltiness. Every twist of the fork was so satisfying; I didn’t even offer Beep or D (who had just arrived), a taste.

Service was efficient and pleasant and we could have happily lingered under the leafy canopy for hours.

Kath’s quote: “ If our experience of eating outside is coloured by all these things—smell, anticipation, context, childhood memories, even gratitude—whether or not it really tastes better ends up being subjective.”-Annalisa Barbieri

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

September is upon us and although it does not feel as if summer is not coming to an end any time soon (there was a heat warning today), I am settling into a new routine. I am so excited to begin my numerous posts about the restaurants of Isla Mujeres, commencing with this long time favourite of ours, which happened to be the first place we got food during our most last jaunt in spring of 2015.

Over the years we have enjoyed Tino’s on numerous occasions and I even have a blog post entitled: “Pigging Out in Isla Mujeres” http://foodmusings.ca/isla-mujeres/pigging-out-in-isla-mujeres/ written by Sister#3.

We were barely off the ferry, when we hightailed it to Tino’s for a mess of ribs. Actually we now order the boneless pork slabs that Tino barbeques on an open flame each weekend. When you see this smiling oinker above and the fence below, you know that you’ve arrived at the right place.

Travellers, gringos and locals alike line up for a half or full kilo of ribs-bone in or out and grilled chicken.

Here is the man himself: cheerfully and methodically portioning out the orders and taking care of the grill himself. He’s been known to sing and dance back there on occasion too. And oh my goodness, can he cook up some good ribs!

Kath’s quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ― George Bernard Shaw

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.