A visit with an old friend was a great excuse for a quick lunch at Deer & Almond.  I painstakingly try to decide what to order on a regular basis so that I can sample and then photograph the maximum number of recipes and dishes.  But what she was selecting sounded so darned yummy that I had to have it myself.

I did mix things up by choosing a salad with mine as she had a bowl of the soup of the day.  Both were terrific.

Kath’s quote: “The most indispensable quality of a cook is promptness, and it should be that of the diner as well.”-Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin

Love-that is all.

Now that the cusp of winter is upon us in Winnipeg, I am always looking for excuses to get my butt out of the house.  Otherwise I would be perfectly content to get into my jammies and watch TV until spring.  Approximately once a month the Metropolitan Centre holds special Dinner and a Movie evenings.  I visited with a fan of these events in the lobby as I was waiting for “Beep” (as Daughter #1 has now been renamed by the Wee One).  This movie fan shared that her favourite evening was “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” when the theme for the evening’s menu were recipes from the British Isles.

The lovingly restored theatre is a joy to be at.

I am not sure if there was a food theme for the screening of “The Princess Bride” but they did feature a Buttercup Cocktail (Butter Ripple and Frangelico liqueurs mixed with milk).  Beep though that it was delicious.  My glass of Annabella South African merlot suited me just fine.  I tried to be fairly discriminating when I arrived at the buffet table, skipping the bun selection and then scooping up just about everything else (I always have good intentions).

I particularly enjoyed their cheese array which I would have loved as a separate course.

The salad selection was lovely and I especially enjoyed the Roasted Butternut Squash & Arugula Salad.

So too, I appreciated the Pan-Seared Pickerel with Creamy Leeks and White Wine Butter Sauce.

I treated myself to an outside cut of the Maple Braised Beef Brisket.  It was tender and so juicy from the lovely marbling that a brisket offers up.

This was my well-laden plate that I did my very best to finish.  There were others sitting around us who had no trouble whatsoever and even went back up for seconds.  The gentleman besides us went back for thirds and then didn’t even stay to watch the movie.  He must have concluded that he had already gotten his 35 dollars’ worth.

Dessert was a chocolate cup filled with almond cream and caramelized apples.  Had I known that popcorn would come around just as the theatre lights were dimming, I would have been happy with just the popcorn as the dinner had already been rich and satisfying.

Not far from us was a table set up for a large party.  I was thinking that it would be good fun to celebrate a special occasion at Dinner and A Movie especially when December’s movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

“The Princess Bride” is one of my all-time favourite movies.  Did you know:

• Director Rob Reiner left the set during Billy Crystal’s scenes because he could not stop laughing.

• The Cliffs of Insanity are actually the Cliffs of Moher in Country Clare, Ireland, a place we were thrilled to visit a couple of springs ago.

• Courtney Cox and Meg Ryan auditioned for Princess Buttercup.  How could any actress on earth play her better than Robin Wright?
• Cary Elwes (Westley) and Mandy Patinkin ( Inigo Montoya) learned to fence (both left and right handed) for the film.  They actually performed all the fencing in the sword fight scene (author’s note: Inconceivable!)

It is likely to be a long winter folks, so start making plans for all the cozy activities that Winnipeg has to offer.

Kath’s quote: “Death cannot stop true love.  All it can do is delay it for awhile.” The Princess Bride

Love-that is all.

We had our heart set on dining at Food Evolution this past summer when we attended the fabulous performance of The Little Mermaid at Rainbow Stage.  Unfortunately (for us), our tickets were for a Monday evening and the restaurant is not open on Mondays.  It took us this amount of time to get back to this end of the city.  But we were certainly glad that we went to the effort.  This beautiful pastoral scene can be viewed from the dining room window.  You can imagine what it will look like when the pond is frozen and it is covered in glistening snow with families enjoying a skate.  But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here……

We were really impressed with the refurbished décor of the bar (pictured above) and the dining room, having not been to the building since it was a cafeteria eons ago.

Beautiful touches like this etched and stained glass adorn the restaurant.

Our server was very pleasant and efficient but we were glad that we arrived for an early lunch because by the time we left, she appeared to be the only one taking care of a very busy dining room.

D selected a Breakfast sandwich: which included two over easy eggs, ham and tomato. He was surprised that the menu admitted using Miracle Whip which happens to be his favourite, but is not usually boasted of.  The biscuit was the best part, but was so fresh that his sandwich kind of fell apart as he tried to tuck in.  It was equally delicious when eaten with a knife and fork, so no harm was done.  Being a former American and “hash” lover, he was looking forward to the sandwich being served alongside a traditional hash.  This was not to be.  “Smashed Hash” turned out to be skin-on baby potatoes that had been pressed open to cook.  We make this dish at home and love the results when a liberal amount of olive oil glistens on the skin as well as lots of course sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

I settled on the Ruben (how it is spelt on their menu) particularly when I saw that it came with hand-cut fries.  The latter were absolutely excellent.  The Ruben itself was slightly different than my favourite versions.  I suspect that Montreal Smoked Beef was utilized as opposed to traditional corned beef.  Some may consider this an enhancement but it was just not my preference.

On our way out, I spotted this wood fired oven in the corner of the kitchen and then the sign which indicated that the restaurant is now featuring wood-fired pizzas.  Knowing that Mike Daquisto formerly of Daquisto’s and Pasta la Vista is the Executive Chef at WOW Hospitality that operates Food Evolution and remembering his delectable pizzas of the past, we made a mental note to return very soon.  Perhaps we’ll lace up a pair of skates first.

Kath’s quote: Canned soups can be magnificent, the lowly meatball wildly exciting, and old-fashioned corned beef hash an emotional experience.”-Cosmopolitan

Love-that is all.

The Eye Opener Diner at 3132 Main S. in West S. Paul was recommended to us by Bro#3 many years ago. Since the time of the suggestion, I understand that it has gone through an ownership change which subsequently boomeranged back to the original owners.  Legally the business has changed to the Red Eye Diner but when we saw the sign with the original name, we knew that we had arrived at the right place.

D and I do not get to dine at breakfast time, particularly during the week, so this was a special occasion.   We arrived after what we thought would have been their breakfast rush but the retro diner was still hopping, apparently with regulars.  We were shown a comfortable booth next to a window. The friendly servers addressed most everyone quoting by their regular orders.  We were eying up the egg selections but many around us were ordering the oatmeal.

In addition to the regular menu and a list of specials, there are still more specials recited at the table. As soon as I heard about the seafood omelette with hollandaise sauce, I was sold.  My selection came with no less than three slices of toasted marble rye and hash browns.  Our server indicated with pride that the preserves to accompany the toast were home-made strawberry jam and orange marmalade.

D was enthralled by the North End Breakfast which included eggs, multi-grain toast, potato pancakes, kielbasa and a choice of hot or mild mustard. We divided our plates in half so that we could share with each other and enjoy a variety of tastes from both selections.

I predict that we will be returning to the Eye Opener very soon as D also spotted what he remarked was an amazing breakfast deal: 2 eggs, choice of sausage, bacon or ham, toast and hash browns for $6.50. He was also intrigued by the unusual breakfast specials of Saskatoon Pancakes, Caramel Banana French Toast and Pickerel & Eggs. He remarked: “You can’t get any of those items at Perkin’s…..”

Kath’s quote: “People who love to eat are always the best people.”-Julia Child

Love-that is all.

How could you not think that this face is adorable-right?  Not everyone wants a baby sitting next to them in a restaurant.  Lucky for us, the Wee One has been dining out since the week that she was born and knows how to behave herself when called upon.  Besides, it was her Daddy’s birthday and she wanted to get in on the festivities.  We had assembled at Peasant Cookery in the Exchange and it was still early in the evening.

Peasant Cookery has a pleasant and open feeling but you can still find a quiet corner to curl up with a loved one for a more romantic rendezvous.

Daughter #2 could only stay for a brief time as she attends a weekly pottery class.  She had a quick treat of luscious poutine before she departed.

The rest of us tucked into Peasant’s delectable charcuterie board.  I tried to keep up with jotting down the various meat selections as the board was placed in front of us but I could not.  I have misplaced my notes since that evening anyway.  Suffice it to say, each nibble was an adventure and as a family, we love sharing and discovering food in this manner.

J2 was pleased that at first glance her pickerel was so abundant but found that it was mostly batter and thought that there  be more “sticks” in this dish named Fish & Sticks.

The Frenchman was more than pleased with his tourtiere and he should know, having grown up on the dish.

D chose the Mahi Mahi and especially liked the persillade (parsley) crusting.

My choice was the spaghetti with clams and bacon.  This was a densely flavoured dish between the plentiful bacon and the pesto sauce and although I might choose something lighter next time, it certainly was a decadent treat.

The birthday boy selected the Berkshire pork and took little nibbles for what seemed like a very long time in order to savour and fully enjoy the dish.

Daughter #1 has a soft spot for gnocchi and orders it almost every chance she gets.  Peasant’s version includes aged cheddar in the dough and then the heavenly nuggets are tossed with sautéed sun dried tomatoes, spinach, red onion and piquillo peppers.   A moat of basil oil edges the plate.

Peasant promises rustic seasonal food and it delivers.  Most importantly, the birthday boy felt pampered and lovingly nourished and isn’t that what it’s all about?

Kath’s quote: “Peasant foods often involve skilled preparation by knowledgeable cooks using inventiveness and skills passed down from earlier generations. Such dishes are often prized as ethnic foods by other cultures and by descendants of the native culture who still desire these traditional dishes even when their incomes rise to the point where they can purchase any food they like.”-Wikipedia

Love-that is all.