We are extremely fortunate within our immediate circle of family and friends to travel the world.  As I write this a close friend is in Greece.  Social media allows us to travel vicariously through photos and updates. Lo and behold after gazing at your pictures-I had a hankering for Greek cuisine!  By coincidence, my friend is on the island of Santorini and Winnipeg has its very own restaurant by the same name: Santorini 1839 Portage Ave. in Old St. James

The moussaka was my choice (an obvious one if you are familiar with my addiction to eggplant).  This traditionally prepared dish was exactly as I remembered from my brief time on the Greek Islands where I first tasted the dish.  Theo and her husband Dimitrios’ version contains spiced beef rather than ground lamb.  The eggplant has been beautifully sautéed and the layers of it and potato are richly satisfying.  The crowning glory was the luscious béchamel sauce layer.  I could eat the beautifully browned custard on top of any casserole you could name.

Spanakopita is another of my Greek favourites.  My lunch date and I detected a from-scratch phyllo pastry.  The spinach, feta, onion and egg stuffing made the triangular pastry bulge.  I guessed that it might have been seasoned with a tinge of oregano and a squeeze of lemon.

A vegetable soup, Greek potatoes and salad accompanied both dishes and created great value.  My lunch date must have been extremely disappointed when she forgot her leftovers in my car.  The tidy and airy surroundings are comfortable and Theo who waits on the tables herself, could not possibly be more inviting.

A couple of notes: There is Wheelchair access but not to the washrooms. Cash only.

Kath’s quote: “That fellow Béchameil has all the luck!  I was serving breast of chicken á la crème more than 20 years before he was born, but I have never had the chance of giving my name to even the most modest sauce.”     -Duke of Escars, 17th century

Love-that is all.

Not often do I write about a restaurant visit where I have dined solo but this was the case for my visit to Cibo Waterfront Café.  I had so wanted to check it out that I suggested it to a friend of mine for a lunch rendezvous.  Unfortunately, those plans had to be postponed and in the confusion, turned out not to be set up at all.  But I thought “what the heck”, I was already there (in fact I had driven in from our little beach house that morning) so I perused the menu and decided what I would not have been able to order had my friend been there.  She is not food allergic but avoids carbs and dairy.  I try to avoid highly processed carbs as well but couldn’t resist the bruschetta platters that I had seen coming out of the kitchen.

There are seven different choices and you are permitted to choose three of them for a platter.  My selections were: Buffalo mozzarella, tomato & basil, sautéed mushrooms & goat cheese and grilled veggies & Trappist cheese. The baguette tasted as if it had been flame toasted, just how I like it.

The three selections complemented and yet contrasted each other. I especially enjoyed the mozzarella one as the toast was pungent with garlic, rich and creamy mozzarella and the tomato and basil added a sparkling taste.

The river side café is beautifully situated in the ever-developing Waterfront area.  What was formerly the James St. pumping station is now home to the restaurant with its soaring ceilings and exposed brick walls.  There is a comfortable patio with river views and a deck which provides additional vistas of the water.

I did not know the specific location of the café and so walked through the Waterfront Park to find it.  The stroll was beautiful and I can see why so many people are moving into the area.

Kath’s quote: “Fish is meant to tempt as well as nourish, and everything that lives in water is seductive.”-Jean-Paul Aron

Love-that is all.

My best friend was in town from Toronto and we had carved out a very special bit of time, only to arrive at our restaurant destination to find that it had moved to a waterfront location.  Sometimes finding a convenient parking spot on Corydon Ave. during the lunch hour is a challenge and so we decided to search for an alternate dining spot instead of starting the whole parking process over again.  We were in the mood for Mediterranean and Colosseo Ristorante Italiano was beckoning to us with its sunny patio and huge umbrellas.

I have been visiting Colosseo since it opened in the 70’s when the area dubbed “Little Italy” along east Corydon truly was dotted primarily with Italian family owned businesses.  Unfortunately for the area, but happily for Colosseo, it appears to be the sole survivor.  There certainly are a number of sushi options now a days.

Since I was noshing with my bestie, it was a foregone conclusion that we would order and share our meals.  The Feta Salad might lead one to believe that they were ordering a Greek or “horiatiki salata” which is a rustic concoction chock full of tomato and cucumber chunks.  This lighter version retained my favourite part-the pungent feta and placed it upon a mound of romaine.

Accompanying the salad was an exquisite bowl of Cozze Pepate-spiced mussels in a green olive oil, white wine and garlic sauce.  The flesh of the crustacean was plump and sparkling fresh and would have been enjoyable in itself but the sauce (oohh the sauce!) elevated the dish to nothing short of spectacular.  I order mussels as often as possible, in fact I had them again the very next day, but few versions can compare to these.  We ensured that not a drizzle of the sauce remained by mopping it up with pieces of the delicious bread that was served alongside.

Perhaps it was the sparkling sunshine and the company of my dear friend but I could have been sitting on a terrazza in Italy and not been more pleased.

Kath’s quote: “We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made very day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.”-Benjamin Franklin

Love-that is all.

Sometimes food bloggers mess up.  Case in point: I have been trying for so long to get to Tapastry by Amici because I have long admired the Amici creators headed up by Chef Heinz Kattenfeld.  I did not realize until I arrived out at the Niakwa Golf and Country Club that even though the Amici name is branded with the restaurant, the association ends there.  In spite of my confusion, I was staying put as the three sisters were together and out for dinner.  You might think that this occurs on a regular basis but you would be incorrect.

Tapas is a derivative of Spanish word “tapar”, to cover.  In Spain a thin slice of meat was once offered to drape over a glass of wine, to keep the fruit flies out.  The custom became so popular that little dishes of delectable food offerings became the norm.  “Tapastry” is a perfect moniker for the restaurant’s tapas style dining gives one the opportunity to try a variety of little tastes.  I’m never squeamish about sharing food from a common plate and certainly not when I’m sharing with my two best friends who so happen to be my sisters.

Tapastry at the Niakwa Golf Club has a beautiful view of the rolling green hills of the course.  This evening was fair and there were golfers out on the comfy couches on the deck around a fire pit.  Ah, summer in Winnipeg.

First up was an Italian Thin-Crust Pizza adorned with prosciutto, fig jam, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette and pea shoots.  Being a fan of sweet and salty combinations, I loved it. 

With the pizza came Smoked Bacon Wrapped Prawns. 

Tyrolean Bacon blanketed the prawns which were enhanced with a roasted tomato agro dolce and lemon garlic aioli.    

Now here’s another way that the food blogger messed up.  I have lost my notes that I took on that evening and I was hoping that their menu would be on line so that I could remind myself of the detailed ingredients.  This lovely dinner actually took plac at the very beginning of the summer and my old memory isn’t what it used to be.  I’ll do my best…..

These pan-seared scallops had been perched atop of a variety of mushrooms, roasted corn and pork belly.  They were finished with a scallion pesto and marsala glaze.

The delectable perogies came with a luscious pumpkin puree.  They were a definite highlight.

This is when I am being absolutely transparent-I have no idea what these were.  I can only recall that by this time I was very full and feeling as if we had ordered too many items.

I do know that our service was professional, polite and prompt and that our server poured us and the rest of the diners on that evening , a lovely desert wine to thank us for our patronage.

Kath’s quote: “Ponder well on this point: the pleasant hours of our life are all connected by a more or less tangible link, with some memory of the table.”-Charles Pierre Monselet

Love-that is all.

I once worked around the corner from the King’s Head Pub and Eatery and it was our Friday lunch restaurant of choice. We didn’t sit at the wood as Norm did at “Cheers” and the bartender did not know our names but our waiter certainly did.  He also knew our drinks of choice off by heart, as well as our lunch orders.  I recently got to choose a place to meet up with these former co-workers and it seemed only right that we assemble at the King’s Head.

Not a lot has changed over the years except perhaps that it was once a private club and we had to purchase a membership to attend and sign in every visit.  The pints of beer are still served as frosty cold and our favourites were still on the menu.

Two of our standard orders were the Fish and Chips and the Chicken Curry.  The price of the Fish and Chips has not risen as steeply as the cost of haddock has inflated.  In order to compensate for its dear cost, the portion has been scaled back a bit.  This is a good thing because I could never eat a whole portion back then and the new size is just right.  The beer batter is what makes it so irresistible and takes me back to the days of ordering Fish and Chips at Eaton’s Valley Room (now I’m really dating myself).  The fries are still delectable, especially with just a shake of malt vinegar and a glistening of salt.  Ketchup?  How dare you suggest such a thing!

The chicken curry, although not a feast for the eyes, was enthusiastically tucked into.  The taste that was offered to me indicated a confident curry cook in the kitchen. 

The third member of our klatch loves spicy food more than anyone I know but the Chicken Vindaloo proved to be too much for even her to handle.  She had been duly warned by our server but had no idea what she was getting into.  The abundance of on-tap beer varieties help quench the fire. 

 Kath’s quote: “This curry was like a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony that I’d once heard…..especially the last movement, with everything screaming and banging ‘Joy.’ It stunned, it made one fear great art. My father could say nothing after the meal.” – Anthony Burgess

Wearing my birthday gift of a turquoise heart-how did they know?

Love- that is all.