Here is what Peg City Grub says about the rationale behind their “Homegrown Trail“:

Ask a Winnipegger where to get the best home-grown eats and you won’t get the same answer twice.  That’s because the definition of Manitoba Regional Cuisine doesn’t fit into one tidy sentence.  Pickerel, bison, wild berries, wild rice are local favourites found on menus across the city.  But that’s just the beginning.  From ethnic eateries to greasy spoons, from food co-operatives to upscale dining rooms high above city streets, chefs have their own takes on the food found on Manitoba’s prairies, lakes, forests and wetlands.  On this tasty trek across Winnipeg, you’ll sample some of the province’s staples in their traditional and modernized forms.  You’ll taste our past and present, created by some of the city’s most talented cooks.

It was impossible for me to get away on the media preview of Tourism Winnipeg’s “Homegrown Trail” but having been on a couple of culinary trails in Stratford Ontario last fall, I was anxious to see what had been put together in my own backyard, as it were.  We began with Fusion Grill, not exactly in my own backyard but pretty close-a block and a half walk away.  The cafe’s close proximity actually makes me guilty about not dining there more often as owner Scot McTaggart is an old friend of ours from a time when we all worked at a popular restaurant together.  Scot’s culinary philosophy has always been a passion for “local”, years before the trend was in vogue.  Scot declares that his wish has always been a simple one: “to sell carrots from my own backyard.”  As Scot described his memory, my own came back so clearly: He recalls raiding a garden for carrots and scraping off the dirt with your hands.  He remembers the sweetness and the crunch and adds “even the dirt tasted good.”  Being the scaredy cat that I was, I never raided a garden but was able to pick as many carrots as I desired from my Grandma’s garden as a reward for helping her weed and water.  As a very little girl, she taught me how to make a fist around the carrot and pull it through to scrape away most of the dirt.  Even though I didn’t like to get dirty as a child, I recall leaving as much Saskatchewan mud as possible on those carrots because I whole-heartedly agree with Scot: even the dirt tasted good.

On this day, the sample of Panko-Crusted Pickerel cheeks was sublime.  Gutsy Scot was the first of Winnipeg’s restaurateurs to deliver Manitoba regional cuisine like lamb, pickerel cheeks, Arctic Char, Northern Pike caviar and grass-fed beef.  The all-Canadian wine list was also a bold move when he first opened but feels vindicated now with the focus on both food and wine from closer to home.  He believes that Canadian wines are the perfect pairing to chef Lorna Murdoch’s cuisine.

Next on the trail was a stop that we didn’t make on our mini-tour.  We consider Mise Bistro (although not walking distance) still one of our favourite neighbourhood restaurants.  Over the years we have sampled their pickerel too, loving it with a dusting of corn-meal. Also an old-favourite but not visited on this day was Fude where Chris Fougere passionately explained to us years ago, his spin on deconstructing and reconstructing his restaurant’s dishes.  Fude was the first place we had ever tried chocolate chicken!  We couldn’t place the taste at first and then recalled savouring mole chicken in Mexico, on one of our first visits, years prior. Also not included on our mini-tour was Prairie 360 but coincidentally I got to enjoy lunch there the very next day.  I once lived across the back-lane from the Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company where aromas of their cinnamon buns would wake me out of a morning sleep.  For the epitome of home sweet home cooking, Sonya’s across town in my old stomping grounds of EK/Elmwood is on the full trek but not our mini version.  No matter, I can vividly recall owner Steve’s cheerful banter as he served us house make cheddar and potato perogies served with grilled onions and crispy pieces of bacon.

Don’t think that I didn’t eat my fill on this mini-tour as our next stop was Market Burger.  As soon as we sat down a platter of “sides” arrived at the table.  I had a difficult time deciding which I loved the best between their excellent onion rings, hand-cut fries, hickory shoe-string fries or their deep-fried pickles.  I have been unimpressed with fried pickles in the past but this authentic kosher dill pickle (I suspected it was an Elman’s) was elevated by the crunchy batter that adorned it.

I had to stop myself from eating all of the tasty sides as no less than 6 sliders arrived soon thereafter including the Desi (spiced Pakistani-style beef), the Mac ‘n Cheese, the Banh Mi (reminiscent of my favourite Vietnamese dishes) and the Smothered Chili Burger.  I was about to declare the Butter Chicken Burger my favourite until I bit into the piece de résistance: the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger!  Sweet/salty/savoury all in one compact taste-heaven, I’m in heaven……

Our last (but certainly not least) stop on the tour was at Peasant Cookery which serves ” real food from the land.”  I have tasted many of award winning Chef Tristan Foucault’s dishes but never had room for dessert, being satiated by his charcuterie, poutine, pickerel or gnocchi.  This stop though was just for dessert and although I thought that I could not possibly consume another thing, I gleefully managed to slurp down all of the berry sorbet and goat milk cheesecake.  The piggy shaped short bread cookies were the “icing on the cake” so to speak.

So in answer to the question: where should we eat in Winnipeg?-there are just too many choices, so try one of Tourism Winnipeg’s Trails whether you re a visitor to our fair city or “Homegrown” like me.

Kath’s quote: “This little piggy went to market….”

Love-that is all.

I get a kick out of plays-on-words and Chaise Café & Lounge is a clever pun for me.  I have heard speculation that perhaps the restaurant is so named because of the sleek white leather couches that adorn the lounge.  In fact, I would venture to guess that the café’s moniker comes from the owner’s name: Shea, hence Shea’s or Chaise.  This is clever stuff, for a “wordie” and a “foodie”, like me.

The occasion for the lunch was the celebration of two birthdays both occurring days prior.  A sunny deck was in order and Chaise’s south facing one on Provencher Ave., with an array of blossoming planters buffering the street traffic, was just the ticket.

My friend decided upon the Basil Pesto Fettuccine and Roasted Beet Salad.  The pasta was virtually weightless when I tasted a forkful and yet the sparkling freshness of the house-made pesto was almost electrifying.  I would definitely order this dish again to experience that single taste.  Instead of the roasted beet salad which was described on the menu-slices of boiled beet adorned the plate with a hearty drizzling of a tasty dressing. 

I opted for a healthy veggie burger comprised of an eggplant patty with cilantro, jalapeño and walnuts and topped with smoked provolone cheese and spinach.  I eat eggplant every chance I get and was surprised and well-pleased with how its taste is enhanced by cilantro.  The multi-grain flatbread that it came perched upon, contributed to the hearty nutty flavours.  I tucked in with my knife and fork to savour every little bite. 

In contrast, I went all out when I “upgraded” the fries to poutine.  The promise of rich duck fat gravy, cheese curds, truffle oil and candied bacon was simply too much to resist.  I could not detect any truffle oil and the candied bacon was sparse but the other aspects of the dish were decadently delicious.  The duck fat gravy was rich as promised, but did not really have the consistently of gravy.  This is an observation only and I lapped up every dollop.

When our server found out that we were both celebrating birthdays, the café treated us to dessert.  Tiramisu was my friend’s choice and I, a coconut cake.  With a creamy butter icing and liberal doses of coconut, both toasted and untoasted, I was grateful for the gift.

Kath’s quote: “Pounding fragrant things — particularly garlic, basil, parsley — is a tremendous antidote to depression. But it applies also to juniper berries, coriander seeds and the grilled fruits of the chilli pepper.
Pounding these things produces an alteration in one’s being — from sighing with fatigue to inhaling with pleasure. The cheering effects of herbs and alliums cannot be too often reiterated. Virgil’s appetite was
probably improved equally by pounding garlic as by eating it.”-Patience Gray

Even the name of this little food store, bakery and eatery at 105-819 Sargent Ave in the Sargent Park area of the West End: “Viena Do Castelo” sounds foreign, romantic and delicious to me.  I would guess that the name was selected in tribute to a community in northern Portugal and my pre-visit research indicated that they are the purveyors of Portuguese specialty foods.  My husband and I have long dreamed of visiting the Mediterranean country, especially the Azores.  When I arrived to pick up our pre-ordered chicken, a gorgeous vista of the Azores adorned the wall behind the checkout counter.  That part of the country is the home to one half of the married Esteves team that own and operate the store and restaurant.

The whole roasted chicken and potatoes that I ordered for takeout tasted just as if I had pulled it out of my own oven (without having to scrub a baked-on roasting pan-yippee).  Although the chicken was on the small side (for the price) the meat was firm and moist.  When I had called about picking up our supper, owner Luis cheerfully said “We roast our chickens to order so I’ll put one in the oven for you. Would you like it mild, medium or spicy?” We are “moderates” with our spice level (and just about everything else in our lives) and the seasoning balance was perfect. The spice mixture that permeated the flesh of the chicken, also seasoned the potatoes that had surrounded the chicken in the roasting pan.  My husband especially enjoyed the latter.

Also tempting were Viena Do Castelo’s cheese buns.  They tasted to us as if parmesan and garlic had been rolled into the dough “cinnamon bun style” with a generous topping of more grated cheddar cheese on top.  I would love to drop in for another half dozen of these for takeout or for a quick snack at one of the sunny tables right in the shop.

When I asked if the chicken was his Portuguese mamas’ recipe, Luis replied “No-it is something that my wife invented.  She’s always dreaming up new recipes”.  This husband and wife are definitely a committed business team.  They even had what Luis dubbed a “store baby”. Their youngest son was born about three days after the store opened and subsequently was brought to the eatery on a daily basis until the time that he learned how to walk.  Now that’s a family run business! Luis adds that many store customers ask about him to this day.  As Luis was running my tab up, I read the tattoo that graces the inside of his forearm, it simply stated: “Familia”.

Kath’s quote: “Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!” ~Albert Einstein

Love-that is all.

We consider Regina and Saskatchewan like a second home.  D (my husband) is here frequently on business and I once made the jaunt from Winnipeg on a regular basis for business too.  When I was very little, I would come for the summer at my grandparents’ farm in the Assiniboia area and can clearly remember the whistling train cars full of wheat to be sent to places all over the world and distant rolls of thunder from promised rains that never came.  Do I bleed green?  Well no, I bleed a gorgeous blue BUT we were on our feet cheering for the Riders when they won the Grey Cup last season!   While here, we had the opportunity to meet up with old and dear friends. They lived for a short time in Winnipeg, we worked together and our children are all the same ages.

The trees were bursting with lime green leaves and the restaurant was perfectly situated right on the edge of the water.

We had a beautiful view across the water to the Saskatchewan Legislature.

We were perched on the extensive outdoor patio space that I understand can be reserved for outdoor weddings.  They were a couple of mosquitoes that could be detected in the sunlight.  On another night this might be considered a nuisance but basking in the setting sun, especially after the harsh winter we have all experienced, it simply meant one thing….summer had arrived on the Canadian prairies!

D acting as host, choose a Cabernet Franc for the table.  We love Cab Francs as they are lighter than Cabernet Sauvignons.  Although I do not recall which winemaker he chose, we are always surprized by the aromas of tabaco, bell pepper and violets of Cab Francs.  Our charming server added some European flair.  She was from the Czech Republic, where my Daddy was born. She was so patient with us when she kept returning to take our order and we could not stop chatting and looking at pictures of each other’s families and filling in the years since we had all been together.  But, to the food….

The food was sensational!  “Farm to Table” dining makes so much sense for so many reasons and whenever we travel, we consciously select restaurants that epitomize this style.  Our favourite Canadian restaurant is the famous Stone Road Grille in Niagara-on-the Lake and The Willow on Wascana rivals our visit there.  Here is an excerpt from The Willow’s website regarding their culinary philosophy.

We pride ourselves on the amazing and quite surprising bounty this great province has to offer. From every grain under the sun to the most flavorful vegetables you have ever tasted. We even have fresh fruit growing in the valley. The willow has worked very hard with countless families and individuals skilled in the art form known as farming. From our major meat supplier, Pine View Farms in Osler supplying us with an array of all farm animals. Our wild boar family Schneider Farm just 15 minutes outside of Regina. Local eggs, local flour and now even a local cheese artist. Our amazing produce from Heliotrope Farm in Craven, you name it chances are they grow it. All these great things we enjoy so much and transform into our own culinary masterpieces, and just picked fresh right out of the backyard. From Farm to Table, let’s face it, that’s the way it should be.

We began with an Amuse Bouche that definitely “amused our mouths” as the moniker promises. It was a trout mousse on focaccia bread crostini with a cilantro leaf and a scattering of sesame seeds. Steelhead Trout is related to the salmon family and is similar to a rainbow trout.  The fish are farmed in Lake Diefenbaker in southern Saskatchewan named for Canada’s thirteenth Prime Minister who I happened to meet when I was a teenager but not while he still held the position (now you know how old I am).  The subtle fleshed fish is so succulent that D ordered it for dinner AND when we went out for lunch the next day, we ordered it again!

We shared Salt Spring Island Mussels that had been poached in a creamy blue cheese broth.  They were not quite as stellar as the bowl titled “Cozze Pepate” that I had enjoyed just the day before at Colesseo Ristorante in Winnipeg, but they were meaty and tender.

I was really intrigued by the name of our other shared appetizer: Bagna Cauda.  Take the time to click the link and read the story of the birth of this ancient dish.  Fascinating.  In The Willow’s case the fish was pan-seared pickerel cheeks, Pickerel (Walleye) being both Saskatchewan and Manitoba’s provincial fish. The nuggets of flesh found on the face of the fish (hence: cheeks) were tossed in a spicy anchovy sauce and then perched upon pickled radish and rainbow carrot salad, so that it was a delight to the taste buds and the eyes.

The trout which is listed as the “Catch of the Day” on the menu was brushed with a lemon preserve and then placed upon a bed of mixed lentil pilaf.

Chef Tim’s ode to the classic Korean dish Bibimbap was one of the selections that our friends made.  The Korean short ribs were accompanied by coconut lime wild rice, a crunchy slaw and crowned with a soft boiled egg.

Her spouse (a pork lover like me) chose maple glazed pork tenderloin which was perfectly cooked with just the hint of pink inside to ensure moistness and subtle texture and placed atop grilled vegetable selections including my favourite of Pitty Pat (sometimes called Patty Pan) squash.

D lovingly calls me his “Potato-loving Polish Princess” and with consistency my eye went directly to the Gnocchi.  It wasn’t the roasted organic mushrooms, chopped herbs and balsamic glaze that had me tempted but the truffle cream sauce.  I am a goner for a short list of foods: potatoes, artichokes, eggplant and truffles!  Now, I didn’t know this at the time but I was to get a special treat the next day when we tasted a heritage truffle cheese at Crave Kitchen + Bar.  What clinched my decision was when I shared my two options with our helpful server and she deduced that I would love the Italian Stallion (tee hee).

This dish hit it out of the ballpark for me: Sicilian (we’ve traveled to Sicily and love the region’s simple food) braised aubergine (eggplant) stew on pan fried cheese and herb polenta with toasted almonds and enormous shards of padano cheese.  The stew was dense (in  good way) with pungent flavours of the meaty, stewed aubergine, capers and olives.  I cut the veggie chunks into smaller pieces so that I could make the ingestion of the dish, take a very long time.

By this time the sun was kissing the horizon and we were off for a nightcap at the home of our friends.  For so many reasons, this was an evening that we will long remember and cherish.

Kath’s quote: “The best fertilizer is the footprint of the farmer.” anonymous

Love-that is all.

Can you see the heart image?

In my humble opinion, my husband cooks up the best ribs that I have ever tasted.  He stands the pork racks on their side and adds whole onions, carrots and celery and just a wee bit of water in a shallow roasting pan.  Then they are cooked over a low heat for hours on end, after which, the ribs must cool and “set” in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.   Just before serving, he slathers them in barbeque sauce and places them on the grill so that the sugars in the sauce begin to caramelize.  We recently visited the Oakwood Café, at 660 Osborne St. in the lovely Riverview neighbourhood of Fort Rouge, specifically so that he could sample their all-you-can-eat ribs.  The verdict?  He was very impressed!

Rarely can restaurants be successful by being all things to all people, but somehow the Oakwood is pulling it off.  The website indicates that the establishment is a Bistro/Restaurant/Café.  Not only do they offer the rib special on Friday and Saturday evenings but they are also known for an endless variety of Eggs Benedict at brunch.  They have an extensive breakfast menu, lunch menu, vegan menu, kids menu, 55+ menu and provide outside catering and private parties. Based on their business on the evening that we visited (I recommend that you make reservations), they are successfully managing to keep all these balls in the air.  

I teased our server and asked her if I had to show her my identification to order off of the 55+ Plus Menu.  It turns out that I must have not looked my age, because she inadvertently served me a full order of Mediterranean pasta instead of the 55+ version.  I happily started with a Bacon & Blue Salad of bacon, blue cheese and crunchy pecans as my husband enjoyed a cup of one of the soups of the day-a delicious borscht with an enormous dollop of sour cream.  My entrée included roasted red peppers, zucchini, kalamata olives and feta in a hearty marinara sauce.  I topped it with slices of chicken breast for a mere $2 more.  There are plenty of affordable options like this one on the extensive menu. 

The ribs were plated with perfectly prepared veggies, sweet potato fries and a chipotle mayo which provided a lovely zing.

The owners Alix Loiselle and Peter Paley and their staff work as a well coached team with everyone chipping in on all tasks.  One of the owners personally delivers arm loads of hot dishes out to the guests.  Empty dishes are whisked away immediately and the restaurant always looks sleek and uncluttered in spite of the bustling atmosphere.

Kath’s quote: “I like a cook who smiles out loud when he tastes his own work. Let God worry about your modesty; I want to see your enthusiasm.”-Robert Farrar Capon

Love-that is all.