When I arrived at the restaurant to meet friends for an annual  get together, I was really glad that I got there early as we were facing a 35 minute wait. Joey’s does not except reservations and even though it was only Tuesday “tis the season” for busy restaurants! The good news – Joey’s knows how to show you great hospitality while you wait.  The host staff was friendly and encouraged me to find a seat in the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.  I was waiting on three friends, all arriving at different times, so I chose instead to wait in the lobby.  The front hall was lined with bar stools for those who need a place to sit. The host staff came by with small glasses of rich red wine for us to sample along with tasting spoonfuls of their tempura style chili chicken to help prime our appetites for dinner.  By the time the last of my party arrived we only had a 5 minute wait before being escorted to a comfortable booth to enjoy our evening. 

 

The service was very good, with a manager popping by a couple of times to check on our experience. Our dinners were good as usual.  I had the Panang Prawn Curry Bowl with stir-fried veggies in a red coconut curry. K had the same with chicken instead of shrimp. I had been warned that the spice was a seven out of ten, but I would say it was more like a four, which was just right for  my taste buds.

S had her favorite lobster ravioli in a lemon tarragon cream sauce and

D enjoyed the butter chicken served with almond basmati rice and warm naan bread and crispy chickpea flour and caraway seed bread (the name of which now escapes me). 

Joey’s is a place this group of girls seems to gravitate to.  The menu has options for those looking for something familiar as well as dishes with Asian, Indian and Latin influences.  The high energy atmosphere makes it feel special, while the reasonable prices make it feel comfortable.  

Kath’s quote: “I have always been punctual at the hour of dinner, for I know that all those whom I kept waiting at that provoking interval would employ those unpleasant moments to sum up my faults.”-Nicolas Boileau

Love-that is all.

Polish women are amazing people and cooks.  I know this because I am the proud Granddaughter of a little Polish lady who lived until she was 94.  I hope that I follow in her footsteps because she was so robust that she actually picked peas from her garden just days before she passed away. I am quite sure that my haphazard style in the kitchen has been passed down from her, with “a handful of this” and “a pinch of that”.

Even though one might expect that a restaurant named Julia’s Ukrainian Kitchen would be owned and operated by a Ukrainian woman named Julia, such is not the case.  The proprietor is a personable Pole by the name of Joanna and she has owned this location at 768 Nairn Ave in Elmwood for over 22 years.

The familiarity with the neighbourhood was apparent with the arrival of three well-bundled girlfriends who came in with embraces and kisses for the only server.  In addition to friends meeting for coffee, the place is frequented by many laborers and this makes perfect sense because the fare of Eastern Europe is carbohydrate based and these guys need their calories for energy and warmth during a Winnipeg winter.

My lunch date (my big brother) started with a delicious chicken noodle soup which was included with his lunch.

He then sampled a combination platter which held cole slaw, sweet and sour meatballs, two cabbage rolls, five potato and cheese perogies AND garlic toast (just for good measure).

The perogies were particularly delightful with great taste and texture.  The dough casing was soft and tender and I could have eaten a dozen of them.  A sign in the window declares “Winnipeg’s Best Perogies”-they were very good but you’ll have to decide for yourself.

I do know that the just cut French fries were perfect

and the kubasa sandwich on rye bread as good as you would find at any Winnipeg social.  I actually prefer the coarse grind of kubasa but this comes from the “small points department”.

Next time I go, I intend to sample the Polish meat perogies which are called “pyzy”.  My Grandma never made theses. D has dubbed me his “Polish Princess” and the”Carb Queen” with good reason, all inherent from Grandma “Saskatchewan” (as Daughter #1 would call her).  Her specialties were potato soup, prune dumplings with melted butter and cinnamon sugar, thimble cookies filled with a dollop of raspberry jam and poppy seed roll.  And I can taste her fried chicken right now even though she has tended the geraniums in heaven for 25 years now.

Kath’s quote: “Throughout history, the Poles have defended Europe. They would fight, and – between battles – they would eat and drink.”-E. de Pomiand

Love-that is all.

 

The handsome man in the middle is my son- J1.  Since last summer, he has kept us apprised of a special project that two of his best buds (the other two handsome men in this picture) have been working on.  They have inhabited the space at 64 Sherbrooke Street and lovingly transformed it into a warm and sleek coffee parlor.  I got a call from J1 early this morning that although Thom Bargen Coffee and Tea is not officially open until this weekend, I could get a sneak peek, if I made my way down there.

I ordered a latte that was perfectly prepared, right down to the milk foam art.  I also indulged in a chocolate croissant that rivaled the ones that I’ve tasted in France. People around me were commenting on the deliciousness of the blueberry roi bois, the double shots of espresso and the cinnamon buns.

Not only has the creation of the space been a labour of love, but everything that this little place serves, is equally so.  As is often the case, it starts with the best of ingredients.

The pastries are all from Jonnies Sticky Buns, a fabulous bakery in the same neighbourhood.  You must also give them a try -every single thing I have tasted there is absolutely sublime.

The coffee which is slowly coaxed into bloom by constantly swirling boiled water through the grounds in a cone filter is from Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters.  I have done just a wee bit of research about these fellows and their company.  This is what I know:

We care about the green coffee that we purchase and the people who grow it.  We care about how it’s roasted,  We care about how it’s brewed.  But most importantly, we care that you find the time to slow down and enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Seems to me that the handsome men pictured above-TJ (Thom Jon) and Graham share this philosophy- welcoming every person who walked in the door and not minding a bit (or apparently not minding, at any rate), when I accidentally spilled the “to go” coffee that they went to all the trouble of making for me. (I said that I was blessing the new building for them).  If you see a darker area of hardwood floor, right by the front door-that is where I left my mark.

With the passion that these guys have for their space, their product and their customers, this place is going to do very, very well indeed.

Kath’s quote: “Without my morning coffee I’m just like a dried up piece of roast goat.”-Johann Sebastian Bach

Love-that is all.

`

This past Friday, I made a road trip to Brandon, Manitoba.  I lived in Brandon for a short time and had heard of the infamous Grey Owl dinner but had never had the opportunity to attend.  The event is a very special and prestigious opportunity.

 The year at MICA  (Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts) culminates with the hosting and organization of the four-week Grey Owl fine dining restaurant. Students and staff come together to present a fusion of nouvelle and classic cuisine in the historic Grey Owl dining room at the institute. This annual tradition has enthralled the community for years. Culinary Arts students present a stunning fine dining menu to members of the public, while Hotel and Restaurant Management students practice their hospitality skills with tableside service. Tickets for the Grey Owl sell out every year and are eagerly anticipated by the community. Running this student-run event provides a practical component to both programs that is highly beneficial to their training.

You have likely heard the expression “the honour is all mine”.  This is so true when it comes to my associaton with the Manitoba Canola Growers who were my gracious hosts for the evening.

I am honoured:

• to have been one of 24 guests invited to the 2013 Grey Owl dinner
• to be considered a friend of the amazing Canola ladies: Ellen, Jen and Leanne.  Their hospitality, thoughtfulness and attention to detail is nothing short of stellar.
• to have become acquainted with Isabel Wendell of Wendell Estate Honey, whose product was recently pitched on the CBC The Dragon’s Den
• to have been sat a table with Dori Gingera-Beauchimen, Assistant Deputy Minister, Manitoba Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (my Daddy would have been proud).
• to have been set next to one of the Manitoba Recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal: Bruce Dalgarno and his wife Carol.  I have even had the pleasure of a field supper on their beautiful farm in Newdale, MB.
• seeing Donna Jackson of High Bluff Stock Farm again.  I am continually impressed by her style, warmth and savvy.
• to have acquainted and reacquainted myself with members of the Manitoba Canola Growers Board of Directors including President Ed Rempel and Vice-President Brian Chorney (the other Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal winner).
• Spending time again with Getty Stewart, Pat Orsak and Joanne Ross of Agricilture in the Classroom.  By the way Joanne, if you are reading this, I want to volunteer for a Manitoba Breakfast. All of them, passionate women.

But speaking of passion, I was blown away with the expertise of the student chefs and dining room managers.  The food was visually stunning and the word delicious, is grossly inadequate.  This is one of those times when I am not going to be able to find enough superlatives, so I will let the photos do the talking: 

 Amuse Bouche (amuse or delight the mouth) and it did.

Spinach pumpernickel with a fiery kick and crunchy sweet crust topping.  They had me at the bread……

One of the many talented table side chefs (full of confidence and so personable). 

I can always recognize the hands of an artist.

 

 Don`t try this at home.

 My prawns and scallops in Pernod sauce.

 A nest garnish.

 

Stuffed Mushrooms.

 

Isn’t this pulled pork flat-bread, simply gorgeous (my question mark is not working on my keyboard today).

I do not know what these were but they came with a shooter of vodka.

My pomegranate salad.

 

The garnish of my fabulous steak.   

Ratatouille deconstructed and reconstructed.

 

Butterfly garnish on the rack of lamb. 

Stuffed chicken.

Prawns skewers on the side of planked salmon.

The dessert tray.

 

 My peanut butter ice cream.

The garnish on these strawberries remind me of the Caribbean sea.

The evening was quite simply-perfect:  new and old friends to share the time with and exquisitely prepared food which was obviously made with passion and love. 

Kath’s quote: “If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony.”-Fernand Point 

These hand made chocolates were served on an edible heart shaped platter.  Not being able to determine the heart shape in this photo is the fault of the photographer (me), not the skill of the pastry chef.

Love-that is all.

When we traveled to Ireland this past spring, we came to understand the essential importance of the neighbourhood pub.  If you define a pub in Canadian terms, it equates to something far different from what a pub is to an Irishman.  The Grove is the closest facsimile to a real pub in my mind.  For one, it is located on the street which borders ours, albeit significantly east of our locale.  For two, we could walk there, although when it is -47 with the wind chill, we chose not to on this day.  For three, there is familiarity-the owner waving at J1 as he arrived at work on this afternoon.  And then there is the rest of the package: personable staff, a wide selection of cold drawn and bottled beer and simple, yet wonderfully prepared food.

We were celebrating a family birthday.  That is, we have a celebratory meal together when it is a family member’s birthday.  The format does not change very much: the birthday boy/girl gets to choose whether we will slow roast a batch of ribs, plant ourselves on a patio for the afternoon or try a new restaurant together.  In this case, D wanted to ensure that he was sitting in his favourite chair in front of the big screen TV for NFL conference finals, by kick off time, so lunch it was.

When we arrived, there was a note on the door declaring that due to a mechanical issue (our guess was that something froze in the extreme cold), the menu would be limited.  We were undeterred and found all kinds of delicious choices.

Of course fish and chips were ordered and J1 and J2 remarked that the fish was very lightly breaded and that the haddock fillet itself was a hearty portion, more like a fish steak.  J1 would have loved to have had a burger which he declares is the city’s best but was pleased with this alternative.

Daughter #1 loves her Butter Chicken and found this recipe to her liking, that is to say: flavourful but not too firey.

The Frenchman sampled the lamb stew and was delighted.

I had been celebrating D’s birthday with indulgent food since the night before, so I decided to make a healthy choice and had the quinoa salad: sour cherry and pistachio crumble, cucumber, red onion, red pepper, tomato, carrot & mint, dressed in lemon garlic vinaigrette.

D had been dreaming about The Grove’s pan-seared scallops and knew that he had to savour them again.

Our cordial server brought out the German Chocolate cake that we had brought ourselves (D’s favourite cake) with a knife, plates, napkins and forks and we concluded our pub lunch in this way.

Kath’s quote: “Some people have a foolish way of not minding, or pretending not to mind, what they eat. For my part, I mind my belly very studiously, and very carefully; for I look upon it, that he who does not mind his belly will hardly mind anything else.”-Samuel Johnson

Love-that is all.