There are certain signs of summer when you live in Winnipeg-the fruit trees in full bloom, the quickly flowing Red River, bikes and pedestrians everywhere and in the case of this year, the end of the hockey season. In addition, now that Mon Ami Louis opens only for the fair weather months, the opening of its doors on the Provencher Bridge.

Three good friends were assembled that day-one of the first sunny and balmy days of the season. The air conditioning actually provided some relief as we entered. I was warm from making the trek from my parked car and across the bridge when one of the trio pointed out that there is some designated parking for Mon Ami Louis guests on the east side of the river. I will research that option next time.

The menu has been revamped since the autumn closure of the facility. We were delighted to sample a couple of new lunch features with our host. We had all eaten too much over the Mother’s Day weekend so we pledged that we would go light and then only one of us kept that commitment. The Rainbow Beet salad was bulging with delicious ingredients like apples, goat cheese, candied almonds and quinoa. The cider vinaigrette offset the tastes beautifully.

This gorgeous sandwich was packed with roasted vegetables like roasted zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, apples, pickled onion, almond pesto, tangy goat cheese, lettuce and tomato, all on 12 grain bread. Our friend could barely fit her mouth around it, it was so substantial.

My selection was the mussels in white wine and cream sauce. They were meaty and plentiful and I loved slurping them up with my delectable fries.  An entire pound of mussels had been sautéed with shallots, garlic, and herbs and were served with toasted baguette and roasted garlic aioli. I left the baguette on the plate and dumped my fries right in the bowl with the mussels-oh so very good! On the way out we ran into Chef Luc Jean who declared: “what’s a French restaurant with out mussels et frites on the menu?”

You absolutely cannot go wrong with any of their Tarte Flambés that appear on both the lunch and dinner menus. Speaking of their dinner menu (also revamped), I would be hard pressed to decide between the Roast Tarragon Chicken, Seafood Bouillabaisse, Pan Roasted Berkshire Pork Chop, House Made Gnocchi or Walleye and Chips. I am so glad that summer has just begun so that there will be lots of opportunity to visit.

Kath’s quote: “Bouillabaisse, this golden soup, this incomparable golden soup which embodies and concentrates all the aromas of our shores and which permeates, like an ecstasy, the stomachs of astonished gastronomes. Bouillabaisse is one of those classic dishes whose glory has encircled the world, and the miracle consists of this: there are as many bouillabaisses as there are good chefs or cordon bleus. Each brings to his own version his special touch.”-Curnonsky (1872-1956)

Love never fails.

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