My lunch date on this day, lives is the west Winnipeg neighbourhood of Assiniboia and even though there would have been lots of great restaurants to choose from in her community, I suggested that we turn west on Portage Ave and head to Headingley (no pun intended). Within moments, we were settled in at the Roardhouse Eatery. A roadhouse is typically built on a major highway or trunk road to serve travelers to or through the area. With the Roadhouse Eatery being right smack on the Trans-Canada Highway, it is appropriately named.

Our pick of table included beautiful antique looking farm chairs. Right off the bat I had a hunch that we would be enjoying stick- to- your- ribs fare.  The extensive menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches, chicken, burgers and fish & chips, but also pasta, pickerel and the biggest surprise of all-Indian dishes.

When faced with the decision of what to sample, we opted to share the Wild Berry Salad, Butter Chicken and homemade fries. My friend who hails from England indicated that Brits often order some fries along with the rice that would accompany a curried dish. If she were back home, it would be dubbed “half and half”.

Always my first taste, the fries were great and piping hot, but had perhaps not been double-fried the way I enjoy them best.   The Wild Berry Salad was not able to live up to its name since it is not wild berry season in the middle of winter. The salad lacked the declared strawberries, raspberry and pecans but the grapes, oranges, apples and frozen blueberries were still tasty enough.

The star of the show was the Butter Chicken served with buttery Naan bread and Pilau rice made from basmati, peas, carrots and orange zest.  Hearty pieces of both light and dark meat had been prepared in a spicy tomato sauce. This version was shy on the yoghurt that I include in my own recipe but was deeply satisfying when ladled over the delicate rice. Was it the best Butter Chicken I had ever tasted? Perhaps not, but it was the best Butter Chicken I had ever eaten at a Roadhouse!

Kath’s quote: “There is nothing yet which has been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.” –Samuel Johnson

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

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