Saddlery on Market
Saddlery on Market (114 Market Ave. to be precise) is located on the main floor of the Great West Saddlery Warehouse building, erected in 1898. A little bit of Winnipeg Trivia: the saddlery company became the world’s largest manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer of harnesses and saddles. The restobar has been inspired by Winnipeg’s past and serves homey, comfort food.
I was excited to meet up with an old friend. Her arrival was delayed as she could not find a parking spot in the area, either in a lot or on the street. This must be a real challenge for the restaurant.
Anticipating my winter vacation, I chose from the salad section of the menu. The Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad was a hearty serving of red onion, candied pecans and roasted shallot vinaigrette. Once all the good stuff vanished from the top of the salad, I tried very hard to finish my vegetables by consuming all of the spinach leaves on the plate. Perhaps I was distracted by the hand-cut French fries that arrived with my companion’s burger. Being a good friend, she gave my permission to enjoy some of them off of her plate. They were the highlight of the visit.
The house burger which was her selection was a half pound of ground chuck topped with lettuce, tomato, provolone cheese, pancetta, caramelized onions and premise-made barbeque sauce. She remarked that the pretzel bun was delicious but not sturdy enough to offset all of those fixings. The burger was tasty and juicing but eating it without making an enormous mess, took a lot of skill.
The space has supported a number of restaurant concepts in the past but I do not recall one that let the beautiful brick walls speak for themselves. Perched at a window with a view to the Exchange District, I anticipated that the restaurant would get busier over the lunch hour with so many persons who work in the area.
The Saddlery has an all day menu available. They are open weekdays from 11 am (Saturdays at 4 pm). Until 10 pm Mon-Wed and Late Thursday-Saturday and are closed Sundays. Wheelchair access is through the space at 112 Market Ave.
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Kath’s quote: “my salad days, When I was green in judgement, cold in blood.”-William Shakespeare
Love never fails.
