I have said it before, I live a blessed life.  I have been teaching up in Thompson MB and fly back there tomorrow which means I have been hard to pin down for a lunch date. There were to be three and perhaps four of us for a midday meal celebrating the success of the Sochi Olympics for CBC Winnipeg.  I thought when I arrived home from a week of teaching up north late on Friday night that I was especially tired but this morning I put two and two together and realized that with my daily headaches, body aches and overwhelming fatigue, I must have the flu.  I pulled myself off of the visiting schedule to see my Mom.  The last thing that her geriatric ward at the Misrecordia Hospital needs would be me, spreading my germs around.  I also cancelled a supper date with D, instead we’ll enjoy some soup and homemade bread and watch the Jets game together.  But I didn’t feel that I could/should renege on my lunch date.  Besides the rendezvous was at 529 Wellington!

I made the correct choice because when I got there, she was sitting all alone.  Life is unpredictable and sure enough, I was the only one from the group who could accept her invite.  My host is animated enough to keep the conversation going single-handedly (not in a bad way, but a warm and gregarious one).

She knew what she was having without even opening her menu.  She declared that she always has a steak when she is at 529-Beefsteak that is.  She is hooked on the Beefsteak Tomato Salad and I can see why.  The enormous, meaty slices of tomato were smothered in thin rings of red onions and blue cheese dressing with morsels of blue cheese, crumbled on top.

She consistently couples the salad with 529’s French Onion soup.  She enthusiastically lapped up the broth, sautéed onions and cheese and managed to leave the bread floating in the bowl. Just before she broke through the bubbly cheese crust, our server came by and poured a glistening of sherry over it.

As I have been yearning for spring, I have also been longing once again for a taste of Manitoba pickerel.  529’s is typically battered and deep fried but the chef was coaxed into sautéing it for me.  The result was sublime, especially with a squeeze of the provided lemon.

This meant that I could justify (in my own mind at least) the inclusion of 529’s fabulous fries.  Fries are my weakness and with the exception of Mexico, I have not had a fry since New Year’s when I made my resolutions.  529’s fries are definitely worth the indulgence.

Our perfect lunch was made even more so by running into old friends: Jim Armstrong and Doug Stephen, the gallant owner/operators of Wow Hospitality Concepts (with Janet Cunningham, another long time friend).  After such an engaging lunch and lovely chats with all, I felt as if I had successfully shaken off my ill effects-amazing how friends can lift your spirits in an instant.

Kath’s quote: “It takes a long time, to grow an old friend.”-Unknown

Love-that is all.

Like many of you, I love the Christmas season and especially the excuse to get together for special parties, lunches and dinners.  For me there is sometimes a little bit of a let down when the season is over, especially if I am working hard at keeping my New Year’s resolutions.  One of my suppliers must feel this way too because she invited me out for a Christmas lunch that we celebrated just yesterday-perfect timing.

529 is often heralded as being one of the more exclusive restaurants in the city.  Indeed, it does feel as if you are dining on someone’s estate or at their private club.  The lunch time menu is very accessible, offering everything that you might imagine from burgers and sandwiches to steaks and seafood.  What the public often chatters about is that 529’s menu is entirely a la carte but at a time of year when I am turning away anything deep fried or carb heavy, this is very much appreciated.  Why pay for fries when they are only going to tempt me and make me feel as if I am wasting food (I scorn food being needlessly wasted).

As it were, one of the guests at our table never has to worry about over indulging.  He indicates the he has a very high metabolism, eats whatever he wishes and remains perfectly slim.  He went for the burger special which on this day was adorned with brie and apple jam.  I watched as he took his first bite (perhaps a bit too longingly), with meat juices bursting forth and luckily landing on the plate below.  I know that 529’s fries are exceptional as I have taste them before, and I was tempted to reach across the table and nab a couple of his.  Somehow I restrained myself.

Our host is a careful eater each an every day and a real inspiration to me.  She selected the salmon and spinach salad.  At first glance she was concerned that the fillet was on the small side but it was a very thick wedge which ensured that it could be perfectly cooked.  She managed to portion the salmon so she that she could have a piece with every taste of spinach and was well pleased.

I order mussels every chance I get.  Our helpful server relayed a message to the kitchen to go heavy on the white wine and easy on the butter.  The result was light but satisfying.  The huge mussels assembled at the bottom of the bowl had benefitted from extra marinating and were exploding with perfumed flavors from the wine and briny ones from the sea.  I was able to enjoy each dollop of sauce with the toast triangles which gilded the plate. We all glanced at the dessert menu and determined what we “would” have had, were we to be ordering and then happily departed ways without experiencing any regrets.

Kath’s quotes: “I’m strong to the finach, ‘cuz I eats me spinach”-Popeye

Love-that is all.

When you are able to reacquaint with good friends that you have not had the occasion to visit with in a while, it really doesn’t matter where you go or what you eat, does it?  The company was the most important thing and yet here we were tucked into a cozy corner table in the back dining room at 529 Wellington.  Because I have been acquainted with the WOW! Hospitality folks for many years, it was like coming home with lots of embraces and hugs.  I even was able to meet a twitter follower IRL (in real life).  She recognized me from my thumbnail photo and I was so glad that she introduced herself.

The room is warm and beautifully appointed and you can easily imagine the grand dinners that must have been common place in the restored mansion.  Our waiter was impeccable and did his best not to intrude upon our intimate conversations.  We all chose beef specials as they were relayed by our server:

 the calf’s liver with onions on mashed potatoes,

a Caesar salad topped with grilled tenderloin and enormous shards of Parmesan cheese

and an open-faced rib eye steak sandwich with sauteed mushrooms.  The flavours of the steak were rich and deep and even though the beef was extremely well trimmed, my taste buds found a nugget of fat the was silky smooth and absolutely sublime.  My lunch reminded me of the way in which my Dad would enjoy his steak-nothing fussy or complicated: just the finest cut with lots of age and a little bit of seasoning.  I have never seen the kitchen of 529 so I do not know how their steaks are prepared but I imagined that it would have been seared in a hot pan or over a hot flame to seal in the juices and then carefully watched until the perfect doneness was achieved.  I tasted salty butter on the accompanying mushrooms and if I am not mistaken on the steak as well.  Unadorned and divine. And don’t worry about me, I did get my quota of veggies later in the day.

I may try the beef carpaccio next time, remembering back to when Doug Stephen, one of the owners of the restaurant first opened a bistro in the basement of the Travellers Building, named Cibo’s. I remember their carpaccio from our first wedding anniversary dinner.  Fine dining and fine beef have always been a part of our lives. 

The menu states that less than 1% of all Canadian beef available is graded Canada Prime and that all the beef at 529 is as such.  No wonder our lunch was so very good.

Kath’s quote: “The quality of food is in inverse proportion to the altitude of the dining room, with airplanes the extreme example.”-Bryan Miller

Love-that is all.