Are you familiar with the saying: “The more things change, the more they stay the same”? Driving past Kent Lunch at the corner of Kent and Nairn, a couple of years ago, I noticed that the building that they had long inhabited had gone through a major overhaul. Upon inquiry, I also discovered that the original owners had sold to new ones.

I distinctly remember chomping into a meatloaf sandwich in the “olden” days and was hoping to resurrect that memory when I spontaneously stopped in. Sadly, I was informed that my favourite sandwich must have been a thing of the past. Undaunted, I scanned through the menu and spied a clubhouse sandwich, another of my favourites.

The essence of a superior clubhouse sandwich is, in my humble opinion, the quality of the chicken or turkey. It must be oven roasted and not a manufactured substitute; and so it is at Kent Lunch. But the from-scratch cooks of the popular spot, go one step further and offer the double decker sandwich with just-roasted beef!

Hand cut fries accompany the sandwich. I tried to resist these but ate enough to comment that they were very tasty. The cup of homemade chicken soup was another highlight. The surprisingly clear chicken broth supported tender pieces of celery and carrot as they floated about. Hearty pieces of chicken and white onion had sunk to the bottom of the bowl creating a tasty reward after my veggies were dutifully eaten.

Owner Grace Kim is an absolute delight, obviously proud of the cheerful atmosphere that she and her parents have created in the breakfast and lunch stop. She warmly greets her many regulars with familiar conversation. For those dining alone, she has positioned a TV to keep them company. With some daily specials under $5, I suspect she sees many solo diners from the neighbourhood.

Kath’s quote: “When I was a boy there were only three kinds of sandwiches in common use – the ham, the chicken and the Swiss cheese. Others, to be sure, existed, but it was only as oddities.  Even the club sandwich was a rarity, and in most eating-houses it was unobtainable. The great majority of people stuck to the ham and the Swiss cheese, with the chicken for feast days and the anniversaries of historic battles.”-H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

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.

As soon as Steve Vodrazka, the owner of the Sonya’son Henderson Hwy. in Elmwood spoke, my sister and I recognized the accent.  He was from the same country that our Dad had immigrated from many years before-Czechoslovakia.  The posters of the picturesque Eastern European country confirmed that part of him must still yearn for his homeland.

Steve took care of every single table himself as well as the till and yet he was very patient when we had a hard time deciding what to order.  He asked if we wanted to try his minestrone which was his soup of the day.  He added that it was free “unless we didn’t finish it all and then it was $2”, so priced as his way of ensuring that food was not wasted.

As we ordered the perogies, he wondered if we wanted them boiled or fried.  We assumed that this meant pan-fried and indicated our preference.  When they arrived and we saw that they had been deep fried, we were originally disappointed as deep frying can sometimes toughen the delicate dough.  There were no worries with these: the dumplings had only been kissed by the oil and they were soft and absolutely as delicious as our own family recipe.  The sautéed bacon and chopped onions certainly enhanced the flavour.  The bacon itself was not overly salty but had a rich and smoky taste.

Next up was a boneless pork loin chop in a crispy coating which reminded us of the bread crumb mixture that my Grandma used to cover her fried chicken with.  The meat inside was moist and succulent.  Also on the plate was a tangy cole slaw and boiled potato cubes.

I opted instead for the little plate of French fries that I indulged in (for the sake of research….).  Oh my goodness!  I imagined the order going into the kitchen at which time the cook took a potato, sliced and cooked it.  That is how fresh tasting the fries were.  They were lightly fried, exactly the way I love them (contrary to the other members of my family) resulting in a soft and wobbly fry.  This may not be everyone’s description of choice, but it certainly is mine.  What do you know, a French fry that still tastes like a potato!

Recently, I saw in the Winnipeg Free Press that the Burger Club had declared that Sonya’s served Winnipeg’s best burger.  I wish I had known this previous to our lunch date as now I bet there will not be a seat to be had in the snug little place.

Warning: Sonya’s only takes cash and I don’t want you to be disappointed.

Kath’s quote: “Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”-Doug Larson

Love-that is all.