I get a kick out of plays-on-words and Chaise Café & Lounge is a clever pun for me.  I have heard speculation that perhaps the restaurant is so named because of the sleek white leather couches that adorn the lounge.  In fact, I would venture to guess that the café’s moniker comes from the owner’s name: Shea, hence Shea’s or Chaise.  This is clever stuff, for a “wordie” and a “foodie”, like me.

The occasion for the lunch was the celebration of two birthdays both occurring days prior.  A sunny deck was in order and Chaise’s south facing one on Provencher Ave., with an array of blossoming planters buffering the street traffic, was just the ticket.

My friend decided upon the Basil Pesto Fettuccine and Roasted Beet Salad.  The pasta was virtually weightless when I tasted a forkful and yet the sparkling freshness of the house-made pesto was almost electrifying.  I would definitely order this dish again to experience that single taste.  Instead of the roasted beet salad which was described on the menu-slices of boiled beet adorned the plate with a hearty drizzling of a tasty dressing. 

I opted for a healthy veggie burger comprised of an eggplant patty with cilantro, jalapeño and walnuts and topped with smoked provolone cheese and spinach.  I eat eggplant every chance I get and was surprised and well-pleased with how its taste is enhanced by cilantro.  The multi-grain flatbread that it came perched upon, contributed to the hearty nutty flavours.  I tucked in with my knife and fork to savour every little bite. 

In contrast, I went all out when I “upgraded” the fries to poutine.  The promise of rich duck fat gravy, cheese curds, truffle oil and candied bacon was simply too much to resist.  I could not detect any truffle oil and the candied bacon was sparse but the other aspects of the dish were decadently delicious.  The duck fat gravy was rich as promised, but did not really have the consistently of gravy.  This is an observation only and I lapped up every dollop.

When our server found out that we were both celebrating birthdays, the café treated us to dessert.  Tiramisu was my friend’s choice and I, a coconut cake.  With a creamy butter icing and liberal doses of coconut, both toasted and untoasted, I was grateful for the gift.

Kath’s quote: “Pounding fragrant things — particularly garlic, basil, parsley — is a tremendous antidote to depression. But it applies also to juniper berries, coriander seeds and the grilled fruits of the chilli pepper.
Pounding these things produces an alteration in one’s being — from sighing with fatigue to inhaling with pleasure. The cheering effects of herbs and alliums cannot be too often reiterated. Virgil’s appetite was
probably improved equally by pounding garlic as by eating it.”-Patience Gray

I am always amazed and surprised by all of the little family places that grace Winnipeg’s neighbourhoods.  I had a hankering for Thai food recently and discovered Vientiane Restaurant in St. Boniface.  The charming little place shares the strip mall with Lovey’s Barbeque another place I have only recently tried.  The dining room has been painted a passionate red which is a strategic choice, as red enhances human metabolism, thereby stimulating our appetites.

Tom Kha Gai is one of my favourite dishes from Thailand and when translates simply means: Thai Chicken Soup, but oh, this is no ordinary chicken soup.  The fresh tastes of lime and cilantro are fused with chicken, veggies and coconut milk resulting in a balance of spicy, sweet and sour!  I have tried to concoct this soup at home but find that I do not always have the essential ingredients of galangal and lemongrass in the fridge.

A mango salad complemented the complex soup tastes.  Shredded mango is doused in lime juice and tossed with chilies and then garnished with peanuts and dried shrimp.  All of this is places on an enormous, frilly lettuce leaf.

Pad Thai is another of our “must haves” and the version served ay Vientiane is just slightly different than any I have tasted before.  I understand that there are as many versions of this recipe as there are Thai chefs.  Pad Thai is the assembly of noodles, peanuts, garlic, chilies and bean sprouts and is the countries’ national dish.  The prime minister of Thailand made this street food popular during the late 1930s as part of his campaign to reduce domestic rice consumption and increase nationalism.  Who knew?

The restaurant has been open for four years and is owned by Xuejun Xia and his wife.  On this day, he was behind the counter and looked as busy as an air traffic controller, answering the phone and controlling the flow of guests in and out of his restaurant.  I asked him if he was happy with his business and he gave me a smiling shrug.

Kath’s quote: “I will stop loving you when an apple grows from a mango tree on the 30th of February”-unknown

Love-that is all.

The historic corner or Tache and Provencher delivers a gorgeous view winter or summer.  When we dined at Promenade Cafe and Wine for D’s birthday in January we requested a table by the window.  It was approximately -30 that evening.  True to the premise that the Canadian prairies produce the most extreme weather in Canada, this past week when I visited the temperature was topping the other end of the scale at +30 degrees.  We still decided to sit outside under an umbrella to enjoy the unobstructed vista.  Yes, it would have been cooler inside, but summer is short in Winnipeg and I intentionally spend every moment that I possibly can, outside.

The occasion was a business lunch, but because I know my associate so well, we were comfortable to share both our choices.  Duck confit is a traditional French recipe made with the leg of the bird. To prepare a confit, the meat is rubbed with salt, garlic, and sometimes herbs, then covered and refrigerated for up to 36 hours. Salt-curing the meat acted as a preservative before modern refrigeration was common plaec.  Prior to cooking, the spices are typically rinsed from the meat and then patted dry. The meat is placed in a cooking dish deep enough to contain the meat and the rendered fat, and deposited in an oven at a low temperature where the meat is slowly poached at least until cooked, or until meltingly tender, generally four to ten hours.  It was not actually the duck that caught my eye as I perused the menu, but the truffle kissed chickpeas.  I am drawn to the musky taste of “truffled” anything, and the garbonzo beans were a satisfying choice.  The duck and the chick peas were tossed with micro greens, grilled pear slices and a crumbling of blue cheese which assembled a number of tastes on one dish.  The duck unfortunately was not “fall off the bone” the way I prefer it, which would lead me to believe that it was not cooked for long enough or that it was dry-roasted instead of poached.  This is not a complaint, just an observation that the duck was not prepared as I have enjoyed it in the past.

In the mean time, my lunch date opted for a Crogues Monsieur for us to share. The sandwich originated in French cafés as early as 1910 as a quick snack. The name is based on the verb croquer (“to crunch”).  In essence, the dish is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and the crunch comes into play when the bread is toasted on the grill to crispness.  Promenade’s version also adds a little dollop of what I thought was a lemony hollandaise sauce adding a citrus taste to offset the salty and savoury ones.  The ham that was rolled up and put back onto the grill for a couple of moments to add a crunch to it as well, was of the highest quality.  I imagined a whole old fashioned ham, slow roasting for an afternoon and then being thinly slaved for the sandwich.  If that is not how the owner Sean and his chef prepare it, they sure had me fooled, because the ham itself was perfection.

To this, the side of perfectly prepared French fries (ironically, better that any I had tasted in France) put my enjoyment right at the highest point of the pleasure scale.  What put me over the top was the gorgeous Fetzer Gewurztraminer that was suggested as the pairing with the Croques.  This grape is sometimes considered too sweet and fruity for some palates, but was the perfect choice to offset the myriad of tastes between our salad and sandwich.  The truth is, gazing out over the forks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers with a clear view of what my family calls the “feather” bridge and the recently completed Canadian Human Rights Museum, I could have easily ordered another glass and whiled away the Friday afternoon with my friend.  We took so long discussing mutual business opportunities that we had to pack our personal news into the moments as we were settling the bill.

All this means, is that another visit to the Promenade before the summer is over, is in order.  Oh the lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer…..

Kath’s quote:  “The French approach to food is characteristic; they bring to their consideration of the table the same appreciation, respect, intelligence and lively interest that they have for the other arts, for painting, for literature, and for the theatre. We foreigners living in France respect and appreciate this point of view but deplore their too strict observance of a tradition which will not admit the slightest deviation in a seasoning or the suppression of a single ingredient. Restrictions aroused our American ingenuity, we found combinations and replacements which pointed in new directions and created a fresh and absorbing interest in everything pertaining to the kitchen.” –Alice B. Toklas

Love-that is all.

Our youngest spent this past summer in Montreal with the goal of becoming more proficient in Canada’s official second language, so she was the perfect lunch date to accompany me to Promenade Café and Wine at the historic corner of Tache and Provencher Blvd. in St. Boniface.  As we ordered, she told me tales of the poutineries in the Le Plateau area of Montreal and one place in particular which was open 24 hours a day and served over thirty varieties.

Once I started thinking about Poutine, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head and just had to have it, but also wanted to sample something a wee bit new, so I chose poutine topped with tourtiere meat.  The tourtiere recipe that I am familiar with is a combination of ground beef, pork and veal seasoned with cloves and sage.  This version used bison tossed with cloves, all spice and paprika and was rich and savoury. The fries themselves were thickly cut from what must have been huge potatoes, because they were as long as the width of my hand.  They were topped with both squeaky cheese curds but also shredded gruyere cheese that added a smoky tone. The piping hot gravy (the high temperature is a must so that the cheese melts), includes a taste of red wine and a variety of French herbs.

Daughter #2 selected the Reuben, another staple from her time in Montreal.  She commented that the meat was abundant and that the Chef uses her preferred Montreal smoked meat as opposed to corned beef.  The proportions of sauerkraut, cheese and dressing were just right.  Her yardstick is that the juices ran down her arm when she took a bite.  A tossed house salad accompanied the sandwich but she could have chosen the daily soup which was bacon and pea on the day that we visited.

Promenade is well positioned for much success with a gorgeous view overlooking the “Feather Bridge”, the historic Forks and the amazing structure of the Canadian Human Rights Museum.  The owner Shawn Brandson is no stranger to St. Boniface as he has also taken on providing the foodservice for Fort Gibraltar.  I am anxious to return for breakfast and the special tasting menus that Shawn and his Chef create on a regular basis.  I have reserved a romantic table for two with the best view in the house for my husband’s upcoming birthday (please don’t tell him-it is a surprise).

Kath’s quote: “The only cooks in the civilized world are French cooks. . . . Other nations understand food in general; the French alone understand cooking, because all their qualities – promptitude, decision, tact – are employed in the art. No foreigner can make a good white sauce.”-Roqueplan

Love-that is all.

Resto Gare, the reinvention of long loved La Vieille Gare in Winnipeg’s French Quarter, has been on my hit list since its refreshed unveiling in 2008.  I am pleased to say that I finally got a chance to try their fare at a recent Christmas party.

I am always thrilled to be included in the staff celebrations of a diagnostic centre that I work with in my role with CancerCare Manitoba.  I really appreciate that this group is always up to try something different and they have introduced me to a couple of venues I may not have otherwise discovered.

Resto Gare Bistro is located at 630 Des Meurons Rue in a Canadian Northern Station Building that will celebrate its 100^th birthday next year.  The attached train car is only one year younger, being built in 1914.

The lovely interior is the perfect setting for a Christmas celebration with its colour pallet of gold and poppy red. Warm wood, rustic open beam ceiling and plush furnishings keep you cozy as you gaze out the window at the falling snow.

Being a large party. we had a limited menu, but the choices where all exemplary.  I started with the creamy potato and leek soup.  I think perfecting this simple dish shows a chef’s finesse. This one was the right consistency; you could taste both the leek and potato and it was seasoned perfectly.  This got me excited for my entrée and I was not disappointed.  For my main, I enjoyed Manitoba pickerel, pan seared in herb butter and topped with crispy pancetta, corn and a micro shoot salad and served with rice pilaf and perfectly cooked beets and Brussel sprouts.

My colleges raved about the rosemary and mustard rubbed Prime Rib; the half roast chicken served on preserved lemon smashed potatoes; and the wild mushroom and leek risotto with pecorino cheese.

The dessert cart selection was extensive.  I abstained, but heard the moans of my coworkers who indulged in the lemon tart, traditional maple sugar pie and the candy cane crème brûlée.

I look forward to revisiting Resto Gare, perhaps for a more intimate dinner in the train car.

Kath’s quote: “Light, refined, learned and noble, harmonious and orderly, clear and logical, the cooking of France is, in some strange manner, intimately linked to the genius of her greatest men.”-Rouff

Love-that is all.