Grapes-Thompson
Breakfast at Grapes Restaurant was included in my hotel stay at the Burntwood Hotel and so I got to know the cheerful morning staff well in addition to many of the regulars. The Breakfast choices included in the room cost were:
French Toast
The Breakfast Wrap: scrambled eggs, with bacon, green onion and cheese and a lovely touch when the wrap was put back on the grill after the fixins were added.
The Breakfast Croissant: Ham, Egg and Cheese on a croissant
and the Classic: 2 eggs, hash browns, toast and your choice of ham, sausages or bacon. The latter produced many variations depending upon the style of eggs you ordered and the accompanying meat that was chosen. My traveling partner like their poached eggs on dry toast.
I enjoyed a variety of other Grapes’ surprizes too. I say suprizes because when the Grapes’ Winnipeg location sliped into oblivion, there were very few food lovers, sad to see it go. But this Grapes location is one of Thompson’s hot spots and the food is very good.
One night I got a unexpected visit from my cousin who was on business too. Her acquaintances had potato skins and chimichangas and both were declared (and looked to be) delicious.
I often enjoyed the buffet lunch: 4 kinds of soup, a little salad bar and a changing hot dish with a variety of sweets for dessert. In addition, one night, I treated myself to Chicken Fingers and on another to Poutine where hand cut, never frozen fries are smothered in a beefy gravy with real cheese curds. On my Chicken Finger night, my traveling partner ordered a steak and was quite impressed with the tenderness and flavour.
She was also hooked on the freshly made cilantro salsa that came with nachos chips and one evening we had their apple crisp with ice cream. It was a veritable loaf of apple crisp with a oatmeal layer on both the bottom and the top. I had half for breakfast the next morning and it was equally yummy.
I can’t say that I would rather dine at Grapes than be at home, but knowing that there were always people to visit with and good food to consume, certainly made my extended stay in Thompson, more enjoyable.
Kath’s quote: “A man who was fond of wine was offered some grapes at dessert after dinner. ‘Much obliged’, said he, pushing the plate aside; ‘I am not accustomed to take my wine in pills.'” –Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin