Friday 21 June 2013

My Mommy Came to Visit!

I've been really excited for my mom to come to Winnipeg and spend a couple of days hanging out with me before I start my job.  First off, I gotta say that the airport has made some significant improvements and renovations since I had last been there, 2005-ish.  Secondly, what the heck is going on in Winnipeg this weekend that has made reservations for everything nearly impossible? Le sigh.

My mom and I are both foodies and we love to eat good food, so this post will largely be restaurant reviews.  Apologies in advance if you just like to hear of my meanderings.

Beachcomber

The Beachcomber restaurant is located at the Forks. For those of you who are not from Winnipeg, the Forks is where the Assiniboine and Red rivers meet - there is a market, a hotel, several arts places and restaurants located there. It's considered a heritage site here in Winnipeg.

Needless to say, the Beachcomber has a fantastic location and a wonderful patio in which to enjoy the sunny days.  My mom and I decided to stop in for lunch as she was staying at the Inn at the Forks and it was close and we were hungry.  We also noticed that there were people eating on the patio; a good sign.  We took a seat on the patio since it was a nice day and ordered a few drinks.  My mom chose the sangria (which she didn't complain about, so I'm assuming it was good) and I had the dill pickle caesar (and the only difference between this and a regular caesar was a dill pickle instead of a celery stalk - disappointing).  My caesar was also incredibly spicy, and I have a more than moderate spice tolerance so I imagine that some may be sent back periodically.

We both decided to have the pan-fried Pickerel.  I haven't had pickerel since I've come to Winnipeg and I remember loving it when I was younger.  Similarly, my mom hadn't had it in a while given that pickerel doesn't travel well (it doesn't taste the same when you purchase it in BC).  The pickerel was served with the smallest side of (quite possibly) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, broccoli and zucchini) and a large serving of fries.  For the price of the meal, you did get two fillets of fish which was good.  The fries were decent; crispy and cut on the small side.  I would have liked to have seen more vegetable on the plate (although not whatever god awful mix they used).  However, I have to give props to the pickerel - it was really good! It didn't require any sauce (which is good because we weren't offered any) and was flavoured with butter and garlic.  For some people, it may have been overcooked, but I like my fish a little closer to done than most.

It's difficult to rate this restaurant.  On one hand, I feel like it's an overpriced tourist trap.  But I did like the pickerel.  As an FYI, two plates and two drinks was $50.00.  Not bad, not great. Service was all right, not great. Music on the patio was far too loud and it was difficult to hold a conversation.

4/10

Beachcomber on Urbanspoon

I decided to take my mom to Unburger, but I've already reviewed that resto (which you can see here if you're interested).  We had Boston Pizza for lunch/dinner one night, and I'm not going to bother reviewing because it's a chain and the restaurants are more or less the same (although I will say that the Kenaston location seems to be a lot smaller than other BPs, which was kind of nice for lunch - no bar). Similarly, the day my momskillet left, we decided to eat brekkie at Smitty's (I had to work and it was the only thing we could find near St. Vital). 

Stella's (on Osborne)

I'm writing these reviews by what was memorable in my books.  I should alert you to the fact that my mom is a VERY picky person (at least in my opinion).  Picky about service, food - everything.  In a way this is why I like to dine with her; you can really see how far the restaurant will go to accommodate all of her needs. That being said, she is like me - willing to pay for a good product and she tips well for good service.

We went to Stella's with no reservation on Sunday morning (very early, quarter to 9-ish).  We were able to get a table right away (I'm thinking on account of the Manitoba marathon which made getting down Osborne impossible - thanks for the heads up, Winnipeg!). I had the blueberry banana french toast and my mom had smoked salmon eggs benny.   The stand out for the french toast was definitely the bread; it was soft and delicious.  Flavour-wise, it was a tad too cinnamon-y for my liking.  My mom ranted and raved that her eggs benny was cooked perfectly, which is difficult to explain to people (she likes the whites cooked, but the yolk still runny; it's considered a medium, but that's often too hard). She gobbled up the eggs benny (sans bread, she's not a huge bread eater to begin with, but the baguette it was served on was far too large for the benny. She also isn't a huge fan of hashbrowns, so I started taking bites from hers and they were really good! Very nicely herbed. Service was attentive, but not overbearing; nothing special, very typical.  

For the price, Stella's serves a good breakfast and ultimately I'd go back as long as I didn't have to wait in those infamous Stella's lines.  A few little details would have boosted the rating even higher.

8/10

Stella's Osborne on Urbanspoon

Prairie Ink


Prior to breakfast at Stella's, we decided to try Prairie Ink which is located at Grant Park Mall and is attached to the McNally-Robinson bookstore.  We decided on this place for breakfast based on decent Urbanspoon ratings and it's close proximity.  

For breakfast, it was quite crowded and many tables were set for reservation.  Luckily we were able to get in without any wait.  When we decided to order, I asked if they could do a poached egg white (it's actually quite easy - you just cook an egg white for a really long time in a poacher) and the waitress informed me that they could not.  My mom ordered the eggs benny with smoked salmon and I had the cream cheese and raspberry french toast.

When we received our order, my mom noticed that her eggs were as hard as rocks.  She had ordered them medium and was unimpressed.  My french toast was presented nicely and my favourite part was the raspberry mixed with the cream cheese.  To me the bread was a bit stiff, especially in comparison to the bread I had a Stella's the day after.  For me, it was a solid breakfast.

In Prairie Ink's defence, the waitress offered to get the plate re-made for my mom, which she declined (we were very hungry).  She then proceeded to take 25% off of her tab, which was a very kind gesture and was very much appreciated.  That's how you get repeat customers in the industry.

Service won major points for me at this little restaurant.

6.5/10


Prairie Ink Restaurant on Urbanspoon


I think I'm going to save my Sal's posting for a separate issue all together. Yup, I think so. 

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