Prairie Ink

 

So last week, we decided to try Prairie Ink Restaurant, located in the McNally Robinson on Grant. Hidden behind rows of book shelves to the left you come to this little bakery front, selling all sorts of little baked goodies, (including the little apple pies will will gush about later.) Straight down from there is the actual restaurant. It was busier then we had expected, though there was only a 15-20 minute wait, and you have the option to go wonder through the books while you wait. Reservations may be recommended, given that there are often book readings and movie nights. 

Turning the corner the suspicion that this is not just a cafe begins to permeate. There's a lot of tables, and chairs, and people. The are tables that are actually long enough for 2 people to comfortably eat on and there are expensive paintings on the wall. A suspicion which is quickly confirmed by the menu.

The menu was more then we expected. Rather then baking and simple sandwiches, (which by all rights they have too), there was a large variety of food, all of which is made with local ingredients, and quite a bit of which was inspired by where we live.

Jess had looked up the menu online earlier in the day, and went in knowing what she wanted. The drink up top is called a 'Steamer,' (Yes, yes its a terrible name). It's pretty much just steamed milk and a shot of flavor. This one was a Hazelnut Steamer. It tasted like pudding, but better. There was a little bit of that perfect froth on top as well! The entree was a Bison Burger, served with potato wedges and coleslaw. The burger was topped with cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup. The patty itself was perfectly cooked, juicy and meaty. Bison burgers taste quite a bit like beef burgers, but meatier. The bun was made in house, and sure tasted like it had just come out of the oven. The potato wedges were seasoned perfectly and were the perfect compliment to the burger. Delish!

Alex had the Moroccan Lamb on Couscous, (Alex: Which is completely out of my comfort zone, I've never had Lamb outside of a gyro, or Moroccan, or Couscous for that matter). As any new food experience it was interesting, and luckily not in a bad way. The lamb has sort of a glaze/sauce with (I think) dates and other dried fruits in it, as well as cashews. The lamb itself was cooked perfectly, and was just fall apart tender. Our newbie experience with lamb left us both with a similar summation, it tastes like meat. Very tender, very soft meat. Couscous, for anyone that doesn't know, is kind of like rice and pasta had a baby; tiny little pieces of pasta. It was simple, not over powering, but still tasty. All in all it was good, if you don't like lamb, it may not convert you, but if you are interested in trying it, this may be a good way to do so.

We both cleaned our plates!

Dessert was a Mini Apple Pie. Roughly the size of a cereal bowl, it's the perfect single serving of pie. The crust is perfectly cooked, crunchy on the outside but soft inside from absorbing the juices from the apples. The apples were cooked with cinnamon and caramel, and everything held up perfectly even after re-heating the next day in a microwave. To top it off, there was even some crystal sugar on the top crust. Yummy!

Now what we  forgot to snap a picture of was the vanilla Gelati which comes with the pie. For Alex, this was the crown jewel of the meal. It was the perfect blend, sweet vanilla but not overpowering in the slightest, had a slight lemony flavour which Jess compared to a lemon meringue pie. The only problem with it was one any delicious frozen treat is guilty of, yes my fellow Winnipegians, I'm talking about Slurpee syndrome. BRAIN FREEZE. Please Enjoy Responsibly.

All in all it was a very enjoyable experience, and we will definitely be back. If you're in the area, take a peek in, get some Christmas shopping done while you wait for them to call your name, or grab a pie to go from the bakery window. 

Chez Sophie: Home cooked comfort food

So last night, upon recommendation, we headed out to find a certain restaurant. Something new for us both, something we hadn't experienced, something new to blog about. After getting lost no less than 3 times, and rechecking directions on our phones a dozen times, we found it! And it was closed. Which left us half lost, down town, and hungry. Fear not! This restaurant will make it to the blog as soon as we can get there!

After batting around idea's and trying to remember what name was attached to what kind of food we finally decided on Chez Sophie, a small bistro in the heart of St.Boniface. Just down the street from the beautiful Cathedral, hiding amongst houses and apartment buildings. The dining room had a total of eight tables, most of which couldn't seat more then four people. It was close quarters, and somehow it didn't feel cramped. Alex commented that it felt like a family dinner, everyone cramming into a small dining room, trying to eat without knocking elbows.

The dining room itself was adorable. It was quaint, and had a very sweet country feel. The  'French Bistro' music playing loud enough to muffle conversations, but not make it difficult to hear your date, and was very soothing. All instrumental, all very calming. All in all, it was a terrifically romantic setting that had both of us grinning like fools the whole night.

The bistro is fully bi-lingual, we were greeted in french, the specials were written on the chalkboards in french, and the menu itself was in both french and english. For those who don't speak French, worry not! While the menu is primarily written in French, nearly everything is followed by the English description. It can at times leave it a tad bit confusing, but overall, not enough to subtract from the meal. It is important to note that this is not an Applebee's, you are coming into someone's house to eat. It's all hand done, a simple menu thrown in duo-tang, and every changing specials written in chalk on the board.

The food was delicious. It felt like we had made it at home, like mom taught us how, or like it was one of grandma's favorite recipes. It came out hot from the oven, cheese still bubbling, served in a small casserole dish on a wooden paddle. Adorable!! The best part was seeing the chef poke his head out, and smile when he saw that the guests were enjoying his food. It was good to see that he cares.

Jess's dish was Penne au Poulet. Exactly as it sounds, Penne pasta with chicken. But not just any chicken, no no, chicken fingers. Along with the chicken fingers, there were fresh veggies like green bell peppers, tomato, and onion. All of this was smothered in a cream sauce (not alfredo, just cream) with a little basil mixed in. The dish was baked with cheese on top, and served with a side of super crispy garlic toast (real french bread guys, delish!). It was clear that all of these things were made fresh to order, and it came through in the presentation and taste.

Alex had the Tartiflette with house salad, which he pointed to on the menu, not wanting to butcher the pronunciation. The house salad was probably one of the most attractive salad's he's seen. Again it was nothing fancy, just simple house dressing, not your standard vinaigrette, had more flavour than just sour, but the plating just showed how much they cared about. The tartiflette is basically this big gooey amazing mess of ham, bacon, onion and potato, with this cheesy creamy saucing tying it all together, and yes, it was as amazing as it sounded. Served same as the Penne au Poulet was, baked dish, little wooden panel, crispy cheesy goodness crispy ontop and running down the side. It is definitely a new candidate for comfort food.

Alex: Okay, I'm not supposed to break character, Jessi and I are writing this together, but I really want to add this in. The feeling in this place is incredible. It's soft, dimly lit. It's not like going out to a busy restaurant, where every third word is "what?". It's warm, it's quite. The music gives this fantastic white noise. You're three feet away from the other tables, and you feel private. Guys, if you want to impress a girl, bring them here. It's not pompous, or trying to be anything it's not. When you're there, it feels real, and genuine.

All in all it was a great meal and experience, we will definitely be back!

Back to the Beginning: Taste of Sri 'Llanka

Anyone who has been following our blog know how we were inspired to start it. Long story short: Taste of Sri Lanka at the forks. More specifically the veggie rolls.

The veggie rolls, are... how do we describe them? Picture the greatest mashed potato's ever. Perfectly smooth, and creamy. Then load them with Indian spices, and throw in a few veggies for crunch. Wrap it all in a crispy, thin, crumbly wrap. If you've ever had a samosa, like that, but smoother, creamier, and about 10x easier to eat. So good in fact, we started a blog. Unfortunately, tonight they were sold out of the veggie rolls.

Tonight's feast cost just over 30 bucks, and landed us two chicken rolls, two east rolls (beef), two veggie samosa's, two beef samosa's, a side order of chickpea curry, and a chicken satay.

The samosa's were decent, if a little dry. The filling is loaded with flavor, and is kept perfectly warm by the thick pastry used to hold it all together. The only real complaint Jess had was that he pastry was so thick that it only added to the dry texture, and made it a little harder to eat.

The rolls, as always, were excellent. The filling in the chicken roll is similar to that of the veggie variety, just with chicken added. The pastry is perfectly cooked, definitely deep fried, and oh, so delicious. The 'east' roll was a beef and bacon filling. What more need be said? Can't go wrong with beef and bacon. And Jess is pretty sure she tasted just a hint of sauerkraut. The Ukrainian in her rejoiced.

The chickpea curry was chickpea curry. Sauce loaded with flavor, chickpea's well cooked. If you don't like chickpea's it probably won't change your mind on them, but it's a welcome deviation from every day food.

The chicken satay was good. Super moist marinated chicken with almost a barbecue sauce over top, all on a wooden skewer. Almost a little like a cross between teriyaki chicken and barbecue chicken. Sounds a little strange, but very good. Alex had already undone the button on his pants, and somehow the left over satay vanished before reaching the fridge.

All in all, we'll definitely be back, if only for the rolls. And chicken satay. And...

Date Night: Asia City

Hey guys, Alex and Jess here.

About a week back we decided to take date night, grab some food, and have a good old fashioned scary movie marathon. Long story short, the marathon turned into a single movie, and a new found loathing for penny pincher's at Shoppers, but the food did not disappoint.

Admittedly, Asia City has been a favorite for us for a while now, and as such is more than candidate for our next review.

Down on McPhillips, there is a small building that, best I can tell, resembles an old Wendy's building, kind of unassuming from the outside. Walking in you see an overwhelming menu board featuring Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai food. They have bubble tea, sandwiches and other imported candies as well. Pretty much they own at being delicious.

Usually we both get the PadThai, which you can get with any assortment of meats or veggies. It's spicy-ness is rated on a scale from 1-10, and for us an '8' is pretty good.

This time around, Jess got the Chicken Fried Rice (how cliche). Rather then being like your typical chinese food, the taste is not so overwhelming, and they don't over load the dish with soy sauce before it even reaches your table. The chicken is tender and absorbs the soy just as much as the rice, making it the best chicken fried rice experience you'll ever have. YUM.

Alex tried to test the age old theory that truly good food is just as good the second day, and loaded up with PadThai, Beef Stir Fry, and Spring Rolls. Now Spring Rolls have never been a favorite for him, but these are perfectly crispy, and not greasy, and so delicious they soon disappeared. The PadThai did not disappoint. For those that don't know PadThai, it is basically a delicious mess of noodles and sauce that's tangy, sweet and spicy all at once. Throw in a few veggies and there you have it. The Stir Fried Veg with Beef was good too, carrots, beef, broccoli, with a perfectly savory sauce. And yes, yes my friends, it was even good the second day. Mmm.

We should also point out these guys make it fresh every order. You won't find a big long buffet style display, showing off the pre-made bite sized morsels, ready to be scooped into a plate. Oh no, these guys come piping hot out of the back, as proof and point, one of our Styrofoam containers from our take out actually bowed from the heat. That means you will wait for your food, and quite frankly, that's okay. The time it takes show the care they put into the food, and the flavor definitely shines through.

Over all, this place is always a good food experience, whether you dine in or take out.

Alex's Quick Fix #1 - Pita Express

Hey guys, I know we promised to keep the reviews coming, so to keep the ball rolling I figured I'd toss up a quick one.

I found myself stranded out in Garden City for a couple hours for work yesterday, a fair distance from where I usually haunt, and after a quick circle of the food court, settled on Pita Express.

Grabbed myself a Spicy Louisiana Chicken Fried Rice Pita. Fried rice was simple and good, and eerily like the kind my folks made growing up, which, hokey as it may sound, was oddly comforting. Chicken was marinated, and moist, and it was all mixed together with a healthy hit of sriracha, inside a steamed pita.

It was good, it was simple, but most importantly, it did not feel like fast food. It wasn't greasy, or elaborate, or processed. They cut pieces of chicken straight from the chicken breast. It was laid out like a kitchen, not an assembly line. I don't know. It was different, and felt a little like home, at the same time. I liked it.

I should also note they have a legit Gyro Roaster, with a spear of the goodness that is gyro meat. I was a little heart broken to discover they have one after ordering, and not just little pre-cut strips like so many other fast food places have.

Either way, if you get sick as I do with fast food, and you find yourself in the area, check it out. It may not blow your mind, but may be welcome change of pace.

Clay Oven

Hi guys!

So, today we decided now's as good a time as any to start our adventures about the city. We had spotted this indian resturant in the Kenaston strip malls a while back, and were interested in trying it. Originally, Jess suggested we just drive until we found something that looked interesting. It's probably a good thing we ended up agreeing on just going to Clay Oven, because both of us were quite hungry.

It's a really nice resturant, better then you'd think you'd find in the middle of a strip mall. From the outside it looks like it'll be really small and like a diner, but inside it's a different story. It was busy, which was a good sign, if they all like the food, we might too.

We were seated right away at a small two person booth, and our order was taken rather quickly considering how busy they were. The food didn't take long to come out either. Alex opted for Chicken Vindaloo, and Jess got Spicy Chili Chicken. There was a considerable amount of food; Two large peices of Naan bead each, an unlimited supply of rice, and our seperate bowls of chicken dishes.

At medium heat, the Spicy Chili Chicken was (to Jess) about an 8 on a scale from 1-10. It was really flavorful aside from the heat, with red and green bell peppers and bean sprouts mixed in. The naan bread may be a bit of a surprise to anyone who hasn't had it. It's got a chewy texture, rather then crispy and fluffy on the inside like it looks. Still, the meal was delicious.

The Chicken Vindaloo - Medium. A personal favorite of his. Big chunks of chicken and potato swimming in a sea of Vindaloo sauce, served in a beautiful ornate bowl. Vindaloo is a tomato based curry sauce, cumin (whole toasted seeds in the sauce), coriander, and, usually, killer hot.  Chicken was perfectly cooked, soft, tender, fall apart. Pilled onto the house rice, scooped up with a torn piece of Naan Bread, so amazing. Needless to say he was nearly licking the bowl clean before long. 

Over all, the prices were great, with a meal totalling under $50 (tip and all). We think we'll definately be back for seconds.

WARNING: This is not a graceful food! You may not want to wear white.

Spice phobics worry not! They offer their dishes in Mild, Medium, and Hot. Something for all.

Intro to food criticism

Hi!
Alex and Jess here.
Who are we? Well, we're you're average couple. We do couply things, like dates and cuddling.

On one of these dates, not so long ago, we were exploring the Forks Market, as we had on many other occasions. Anyone who knows the place knows the kinds of things you'll find there, including the food. It was our hunger that took us to the inspiration for this blog. Jess went for Tall Grass Prarie (An egg salad sandwich and cinnamon buns, yum!) and Alex went for Taste of Sri Lanka (A veggie roll and beef samosa, extra yum!). As we wandered around and ate, we both commented on how great the Vegetable rolls were from Taste of Sri Lanka (Jess kept taking bites.). We sat by the river to eat our cinnamon buns, were chased away by a wasp with a sweet tooth, and somewhere in there we decided to travel the city, sample the food we find, and blog about it.

So here we are, starting this whole thing up! We've yet to visit another resturant/diner/hole in the wall, but as soon as we do, you'll bet Jess will cart her laptop along, and we'll be writing about the food as soon as we can.

We hope you enjoy our blog, and it inspires you to try some of the food we discover!