Good eating in Saskatoon?

[Ayanna]

Hi everyone,

I will be in Saskatoon from April 30 to May 4, 2005. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on where to find some good food for all meals. I like to try new things, so the field is wide open. Typical and exotic fare welcome!

Ayanna

[wattacetti]

Ah… Saskatoon. Last time I was there, it was Carver's (steak house) for dinner and that was about it (breakfasts while on the road consist of coffee). Another eGullet thread suggested that "fine dining" in the city was once defined by Earl's.

Edited April 19, 2005 by wattacetti (log)

[mkjr]

Not sure if the place is still as good but "Calories" was always a good bet when I was going to law school. I will flip a note to my old law school prof there and see if there is anything new. The website for Calories is below. I also liked Carvers for some huge steaks and also John's Prime Rib but you really must be in the mood for meat.

http://www.caloriesrestaurants.com

Looks like Calories has the 1995 Chateau Larmande on the list for $100 and the 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay for $45. I do not think you can buy those wines at the LCBO or BCLDB for that price. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

[Marlene]

I've been to Carver's, it's excellent! Something else my husband tells me he misses from Saskatoon are Greek Ribs. I have no clue where to get them there, but if you see them on a menu, do try them!

[merlin]

Something else my husband tells me he misses from Saskatoon are Greek Ribs.  I have no clue where to get them there, but if you see them on a menu, do try them!

←

LOL...Marlene, as I have posted in another thread two phrases which immediately spring to mind when I think of Saskatoon are "Family Dining" & "Greek ribs"...the latter are everywhere!

Calories gets my vote!

[Junior]

Yes, please do come to Calories. I would also suggest Carver's in the Sheraton. They are the best steakhouse in city and probaley have the best service too. If you are staying at either big hotel here, the Sheraton or the Delta, they both have casul dining rooms and the Delta also has the Samurai, which is Japenese teppinyaki (Spelling ?)

In between the hotels is the Spadina Freehouse which is our local funky spot, they have a new menu and their best is the wood fired pizzas. Mykonos is just around the cornor from the hotels as well. They serve Greek.

If you want any other help you can Pm me, I can better help you that way.

[organicgoddess]

I'm not sure if it's still there and as good as it was...try Genesis restaurant on 22nd. I used to work there when I lived in S'toon. Great Chinese and dim sum, and a macrobiotic/vegetarian menu too....mmmm bbq tofu. There used to be an excellent Vietnamese restauant, located on Ave A ? about 10 years ago and then it moved downtown. Saigon House? It was soooo good, alhtough I didn't go there much after it moved.

[Paul B]

No insult to Saskatoon, but I have to add an anecdote here. About four years ago I went to a conference in 'Toon. My oldest friend happened to be doing some business nearby so we arranged to spend an extra night in town and hang out. When the conference ended and I got to the hotel I found my buddy had paid for my room. Great guy. So I told him I was going to buy him the best meal in the city. We went to the concierge and I asked him to recommend the finest restaurant in town. He said, no lie, The Keg. I said no, the best. He said The Keg. So I switched tracks: "What's the best ethnic restaurant in the city?" "Ah," he says, "I know a brilliant Italian place." He calls us a cab and gives the driver directions. Fifteen minutes later we find ourselves in the suburbs looking an Italian restaurant in a strip mall. It has "All the pasta you can eat for $6.95" on a big sign outside. There was a line up of families and screaming kids halfway around the mall.

We ended up eating at a Boston Pizza.

I hope the food scene has imporved in Saskabush or the concierge's have gotten smarter.

[Zucchini Mama]

Yes, organic goddess, Genesis is brilliant, if it still exists and if they have kept up the quality. The best Vietnamese food I've ever had was at The Saigon in Saskatoon-many items I still don't see here on Vietnamese menues. The family had some kind of split and broke off into two different restaurants-I'm not sure what the recent scoop is on that. Saskatoon is one of those places you really have to have the local knowledge. I will try to recruit my chowhound cousin and some old friends to see if we can get some answers here. In the summer, definitely check out the farmer's market.

To be continued...

Zuke

[Junior]

Yes, Gensis still exists, it's still on 22nd and the food has not changed at all. It's till one of the best Chinese restaurants around. For a city this size (200,000 and in the middle of the prairies) we have several other excellant Chinese restuarants, the Mandarian, and the a couple of others that I can not think of the names off the top of my head.

For Vietnamese food you would have to go to Nha Trang on 33rd, they are in an old Taco Time but the food there is great.

We also have a couple of really good Thai places, Keo's kitchen on 33rd and the Lianh Thai Bakery on Ave. A.

Just down the street from Calories, is the Taj Mahal, according to a Vancouver/London friend of mine is one of the best Indian restaurants in Canada.

We also have probaley the most Greek restuarants per capita than any other city in North America. so, if Greek ribs are your thing, you have many choices.

Yes, it's true the Keg and Earl's defined this city's "higher end restuarants" Things have changed... a bit. The Earls here is the second oldest in the chain and the Keg has been in S'toon for almost 25 years. Over the years there has been a couple of noticable high end/fine dining attempts here, Tarragon's, Martini's, and Rembrandt's but all have failed due to many different reasons. The crowd in Saskatoon is very fickle for some reason.

Saskatoon is still stuck in franchise/Greek hell. The city will probaley stay like this for years to come. It's what people want. The people just do not know any better. if it's not steak and potato's or the other crap that most places shill, they would not even take a second look, it's a real shame, as the province itself has many great producers here

Our farmers market finds itself outside the The Franicis Morrison Public Library every Saturday morning. early spring to late fall. They do have a permenant home on Ave A, on the edge of the new downtown development. You can also find the market in two other spots in the city on Tuesday and Thrusday but they are not as large as the Saturday gathering. During the summer months you can find just about anything you want there. From local buffalo and beef to herbs,, and a large variety of vegetables, the majority of it organic and fresh that day.

When I cooked for my own wedding, we feed 350 people, Prime rib of Buffalo, Chicken, and fresh dug Yukon Gold potato's. The farm picked them that morning and we picked them up in time to add a little butter, S + P and throw them on the Bar B Que. I managed to get to the church with about 5 minutes to spare but not without stopping at McDonalds on the way to get ice for the champagne.

.

[organicgoddess]

I'm so glad to hear Genesis is still there and still good. I had a great time working there and learned lots of Chinese pushing the dim sum cart around. The macrobiotic menu is really great and unusual even for a large city- I've never seen anything like it anywhere else. We used to have people order the bbq tofu and then ask us repeatedly- are you sure it's not chicken? Are you sure?

For Chinese, the sizzling platters are excellent, and if you want rich, get the won tons wrappers stuffed with cream cheese and crab (fake). Very addictive! Working at Genesis spoiled me for Chinese- nothing else measures up so I don't even bother.

If you go, tell them Velvet says hi and sent you- Philip was the manager, the owner's nephew, and I'm sure most of the kitchen staff is still there too- all the owner's relatives. I was there for a couple years so they'll remember me.

[Zucchini Mama]

So I phoned my cousin: The Saigon split into two places, one downtown called Saigon Rose and the other near 33rd. He says the best pho right now is called the Lin Than just off 19th. He likes the steamed black bean cod at Genesis and also their fried oysters.

He talked about a Ukrainian resto called Odessa-I wonder if that's the one on twentieth run by Chinese people who serve you fortune cookies with your perogies!

Zuke

[Ayanna]

Thank you everyone! This is fantastic. I didn't want to get stuck at some random strip mall franchise, so I'm happy to have a good selection to choose from since I will be there for a few days.

I will give a full report about my experiences!

Ayanna

[Zucchini Mama]

Hey folks, here is more info from my cousin!

"I forgot to mention one restaurant the other day. The Yip-Hong in the

Cumberland square strip mall (corner of Cumberland and 8th) has the

best dim-sum (sp?) in the city. While I would'nt call it a 'hole' it

is pretty spare- Just a big room with flourescent lighting, a

suspended ceiling, and some dreadful paintings on the wall. The food

is excellent though (for Saskatoon anyway). You can order from a big

list of the most popular dim-sum dishes at any time. On the weekends

they have some authentic Chinese stuff. I tried some kind of congee

and it had that awfull preserved (rotten) duck's egg in it. Revolting.

They do BBQ as well. Their BBQ pork (char-sieu) is really good but I

haven't tried the duck. Its alwayse full of Chinese which is probably

a good sign. Its right across the street from this giant place called

the 'Montana Grill" which is done up to look like a log cabin or

something. I've never been in there but I seems somehow like the

spiritual opposite of the Yip-Hong."

Also, check out the Bulk Cheese Warehouse on Broadway for deli items and fresh pasta and sauces.

Zuke

[canucklehead]

Hey folks, here is more info from my cousin!

"I tried some kind of congee and it had that awfull preserved (rotten) duck's egg in it. Revolting. They do BBQ as well. Their BBQ pork (char-sieu) is  really good but I haven't tried the duck. Its alwayse full of Chinese which is probably a good sign."

←

Ahhhh preserved egg - that is the acid taste of how 'for real' you can be with Chinese food - I only really started liking it myself in the last few years (and I am Chinese!). In the summer - cold preserved egg, chopped - tossed with a a gingery soy vinegrette and served over cold soft tofu (raw). I tell you - sounds like crap - but so good and refreshing.

My brother was visiting Saskatoon - on a nearby farm with some friends. His friend's uncle - who was the farmer - said his bull was Chinese and his name was "Hung Lo".

He went during the later summer and said that Saskatoon Berry Pie was soo good and cheap - with a $5 dollar pie being "fancy". Makes you realize how expensive Vancouver is... (whole sour cherry pie at Savary Island - delicous but $20 a pie)

[lemon curd]

I visited relatives last week in Saskatchewan. I spent two days in Saskatoon and three days in Elrose, a small farming community about 2 hours southwest of Saskatoon. I checked out this one lonely eGullet thread on Saskatoon before going and thought I'd report back. We stayed at the Park Lane Hotel in Saskatoon and kept to restaurants within walking distance.

We ate dinner the first night at Calories. It was a very busy night due to the Fringe Festival, but the great food made up for the long wait after ordering. We sampled Rabbit Pate with a mushroom sauce, a BC apricot and stilton tart, Grilled beef tenderloin with rosemary fries and bernaise sauce, as well as Gougere filled with fresh vegetables and a raw milk cheddar sauce. On one of the back walls at Calories they proudly displayed numerous letters of request from customers to Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazine looking for various Calories' recipes. There was also a letter that indicated "Fat Guy" had eaten there during his 2002(?) eating tour of Canada. I can't remember the exact words but they were suitably complimentary.

I also wanted to sample Greek Ribs mentioned by Merlin - unfortunately I don't think we picked the right place to sample the gourmet version of Greek Ribs. We ended up at Nino's on Broadway, a family style Italian/Greek place. We had the Greek Ribs as appetizers and they were more like pork nuggets but the batter was certainly tasty/tangy (a lemon/oregano mixture). My aunt gave me a Greek Ribs recipe before I left that I will try and hopefully I can experience a more gourmet version of Greek Ribs.

The last day in Saskatoon we went to the farmers market. I bought Buffalo and Elk jerky to bring back to Jeffy Boy, however Kumba (my aunt’s cat) ended up enjoying the buffalo jerky. See below for a few market pictures:

Off to Elrose… My uncle Don took me out on a tour of the agriculture fields. We stopped and checked out fields of wheat, barley, oats, canary seed, coriander, lentils, peas, chickpeas, and canola to name a few. Here’s a few pictures…

Farm scene

Chickpea field

Coriander field

Canary seed field

A few miles outside of Elrose is a Hutterite community. I was able to get a tour and it was a great life experience. The communal kitchen was meticulously clean (and that’s an understatement!). The families eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together and the women take turns preparing the meals. They had amazing high-end equipment – a gorgeous soup kettle, rotating oven, proofing room (for bread), and the HUGEST (and most organized!) walk-in fridge and freezer, I’ve ever seen. The women were busy canning peaches and processing beans, while the younger women were in the field picking beans. Everyone we met was most gracious and kind.

I checked out my Grandma’s liquor cabinet and found a ½ full bottle of Cherry Marnier. I’ve never seen Cherry Marnier before – it was from France and came in a bottle somewhat similar to Grand Marnier. Despite my grandma not knowing where it came from or how old it was, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample. It was pretty sweet and didn’t have the ‘alcohol fumes’ I associate with Grand Marnier. Quite to my taste in fact! There’s now a ¼ full bottle of Cherry Marnier at my Grandma’s.

The second last day I was in Elrose, my grandma and I make perogies together. Her dough recipe was interesting as it consisted of three ingredients: flour, salt and sour cream. We made the filling with potato and cheddar cheese. Definitely a do-over!

It was a great visit and I certainly have a new appreciation for the impact of weather on the various fields and how a few ill-timed rainfalls can cause big problems.

Edited August 22, 2005 by lemon curd (log)

[Junior]

Howdy Lemon Curd . Thanks for dining with us. With the exception of the BC apricots and the raw milk cheddar from Quebec, the majority of meal comes from farms around Saskatoon. The rabbit and tenderloin are all organic from Pineview in Osler and all the vegetables for the main course is from Tim who has a booth at the Farmer's Market. The photo you have from Grandora Gardens is also our tomato suppiler as well. The potato's are also from here as well and the all herbs we used are from our own herb garden in the back of the restaurant. The mushrooms come from the forests in the northern part of the province.

I don't know if your Uncle told you but when you harvest canary seed it is itchy, very itchy enough that you have to cover yourself in baby powder to stop from itching. My best friend is a farmer, I think most people in Saskatchewan know at least one farmer. but I have harvested canaryseed with him. Not fun.

It's too bad that had "bad" Greek ribs here. Nino's is one of the city's oldest Greek establishments. It's been around for 40 + years so Nino's is/was the place to get good Greek ribs.

If you want authentic Greek ribs here's the recipe (of sorts) salt, pepper, dried oregano, chopped garlic and a lemon juice. Season your ribs, usually pork to your taste. Enjoy. (I spent 4 very long months in one of our city's numerous Greek places before landing at Calories.)

[Zucchini Mama]

Junior,

I heard D'reen has opened another place. What's the scoop?

Wouldn't you say Mykonos by the Bessborough would be the place for Greek ribs?

Zuke

[Junior]

D'reen has opened a restaurant/catering place on Ave B. The building used to house Peter Phillip's Bison catering and FUDE restaurant.

Yah, I would have to agree Mykonos has good Greek ribs probaley better than most. The chef there is now a part owner of the place.

[lemon curd]

Hey Junior,

I didn't know about the baby powder and canary seed - quite interesting. I'll try my hand with your greek rib recipe one of these days soon.

My aunt faxed me an article from The StarPhoenix on the upcoming Saskatoon Feast of Fields being held Aug 28 with Calories' chefs (including yourself) creating the gourmet meal. Best of luck and no doubt everyone will be very pleased with their meals given what I sampled two weeks ago at Calories. By the way my favourite was the rabbit pate - it was perfectly seasoned!

I don't get to Saskatoon too often but when I do, I'll certainly dine again at Calories.

Edited August 26, 2005 by lemon curd (log)

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Don't know if this is in the line of truly DUMB questions, but is canary seed really seeds grown to exclusively for canaries? (Don't I sound like the flaky city girl?) And, who knew they grew all that coriander in Saskatchewan?

[lemon curd]

Hi FiV,

Canary seed is exclusively grown for birdseed but I don't think it's specifically just for canaries. Canada produces about 3/4 of the world's production of canary seed as reported here. I was also suprised to see the coriander seed field and according to here, Canada is also one of the main world producers of coriander.

Edited August 26, 2005 by lemon curd (log)

[Junior]

You can add canola, wheat, uranium, wild rice, and potash as some of the things we are world leaders in as well.

Edited August 26, 2005 by Junior (log)

[merlin]

Lemon Curd/Ayanna/Junior:

Thanks for the chuckles. As I posted earlier in this thread whenever I see the phrases "family dining" and " Greek ribs" I start to snicker and instantly think of Saskatoon.

Calories was certainly a "God Send" when we "discovered" it late in our trip.

Does that spot made up of a number of train cars near the tourist information centre still exist? What about St. Tropez?

[Junior]

Merlin. Yes the Saskatoon Station Place still exists. I put in 4 months there, so help me God, I'll never set foot in another Greek run establishment in Saskatoon again. St. Tropez is still here and doing well. The downtown core is in a state of change as the city with all of it's wisdom is redeveloping a large portion of the south downtown core. So that should bring some new business for St Tropez in the future.