[YWG] Why you should visit Winnipeg

[Pam R]

Yes.  Polish/Ukrainian backround, in a very Jewish part of Garden City.  As far as I can recall, we were the only non-Jewish family on my street. 

Well, us and the Wongs.  I believe they were Chinese.

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You sure you didn't live on my street?

[Pam R]

Rona... nu? I'm assuming you've eaten something in the last week??

[prasantrin]

Rona... nu?  I'm assuming you've eaten something in the last week??

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I haven't been eating out as often over the last week, believe it or not . I did make it to Bistro Dansk today for lunch, and it was just as good as I remembered! I even had the hazelnut pie for dessert (my usual) and, because we found a bit of the fraying pastry bag in our whipped cream, got a whole new piece to take home, even though we only had about 1/3 left of the original. I'll put more pictures up as soon as I don't feel so lazy...

[Pam R]

Will this include folklorama, or should we start another thread for that? (I think we should) 

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I think Folklorama should be separate, as well.

Well then, go here

[Pam R]

I'm not sure where to put this post... but since is the most current Winnipeg food thread I figure it'll work here.

Had dinner tonight at Baked Expectations. Foods was good.. though nothing exceptional. They do make their own, very good fries though.

For dessert though, a couple pieces were shared. One I was not crazy about, but somebody else at the table loved - Chocolate Orange Mousse cake. The cheesecake however was very good. We chose German Chocolate Cheesecake - it was dense, but not crumbly. Creamy. Not too sweet. Really good. If you like cheesecale - give theirs a try.

[kurtisk]

Hey Pam,

Is Nibbler's Nosh still around?

It was our favourite Jewish restaurant around and the name was always fun fodder for friends who find my 'Jewish' upbringing comical...

k.

[Pam R]

Is Nibbler's Nosh  still around?

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Nope. They're both long gone. You have to come to my store for Jewish food now

[prasantrin]

I've finally downloaded some pictures, so it's time to add a few more restaurants to the list!

My mother and I finally visited Bernard Mirlycourtois at his new restaurant on Princess. I love the space--it's large, spacious, and somewhat rustic-looking. We went for lunch, so we had sandwiches. My mother had a reuben and I had croque monsieur. My mother's sandwich (no picture) was pretty good, but nothing special. It was a reuben, after all. How can you screw that up? My croque monsieur was a different story. I love croque monsieur, and I'm often afraid to order it because I'm afraid I'll be disappointed. The best cm, in my opinion, are those with bechamel. I've read that not all cm are made with bechamel, but they really should be. To give you a frame of reference, this is a picture of the best cm I've had. I should note that I've never been to France. This little baby is from a French bakery in Japan called Burdigala. There's bechamel both in the sandwich, as well as on top (under the broiled cheese). The ham is just one thin slice, but it's not your average supermarket ham. The bread is from a crusty loaf of some sort of French-style bread--tender crumb, chewy but not tough crust.

This is what I had at Bernard Mirlycourtois. It was a disgrace to croque monsieur everywhere. You'd think for $7.95, they could use something better than shaved honey ham (or maybe it was black forest, I'm not sure). The cheese was barely even melted, and the sandwich was leaky--probably because of the cheap-ass ham they used.

I was not impressed. I will, however, probably go back but for dinner. Hopefully they'll have a better menu (the lunch menu is mostly soups, salads, and sandwiches).

But do not use this as a benchmark for Winnipeg lunches. Bistro Dansk, I'm happy to say, is as good as it always has been. We started out with their freshly made bread. We always finish the basket, because the bread is really quite good. My mother had the palacinka. The filling was tasty, though it could have used more chicken.

I had the chicken schnitzel. I almost always have the chicken schnitzel. It's fabulous. The chicken is pounded thin, but it's tender and moist. The crust is crispy, but not heavy. The highlight is the potato salad. I don't really care for potato salad, but theirs is particularly good. They use finely diced potatoes, not big whopping suckers like in most potato salads.

Finally, I had the hazelnut pie. I love their hazelnut pie. It's chock full of hazelnuts which are barely held together with...something...maybe a type of caramel?

We were almost finished our pie when my mother found a foreign object in the whipped cream. It reminded me of dental floss, and I told her so. Bad idea. She wouldn't eat anymore (we only had about 1/4 left) and reported the object to the waitstaff. The waitstaff took our plate away (with my fork just about to pierce the pie for another bite) and showed the foreign object to the owner/chef. It turned out to be part of the pastry bag used to pipe the whipped cream. We were fine with that, and we asked for the rest of the slice back so we could finish it. But they gave us another slice! There was no way we could finish it, so we asked if we could take it home. They obliged, and included our leftover slice to boot! So we had two pieces of hazelnut pie--yay for us!

More food later...

Edited August 4, 2005 by prasantrin (log)

[Daddy-A]

Finally, I had the hazelnut pie.  I love their hazelnut pie.  It's chock full of hazelnuts which are barely held together with...something...maybe a type of caramel? 

Now that looks like a reason for a trip to the 'Peg!

A.

[prasantrin]

Gunn's is a Winnipeg institution, but I'm not sure why or for what. Well, obviously it's for their baked goods, since they're a bakery, but I don't know if they became popular for a specific item, or if it's just because they've been around forever. Every former Winnipeger I know always makes at least one trip to Gunn's, and often to take goodies back to wherever they currently live.

Here's what I bought during my first trip there:

First, a pizza bagel and a spinach and feta knish. I love their pizza bagels and I've never had a pizza bagel that compared. It's heavy on the onions, though, so it's best not to eat one for breakfast, as I do . The knishes are usually quite good, but I'm not a knish expert so others may not agree. These, however, tasted ever so slightly of freezer burn.

Next is an applejack. Gunn's is famous for their applejacks. Maybe that's their claim to fame. It's like strudel that has been filled with apple pie filling and rolled in cinnamon sugar before being baked. They used to be bigger, though, and have more filling. If you look at the inside of the applejack, there isn't much there. Perhaps it was just an off day???

I'll be going back again, like every dutiful former Winnipeg does. Next time for bagels for the trip back to Japan. And maybe some applejacks....and some florentine cookies....and some apple fritters, if they still have them....

[Pam R]

Gunn's (along with City Bread) is a Jewish bakery. The two bakeries make the best Rye and Pumpernickle breads I have ever had, anywhere.

They also do a great challah.

I haven't had a pizza bagel in years . They are good.

[prasantrin]

Gunn's (along with City Bread) is a Jewish bakery.  The two bakeries make the best Rye and Pumpernickle breads I have ever had, anywhere.

They also do a great challah.

I haven't had a pizza bagel in years  .  They are good.

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I knew Gunn's was a Jewish bakery, but didn't know City Bread was, too! Wow! You learn something new every day! We don't do City Bread rye very often, but I have a lot of ex-Winnipeger friends who always buy a few loaves to take back to wherever they now live. I should bring some rye and pumpernickle back to Japan--it's very difficult to get either. Although I remember talking with one of the Gunn brothers last year, and he mentioned that they were working on a deal to export some of their breads to Japan. I'll have to ask about that next time I visit.

By the way, I may have asked this already, but do you remember a bakery called the Donut House? It was on Academy Road and was open until the '80s or early 90's. They had the best cheesesticks ever--seriously good stuff. The original owners were asked for their recipe many time--by Gourmet and other such magazines, but they refused to divulge it. Until they sold the bakery, that is, and then the "new" owners eventually closed the bakery and the recipe was (as far as I'm concerned) lost. The Gunn brother I was talking with said those cheesesticks probably used puff pastry, but they did not puff because they were underbaked.

My question is...if you knew the bakery, and you knew the cheesesticks, do you have any idea how to go about making them? I still dream about them, and so do other members of my family!

[Pam R]

My question is...if you knew the bakery, and you knew the cheesesticks, do you have any idea how to go about making them?  I still dream about them, and so do other members of my family!

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Sorry.. don't know it. Did Bernie or Fivie know the name of the owners? Maybe they could be tracked down.

Did you try using puff?

[prasantrin]

It's hot here in Winnipeg. Too hot. But it's perfect weather for bubble tea! One place in Winnipeg, Asia City, has bubble tea like you've never had before. The young coconut is more of a dessert than a beverage. They use frozen young coconut, and blend it with half&half, ice, and some powder--bubble tea flavouring? I don't know what it is, but it tastes good! Look how thick this baby is!

Actually, if anyone has ever been to Viva's in Osborne Village, the owner claims to be the originator of the slushy-type of bubble tea in Winnipeg. I've not tried it, but my mother says it's even richer than Asia City's. He uses whipping cream rather than half and half, she says. Maybe I'll have to try one out before I leave.