OT: Restaurant thread

[SimpleSimon]

Is there any Croatian/Serbian/Yugoslav style restaurant I'm not aware of? I ate a place run by Serbian/Croatians in Burnaby and almost died from happiness.

My mon was born and raised Croat. I was a lucky boy growing up. Sarma, palačinke, čivapi on the bbq and kolaci for dessert. Mmmm mmm. There used to be the Zagreb meat market long ago. There was also a Bosnian restaurant near the U of M but sadly they are gone. Folklorama is your next best bet. 2 Serbian pavilions, a Croat pavilion and a Slovenian one too.

 

[Mud Turtle]

When did piSonyas close down?

It’s the Sonya’s by the Disraeli bridge. Not the one near Lockport. They closed about two years ago. they were rated as the best burger in Winnipeg and it was well deserved.

 

[Bartho]

Who remembers Sev burgers? When I was really high, I was known to partake. Honestly, I’m not sure how I’m still alive.

I got food poisoning from eating a Sev burger before performing in a high school play. I was puking in a bucket backstage between scenes!

 

[Bartho]

Great thread! We’re certainly spoiled for restaurants.

A lot of my faves have already been mentioned. Tony’s Pizza, Garwood, VJ’s, Cibo, Sous Sol, TH Dang, Thanh Huong, BMC, etc. All fantastic.

One I don’t think has been mentioned is Famenas. Hands down, the best roti in the city.

 

[Mud Turtle]

Great thread! We’re certainly spoiled for restaurants.

A lot of my faves have already been mentioned. Tony’s Pizza, Garwood, VJ’s, Cibo, Sous Sol, TH Dang, Thanh Huong, BMC, etc. All fantastic.

One I don’t think has been mentioned is Famenas. Hands down, the best roti in the city.

Thanh Huong? I didn’t know that anyone else knew about that restaurant! Beef and onions. Mmmmmmm

 

[buggs]

three letters

B D I

Food creates so many memories. I was really lucky to grow up in old St. Vital by the Canoe Club, so we went to BDI probably as much as 7-11 when we could scrounge the cash. Usually just cones because they were cheaper but back in the day the chocolate dip and sprinkles were free add ons. We used to hang out at the bridge all the time and even jump off it for swimming. If you look in the archives of the Winnipeg Tribune we even made the front page one day. Somehow they heard about this bunch of kids that were jumping off the bridge so they sent out a photographer and took a big image of about 15 of us jumping off at the same time. So much fun.

My wife is on the way to 7-11 right now to fetch slurpees in -22. She’s from Korea, but I think she just truly became a Winnipegger since it was her idea.

Speaking of slurpees/slushies, the best one in the city is from Flying Squirrel Trampoline by Costco. I was shocked by how good it was and the dude filled the plastic dome lid right to the top. Amazed I was!

Speaking of 7-11, they also have a REALLY good apple fritter. Everything else they serve that’s baked is pretty terrible - but not these.

Speaking of good restos in Winnipeg, I like ‘Close Co’ on Stafford. It’s tiny (very, very tiny) and doesn’t take reservations so if you ever get a table there consider yourself lucky. The food is perfect.

Bravo for your wife, she's fully a pegger now. One of my happiest moments with my daughter was when she was about 5. I took her skating at St. Vital park on a rather cold day. She didn't love skating but she knew we'd go for a treat after so she tolerated me. We were in the shack getting her skates off and I said we should go for hot chocolate. She looked at me and asked if we could go get a slurpee instead.

Monticchios hoagies on South Osbourne years ago, were the greatest. There has been nothing in the city like them since they moved.

Loved those hoagies, they were so good. The night before my wedding we spent the night drinking at Colosseo on Corydon (when they had the music in the lounge in the basement) and then at 2 A.M. one of the guys in my wedding party somehow managed to get into Monticchio after closing and convince them to make us hoagies because it was my wedding the next day and I needed to sober up. He wasn't wrong.

 

[jefferoni]

We used to joke about whether it was lettuce or meat in the Hoagies. Because sometimes both of them were green....

I'm pretty sure the "meat" looked green because it was cut so thin you could see the green lettuce under it!

 

[Ducky10]

Mitzi’s
Simply phenomenal a restaurant can survive and thrive for so long selling pretty much only chicken fingers, fries and consommé soup.

 

[DannyGallivan]

In the last pre-game thread, about 40-50 posts revolve around one’s favourite place to eat

I jokingly say that I would change the title thread but instead a thread has been done

what is your favourite place to eat ?

thanks

Wasabi Sabi on Taylor. Not only is it the best sushi in town (with apologies to BluFish), but their bartenders actually know how to mix some decent cocktails.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Paging @Badger1012 and @kanadalainen
for your favourites seeing that it originated in the pre-game thread .....

Chinese food is such a Transcona thing...
Loved it as a kid, but to me now, it makes me feel... dirty. More sugar than ice cream, more sodium than a salt lick, deep fried, breaded... yuk!

 

[DannyGallivan]

Too many faves to list right now but I'll start with these...

1. Italian: Santa Ana (my favourite restaurant of any kind in the city)
2. Chinese: Hung's
3. Steak: The Keg on Garry (yes, this Keg location is better than the others)
4. Greeks burgers: VJ's... or George's in a pinch
5. Non-Greeks burgers: Five Guys

Okay, that's enough for now... I'm hungry!

20 years ago I considered the Keg Burger from that location as the best burger in the city. To this day, I haven't had better. I have noticed, though, that some Keg locations do not live up to the Garry version. Not impressed with the Macgillivray one.

You want a great steak in a very casual setting? Go to Mr. Mike's on MacGillivray. I haven't had a bad meal there, in fact, the food is fantastic.

 

[DannyGallivan]

My #1 favourite is East India Company. I make a point of going there every time I’m in Winnipeg.

I also like Kum Koon Garden — excellent Dim Sum.

Those two are my go to.

I go there for a buffet lunch once a month. I skip supper that night, cuz I'm full until the next day's breakfast. Great stuff!

 

[DannyGallivan]

Oh man, I used to LOVE VJ’s burgers!!!!

It sat in my stomach like a brick, but I used to eat there all the time when I hung out at the Grapes on Main bar. Much younger, and I had less money so that delicious chili burger "brick" sustained me for about a day and a half.

 

[DannyGallivan]

If price is not an option, my favorite place is Hy's. Incredible food, incredible cocktails/martinis, incredible ambiance, incredible service, incredible cost.

 

[Ducky10]

If price is not an option, my favorite place is Hy's. Incredible food, incredible cocktails/martinis, incredible ambiance, incredible service, incredible cost.

I miss the old Hy’s on Kennedy, that was an old school, classic steak house . I used to work there back in the day, many nights seeing Fergie, Ducky, Gretzky, Sather, etc. Saw most of the players from out of town teams at some point, they would all go there if they were in the night before a game.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

20 years ago I considered the Keg Burger from that location as the best burger in the city. To this day, I haven't had better. I have noticed, though, that some Keg locations do not live up to the Garry version. Not impressed with the Macgillivray one.

You want a great steak in a very casual setting? Go to Mr. Mike's on MacGillivray. I haven't had a bad meal there, in fact, the food is fantastic.

I was going to mention Mr Mike's but I was afraid of getting a comment like, "Jesus, do you ever eat anywhere but at a chain"? Lots of interesting, tasty dishes and good prices compared to places like Earls and Joey, where everything just seems a little bit more than it should be. I guess you're paying for the view.

 

[jefferoni]

If price is not an option, my favorite place is Hy's. Incredible food, incredible cocktails/martinis, incredible ambiance, incredible service, incredible cost.

I miss the old Hy’s on Kennedy, that was an old school, classic steak house . I used to work there back in the day, many nights seeing Fergie, Ducky, Gretzky, Sather, etc. Saw most of the players from out of town teams at some point, they would all go there if they were in the night before a game.

@Ducky10 beat me to it! The old Hy's on Kennedy was our go-to for a nice night out. We went a few times after they moved to the Richardson building (and after they fired most of their old staff) and it wasn't even close to the same quality or atmosphere. We used to have a favourite waiter at the old location but sadly I can't remember his name. He was French, black hair and was quite rotund. He used to make the wickedest tableside Caesar salad when you replied "you decide" to his "how much garlic?" question. Wow, I miss that place...

 

[buggs]

20 years ago I considered the Keg Burger from that location as the best burger in the city. To this day, I haven't had better. I have noticed, though, that some Keg locations do not live up to the Garry version. Not impressed with the Macgillivray one.

You want a great steak in a very casual setting? Go to Mr. Mike's on MacGillivray. I haven't had a bad meal there, in fact, the food is fantastic.

The Keg has a highly variable history. It was pretty phenomenal in the 70s and 80s when everything was done in house. Then it became corporately owned (versus individuals basically owning a franchise but following guidelines - there was a lot more pride back then) and they standardized stuff and started outsourcing a lot of the material (for example they used to make salad dressing in house, then went to buying by the bucket). Then it went back to being more franshise-y. Now it's subject to mostly how the individual management team runs things and some stores are definitely in better shape than others. The three Winnipeg Kegs are owned by the same guy and there's a regional manager but each Keg is individual and subject to the personalities of the staff and management. We've had better luck at McGillivray but we also tend to go pretty early to avoid the crowds/rush so I expect that factors in considerably. Garry is definitely the flagship of the bunch and is treated as such. They did just move the manager of the last several years from Garry to McGillivray, presumably to up the game at that location.

@Ducky10 Hy's always was pretty special though I think it was best when it was on Kennedy. I kinda miss Mother Tucker's too.

Is Mr. Mike's ever busy? We've been a couple of times and generally enjoy it. My wife very much enjoyed her steak. One thing they do that I don't like much is buttering the outside of sandwich/burger buns. Trendy, I know, but not necessary at all. Easily avoided obviously.

 

[jefferoni]

It sat in my stomach like a brick, but I used to eat there all the time when I hung out at the Grapes on Main bar. Much younger, and I had less money so that delicious chili burger "brick" sustained me for about a day and a half.

That's why the code word at my workplace for going to VJ's for lunch was GUTBOMB...

 

[DannyGallivan]

Is Mr. Mike's ever busy? We've been a couple of times and generally enjoy it. My wife very much enjoyed her steak. One thing they do that I don't like much is buttering the outside of sandwich/burger buns. Trendy, I know, but not necessary at all. Easily avoided obviously.

Hmmm, about half the time it looks pretty busy and the other half it's kinda empty. If they have an issue, it's with their image... the decor suggests a very casual (and therefore inexpensive) restaurant. Yet, the prices aren't particularly cheap. Fortunately, the quality of the food is top notch... and you get a free meal on your birthday if you sign up for it.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

If price is not an option, my favorite place is Hy's. Incredible food, incredible cocktails/martinis, incredible ambiance, incredible service, incredible cost.

529 has been our go-to fine dining place for many years, although I wish they would offer some Wagyu and dry-aged options.

 

[Afterburner]

It sat in my stomach like a brick, but I used to eat there all the time when I hung out at the Grapes on Main bar. Much younger, and I had less money so that delicious chili burger "brick" sustained me for about a day and a half.

I was pretty young at the time. Ahhh the iron gut of youth

 

[sipowicz]

The Keg has a highly variable history. It was pretty phenomenal in the 70s and 80s when everything was done in house. Then it became corporately owned (versus individuals basically owning a franchise but following guidelines - there was a lot more pride back then) and they standardized stuff and started outsourcing a lot of the material (for example they used to make salad dressing in house, then went to buying by the bucket). Then it went back to being more franshise-y. Now it's subject to mostly how the individual management team runs things and some stores are definitely in better shape than others. The three Winnipeg Kegs are owned by the same guy and there's a regional manager but each Keg is individual and subject to the personalities of the staff and management. We've had better luck at McGillivray but we also tend to go pretty early to avoid the crowds/rush so I expect that factors in considerably. Garry is definitely the flagship of the bunch and is treated as such. They did just move the manager of the last several years from Garry to McGillivray, presumably to up the game at that location.

@Ducky10 Hy's always was pretty special though I think it was best when it was on Kennedy. I kinda miss Mother Tucker's too.

Is Mr. Mike's ever busy? We've been a couple of times and generally enjoy it. My wife very much enjoyed her steak. One thing they do that I don't like much is buttering the outside of sandwich/burger buns. Trendy, I know, but not necessary at all. Easily avoided obviously.

The Keg seems to be doing something right, always busy and you always know what your getting in terms of consistency! And yeah, I know, no one goes there anymore, because it's too busy! You know!

 

[jokesondee]

I quite like the Portage&Moray Keg. Never had a bad meal there.

 

[Ducky10]

@Ducky10 beat me to it! The old Hy's on Kennedy was our go-to for a nice night out. We went a few times after they moved to the Richardson building (and after they fired most of their old staff) and it wasn't even close to the same quality or atmosphere. We used to have a favourite waiter at the old location but sadly I can't remember his name. He was French, black hair and was quite rotund. He used to make the wickedest tableside Caesar salad when you replied "you decide" to his "how much garlic?" question. Wow, I miss that place...

Hy's cheese toast………..OMG is that stuff good!

Inside knowledge, it's from a can, lol.