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With the official start of summer, comes the official start of soaking up the sun on restaurant patios.

Here are a few of my recommendations in Regina:

Cafe Orange: At the moment, Orange is doing coffee and sweets, but they tell me that a full menu is coming soon. Hopefully by Canada Day. In just two years, this place has gone from a coffee house/kitchenware store; to an all-out coffee house; and now a restaurant. The latest transformation looks to be the best. And the deck out front on Robinson Street (by the 13th Ave. Safeway) is so new you can still smell the sweet scent of new wood. (306) 779-0779 (no website)

Sweet Bakery and Coffee House: An ever-expanding list of baked goods, combined with comfortable surrounds in a heritage building (and a very nice, if small, patio outside) are turning this new Broad Street place near College Avenue into a favourite of many. Recommend an Americano with a Lemon Tart, if you're at a loss. (306) 352-9338 (no website)

La Bodega: the treetop patio at this Cathedral Village favourite is... tops, no pun intended. Sip a few drinks or have lunch high above the Albert Street traffic. You won't even notice the cars going by. www.labodegaregina.com / (306) 546-3660

Fireside Bistro: while opinions on Fireside often vary, their patio on the corner of Smith Street and 15th Avenue is second to none. Definitely worth a drink or two and an appetizer on a hot day. (306) 761-2305 (no website)

Beer Bros.: Watch the people go by on downtown's pedestrianized portion of Scarth Street. Beer Bros newly refinished patio is small but full of sunshine. Stop by and sample an exotic beer whose name you can't even pronounce (and that's before you start drinking). www.beerbros.ca / (306) 586-2337

Atlantis: This downtown coffee spot isn't licensed for liquor, but that doesn't keep the crowds away. Open from the early morning until late, and offers free wireless. Oh, and the artwork on the walls is all by local artists. www.atlantiscoffee.com / (306) 565-2213

More to come! Please follow the blog for updates to this list, and new reviews.
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Two things of importance to report today. Actually, make that three.

1.) I am still on a carbohydrate high from all the perogies, rice, noodles, pasta, and dessert consumed during Mosaic this weekend. Hope that everyone indulged just as much as I did at this great annual event that showcases just how diverse our city is.

2.) A few weeks ago I posted a review of The Mercury Cafe. Since that time, a number of people have posted comments about the place. Last week, one reader alleged that the Mercury's burgers were not homemade, contrary to what it says on the Mercury's menu. Here's what she wrote:

Anonymous said...

May 26, 2010 9:37 PM

I was a bit shocked by this. I really believed the burger I ate was homemade -- both the look and taste of the burger did not seem like they came from Safeway across the street. Then again, you never really know unless you're in the kitchen standing next to the chef.
Today, I posted two more comments on this topic, presumably from employees at the Mercury. They said:

June 4, 2010 9:59 AM

Dave said...

June 5, 2010 6:39 PM

Word has it that Cafe Orange, home of very good coffee, has shut down for renos for an undetermined amount of time.

In place of the cafe, it seems that a combination sushi/coffee bar will open in Cafe Orange's spot.

Combining anything with sushi is always a bit of a gamble, especially considering that Regina's sushi scene is (quite possibly) nearing saturation. A few years ago we had only three or four places doing sushi around town. Now there are as many as ten, including the new Sake Japanese and Korean restaurant just a few blocks away from Cafe Orange's Robinson Street location off 13th Avenue.

Let's hope this business venture pays off for Cafe Orange's owners. Details on the reopening date will be posted as soon as they're known.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the fantastic makeover given to Cafe Orange on Robinson Street, near the 13th Avenue Safeway.

The place has been all dolled up and looks like it's ready to roll. The problem? They're only serving coffee and some rather lackluster desserts at the moment.

When I stopped in on June 25 to order a coffee (which was very good, I might add), the woman working the till told me that food service would be a reality by Canada Day, or perhaps a day or so later.

I went by Cafe Orange again earlier today (July 7, for the record) just to see what the situation was. Once more, I was told that food service is coming soon. Hopefully by Friday... maybe Monday.

This strikes me as more than a little strange. Customers have been looking forward to the new Cafe Orange for months. A little suspense can be a good thing. But keep people waiting for too long and they'll eventually lose interest.

Cafe Orange, it's time to fire up the ovens, take off the training wheels, and become a full-fledged restaurant. You reopened a month ago. You have the potential to be one of the city's best restaurants.

Now please serve us some food so that we can judge for ourselves.