378 Albert Street North Regina, SK 306-949-5444 ______________________________________________
It's time to take ourselves to a new part of town on the blog: North Albert Street.
True, North Albert isn't exactly a dining mecca. But there are a few bright spots among the autobody shops and gas stations. Chappy's Restaurant and Lounge is one of them.
Tucked into a strip mall across the street from the Northgate Mall, Chappy's is an unassuming kind of place. It's located so far off the street that you'd hardly notice it -- most people probably don't at all.
My focus today is on Chappy's brunch only, as that's the only meal I've eaten there.
Big Willie, the Advertising Exec, and myself stopped in on a recent Sunday for some grub. I use the term "grub" deliberately because that's what Chappy's serves: good, honest, homecooking with no shortage of butter n' bacon fat.
The Advertising Exec had been trying to get us to Chappy's for weeks, claiming it to be one of Regina's best greasy spoons. In that respect, I think he's right.
You don't go to Chappy's because it's chic, or decorated oh-so-cutely. You go because it's cheap and the brunch hits the spot.
For about $10, you will be treated to delicious buttery hashbrowns; crispy bacon (and plenty of it); scrambled eggs; breakfast sausage; lasagna; a bit of fruit; a couple of desserts; and some juice. And Chappy's Sunday brunch is a buffet, so fill your plate a couple of times (at least). We certainly did.
Service can be slightly off the mark, but since it's a help-yourself kind of joint that doesn't really matter.
Do something different and head up to North Albert one weekend for some grub. And don't forget your appetite.
You know you're always and forever a Prairie Boy when the thought of digging into a bowl of crispy coleslaw makes your mouth water.
The other night me and The Mom decided to go out for a weeknight supper -- we just didn't know where. As we drove south down Albert Street we stumbled upon Brewsters Brewpub and Restaurant. "Hey, I haven't been to Brewsters in ages," I said. Neither had The Mom.
So Brewsters it was.
Started in 1989 by Regina's Lanigan family, Brewsters has blossomed into a chain of thirteen restaurants in Regina, Edmonton, and Calgary -- with a fourteenth coming soon.
Now, the purpose of this blog is not normally to explore chain restaurants far and wide. That being said, I don't know of any other Regina-based restaurant that has done as good of a job at expanding its presence as Brewsters has. So, a little credit is due.
One of the interesting things about the chain is that each of the Regina locations is slightly different. The north-end location, next to the Galaxy movie theatre, is mainly a big pub with a compact dining room. Down in the south end, Brewsters truly feels like a dining room with dim lighting, plenty of seating, and several cozy sections. Then the east-end location feels like a slightly rundown blast from the past, although I haven't been in awhile and that might have changed.
Brewsters also has nightly food and drink specials. Some of them, like Thursday night's Riblicious special, are just too good to pass up.
Riblicious comes with a sizeable plate of ribs prepared three different ways and a side bowl of coleslaw. Ahh, coleslaw, you had me the moment I read your sweet name on the menu.
Now brace yourself, the best part is yet to come. The afore-mentioned Riblicious special comes to a grand tally of... just... $11. Sweet jeebus, why haven't I been dining at Brewsters more often?
I can't sign off without mentioning Brewsters extensive list of handcrafted ales and lagers. From the medium-bodied light golden Original Lager to the more adventurous Farmer's Tan White Ale, there's plenty to choose from. And it seems to me that the list has grown a lot in the last couple of years. Next time I visit I'm going to take a stab at a glass of Blue Monk Barley Wine. At 9.9 per cent alcohol, this heavy hitter might just serve as a meal.
My only suggestion to Brewsters on the beer front is to come up with one that truly honours its hometown. How about some Pile O' Bones Pilsner? Or maybe a cold frothy mug of Queen City Wheat Ale? Such a tribute would only be fitting, after all.
I had the brilliant idea of reporting the happenings on Regina's restaurant scene for Valentine's Day this year. After all, Valentine's Day is one of the busiest nights of the year for most restaurants. It's a time when people are actually looking to splurge a little.
As Valentine's falls on a Sunday this year, I thought that many restaurants would have planned something special. So far, the results have been a little disappointing.
Nonetheless, if you are planning a special night out it would be wise to make reservations soon.
Here's what I know so far. Please leave a comment if you know something that's not on this list:
The Abbey 2124 Albert Street 545-8811 Two-course dinner for two, $59; Two-course dinner for two with wine, $79. (This might be the best special I've found yet).
Beer Bros Bakery & Cuisine 1801 Scarth Street 586-2337 Feb. 8-14: celebrate Valentine's Day all week long with a special menu. The four-course "ex-beer-ience" is $40.00 plus tax and tip. Not too bad, methinks. Bitten 1822 Broad Street 586-BITE Open for Valentine's (normally closed on Sundays). Otherwise, I was told it will be a "normal night" with a new fresh sheet coming out on V-day for the rest of the month of February.
Crave 1925 Victoria Avenue 525-8777 Closed on Sundays -- no Valentine's specials here.
Hotel Saskatchewan - Cortlandt Hall Dining Room 2125 Victoria Avenue 337-4311 A three-course menu with your choice of starter, entree, and dessert for $69.00 As Valentine's falls on a Sunday, morning brunch will be served for $32.00 with a few special items in honour of the day. La Bodega 2228 Albert Street 546-3660 Two seatings are planned, one at 5:30 p.m., the other at 8 p.m. Dinner special plus the usual menu are on offer here.
Memories 1717 Victoria Avenue 522-1999 Two seating times: The first for reservations between 5-6 p.m.; the second for reservations between 7-8:30 p.m. Regular menu with a four-course special for two people (price not known at time of calling)
Willow on Wascana 3000 Wascana Drive 585-3663 Two seatings: one at 4:30 p.m.; the other at 7:30 p.m. The 4:30 seating offers a six-course meal; the 7:30 seating is an eight-course meal. Both meals are served with wine flights. $100/$125 respectively. Both seatings were full as of Feb. 4, but a cancellation list is available. (As a former waiter, I know that a number of people always cancel on Valentine's Day, especially on a Sunday. Give the list a try). Zest 2903 Powerhouse Drive 522-5250 A couple's menu will be featured for $75.00 per couple (a four-course meal).
$10-12 for brunch or lunch, $15-25 for supper. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
2124 Albert Street, Regina, SK 306-545-8811
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Dear Abbey:
It's about this time of year when the intended joy of Christmas starts to compete with the utter madness of Christmas.
The lineups at the grocery store are longer; the parking spots at the Cornwall Centre are fewer -- heck, the lineup just to get out of the parkade is enough to make you cringe. What's a guy to do? Signed, Crazy for Christmas
- - - - - - - - Dear CC:
There are plenty of ways to deal with Christmas Craze. Some of them involve muttering swears underneath your breath. Others involve a simple retreat to a welcoming watering hole.
I suggest the latter. Yours, Abbey
- - - - - - - -
Today me and Big Willie opted for an easy Sunday morning and headed over to The Abbey on Albert Street. It was a brutally cold morning to brave the outdoors but the lure of breakfast without having to cook it was enough to get us out there.
I'd been to The Abbey a couple of times since it opened in December '08. My first visit, less than a week after the doors opened, was good but a little rough around the edges. And that's to be fully expected so early in the game.
My second visit, about two months later, left me with a bad taste in my mouth -- literally. A friend and I went for a Sunday-night supper before heading out to a show at the Brandt Centre. I had high hopes that the kitchen would have ironed out the wrinkles by that point but I left feeling happy with the atmosphere yet disappointed with the food, especially a very greasy pizza that was overcooked.
Since that time, I learned that The Abbey hired a new head chef. I was a bit reluctant to go back until a few friends and coworkers reported positive experiences recently.
Today, my third visit proved to be the lucky charm. Big Willie and I were seated quickly on the second-floor balcony overlooking the dining room. We took a few minutes to study the brunch menu and then placed our order.
I decided to keep things simple and ordered The Usual -- two eggs any style (I went with Sunny Side Up), bacon or sausage, hash browns, toast, and a few pieces of fruit. I figure if a kitchen can't get the most basic breakfast items right then there's little hope they'll succeed with anything else.
Big Willie chose The Eden Eggs Benedict (served with tomato and spinach on a homemade biscuit). We also opted to share The Abbey Salad, which came recommended by a friend.
All things said, our only complaint with the food was that it took too long to hit the table (close to half an hour). On the one hand, this wasn't an outrageous amount of time. On the other hand, you start to wonder what's going on after about 15 minutes at breakfast time. Both our waitress and the floor manager gave sincere apologies for the delay, so at least they were aware of the problem.
Otherwise, the food was delicious. I'm not normally a fan of Eggs Benedict but The Eden won me over. I think it was the fresh, crumbly homemade biscuit that did it. Big Willie was pretty pleased with his choice, too.
My eggs were cooked perfectly, not always the case when you order Sunny Side Up. And the best part of The Usual? The crispy sausage, just like we used to eat at home when I was a kid. I'm happy to report that The Abbey serves real sausage -- not the greasy breakfast kind that some people seem to love.
The Abbey Salad, strangely the most expensive item we ordered, was also pretty delish. A Roast Shallot Dressing came drizzled over mixed greens, grilled chicken, bacon, crumbled blue cheese, and a few slices of pear. This salad was a meal in itself and is also on the restaurant's lunch menu. I think it's safe to say I'll be back for it someday.
To make a nice meal even nicer, The Abbey plays host to live jazz music on Sundays from 11-2. Today's warm groove, combined with the awesome Viennese Dark Roast coffee, pretty much made us forget it was 30 degrees below zero, at least for awhile.
All in all, The Abbey is finally coming into its own as a restaurant. Despite the odd glitch here and there, it seems that things are almost nearing perfection.
If they keep this up they might just start to lure me away from La Bodega a bit more often.
Cost - $12 lunch/$25 supper Monday to Friday, lunch and supper/Saturday and Sunday morning brunch, supper until late
2228 Albert St., Regina, SK. Phone: 306-546-3660 _______________ There are plenty of reasons why La Bodega is one of Regina's best restaurants.
OK, I guess you want me to name them. So here goes:
1.) La Bodega took an old, forgotten, decrepit house in the Cathedral neighbourhood and turned it into a hip, vibrant, intimate restaurant. That's not just luck, it's good planning. Previous owners of the building launched a bakery in the same spot and it was a massive flop within a year.
2.) So why has La Bodega succeeded? I think there are three key ingredients: a smart menu, a great location, and a design that allows La Bodega to be a restaurant, lounge, and/or concert venue depending on the time of day and the day of the week. They say you can't be all things to all people, but somehow La Bodega has always managed to attract the cool kids and the business lunch crowd and middle-aged couples just looking for a nice meal. That's no easy feat.
3.) Food -- of course, La Bodega would be nothing without the food. When La Bodega opened almost 10 years ago, no one in Regina had ever heard of tapas. Executive chef and owner Adam Sperling brought a creative, exciting menu to the Queen City and presented it in a way that was fresh and interesting to diners. Most people fell in love with the place after just one visit. And even now, the chefs continue to change and improve upon their menu, revealing new versions of it several times per year, keeping old favourites and introducing new ventures. And if a menu item doesn't work, La Bodega gets rid of it. 4.) Unless you're at Smitty's or an unapologetic hole-in-the-wall, a restaurant's decor is almost as important as what's on the plate (I said almost). La Bodega has always got the decor part right by using a mix of sophisticated yet rustic furnishings. The plain and sometimes mismatched wooden tables and chairs are jazzed up by much-more daring artwork and colours on the walls. The music -- never radio and certainly not Top 40 -- captures the worldly nature of the place without coming off as fake or, worse, New-Agey. In short, La Bodega's gypsy chic style is the Cathedral neighbourhood in a nutshell. It fits into its surroundings naturally. What more could you ask for? 5.) OK, this last reason is half-serious and half a joke. But when La Bodega first opened, they sold alcohol at ridiculously cheap prices. The food was never undervalued, but the drinks sure were. And people loved it. So they stayed for another. And another. And hey, can we see that menu again? We're hungry now. Over the years, it seems the prices of booze have crept upward, but you can still get a decent glass of wine for $5-6 per glass. So, what's the downside? La Bodega's biggest weakness is its weekend brunch. The menu is nowhere near as tasty as what's on offer for weekday lunch or suppertime. And the prices for an Eggs Benny border on the obscene. To me, the best breakfasts in the world are cheap and dirty. Get in, drink your weight in coffee, and get out $8 later. Otherwise La Bodega, you rock. http://www.labodegaregina.ca/
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