Attention all barbecue fans: It looks like the former home of The Keg has got a new lease on life. Hickory Smokehouse and Grill is set to open its doors on south Albert Street in November. This will be a sister location to the original in Moose Jaw.
Stay tuned....
Fans of cheap breakfast have a new reason to celebrate.
The Mercury Cafe and Grill opened on 13th Avenue the other day. This is diner-food, through and through. And so far, business looks brisk.
Address: 2936 13th Avenue.
Phone: 522-4423
Review coming soon....
The Round-up:
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Several months ago a food-loving group was created on Facebook. Its name was the "Cathedral Village Needs a Cheap Breakfast Place", or something like that. It seems that the Village just hadn't been the same since the Quality Tea Room shut down several years back.
I quickly joined the group, as did several hundred other Regina folks (What did we ever do before Facebook groups became the new face of activism, by the way?).
The Facebook fan page continued to grow, many of its members calling for a cheap plate of hash browns and bacon... like now.
Well, some wishes do come true.
The Mercury Cafe and Grill opened its doors in April. The place seemed to spring up overnight on the corner of 13th and Robinson streets in a spot that has housed numerous other restaurants.
The Mercury is a diner, no doubt about that. From the bright red vinyl booths to the formica and chrome tables, stepping into The Mercury is like stepping back 50 or 60 years in time. The Mercury is also under the same ownership as Regina's well-loved Novia Cafe, another all-out diner. This is a good thing -- who better to start a new diner than the folks who run one of the city's oldest and best?
I've been to The Mercury twice now, once for breakfast and once for supper. It's hard to find the right word to describe both experiences. It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't horrible either. Perhaps satisfactory is the right word.
Weekend breakfast bustles and hustles in The Mercury. If you're not there by 11 on a Sunday, you're going to wait in line for awhile. Granted, The Mercury could easily jam a few more tables into the dining room in order to shave some time off the waiting game.
Your choices for breakfast are classic standbys: bacon and eggs; hash browns; pancakes; an omelette. You get the picture. Now, is it cheap? That depends on your definition of cheap. Most items run around the $8-9 mark, plus the cost of coffee and/or juice. I've had cheaper, but I've also had more expensive.
Service can be a little disorganized, but hopefully the servers work that out amongst themselves as the restaurant irons out the operating wrinkles. We had to wait 30 minutes for any food to hit the table at breakfast, almost enough to push us to the breaking point, but not quite. Fortunately, our waitress took good care of us in the meantime.
Now let's talk about supper for a moment. Once again, there are few surprises on the evening menu. Nachos; chicken wings; chicken fingers; burgers; clubhouse sandwiches; and grilled cheese are a few of the choices.
We ordered up a plate of nachos to get things started. With a $10 price tag, we pictured a nice platter of cheesy chips and veggies. We couldn't have been more wrong. A dinner plate with a puny pile of nachos on it was what we got. Even worse: the scarce bits of cheese on the chips were overcooked and rubbery. Epic fail, my friends. Epic fail.
Next up: the burgers. Now this is where the action is at. Tender homemade beef patties are smooshed between fresh buns with all the fixins. I went for the Mushroom Swiss. Big Willie had The Mercury Burger (two patties with fried onions, mushrooms, shaved ham, Swiss and cheddar cheese). All burgers come with a side. We went for the french fries and they were done to perfection.
Big Poppa (my dad) went for the open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich... which came with hot chicken, oddly enough. But he got past that.
All in all, The Mercury offers up decent food in a comfortable room. The motto seems to be: come as you are, eat what you will. Now if they'd only fine-tune the nachos and up the portion size for most of the breakfast menu, we might have a sure-fire winner on our hands.
(no website)
Burgers are one of our favorite ways to start off a weekend! These are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, Trim Healthy Mama friendly, and mighty tasty. Topped with crispy, bacon, sharp cheddar, fresh lettuce, juicy onion, tangy mustard, and creamy mayo... it's a guilt-free party in your mouth.
Time: 10 minutes plus grilling
Servings: 5-6 burgers
Gluten free, dairy-free, soy-free, Satisfying for THMer's.
Ingredients:
To keep the burgers THM friendly, use portobello mushrooms as buns or a low-carb pita (such as Joseph's) for a Satisfying meal.
We enjoy our burgers with:
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...
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:
Dave said...
The Round-up:
3255 Quance Street, Regina, SK.
Phone: 306-586-7625
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I have to admit, Regina's East End isn't a part of town I visit all that often. I make the long drive down Victoria Street East once every week or two, usually to pay a visit to Costco. The rest of the time, I prefer doing my shopping in other parts of town where the traffic is a little less likely to cause a headache and a little more likely to support local business.
As a result, I often forget about one of our city's best casual restaurants. Rock Creek Tap and Grill opened about three years ago. The sight of a locally owned restaurant among the many chains that line the East End's streets was a welcome one. To boot, the food was great and the decor was classy, without being all uppity.
I've made several more trips to Rock Creek for good appetizers and great meals since then, but my last trip was almost a year ago. Until yesterday.
We arrived around 1 o'clock and the parking lot was almost totally full. A pretty good sign for a Saturday afternoon. As usual, we sat in the lounge where a table for six was easier to come by. We made ourselves comfortable and managed to score a couple of menus (literally two). Like I said, it was busy. Drinks were a bit slow to come by, as was the waitress to take our order, but thankfully we weren't in any hurry.
When it came time to order, we stuck mainly to pub-food classics, or Comfort Food, as the menu calls it: Chicken Fingers with fries; the Hickory Barbecue Chicken Burger; the Black and Blue Burger (a Cajun-style sirloin burger with blue cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato); and the Quance Street Club (grilled chicken breast, smoked bacon, pea shoots, tomato, avocado, jack cheese and pesto aioli).
The food hit our table in good time and we dug in with gusto. Things suddenly got very quiet. Only the sound of chewing and the odd, "Mmm, this is good," broke the silence. The portions were hearty, as were the sides. I had a spicy cup of Chicken Vegetable with my Club. With four or five slices of jalapeno pepper floating in the broth, it was an interesting soup. I'll leave it at that.
Big Poppa, my dad, was making short work of his burger with yam fries next to me. Across the table my sister, normally an adventurous diner, was munching on the chicken fingers. It was a choice she didn't regret. The Calgary Boys also had no complaints about their sandwiches. Actually, they ate them so fast that I'm not totally sure what one of them ordered.
Rock Creek's menu is a savvy one -- there's the right mix of classic standbys and new inventions to keep you interested, and to keep you coming back. On the appetizer menu, you'll find everything from Cajun Blackened Guac Scallops to good-'ole nachos (with bacon and banana peppers). The lounge has food and drink specials almost every night of the week, and a bevy of fancy TVs. Can't get tickets to the next Rider game? Try hanging out here. If you can get a parking spot, that is.
www.rockcreekgrill.com
... is something I've never said, nor believe, but often assumed about me because I advocate homemaking and the role of a stay-at-home mom.
I regularly receive emails and comments from people who are concerned I'm propagating the idea that girls need just enough schooling to get by as a wife and mother. Combine that false assumption with my real disappointment in secular colleges and the effect they have on women, and you'd think I was lobbying for discriminatory practices against my own kind.
I get letters everyday from earnest, sincere, highly-educated Moms that go like this:
"I feel so overwhelmed! Do you have any tips on how to stay on top of everything? My house always looks like a disaster and I just can't seem to figure out a schedule... ""What do you do when your husband wants to start a new business? I'm nervous about the idea and there's tension in our marriage. I know he's supposed to be the leader and I'm supposed to be submissive, how do you deal with this kind of situation?" "Do you have any healthy snack ideas for toddlers? I'm not really handy in the kitchen, but I know sugar isn't good for them so I'm wondering if you have any recommendations... "I'm always surprised to discover these questions typically come from college graduates; teachers, nurses, and others turned homemakers. They have exchanged their diploma for their MRS degree, believing (as I do) that the most important place for a mother is in the home. In the face of cultural opposition, they see the value of a homemaker and understand her importance in light of Scripture.
But they feel lost and overwhelmed. They anticipated this was a role they could just "slip into" when the time came, but now that it's here, they wonder why they invested all those years and all that money into a degree that feels useless.
Why did no one ever encourage them to study how to be a good wife and mother? Isn't it supposed to come naturally? If homemaking doesn't take much thought or foresight, then why this feeling of being caught off guard? How can the most difficult thing they've ever signed up for require no intentional study or preparation? Why don't they offer homemaking degrees? There's a lifetime of material to study here!
What does submission look like? If my husband does something I don't agree with, how do I make an appeal? What system should I use to stay on top of the laundry? How do I decide what's the best method of education for my child? My husband loves steak and potatoes, but I've never grilled before. How do I know when the meat is done?
Our culture tells our girls they need to pursue a degree so they can be independent, and be able to provide for themselves (neither of which are biblical concepts). "Not everyone gets married," they warn, "and not everyone is able to have children."
We encourage them to pour their energies into one career, instead of recommending they study them all. We prepare them for singleness instead of God's normative plan for women: to be wives (love their husbands), mothers (love their children), and homemakers (keepers at home... that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:3).
Then, they find themselves married. They want to be godly wives but after years and years of being trained to think as an independent rather than a co-dependent, they don't know how. They have children, but not a clue how to raise them. They have a home to manage, but are lost in the logistics of it all.
Homemaking quickly becomes burdensome and frustrating. This "mindless" occupation feminism tried to protect them from is more challenging than they thought. Contrary to popular ideology, it takes a great deal of intelligence and gumption to be a glorious homemaker (see video below for a 2.5-minute look into a stay-at-home Mom's typical day).
3 Queens from Matt Bieler on Vimeo.
How many unhappy marriages, broken homes, miserable, desperate wives, and rebellious children will it take before we admit that intentionally preparing our daughter to be keepers of the home is not just "a nice idea," but a necessary one? Harvey Bluedorn in Teaching the Trivium writes,
"We cannot prepare for all future possibilities. There is only so much time in the day. How is a young woman's best time spent? Should we spend much time preparing for the possibility that she will die in an automobile accident? Obviously not... The independent career woman should neither be the ideal or the norm. Emergencies may require that a woman take on tasks which should ordinarily be considered a man's calling, but a good education and training in all of the skills of a normal family will prepare a woman for almost any emergency. On the other hand, if we prepare our daughters to marry - to have a submissive spirit, to care for others, and rule their homes - then will we be surprised if they become loving wives and mothers with orderly and peaceful homes? Should our daughters never marry, what harm will come from having learned to have a submissive spirit, to care for others, and to rule their homes. Rather how much more good would come!" Chapter 15, pg. 438 (emphasis mine)Should a girl be highly educated?
Yes, yes, YES!
Let her study the culinary arts so she can grill a fine steak and bake a mean loaf of bread for her family.
Let her pursue reading, writing, and rhetoric so she can teach her children with confidence and excellence.
Let her learn all she can about medicine and herbs and vaccines so she can make informed decision regarding her family's healthcare.
Let her study child development and parenting techniques.
Let her explore birthing methods and midwifery so she can deliver her babies without fear.
Let her learn accounting so she can manage the books and balance the budget.
If she learns all these things well, she'll enter motherhood well prepared, and if she never marries, she'll have more than enough tools in her box to "make it on her own."
A godly keeper of the home is vital to a healthy family, which is the fundamental building block in every society. Without strong families, everything falls apart. If we truly want to start reforming our culture, we have to:
"It's nice that you want to be a Mom, but it's just not realistic. Nowadays you need a degree is you want to be able to provide for yourself (which is not necessarily true)."
"It's so cute she wants to be a Mom. That'll change soon enough when she realizes how much work it takes!"
Imagine if virtuous wives weren't so hard to find! Boys would have to be men, and our culture, by God's grace, would be transformed from a familial wasteland where feminism runs amok, to a landscape of beautiful marriages and healthy homes that picture the love between Christ and His Bride.
It's never too early to start preparing our daughters for the glorious future God has in store for them! Currently, we're using The ABC's of Godly Girls Bible Curriculum by Lindsey Stromberg, designed for girls aged 4-11. You can read my full review here.
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