Story

The inside of the small cafe on Osborne is bright and busy as guests sip tea and eat waffles. The tea is poured from small, clear teacups into brightly coloured cups while the waffles sit on electric-green plates that sparkle with specks of bright blue.

The smell of waffle batter crisping into a solid fills my nose and my mouth and lungs and my stomach. The clean scent of fresh fruit follows shortly after. A group of young girls sit around a table and giggle loudly between slurps of neon-colored bubble tea.

The energy of Tea Story is exciting. A woman with bright white teeth and a retro haircut behind the front counter smiles as she scoops chocolate ice cream onto a waffle.

She offers me a menu and promises to be there when I’m ready to order.

The menu was clear and uncomplicated. I started with a hefty strawberry-mango smoothie. Even the extra-thick straw had trouble sucking up the drink, but when I did manage to taste some, it was worth the effort.

Ten minutes after my order is placed the energetic woman with the sparkling teeth floats over to my table to apologize. They are out of batter and needed to make more. She apologizes again.

I tell her it was alright, ten minutes is really not that long. She apologizes again and drifts back to her spot behind the counter.

Ten minutes after that, she brings the waffle sandwich I ordered. Yes, a waffle sandwich.  As in a sandwich with two waffles instead of slices of bread. Waffles. Like, the breakfast food. Only this was for lunch. This is waffles for lunch but with sandwich filling between them. This is awesome.

Here’s what I had at Tea Story:

Spicy Cowboy: Grilled steak strips, mild cheddar, grilled red onions & mushrooms, romaine lettuce, spicy chipotle sauce. $9.59

Impressions: I don’t know if you noticed, but this sandwich is between two waffles. Objectively, that is awesome. However, the waffle wasn’t as crispy as I expected. It did little to hold the sandwich together and I was forced to eat the second half with a knife and fork. The strips of steak are thick and tender. So often with steak sandwiches the pieces slide out as you try and tear them with your teeth – these didn’t.

What made it? I’m a sucker for spicy chipotle sauce, and the one in this sandwich packed an especially powerful punch. The beautiful dark red sauce was thick and didn’t seep into the waffle and break it apart. It brought a smoky flavour to the steak that really insisted that this sandwich was, in now way, for breakfast.

Liondogs

My first experience at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was not what I expected.  Yes.  It was a film reel of award-winning advertisements, but:

I saw advertisements from years ago (apparently Winnipeg is behind the times).

I saw advertisements for Lady Gaga.

I bought a ticket in advance, but met no one who asked to see or rip or scan or look at it.

It was not what I expected.

Still, it was awesome.  The most talked about ad that night was Toshiba and Intel’s The Beauty Inside film.  Shown in approximately 4 000 episodes, the 10 000 minute film told the story of Alex, who wakes up in a new body every morning.

While the audience (including me) groaned before each new episode, I wondered how I’d feel if I saw this film somewhere else.  I wonder how I’d feel if I saw it at a movie theatre, or on YouTube.

I wonder how I’d feel if no one told me it was an ad.

Watch it, if you’ve got a free couple days, and let me know what you think of it.  Is it advertising?  Is it content?  Is it both?

Before the screening, I visited the Yellow Dog Tavern on Donald Street.  You should go.  Before anything.  After anything.  Whenever.

Here’s what I had at the Yellow Dog Tavern:

Philly Cheese Steak Panini:  steak strips grilled to perfection topped with sauteed onions, peppers, cheese & white wine peppercorn sauce on an Italian panini.  $11.00

Impressions:  Loaded with impressive chunks of steak.  I’ve found steak sandwiches to have either one long plank of meat resembling cardboard (Fox and Fiddle) OR a thin layer of shaved ‘steak.’  The Yellow Dog Tavern is leaps and bounds ahead of others I’ve had in the city. The sauteed onions and peppers were few but gave the sandwich a sweet crunch.  The sandwich comes with a choice of salad or homemade kettle-cooked potato chips.  Get the chips.  You also get a small cup of french onion dip, complete with sweet shreds of onion.

What made it? White wine peppercorn sauce.  This savoury and sweet sauce was the perfect creamy contrast to the crunchy bread.  Thicker than other peppercorn sauces, this brings the rest of the sandwich together perfectly.

Grilled

Grilled cheese’s remind me of lazy saturday afternoons.  Often, when I was younger, my dad would let me butter the sides while he flipped the sandwiches in the pan.  Later, we would eat and laugh at cartoons on the television.  I would lick my buttery fingers and pretend not to notice when my dad began to clean.  He would take the plates and the pan and scrub them clean while I stared at the television.

Sometimes he would ask me to help but I would only slump deep into the crevice of the couch and frown. He would finish cleaning.

When I grew older and learned to grill sandwiches on my own I would cook more than I needed, just to prove I could.  I would butter the bread and place it on the heat, admiring my courage.  I would lay slices of cheese along the soft faces of the bread and flip the sandwich carefully.  When they were done, if he was around, I’d offer extras to my dad.  We would eat and laugh at movies on the television.  He would take the plates and the pan and scrub them clean while I stared at the television.

If he wasn’t around, I’d leave them on the counter.

When I grew older still I decided that my dad’s grilled cheese was not the best I’d had.  He would offer me a sandwich and turn on a movie while I made faces and pushed away his cooking.

“That’s burnt,” I would tell him.  “That’s gross.”

“That’s barely cooked,” or “There’s not enough cheese.”

“I could make a better one,” or “Why do you even bother?”

I would leave and he would continue watching the movie and eating grilled cheeses alone.  Then he would take the plates and the pan and scrub them clean.

Now that I’ve grown just a little bit older I know this story is not about grilled cheese.  It’s not about a burnt sandwich or the best sandwich.  It’s not even really about me.  It’s about my dad’s consistent effort to spend time with me despite my self-centredness.

So, thank you, dad.

Also, thank you to Kristyn Howell and her blog post that challenged me to find ways to show my appreciation.

Here’s what I had at Kay’s Delicatessen:

Triple Decker Grilled Cheese: Our twist on a classic. Gouda and cheddar with a hint of roasted garlic puree (vegetarian). $6.00

Impressions: What a tall sandwich.  The picture may not do it justice, but this thing is big.  Layering the gouda and cheddar separately really emphasized the distinct flavour of each cheese.  I know the menu promised only a hint of garlic puree but I could have used more.  That being said, I would definitely recommend Kay’s on William Street.

What made it? Sourdough.  Every sandwich at Kay’s is available on harvest grain, marble rye, or sourdough bread.  Last week’s sandwich was on marble rye so I went with the sourdough.  Good choice, Jordan.  The three layers of the Triple Decker were thick and soft, with a crispy panini-pressed top and bottom.  The bread also absorbed the outside butter of the grilled cheese very well – my fingers stayed (pretty) clean.

Big

The Winnipeg Free Press News Café at 237 McDermott Ave. represents a major shift in the way newspapers are funded.  As classified ad revenues continue to decrease, newspapers are looking for new ways to not only generate money, but also reach their audience.

While the News Café offers a (rather small but awesome) menu of appetizers, soups, and sandwiches, it also hosts town halls, book launches, lectures and educational seminars, as well as live interviews with newsmakers.

When I was there, Tim Hague Sr. and Tim Hague Jr., the Winnipeg winners of Amazing Race Canada, were arriving and setting up for a filmed interview in the café.

Here’s what I got from the Winnipeg Free Press News Café

Cuban Sandwich: roasted pork loin and ham with pickles and swiss cheese on baguette.    $10.25

Impressions: The toasted bread balanced out the gooey filling of the sandwich.  It was also easy to get the teeth around which is a bonus for little-mouthed me.  There were generous amounts of tender pork, ham, and cheese.  Thick slices of pickles gave most bites an extra crunch.  I will definitely go back for this again.

What Made it? Mustard Seeds.  A layering of these tasty little buds sweetened up the sandwich in a way the old yellow stuff never could.

Don’t believe me? Here’s what other people are saying.

“The sandwiches are generally stellar” – Sir Omnyvore

“[The Pulled Pork Sandwich] was messy but very tasty. The sandwich came with a fresh green salad with a vinegary salad dressing. I would gladly return here for another meal and to hear an interview. Great idea Winnipeg Free Press!” – blacksadegirl

“I love their Manitoba Club ($9.95) Bothwell aged cheddar, Winkler bacon, chicken breast and vine ripened tomato and includes a mixed green salad or potato salad. Probably one of my favourite club sandwiches in the city – real cheddar, mayo and perfect bacon.” – Dineoutgal

The thin slices of flank steak were grilled perfectly and tasted of a delicious Asian-inspired marinade. [The Vietnamese Sandwich] was topped with a crunchy coleslaw that was dominated by cilantro (luckily I like cilantro).”

– slamb