downtown | Power Goes Out (to eat)

Sometimes, I hate everything I write. Sometimes, I will stare at my computer screen and choke.

I’ll look at my words and I will hate them.

And I will feel that hate burning and bubbling at the bottom of my throat.

I am a writer. I know this because I write. I know this because I’ve written. I know this because I plan to keep writing.

Still, sometimes, I will read a blog post or a headline or a story or a text message or a tweet and I will think:

This is bad.

I’ll look at my stupid words and I’ll tell myself that it’s not enough just to write.

I’ll tell myself that I have to be a good writer. I’ll tell myself that I am not a good writer. I’ll wonder if I’ll ever be a good writer.

I read this article on What Nobody Tells Young Creatives. For a moment, it made me feel better. For a moment, I convinced myself that recognizing my own bad writing was the first step in becoming a good writer.

Doubt has a way of dodging reason.

It can root deep in your thoughts despite Agency Post articles and despite improvement and despite advice and despite mentors and despite peers and despite support and despite success.

Maybe doubt lives here, in this creative world, and is a neighbour I’ll learn to deal with.

Maybe I’ll find motivation in doubt.

Or, maybe it will consume me and my fingers will paralyze, for the last time, just above the keyboard.

For now, I’ll keep writing.

I’m new, right? I’m young. I’m just starting out. That’s reason enough, right? That means I can stumble, right? That means I can write something bad and learn from it and not have it drag me down like I’m carrying every black and white page of terrible writing I’ve ever squeezed out of my hands, right?

The Pint opened a new Winnipeg location. It’s new. It has some wrinkles to iron, but I hope people will forgive it. I hope people will give it a chance to learn and improve.

After all, it’s only there to serve people.

Here’s what I had at The Pint:

Rocky Mountain Club: Grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, lettuce and maple mayo on fresh pretzel bread. 13.00

Impression: Classic clubhouse. The pretzel bread was soft and dense, a nice change from slices of toast. The sandwich, which includes a side, was enough to feed two people.

What made it? Maple mayo. One of my dinner buddies said she was expecting “more of a funky mayo.” I liked the subtlety of the maple. It wasn’t strong, but it gave the sandwich an earthy, rustic personality.

Special mention: Fries. Holy bajeezus those are some tasty fries.

If you haven’t been to ManyFest yet, go.

Why? Food Truck Wars. You can read about the whole event here, but I went only to visit some of Winnipeg’s best food trucks – all on one street.

So, if you haven’t been to ManyFest yet, go.

(Tonight is the last night)

Tickets could be purchased, for 2$, to try the sample item at each of the food trucks and then vote for the street food you liked best. I got to Broadway ready to eat. The plan was to try every sandwich-ish option available and write a comprehensive guide to eating at ManyFest.

So, I found the shortest line and began waiting in front of On A Roll Sandwich Truck.

Two hours and twenty-one minutes later I had a sandwich in my hand. An hour before that I had decided that visiting one food truck was enough. There were too many people at ManyFest.

There were only 12 trucks attempting to feed the thousands that visited the festival. Bartley Kives wrote a great piece for the Winnipeg Free Press about the laws limiting food trucks in Winnipeg that might explain the shortage of creative street food in the city.

Here’s what I got from On A Roll Sandwich Truck:

Caribbean Jerk Chicken: Marinated Jerk Chicken, bell peppers, sweet onion, mixed greens, avocado, tomato, & pineapple cream cheese on a toasted baguette. $9.00

Impressions: I’m not sure if it was because I ordered near the end of the night, but my sandwich had no avocados. But, supply shortage or forgetful chef, this sandwich rocked. The bread was toasted, but soft enough to keep the fillings inside and my hands clean. On A Roll wasn’t shy about their chicken, each bite was full of the chunky pieces.

What Made it? Pineapple cream cheese. This sweet and creamy spread balances the spiciness of the chicken. I’d probably enjoy a slice of old bread with that cream cheese.

Yes, I had two sandwiches.

Thai Shrimp Po Boy: Thai breaded shrimp served with tomato, coleslaw, sriracha mayo, & cilantro on a toasted baguette. $9.00

Impressions: Big Shrimp. Each half of the baguette housed four jumbo shrimp covered in a crispy deep-fried crust. The sriracha mayo was slightly disappointing – undetectable in the sandwich and heatless on its own. The cool coleslaw and sizzling shrimp made for some exciting bites. A Po Boy is a traditional Louisiana submarine sandwich.

What made it? Thai breading. Whatever Thai breading is, it’s good. The crunch gave a texture to the sandwich the Jerk Chicken couldn’t compare with.

Luckily, On A Roll managed to stay open past 7:30 pm. Some other trucks did not…