Reading

Friday, September 20 marked the beginning of Winnipeg’s International Writers Festival, Thin Air.

Throughout the 8 days of Thin Air, writers from Canada and elsewhere come to read, lecture on, and talk about their books.  I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from three presenters.

1.  Shawna Dempsey & Lorri Millan.  Their stories of lesbian pirates and not-so-lonely lone rangers were exciting and emotional.  The pair shared their experiences working together; someone in the audience asked if ‘white-livered’ meant lesbian.

2.  Michel Cormier.  The CBC news correspondent spoke about writing his book, The Legacy of Tienanmen Square, while stationed in Beijing China.

3.  Jim Nason.  His latest book, I Thought I Would Be Happy, explores perspective through the view of an ophthalmologist, his lover/film noir expert, and an artist named Mya.

Wait…What does this have to do with Sandwiches?

Naturally, all this talk about reading and writing got me hungry.  So I set out to find the perfect Thin Air sandwich.

Prairie Ink is a cozy little restaurant inside McNally Robinson Booksellers, one venue for Thin Air events.  It’s also got some sandwiches worth reading about.  

Here’s what I got at Prairie Ink Restaurant and Bakery:

The Italian: Genoa, calabrese, prosciutto, fontina cheese, tomatoes, shaved red onions, lettuce, house ciabatta bun, garlic aioli.  $10.00

Impression: (Ultra-literary style) The thick ciabatta bun was soft and seductive.  It stood tall and proud, anxious to show what it held within.  The sensual threesome of Italian meats lay protected inside the bun’s embrace.  Their salt-slicked bodies slid against one another, wrapping around the pure cheese.  The smooth slice of fontina cheese was quivered as the meat held tight to it’s porcelain frame.  The tomatoes and onions lay just above the cheese, giving themselves to the crisp piece of lettuce.

What made it? Garlic Aioli.

Grab a sandwich at Prairie Ink this weekend and check out these speakers at McNally:

Afternoon Book Chats: Lauren Carter & Lucie Wilk
Friday, September 26 – 2:30 p.m.

“In thse striking debut novels, Lauren Carter sweeps us into a frightening near future of environmental collapse, and Lucie Wilk immerses us in a gritty hospital in Malawi.
Click here for details.”
– Thin Air

Here & There: Story Time – Marie-Louise Gay
Saturday, September 28 – 10:30 a.m.

“A new Stella and Sam book by Marie-Louise Gay is always a cause for celebration, and Read Me a Story, Stella has her signature wit and respect for a child’s imagination. Young book-lovers (and their families) are invited to join this internationally-beloved writer for a special story time.  Click here for details”
-Thin Air

Manypeople

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…

And my favourite: