A memorable lunch at historic location

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Riverview Cafe owner and chef Jason Dornbush serves a 'Morty Burger' (grilled bison burger) and a plate of 'Montreal Style Poutine.' (WAYNE GLOWACKI/ WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Dining Out

Riverview Cafe

5925 Highway No. 9

Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site

St. Andrews, 204-482-5253

Licensed

Wheelchair access

Forget spring -- we're almost into summer, and weeks past the onset of Winnipeggers' post-winter itch for out-of-town drives and restaurants. Myself among them, and what I'd had in mind while waiting for something close to seasonable weather was dinner at the Riverview Cafe. Dinner (according to their website) was served on weekends only, but the menu, although small, looked tempting, and the cafe's location at our magnificent Lower Fort Garry clinched it.

It wasn't to be. The first time I phoned for a reservation the entire cafe had been reserved for a special function. The second time turned out to be an absolutely miserable day, certainly not one for an out-of-town drive. Finally the weather forecast sounded great, but the fates really had it in for me -- when I called for a reservation I was told that the cafe had stopped serving dinners altogether. Apparently they were too busy with catered functions but, for what it's worth, they did say dinners would probably be resumed in the fall.

Which is why I ended up having lunch -- mostly a pretty good one, as it turned out, if not what I'd originally had in mind, and even though the weather forecast was wrong (it was close to freezing that day). Still, the drive is an easy one -- approximately 30 kilometres on a straight, unscenic route (unless you take the detour along the River Road). But the setting once you get there is charming. The cafe's modern decor doesn't mimic the fort's early 19th-century style, but it is attractive -- just simple dark wood panelling on the walls and ceiling, with a curved wall of windows that adds brightness to the interior, and affords magnificent views over a gorgeous green lawn, with glimpses of the river at the bottom.

Breakfast is served until noon -- eggs, mostly, with your choice of protein, pancakes (including one of wild rice and potato), and French toast ($3.50 to $8). But we had come for lunch, which consists mainly of sandwiches, burgers and wraps, priced from $7.50 to $9.50, and including a choice of soup, salad or fries.

There is a beef burger, but (given the historic location) it seemed only proper to opt for the bison burger, which turned out to be tasty and moist, on a whole wheat bun, garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion, aioli and Dijon mustard. Another good choice was the pressed panini layered with rosemary-seasoned chicken, feta, greens and roasted tomatoes.

The tourtière of pork and beef, with a savoury brown gravy, almost made it. In fact it would have been a winner if what had once been a perfectly nice crust hadn't been zapped to flab. The big disappointment though was the sandwich of grilled, locally smoked beef brisket, which held out the promise of meat that would be fatter, and therefore juicier and more flavourful than today's standard corned beef round. Unfortunately though, the brisket we got was desiccated into utterly juiceless shreds. Come to think of it, a North End-style corned beef sandwich would have been preferable, and almost as historic.

There were no other lapses. The soups were good -- the always available traditional pea soup, and a tasty chicken-asparagus du jour -- and so were both the lightly dressed caesar and house salads. The skinny fries were top-notch, but if you love poutine the Riverview's version alone might be worth the drive. For an extra $2 you can have it instead of one of the included sides, but if you're a real aficionado, you may opt for the huge, glorious and totally addictive mess of fries, gravy and Bothwell cheese curds for an a la carte $7.

Other lunch possibilities include chicken tenders, a roast turkey club or pulled maple pork sandwich, a vegetarian burger, and wraps of chicken (with beans, corn and three cheeses) or smoked beef (also with three cheeses and smokey chipotle pepper sauce).

There was only one dessert that day, labelled chocolate pudding, a misleading label since it evokes memories of the packaged, cornstarchy stuff, which didn't in the least resemble this mousse-like glory -- velvety, rich, very chocolatey and utterly irresistible.

Service was pleasant, albeit taxed, with only one server on the floor, but we were on a leisurely excursion and didn't mind lingering. However, access to the cafe might pose a problem for those in wheelchairs or for whom walking any distance can be a hardship. There is wheelchair access, but getting to it isn't easy

It can be a hike from the parking lot to the cafe, and although there is also a short driveway that allows cars to come closer for drop-offs or pick-ups, it doesn't go right up to the door. A gated road that leads to the cafe's rear entrance will be opened by arrangement, but you need to know about it to arrange it. The Riverview is attached to one of our country's great heritage sights, and in my humble opinion access ought to be made as easy as possible. For everybody.

Another problem is the highway signage. Not the cafe's fault, of course, but the signs indicating the Lower Fort Garry National Historic Side are small, drab and easy to miss. As we nearly did.

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

marion.warhaft@freepress.mb.ca

To see the location of this restaurant as well as others reviewed in the Winnipeg Free Press, please see the map below.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 27, 2011 D3