Winnipeg Free Press > Entertainment > Restaurant Reviews > Two great new restaurants? Hot diggety dog!

Restaurant Reviews

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Two great new restaurants? Hot diggety dog!

Choices go from fresh, organic fare to wild and crazy wieners

By: Marion Warhaft

24/07/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 3

Executive chef Jamie Koblanski.

Enlarge Image

Executive chef Jamie Koblanski. (KEN.GIGLIOTTI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

Beef tenderloin and salad is a standout dish at Grand Roots

Enlarge Image

Beef tenderloin and salad is a standout dish at Grand Roots (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

It shouldn't be possible to get lost while heading for the St. Norbert Arts Centre, in the ruins of the old Trappist monastery -- it's a simple right turn from Pembina, just before the bridge in St. Norbert, onto rue des Trappistes, which leads to it -- but somehow I manage to do so, at least once every three years, which seems to be the lifespan of the restaurants there.

The confusion stems from the fact that rue du Monastère (a cul de sac) comes first, after which rue des Trappists turns into a gravel road that seems to be leading into the land of nowhere, with no visible habitation on either side. However if you're alert you'll see a small sign directing you to the rue des Ruines du Monastère, an even more gravelly road, also with nothing else in sight. Don't panic. Just keep at it, and you'll get there, but don't stop at the first parking lot you come to, since a little farther on there's another one that's closer to Ground Roots, this year's delightful new patio restaurant.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Ground Roots Cafe, 100 rue des Ruines du Monastère, 275-0470

Dingo's Wild and Crazy Dogs, 791 Corydon Ave., 453-4848

The setting never changes -- the decor is just an idyllic clearing among the trees, sheltered by a tented canopy -- but the menus do. In the past there have been Greek and Caribbean specialties. This summer's offerings are less ethnic -- a few sandwiches, a bison burger, a couple of salads, and a four-entree dinner menu that is available at noon as well. Lunch and dinner are served from Wednesday to Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

I suspected I was in for a treat when, on my way in, some patrons on their way out volunteered the information that the food was delicious. As, in fact, most of it turned out to be, based on seasonal and whenever possible, local ingredients. The salads are based on organic greens -- grown just a few kilometres away -- in lovely dressings ($6). Have soup if the day is cool, or even if it's not -- my richly creamy corn chowder du jour, with chunks of potato, was marvellous ($5 large, $3 small). A choice of either is included with the dinner entrees, which is what we opted to lunch on one cool windy day.

Two of them were excellent: a beef tenderloin, which was as tender and flavourful as many I've had in some upscale city restaurants ($26) and the fish of that day -- sweet-fleshed, moist cod, simply but perfectly prepared ($16). Grilled chicken breast was dry, albeit in a tasty tarragon-scented wine sauce ($21), but the most disappointing was a vegetarian entrée based on portobello mushrooms, partly because the portobello part was so skimpy, partly because the other components -- the rice stuffing, quinoa and sautéed spinach -- didn't relate well to each other ($16).

Garnishes included garlic mashed potatoes or fries -- both good -- or plain rice. No desserts, other than Nucci's gelati on the day of my visit.

Service is charming, and endlessly helpful.

 

* * *

 

Hotdogs speak to me of summer as much as al fresco dining does, and although I love them, I rarely get a chance to review them. First, there's so little difference between most of them, and second, where they are served, they are usually listed under the children's menu, and there are always more challenging adult dishes to be judged.

So I was delighted when Dingo's Wild and Crazy Dogs turned up, with a menu of hotdogs only, and the wild and crazy toppings to go with them. There are 11 different versions, not counting the naked dog, or the one where you create your own combo topping, or the corn dog -- my first ever, and not a favourite, with a cornmeal coating that was too dry.

Some combinations are nothing short of bizarre -- peanut butter, strawberry jelly, fresh strawberries, crushed peanuts and Captain Crunch, for one. I can't say that the samurai appeals to me either -- wasabi and sesame mayo, pickled ginger, daikon, green onions and sesame seeds -- but maybe it tastes better than I think.

In any case, chacun à son gout, and the ones to my own gout were good. I liked the Slaw Dog Millionaire with chili, coleslaw and mustard; the Reuben with sauerkraut, mozzarella and a "secret" sauce; and the Godfather with pizza sauce, pepperoni, tomatoes, green peppers and mozzarella. But I loved the Baba, with its little chunks of potato-cheddar perogies, bacon, fried onions and sour cream, and the Canadian, with chili, bacon, cheddar, that "secret" sauce and Old Dutch potato chips. Mini dogs cost $2.50 each, double dog combos $4.50, and the super size $6.75.

Of course, one must have fries, and these are too sensational to miss -- on their own ($3.75), with gravy ($4.25), with chili or as poutine ($4.99 each), or as the meal-size Smothered -- a glorious mess of all the above plus mixed cheeses, green onions and sliced wieners ($5.99). For drinks there are milkshakes or floats ($3.99), Pic-a-Pop, Sprite and (for sentimentalists) Cokes in those curvy little glass bottles ($1.75 each).

The bright yellow and red decor is plain but cheerful. You serve yourself at the counter, and since there are only a few tables, the food is obviously intended mostly for takeout -- a pity, since a few tables on the sidewalk would be the perfect hotdog ambiance on a sunny day.

 

marion.warhaft@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 24, 2009 D3

3 Commentscomment icon

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Dingo's is classic bachelor fusion; recipes dreamed up by emptying the remains of the crisper and the fridge door. This is Winnipeg; you could eat some of the world's best perogies, or a reuben on their own, or make a pb&j at home- so why throw a hotdog into the mix? Paying money for this proves that there's one born every minute...and a redneck every two minutes.

For anyone who goes to the hotdog restaurant--I went there and tried the Samaurai hotdog (the one with wasabi, ginger, etc) and it was absolutely delicious!! It had the flavors of eating sushi minus the raw fish. My boyfriend also tried two other varieties and loved both of them. I really recommend this unique place.

I recommend you check out IN THE LINE UP. A number of tastes & choices to try.

The comment period for this story has ended.

Follow

  1. Breaking News Alerts

    Sign up for our new Breaking News Alerts

  2. Editor's Bulletin

    Sign up for daily bulletins

  3. Winnipeg road closures

    Check if your commute is affected

  4. Blogs to Watch

    We pick our favourite local blogs for you to follow

  5. Breaking News Widget

    Create and embed a Winnipeg Free Press breaking news widget on your site or blog

  6. Twitter

    Follow our reporters and news feeds on Twitter

letters

Make text: Larger | Smaller

Our Communities

Poll

Has the Fringe Festival become too big?

View Results

View Related Story

Events

July 30, 2010

View all Events

Gavins Chance for Change

Golf Tournament Fundraiser includes 18 holes of golf, cart, smokie or hamburger for lunch and banquet dinner. Registration at 8:30 a.m. Shotgun start at 10 a.m. ...

[ View Full Event information ]