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Marion Warhaft

About Marion Warhaft:

Marion Warhaft is the Free Press food critic.

  • Cauldron of delicious food marks New Year

    I thought I had it licked -- my annual hunt for a Chinese New Year's dinner, that is. This time I'd remembered that the lunar new year was coming up and, after checking to make sure of the date (it begins on Feb. 14), I started making phone calls only to end up having the same kind of trouble that I have every year. I started with Kum Koon, which is often the showplace for Chinese events, only to learn that yes, there would be special dinners, with entertainment as well, at $45 a person, but only on two specific nights and (a note for future reference) they had been sold out since Christmas. I tried Golden Terrace, which had taken pity on me last year and allowed me in at the last minute, and where I'd had a truly exciting meal, but (if I understood them correctly) there wouldn't be a special dinner this year.

    View Full Column | 5/02/2010 1:00 AM | 6

  • Right proper caff has Brit treasures, packed spot serves Greek pleasures

    Say the word ethnic, and most people will think of bargains, and will assume you mean the foods of Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia -- anywhere in the world but Britain. For me, though, ethnic food is whatever I didn't grow up on, and although it may not seem so to many, haggis, toad in the hole or steak and kidney pie are exotica to me. I love them, and one of their few local sources is The Brit Cafe, a bright and cheerful little place, with oilcloth on the tables and a map of Britain on one wall. It could pass for your typical British caff, although probably with significantly lower prices than you might have to pay in today's Britain.

    There's a little food market at one side that stocks a number of British imports, should you be longing for Marmite, or Bistro Chip Shop Curry or Branston Pickle. In the freezer there are pork and Scotch pies, black and white puddings, and a variety of sausages. Also English bacon -- a personal love that seems to have a milder, sweeter cure than our local varieties -- and when I see someone eating a bacon buttie on Coronation Street (one of my guilty pleasures) I want it. It is on the restaurant's menu ($5.95) but I bought some bacon from the freezer and made my own buttie at home -- sacrilegiously, but ecumenically delicious, with challah bread.

    View Full Column | 22/01/2010 1:00 AM | 2

  • Loaded with taste, easy on the wallet

    It's that time of year. The holiday bills are pouring in, the money is pouring out, but you still have to eat, and you want the best deals possible for what's left of your money. Which is why the next few columns will be devoted to bargains. Many of the consistently best buys are in Chinese restaurants, and this city -- as I have said, ad infinitum -- is blessed with an abundance of them. And one of the best is Southland, a big, rambling kind of place, with a nondescript decor accented here and there by Chinese artifacts, and an almost totally Chinese clientele who, unquestionably, know how to navigate the menu better than I do.

    View Full Column | 15/01/2010 1:00 AM | 0

  • Year in Review: Beautiful bites, hidden delights, culinary heights

    The restaurants that rack up stars for their entire performance -- those that make my list of best new restaurants of the year -- are the pick of the crop on an all-around basis. However, that kind of list makes it too easy to forget the many fine dishes that are served in less-celebrated places, often those with limited menus, limited seating and/or limited hours (phone first to be sure of them). Or which, for that matter, are out of town. Which is why I'm offering this reminder of some additional highlights of a very good year.  

    View Full Column | 8/01/2010 1:00 AM | 2

  • Divine dining

    There are good years and -- when I'm really lucky -- there are great years, and 2009 has been one of the greats. But although there seem to be more new high-end openings than ever before, those that merit my top five-star rating are few and far between, which makes this year's only five-star restaurant an easy choice for the most auspicious debut.  

    View Full Column | 31/12/2009 1:00 AM | 10

  • Ask, and you shall receive answers

    The most often-asked question of the year comes up every December, i.e. where to find dinner on Christmas Day, and it's the one for which I have the fewest answers. All I can ever offer are the same-old, same-olds -- the buffets in hotel dining rooms. To be filed for future reference, however, the one exception two years running has been Bobbie's (754 St. Mary's Rd.), which does a served-at-table turkey dinner. Other exceptions, of course, are some Asian restaurants, which (for those seeking sustenance after the night before) are also often open on New Year's Day. But other questions do come in throughout the year. Comments too, many of them from readers recommending their favourite sushi places. And even though my feeling is "enough already" (given the explosion of sushi everywhere), the number of recommendations for Wako Sushi Cafe is impressive.

    View Full Column | 24/12/2009 1:00 AM | 4

  • Lovely lunches provide winter oasis

    I was looking for an escape from the holiday rush, which in my case meant not a conventional meal in a conventional restaurant, but a relaxing little spot where I could nibble on several snacks, with mini glasses of wines to go with them. I'd remembered Mona Lisa's Cantina as a place that would fit that particular bill, and in many respects it still did... but with a difference. The entry -- via the patio where a series of sad-looking sofas have been exiled to frozen misery -- could be from a Guy Maddin movie. Were they the ones I'd remembered from indoors, a few years ago? I can't be sure, but within I did find that the snug little nooks had given way to one nook only, and that one with hard, high stools at high bar tables. Other seats were on chairs along the bar, or at two tiny tables smack up against the showcase, or on eight leather-like bucket chairs at, incomprehensibly, a single long glass table, which you'd have to share with whomever came along.

    View Full Column | 18/12/2009 1:00 AM | 3

  • Thank you, Thuan Kieu

    There's some confusion about this restaurant's name. On the take-out menu and in the Yellow Pages it is listed as Com Tam Thuan Kieu, but the sign on the side of the building just says Thuan Kieu. I don't know if Thuan Kieu has any specific meaning, but I do know that com tam refers to the cooked broken rice grains left over from the rice polishing process. It's a Vietnamese specialty and obviously a specialty (about which more later) of this house. The U-shaped dining room is functional but not spartan, with the cosiest area in one coral-coloured arm of the U. A no frills setting, obviously, but the smiling welcome, food that bursts with fresh flavours, exceptionally attractive presentation and a top price of $8.99 for most dishes (even those containing a dozen shrimp) make this place a keeper.

    View Full Column | 11/12/2009 1:00 AM | 2

  • Opa! Delish Greek dishes go beyond souvlaki

    Look at lists of local restaurants and you'll find many that are described as Greek. But read their menus and, as often as not, the Greek part amounts only to Greek salad and souvlaki -- on a platter or wrapped in a pita. And sometimes, if you're lucky, baklava. And whatever else they serve, for some mysterious reason, they often offer up some of the town's better burgers. Kristina's aims higher than most, starting with the decor. Soft lighting and white pillars that run the length of the room create a dreamy, almost serene ambience, which becomes considerably less serene when business becomes brisk, as it has been on my visits. The nicest tables are those along the wall of windows that overlook Corydon; if your visit is to be on a busy night, try to reserve one of those instead of one in the middle of the traffic lanes.

    View Full Column | 4/12/2009 1:00 AM | 0

  • Dramatic Lobby loud and mostly luscious

    The windowless main dining room -- the first room you see when entering the Lobby on York -- is carved into two concentric circles by a quirky curtain of brown fabric leaves, hung from the ceiling. The dramatic, darkly glowing decor -- brightened by crisp white table linens -- is a far cry from the light, airy ambiance of Dale and Barb Yuel's former venue, Tavern in the Park. The temptation is to nestle right in, but if you value conversation resist that temptation. It has to be said up front that the noise here is overwhelming, and diners who like talking to each other should ask for a table in one of the adjoining rooms, where dark aubergine walls and back-lit shoji-like panels frame a setting of almost Japanese spareness, and the decibel level is significantly lower.

    View Full Column | 27/11/2009 1:00 AM | 8

  • Asian Idol worthy of worship

    THOSE who don't keep track of the restaurant scene and turn up at the above address expecting to eat at Oceana will be in for a big surprise. Oceana is long gone, replaced by Idol Asian Cuisine, with a decor that is also totally different. Serene and understated, exemplifying a less-is­more philosophy, the walls of this long, windowless room are done in the palest of celadons, with even paler blue on the faux windows and the blond­est of wood trim. The only occasional spots of bright colour come from a few of the track lights.

    View Full Column | 20/11/2009 7:47 AM | 1

  • A sausage party and some Yiddish comfort

    Cured meats are like salted peanuts to me -- once I start eating them I have trouble stopping, which is why one part of me was dreading the visit to Sausage Makers Deli. The other part of me, however, couldn't wait to get there. For months I'd been clipping their ads from my neighbourhood weekly, with new and tantalizing temptations featured every week, challenging me to buy more than could possibly be good for me. But finally I took the plunge and drove out to just past the Nairn overpass, where the huge cow on the roof makes this house of treasures hard to miss.

    View Full Column | 13/11/2009 1:00 AM | 1

  • Who says brunch is a Sunday-only thing?

    I love brunch, but I also love long, leisurely Sunday mornings at home, when I can indulge in my personal addiction, i.e. a bunch of crossword puzzles, especially the big New York Times puzzle, which I now save from Saturday's Free Press to do on Sunday. But brunch doesn't have to mean Sunday, especially the kind of brunches I have in mind, the kind where I don't have to do any work at all. Like standing in line, for instance, although I'm always ready to make an exception for the Fort Garry's sumptuous spread. No, real luxury for me is sitting down and staying put, while somebody else does all the fetching and carrying, and there are such brunches to be had on days other than Sunday.

    View Full Column | 6/11/2009 1:00 AM | 3

  • Good looks will take you only so far

    Some come for the food. Some come for the bustling bar scene. And some come to ogle the pretty waitresses. Me? I came for the pumpkin pie, one of the pie loves of my life. I suppose it may appear on other menus at this time of year, but it if does I haven't found it, and although it isn't on Earl's permanent menu, it is a current special -- moist and seductive, with a crisp crust and spiced with just the right amount of cinnamon. My only quibble would be that I prefer mine warm instead of icy ($5). Well, actually, I had come for some other things as well. With memories dancing in my head of "a thick, tender pillow of rich beefy flavour" (to quote myself from six years ago) I was looking forward to another go at the 10-oz. New York strip loin. But memory was a not-so-sweet cheat. Although perfectly cooked and as rare as ordered, the steak I got this time was unchewably tough and sinewy throughout. It was impervious to the ordinary table knife provided, and even the steak knife I had to ask for couldn't make much more of a dent ($26).

    View Full Column | 30/10/2009 1:00 AM | 15

  • Vietnamese value and Asian fast food

    Two gilded laughing Buddhas face the entrance, flanked by a little shrine and a bamboo plant, a welcome suggestion of more space within than there actually is. There's seating for a mere 30, and the menu is tiny as well. Not only are its 80 items significantly fewer than those on most other Vietnamese menus, but a large proportion of those items aren't available. Tu Moi's menu, it turns out, is a holdover from the previous owner -- or, possibly, owners, since this place has had more turnovers than I can keep track of.

    View Full Column | 23/10/2009 1:00 AM | 0

  • New park eatery flexes its mussels

    The distance from parking lot to restaurant isn't daunting in itself, but it is long enough to be a challenge for women in high heels, or in such temperatures as 30 degrees, either plus or minus. The payoff will be worth it, in part because of Terrace Fifty-Five's serene, sylvan setting -- an elegantly understated room, with walls and ceiling almost entirely of glass. The views of the park are glorious, especially from the tables that overlook the terrace and pool -- a scene evocative of a world more gracious than the one most of us inhabit. The decor must have been freshened up since Tavern in the Park left this atmospheric old pavilion, but only those with sharp memories will notice any changes. On the plus side, a seemingly reduced noise level, and (no minor matter) particularly comfortable chairs; on the minus side, some heavy-looking curved leather booths, which to my eye are a dark intrusion in the airy lightness of the room. A minor point that most diners won't care about since the other part of the payoff is the food.

    View Full Column | 16/10/2009 1:00 AM | 2

  • Change brewing at only local tea room

    When I wrote in last week's column about foods with only a single local source I'd forgotten about Two A Tea, our one and only tea room. I'd reviewed it about a year and a half ago, in response to a reader who'd asked for a tea room recommendation, and I'm writing about it again now -- much sooner than I'd intended to -- because another reader informed me that there was a For Sale sign outside the building. She was concerned that the tea room was going to close, as in fact it will, but not until the building is sold. The reason? Not lack of business, apparently, but lack of stamina -- the owner is tired. Still, it hasn't been sold yet, and I've been told that it will remain open at least until Christmas, possibly a little longer, so those who are interested in having afternoon tea had better get it in soon.

    View Full Column | 9/10/2009 1:00 AM | 0

  • Dishin' on some fab Winnipeg dishes

    No matter how often I eat out -- and I eat out a lot -- there are certain foods I can never have. I wish, for instance, that we had a raw shellfish bar, and I'm still waiting for the arrival of such crazes as Brazilian skewered meats or pressed Cuban sandwiches. On the other hand I'm grateful that I don't have to deal with molecular gastronomy (I was always a dunce at science -- any science). Otherwise, though, there isn't much that isn't available here, and when asked to name a favourite restaurant I can't -- it might depend on my mood of the moment, and so many good ones spring to mind. Dozens of Asian restaurants, for instance, as well as several Italian and, increasingly, French choices, not to mention that catch-all category called eclectic or global cooking.

    View Full Column | 2/10/2009 1:00 AM | 4

  • Thai a ribbon around delicious St. Vital gift

    ‘So, what do you think?,” I asked my Asian maven, who was visiting from his home in Thailand, and with whom I had shared the many dishes that covered our table. And his answer was yes, the food was the real deal, that it had the textural contrasts, the clean, fresh flavours and the vibrant combinations of spices that typify genuine Thai cooking.

    View Full Column | 25/09/2009 1:00 AM | 4

  • No samosas, but you won't miss them a bit

    IF you're craving curry on Keewatin, keep your eyes peeled for the big Dairy Queen sign, the one just south of Inkster Boulevard. No, DQ hasn't suddenly gone multicultural, but -- since the addresses on Keewatin are as obscure as those on Pembina -- it will help you find Samosa Crown, which is located in the mall behind it. It's worth the hunt though, even if, oddly enough, not for the namesake samosas, which appear neither on the menu, nor on the buffet. With good rea­son, possibly -- they are available for the asking, but the ones we asked for had crusts that were thick and tough, and fillings that were flavourless. No, there are other attractions at this ap­pealing little place, which is simply but attractively decorated, with one wall of knotty pine, another painted pale olive green, and subdued lighting through­out.

    View Full Column | 18/09/2009 7:18 AM | 3

  • Once you find it, you'll never forget it

    If only all the Chinese restaurants on Pembina Highway were clustered closer together, we might have a vibrant second Chinatown -- one where the many restaurants that line the highway were within walking distance of each other, possibly with a few interesting Asian grocery stores thrown in. Ah well, an idle dream, I know, since even if they were all near each other, Pembina is hardly pedestrian-friendly, and we just have to be grateful that all those good restaurants do exist.

    View Full Column | 4/09/2009 1:00 AM | 0

  • Russian or Jewish, they're deli-cious

    When was the last time you bought pickles from a tub? Ever? Well, now you can, and they are big, crunchy and delicious, with the half-sour flavour of cukes that haven't been brined very long. You'll find them at the Russian Deli, a seemingly tiny place next to what once was Harman's drugstore. But there's more here than meets the eye from out front since it stretches into a sizable L-shaped area in the rear. That's where the shelves are stocked with innumerable jars and cans of East European goods, but they weren't what I had come for. No, what drew me were the freezers packed with several house-made preparations -- Russian-style, or (as the server called them, despite the name of the deli) Ukrainian. On the other hand, I wasn't quite sure what I had truly understood during our conversation.

    View Full Column | 28/08/2009 1:00 AM | 6

  • Popular Osborne spot a mixed bag

    We had agreed to meet at 11:30 a.m. for a meal that was to be part lunch, part brunch, but my friend -- who has been here before -- phones back to say that we should probably make it 11 a.m. The place is always packed early, she says, and after a few visits I find that she was right. On the other hand, the Oakwood does take reservations, and it's obviously a good idea for those who don't plan to lunch at 11 a.m. or dine at 4:30 p.m. It's a snug and attractive little place, with forest green the predominant colour, and a few fresh flowers on each table. It's hard to pin a label on it, but I suppose neighbourhood family restaurant would cover it. The all-day menu is one of those something-for-everyone affairs, offering straightforward renditions of traditional dishes.

    View Full Column | 21/08/2009 1:00 AM | 3

  • California dreamin' on Academy Road

    Arecurring question in my email asks, whatever happened to Enorae? I don't have the answer. I just don't know why that seemingly successful little restaurant vanished, and neither, apparently, did whoever answered the phone at Sushi California, the new tenants at that location. Coincidentally, there always were a few Japanese influences on Enorae's cuisine. Today's menu, though, is almost totally Japanese, with only a few Korean exceptions -- not surprisingly since the owners are also Korean.

    View Full Column | 31/07/2009 1:00 AM | 3

  • Two great new restaurants? Hot diggety dog!

    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.

    View Full Column | 24/07/2009 1:00 AM | 3

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