How to stay safe and still enjoy produce this summer with the outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite

Scores of people in the United States have been sickened by a parasite commonly linked to contaminated fresh produce that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea. But there are ways to protect yourself and still enjoy summer’s bounty of fruits and vegetables.

The exact source of one of the nation's largest outbreaks in years of cyclospora infections is still not known. And it can be hard to figure out what food sick people had in common because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that might be common in multiple recipes — like basil or cilantro.

Luckily cyclospora infections are generally treatable with antibiotics and rarely cause serious complications.

And there are ways to avoid getting it altogether.

Burger-slinger brings Minnedosa its own version of a sloppy classic

MINNEDOSA — It could have been his chili-smothered secret.

One of the first things Zac Easton did four years ago after he and his wife Cass became the latest set of owners of the Dari Isle Drive-In, a seasonal, 70-seat restaurant that has operated in Minnedosa since 1965, was introduce a fatboy hamburger to the menu.

The 31-year-old grew up in Westwood. As an homage to the burger haunts of his youth — iconic spots such as the Burger Place, Nick’s Inn and the Dairi-Wip Drive-in — he was excited to show off his version of the Greek-style favourite at their new premises.

The interesting thing was, many of the people from the southwestern Manitoba town didn’t have a clue what a fatboy was, and those who ordered it that first summer assumed it was the Eastons’ own creation.

California Democrat calls for Canada to end U.S. alcohol restrictions

WASHINGTON - A Democrat Senator from California wrote a letter to Premier Christine Fréchette asking Quebec to lift restrictions on the importation and sale of U.S. wine as the American bipartisan push against provincial alcohol bans grows.

"Canada's boycott of California wine is causing devastating harm to winegrowers," Adam Schiff wrote in a social media post Thursday, referencing a letter sent to Fréchette in June.

"I'm urging the Canadian government to recognize that California doesn’t agree with these tariff wars, to lift these restrictions, and increase consumer options to strengthen both our economies."

Several Canadian provincial liquor boards stopped purchasing American alcohol last year in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation.

Calgary café displaced by water pipe construction starts anew outside city

CROSSFIELD - For almost 30 years, Cathy Jacobs built up her Calgary coffee business, most recently serving java by Edworthy Park along the banks of the Bow River.

That was until the city's main water line broke, and municipal officials wrapped up and hauled away her shop — lock, stock and latte — plunking it down on wood blocks.

It now sits beside a dormant Oldsmobile in storage near her new coffee house, 50 kilometres away, across from lowing cattle beside dust-tailed trucks on a gravel road.

"You don't spend your life ... in one location for 28 years and suddenly you're not there anymore and not be affected by it," she said.

What's up: Beers & Braids, Heated Rivalry, weekend street party, rooftop concert

Beers & BraidsSookrams Brewing Co., 479-B Warsaw Ave.Book now for July 27, 7 p.m.Tickets $41.85 from beersandbraids.caTickets to this thrice-monthly event sell out quickly, so best get in there now if you’re a dad interested in learning how to plait a braid, twist and secure a ballet bun or create perfectly smooth and swinging high ponytails for your child.

Local makeup artist Ren Cherlet launched the classes early this spring after noticing single fathers in her circle were finding it difficult to do their daughters’ hair for extra-curricular activities.

For two hours, dads and/or father figures wield brushes alongside their brews as they tackle various hairstyles on mannequins. Each class at the brewery is capped at 20 people to ensure everyone gets enough time to learn and practise their newfound skills as Cherlet and her assistant walk around helping those who are struggling to master a specific style.

The sessions are so popular that next week’s class is sold out and there is currently a waitlist for the July 22 event. The ticket price includes one beverage. There are currently classes scheduled until November this year. Check the website for more information and event details.

Steinbach to be Jersey Mike’s local launch pad

Steinbach will be the ‘roll model’ for future local expansion when U.S. submarine sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s opens its first Manitoba location next week.

The grand opening for the restaurant at 17 Market Blvd. is July 15. Redberry Restaurants, the Mississauga, Ont.-based franchisee firm that’s brought the chain to Canada, plans to open “a couple” Jersey Mike’s shops in Winnipeg next year, a company executive said.

“As we hire more people — more managers, more staff members — Steinbach will become our centre for training and helping us grow in the province of Manitoba,” said Paul Pascal, vice-president of Jersey Mike’s Canada.

Founded in 1956 in the New Jersey borough of Point Pleasant under the name Mike’s Giant Submarine Shop, Jersey Mike’s now counts more than 3,200 restaurants around the world.

Tavern United closes downtown location

For the crowd leaving a sports event or concert in downtown Winnipeg, Tavern United was often a familiar stop across from Canada Life Centre. That longtime routine has now ended with the sports bar’s permanent closure.

The hot dog: We need to be frank about how German sausages became an American icon

Nineteenth-century Indiana passed some of the country's toughest “blue laws” to protect Sunday's rest and worship from alcohol and ... hot dogs?

But Indiana's push was noteworthy for another reason: It produced the country's earliest known use in print of the culinary term that now sits at the center of American culture. “Even the innocent wienerworst man will be barred from dispensing hot dog on the street corners,” the Evansville Courier & Press read on Sept. 14, 1884. Germans' weisswurst, bockwurst and blutwurst were becoming as American as baseball.

“Hot dogs become embedded in American culture,” says Bruce Kraig, author of “Hot Dog: A Global History.” “It becomes completely associated with ballparks by the 1890s."

The famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in New York tied them to the nation's birthday.

What's up: Summerween, Palette of Colour, When We Became Folk Fest, First Fridays, The Tallest Pop Up

Summerween at DalnavertDalnavert Museum, 61 Carlton St.Today to July 12Tickets $10-$69 at friendsofdalnavert.caGot any fun Summerween plans?

Haven’t heard of it? It’s the relatively recent cultural phenomenon in which Halloween lovers celebrate all things spooky in the summertime. Which makes sense, really; nothing like a well-timed crack of thunder during a ghost story.

Dalnavert is leaning into both the unofficial holiday and its designation as an “allegedly” haunted house and is hosting 10 days of Summerween programming, which kicks off today with Death at Dalnavert tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., exploring Victorian death customs, and Secrets & Spectres: A Dalnavert Mystery, a Victorian horror escape-room style experience, at 6:30 p.m.

Visitors can hear Tales of Victorian Madness (Saturday, 7-9 p.m.), featuring readings of Charlotte Perkins Stetson’s The Yellow Wallpaper and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat in the parlour with specialty cocktails. Or perhaps spend an evening Gossiping With Ghosts (Friday, July 10, 7-9 p.m.), using communication mediums favoured by the Victorians, or having Dinner with Drac (Sunday, July 12, 7-9 p.m.), a screening of the 1931’s Dracula with a corresponding three-course meal.

Enjoy a taste of the West End on weekly eatery tours

Winnipeg’s West End has a vibrant vibe all its own — and throughout the summer, people can explore the neighbourhood via organized tours that visit restaurants in the area.

Around the World in a Few Blocks, organized annually by West End BIZ, takes place every Thursday starting at 6 p.m.

The tour gives people a chance to learn about the businesses that make up the community and experience the history and cultures behind them.

“I think it’s great; it gets people out and supporting the community,” says Edelma Miranda, co-owner of Wall Street Slice.

Chips, rotisserie chickens and other foods go provincial sales tax-free in Manitoba

WINNIPEG - Manitoba is cutting its provincial sales tax on store-bought food starting today.

Most groceries are already tax-exempt, but the July 1 change means there will no longer be seven per cent PST charged on products such as chips, rotisserie chickens and baked goods.

The tax cut applies to food sold at grocery and convenience stores, but it's still charged at restaurants, bakeries and bars.

The NDP government says the change could save the average family $100 a year.

Whitemouth guest house’s weekly ’za nights prove popular

WHITEMOUTH — It’s a sunny Friday afternoon and Michel Dupas is busy stoking the fire inside Rusty’s glowing red maw. The outdoor pizza oven — named for its intentionally rustic construction — takes hours to reach the ideal internal temperature and customers could be arriving soon. Emphasis on could.

“You never really know who’s going to come,” shrugs Michel, who runs Moon Gate Guest House and its weekly pizza nights with his wife Jenny Dupas.

Moon Gate is a charming riverside bed and breakfast located off a gravel road 100 kilometres east of Winnipeg in the RM of Whitemouth.

When the couple purchased the property in 2009, it was home to little more than an aging farmhouse and an abandoned egg sorting facility. But the land had potential — and 400-amp electrical service.

Cheer on Canada with homemade offerings

Two weeks ago, we kicked off the World Cup of drinks with a roundup of wines made by visiting countries for this year’s big men’s soccer tournament. Last week we collected reviews of beers made by countries participating in the World Cup.

This week we turn our attention to drinks made by Canadian producers. It’s a cross-Canada roundup of both wines and beers stretching from coast to coast, with drinks in a range of styles and price points for all palates.

And as Canada advances to the World Cup knockout round for the first time, it’s a chance to raise a glass to the team — or, if soccer’s not your proverbial cup of tea, the opportunity to toast Canada on July 1. Products are listed from province of origin, from west to east.

Sourced from a single vineyard on the Naramata Bench near Penticton, the Moraine 2023 Estate Pinot Noir (Okanagan Valley, B.C. — $38.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) delivers aromas of bruised cherry, wet earth, violet, plum and cedar. It’s medium-bodied and dry, with deep, ripe cherry flavours coming with earthy, woody and blackberry notes, soft tannins and, at 14.5 per cent alcohol, a long and warm finish. Having spent 18 months in oak barrels before bottling, it trends more towards bigger, gutsier Sonoma County Pinot Noir than, say, Burgundy. Fans of the former style, take note — this is very well done. 4.5/5

Metro says ongoing strike in Laval, Que., will take a bite out of Q3 earnings

MONTREAL - Metro Inc. says the ongoing strike at its Laval, Que., fresh produce distribution centre is weighing on its third-quarter sales.

The grocer said its adjusted earnings per share is estimated to be between $1.22 and $1.27 for its third quarter, compared with $1.52 in the same quarter a year ago.

Metro said its food same-store sales for the first 14 weeks of its 16-week third quarter were down 1.5 per cent, compared to the corresponding weeks last year. 

The company has been incurring incremental costs from its contingency plan to keep fresh produce on store shelves as the strike drags on.

Manitoba eyes shrinkflation law, grocery store in downtown Winnipeg

WINNIPEG - Manitoba’s government says it is eyeing new rules to mandate unit pricing in grocery stores in order to shine a light on producers who reduce the size of a product while keeping the price the same.

The announcement follows the release of a study that analyzed grocery pricing in the province.

Finance Minister Adrien Sala told reporters on Monday that possible legislation would require grocers to establish standardized unit pricing so consumers can make better informed decisions. 

"This is about ensuring that Manitoba consumers can get as much information as they need," he said.