Downtown flips for Fairmont’s Backdoor Burger

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This article was published 28/05/2018 (3019 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“It’s a street vendor on steroids,” says John Giavedoni after chowing down on the Fairmont Winnipeg’s first Backdoor Burger noon-hour offering of the summer on May 24. Close to 250 hungry downtown workers descended from the towers and shops surrounding Portage and Main to get a taste.

“You get a healthy-sized burger, a good serving of fries, a pickle and a drink for $14 — more food than I usually want at lunch — but it was all just yummy!” said Giavedoni, who is head honcho of the Residents of The Exchange District. “Nice weather and a beautiful spot between the buildings — what could go wrong?”

The money from opening launch day went to Hospitality for the Homeless, in support of Siloam Mission.

“We love being a part of the downtown area this way,” says Fairmont marketing director Amy Palmquist. “It puts us a bit more into the everyday community.” Executive chef Tim Palmer, who grilled the burgers with exec-sous chef Richard Duncan, was spotted chatting up the customers.

Backdoor Burgers takes place all summer, every Thursday starting at 11:30 a.m., until the burgers run out. All gourmet burgers are named by the chef and Thursday’s will be the Curdfect Stranger — Angus beef, hickory sticks, cheese curds, poutine gravy, bacon, aioli sauce and lettuce.

TACO TUESDAYS: The Fairmont’s Backdoor Taco Tuesdays start Tuesday. Same idea, you get three fat tacos with fries or salad and a drink for $14. The taco fillings change every week. “It’s weather permitting and we do our best — even in light rain,” Palmquist says. Follow the Fairmont’s Twitter feed, @FairmontWpg, to keep track of weather cancellations.

JAMMIN’ AT X-CUES: Hot night? Yours truly checked out Thursday night’s jam at 551 Sargent Ave., hosted by Glenworth Williams. The ever-changing band welcomed a surprise visit from Tim Butler, who hosts his own jam night Wednesdays at the Anavets Rockwood at 341 Wilton St. With no hosting duties, Butler sat down and played every instrument on the stage — drums, keyboards, bass and guitar.

“I can also play trumpet, violin, tuba, french horn — and the penny whistle,” he said afterwards. “The penny whistle’s hard to learn. I scared away a lot of sheep doing that!”

Joining Butler onstage was sax player Douglas Wilson, bass player/keyboardist Henry Onwuchekwa and drummer Adekunle Adsanmi. Also spotted: Ian Cameron with his new trombone and Cynthia Faulkner of Rev. Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys.

Winnipeg’s casual music scene is starting to boom again, as it did in the 1960s and ’70s. Instead of teenage garage bands playing community clubs, it’s bars with jams open to anyone who can play.

RACETRACK EXCITEMENT: Want to give someone special a big thrill to celebrate their birthday, anniversary, engagement or graduation?

Live horse racing season is open at Assiniboia Downs and for $125 you can have one race to be named after them.

You lead your special person up to the winner’s circle when it’s racetime and they get to watch all the action up close.

After the horses come thundering down the home stretch and the winner is declared, your special friend presents the owner of the winning horse with the big prize.

A photographer takes pictures and the photo is mounted in a frame to take home for a lifetime keepsake.

Sheri Glendenning, simulcast and program director at the Downs, says you need to book a race presentation at least 72 hours ahead so they can get your name in the printed program.

Apart from the obvious birthday and anniversary surprises, brides have come in their wedding dresses and tiny babies have also had the honour of having a race named after them.

FLOWER CHILDREN COMING JUNE 2: If a perfect stranger offers you two beautiful carnations on Saturday, (or Sunday if it rains) they’re absolutely free, a gift from the heart, so accept them graciously.

Hennie Corrin, who believes in the healing power and the love of giving flowers to people — along with her gang of volunteers from the Floral Philanthropy group — is behind this.

They’re giving the second flower for you to give to someone else. “We have close to 100 volunteers to help and we’ll be giving out 10,000 carnations, “ Corrin says.

As a nurse, she is known to say, “A single flower can decrease blood pressure, heart rates and stress levels.”

So she and her troop of volunteers will be in places all over Winnipeg giving out carnations supplied for them by Petals West, as a real gift.

“We’ll be north, east, south and west and but we won’t be doing malls or The Forks although we will be at the train station near it.”

They’ll also be at places connected to the Health Sciences Centre.

Why does Corrin go to all this trouble? “It makes me happy,” she says simply.

During the rest of the year Floral Philanthropy — comprised of Corrin, Joyce Berry and Barry McArton and their volunteers — take away the beautiful flowers from the tables after big parties and galas in Winnipeg and take them to places where people will benefit.

They ask for a donation of at least $100 to Winnipeg Harvest from the party-giver to remove the flowers at the end of a function.

MURAL TOURS LAUNCH: The West End BIZ mural tour walks begin today and for $5, you can dazzle yourself and your guests.

There are several routes, choosing between close to 70 world-class murals.

You will visit about 15 murals on a two-hour walking-and-stopping tour. It can be shortened to address people’s individual needs.

Tour guide and raconteur Taryn Selch uncovers the stories behind the murals and answers your questions.

You’ll want to see Power Play — the mural that depicts the Winnipeg Jets returning to recapture excitement in the city.

“This year that mural is particularly special to people, given the success in the playoffs,” says Joe Kornelson of West End BIZ. Call 204-954-7900 for more info or see westendbiz.ca to book.

Got tips? Cool things happening in your world? Been rubbing shoulders with the stars> Email Maureen’s Tips at mscurf@shaw.ca.