Running back to Saskatoon

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/09/2021 (1626 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So, Manitobans don’t always have the nicest things to say about our neighbours to the west — Saskatchewan.

It’s in good fun, though, mostly stemming from the rivarly between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders of course — but this is mostly Regina related.

Mixed in with all the jabs at the watermelon heads, however, I’ve consistently heard people rave about Saskatoon and claim it’s one of the most underrated cities in Canada.

So, since we’re in a global pandemic and this avid traveller can’t hop on a plane and head somewhere exotic, I figured it only made sense to make The Paris of the Prairies my summer getaway.

My partner and I arrived Friday afternoon and after settling into the Alt Hotel downtown (which has probably the most impressive hotel bathroom I’ve ever seen), we decided to explore the area and find a place to grab dinner. You can leave your car parked in the Alt’s underground parkade as there is a ton of options in walking distance. We opted to go for Saskatoon’s top-rated pizza joint, Thirteen Pies Pizza + Bar.

They have, obviously, 13 specialty pies to choose from, all boasting movie-themed names such as “The Pies Have Eyes” and “The Killer Cheese from Outer Space.” The movie theme comes from the fact that inside the restaurant, there’s always a classic movie being projected onto a wall for pizza eaters to watch, or not watch, while diving into their zah.

No offence to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but the only thing that had my attention was my pizza — The Hitchcock — featuring BBQ chicken, red onion, provolone, mozzarella, and white sauce. I’ve had my fair share of slices from numerous spots across Winnipeg and I can confidently say Thirteen Pies is right up there with your favourite River City pizza joint. It might even be better, to be honest.

But a vacation isn’t a vacation without dessert. Also with it being COVID times we couldn’t exactly get the full Saskatoon nightlife experience, so instead, we were on a mission to find the best ice cream in town.

Well, mission accomplished, thanks to Chardon Ice Cream.

There’s nothing fancy about this place as it’s literally just a small shack in the middle of a strip mall parking lot, but that doesn’t stop dozens of people from lining up for their exceptional toasted coconut dipped ice cream. It’s only a 12 minute drive from downtown Saskatoon and after you get your toasted coconut dip (no seriously, don’t even bother reading the menu. Get the toasted coconut dip. You’ll thank me later!), you can cross the street and go for a stroll through Lakeview Park.

On Saturday, we woke up early and walked roughly five minutes to the Downtown Market Square for the Community Farmer’s Market which has everything from baked goodies (hello Saskatoon berry pie), fresh produce, house decor, clothing, and more. From there, we made our way down to the River Landing which made for a perfect morning walk and will immediately answer why Saskatoon’s other nickname is The City of Bridges.

After getting our steps in, we grabbed lunch from Bannock Express where they make incredible homemade burgers on fresh, you guessed it, bannock, before heading to Crossmount Cider Company (CCC) for an afternoon tour and tasting. Despite being less than 15 minutes away from the Alt Hotel, CCC makes you feel far removed from a big city as its a beautiful, quiet property that overlooks a natural pond and their apple orchard which includes 1500 trees with a wide range of apple varieties that are bred on the prairies. Our guide Tanner took us on a tour of the facility and broke down everything that goes into their cider-making process. From how they grow the trees, the measures they take to prevent gophers (this is Saskatchewan after all) from damaging the orchard, what goes into the fermentation and maturation of the cider, the canning process, and everything in between, the 40-minute tour (which costs $20 a person) covers all the bases and is capped off with the best part of all — a tasting. You’re given a flight of five ciders to try on their scenic patio. If you’re hungry, there’s a cafe on site as well.

After heading back downtown, the decision for dinner was an easy one: Dylan and Cam’s tacos at Shelter Brewing Company. Two of my favourite things in this world are beer and tacos and Shelter is the best place in town for both. Starting with the tacos, they’re easily the best I’ve had in the prairies (sorry Winnipeg but we need to step up our taco game). I tried Shelter’s beef, taco and pork tacos and all three of them were juicy, savoury, and full of flavour, but the birria (beef braised in mild chiles) took the crown. They’re even better considering you can wash them down with a top notch beer, or two, or even three. It’s only a five minute walk from the Alt afterall. You’re gonna want to try as many as you can so go for a flight and on the way out, buy some cans of your favourite brew to take home.

We made the drive back to Winnipeg on Sunday, but before we loaded up the car we walked over the Broadway Bridge to get to Broadway Ave to do some shopping and have brunch at an old school diner called the Broadway Cafe (not everything in Saskatoon is named Broadway I swear). Broadway Ave is like Osborne Village in its prime — filled with specialty shops, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and local artists. Just like Saskatoon itself, it has something for everyone and is a must-visit on your trip.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: TaylorAllen31