Prairie Food Bytes
Saskatchewan's
Only Electronic Food & Wine News Source
Editor: CJ Katz
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Issue 16
Freehouse Summer Menu Features Yellow Roma Tomatoes
REGINA - This week the Cathedral Village Freehouse jumps into
summer with new menu items made with an unusual ingredient... yellow Roma
tomatoes. "These tomatoes are a brand new product to the Canadian market and
we've had them brought in exclusively for the Cathedral Freehouse and the
Spadina Freehouse in Saskatoon," says Matt Johnstone, chef at the
Freehouse. "To my knowledge, we are the only restaurant in Western Canada
to offer this type of ingredient on a large scale and we are extremely excited
about it."
According to Johnstone, these tomatoes have the same shape as traditional
Roma tomatoes only they are a bit sweeter. Next time you're at the
Freehouse, make sure you try the Golden Tomato Penne - tube pasta
smothered in a golden tomato sauce garnish with garden radish and fresh pea
shoots. Johnstone also recommends this dish as a compliment to the Fire
Roasted Wild Atlantic Salmon. Another item that uses these new tomatoes is
the Stuffed Chicken Supreme - a chicken breast stuffed with spiced apple,
apricot, ginger, smoked bacon, toasted pecans and served with roast pepper
mashed potatoes, pecan honey beans and a yellow tomato vinaigrette. If pizza is
your thing, venture out and try the Monterey Grill Pizza - pizza crust
topped with yellow tomato sauce, grilled peppers, zucchini, Spanish onion, spice
grilled chicken and Monterey Jack cheese.
Scouting Out the Best California has to Offer
REGINA - Speaking of new vegetables, Leo Pantel, Executive Chef at the
Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts was chosen among eight chefs in Western
Canada to fly to California next week to check out the produce fields and new
processing standards through Sysco International and the California
Produce Growers Association. Pantel will be touring strawberry and melon
operations and baby/field mixed lettuces as well as some other vegetable and
fruit programs. Prairie Food Bytes will be watching to see if he plans on
introducing Saskatchewan to some of the new fruit and vegetable products he'll
be sampling.
Sommelier Program
REGINA - Complete information
packages and registration forms are available on the upcoming sommelier program
that starts this fall. Don't miss out on taking part in this exciting program,
which will graduate 20 sommeliers for the first time in Saskatchewan next April.
For information, contact cjkatz@sasktel.net or
761-2032.
Wine List Serves up 15 Wines by the Glass
REGINA
- The Hotel Saskatchewan is catering to the baby-boom generation
as more and more of them abandon spirits in favour of more sophisticated wines.
This month, the hotel unveiled a new and extensive wine list featuring a
selection of 15 wines by the glass and the 1/2 litre. All come from well-known
wine houses including Mission Hill, Ernest and Julia Gallo (Turning Leaf),
Wolf Blass, Ecco Domani, Santa Rita, Lindeman's and Rosemount. For
between $4.50-$8.50 a glass, or $15-$28 for a 1/2 litre, you can enjoy
Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Sauvignon Blanc, White Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Shiraz, and Merlot.
And in the kitchen, Executive Chef David Flegel never seems to tire of coming
up with new and exciting menu items to tempt Regina's palate. Until mid-August
try his Smoked duck breast appetizer served with summer lentils and bell
peppers drizzled with an oolong tea vinaigrette, or the Pan-fried Cornish hen
breast on grilled stone fruit, red onion and pepper salad with
Balsamic-maple dressing. And bucking the usual mixed-grill trend of steak and
shrimp, Flegel has made an about face and created a summer grill of farm-raised
chicken, spicy Italian sausage, beef tenderloin and salmon. Sounds awesome.
And in case you didn't know it, the Hotel has traded in their dessert cart
for sporty large dinner plates featuring mouthwatering decadent desserts. Each
month, Pastry Chef Gilles Gobin will be creating three featured desserts to cap
off your evening. "All the desserts that we feature now are fresh, well-plated
and beautifully presented," says Gobin. This month try his Vanilla Panacotta
with Summer Berry Compote, Chocolate Ice Cream Vacherin and a
Lemon-Ginger Torte.
Don't Miss "Live in the District" Entertainment Festival
REGINA - "The second year of this festival promises to be bigger and
better than the first," says Grant Frew, Promotions Manager for
Bushwakkers. Held on Saturday, July 26th, eight venues within
Regina's Old Warehouse District will be showcasing live entertainment
particular to their style of restaurant or club. A huge tent will be set up
directly west of Manhattan's where people can enjoy a free preview of the
eight venue's evening entertainment. Various musical styles will be presented
including jazz, Celtic, rock, hip- hop dj's, rock-a-billy and blues. The first
show starts at 3:00 pm and the last show will finish at 9:00 pm.
The headlining group will be The Watchmen from Winnipeg. Pick up your
free passport at the tent and visit at least three of the eight venues that
evening. Collect your stamps at each venue and enter your passport in any
venue's draw drum to win a fabulous "Live in the District Grand Prize Package".
Check out the insert in the current Prairie Dog for more information.
Bites and Bytes
WINNIPEG - Owners of the Cathedral Village Freehouse (Regina) and
the Spadina Freehouse (Saskatoon) are opening their third location this
October in Winnipeg. Renovations are currently underway on the Osbourne
Village Freehouse. Also a sister restaurant to Bushwakkers Brew
Pub, it will feature Bushwakker brewed beer. Watch for further
details on the opening of the Osbourne Village Freehouse in upcoming
issues.
OTTAWA - Wondering where to eat in Regina? A recent article (July 5)
published in the Ottawa Citizen recommends The Diplomat Steakhouse,
The Mediterranean Bistro, Neo Japonica and The Creek in Cathedral
Bistro. Recommended night haunts were Bushwakkers with its single
malt menu, and lagers and ales brewed on the premises, and Habanos with
its martini and cigar bar.
REGINA - The Broadway Production of Miss Saigon will be on at the
Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts from July 29-Aug 3, 2003. Each night
will feature a pre-show buffet put on by Chef Pantel and his staff. Tickets
are still available.
REGINA - Bushwakkers has introduced a new Friday Happy Hour
Appetizer Menu. Each week will feature approximately five new appetizers
including shrimp flambées, pot-stickers and samosas.
To have food or wine information published or to subscribe to
this free service,
e-mail me at
cjkatz@sasktel.net.
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