The Oakwood Cafe

I keep forgetting to take a picture of
my food before ripping into it; I
already ate the bacon because it is the
rules that you eat the bacon first.

One of my favourite things to go to in the summer in the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival and this year I'm part of a show. We rehearse pretty much right across from the Oakwood Café so I figured it was about time to check this one out since I've been passing it by pretty much weekly.

This one is probably better for lunch and breakfast - which they serve all day, but I ordered dinner because having a date night with yourself and eating eggs is somehow weirder to me than all of the other things that are weird that I do on my own. The server picked up pretty quick that I'd never been and pointed out that there was wine in addition to their cocktail menu. I ordered liver and onions because I am a weirdo who enjoys organ meat. It came with mashed potatoes and peas. The potatoes were done with the skins on, which I dig, but were kind of dry. They came with packets of butter on the side, so I guess this is something that the kitchen anticipates. The liver was just ordinary, breaded, with equally ordinary onions and a couple of super crispy strips of bacon on top. 

My meal, with the generic side dishes and breaded meat reminds me of something that I'd have at my mother's, which really means nothing to you, so I'll explain that my mother prepares super basic meals because she loathes making a mess to the point that cooking that causes any kind of splatter or potential spills is out. So, yeah, the liver was super hot and tasted good enough, but over all it's not something that you or I couldn't throw together with marginal cooking skills and no mess or hassle. Generally I try to avoid taking myself and ordering food that I could probably make myself, so maybe this one wasn't the best choice for a dinner date for one.

Best milkshake in the universe. Go
get one. If you are 18+. Please
drink responsibly. Or the serving
staff might judge.

They had a summer cocktail menu based on lemonade which was super fun and available virgin. I had a blueberry one at the suggestion of the server but didn't really notice much of a different from the strawberry gin one I had next. I do have to say they had super awesome milkshakes and there was a Black Russian version that I had and would definitely go back again for.

I really felt that the Oakwood was more of a family restaurant than a good place to go alone. Take some friends there for breakfast/lunch and I think you'd have a great time. I didn't really get to sample too much else since there weren't really small plates and I am not the kind of person, physically or financially, who can order more than one meal. So yeah, not great for one, especially if you're into the cocktails; the server, when running me through, awkwardly commented on the number of drinks I had (3) which I had to repeat to myself can't be that ludicrous since I had a full meal. But yeah, I guess you might stand out a bit if you try to do this one on your own, just a head's up.

Price: $$

Rating: *