The Palm Lounge

Oooooh, ahhhh.

I've been relatively recently renovicted from my Osborne/Corydon area apartment and thus find myself downtown a lot more these days. It's a bit a of a re-adjust since a lot of my go-to's for after-work dinner dates were along Osborne or Corydon. But then, I remembered the place I usually stop after getting my hair did because it's just down the street, which is also downtown and also super convenient for one.

If you're out alone and want to blend in while having a schmancy meal, a hotel bar is actually a really good place to do it. The Palm Lounge is one of the classier places that I've sat at a bar; the live music thing happens most evenings and makes it feel like you're doing something more significant than just drinking alone, although here that's a really normal thing to be doing since you're essentially in a hotel lobby. If you dress nice, maybe people will think you're successful or something and on a business trip. That's what I tell myself and it makes me feel important. The bartender also recognized me even though I haven't been by in a few months, so that definitely worked with my sense of self-importance.

The appetizers here are too pricey to really do more that one, but the entrées are a little more reasonable. In any case, I appreciate a good cheese board, so that's what I did.It was a nice mild to medium selection with both hard and soft cheeses that came with fresh figs, strawberries, dried berries  and apricots, grapes, and nuts. Everything went together really well, unlike some accoutrements out there.

Yes, this is now irrelevant, but I
was just excited that I'm not the only
freak who likes to mix iced tea with
her gin.

Now, I took down notes for this in the summer (yes, I put off writing this one for way too long) so I had the summeriest cocktail (cucumber, elderflower, and prosecco) but really wine is the thing you're supposed to do with cheese, otherwise they kill you. I think. Anyway, my bartender did a mini wine-tasting for me which was SUPER awesome. Not just because, cool, free wine, but she was busy AF because a couple wedding parties had stumbled in. She still somehow found the time to chat with me about cheese (they were from Quebec <3 For some reason, I have really enjoyed Quebecois cheese whenever it comes up), recommend wines (New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc  makes me happier than any other Sauvingnon Blanc, it seems), and have a quick discussion about how diversity in the workplace cuts down on employee harassment in the hospitality industry sometimes (at least, that's the conclusion we came to about both The Palm Lounge and the restaurant that I work at on the weekends).

If you aren't super into eating whole chunks of dairy fat like me, the shrimp dumplings are steamed and will make you look healthier and worldlier since they come with chopsticks, and you can show off your skills (or lack thereof) with alternate eating utensils.

Anyway, if you find yourself downtown and want to go out alone, this one is definitely a prime spot, being in a hotel. They are probably super used to serving single guests as well as people who are in a rush. So if you don't want to spend too much time sitting alone, you don't have to. But, for the same reason, you can kind of chill as long as you like and just pretend you have nothing better to do for the rest of the night than hang out listening to lounge music. Classic.

Price: $$$

Rating **

Enoteca

The view from my bar stool left
something to be desired.

People often ask me if it feels awkward going out alone. For the first time I can honestly say 'sometimes;' entering this restaurant is so weird and the opposite of subtle. You sort of fall through a foyer of curtains right into the centre of the room where you have to stand like an idiot, waiting to be seated. Enoteca is a super small place, so my seating options were limited since I didn't think to make a reso for one on a Wednesday night. I don't find this place to have the same friendly vibe as some of my other favourites and my server seemed to think that I didn't understand what tapas was... but not in a inclusive kind of 'let me help you with this method of dining' kind of customer service that I've sometimes got. Overall, my whole date was off to a deeply uncomfortable start and didn't immediately improve; there was no where for me to put my purse since the bar stools had no backs and I couldn't see any wall hooks. After struggling with the 20,000 league distance between my seat and the floor where my bag was stowed all evening, I did discover the coat-hooks... around the corner and, uh, conveniently located just outside the washrooms. The whole set up of this restaurant is pretty weird; I suspect that the space was used for something dramatically different before it became a tapas place.

Anyway, general discomfort aside, I rather liked the wine menu. Not so much for the specific contents, but I really dug that there were 3oz glass options; I asked the server to follow her heart and just make up some pairings for whatever dish was coming out, which isn't a thing I could probably do with a larger glass size. I mean, I could, but I'd be highly unlikely to remember what I thought of the food or drink when I was finished with the evening. It was a nice way to sample a variety and stay sober-ish, which might be a particularly good thing if you're the kind of person who might drive out to this one. I was only given the wine menu, but I did see beer and spirits up on the wall, so I assume those are options as well.

I followed my tradition of trying the beef tartare. I wasn't a huge fan of how bits of it were 'deconstructed' since it made it hard to kind of put flavours together in a way I might have if the yogurt wasn't a hundred miles from the rest of the dish BUT there was foie gras included with the dish, as opposed to an add-on, which made my day. I think foie gras is one of the most f***ing decadent things that you can eat with tartare, and I liked that the chefs here were inclined to agree with me.

The cauliflower dish I had was so rich and amazing that I understood for a second how it might be possible to consider vegetarianism as a viable lifestyle choice. I didn't love the sablefish, however, as much as the price-tag suggested that I might. In general, I did find that the cost here got in the way of giving this restaurant a really thorough review; there was a huge variety of things I'd love to have tried, but eating more than I did would have been financially impossible. I get that pretty much all the restaurants I review on here are pretty pricey, but this one I really noticed even before I received the final cheque.

Price: $$$
Rating: *½

The Roost

So, even when doing something for fun, like writing reviews for your totally hip blog, motivation can be a tricky thing. Because, you know, watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and eating popcorn is way easier than trying to be witty, in print, for a small group of people who may or may not care if I post a new thingy about how I feel when I eat at places alone in Winnipeg. ANYWAY, I work at a restaurant/dining corporation that does weddings and such as a second job and the other night, which banquet serving and feeling generally menial, one of my bosses/owners said that he'd read my blog AND HE LIKED IT; thought it was well-written n shit. Well then, if an industry professional thinks this is fun to read, then IT MUST BE SO. Anyway, with renewed enthusiasm, I present to you my latest dining adventures.

Yup, it's not the poor lighting, that
there is popcorn. Don't get me
wrong, popcorn is my favourite
vegetable, but not in this context.

The Roost is a tiny, especially if you have to exclude patio seating due to weather. It's also a walk-up, so be careful you don't miss the door entirely; I may have been known to walk past the place once or twice while looking for it. I've had trouble getting in in the past, but today was my day. The food menu here is, in my opinion, a little too small but it is an allergists delight; with all their vegan, vegetarian, gluten, and dairy free options, every food sensitivity (both real and imagined) can be accommodated here. The seating seems to be set up to allow for socializing, but it is certainly not an awkward space for one (providing that have a spare seat to give you).

The most user-friendly drink menu in this city. It even has a
pictorial guide so there are zero surprises when your beverage
arrives.

I ordered the mushrooms on toast which was super delicious for something that sounds like what university students eat for dinner instead of a real meal. It had a whipped goat cheese on it that reminded me of a Segovia dish I once loved but, alas, no longer exists. The main part of the dishes here are generally very good, save the ridiculously salty scallops I had, but the accouterments range from bland to baffling. I don't know what I expected the popcorn grits to be, but it was literally popped corn on grits. It was weird to me and not particularly tasty, so I could have gone without. Although I do enjoy eating weird things, it has to be pretty delicious if I'm going to do it. Speaking of delicious, the brussel sprouts made my day in a way that vegan food rarely does. At least I assume it was vegan since the menu called the sauce a 'cheese' sauce. I don't really want to know what it was made from, since I generally prefer my cheese to be coming from a quadruped and don't think we need to get inventive with the stuff. BUT if you're not into animal products, this'll work for you.

The only surprise you might
experience with your beverage is
how beautiful it looks

The cocktail menu is arranged from easiest drinking to the harder stuff, which is really handy if you don't know what to drink specifically. There's some pretty imaginative stuff: the rooibos tea cocktail with a cake pop reminded me of something Starbucks would have if it was a bar and the Dangeroost is dangerous indeed. I definitely enjoyed this place more for the cocktails than the menu. I think it's because I really like eating animal products; I'm kind of an economic vegetarian when I'm preparing my own meals, so I like to indulge when I take myself out. BUT, if you're not into eating animals, I think this would be a pretty cool hangout for you; a lot of schmancy date places tend not to have vegan-friendly options (especially plural 'options,' avec un 's') so this will definitely meet the coolness of both your style and dietary needs.

Price $$$
Rating: *½

Mon Ami Louis

Quantity over quality, I feel.

I don't usually want to start off a review comparing a restaurant with 'how it used to be' because that'a not terribly useful since both you and I, dear solo diners, have yet to master the art and science of time travel. Unfortunately, that is all that I could think during my recent foray to Mon Ami Louis. I last visited a couple years ago and really missed the duck-fat fried fries, savoury crepes, and all the things that kind of made it chic and French. As it is now, I found the sharing plates on the menu sounded pretty uninteresting. While I appreciated that there was both a large and small options for charcuterie, the impressiveness was a resounding 'meh.' My super cool server asked which was my favourite bit and I honestly couldn't tell him, it was all so unremarkable. Probably just the strawberries, which were a garnish. I think. I found the inclusion of strawberries as a compliment to the charcuterie to be weird. Is that weird? I thought that it was.

Mmmm... Caribou...

The cocktail menu has some local culture infused into it (Festival-famous Caribou and maple ingredients as well as two drinks named after our provincial founder) as well as some inventive sangria options although none of the ones I tried really stood out as excellent. There were some local beers available, but I thought I'd get a glass of wine since I'm not super into beer. The menu didn't state what the South African blend was a blend of, so I asked. The server said he'd check and then some strange bloke in a suit (the owner? He was shuffling around kind of poking at everything when I came in, so I assume he was doing some kind of supervision) came to talk to me about what was in it. Except that he didn't know either and I didn't understand why no one thought to just check the bottle or box or whatever. It felt like entirely too much of a production to find out what this wine was made out of. Strange Suit Guy finally brought me the bottle so that I could read it and find out what the blend was myself which, again, really seemed unnecessary. I finally read it off the label in a fairly easy way that probably didn't require three people to do and yes, after all that, I have forgotten what grape varietals were in the bottle. The experience of getting it was so much more memorable than the wine itself, so I figure it wasn't great.

Wish I was sitting at the bar
there...

Unlike the cocktail menu, the menu menu doesn't feature a lot of local flavour; there is one appetizer with pickerel and the rest of the entrees are chicken, tuna, and something with lobster that I passed on. I figured I had to base my review on more than an unremarkable charcuterie and a South African mystery wine, so I ordered a 'traditional' tarte flambée, which it turns out is just a pizza. Why can't we all just call a pizza a pizza? Is this some kind of contemporary restaurant taboo? Speaking of taboo, is there something wrong with putting salt and pepper shakers on the table? It seems that whenever I need some, it's never there, and Mon Ami Louis followed the rule accordingly.

The glare from the lighting
prevents me from showing you the
best part of the restaurant.

I can't say I really recommend this one for solo dining. While the view was amazing, this is the first establishment I've been to that gave me a garbage seat (awkward corner by the washrooms; it was so bad that the hostess apologized even before bringing me there) potentially because I was alone; the place wasn't hopping so I couldn't really see any justification for hiding me out of the way like that. I only hope that they don't make 'real' patrons sit there. Also, the wi-fi they've got is not for patron use, so you may need to bring a book or something while you wait for your food. Clearly, the ambiance for me wasn't stellar, but in general, they have retained the neon red lights from when it used to be a Sals, so there's this weird kind of diner feel layered on top of the chic French-ness that they are trying to go for.

Now, while I didn't have a great experience, one thing that was great was my server. What I've noticed since starting this venture is that even the most mediocre restaurant can have the most amazing staff; I have yet to go to a place with terrible service. Even places that I have found truly awful in terms of menu, et cetera, have the friendliest and most competent staff. I'm not sure if this is because we live in Friendly Manitoba, because the post-recession job market makes serving super competitive, or if it's just that my wait staff feels sorry for my because I'm sitting all by myself, but I appreciate having a rapport with the person serving me. It reinforces that dating yourself is not as lonely as people assume.

Price: $$
Rating: *

Sous Sol

I have a habit of writing my reviews in notebooks and then misplacing said notebooks. So, while I wait for my review of The Roost to turn up, I'll fall back on one of my absolute favourite, never-fail solo-dates.

When I say 'never-fail,' I of course mean that if you,re solo-dating at a very specific time on the weekend since Sous Sol is only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and even then is occasionally too packed during peak hours to even cram in one more. But, when you do snag a seat, I think you will get the 'never-fail' declaration I have previously made. I hear from some people that they're kind of shy to just go out alone in public and do their thing. If that's how you feel, the dark, intimate seating at this place means that it's entirely likely that no one other than your waiter will know that you're too cool to go out with other people.

The candelabras here are too hip
to burst into a chorus of 'Be Our
Guest'

One of the reasons I like going out to Sous Sol is because it is totally too cool in here; the super-secret-basement-restaurant, as I like to call it (there's no store-front and only fluent Seinfeld viewers will get the pseudonym printed on the door to the building and name of the wi-fi), with it's small pile of candle lighting the place, makes me feel like I am doing something super special. Speaking of super special, the drink menu makes me so happy that I may have, on more than one occasion, made a marriage proposal to the bartender (no, I wasn't drunk - yet). Rencontrer dans le Jardin is what God drinks at garden parties and although nominally for two, I promise that you can and should order it for yourself (it totals 3 oz. of booze, so if you're there for food as well and don't just chug it and dash, you won't be a weird, trashy, lonely drunk). One of the reasons I really dig this cocktail is you sweeten it yourself and with the basil, cucumber and lavender it, I don't know... feels like your drinking a salad. Which sounds weird and maybe unappetizing, but I love it and you'll see what I mean when you try it.

Pictured: three components of the
best damn cocktail ever that you
may also find in your Nan's china
cabinet. Also, a glass of water.

I also had the Dill We Meet Again which is another great cocktail for those of you who may lean towards savoury things more than sweet, as I do. I thought it went super well with my tartare which, this week, was venison. For a few bucks extra, you can upgrade from beef to whatever cool alternative they have going; I have had the privilege of sampling ostrich, elk, and horse, which in addition to being awesome made me feel like a Khaleesi. Another indulgent add-on to the tartare that your server might recommend is foie gras; follow his advice, he knows what he's talking about and if you're the type to eat raw meat, I feel you're the type to not be squeamish over foie gras. Since we're talking about foods that make some people squeamish, the escargot I had did not blow me away, but the fried zucchini blossom totally made up for is as well as the cucumber salad which had hazelnuts, dill, chevre, pickled tomato, and love. Sous Sol makes eating vegetables way more fun than when I try to prepare them at home.

I was a little disappointed that all the wines available by the glass were French save one Australian Shiraz, but I suppose that I don't really need regional variety on my wine list when the cocktail menu is this good.

Anyway, next time you feel like sneaking off Prohibition-style on the weekend to a literal underground place with with a great variety of small plates, sneak over to Sous Sol where you're very likely to meet your new favourite cocktail. And maybe me; I'm the one in the corner, in a blazer, sipping my booze from a teacup.

Price: $$$
Rating: ***

Teo's/Mano a Mano

Drinking my cool drink in a cool
mason jar on a cool patio on a hot
evening

Since the weather quickly went frigid this weekend, I felt I should quickly pump out a couple of my dates that feature a patio in some way before they're completely irrelevant. I've noticed, actually, that quite a few places I've visited in town only really have their patio going for them; I suppose we're willing to suffer mediocre dining if it means we can spend some time outside during our gloriously short patio-season.  

Teo's fits that bill pretty well. Or is it Mano a Mano? I'm still a little confused as to why this bar/restaurant has two names. It seems that the kitchen itself has a specific name? I don't understand; it baffles me and I spent way to much time thinking about this as I sat on their sidewalk patio (with loads of solo seating). Actually, I wish more places in town had patios like this; I've seen a lot more in more pedestrian friendly parts of other cities like Montreal.

Pictured: Summer in a glass AKA
Gadda da Vida

Fortunately for me, Teo's (AKA Mano a Mano) stays open late if there's business to be had; it can be bloody hard to find a place open past nine on a Monday (because Winnipeg is a swinging, party town) and sometimes my date nights to myself start late. Although be aware that once the street lights snap on, it can kind of kill the ambiance. I found that this is another one of those establishments that is really more of a solo drink place than a solo meal place; there's some creative cocktails but the food is pretty ordinary. The sauce and pasta are nothing special and a lot of the fried things I ordered were rather bland. I was a huge fan though of the cauliflower in the Fritto Misto, if the whole dish was like that, we might be ok. The seafood, however, was fairly tasteless and the zucchini could have been 76% crispier. NB: The appetizers here are massive. you will likely only need one. I wanted to sample a couple of things for a more varied review and ended up taking a ton of it home. I wanted to give the antipasto a try, but it wasn't on the late night menu (remember, 9:30 on a Monday is 'late night' in Winnipeg).

Checking out Teo' bar; not to be
confused with the Mano a Mano
kitchen

There's a chalkboard along the sidewalk that stated there were both food and drink specials available although I never did hear what either of them were and water wasn't provided even though it was crazy hot out at the time. It would have been nice to have had some, but no one else on the patio seemed to have a water glass either, so perhaps pure alcohol is the custom on this one. The server's suggestion for said alcohol, Gadda da Vida, was pretty much summer in a glass and helped cut the heat almost as well as H2O might have. The cocktails here generally did it for me; 2 oz, girly, but not crazy sweet. I get the feeling that this patio might be a better pre/post meal/outing kind of place to hang, especially after having the starchy, tasteless Arancinis which, to their credit were at least satisfyingly hot and crunchy.

I feel if you're not too adventurous palate-wise, this might be the kind of place for you. I found the food boring although it was rather inoffensive and the drinks were just fine. Since Winnipeg nights are going to be cooler and kick in sooner each and every day, you may want to hold off on this one for next summer so that you can enjoy the patio later on a weeknight, if that's your kind of self-date.

Price: $$$
Rating: *

Peasant Cookery

While the bartender may not know
your name, she is unlikely to look
at you like you're a loser because
you're eating alone in the lounge.

If I'm going to keep going with my Exchange District theme, it would be silly to wait any longer to write about Peasant Cookery. Their patio is a nice alternative to the one at King's head; you can feel a little fancier and you can still see what's going on in Old Market Square, if there's something going on in Old Market Square.

Because of the patio/lounge seating and the small plates, I've come here a few times on my own; the servers always make me feel normal eating en seule and give me excellent service every time. However, I feel that the menu is getting kind of tired. Maybe I'm just there at the wrong times; the menu has got a date on it, so I assume there's some variation, but whenever I go I don't really see new items. The day I went I was dying for a cheese platter for some reason, but I didn't see it on the menu. A friend of mine swears up and down that there's a cheese platter there, but I equally swear I had no idea. Perhaps a cheese selection is posted inside somewhere; serves me right for sitting on the really awesome patio.

I feel there's a joke that I'm 

supposed to make here about the 

Peasant Sodas being, uh, fit for

teetotaling royalty or something, 

but I don't think I can without

sounding like a lame-o.

Even though I did not get the cheese that my heart desired, I was super pleased to see some cool, new sodas for their summer cocktail menu. Since my visit was during Fringe, non-alcoholic options were real nice to have since my liver can only take so much Festival boozing. My placebo cocktail was so well-made that it was virtually indistinguishable from its harder counterparts. This place might be a good option if you want to take yourself to drink fancy things but you can't do alcohol for whatever reason; the virgin drinks don't feel like they're missing anything unlike a lot of other alcohol-free attempts at a cocktail. If you are feeling drinksy, I really recommend Peasant Cookery for wines; all of the wines available by the glass are the same price so you don't have to worry about the server's recommendation being an excuse to tack on a couple extra bucks onto your bill or settle for a chardonnay when you really wanted a sauv blanc because the latter was five bucks more than the former.

Mmmmm... various meat products.
The pickles were all spectacularly
ordinary, but I didn't order this dish
 to get my veggies.

As is my custom, I go with a tartare whenever possible. I'm not a huge fan of their's though; it's dressed in a way that is super acidic. Too much... vinegar? Mustard? I'm not foody enough to know exactly what I do and do not taste, but whatever it is, it really overpowers the meat for me and, hey, if I'm going to eat raw meat, I wanna taste it. If I'm gonna risk the salmonella, I better get to experience the thing that's going to land me in the hospital. Speaking of things that come from animals that I really enjoy but other people find icky: the chicken livers are amazing. If you're the type to give organ meats a try, I feel you will not be disappointed with these. And speaking of things that are likely to give me gout, in lieu of the cheese board that may or may not exist, I went with a charcuterie. The meats were AMAZING and finally let me let go of the weird dairy craving I had. I was especially a fan of the pates/mousses/things that were on my plate that weren't sausages, although the sausagey bits were delicious as well. As I'm writing this, I realize that this is definitely a restaurant for a meatetarian, I feel vegetarians will miss out on the more delightful menu offerings that this place has. While I have enjoyed a salad or two, this one is definitely the place to go for an iron/B12 boost. 

Price: $$$
Rating: **

Cordova

Picture from the bar seating to the super
pleasant window seats that are also suitable
for one. If the brightness intimidates you,
don't wory; the super chic dim mood
lighting is what you get when the sun goes
down.

Another new place I checked out during Winnipeg Fringe was Cordova. It's at the old Across the Board location on Albert Street and is nominally a tapas place. Although it has a more limited selection than, say, Segovia, the small plates are extremely reasonably priced. There is a pretty tiny cocktail menu which, when I was there, was 2/3 based on bubbly; it is clearly more of a beer/wine place. I had a French 75 which was lovely and flavorful and not sweet in a 'cheap girly teen drink' kind of way.

There's loads of solo seating both at the bar and at the window, if you'd like to watch the Exchange District walk by. I ordered a cheese plate since the last place I'd been too had charcuterie but no cheese and I was dying for some schmancy cheeses. Speaking of charcuterie, Cordova also has a half-and-half cheese/charcuterie plate, which is super nice for indecisive types who like eating both animals and dairy fat. The cheese plate was perfect; a bunch of different textures and a mix of North American and European varieties. I am loving loving what seems to be a trend in smoked blue in this city (I've had a couple on different cheese plates in town); the smoke cuts that sharp salty sulfur taste that often overwhelms me and is a major turnoff to a lot of people. I've started to appreciate blues a little since having the smoked version because they no longer make me feel like I'm being punched in the face by a 15-year-old's gym bag.

There were a couple of 'meh' dishes that I can't remember because they were neither amazing nor terrible and also because there is no website for this new-ish place and their Facebook page doesn't list the menu but in general, everything was what I wanted it to be. They had some nice small plates, decent drinks, and a place where I could sit and watch the Fringe happen, by myself, and at a bit of a distance.

Price: $$½

Rating: **½

PEG Beer Co.

Looks like this one died and went to Winnipeg Restaurant Heaven.

You may have noticed that my last post was on the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. While food trucks are generally the way to go during festivals, I figured it would be a great time to try out some restaurants in the area; you'll likely notice a bit of an Exchange District theme the next couple times I write. Fringe is, admittedly, a time when I tend to be more social in my dining habits, but since I was writing up a few show reviews, I thought I might look cool critiquing theatre while dining alone in a trendy place with classy drinks.

Ok, so maybe this one isn't really a classy drink place, but PEG Beer Co. lured me in with a Fringe Special, which was any one of their amazing flatbreads (or 'pizzas' as us common folk might call it) with a pint of any one of their craft beers. Now, I'm actually totally not into beer at all. It's not a thing I generally enjoy, but I dig places like PEG Beer because I can order a flight and discover which beer I hate least, in the event I find myself in the awkward situation where I have to pretend that I like beer and need to order one and drink it.

This time, since the special included a pint, I found myself in the awkward situation where I needed to order one beer and drink it. Fortunately, the lady at the bar where I was sitting was super proactive at offering me a small sample so I could figure out if I wanted to drink a whole 16 ounces of Guten Tart. I decided that I did. If beer isn't your thing, and you're not persuaded by a lunch/dinner special, there are also a handful of cocktails and wine available. However is IS called PEG Beer Co. so, if you feel obligated to drink the stuff as I often do, you can be non-committal and get a flight of four different ones.

Apparently I was enjoying my flatbread/pizza too much to
remember to take a picture. So here's one of the beer flights
I appreciate so much that I lifted from the CBC.

For the part of the Fringe Special that I knew I was going to like, I got the Bacon & Egg Flatbread (pizza) which was outstanding and available gluten free (there are also vegan cheese options, all those clearly the Bacon & Egg is so non-vegan there'd be little point). PEG Beer has amazing flatbreads due to the super simple toppings that are somehow surprisingly innovative in the world of pizza (or perhaps that's the difference between a flatbread and a pizza? That I feel the topping are interesting and basic all at the same time?).

In addition to the signature flatbreads, I have enjoyed their olive mix and their sandwiches, which are pretty decent with some excellent fillings including a gorgeous variety of cheeses and smoked pike, for a change of pace. the ISA and Aged Cheddar soup is shockingly lacklustre for a place that has beer in it's name and a clear appreciation for cheese and again made me wonder why we can't have salt and pepper on the tables in case of such emergency. Anyway, the soup gives you a reason to order a side salad with your sandwich that isn't trying to be health conscious. Again, if you're looking for pure indulgence for your meal, look to the pizzas. Or flatbreads. Whatever it is that the cool kids are calling it.

There is a lot of solo seating at this one, either at the bar as I did or, uh, randomly facing a wall that is uncomfortably close due to the width of the table. The tables do have cool purse hooks under them though so you don't have to calculate how to sling your bag over your seat, when you're on one of those super tall chairs that usually comes with bar seating/dining alone, to avoid making the trek down when it slips onto the floor. Anyway, like the trendy person I pretend to be, who uses purse hooks and writes online critiques, this is definitely a place that can class up something so ordinary as pizza and beer.

Price: $$

Rating: **

Winnipeg Fringe!

So I haven't posted too much lately because I've been too busy hanging out at the Winnipeg Fringe which, incidentally, is a great place to go on a solo date. Pick some shows for times that work for you, no need to work something out with your friends. You can't chat once the show goes up anyway, so it's totally not weird to do that solo. I've also been doing some reviewing there, so check it out if you want to see some of the shows I think are pretty rad. The Fringe Exchange also lets patrons submit reviews too, so you can post what you think too :) Happy Fringe.

Price: $

Rating: *** (dependent on show; results may vary)

Smith & Riverstone Spa

If you heard my rambling CBC interview on the weekend morning show a couple of weeks ago, then you know that I plugged Thermëa  as one of my favourite places to take myself on a date. I'll write about that one eventually but that spot, to me, is a wintertime date and not a mid-July one, so you'll have to wait. Anyway, I realized that in addition to blogging, spas are a thing I do now; I have a pretty screwed-up back so I often go for massage. Since I don't have insurance anyway, I decided that I'd spend my money seeing a RMT at schmancy spa places and make an event out of it. My most recent excursion like this took me to Riverstone which is adjacent to Smith, so I'll tell y'all a little about the spa-ing before we go into cocktails, etc.

One thing I really dig about Riverstone is that the spa/sauna stuff is included in the price, so when I go in for a deep tissue massage, which is pretty pricey anywhere, spa or no spa, I get all the extras and don't have to shell out extra. It's a pretty decent place; all inclusive in that there are no BS fees for robes or anything like that, the towels are full sized and not these tiny pool-towel things you get sometimes, flip-flops are included. The saunas are small-ish but good; there's a steam room and a dry sauna as well as super fancy showers. It's gender segregated because the spa stuff is in the changing areas, so that might be a good thing if you feel weird about being alone in a swimsuit in a co-ed environment. However, there isn't really a silence policy, so you will hear all about Janine's new house, which Stephanie thinks is a great investment, although it's really too bad that the counter-tops aren't granite like her last one. Just as an example. There are also small snacks in the waiting are for the massage and other services, so that's a pretty cool touch.

As a huge history nerd, the HBC theme in Smith does it for
me so hard.

After the spa, I headed over to Smith. You can order drinks and such from there to Riverstone, but for some reason the receptionists didn't want to have me drink before my massage, so I had to put some pants on to go get my food and booze. I was there on the weekend during the day, so the menu was specific to weekend brunch. Often I find day menus a little disappointing, but this one had a 'mimosa bar' which was pretty cool. I tried all three which were fun spin-offs of the typical OJ and bubbly. They also have an extensive beer/wine/scotch menu but I prefer to drink things that I can't make myself (e.g. too many ingredients) when I'm out and about and on a super classy date with myself.

Smith has a HUGE sit-in bar, so there is plenty of solo seating; I imagine this has something to do with it being in a hotel. There are also TVs mounted about, so you really shouldn't feel weird if you're here by yourself. In fact, there is a good chance you won't be the only one. They have a great variety of small plates on the menu, so I got myself a Ploughman's Lunch. I wish the server had described the plate as she set it down; without the menu, I had forgotten what kind of cheese it was and that the white stuff was aioli. It was kind of annoying that there was no salt or pepper at the bar, so I had to eat my boiled egg plain. The olives were WAY better than the last time I had them here; they are scotch smoked and I found both those flavours so overwhelming on the batch I had ordered previously that I actually didn't finish them. Perhaps I am not the only one who prefers to taste at least a little bit of the olives that they ordered.

Anyway, there have been folks who've informed me that they'll feel a little out of place going out alone. This will probably be one of the most comfortable solo-dates I can recommend to you.

Price: $$$
Rating: **½