There are a few restaurant locations here in the city that seem to have more problems than others when it comes to keeping a long term tenant. You have your Poverino’s/Flatlanders location on 8th, the old Kenny Rogers Roasters location on the circle, and the corner of Broadway and 9th Street East with Pestos and now Bliss.
I stopped by Bliss the other day for lunch. They do have a limited lunch menu and it doesn’t help when one of their lunch items was sold out (Bison Burger). I am not a soup and salad kind of guy which limited me to 2 pasta options, 2 sandwich options, and quiche. I went with my second choice, the Bliss Club and potato bacon soup. It turned out to be a tasty choice.
13 TAPS
I give the taste a 4. It was above average but not anything to write home about.
The atmosphere was a 3.5, average. Basically what I expected.
3 for the price. I am not a quantity over quality type person, but I thought it was slightly overpriced for the experience.
Our service was nothing out of the ordinary. If anything a little below average which gives it a 2.5.
http://www.blissfinefoods.com/
I have been on a bit of a Badass Jacks kick lately.
My go to meal has become the Pineapple Curry Chicken Ethnic Box. For a quick lunch solution it is worth trying. You have the choice between rice or noodles and the box comes with an assortment of vegetables. Or at least 2 of the 3 times there were vegetables. Anyways, if you are on the run and want to go with something healthier than fast food, I would say try it out.
TAPS – 14
T – 3.5
A – 3
P – 3.5
S – 4
Locations: Willowgrove, Stonebridge, and on Idlywyld
Mmm Mmm Goodness.
I had lunch at Truffle’s for the first time yesterday. I was limited to the lunch menu but was still very much impressed.
The service was great. Our waitress was personable and food arrived in no time.
I was lucky enough to try a couple of meals. I ordered the Crab Burger with soup. The soup itself did not have a specific name but it had onion, bacon, and some blue cheese in it. The whole meal was very good.
I also tried the Roasted Chicken on Pan Fried Wild Rice Bread. This sandwich was amazing. I was very pleased with it.
The prices were reasonable. A meal was in the range of about $12 and well worth every dollar.
TAPS – 18
T – 5
A – 4.5
P – 4
S – 4.5
Truffle’s Bistro & Pattisserie
230 21st St E
Saskatoon SK
If I grew up on a farm and missed the days of sitting down with the family for a good home cooked meal, the Berry Barn would satisfy that need. But, I didn’t grow up on a farm. Yet, I still enjoy the experience of the Barry Barn.
There is something about driving 15 minutes outside of town, parking in a gravel lot and looking over a fast flowing river. The go to meal would have to be perogies and farmer’s sausage, but I didn’t eat that today, so you don’t get that review. If you go for the first time, you have to eat perogies though.
I decided to try the wings and my wife choose the borscht. I don’t enjoy any type of soup, but borscht would be at the bottom of the list, so I won’t review that either. (My wife really liked the borscht though). As a man, I sometimes don’t listen, this is one of those times. Apparently, my wife did not like the borscht at all, so the TAPS has been adjusted accordingly.
The wings were good, but just because they were drowned in sauce. The food is not the main draw to the Berry Barn. You can pick berries there, you can walk along the river and you can just enjoy the copious supply of clean air from the numerous trees surrounding the area.
I did sneak one of my son’s perogies that he didn’t finish. It is worth the drive.
TAPS – 12
T – 2
A – 4
P – 3
S – 3
830 Valley Rd
Saskatoon, SK S7H 0A1
(306) 978-9797
www.theberrybarn.com
Earth Bound Bakery and Delicatessen on 8th Street claims to have fresh organic baking, gourmet coffee, deli selection and home-style cooking. Ok, I can agree with that statement, but there was nothing for me to get excited about at Earth Bound.
The deal breaker for me was the atmosphere. Only 10 people can dine in at the same time. No, I am not exaggerating, there are only 10 chairs.
The soup was fair. It was home-style cooking, but home-style of a vegan. For me, this wasn’t a positive, but there are people in Saskatoon that would love the vegan option.
The baking was above average. I enjoyed the pastries that my kids didn’t finish and my daughter enjoyed dipping her bread in the soup. The fact that the pastries were organic does help market the small shop to those concerned with organic food.
I might pick up bread or pastries at Earth Bound, but don’t plan on eating lunch there again. But, if you have a facial piercing and listen to Dave Mathews Band and Phish, you will likely love Earth Bound Bakery.
TAPS -11
T – 3
A – 2
P – 3
S – 3
220 – 1820 8th Street East
I stopped by the Fine Art Cafe yesterday for an afternoon snack. The weather was nice so I sat outside. The Cafe is near the river amongst many older character homes in a quiet and appealing neighborhood. It was fairly busy so it did take some time to get my food but I was not overly concerned because I had my niece’s etch-a-sketch. My turkey club tasted as good as a club sandwich gets and the chickpea soup was also fine. I got a strawberry banana iced tea that was not all that enjoyable. All in all, it was a relaxing experience.
TAPS – 13.5
T – 3.5
A – 4
P – 3
S – 3
702 14th St E Saskatoon
Since we were experiencing a rare warm day in Saskatoon, I wanted to find an outdoor patio. I remembered Tastebuds on Lorne Avenue. I remembered the quaint restaurant from a few years back, but didn’t remember the quality of the food. After experiencing the lunch, it is easy to see why we forgot about Tastebuds.
The location and atmosphere had me excited about the lunch, but the selection of lunch items did not get me excited. The service was average and the price was expected. Yet, with a name like Tastebuds, I expected much more from the food. I admit that I am not a huge fan of soup. I would not be surprised if the soup came from a can. The panini was forgettable at best. And the spinach pie was left unfinished.
TAPS – 10
T – 2
A – 3
P – 3
S – 2
1624 Lorne Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7H 1Y1
(306) 664-6969
When I go out for dinner with my dad we both have a hard time deciding on where to go. We ended up deciding on Calories and it proved to be an excellent choice.
I went all out for this meal! It consisted of the following:
Beverage – Mojito Mint Iced Tea
Appetizer – Split Pea & Lamb Curry Soup
Dinner – Organic Lamb Merguez & Vegetable Couscous Marga with “Ras el Hanout”
Dessert – Peach Pie
My whole meal was amazing. I don’t think anything could have tasted any better. I was pleasantly surprised since I have only indulged in the amazing desserts from Calories.
The service was also excellent. Their menu changes often and because of this our server explained each dinner option to us. The service was approached very professionally.
The atmosphere was nice as well. It isn’t the largest restaurant but you definitely don’t feel cramped into a small space. The walls are covered with art work that is for sale similar to many restaurants in the city.
The prices are what I would expect for such a dining experience. The dinner menu ranges from $20-$30 a plate.
T – 5
A – 4.5
P – 4
S – 5
TAPS 18.5
Calories Bakery & Restaurant 721 Broadway Ave
http://www.caloriesrestaurants.com/
I have been to Park Cafe in the past but this is the first time I have gone for breakfast. Park Cafe captures the feeling of a diner you would find around the 1930’s. The walls are covered with photo’s of Saskatoon in its early years. The atmosphere of the restaurant is like no other I have been to in Saskatoon. It could use a bit of a facelift, but it almost adds to the character.
Park Cafe has your regular breakfast choices. I ended up going with the eggs benedict. It was served with some of the best hash browns I have ever had. The benedict itself was also very good. A bit on the salty side but still delicious. I also gave the sausage a try and it was very good. The sausage was not the typical greasy mush you find at most restaurants. My guess is that it may be homemade. Make sure to get it as a side if it doesn’t come with your breakfast.
The service was also very good. They went out of their way to accommodate our party.
In regards to the price, it would be very similar to many breakfast establishments around the city. I believe my eggs benedict cost around the $13 mark.
TAPS time
T – 4.5
A – 4
P – 3
S – 4.5
16 TAPS
515 20th Street W Saskatoon
I went to Alexander’s for lunch today. All around, it was great. I started off with the quesadillas and for the main I went with the chicken focaccia sandwich with split pea and ham soup.
Let me start by saying that I am a sucker for Alexander’s quesadillas. I think they are really good, and once again I was not disappointed. My dad seems to think Prairie Ink has the best quesadillas around which means I guess I need to go give them a try. Either way, if you are a quesadilla fan try out both restaurants.
My main course was just as good. The sandwich couldn’t have been better and as for the soup, it did have a lot of pepper in it but I don’t mind that.
About 8 years ago I used to go to Alexander’s often. They had my favourite meal/dessert combo. I couldn’t get enough of the BLT pizza and Kentucky pie. Both have since been removed from their menu. It is too bad that it had to happen but they still have plenty of great options.
Here we go!
T – 4.5
A – 3
P – 3.5
S – 4
TAPS 15
414 Cumberland Ave N
http://alexandersrestaurant.ca/
