THE WAKKER WEEKLY
Issue #1542 – Posted on: 17-August-2020
NEWS FROM THE BREWERY! Head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our seasonally available Baron Bock, Double Honey Imperial Irish Red Ale, Two Sons Milk Stout and Blood Orange Blonde Ale are currently on tap. There are also batches of Upendi Pineapple Passion Fruit Ale, Chinook ESB, Fleck’s Czech Dark Lager and Premium Pale Ale working their way through the brewery.
This weekend’s SPECIAL DINING FEATURE on August 14th and 15th is a Half Game Hen Roulade w/ Lemon Caper Sauce, Farmer’s Market Vegetables and Rice Pilaf for 18.95. Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL for $21.95 will also be available.
Our AUGUST PREMIUM WINE FEATURES are Mission Hill 5 Vineyards wines from British Columbia. The red is a 2017 Pinot Noir VQA ($8.95 for a glass and $23.95 for a half litre) and the white is a 2018 Pinot Grigio VQA. ($7.95 for a glass and $21.95 for a half litre.)
In addition to taking our beer home in glass bottles, 2 litre jugs and growler fills direct from our pub, you can find a varying selection of 650 ml bottles of Bushwakker beer in ALL SIX REGINA SLGA stores.
BUSHWAKKER GIFT CARDS! Available in $25, $50 and $100 denominations. Give us a call at 306-359-7276 or stop by to get yours. They work very well with all dine-in or takeout food and craft beer desires!
We have never sold a cheesecake as fast as last week’s FUZZY PEACH CHEESECAKE! We may just need to bring this one back for an encore performance!
We continue our tradition of following the original 2020 Home Game schedule and offering a gourmet burger in honour of the scheduled visiting team. Enjoy our Edmonton Eskimo/Empire/Energy/Elk/Eagle? Burger & a Pint Special next weekend for only $19.95!
Our cheesecakes continue to evolve! Hats off to Justin for creating very finely detailed molds which he used to create the tasty Bushwakker chocolate garnish.
The newly created HOP CIRCUIT has certainly been embraced by the local tourism sector. If you are interested in what awaits you as you walk or cycle to the six craft breweries located in our city’s core, just click on the link https://vimeo.com/444375644 to view a fun video outlining the six featured breweries.
Have you travelled the Hop Circuit this summer?
BUSHWAKKER “NEW NORMAL” NOTES
Please remember that reservations are accepted and are encouraged for any time and on any day so give us a call at 306-359-7276 to secure your table. Please note under current guidelines the maximum number of people who can be seated at the same table is limited to six. Larger reservations must occupy more than one table and maintain physical distancing between each table.
Our current hours of operation are Monday to Saturday from 11:30 AM until 9:00 PM. Our kitchen closes at 8:00 PM. We are closed on Sundays. Our takeout food and beer services will continue to be made available.
Please continue to practice safe health and social distancing practices. Remain connected to one another and to us! In addition to this weekly newsletter, we are very active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check-in with us often as we navigate these continually evolving times together. Try to support local businesses whenever possible. Be vigilant in your resolve to protect yourselves which in turn will protect others. Please don’t let your guard DOWN so the province can continue to open UP!
10 Things to Eat in Regina
By Allan Pulga
As a local food columnist and someone who’s always taking pictures of their food, I often get asked what (and where) to eat in my hometown. I also take great pride in being from Regina and enjoy taking out-of-town visitors for a taste of the Queen City.
Now, this isn’t a list of the 12 best restaurants in Regina, although I’m sure several of these spots would make that list. This is a breakdown of delicious bites and unique dishes. An appreciation of the interplay between flavours, textures, ethnic influences, local ingredients and urban myth. Longtime favourites interspersed with recent upstarts; things your parents might crave if they grew up here or plates local millennials might post to the ’gram.
Hungry yet? Let’s get started.
1. All-dressed Houston Pizza: This has been my favourite thing to eat in Regina since I was a kid. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s stacked thick with meat, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and an obscene amount of cheese. And it’s cooked at high heat to achieve a crispy crème brûlée-like finish. The rising crust is golden on the outside and chewy on the inside, and a touch sweet like a bagel. There are plenty of great Regina pizza restaurants, but Hill Avenue Houston Pizza is the OG. They’ve been making pizza this way since 1970.
2. Fish and chips at Bushwakker: Speaking of OG’s, Bushwakker is Regina’s first brewpub, founded in 1991. Located in Regina’s Warehouse District, it pays homage to our city’s history. Black and white photos adorn the walls and local fare like the Saskatchewan Hot Plate jumps off the menu. I often suggest that dish to out-of-towners, but for me, I can’t resist their beer-battered fish and chips – it’s the best in the city! It’s a huge portion so bring an appetite.
3. Buffalo wings at Leopold’s Tavern: On the topic of proud local pubs, Leopold’s is a can’t-miss. Their original location is at the corner of Albert Street and College Avenue and it’s decorated from floor to ceiling with local memorabilia and miscellaneous knickknacks, almost as though you’re in your grandpa’s garage. There’s something for everyone on the menu, whether it’s nachos, wings, burgers, poutine or a bucket of bacon. My go-to is buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce – a perfect pairing for a beer.
4. Mediterranean bowl at Skye Café & Bistro: I tell people all the time we’re lucky to have Skye in Regina. Opened by a husband and wife who are both award-winning chefs and pastry makers, they’re also both artists. Their artwork is on the walls and also on your plate. They showcase local ingredients and even grow all their own herbs year-round. And their south facing patio is a joy in the summer. Open for brunch on the weekends and for lunch during the week, I recommend the Mediterranean Bowl for a first-timer.
5. Vietnamese pho at Quan Ngon: A good pho is a zen-like experience – the broth should hit you in the soul. Quan Ngon hits the perfect balance of savoury beef-bone broth, plenty of rice noodles, topped with fresh sliced beef, onion, herbs, and garnishes of lime, bean sprouts and chili oil. If you’ve ever travelled to Vietnam, this place will send you right back. Order the B3 (Phở Tái) and double the beef. It’s the ultimate hangover cure.
6. Green curry chicken at Siam: The thing that sets Thai food apart for me is its complexity, the delightful layering of flavour. This dish showcases the richness of coconut milk, bird’s eye chili heat, herbal notes from kaffir lime leaves and fresh basil, tender zucchini spears and chicken breast, and varied curry spices. Spooned onto a bed of white jasmine rice and you’re in business. Siam is also the only Thai Select-certified restaurant in Saskatchewan, a badge of authenticity bestowed by the Thai Ministry of Commerce.
7. Spicy chicken sandwich at Beaks Chicken: Have you ever eaten at a down-home fried chicken shack opened by a classically trained chef who’s worked at the Michelin-starred Noma restaurant in Copenhagen? If not, pop over to Beaks Chicken and try owner Paul Rogers’ Nashville hot chicken sandwich. The thing is a masterpiece. And his commitment to his craft is remarkable. He cooks his dark meat (i.e. thighs and drumsticks) sous vide before frying it, so the pieces come out perfectly, every time.
8. Spicy double-meat sandwich at Italian Star Deli: The Italian Star is a local institution. Whether you’re looking for authentic ingredients to make your own lasagna or imported European goods ranging from olives to soda pop, the place is a trip. And their sandwiches, featuring cold cuts, cheese, spicy peppers and a drizzle of olive oil are fantastic. They come in mild, medium and spicy options – I go for spicy and double the meat.
9. Scones at Tangerine: Tangerine feels like a café and bakeshop in a big city. Grab an espresso or a drip coffee, connect to the wi-fi if you need to do some work, but most importantly enjoy the fresh baked goods and creative lunch specials. Tangerine has the best scones in town. My favourites are the French Vanilla & Coconut and the Blueberry Peach scones, but there’s a different one daily.
10. Pork belly press at Avenue: Avenue is the most exciting entry to Regina’s fine dining scene in the past several years – a descendant of Dale Mackay’s fleet of successful restaurants in Saskatoon. The Korean pork belly press is a fantastic appetizer, served like a sushi rice roll, but with braised pork belly, spicy gochujang sauce and housemade cucumber kimchi. Order one with a signature cocktail and savour the moment.
TIME OUT
A mathematician, an accountant and an economist apply for the same job.
The interviewer calls in the mathematician and asks “What do two plus two equal?”
The mathematician replies “Four.”
The interviewer asks “Four, exactly?”
The mathematician looks at the interviewer incredulously and says
“Yes, four, exactly.”
Then the interviewer calls in the accountant and asks the same question
“What do two plus two equal?”
The accountant says “On average, four – give or take ten percent, but on average, four.”
Then the interviewer calls in the economist and poses the same question
“What do two plus two equal?”
The economist gets up, locks the door, closes the shade, sits down next to the interviewer and says “What do you want it to equal?”
