Charlee's Lounge

a couple of weeks ago, a couple of my friends and i ended up looking for some new place to eat out on a saturday night. one of them suggested visiting this lounge that featured a local band playing that weekend. at first we really didn't know where it was but after calling up someone, we did safely find the place (185 Stadacona Street).

we went to charlee's and it's this relatively new place, which i believe is owned by a filipino couple. it's located at an odd area in the city (situated in a random residential area) so at first, i was skeptical if it would be a good place to hang out.

i can tell you that the place is small and it's probably not the most commercial in terms of interiors and set up, but what i really loved about it is the relaxed vibe inside. plus, my favorite part would have to be the live band they had every saturday night. it kind of reminded me of how i used to hang out at acoustic bars back in the philippines when i was in high school. hahaha!! so nostalgic and fun!

i can definitely see myself going back there. it doesn't have the intimidating vibe of chain restaurants nor does it have the loud & chaotic atmosphere of a dance club. i just love that it's just between and i can just hang out there on a lazy saturday night, catching up with friends.

more sushi anyone?

i was finally able to try out this all you can eat sushi place just by downtown. i've heard of wonderful reviews about it as a buffet style japanese place and boy was i not disappointed!

sushi gen is located just by portage avenue right across the university of winnipeg and i think it's very convenient for students, office workers or anyone just visiting downtown. they offer a great variety of dishes with almost 120 items in their menu, ranging from sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, tempura, meat and seafood dishes and a bit of soup-appetizers-dessert.

when i went there, i was with a couple of my girlfriends and i think it's really the best way to go there. being that it's buffet style, it's nice to be able to share whatever you got with the rest of the people in your table (i like doing that to be able to taste a bit of everything).

at first, they serve you hot tea and then, the whole menu is open for you to get your food! and when i mean all you can eat, i mean you can get all kinds of sushi, sashimi and other japanese dishes. i like that a lot since some buffet restaurants only serve exclusively sushi and they rip you off by putting too much rice in a roll. here, you don't get that!

i think i'm set for my sushi cravings for the next weeks ahead, but when i start craving for them again, i know where to go back and get it!!!

a random occurence

im not really the biggest fan of steaks. actually, in 3 years of dating the boy, we really haven't gone to a steak house or ordered steak in any menu we have come across with. i don't know, i just feel like it's too heavy and i'm always so used to my rice with meat and maybe i'm just the chicken type of person.

but for thanksgiving (weeks ago), i opted to order something special for dinner since it was almost a good way to culminate my weekend getaway in the mountains. patrinos steak house was a nearby restaurant from our inn when we were in canmore. when we got there, we even thought of just going to the lounge but im glad we ended up in the main restaurant.

i got the surf & turf: shrimp, steak, rice and veggies; while the boy got salmon. it was such a hearty meal for the both of us. my steak was cooked just the way i liked it and the salmon tasted so fresh especially with the hint of lemon!

aaahhhh.. ok.. did this post make you hungry or what?! hahaha!!! maybe i'll get steak again one of these days...

the old spaghetti factory

the day the boy and i got to banff, we decided to head out and look for a place to get lunch. since italian food sounded like a good idea, we went to the old spaghetti factory at the second floor of the cascade plaza.

the restaurant probably doesn't have the best pastas out there, but for the price they charge people, i think it's quite a decent place. all our meals came with a sourdough bread with garlic butter (so good!), a salad or soup, and spumoni ice cream!

the boy got lasagna for his main pasta while i got chicken pesto (which i absolutely love). here in winnipeg, the old spaghetti house is probably one of the few places i can get pesto if im craving really bad for it.

with our stomachs full, we happily went back to the town centre and started touring the rest of banff! yay!!

watch out for next week's food tripping thursdays as i feature a steak house where i had thanksgiving dinner with the boy.

aromas

on our first night in canmore, the boy and i were craving for something different for dinner. there was a number of italian and north american restaurants along the main street of the town centre, but at the end of the road we saw aromas. when we realized that they were offering mexican cuisine, we knew we had to try the place out.

it was quite a packed night being that it was saturday but we were able to get a corner spot. for starters i got this chili soup, while he got a guacamole salad. both were extreme opposites of each other: the soup was spicy and warm, while the salad was fresh and cool.

for our main course, i opted for this spicy shrimp dish, while he got a pork dish with their famous oaxaca sauce. my meal was so-so; wasn't the best but didn't really taste bad too. his pork smelled and tasted amazing! the sauce was so rich and flavorful!

i haven't had a decent mexican meal in such a long time and being able to eat at aromas was the perfect way to end that night.

fashion and food fun!

the weather has been oh so dreary and gloomy. just yesterday, the city was filled with rain showers and it was so hard for me to get some outfit shots so im passing up on them today. but it's food tripping thursday so i figured instead of just featuring food images or recipes, i'd try to incorporate fashion and food in this post.

i don't know if you've heard of fashematics before, but it's this cool and witty site that gives you mathematical equations on fashion runway looks. it's really quirky and funny! i thought it would be neat to share with you some of their equations that had something edible/food related to them!

cool, eh?

Don't Forget to Enter the CSN Stores Giveaway

it's getting cold..

aaahh!! we are reaching single digit temperatures now so as you might have noticed, im taking out my blazers, jackets, socks and tights! the next thing you know, i need to wear coats, scarves and gloves!

outfit: urban planet blazer, greenhills top, kismet skirt, ardene socks, gojane oxfords

oh btw, i got this blazer for $5 last summer, can you believe that?! i've been waiting for the proper kind of weather to wear it out and today was just perfect! expect to see more of it from me for the next couple of fall months.

what better time to feature good eats for this cold weather than today, food tripping thursday! from soups and bread to hot chocolate and tea, each of these are just perfect for this cool weather!

image sources

what do you like to eat/drink when the temperature goes down?