Lunch at Trail's End Cafe

Yesterday, my very kind SIL treated me to lunch at the Trail's End Cafe in Trail. I've previously blogged about them here. We had another excellent lunch! Most items on the lunch menu - which includes meal-size salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and pastas - are around $10 and the service is fast and efficient. They also have really delicious iced tea. Here's the rundown.

I had the BBQ chicken & mango wrap with the house soup, which is a super Hungarian cream of mushroom, with dill & paprika. I've had this wrap before and it's very yummy!

Shan had the grilled ham, tomato & swiss sandwich with the house soup. She loved it.

Here is a closer look at the soup. I can't tell you how good it is! Shan & I speculated over what was in it so we could try to recreat it at home. Another little project for me!

We indulged in dessert. Shan opted for the Grand Marnier Creme Brulee, which was topped with some berries. I love the dish this is served in.

I had the Chocolate Paisano cake, which is to die for. It's basically layers of chocolate cake & ganache topped with a layer of...wait for it...tiramisu! Oh, this was so heavenly and so worth the calories! I asked the server if this was made on site, and it's not; it comes from their supplier. But I don't care - it's amazing!

Thanks for the treat, Shan! I really appreciated it - you're the best!!

Restaurant Review: Kootenay Fries

While out on a gardening supplies expedition, my SIL and I needed a quick, cheap lunch. Trail is not the local dining mecca, even though Trail's End is excellent (it's also expensive), but Shan had a brainwave: she wanted fries and she remembered that Kootenay Fries & Food to Go had recently opened. She'd heard that they do pulled pork. Off we went.

The menu is small and consists of fries, hot dogs, burgers, a few wraps, and a few BBQ items. The interior was a little...um...decor-challenged... There were two tables and a sideboard where the condiments were located. It's mainly a to-go place, though, so I guess the interior decorating isn't a huge issue.

Shan ordered the cheese fries, which come with gravy and melted mozzarella, and I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and fries. The sandwich was $5.29 and the fries, I believe, were around $3. Shan's cheese fries were $4 or thereabouts.

The fries were made to order and obviously freshly cut and homemade (as evidenced not only by their flavour and appearance, but the boxes of potatoes visible in the kitchen, which is partially open). They were hot and crisp, and very obvioulsy the cook and proprietor had taken the time and effort to blanch them before deep frying them - something a lot of places don't do. They were perfect! The didn't come salted, but rather salt was available to put on as you saw fit. Also available was malt vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Shan really enjoyed her cheese fries, too, and was impressed.

As for my pulled pork on a bun, topped with coleslaw, it was also excellent! I was really impressed. The pork was very tender and flavourful, and the sauce was sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The pork also wasn't drowning in sauce, making for a messy sandwich, but had just enough on it to keep everything moist and tasty. The coleslaw was a nice creamy counterpoint.

With drinks and tax, lunch came to just over $15 for the two of us. The portions were good and I came away full!

Kootenay Fries is a new eatery, and I hope they do well, because they have a good thing going there!