A Club or Not a Club – The Great Debate Edition

A lobster club??? Does this tickle anyone’s fancy!? I got this photo sent to me from across the world, and it made me wonder what other kind of crazy clubs are out there. This one came from a gala in Taiwan, they had replaced the chicken with lobster and apparently it was DEE-lish. Obviously this is not your traditional club sandwich, but my philosophy has always been that if it says club/clubhouse sandwich on the menu, it’s fair game. The only other real ‘out-there’ kind of club I have heard of is Rudy’s confit duck club, which I have not had the pleasure of trying yet.

Does anyone know any other crazy clubs out there?? I think it might be time Winnipeg Clubs starts having some featured guest bloggers! Whaddaya think!?

Enjoy the lobster club as we take a mini-break and wait for the photos from our last clubbin’ adventure.

Tavern United

The Tavern United downtown has 3 things going for it:

1) Location – being right beside the MTS Centre makes this place the first stop before and after events held at the arena. Now with Winnipeg on the rise, the arena is poppin off more than ever. With the Jets, concerts, and now the UFC stopping in Winnipeg for the first time, downtown is seeing new life. And the Tavern United is right there to ease everyone in.

2) Screens – if you can’t get into the events at the arena, don’t worry. The TU has you covered with huge screens showing all sports, all the time. Every place you sit in this place has a TV up in your grill.

3) Rooftop patio – Winnipeg doesn’t have too many rooftop patios, but the Tavern United is one that is worth a mention. It is hands down the best rooftop patio in town, so if that is your thing… check it out.

Ok, now that we have highlighted the 3 good things about the Tavern United, let’s take a look at the other side of the coin.

1) The restaurant decor reminds me of a cheesy family restaurant in Orlando.

2) OK service

3) The patio is almost like a completely different place from the Tavern United. Different specials and no simple transitions back and forth make it awkward.

4) The Celtic Clubhouse as they like to call it is bad. The menu claims the club has garlic basil aioli, which perks my buds, but was not noticeable on the sandwich. It had grilled chicken, so that was nice and also some melted cheddar cheese, but for the price of $13.50 this club is not a hit. It is one of the most expensive and underwhelming clubs I have had. And my least favorite part about this club was that the bread must have been drenched in butter, because butter was all I could taste. EW.

To sum up, if you want a quick drank before and after the game, the Tavern United is for you. If you want a good clubhouse sandwich, please please please look elsewhere.

Rating: 2/10

Price: 13.50

Promenade Cafe and Wine

The Promenade Cafe and Wine has been on my hit list for quite some time now. Something about the location mixed with the signage always caught my attention, but for some reason I’ve never stopped to dine. We’ll the time has come, and now it’s my turn to put their club to the test.

First I’d like to point out that this little cafe is St. B is SUPER charming. In the spring of 2012 new ownership forced the Promenade Cafe to rebrand forging a French café/bistro fusion that sits just over the Provencher Bridge. Classic dark wood tables are accompanied by smooth lighting and sophisticated décor inside the restaurant. The second I walked in I knew the Promenade Cafe was something special.

The restaurant seats 90 while overlooking the Esplanade Riel, and although I dined in the afternoon, I bet the restaurant is as equally (or more) enchanting after the sun goes down. Now let’s see if they put as much effort into their food as they do their restaurant, and spoiler alert… they do.

Although I have some good and bad things to say about the club at the Promenade Cafe and Wine, I genuinely feel they put 110% into their clubhouse. From the presentation, down to the freshness of the produce, it was spot on. Not to mention it has real turkey and melted Bothwell cheese that caress this baby.

Now here is where things take a spin, I hate to say it but… the club tasted bland. I can’t even put my finger on why that is, but it just didn’t do it for me. I saw 10 other people order it when I was in there, and I hope it did it for them. But for me, nope! It had all the right ingredients but the taste factor came up short. That being said I’ll go back to the Promenade Cafe and Wine ASAP, but I’ll eat something else.

One nice thing about this place is that they pair a wine with each menu item so you don’t even have to think about what tastes good with what. And for the record, the clubhouse is paired with a chardonnay.

Oh and just a quick tip, I would try to avoid the parking lot. It is small, awkward, and a recipe for bumper bumps.

I also found this mini-ad on youtube if you wana see more of the restaurant before you hit it.

Price: $12.00

Rating: 6/10

Hey!

The past couple weeks have been pretty exciting over here at the Winnipeg Clubs HQs. So, I just wanted to touch base and catch everyone up with whats been goin down!
If anyone missed it, Winnipeg Clubs had a great feature article in the Winnipeg Free Press. After that, blog hits shot through the roof, and the motivation I got to keep the posts comin is at an all time high. Lots of peeps have asked me if I’m gonna keep the blog running after school ends, and the answer is….YUP. There are tons of restaurants here that I still haven’t hit, but slowly and surely it’s happening.

So, in case you missed the great article in the Free Press, here’s a quick snapshot of it. and then you can read the full article HERE!

And just yesterday, a follow up article was in the paper. Around 200 people emailed the Free Press sayin where they thought the best club in the city is. Here is what the people said: Nicks Inn, Luda’s, The Eye Opener, Underground Cafe, and with the most votes Rae & Jerry’s. WHAT!? R&J’s!? that place doesn’t even crack my top 30. Ah well, I guess that means you can look forward to reviews of Luda’s and the Eye Opener in the next month!

To sum up:
Dave Sanderson wrote an amazing article on Winnipeg Clubs
Rae & Jerry’s takes Winnipeg voters top spot
Degree’s Diner takes my top spot
my mom’s clubhouse sandy is deece -7/10

So id just like to say thanks for stoppin, and thanks for club hoppin. Next up I got some nice fan mail I would like to share – just tryin to find out how to get it on the blog. Stay tuned!