Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria | Now Open

Just this past Monday, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria opened their first location in Saskatoon. The company is originally from Edmonton but now 26 locations exist. Famoso is well known for their pizzas made with '00' flour ($9-$15). They offer everything from appetizers and salads to desserts and cocktails. Their take on the pizzeria is a social dining experience that can be used as a place for a quick bite for lunch or an evening event filled with wine and laughs with friends.

Aashna, Jeremy, Dallas and myself went to their VIP evening to test out a little bit of everything on their menu. The restaurant is very open with a bar in the middle and their pizza oven in the corner. We started off with some cocktails noting the White Sangria, Cucumber Capri and the Italian Greyhound as our favourites. Along with our first beverages we ate the Mediterranean Flatbread with hummus and tzatziki, Polpette Al Forno and the Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella Balls. All three were good but I definitely recommend the Polpette Al Forno, and keep that tomato sauce for dipping your pizza crust!

Next on our list was the pizza. Famoso plays with authentic pizzas (red and white pizzas) and their own "New World Pizzas". We decided to go for a mixture and order something from all three and tried the Capricciosa, Primavera and the Korean BBQ Pork. All three were fantastic, the thin crust was awesome with their imported ingredients. The Primavera (white pizza) was our favourite among the three. It had a light and refreshing taste and Jeremy mentioned that this particular pizza was authentic being compared to many pizzas that he had eaten while travelling in Italy.

Lastly we were recommended by almost all of the staff to try their Dolce & Banana dessert and also went with the Tiramisu. "How could something so simple, taste so good?" Is what we all had on our minds when eating the Dolce & Banana. It had great texture from the crushed pecans on the baked banana with the cold vanilla gelato. On the other hand, the tiramisu was light and had that espresso flavour that almost everyone craves. I would recommend this one if you are almost full but need to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.

So how was our first Saskatoon experience? The staff are really trying to make your dining experience special whether it's recommending their favourite items or whether the managing staff pops by to see what you think, we really appreciated that. The food is fresh, presented well and brought in a timely manner. The restaurant sits in the Lawson Heights parking and this Summer I believe they are offering a patio as well. I have been asked a lot over the past couple days what I thought of it, and I recommend it to everyone. The four of us really liked it and are already sending our family and friends to form their own opinions of it too!

Yours Truly

Just a Taste | Fionn MacCool

I actually had not heard of Fionn MacCool until I was reached by their Ontario staff back in October/November. I had friends who had tried it in other cities and gave me pretty good feedback about the pub but I wanted to check it out myself. You may be thinking to yourself "it's just another European pub, what makes it different?" A few things that stood out from my first experience was the size of the entire restaurant, the live music and the friendly/helpful service (thanks Amanda).

We sat down near the window facing 2nd ave. and ordered Original 16's and Kronenbourg to start. After the reviewing the menu on our own and then asking for the advice of our server Amanda we went with the blarney chips, shrimp cake sliders, shepherd's pie mini yorkies and the vegetarian flatbreads. Everything was delicious but our favourite was the flatbread. The savoury dill cream cheese sauce and spice from the jalapeno peppers made the dish addicting (so addicting we ordered it a second time).

To conclude, we will be back. The food, service, Kool & the Gang songs and atmosphere all contributed to making our first experience a good one.

Yours Truly

Cactus Club Cafe | Opening October 14, 2014

This past Thursday, Aashna and myself were invited to the Cactus Club's soft opening. The atmosphere is really cool, the restaurant feels warm with its lighting, fire and colours. Its well decorated with the abundance of lights, wine display, televisions and Andy Warhol images.

The restaurant is separated into three areas, the dining area, the bar and a sun room. We sat in all three areas to get a feel for what they were like. The dining area is more intimate being quiet and isolated from the other two areas and would make a good place for socializing and grabbing a meal. The sun room and bar you categorize together. A central bar with televisions is the focal point with table arrangements and a DJ around it. Aash and I even caught ourselves dancing with the bartenders to R&B and hip hop favourites. It's awesome for a late night drink and appetizers.

We spent our couple of hours at the Cactus Club drinking their Liberty School Cabernets and Jameson whiskey along with their tasty appetizers. The service was fantastic, drinks were never empty, food was brought to us in a timely fashion and everyone was happy (that was most important). The laid back environment was what I liked, people were friendly, polite and energetic. If the Cactus Club can continue to offer this environment along with good food and beverages, it will no doubt be a success in Saskatoon. We ate Szechuan chicken lettuce wraps, spicy chicken, kobe style meatballs, beef carpaccio, the BBQ duck clubhouse and a peanut butter chocolate dessert. I highly recommend the BBQ duck clubhouse (if you don't have nut allergies) and the tuna sushi cone was very good for an American styled cuisine.

 I would like to thank Cactus Club Cafe for a great first experience and you can definitely plan on having us back. The restaurant opens tomorrow, check it out and let us know what you think!

Yours Truly

Fionn MacCool | News Press

Saskatoon, SK – October 6, 2014 – Popular Canadian pub Fionn MacCool’s has named Saskatoon as its first Draft Pick in Saskatchewan, opening its inaugural pub in Saskatchewan this week on 2nd Ave. South in Saskatoon. Priding itself on being far more than your typical pub, Fionn MacCool’s Saskatoon offers live entertainment, an extensive beer line-up, innovative pour-your-own draft tables, party starters and made-in-house food. Fionn MacCool’s belongs to Prime Pubs family of revered Canadian pubs that includes the illustrious Fionn MacCool’s on Toronto’s historic Esplanade, party-central Fionn MacCool’s in downtown Calgary and Ottawa’s legendary watering hole Darcy McGee’s on Parliament Hill.

 Fionn MacCool’s is an institution in Canada, renown for fun across the country, and we’re thrilled to bring the first one to Saskatchewan,” says co-franchisee Clive Atkins. “Whether Guests want to enjoy a quiet dinner for two, a rowdy night of partying with friends or sit back and listen to an impressive lineup of live, local musicians Fionn MacCool’s Saskatoon is the place to have a good time.

Fionn MacCool’s Saskatoon is the third pub in the family to offer the ultimate beer experience, pulling your own pints. The pub features a selection of draft tables that were custom made in Ireland. Each table has two taps that Guests can activate using a special button provided to them by their server. Guests simply look at the screen beside the tap to see how much beer they have pulled. First time pullers need not stress, Fionn MacCool’s friendly, knowledgeable servers will guide them through the process. Guests who prefer to leave the pouring up to the experts can simply get comfortable at the bar and order up a pint.

Fionn MacCool’s has amped the wattage on the pub experience. Combining our warm, fun pubs with Pour Your Own Pints and party programming has taken the pub experience to new heights which is driving our popularity and growth across Canada, said Grant Cobb, SVP for Cara Operations Ltd. “We’re excited to see our first pub open in Saskatoon and we have plans to open additional locations across Saskatchewan in coming years.”

Complementing the exceptional beer choices, and live entertainment, Fionn MacCool’s Saskatoon gets the party started with daily party programs such as Keith’s Wednesdays where Guests can enjoy a 25oz Keith’s tankard for $7.00, Craft Addict Thursdays, where Guests can enjoy live music and any craft beer for $5.50 and Two-Fisted Fridays where Guests can enjoy any two drafts for $11 during Happy Hour.

As food is important to having a great time Fionn MacCool’s delicious made-in-house menu features a variety of traditional favourites made with fresh, quality ingredients including Lamb Pie, Rosslare Lamb Shank and Maple Cider Salmon as well as a selection of contemporary dishes such as Shrimp & Cod Curry Pot and Chicken Tikka Masala Boxty. The beverage menu is equally diverse and includes more than 29 types of beer on tap and in bottle, a wide selection of new and old school cocktails, whiskies and wine.

 Fionn MacCool’s Saskatoon is located at 355-2nd Avenue South.

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Just a Taste: Izumi Restaurant

Izumi sits in a residential area within a strip mall on Arlington Avenue. From my understanding they recently had an ownership change and now serve Japanese and Korean dishes. We went for sushi strictly, but my goodness did the other dishes smell and look delicious. They serve sashimi, maki rolls, tempura, teppanyaki, fried chicken, bento boxes and more.  The restaurant was clean, spacious and the servers were friendly and patient with our order taking.

We ordered salmon nigiri, inari and an assortment of maki rolls. All of the food was presented nicely and very fresh! My one complaint would be eating the large rolls, but you definitely get your money's worth at Izumi and I'm down with that. My favourite roll would have to be the specialty dragon roll which is avocado, crab and cucumber with BBQ eel on top.

All you can eat sushi is a gateway to the sushi world, but once you try other Saskatoon joints I promise you that you will be impressed. I'll definitely be back.

Yours Truly