It's Fabulous Underground

Last week, I went underground. As in, to the Underground Cafe on 70 Arthur Street.

The restaurant is tucked away in the building's basement, featuring some colourful murals and some delicious lunchtime dining eats.

I tried the Fabulous Sun Burger for the first time (which is apparently a famous Winnipeg staple, accordingly to everyone I've raved to). Their burger is a masterpiece made of toasted sesame and sunflower seeds, vegetable protein, mozza and cheddar cheeses, rice, eggs and assorted spices. The patty is served with lime-dill sauce, romaine lettuce, green peppers, onions and tomato, served on a perfectly toasted bagel.

It was definitely one of the best vegetarian sandwiches I've had in a while, on par with the White Star Diner and Boon Burger Cafe. The restaurant features a delicious selection of other menu items, featured on their website.

The Underground Cafe is also excellent at updating their Facebook page with their specials of the day. Check them out!

So many things to do at Manyfest!

As a proud downtown Winnipeg supporter, I was absolutely ecstatic to hit up Manyfest for the first time last weekend.

Manyfest is a street festival organized by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. It celebrates the arts, entertainment, health and most importantly, community in the heart of our city. Downtown Winnipeg's largest street festival anticipated 30,000 people in attendance this year, and stretched all the way from the Manitoba Legislative Building almost all the way to The Forks!

The festival was constantly bustling with vendors selling goodies like crafts, baked treats, vintage clothing and fresh produce. One wing branched off into food trucks offering delicious eats including my favourite indulgence in the world, mini donuts.

At night, the medians of Broadway hosted space for a wide array of performers such as fire dancers, Bollywood talent and local bands.

Although I loved every aspect of the street festival, I would have to say my personal highlight was the outdoor wine tasting event. You could purchase taste tickets for $1 each, which gave you a small sample of their huge selection of wines or you could redeem it for a tasty treat, like a kebob of cheese of a few slices of bread with bruschetta.

At the end of Saturday night, volunteers passed around candles for Lights on Broadway. Those who cycled to the event also had the opportunity to light their bikes up at a designated station. It was beautiful to see lights flickering as far down as the eyes could see.

All in all, the festival was a great experience and shone light on local business owners, performers and most importantly, the spirit of togetherness in downtown Winnipeg.

Here will always be home

Dear reader,

It's hard to believe a whole year has passed since I first started writing for The Downtown Dweller.

Last September, I practically pulled my hairs out of their follicles trying to choose something worth blogging about. Food? Crafts? Fonts? (Yes, I was seriously considering pitching an anti-Comic Sans website.)

And suddenly, it came to me. Why not write about what I already know? Quite practically where I eat, sleep and breathe. Downtown Winnipeg was, and still is, a huge part of my life and why wouldn't I want to share my love for it with the rest of the online world?

I moved into the Exchange District over a year and a half ago. Since then, I've discovered (and blogged) about dozens of new eateries, shops and festivities I originally knew nothing about. During my short lifespan in our city's DT, I've grown to appreciate all of its quirks and character. The people and places here truly highlight the best that our city has to offer.

Never mind the breathtaking architecture in the Exchange. Forget about the scenic trails down Waterfront Drive. Who cares about the fun festivities held at Old Market Square and The Forks - they're nothing here compared to grandeur of big cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, right?

Well, in my opinion, anyone that hasn't put in the effort into appreciating our city's bright and vibrant personality is truly missing out. It's not only these things I cherish, but also the not-so-glamorous qualities - like rowdy Jets fans flooding the streets for a late celebratory night. Heck, I'll cheer with them.

Downtown will always be my home. Wherever I end up in a few months, years or decades from now - this part of our city will always have a part of me.

Always yours,
Jackie