Packed up and checked out of my hotel today, as I was moving to the Hampton Inn by Hilton downtown. Once I’d moved out, I wandered the main street to all the little boutiques.
Stopped in for lunch at Roast Public House for BBQ brisket on a roll with slaw. Sourcing all their bread, meat and cheese locally, and everything of course is from scratch.
We head out of downtown to check out some of the surrounding areas – I went sledding for the first time! The ice was packed down really hard, so we got a lot of speed behind us. My first trip down the hill from the top saw me bail out halfway down when the sled accidentally hit a few hills. And in minus ten degrees celsius, skidding down a hill on ice on your butt – well, it was pretty cold.
But there were no injuries, except to one of the snow tubes which ended one of the runs as a flat sheet of plastic.
I head back downtown to get ready for a dinner at Merchant, a craft cocktail and casual farm-to-table restaurant. I met the bubbly head chef Anna and owner Josh. The restaurant is inspired by the American Craft Movement – ‘tradesmen and women who look to history to proudly perform their craft with knowledge and care.’
I left my dinner in the capable hands of Anna, and she sent me out a beautiful Ploughman’s Platter to start off with, piled high with housemade mustards, granolas, baguettes, Underground Butcher salamis and local cheeses. Second were a plate of fried cheese curds, which I couldn’t help but finish over half of on my own.
The house made pappardelle with pork sausage ragu was exquisite, the kale, beet and goats cheese salad fresh and crisp.
Washing it all down was a house cocktail, a Winter seasonal with pear and cinnamon.
