I am a huge fan of good old fashioned comfort food and during my stay in Winnipeg, Manitoba, I had the opportunity to visit a local institution for some of the best perogies in town…possibly the prairies. Of course, it was upon hearing about Alycia’s restaurant from a friend (isn’t that how it usually goes?) that I had to go and check it out myself. Even the late John Candy had these handmade treasures flown back to his home in California whenever his LA Kings were in town to play the now departed Winnipeg Jets. With a wall of fame to testify to Alycia’s greatness, I had no choice. It was my turn to check out Alycia’s.

The first thing I love about these kinds of adventures is the anticipation of not knowing what to expect. I drove through the unfamiliar streets, thinking to myself if the hype was really what it was cracked up to be. Winnipeg’s north end, by the way, is a beautiful neighbourhood. Anyways, a few tree-lined streets later, I found myself at Cathedral Avenue next to this humble, non-decript corner building with a cracked window and hand painted signs, peeling from the years gone by.

Good sign. Of course, this can also be a bad sign, but when you hear about how good a restaurant’s food is and you go there and the place is run down and showing it’s age, then you know that the regulars don’t care about the signs or the mismatched chairs. I’ve seen great restaurants that don’t have signs. People just know where to go. Anyways, the place gave me a friendly, homey vibe when I opened the door and walked inside. Pictures of the owner were everywhere in addition to the many Ukrainian knick-knacks, newspaper clippings and letters of adoration from the many satisfied patrons of this local landmark.

So, as I was seated by my friendly server I took a look around me and took in a lifetime of nostalgia on the walls and everywhere. It seemed that if this building could talk, it could keep me entertained for hours with it’s stories of celebrities, regulars, travellers and the couples on first dates. Looking through the menu that was presented in a plain blue duo-tang with a hand written ‘cash only’ label on the cover, I proceeded to order a bowl of borscht and a deluxe dinner, featuring the legendary perogies.

Okay, now onto the food and I’m gonna be honest. This is another thing that people either hate me for or appreciate me for; having an opinion no matter how much hype something has. The borscht was, well…plain. Nothing jumped out and hit my palate. I even added the dollop of sour cream and it was still plain with sour cream. The base was definitely a powdered chicken stock and the beets were not the best in the world. Usually beets have a rich, deep red colour that will stain your favorite shirt, rendering it useless but these were pale in contrast. I bet that a chicken stock from scratch and some really fresh beets would make this traditional soup pop. Sadly, it was nothing to write home about.

At this early point in the dinner, I was a little bummed out. Like when you go see an opening act for a really good band and the opener really sucks, thus sucking the enthusiasm out of you before the headliner gets on stage. As I waited for my headliner to appear, I was thinking if my friend and John Candy were full of shit. What followed must have been the greatest act of redemption ever.

I was greeted by the biggest plate of Ukrainian soul food I ever saw. It was a tribute to generations of babas, toiling away in the kitchen making perogies for the people they love. You see, soul food is some of the best food on earth. Give me my lola’s adobo before anything from my favorite celebrity chef.

A couple things from this dinner really popped out for me. One was, of course, the perogies. They were huge. I had to cut them in half to get them in my mouth. I like my perogies boiled and a simple preparation like that presents a challenge to the perogy maker. The biggest challenge being that perogies are basically potatoes in a dumpling. You have to know what you’re doing to ensure that you achieve a fluffy, light tasting, savoury delicacy with subtle, but distinct flavour profile as opposed to a boiled potato lump (unless you like British food…KIDDING). Alycia’s did exactly that. These were delicious. Topped with fried onions and more sour cream, it was a little piece of heaven, if your heaven is eating perogies with your Ukrainian grandmother.

Surprisingly, the other thing that really stood out was the coleslaw. Yeah, you heard me. The little side dish that people usually push aside with not even a glance while they attack their fish and chips. This was a very simple recipe, but very effective. The fact that the ingredients were fresh and the prep was not too complicated is what made it memorable. Memorable cole slaw? Really…!?

After dinner, I paid my bill (about $20) and bid them farewell. I took a last look at the place as I was leaving and wondered why people get into the restaurant business. At least half of them go bust before their first year, and yet places like Alycia’s endure and become local legend. I think it’s a simple formula. Good food made with love and making people happy. That’s my guess. All in all, I can say that Alycia’s makes damn good perogies. I hear that their staff makes 1000 dozen of them daily. 1000 dozen? I never heard that before, but who cares. If you are in Winnipeg, you have to visit Alycia’s for some great Ukrainian eats.