MARCH 9, 2011
When Pam, a businesswoman from Winnipeg, comes to Grand Forks, she wonders where to go now that Whitey’s is closed.
She sent me an e-mail saying:
I am a Winnipeger, who is a longtime frequent visitor to both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. I spent my childhood visiting all the time. I just found out that Whitey’s has closed and am devastated!!!!! After many years I tried the lobster bisque soup there and fell in love with it, of course.
While planning my visit this year, I was checking out old and new restaurants around Grand Forks. I was checking out restaurants to visit and the hours of business and menus. I decided to check on the price of lobster bisque from Whitey’s. I was planning to take some soup back home with me, only to find it closed.
So, I am still in shock, to say the least. However, I did see a lack of patrons over the years. Our visits will never be the same.
In closing, Pam said, “I am e-mailing you in a desperate hope to find a comparable restaurant that makes lobster bisque, at least close to Whitey’s. Can you help?”
Well, I thought about it for a while. Then, I told Pam that I have had pretty good lobster bisque at Red Lobster on 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road.
As I considered her question later, I decided I should tell her about the new restaurants that have opened here in the past year. These include Little Bangkok, the Thai restaurant in East Grand Forks, and Babylon in downtown Grand Forks.
I should remind her there is a cluster of restaurants around the theaters in East Grand Forks. Mamma Maria’s in the theater mall has very good Italian food, and the Blue Moose across the way is a full-service restaurant with plenty of incentives.
The Boardwalk, Mike’s Pizza and Applebee’s add to the variety of food on the east side of the Red River. I thought, of course, of Sanders fine restaurant in the heart of downtown Grand Forks and the Toasted Frog, also on North Third Street. Bonzer’s is noted for its soups.
When I posed the question to some bridge players of where Pam should go, there was a variety of suggestions. We agreed that Texas Roadhouse is a great place for steaks, and lots of people still prefer the Bronze Boot on U.S. Highway 81.
On a recent visit to Qdoba Mexican Grill, I noticed a bus from Canada pull up. We talked with the driver, and he said they were returning from a trip to Fargo and that they stopped there because they don’t have Qdoba in Winnipeg.
We know Canadians are attracted to the English pub and the Bistro in the Canad Inn.
Now, I am wondering what readers would suggest to Pam from Winnipeg. For one thing, she wonders if she could find a good old-fashioned milkshake in Grand Forks.
Oh yes, and I am wondering where Pam likes to eat in Winnipeg. You can scout Winnipeg for places to eat. You can consult the guidebooks and go online for clues. But nothing beats getting advice from someone who lives there and goes out to eat often.
That person is Pam. She doesn’t want me to use her last name, but she is a businesswoman.