By Wai Chan

The restaurant with what is probably the most mispronounced name in town is the Beeotcheese Bistro and Bakery.  Bee-yot-cheese… yes it sounds exactly like what you think it sounds like… but what a fun name!

Today I had lunch there with Mrs C and Mr Jay and we had a great time.  The first thing you see when you walk in is the display of freshly baked goods, all lovingly homemade of course.  Get some while they’re warm and you won’t regret it.

Once seated, you will be given two separate menus; their regular standard one which features a list of permanent food choices, and one that changes up every week.  If you’ve only ever ordered from their weekly menu (like I do) it’s like going to a new restaurant each time… and I’ve never been disappointed with anything I’ve ordered.

So it was no surprise that I ordered from the weekly menu today, and decided on the Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad sandwich, which comes with a choice of a side.  The waitress had raved about the daily soup, which happened to be beef & veggie, so I went with her recommendation.  Alternatively, I could’ve also chosen from French onion, potato and leek, or the red lentil soup.  And if I wasn’t in a soup mood I could’ve gone with a fresh green, Caesar, pasta, or potato salad… there’s no fries here people!

Mrs C ordered the French onion soup off of the regular menu, which came with a mini loaf, and Mr Jay, who had actually joined us halfway through the meal, also ended up ordering the Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad, but with the potato and leek soup.

First off, I loved my sandwich.  Lurrrved.  The chicken is fresh and not processed, and was mixed with just the right amount of mayo, sliced almonds and dried cranberries.  It sat on top of a layer of crisp iceberg, and it was savoury and sweet all at the same time.  The bun was quite hearty and I thoroughly enjoyed it, carbs and everything.  The soup was wonderful too with incredibly tender pieces of beef (just like the waitress had promised!), mushrooms, celery, carrots, and roasted potatoes.  Yes, those potatoes made the soup into something really special.

Mrs C’s soup wasn’t particularly hot when it arrived, and she had wondered about the lack of croutons which would normally accompany French onion, but with her first bite the soup won her over!  The slice of homemade bread floating in the rich, caramel brothy soup turned out to be just the perfect amount of crispness and she absolutely loved it.  The mini loaf that accompanied her soup is actually made up of 3 baby buns that have been baked together.  There are 2 whole-wheat buns which sandwich a white bun and it was quite yeasty, just the way good bread should be.

Mr Jay’s soup had nice bits of vibrant green leeks amongst the creamy potato backdrop.  I didn’t get a chance to try any of it, but judging by the clean bowl, it was evidence that he had enjoyed his lunch as well.

To conclude our meal, Mrs C asked for the Mixed Berry Cheesecake, which is this week’s dessert special.  I had a bite of it… yes, she knew!  She insisted, I swear!  The cake was smooth and rich, and the fruit medley of blueberries, raspberries, and Saskatoon berries was slightly sweet and tart.  As cheesecakes go it was quite delicious, but my personal choice of dessert is their cinnamon biscuits… they are absolutely to DIE for!  It’s a true treat that’s been rolled up with a cinnamon mixture and it has a sweet crust that breaks into tender fluffy biscuit goodness.  And as a finishing touch there is a drizzle of glaze over this gem… it was absolutely perfect with one last cup of coffee.  If you ever get the chance to bite into one of these while they are still warm straight from the oven… go for it!  I had the opportunity once and I haven’t been the same since.

I even grabbed 2 more to go on my way out… one for Mr O, and one more for myself as a reward after my boot-camp class tonight… hopefully none of the instructors are reading this!

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