About a year ago at this time, we were fortunate enough to visit a little restaurant in Elgin, MB called The Burning Bale. The article we published following our visit ended up as the 2nd most viewed posting of the year (over 16,000 views to date) on our web site. In speaking with Chef Germain recently he said that his business, like all other restaurants, has been affected by Covid-19. While the traffic flow has remained steady at supper time, as his clients are tied directly to the agricultural community, he is missing out on the daily lunch travelers who typically would stop in on their way to a neighboring community. They have also cancelled breakfast for the time being, due to no seating being available in the restaurant. Even though the supper crowd remains strong, he said it is all relative to what it was before.One asset the restaurant does carry forward is the ever-evolving menu. Several items (additional wraps & Poutines) that used to be daily specials found their way onto the main menu at the start of summer. The restaurant first opened at the end of May 2019 and Germain now has a greater sense of what keeps people coming back. Over the last several months he has introduced new daily specials like a Mozza Steak Melt, Bourbon Pepper Steak Poutine, Tracksuit Burger, and a Chicken Parm Kaiser. Pizza sales remain especially strong. The restaurant also hosted a very successful New Year’s Eve menu and is planning similar for Valentine’s day. To see their hours of operation, full menu, or to see the daily specials, please follow their Facebook page. Sweet & Sour Crispy Chicken & Fried Rice w/ Slaw Mozza Steak Sandwich Melt Bourbon Pepper Steak Poutine Black dry brined pulled Pork...braised with a little bourbon and Dr.Pepper! Stream & Pasture .. Shore lunch style Pickeral with sliced Roast Beef Tenderloin..served with fries and dilly Coleslaw!! Burning Bale Pizza Chicken & Mushroom Neptune Soup ... it has chicken breast , mushroom, cream cheese and crab, lobster style pieces and sweet peas

Valentine's Day is always better with sweets. Courtney's Cake Creations (corner of 1st St and Patricia Ave) this year is offering a number of different options for those looking to purchase something sweet for that special someone in the life. They are offering their sugar cookie kits (pictured above) which includes: 1 dozen cookies, 3 kinds of sprinkles, 1 kind of candy and 3 bags of royal icing for only $30. These decorating kits are the perfect DIY family gift idea. Hot chocolate bombs (chocolate hearts filled with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows) are also available. Simply pour warm milk over them in a mug and they burst open with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. Available in 3-packs: chocolate, Rollo, and marshmallow. Courtney tells bdnmb.ca that the chocolate bombs went over so well at Christmas time that she wanted to introduce them as an option for Valentine's day as well. hot chocolate bombs. Other Valentine specials include chocolate covered strawberries (6 or 12), a Valentine's day cake, and cookie boxes (cookie box has 3 large sugar cookies and 3 chocolates). Due to the popularity of the items featured for Valentine's day, pre-order sales (by February 10) are a must. You can visit their Facebook page to find out more information on the individual options and pricing details. 1doz chocolate covered strawberries Cookie box from Courtney's Cake Creations. Cookie box from Courtney's Cake Creations.

Brandon has an amazing array of local restaurants, with some pretty exciting food options to select from. From legendary prime rib to hearty sandwiches, here’s our list of "ten ridiculously tasty menu items you must try in Brandon." In no particular order. Philly Cheese Steak Nachos from The Dock on Princess. Beer braised beef, green and red peppers, caramelized red onions, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, cheese, drizzed with garlic aioli and a house made cheese sauce. Legendary Prime Rib from Albert's Bistro Family Restaurant. Served with choice of lemon roasted potatoes or rice pilaf and vegetables. (Photo: Facebook) Veggie Breakfast Bowl from Chez Angela Bakery & Cafe. Locally sourced seasonal vegetables with caramelized onions, swiss cheese, a horseradish mayo and a sunny side up egg served on their Country Style Roasted Potatoes. Roast Chicken Sub from Pizza Express & Submarine. Seasoned roast chicken, with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise & house dressing. Add bacon for that little extra kick. Birria Tacos from Sabor Latino Restaurant. Cheesy Mexican tacos with a generous amount of high quality pulled beef, fresh guacamole, onions, and cilantro consomé on the side. Sampler Pizza from Romana Pizza. Something for everyone with this beautiful pizza. 1/4 - Ham & Pineapple, 1/4 - Bacon & Mushroom, 1/4 - Pepperoni & Mushroom, 1/4 - Double Cheese Joe Beeverz Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. Thin slices of sirloin beef sautéed with peppers, onions, mushrooms and topped with melty provolone and cheese sauce, served in a fresh baguette. La Cuban Torta from Los Brothers Street Food. Ham slices, sliced hotdog, 3-cheese blend, avocado, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, & mayo. Chicken Cacciatore from Marino's Pizza. Fresh tender chicken morsels combined with Marino's homemade cacciatore sauce, customized with your choice of pasta noodle, then smothered in mozzarella cheese Crispy chicken wings from Benny's Restaurant & Catering Services. Available in Sweet Chili, BBQ, hot & honey, Buffalo, salt & pepper, honey garlic, Arizona, and Cajun. To order one of these fantastic menu items visit Door Dash, Feastify, or SKIP the Dishes. Please note that note that some of the restaurants listed above offer their own delivery service therefore they may not be found on any of the apps. Please visit their respective web sites/Facebook pages for pickup and delivery information.

A popular and long-standing retail establishment in Brandon has announced that they will be closing their doors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hallmark Appleyard Manitoba Canada announced via social media on Wednesday that due to the devastating impact of COVID on their business, they would be closing up shop here in Brandon as well as their St Vital location in Winnipeg. "The devastating impact of COVID on our business is overwhelming," they shared in their Facebook post. The full statement can be accessed below. The company will continue to operate their Polo Park, Kildonan Place, Kenaston and Stonewall locations.

A Double-Double™ and a Boston Cream donut were Canada's favourite Tim Hortons go-tos of 2020. But while the top coffee orders of 2020 were consistent across the country, the top Tim Hortons donuts of the year differed depending on where you are in Canada. The Apple Fritter was the top Tim Hortons donut in Ontario, the western provinces and the territories in 2020, while the Honey Cruller was No. 1 in Quebec. The Boston Cream was the top Tim Hortons donut across the Atlantic provinces. But it also ranked a very close second in the rest of the country — which pushed it into the top slot as Canada's top Tim Hortons donut overall. "Boston Cream donuts are a classic and I'm not surprised it was Canadian Tim Hortons guests choice this year," says Tallis Voakes, the new Culinary Lead for Tim Hortons who is overseeing quality improvement across the menu in 2021. "It's a filled, soft, yeast donut and has delicious chocolate and creamy vanilla flavours. The concept for the donut comes from a Boston Cream Pie recipe that's over 100 years old — it's so cool to me to see how dishes evolve over time." But for Voakes — whose culinary background includes training at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, working for some of the world's top chefs, and even cooking for the Queen — there's another Tim Hortons donut that can't be beat. "I agree with my friends in Quebec, the Honey Cruller is my jam," says Voakes. "But it's like anything else, everyone's got a favourite and there's no wrong answers." When it comes to the top coffee orders, the results at Tim Hortons were consistent across the country. The classic Double-Double™ was tops, followed by "regular" — one dairy, one sugar — and then a simple black coffee was the third most popular order. Across Canada, the top 10 Tim Hortons donuts were: Boston Cream, Apple Fritter, Old Fashioned Plain, Honey Cruller, Chocolate Dip, Vanilla Dip, Sour Cream Glazed, Chocolate Glazed, Double Chocolate and Honey Dip.(CNW)