Regina Restaurant Week 

#RRW2016

I have not been this excited about anything in a while, and it's not just the "Calories Don't Count Downtown" tagline!  Regina Restaurant Week is here!  This is an amazing collaboration put together by thirteen of Regina downtown's best dining establishments and the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District.  Restaurant Week runs nightly (5:00 to 9:00 pm) until February 10 and is an incredible opportunity for diners to experience some of our best downtown dining, at an amazing price!  All menus are a fixed price dinner and include an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $35.  When you look at the restaurant offerings, you will see that this is really a fantastic value!  I had the opportunity last night to attend a "social media preview" of the event and we stopped at three establishments to sample their offerings. We had a terrific evening that I will describe in stomach-rumbling detail, but in the meantime, you can find all the participating restaurants, and their menus here:

http://www.reginadowntown.ca/events/regina-restaurant-week

The Copper Kettle

www.copperkettleregina.com

This was our first stop and we enjoyed our appetizer course here.  Normally, you will get all three courses at one restaurant, but this was a special preview so we split the courses over three establishments.  Our group was blown away by what's happening at The Copper Kettle!  I had not been there in years, and quite honestly with the explosion of amazing restaurants Regina has seen over the last few years, it wasn't even on my radar to go back.  However, I am so glad we landed there as there are some amazing things going on!  The Copper Kettle has been a Regina staple for 50 years, but has just undergone a major renovation and menu update overseen by their new General Manager, and Junior Chef, Destiny Slobodian.  We were really impressed with Destiny's excitement about the renovations, menu, and being a part of Restaurant Week.  We were brought out a variety of appetizers, three of which appear as choices on the Restaurant Week menu:  Crusted Feta, Spanakopita, and Braised Back Ribs.  We were also served Calamari and Mussels as an extra something special.  Destiny explained to us that their new menu is a modern twist on a traditional Greek menu, and they have worked to play off of typically salty Greek food, by adding sweetness, such as honey or fresh fruit to a dish.  She also is heavily focused on Saskatchewan products and reported that approximately 85% of what we were eating was from our Province.  Of the five items we sampled, my favourite was the "Crusted Feta" (bottom right in photo).  It was wrapped in phyllo dough, pan seared, topped with seeds and nuts, and drizzled with salted honey.  Heaven.  It is one of those dishes that I am going to often dream about, and will be returning to enjoy.  All of the offerings we sampled were really good, but it's hard to beat a cheese dish in my books.  All in all, the restaurant looks beautiful, the location remains unparalleled, the food was tasty and well-presented, the staff were lovely, and Destiny brings a very bright future to the Copper Kettle.  I am excited to get back and sample a couple of their entrees, and well..."baklava".  Need I say more?

Famoso

www.famoso.ca

Our entree stop was at Famoso, one of our newest additions to downtown.  Even though I think about food approximately 23 hours a day, I get out to eat very rarely, so this is another spot I have been wanting to try, but hadn't until last night!  Anyone who has been out to dine with me knows that I am the very last person at the table to order, because I am indecisive and need the pressure of everyone else waiting on me to pull the trigger on a selection.  Not last night though!  The first pizza I spotted was the "Cavoletti" and it was a done deal!  I didn't even look at the other offerings.  Pictured above is my Cavoletti Pizzetta which is topped with oven-roasted brussel sprouts, proscuitto crisps, gorgonzola cheese, dates, walnuts, and honey.  There were also three side options and I chose the Caprese Salad.  I loved the flavours on this pizza.  I make a lot of homemade pizza but mine are very North American...thick crust, with lots of meat and cheese but the Famoso pizzas are what I would consider more authentic Italian.  They are a very thin, airy crust, lighter toppings, and interesting flavour combinations, and then fired roasted.  I thought my pizza could have done with a few less seconds on the fire.  There was a bit of charring and the proscuitto was beyond crispy, but I enjoyed it very much.  And since I tend to underbake things as I like a more soft, doughy texture, I may not be the best judge of "degree of charring".  Famoso is a bit different from the other Regina Restaurant Week options as here, it is 2 CAN DINE for $35.  How incredible is that??  I am anxious to get back and I know the kids are going to love it, especially when they see the gelato counter!  But in the meantime, I still have half a pizzetta in the fridge that I am going to enjoy for dinner tonight!

20Ten City Eatery

www.20ten.ca

Dessert.  There are many times I will skip a meal entirely just so I can have a dessert.  It explains a lot, doesn't it?  Another beautiful, new location to downtown Regina is 20Ten City Eatery and it is literally, a stone's throw east of Famoso.  We had our dessert course there and it is a lovely spot and we had excellent service.  I think aside from one creme brûlée, our whole group ordered either the brownie, or the dessert above which appears on the Restaurant Week Menu.  It is a spiced ginger toffee cake with banana anglaise, and vanilla bean ice cream.  It was very good, although I didn't get a whole lot of ginger flavour from it.  I could have eaten just a bowl of the anglaise, mind you.  It may be worth noting that 20Ten City Eatery only has one offering for each course on the Restaurant Week Menu (whereas most of the other restaurants provide at least two choices) so I would have a look at their menu, and make sure it's something you will enjoy, before you commit to making it your choice of dining location.  If you do go, I think you will be happy with the ginger toffee cake, although I generally prefer chocolate to toffee or caramel.  Except in the case of...well, baklava.

Thank you so much to Regina Downtown BID for inviting me to be a part of their preview.  It was a terrific night and I cannot wait to get back downtown to try some more of the offerings.  Keep an eye on social media when you are planning your dinners.  There is already a lot of buzz around the hashtag #RRW2016 so I would bet you are going to see a lot of photos and reviews of the menus.  And please feel free to tweet, snap, and post yourselves using #RRW2016.  I truly hope that all of Regina gets out at least once in the next couple of weeks to eat downtown!  

Every Mile is Magic

I am a Walt Disney World Marathon Finisher.
Today I was thinking about how long I have been running and I realized I started just over 2 1/2 years ago, and here I am with a full marathon under my belt.  I spoke with a few different runners this past weekend, and when I told them it was my first marathon, they all said, "Ah, yes! The bucket list!"  But I realized that no, I have never had a marathon on my bucket list.  I never even would have dreamed that I could run one, but I just did.  I only knew that I didn't want to get any older and regret it if I had never tried, so I thought it would be smart to make an attempt sooner, rather than later.  And I knew if I was going to run 26.2 miles, there would be only one place I would do it:  Walt Disney World, where as they say, "Every Mile is Magic".  A downside of running at Disney World though is it is the only place on earth where you catch yourself saying, "I'm JUST running the Marathon", because some runners are participating in the Dopey Challenge, which includes all four races.  But it's also awesome because it's the only place on earth where you can call someone "Dopey" and it is a compliment. "Hey look kids, he's Dopey!  Good job, Dopey!"  It was fabulous.

The Marathon is the only race of the year where runners get to travel through all four theme parks, including backstage areas, which for a Disney fan like me is the ultimate golden ticket.  I was also excited to find that I was running in the daylight (or near daylight) through the three theme parks that I had previously run through at night, so I got to see them in a different way.  I did run through the Magic Kingdom in the total dark, which was amazing because of all the lights on Main Street USA and on the Castle, which brings me to my first race highlight.

We entered the Magic Kingdom from the east, at the south end of Main Street, heading towards the Christmas tree.  There were spectators lining the street, screaming and cheering.  It was amazing!  I believe I shouted "Hello, Magic Kingdom!!" and took a good look at all of them because I knew in a moment I was going to turn the corner and there would be only one thing I would see.  And then it happened, in just a matter of seconds, I took a right hand turn and there it was, Cinderella's Castle in all its sparkling glory.  I ran towards it, Christmas wreaths lining the Main Street shops, cheering spectators packed along the left, cast members on our right, and I just kept thinking "Remember this. Remember this moment."  And I know I always will.

When you are not running through a theme park, there is entertainment along the way, including character meets and photo opportunities, DJs, and lots of water and snack stops (thank you sponsors!).  One of my favourite of these places was a pair of entertainers around mile 11.  They were wearing microphones so we could hear them for quite a while as we did a u-turn at that spot.  The banter went something like, "You guys are looking great!  Keep up the pace!  We hope you can come back tomorrow for the marathon!"
"Yes, they'll be all warmed up from this nice Sunday jog by then!"
"You do know, this is just the line up for Toy Story Midway Mania, right?"
I was laughing out loud.

Anyone who has raced at Walt Disney World knows the hill where the Green Army Men camp out.  It is the Osceola Parkway off-ramp onto World Drive and you will find them "cheering" runners up the incline by yelling at us.  They are the only people (aka toys) in the world that I appreciate yelling at me.  "I know it's hard to run in glass slippers.  But guess what, ladies???  You're not wearing glass slippers, YOU'RE WEARING SNEAKERS!!  NOW GET MOVING!!"  It's absolutely the best and at mile 21, was one of the last things I remember as it got pretty foggy after that.

I must make mention of the signs because they are something I always look forward to.  There were so many signs, and I really only got the chance to read a few of them, but some of my favourites were:
"I got a blister just making this sign."
"Goonies never say die."
"Spoiler Alert: You are killing this race." (with a photo of Kylo Ren)
But my very favourite sign was held by a lovely woman just outside of Hollywood Studios, at approximately mile 23.5, that simply said, "You are going to finish a marathon today."
And I think that's when it hit me, as the tears welled up in my eyes.  Yes, I really was.

I finished the marathon in 4:40:26 and although it wasn't an earth-shattering time, I beat the goal I had set for myself and finished in the top 11% of women, and top 18% overall.  Not too shabby for someone who hadn't ever planned to run one.  Minnie Mouse was at the finish line and I veered over to get a high five from her before crossing the line.  And then it was time to choose the person who would put the medal around my neck.  Having gotten to hand out medals at the Queen City Marathon last fall, I knew how the volunteers near the end of the line didn't keep as busy, so I took my time.  I scanned their faces and then I made eye contact with this beautiful girl and I knew she was the one.  I walked up to her, she put the medal around my neck and said "Congratulations" and then I said to her, "This is my first marathon and I am never going to forget your face.  Thank you."  And I could tell she was touched as she said "I am never going to forget you either."

Last night, I was watching a show about the IronMan in Hawaii, and Sean Astin said something that spoke to me, as he has done before.  He said "For the rest of my life, I'll know that I did that.  And no one can ever take it away."  Of all the photos we took that weekend, those staged with Disney characters, of parade floats, our favourite foods, or against the backdrop of a beloved attraction, this one is my favourite.  The moment when I saw my son, the relief of battling something hard and emerging a winner.

During the flights home from Florida, I had a talk with each of the kids and said "Do you know why I wanted you to come?  Because I wanted you to see that you can do things that are hard.  And even if they're hard, and you're scared, and you don't think you can do it, you can."
Emily replied, "If you can dream it, you can do it.  Right, Mom?".  That's right.  That's so right.

One Week until Walt Disney World Marathon!

My apologies for a quiet blog.  It has been a defeating fall and I haven't had much to say, but I just realized this Marathon is the reason I started these musings in the first place so I thought I had better share my progress!  I am officially one week away from running my first (and last) full marathon and am experiencing a variety of emotions.  I think I am mildly excited that it is nearly here.  If nothing else, I am very excited that it is almost over!  I am mostly terrified though, not of the pain and the fatigue, but that for some reason I will be pulled from the course and not finish.  I know for a fact that I will not quit, and as long as I'm conscious, will fight tooth and nail with anyone trying to remove me!  As I told a friend, if I don't finish, it better be because I am stone cold dead!

I have been suffering through an SI joint problem that has caused me a lot of pain and required me to slow my pace quite a bit.  Fortunately, thanks to the physiotherapist and chiropractor, I have been feeling a lot better in the last few weeks and am running with only minor pain.  It was looking pretty bleak for a while as I walked with a dramatic limp, and had a hard time getting in and out of the vehicle, and even rolling over in bed.  But I managed to keep getting my mileage in, albeit slow, and I have to be proud of myself that I never missed a training "limp" despite the mental and physical pain. By the time I leave for Walt Disney World on Thursday, I will have logged 600 miles preparing for this race.

When I signed up for the biggest RunDisney race of the year, I had no intentions of taking the kids along.  However, the day I ran my first 15 miler (at the time the longest distance I had ever run), I had an epiphany:  that this is a really big achievement and I was doing it once, and once only, so the kids should be there to see me finish.  And like every crazy thing that I do, I hope the memory of it would be inspiring to them at some point in their lives.  So, on Boxing Day, we surprised them with the news that they would be coming along to cheer me on, and they would be running their very own race ,"The Mickey Mile", on Saturday afternoon.  We are staying at the Polynesian Village Resort and the Marathon course will take me by the Polynesian twice for a good view for the family.  Then they are just a monorail ride away from the finish line at EPCOT so it should work really well.

I cannot say enough about the people in the running community who have given me advice.  I hope you know who you are!!  Talking to these experienced runners is so valuable (and I hope that something I have to say will help another runner along some day).  This fall, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Queen City Marathon crew, and Darwin Weimer, in particular, gave me some amazing insight into the mental game of this sport.  He made me aware of, and this fall I paid close attention to, the crazy things our minds will try and tell us to stop ourselves from running.  On my 26.2 miler the week before Christmas, I came up with the analogy of having an angel and a devil on my shoulder, kind of like Fred Flintstone would have from time to time.  The devil voice would say, "You know you should just walk.  You've got plenty of time.  Your knee is starting to hurt.  You don't want to damage it before the real race.  Just walk it out."  But what I learned is, that if you listen for the angel voice (and sometimes it's hard to hear when you're really tired), it might say "You are doing great!  You are making good time.  Forget about that knee and look at that rebar and insulation.  Doesn't it look like Cinderella's Castle?"  Every once in a while, I will imagine our amazing RunDisney volunteers lining the edge of the road, waving at me with giant Mickey Mouse hands, and the odd time, when no one is looking, I might even wave back!

I will be posting lots from Florida and will do a weekend recap when we get home!  Please keep me in your thoughts (and prayers if you are so inclined) that we will have a safe trip and I will have a successful race on Sunday morning.  At the end of it, I just need to know I gave it all I had, and I hope I end up with a time that is gratifying enough that I won't feel compelled to do it again!  Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust.