The Nest Cafe

The Nest Cafe

19 Park Rd

Falcon Lake, MB

204-349-2213

falconsnestcafe.ca

info@falconsnestcafe.ca

Facebook:  @falconsnestcafe

August, 2020

The Nest Dominates the facade of the Falcon Lake shopping centre, both from its imposing patio in front and its ice cream takeout window that's always busy, overflowing into the courtyard.  While the window only sells ice cream, they have dedicated staff attending only to the window, which tells you how busy this place is.  

That's with good reason too.  I'm not a huge dessert person but my Twister just about blew me away.  The Twister resembles Dairy Queen's Blizzard, which is essentially ice cream whipped with your choice of additions.  I choose Reese's Pieces to accompany my chocolate ice cream.  

The Blizzards I have once in a while have wee bits of busted up Reese peanut butter cups in it, which is a nice combo.  It adds a dimension to ice cream and injects texture at the same time.  The Nest Twister doesn't include wee bits; it incorporates huge chunks of Reese.  There aren't just a few--they give you lots of chunks to chew on.  All these lovely chunks sit immersed in a rich, hearty ice cream slurry.

I love this dessert.  If the food tastes half this good, I'm sold--and when it comes, it ends up breaking all my expectations.  

Let's start with the Reuben sandwich, priced at a mere $8.25.  This substantial entry comes with loads of corned beef and sauerkraut, housed in lightly toasted pumpernickel bread.  The Nest butters the bread before toasting, so be sure to have extra napkins nearby since you will have greasy hands.  Because of the toasting, the edges of the corned beef tastes slightly dried (think bacon crispy) but the thick hunk in the middle remains juicy and moist.  A huge wad of sauerkraut and 1000 island dressing augments the beefiness.  If you love sauerkraut, you're in the right park, but if you're not a fan, it may be too much.  The sauerkraut tastes strong enough where it masks the dressing, which is probably not necessary here.

Still under the Sandwiches heading, the Buffalo Wrap comes in a choice of white or wheat tortilla, which they stuff until it's ready to burst.  As you can see from the photo, the wrap comes with nice-sized strips of white chicken, breaded and fried before applying the sauce (either barbecue or Frank's).  Don't be afraid to ask for Frank's, even if you normally eschew hot sauces.  There's just enough heat to give a nice flavour without attacking any of your spice sensors.  The fresh-from-the-fryer breading still holds its crispiness.  Coupled with the fresh lettuce, you get a nice crunch sound with each bite.  

The Nest lists Chicken Wings under "Extras" but there's more than enough here to be an appetiser, and some would consider this sufficient to be a meal by itself.

These meaty wings aren't quite turkey-sized but they have much more substance than a lot of the malnourished samples you find at bars.  The wings come in eight styles; these are generously coated with Sweet Chilli sauce, with lots of flakes of chilli, as you can see from the photo.  Despite the appearance, there's only a light sting of heat to go with the delicious sweetness.

If you want something with more heft, the Dinners come with mounds of food, guaranteed to satisfy the most voracious eaters.  

The Hamburger Steak comes with two of the burger patties, smothered with gravy, onions and mushrooms.  The mixture sits on a considerable mound of fries.

The rustic fries come with potato skins on.  These soft (as opposed to crispy) fries are a tad on the greasy side but they pair nicely with the gravy.  I would like to see a bit more gravy--there's plenty but not enough to cover the entire mound of fries.  I'd also like to see a bit more mushrooms, being the only healthly injection on the plate.

The burger patties weigh in a more than 1/3 pound each, giving you plenty of protein to go with your starch.  The patty itself tastes quite plain, relying on the richness of the gravy to pack a flavour punch.  That's fine, as you would never eat the patty without the sauce under normal circumstances.

Pinned right next to the entrance, the Nest showcases their Nest Burger, which immediately catches my attention.  I think most foods taste better with an egg over it and this gargantuan sandwich is no different.  They did a lovely job with the poster, I wondered if the real thing would ever look this nice (especially in a take-out container).

Peaking into the container, I am pleased to see the real thing exceeds the looks of the photo.  The beauty of the egg immediately grabs centre-stage, stealing the spotlight from the wonderful cheddar oozing out of the lower bun.  The egg completely conceals the onion ring, meaning you can't see it when the delicious yolk bursts and breading soaks up all the flavour and umami of the egg.  

The deep, wonderful colours of the vegetables add to the beauty of the dish.  You can't help but feel hungry looking at this culinary work of art.

Expectedly, I end up with a gooey mess all over both hands after devouring this monster.  I try my best not to let the goodness drip all over my keyboard as I catch every last delicious drop.  Afterwards, there's considerable finger-licking before I contemplate whether I should lick the plate as well.

The Nest serves a lot of excellent food but the Nest Burger transcends the boundary of what excellent is.  I cannot see myself coming back here and having anything but this divine creation.  Come try it for yourself--you have to.

This is an unbiased, free public service that I am happy to provide.  If you enjoy these reviews, please consider clicking on the accompanying ads.  This is the only compensation I receive. 

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Ray Yuen, Pit Master, Grill Master

Certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Judge - Badge #97736

Certified Steak Cook-off Association Judge - Badge #7788

Canadian Barbecue Society Member