Rae's Bistro + Lounge

Rae's Bistro + Lounge

9 - 925 Headmaster Row

204-229-0237

teamawesome@raesbistro.com

https://www.raesbistro.com/

August, 2021

Located way out near the Perimeter Highway on Lagimodiere, you would not see this place via street traffic unless you're on your way to the beaches.  Judging by the bustling dining room  however, it doesn't look like they need bypass customers as it's fill to capacity.  

The dark walls and furniture make for a subdued atmosphere, although the noise levels indicate high energy and activity.  Even with the plexi-shields between the booths, the crowd sounds manage to carry throughout the dining room.

Service comes quickly, complete with lots of smiles and friendly interactions.  They need a reference volume to list off all the daily specials.  The standard menu offers a wide selection burgers and pizzas, in addition to the mains.  

From the Sandwiches section, the Italian Panini does not have the typical lined markings from the toaster or the grill, but it still has the fried crispness that you expect with this kind of sandwich.

The mains and sandwiches offer sides, choosing from soup, salad, crispy, skinny fries, or poutine for a $3 surcharge.

The skinny fries aren't skinny as I expected (thinking shoestring); in fact, they're more like regular-sized fries.  They include this skins, which is good.  They're more soft than crispy, making them perfectly suitable to sop up gravy.  The beef gravy tastes rich and flavourful.  I love seeing sliced scallions on pretty much anything and the big chunks of curds round out the dish.

The panini comes with calabrese, genoa salami, capicola, mozza, basil, tomato, arugula, red onion, balsamic glaze and aioli on a grilled ciabatta bun.  There's lots of meat in here, giving every bite a satisfying mouthful.  Tomato and basil are a classic combination and I love adding the spicy arugula as the third arm to this triad.  The combo blends perfectly to cut through the saltiness of the meats.  The cheese ties it all together and the aioli injects umami into the concoction.  This is an excellent sandwhich.

One of the daily specials was deep fried cod on a bed of arugula, flanked by tartar, fingerling potato chips and coleslaw.  The nice crispy batter envelops the well cooked and flaking fish.  Once more, the spicy arugula adds a zing to the dish.  The chips taste fresh and crispy (I suspect they came from baby purple potatoes).  

The coleslaw is the only disappointment of the day.  I like seeing red cabbage in slaws; they add colour and gusto.  However, red cabbage by itself tastes too powerful and there isn't nearly enough dressing here to counterbalance the power of the cabbage.  With nothing but carrots to offset the cabbage, I can't say that I enjoy this side at all.

Coleslaw aside, everything else tasted marvellous here.  You probably won't see a lot of people take the time to stop for a detour on the way to the beach, or slow down en route home to grab a bite, but the food is good enough here that people should make a special trip to come.  I can definitely see the care and consideration put into the dishes at Rae's Bistro + Lounge.

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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