HAL’S KITCHEN: Belle’s about to open in Transcona

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Fencing and temporary signage around 1212 Nairn will come down very soon to unveil Winnipeg’s newest quick-serve restaurant, Belle’s Kitchen & Music Hall. The former Tony Roma’s location will feature a southern-style food counter but no waitstaff. Instead, customers will order and pick up their own grub. The hope is this approach will keep prices lower, at a time when almost everything is costing more. People will also be able to grab a drink at the bar and then watch Manitoba musicians perform on stage. It’s been a busy weekend of interviews and auditions and the plan is to have the doors at Belle’s open to the public by the end of the month.

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NEW LINDT ADVENT CALENDARS

My wife Jackie and I both love advent calendars but we don’t always agree on the goodies inside them. My favourite from a few years ago was one with different cheeses but she’s lactose intolerant. However, we’ve decided on Lindt advent calendars for this year. It’s not hard to agree on chocolate. I’m going with the classic TEDDY. Jack has decided on the new TEDDY AR version which also comes with 24 exciting TEDDY videos. Merry Christmas!

BUTTER BANDITS

Thieves in Guelph, Ontario have been stealing hundreds of pounds of butter from grocery stores. In some cases, they’re making off with over $1,000 worth of the yellow stuff. No arrests have been made yet and the motive is unclear.

BIZARRE BUTTER RECALL

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Costco in the US had to recall almost 80,000 pounds of butter because the label didn’t warn that butter contains milk. This even though the list of ingredients includes cream. As one online commenter put it: “Next they’ll recall beef that might contain cow.”

BUTTERBALL COOK FROM FROZEN

Just in time for American Thanksgiving, Butterball has released a new turkey called Butterball Cook From Frozen. And just like the name says, it can go straight into the oven, no thawing necessary. Butterball says it’s made possible by a specially formulated brine.

2024 CRAVINGS REPORT

Uber Eats has released its annual Cravings Report which includes the craziest orders of the year. “Year after year, it’s become increasingly clear that consumers love to take advantage of our customization features to ensure every order satisfies their cravings,” senior data scientist Sara Harrell said. Odd combinations included fajitas and French onion soup and fried fish sticks with green tea. However, most people stuck to classic combos like chicken tenders and fries or ramen with a soft boiled egg.

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WEIRD ICE CREAM TOPPINGS

I like my ice cream plain … vanilla with nothing on it. I know, I’m boring. A recent survey asked people to reveal their oddball toppings for ice cream. Here are some of the weirdest.

-Bacon bits
-Avocado
-Green beans
-Squid ink
-Sweet pickles
-Ketchup
-Mayonnaise

QUEEN’S WEDDING CAKE

A 77-year-old slice of Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding cake has sold for $2,800. The slice was in a box bearing the insignia of the then-princess and it came with a letter from the bride. This particular piece of cake was given to Marion Polson, a housekeeper at Holyrood House in Scotland at the time. Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip took place on November 20th, 1947 and the original cake weighed 500 pounds.

— Hal has written columns for years. He’s also the host of Connecting Winnipeg weekday mornings from 10 to noon on 680 CJOB. You can email him at Hal@HalAnderson.ca.

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