Local vs chain food experiences
What makes a fun night out actually fun?
Imagine this: it is a Friday night and you are wanting to head out with some friends, to go out and enjoy some food and even maybe some special drinks. But where should you go? When I want to go out for food with some friends and have a good time, I typically want to try something different. Make it adventurous, you know? I will usually do a search for restaurants in Regina, and I typically get the usual list of Boston Pizza, Montana’s, Western Pizza, and Canadian Brewhouse.
Do not get me wrong, these restaurants are good and have great food, but they just don’t hit the vibe that I am looking for. When I want to go out with friends, I want an environment that is different with some tasty food, and some activities to do nearby or even in the restaurant. I always try and go to local restaurants. After all, there is more to enjoy about local restaurants compared to chains.
To get started, here are some of my favourite local restaurants in Regina. My top favourites are Birmingham’s, Leopold’s Tavern, Vic’s Tavern, Breakfast Bistro, and Coney Island. Why are these my favourite, you may ask, and why do I prefer a local restaurant over a chain restaurant? Well, there are a few reasons I will talk about today. First off, the food is unique and of good quality. Some restaurants even specialize in certain foods.
For example, Vic’s Tavern specializes in grilled cheese – and I know going out just to have a grilled cheese may seem a little “extra,” but trust me, it is worth it. They typically have a sourdough toast with lots of cheese. They even have a grilled cheese feature of the week. Some past examples are buffalo perogy grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and tuna salad.
I have to admit, my favourite thing to do when I go out is to order a bunch of appetizers and try a little bit of everything. I find that local restaurants have the best options, which make them even better!
Now let’s talk about the service. To me this is very important, especially because tipping is becoming more expected nowadays and the percentage suggested is becoming higher. I have noticed recently that the suggested minimum tip amount in most restaurants has gone from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. I have seen tipping suggestions for fast food restaurants in some locations.
In Canada, service staff earns at least minimum wage no matter what. To me, tipping is based on your service. I want to get good service, be checked on occasionally get offered drink refills, and I want to feel comfortable making requests. Another thing I would like to see is the choice to tip either the service staff or the kitchen staff, because sometimes you can have bad servers but amazing food or vice versa.
Another thing I want in restaurant options is different things to explore. For someone like me who enjoys travel, picking a local restaurant helps me explore the community, culture, and the location of wherever I am! When I am travelling alone or visiting family and friends, picking a good restaurant is the perfect way to hang out, catch up, and spend the night. Typically when you are travelling you can find local restaurants downtown where you get the chance to enjoy your meal, your company, and maybe explore the city as well. You can even do a little hop from restaurant to restaurant, or the restaurant may have an event or activity to do like an arcade, bingo night, or karaoke. Things like that are a great way to spend your time.
Even in Regina, if you are staying here and looking for a fun night out you can find restaurants with activities. A few of my go-tos are the arcade at Birmingham’s, Singo at The Tap, or even restaurant-hopping. In downtown Regina we have a few good places such as Victoria’s Tavern, Fat Badger, and Lancaster.
Even if you are just travelling to Regina or areas around Regina such as provincial parks and lakes, you can always enjoy something local. Be sure to check out local ice cream shops! In Regina Beach you can enjoy fish and chips at the Blue Bird Café which serves up a recipe that’s over 90 years old. That is what I call unique!
