Road Trip Highway 75
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 15:43
Written by Andrea Danelak
Quaint Francophone villages are dotted along the well-traveled Highway 75, reflecting the surge of French settlements into Manitoba in the late 1800s. Since the highway is a direct route to the United States, we bundled up one crispSeptember morning and hit the road to discover the best culinary gems this side of the border.
Our first stop was at the Marketplace bakery in St. Norbert, on what is still considered Pembina Highway before it turns into Highway 75. Despite taking over the space from previous tenant Foodland, the grocery chain kept its predecessor’s beloved bakery the same, offering favourites like French pumpernickel bread, poppy seed loaf and butter-flake Parker House rolls. Also in the Marketplace is a child-friendly Jelly Belly wall stocked with several flavours of jellybeans, so you can stock up for the road.
A stop at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market is also a must before heading south. Every summer and fall, the Winnipeg institution plays host to 130 full-time vendors and 50 casual vendors, who peddle everything from far
m-fresh fruit and veggies to meat to arts and crafts. Open until the end of October.
Sitting on the east side of the highway right before the turnoff to St. Adolphe, the family-run Kackenhoff Nursery has fulfilled Manitoban gardeners’ needs since 1959. Browse the garden centre for a variety of gardening tools and accessories, and be sure to check out the slew of plants, including veggies, fruits and herbs, in the greenhouses.
Though the usual route to St. Adolphe—the bridge at Highway 75 and Provincial Road 210—is still under construction, those in search of the perfect pumpkin should make a mental note to travel down St. Mary’s Road to St. Adolphe when they get back into the city. The town’s A Maze in Corn plants five acres of pumpkins annually, leaving visitors with hundreds of gourds to choose from. Open until the end of October.
A few towns south lies Morris, home of the Manitoba Stampede. At the corner of Main and Charles, you can travel back to the 1950s at Cruisers Diner, a flashback to the diners of yesteryear complete with retro red booths,
a jukeboxand Coca-Cola memorabilia. Indulge in homemade comfort food like fried chicken, burgers and pies. If you’re in the mood for more exotic fare, check out Kam Loon Chinese Restaurant further up Main.
You should also pay a visit to the Morris Bakery and Pastry Shop, right next door to Kam Loon. Friendly owner Eric Bachmeier sells a variety of scrumptious baked goods, lovingly made from scratch by his own hand. Try the éclairs or the raspberry scones, both perfect accompaniments to the shop’s caffeinated offerings.
Those with a hankering for steak should head to Burke’s Motel—which boasts what’s billed as a steak pit lounge—across from the stampede grounds.
A little further up the highway lies the quiet Franco-Manitoban community of St. Jean Baptiste, the Soup Pea Capital of Canada. The town’s Caron Street is home to Resto du Passant, which purports to have “la m
eilleure poutine au Manitoba”—the best poutine in the province—and we would have to agree with its claim. Though the restaurant offers ten different variations of the French-Canadian classic, we went with the Royale—a mound of homemade fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds and topped with ground beef, popcorn chicken, bacon and pepperoni.
Our bellies nearly bursting, we continued up the highway to Letellier, where Barnay’s Restaurant & Lounge came recommended by a town resident.
And judging by the completely packed dining room during our lunchtime visit, word of mouth has been very good to the eatery, with diners filling up on house specialties like lattice fries and the Barnay burger. Also available at Barnay’s, which is located on the east side of the highway, are numerous types of pie at only $2 a slice.
Upon leaving Letellier, be sure to take a short detour onto Highway 201, which lies on the opposite side of Highway 75. If you follow the signs to the town of Altona—about 20 minutes away—your stomach will thank you. Bravo’s Steakhouse and Grill’s offerings are perfect for the carnivores in your group, as steaks, ribs and seafood are all staples at the Centre Street restaurant. The Jasmine Tea Room is tucked away in an unassuming strip mall-like location on Fourth Avenue, but don’t let its quiet exterior fool you—the cozy space dishes out lunch items, teas to please every palate and mouthwatering desserts. Those with a sweet tooth should try the blueberry-rhubarb cheesecake.
Whether you head into the U.S. or turn around at the border, a stop at Emerson Duty-Free at the end of Highway 75 is always in order. Stock up on Canadian classics like maple cream cookies or wild blueberry syrup before continuing your journey.
These are just a few of our favourite spots in the area. Did we miss anything? Share your foodie finds with us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
