Page 12 December 2008

CAMPUS

On the Menu

Paige Matthie takes us with her as she samples the best Charlottetown has to offer, and at prices acceptable for the

average student

They say nothing compares to good, old fashioned, home cooking. While this may be true, I’d like to offer a dif- ferent perspective. I propose that, while it’s pretty hard to live up to mom’s homemade mac’n’cheese, or dad’s bar- becued ribs, the true secret of homestyle cooking is the love and care that goes into making it. Meals at home are simple, fulfilling, and ex- ecuted to perfection and, all of these qualities are appar- ent at my latest discovery, Casa Mia.

Located on Queen Street »

across from the Confedera- tion Centre, Casa Mia pro-

——.

vides a culinary experience much like that of eating at home, when your parents just happen to be fantastic chefs. Nothing on the menu is fussy or overdone, and the excellence of the food speaks for itself.

Eating at Casa Mia is like being in a chic, urban café somewhere in Italy. The design is completely Euro- modern, while somehow managing to hold on to some old-world charm that Charlottetown is famous for. The soft samba music play- ing in the background only ads to the feeling that you are somewhere else, but the

— ——_ — _—— —— SS

~ OPEN DOOR THRIFT

STORE

Here for you at | 18 Allen Street | Charlottetown, PEI

(corner of Allen St. & University Ave.)

| - 9-5 Monday to Saturday —

Carefully selected clothing, bedding,

small appliances (inc. TV’s) —

| computers, kitchen wares, household | needs, shoes and boots...a must see!

Donations accepted | Wednesdays & Thursdays 50% off selected clothing and bedding every Sat. & Mon.

| PLUS Submit this Ad for 20 % off 8 before January 31, 2009 _

stuff on the menu, now that is familiar. Fish-and-Chips, a smoked salmon bagel, and various pastas are features on

_ the small but thorough menu.

Also important to note is the extensive and authentic cof- fee menu, offering a potent and smooth cup of espresso, a frothy cappuccino, as well as a standard cup-a-joe.

Not feeling in the mood for anything particularly heavy, I settled on the smoked salmon bagel, accompanied by a simple salad with ma- ple-balsamic vinaigrette. I wasn’t particularly excited

about the prospect of a salad

with balsamic, as it’s not one of my favourite ways to top a bunch of mixed greens, but the combination of the sweet maple syrup and the tartness of the balsamic was a fan- tastic surprise. For someone who generally doesn’t enjoy salads as a side dish (except

for last issue’s Caesar salad ©

that I gushed about), this one was remarkably ideal for the

menu and was a nice contrast

to the oils of the salmon.

The bagel itself was toasted to a medium brown, but only to the point that it gave some crunch when you take a bite, and the inside was still nice and doughy. I find that the more a bagel is toasted, the more it distracts from the salmon, so this was perfec- tion. The salmon came with the traditional red onion and capers, and was an intrigu- ing mix between the typical characteristics of Atlantic and Pacific salmon, and still leaves me guessing as to which it was. The colour of it was pinker than the tradi- tional Atlantic smoked that we often see, yet it was not nearly as bright as its Pacific cousin. The flavour itself was not quite as strong as the Pacific, and it wasn’t as fatty as the Atlantic salmon tends to be. It was great, and my only complaint was that it might have been a bit too oily for my taste, although

PANTHER POST

not exceptionally so.

I also have to mention the fish-and-chips. Both my par- ents ordered this pub classic, and somehow they managed to take what was tradition-

ally stodgy and dripping in-

oil and turn it into something truly gourmet. From my sample bites off my dad’s plate, it was just like home- made, in the sense that the fries were cut and made on site (and not simply dropped into a deep-fryer with week old oil) and the fish was a

nice, thick piece of haddock

which was only lightly coat- ed with a crispy (as opposed to drenched and soggy) bat- ter. It was a pub-fare mar-

vel.

Casa Mia is the perfect spot to sit down, and mull over an Italian-style coffee and lunch for hours and hours.

It’s the perfect place to

spend a lazy weekend af- ternoon with fun friends,

- good food, and it truly is like

home.

Student Union remains supportive of Wave

bouncers after Halloween injury rumours

Rumours have been circulating UPEI since the Halloween Pub at the énd of October, but they don’t

involve headlining band Stars or the array of costumes.

The word in the halls say that a stu- dent was hurt amongst the mass of

costumed students by the bouncers

in charge of keeping order, and stu- dents are wondering what the facts

are.

—— ——

Student Union President Justin Douglas attended the annual event, helped organize and spent his night

mingling with the patrons and he states he was aware of people being. escorted out of the Wave, but says there has not been a report filed stat- ing an individual was injured by any | Wave staff at the Halloween Pub.

“There’s certainly talk. ...If some- one were to come in and formally state that a security official had in- jured them exiting them from the building they’d write a report.”

Of the specific issue in question, as there has been no report filed, Douglas says there is little that can be done. —

“I’m informed of any sort of com-

oe.

plaints with regards to the handling

of any individuals with security.” The President maintains that while

he has heard talk of rumors, they re- main just that until there is a viable complaint brought forward to the Student body. He also maintains that the Wave is run well by its bouncers, but if such a complaint was brought forward it would be investigated.