Regina’s Cathedral Village Free House

Ok, so I work in Regina. I don’t live there, but commute there on a weekly basis. At first, I thought to myself, “who the hell did I piss off to end up here?!”, but man, have I ever changed my tune. In addition to having some of the friendliest, genuinely nicest people I’ve ever met, Regina has some true culinary gems.

I’m a bit of a creature of habit, so I make the rounds of my favourite restaurants each week. On Mondays, I usually end up at the Cathedral Village Free House, at 2062 Albert Street.

They’ve got a great, casual fare menu; I’d like to say it’s pub food, but it’s up at least a couple of notches. At least.

I am a creature of habit, as I mentioned earlier. So, when I hit the Free House, I usually go for their pizza. All pizzas are thin crust and available in 9″ or 12″ sizes. Oh yeah, they’re cooked in a wood oven, the best way to do it, in my opinion. My personal favourite is the Tandoori Chicken pizza. There is just the right amount of spice and the mango and cilantro make this a simple yet exotic pizza. I can’t get enough of it.

I’ve recently discovered the Cappicola and Tomato pizza - for me, it’s the basil pesto base (instead of the traditional tomato sauce) that really makes this special. Roasted tomatos don’t hurt either. A new favourite? We’ll see…

The Free House also has specials sheets that seem to be renewed every 6 to 8 weeks. Usually, there’s a trout special included: the last one was Trout Vindaloo. If there’s anyone from the Free House reading this: put it on the regular menu! Just the right amount of heat is balanced nicely with the fatty fish that’s cooked medium rare; they also had a mango raita on the plate that was wonderful. Mmm…I may have to go to the Free House for the second time this week…but I digress.

The Free House has the usual suspects too: good selection of beers on tap and a fairly standard, non-intimidating wine list that’s reasonably priced.

When I’m on the road, I try to seek out small local spots that offer quality food at a decent price. For me, the Free House hits it: great food cooked with interesting ingredients, good prices and a cool vibe. If you’re ever in Regina, I strongly suggest you check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

More to come from the wilds of Saskatchewan.

Mooby