TASTE REGINA
Restaurant offers wholesome meals for under $10.
As families gather ’round the tree to open presents and dig into a sumptuous turkey, there will be many in our community who will experience anything but the joys of the season.
Many will sit alone, their lives torn asunder by addictions to drugs, alcohol or gambling. Some will suffer the agonizing stresses that come with the festive season. Family members will watch as a loved one downs yet another drink and just as cruel, for some the hope of a tinsel-decorated tree with fancy presents will be but a dream.
The Eureka Fellowship Society (1165 Pasqua St.) is a facility where many have found solace, hope and support. It’s a place where a good meal can be had in a small restaurant called Changes. Run by two angels, Margie Fife and Mike Klein, it’s a welcoming place where a made-from-scratch wholesome and delicious meal can be had for under $10.
When the lease for the previous restaurant came up for renewal nearly two years ago, Fife saw an opportunity.
“I saw a hole for people. They needed healthy food and I had studied food and nutrition. I needed a job and decided to take a kick at the can.”
Using a portion of the inheritance she received when her father died, she leased the entire Eureka facility, including the restaurant and large banquet hall, which she rents out to anyone in Regina. The dry space (no alcohol, drugs or gambling) can accommodate as many as 300 people from children to adults.
Fife has decorated the restaurant herself with paintstippled walls, a cosy fireplace, big screen TV, plants, kitchen tables and chairs.
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the duo serves breakfast all day long as well as soup, salad, sandwiches, veggie bowls, and burgers.
If you love huevos rancheros, Klein has one of the more unique presentations in the city. The ribsticking breakfast is made with layers of refried beans, chopped fresh tomato, two poached eggs, strips of red pepper, grated cheese and cilantro surrounded by tortilla triangles.
On the day of my visit, they were serving cream of vegetable soup with puréed chickpeas, Mexican spices and a scattering of fresh mint leaves. There’s always a Denver sandwich on the menu along with grilled cheese, ham and eggs, a veggie burger, sirloin burger and daily special.
“I make everything from scratch, including the salad dressings,” says Klein, who is passionate about cooking and the food he serves. “People really love the burgers.” His burgers are hand-formed. “It’s one-quarter of a pound with no fillers. Just pure beef.”
The melted cheese is real cheddar, not processed, cheese and Klein serves it open-faced with a toasted bun smeared with garlic butter. It comes with a side of thick-cut fries or salad.
“The food is homestyle with no chemicals or additives,” says the culinary graduate of Red River College in Winnipeg.
“I’ve never tasted a cheeseburger as good as Mike’s,” adds Jack, a sober alcoholic whose last name is withheld for privacy reasons.
According to Jack, the restaurant helps support the overhead of the building, which is a multidimensional drug- and alcoholfree space. It’s a gathering place without temptations and a venue to support those going through the trials of addiction.
“We’re really more like a community centre. We’re not just a gathering place for people with addictions. It’s a great fellowship place. You know, it’s hard to maintain a normal lifestyle when you’re an alcoholic.”
Christmas is a particularly difficult time. The stresses are considerable. Parties serving alcohol seem be to everywhere. The unrelenting pressure to buy Christmas presents is substantial and feelings of self-worth are often at their lowest.
Beginning Tuesday through Christmas Day (10 a.m. to 12 midnight) and Boxing Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the doors of the Eureka club and Changes are open to those seeking help and strength, and for individuals and families already in recovery. It will be a time of spiritual awakening and to begin anew.
Called Regina Alcathon 2013, there will be drug and alcohol support meetings throughout the day, a hot lunch and a wholesome evening meal served free of charge (brunch only on Boxing Day). On Christmas Day children can participate in gingerbread house making.
There will be a similar schedule on New Year’s Eve (10 a.m. to midnight) and New Year’s Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). If you don’t have a car or a drive, a shuttle service is available by calling (306) 757-9119 and they will do their best to get you.
Indeed Christmas cheer need not include wine, alcohol and beer. It’s a time of birth and renewal, and a time to share good tidings with family and friends. Please share responsibly this holiday. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.