Bannock a hot-seller at Girly’s

A secret ingredient passed down from her kokum keeps Yvonne Pitchenese’s customers coming back for more and more frybread.
“The bannock is more the signature of this restaurant,” said Pitchenese, owner of Girly’s Restaurant in Wabigoon Lake. “They come for the bannock burger and the taco.”
Pitchenese serves a variety of meals, but Indian tacos, bannock burgers, poutine and fresh-cut fries are her specialties.
“And wild rice soup, when I make it at certain times of the year,” Pitchenese said. “We make it the traditional way; it tastes better.”
Before Pitchenese opened up the 18-20 seat restaurant about five years ago, she was well known for her bannock bus on the powwow circuit.
“I went to the Eagle Lake powwow, our powwow here and a few times at the Frenchman’s Head powwow,” Pitchenese said. “You couldn’t see me because I was in the back making bannock all the time; now I get to see people I can talk to now.”
Pitchenese operated the bannock bus for about 10 years after operating out of her home for about five years.
“I sold the bus so I could build this stationary (restaurant),” Pitchenese said. “I took all the existing equipment and put it in here.”
Pitchenese bought a new fryer for the restaurant and she has a fire suppression system built into the fryer’s exhaust fan hood in case a fire breaks out.
“It’s to code,” Pitchenese said. “If I have a fire, that will kick in.”
Pitchenese usually gets plenty of customers from the band office, school and people shopping at the community store, which is located next to the restaurant.
“Elders come here and have bannock,” Pitchenese said. “It’s just a place for people to sit and visit.”
Many of Pitchenese’s customers order their favourite meal whenever they come in, such as the chief’s salad.
“Our chief likes his garden salad,” Pitchenese said, noting the garden salad includes lettuce, tomato, cucumber, grated mozzarella cheese and strips of chicken breast. “That’s his usual.”
Pitchenese also gets plenty of customers during the ice-road season who stop for the gas and cigarettes at the community store,
“They usually get the bannock burger, fries and gravy to go so when they are on the road they can just go straight to their destination,” Pitchenese said.
Pitchenese usually makes her frybread just before lunch so it is ready for the lunch crowd.
“I try to make everything daily fresh,” Pitchenese said. “You just have to make sure everything is fresh.”
Pitchenese usually picks up fresh produce and other supplies twice a week in Dryden either before or after the restaurant is open, usually from 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m.
“It’s been busy,” Pitchenese said. “I’m open all year round, Monday to Friday, and Saturdays if the weather is permitting.”
Pitchenese encourages other people to start up their own restaurant businesses.
“Just go and do it,” Pitchenese said. “You should try to build up because a lot of things do cost money, especially with restaurant equipment. Your main one is your fryer, then your grill and your other equipment.”
Pitchenese is planning to put up a sign along the highway to promote her business.