ciao! reviews
JOIN US FOR THE
ULTIMATE STEAK
EXPERIENCE
At the Sandman Hotel 1750 Sargent Avenue 204 788 2015
chop. ca
WALK-IN GUESTS ALWAYS WELCOME
Open weekdays from 11am until late
but the star of the menu is the prime rib. An absolutely buttery pink slab of the prime cut lies under a puff Yorkshire pudding that tops it off like the doff of a chef ' s hat.
Hinting at the city ' s cultural heritage, suggestions of Greek influence are sprinkled throughout the menu, from roasted potatoes perked with lemon to several iterations of lamb.
Lighter eats are on hand as well. A large portion of Cajun-spiced red snapper is fork tender, rubbed with a peppery blend of spices that zings with chile burn.
While Bailey ' s bucks trends in favour of the tried and true, what results might just be a novelty in itself: perfectly and consistently prepared classics in a welcoming, opulent setting.
Bailey ' s is open Mon-Fri 11 am-1 am, Sat 12 pm-1 am, and Sun 4:30 pm-9 pm.
FUSION GRILL Neighbourhood..... Academy Address..... 550 Academy Rd Phone........ 204-489-6963 Entrées........... $ 25- $ 46
Fusion Grill has been cutting the path for the Manitoba Regional Cuisine movement since opening in 1996. Alongside Ciao! and a host of other passionate restaurants and chefs, owner Scott McTaggert and his team made it their mission to work with local suppliers and get diners excited about eating food grown right here in our own province.
20 years later, Fusion Grill and chef Lorna Murdoch are still pushing the envelope. In a time when“ local” is a buzzword and beets are as common as French fries on restaurant menus, it remains on the leading edge of pioneering prairie cooking, picking up underused ingredients, sourcing seasonally, and partnering with many small farms and suppliers based within Manitoba.
Grass-fed beef, for example, is sourced locally by the cow, with cuts announced nightly as the kitchen works through the animal. Pike from Lake Kisseynew unites with greens from East Selkirk( Braman’ s), all married under a surprisingly spicekicked curry crust.
The local ethos is evident even on the walls of the inviting 41-seat room, on which hang local artists’ renderings of prairie scenery, awash in sunlight and puffy clouds.
Despite the longevity of the restaurant’ s commitment, the menu continues to evolve not only with new ingredients, but modern flavour profiles and cooking techniques.
The changing vegan entrée, for example, is given thoughtful attention. Tender black bean cakes are layered with a buttery avocado emulsion and a salsa that unexpectedly incorporates fiddleheads. The tower is set in a pool of slightly sweet strawberry port sauce, with a tart edge giving way to an almost chocolatey richness.
The hyper-local ingredient list does nothing to limit the menu ' s range. The tour of flavours laid out here spans the globe.
A row of miniature samosas is a palate-perking appetizer, incorporating wild rice and beluga lentils. Slavic-style ryazenka yogurt made by local producer Dairy Fairy is a rich accompaniment, adding a pleasantly cool, sour note.
In a Canadian twist on traditional paella, Northern Pike stands in for the fruits of the Mediterranean Sea, and a ring of PEI mussels enshrine the plate. The fragrant mélange of rice, vegetables, and spicy sausage hits with a rich saffron-laced punch.
32 ciao! / feb / mar / two thousand seventeen