first word
first word
ageing tastefully
20 anniversary
It’ s always fun to look back on what foods made an impression on us last year, and speculate what we may be eating next. When you hit a milestone like a 20th anniversary, the sheer volume of food trends that have made their mark over the years is impressive! We’ ve eaten better for the fearless entrepreneurs with a passion to bring something new to Winnipeg’ s dining scene. We’ ve seen the desire to eat food grown locally build over the years, and the new eagerness to support local endeavors has been a game changer for upstarts. For locavores this has meant more( fresh) choices and better eating. For Manitoba it has been an economic boon.
Twenty years ago, according to this magazine, Winnipeggers ate pretty well! Manitoba Regional Cuisine was becoming a describable entity; food that reflects the land and its people, and restaurants with shared principles were emerging on the scene. Mom and pop eateries serving dishes from recipes passed down from their ancestors were commonplace, and with a strategy to share the stories( and secret recipes) of the people in Winnipeg’ s restaurant kitchens, we were on our way to build Winnipeg as a destination food region.
Fast forward to 2017, and we revel in the city’ s food related accomplishments. The Ciao! editorial team visits hundreds of restaurants every year to promote the best ones in this publication. Our experiences and coverage, however small, has expanded many palates. Adding to the mix, Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg now routinely host journalists eager to spread the word about Manitoba’ s good eats in national publications and newspapers. The best part; the way media works( then and more now) publicity leads to more publicity. Ciao!— and global influencers like Food Network and Conde Naste— have developed an appetite for stories, pictures and ideas that celebrate food. To that end, consumers are getting in on the action by contributing their own food stories. Watching all those cheffy shows develops fans that take to more home cooking. The results are then“ shared” with thousands of their not so close friends and fans. The same is true for those eating out.
This issue is a tribute to other noteworthy businesses ageing gracefully. Top Tables selections all have proven timeless appeal, Ciao! cooks features the colourful and vibrant flavours of Indian cooking with two of the city’ s pioneer restaurants spotlighted. Our 20th Anniversary special occasion cake on the cover is a work of art by chef Cam Tran, and only one of the delectable French dishes of Café Ce Soir featured. Learn about Cam’ s journey to cooking on the pages of inthekitchen.
This 20th year is poised to be our best yet. This from someone who has just spent many weeks
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flipping through all 101 issues of Ciao! to review, critique and plan the future! That’ s because the city couldn’ t be more interesting right now; fearless entrepreneurs are enriching our local food experiences and good food can be found everywhere— from casual bistros and food halls to cafes in grocery stores.
“ More authentic ethnic eating” shows up on restaurant trends lists, and this province delivers worldly flavours in spades. We say yes to more African, Middle Eastern, Filipino, Laotian and Thai cuisine! Bring on the ugly vegetables, the seaweed, grain bowls, green smoothies, and freakshakes. More pickles, pulses, spices and probiotics! Why not?
Winnipeg is filled with small players with big ideas who know no bounds. These are the people making it better to live here! My own desire to spread the word about what makes Winnipeg great, and your continued interest in knowing, means we can celebrate 20 years in publishing together by continuing to celebrate local flavour on these pages! This issue is dedicated to all the people who have had a hand in Ciao! over the past 20 years, and most lovingly to my dearly missed husband Brad, who inspired everyone he met and always believed Winnipeg was destined for greatness.
Laurie Hughes, Publisher
4 ciao! / feb / mar / two thousand seventeen