ciao! reviews
CLOSE CO.
Neighbourhood. . River Heights
Address . . . . . .256 Stafford St
Phone . . . . . . . 204-691-7788
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . .$11-$35
Stepping into Close Co. offers a
distinct sense of familiarity, with
friendly greetings and the smells
of home cooking - a taste of the
evening to come. With a mere 10
seats, this diminutive restaurant
has the atmosphere of an intimate
dinner party with friends, but with
culinary artistry on the plate.
Co-owners and life partners
Cam Chabot and Tammy Rocke
transformed the small Stafford
Street space (spy the visage of the
previous tenant of 60 years, Steve
the Barber, in the restaurant’s logo)
in February 2016, and have built a
following of adoring fans ever since.
A cozy line of tables has 10 spots
for guests, but windows and a high
wooden ceiling keep the room from
feeling cramped.
Two menus are on offer: a
succinct selection of small plates
for sharing, rotating bi-weekly, and a
monthly tasting menu that displays
the depths of chef Dustin Pajak's
skill in the kitchen.
Meals begin with warm, fluffy
Parkerhouse rolls, ready to be torn
and dipped into a bowl of whipped
butter drenched in herbed olive oil
and smoked sea salt. Around the
room, collective groans of pleasure
accompany this starter.
Gorgeous plates please the eye
and the palate. Slices of torched
yellowfin tuna bedded beneath
crispy sunchoke chips (from the
sunfl ower root) and sliced jalapeño
peppers, provide an earthy crunch
and kick of spice to the fatty fi sh.
A simple salad of red and yellow
cherry tomatoes becomes a work
of art under elegant curls of
cucumber and baby arugula greens.
The creamy, slightly smoky baba
ghanoush vinaigrette gives the salad
a surprising twist of fl avour.
In a cheffy version of Sunday
dinner, pork tenderloin gets the
royal treatment, served with crispy
fried shreds of ham nested atop
a dollop of sweet pear mustard,
swimming in a pool of rich cognac
jus. Potato-less Parisienne gnocchi
and mushroom fricassee accompany
the delectable entrée. The mix of
crimini, oyster, chanterelle, and
enoki mushrooms, lightly sautéed
with white wine and ricotta, are an
ode to French fl avour with light and
nutty curls of cave-aged Gruyère.
After the ensemble of bread,
meat, and jus, a tangy lemon
pound cake arrives to sugar coat the
evening, topped with a perfect scoop
of pistachio gelato and roasted
strawberry jam.
Warm and courteous service,
together with the intimate space
and thoughtful menu presentations,
show this is a small spot with big
impact.
Close Co. is open Tue-Thu & Sun
5 pm- 11pm, Fri-Sat 5 pm-12 am,
and closed Mon.
MUDDY WATERS EATERY
Neighbourhood . . . . The Forks
Address . . .15 Forks Market Rd
Phone . . . . . . . 204-947-6653
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . . .$7-$33
A staple in the American South,
great barbeque is elusive in the
True North. When seeking piles
of smoky, tender meat and tangy
sauce, one of Winnipeg’s best bets is
Muddy Waters Eatery. This riverside
restaurant has been slinging saucy,
meaty dishes since the day it opened
in 1998.
Settled in the bustling centre of
The Forks, Muddy Waters features
a front row view of Winnipeg’s
historic hot spot through its arch
of windows. The cold months
welcome guests to warm up next
to the fi replace and gaze out at the
many winter festivities. The skating
rink under the canopy, just a few feet
away, serves as inspiration for after-
dinner activity.
Here, cold couples ignite a chilly
date night by sharing hot comfort
foods. Tender baby back ribs, a long-
time staple for barbeque joints, slide
off the bone to reveal a beautiful
pink hue underneath its charred
exterior. The coating of the sweet,
thick house bbq sauce is just enough
to complement the pork without
leaving too much of a mess in front
of one’s beloved.
Warm and fi lling beef dishes can
be found on every section of the
menu. A hear ty bowl of chili begs to
be ordered with an extra spoon. The
Reuben sandwich packs a punch
of flavours with house-smoked
corned beef piled under sauerkraut,
Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss
cheese all stacked between two slices
of grilled marble rye. Meatloaf,
a benchmark of comfort food, is
straightforward: lean and tender,
accentuated by its side of house-
made gravy.
Fried chicken deserves a standing
ovation with three juicy, well-
seasoned pieces making up the
entrée portion. The buttermilk
batter coating the meat is crispy
and light, adding crunch to every
bite. House-made coleslaw, a
classic companion to fried chicken,
complements the savoury main
with the sweet and tangy fl avour of
Miracle Whip.
The pecan pie tart is an excellent
way to end on a sweet note, arriving
with a scoop of whipped cream and
vanilla ice cream at its side. Smooth
and gooey caramel contrasts the
crunch of pecans so well that it’s
impossible to have just one bite.
Muddy Waters is open daily from
11am – 11pm.
ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand eighteen
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