ciao! reviews
TRUNK
SHOW
Sunday,
February 10
1 - 5pm
To register
please call
204-594-0400
749 St. Mary’s Rd. 204-594-0400
[email protected]
FORMAL CHILDREN’S WEAR
and fermented purple cabbage add
bitter, sweet, nutty and sour contrasts
to kale in the big “everyday bowl.”
A nod (perhaps) to dedicated toast
bars, trending abroad, Circle Kitchen
offers a couple renditions. Our bet is
on the lox toast being a runaway hit.
Seemingly designed as a way to quell
longings for smoked salmon, it also
satisfies cravings for something novel.
Marinated with tamari or soy, cider
vinegar and smoky paprika, shaved
roasted carrots deliver the subtleties
of salmon atop cashew cream “cheese”
and a seedy slice of bread. A shaved
nori, capers and red onion garnish ele-
vates this little treat to winning status.
As plant-based eating becomes
more mainstream, spots like Circle
Kitchen show how dietary restric-
tions need not result in deprivation.
Discovering good eats comes from
being willing to try something new.
After all, isn’t that how all change
occurs?
Circle Kitchen is open Tue - Fri
9 am - 6 pm, Sat 9 am - 4 pm, Sun-
Mon Closed.
kevin's bistro
Neighbourhood . . . . Exchange
Address . . .141 Bannatyne Ave
Phone . . . . . . . 204-221-5028
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . .$12-$23
Flower Girl
Boys Wear
Baptism
Communion
Classic Daywear
Formal Evening Wear
Imported Baby Wear
From Newborn to Size 16
NO CHARGE ALTERATIONS
155 Sherbrook St., Unit 101
204-774-4019
www.dellaformalwear.com
26
ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand nineteen
Since opening its first location in
1999, Stella’s has been a Winnipeg
mainstay thanks to its hearty
breakfasts and health-meets-comfort
menu. Now, its new sister restaurant
Kevin’s Bistro is taking up this mantle
with a tighter focus: mac and cheese.
Most of the menu at this cozy spot
in the Exchange District is dominated
by the childhood favourite. Building
on a gooey, creamy base recipe,
different variations deliver wild inter-
pretations that range from nostalgic to
chef-inspired.
The restaurant’s namesake is Kevin
the cat, depicted with some pomp in
a framed painting, the only art on the
walls of the narrow dining room. The
name is a nod to the Stella’s franchise,
which was named after Kevin’s feline
sibling. (No word on whether Kevin
likes mac and cheese.)
In the midst of a fast casual zeitgeist
that has office workers grabbing to-go
grainbowls and DIY superfood salads,
this warm nook stands instead for lus-
cious pasta and sit-down lunches. The
occasional carb-load is good for the
soul.
This is not to say salad lovers are
neglected. A light and fresh mélange
of quinoa and Mediterranean fixings
is stand out. Fresh pops of tomato and
olive blend with the nutty grain and
cubes of salty feta.
A short and sweet list of sides and
appies hits high points with twists on
pub grub. Buffalo wings are remade
as breaded cauliflower dunked in the
classic smoky, paprika laden sauce.
Fluffy pretzel bites score extra points
when served with a sweet-tart mango
mustard dip.
Macs are the main event, served
up in 12 different styles. The “Hops
and Blue” is speckled with blue cheese
and caramelized onion, its creamy
sauce spiked with a Belgian witbier
from local Torque Brewery. The brew
imparts a richness with a subtle malty
edge.
A Mexican-inspired variety is
creamy and smoky, burning with a
little hot pepper heat from roasted
poblano pepper. An old school entry
named “1970s Casserole” is a rich,
hearty bowl of tuna salad and peas
mixed with a sauce of smoked Gouda
and havarti. A crispy layer of bread-
crumbs on top is interspersed with
perky strands of lemon zest. If mom
had made tuna casserole as good this,
we would have cleaned our plates.
The all-day menu transitions
to evening with the addition of a
robust wine and cocktail list for those