Ciao! February March 2020 CIAO_FebMar2020

ciao!news culinary calendar I save the date • Feb 1-11: Ciao! Dine About Winnipeg returns for another year of prix fixe meals from some of the city's top restaurants. This anticipated event provides a culinary tour of Winnipeg with three-course menus set at $18, $28 and $38. Preview menus on pg. 15. Visit ciaowinnipeg.com for the full line-up of menus along with a schedule of additional culinary experiences taking place at select restaurants. • Feb 1-7: Participating restaurants come up with their craftiest creations during La Poutine Week, a competition celebrating Canada's love for fries, cheese and gravy. Visit lapoutineweek.com. • Feb 14-23: Experience the latest culinary event on the scene: The Push Project (pictured left). 11 of Winnipeg's top chefs each present an interactive and intimate dinner that pushes creative boundaries. Cloakroom, 200-70 Albert St. Visit chefbenkramer. com for tickets and chef line-up. editor's pick Love is in the air Nonsuch Brewing Co.’s new “Rain Room” (pictured) is reminiscent of the Jazz Age, adorned with emerald velvet couches, leafy palms and dark marble accents—not to mention the mesmerizing wave- like tasseled ceiling. Conversation flows easily over a constantly-changing menu of inventive sharing plates, paired perfectly with smooth Belgian brews. Stepping into the train car at Resto Gare is like stepping back in time. Plush velvet seating and white-clothed tables glow beneath elegant lighting, the ideal setting for a menu rich with seafood and French comforts. A charming dessert trolley promises a sweet ending to any rendez-vous. Tall, heavy wooden doors lead into Bailey’s, an historic Exchange District restaurant championing opulence of a bygone era. Up the grand staircase, cozy banquette seating in a stately dining room makes a special occasion an extra-lavish affair. Classics like buttery prime rib and lavish lobster tails are always masterfully prepared. Apart from looking like a scene straight out of a Wes Anderson film, which could be considered romantic in itself, Sous Sol gains bonus romance points from the wax- dripping candles lighting every table. The menu of luxurious French delights like seared foie gras and buttermilk battered frog legs will surely impress any date. At Langside Grocery, one would almost forget it’s the 21st century, if not for the music pouring from overhead speakers and diners snapping pics of classy dishes set before them at this dark-lit hideaway. Crafty cocktails and a thoughtful wine list make it a sophisticated spot for a nightcap. Setting the stage for romance with candlelight flickering across custom-made, rustic wooden tables, Promenade Café and Wine offers breathtaking views of the bustling Esplanade Riel, the historic Red River and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Its top-tier wine list plays wonderfully against French favourites like moules-frites and coq au vin. The grandeur of the château-style Fort Garry Hotel is unmatched, and inside, The Palm Lounge is a swanky date night spot. A striking chandelier sparkles down on tufted leather chairs and handsome wooden tables that evoke old world charm. Ask for two spoons and Indulge in the decadent chocolate dome cake whilst being serenaded with jazzy tunes by local musicians. 6 ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand twenty Brewing The best way to a heart is through the stomach, and a stunning setting doesn’t hurt either. These stylish restaurants have you covered on both fronts, the perfect backdrop for sparks to fly.

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