PARK CAFE
Neighbourhood ........... Tuxedo Address . . 330 Assiniboine Park Dr Phone .............. 204-927-6080 Entrées ..................... $ 10- $ 19
ciao ! reviews
Overlooking the lush setting within Assiniboine Park from behind expansive wall of windows inside the beautiful Qualico Family Centre , dining at the Park Café is as close to a picnic as one can get while still eating indoors .
The nature-steeped experience begins before even entering the restaurant . Driving the city ’ s largest park ’ s winding lanes and passing by Ultimate players and a duck pond puts anyone in a vacay state of mind . A look up reveals the building ’ s “ green roof ”, a living mass of indigenous prairie grasses representative of the region ’ s vegetation .
Inside , a sloping ceiling and natural tones draw the eye to the main design feature of the space , the floor-to-ceiling windows that create a sunny space enclosed by views of greenery . Seats on the treed patio hidden behind the dining room surround diners in nature with a fireplace view .
This al fresco feeling purveys with the menu ’ s fresh takes on café classics — benedicts , burgers , sandwiches — upgraded with inspired twists . Breakfast and lunch offerings present a selection of bright dishes that range from indulgent comfort food to feel good fare . Those on the clean eating bandwagon are rewarded with spinach greens topped with strawberries , creamy house made cottage cheese and candied pecans baked to sweet crispness .
A riff on the veggie burger delivers another good-for-you punch , every bit as filling as its meaty counterparts . A sweet potato and black bean patty , bound with quinoa , is the basis for flavourful toppings including a pile of parsnip crisps , tangy apple chutney , and pickled onion for zip . Like all burgers on the menu , the masterpiece is arranged artfully on an onion bun .
There ’ s room for indulgence here , too . Ocky Way poutine , dripping with gravy and molten cheese curds from Manitoba ’ s own Bothwell cheese is amped up with harissa spiced chicken and a generous drizzle of Middle Eastern style garlic sauce . Eggs benedict is presented in four ways , each decadent . Tuck into the house cured , smoked salmon , rich with buttery hollandaise and crisp fried potatoes and channel the superfood indulgence to fuel a jog around the park .
ciao ! / summer / two thousand twenty-four 29