inthekitchen
neo-speakeasy opened five years ago .
The shared vision of owner Michael Schafer ( Rudy ’ s Eat and Drink and Sydney ’ s at the Forks ), chef Mike Robins ( Sydney ’ s ) and award-winning mixologist Erik Thordarson , the restaurant paired a decidedly traditional French menu and wine list with a fun concept that flirted with gimmickry : the eatery is ( literally ) underground , hidden beneath a plain exterior and a sign for “ Vandelay Industries .” There is no phone number and little marketing . Inside , the dimly lit but welcoming ambiance flirts with styles of yesteryear . Wax drips from candelabra to coat antique kitchen utensils and curiosities . Walls are adorned with recipes from magazines and books of a bygone era .
It was an immediate hit with Winnipeg diners , but its popularity has stayed strong . And butter-and-braising French roots .
While the menu is shot through with oldschool French classics and crafted with impeccable technique , Sous Sol holds little by way of pretension . A spirit of playfulness pervades with menu items like “ Fancy fries ” (“ Costco fries , truffle oil , parm ”), and even the most highfalutin ’ proteins are served on mismatched china .
It ’ s not just the food that ’ s resonating with loyal locals and out-of-towners alike . Behind the bar , Scott Redfern — the charismatic 27-yearold cocktail master who ’ s been working the Winnipeg restaurant scene since he was 16 — upholds the restaurant ’ s reputation for inventive craft cocktails spiked with specialty syrups , farflung liqueurs , and house-brewed ginger ale .
The inventive bar and elegant kitchen work closely together for maximum mad science .
“ Stuff that takes a lot of care or time ,” say Kolbe , “ that ’ s what keeps me interested .”
why shouldn ’ t it ? In a year when the restaurant industry has had to fight to stay on its feet , when diners have periodically been marooned at home , dreaming of pulling up a chair in their favourite local establishment , the appeal of eating out has never been more clear . Sous Sol is the type of place that represents the pinnacle of what is so enticing about dining : the atmosphere , the possibility of surprise , the warmth of hospitality .
Sous Sol has been a product of team effort since the beginning . Along with Schafer and Thordarson , Robins brought his talents to bear in shaping the menu concept . In those early days , Kolbe acted as Robins ’ s apprentice . A quick study , chef Kurt was not formally trained but cut his teeth in a series of kitchens — from his hometown of Gimli to two and a half years under chef Tristan Foucault of Peasant Cookery , where he came to appreciate the French technique and nose-to-tail conceit for which Foucault is known .
Kolbe took a break from the restaurant for a lodge job in northern B . C . and stints under chef Ed Lam at Yujiro and Gaijin Izakaya . But he returned to Sous Sol this year — back to his
For the holidays , Redfern is working on a rum punch using sorrel , the Jamaican term for Hibiscus flower . Mixed with ginger , orange , cinnamon and water it ’ s Jamaica ’ s ( often spiked ) answer to iced tea . Redfern has seasoned his with pink peppercorns , cinnamon and cloves . For a recent chef ’ s special , Kolbe turned some of the punch into a gelée , to top roasted bone marrow .
As of press time in November , the city was just entering a lockdown , and restaurants paring their menus back to serve take-out only . Despite these travails , the kitchen was ready to keep doing it ’ s thing ; Kolbe ’ s tender confit and truffle oil daubed dauphinoise ready to be whisked across the city in take away containers , even those famous cocktails available by way of a just-add-gin tonic kit . Diners can scrape together a little ambiance with an order of a taper candle and holder , and a free bluetooth speaker loaded with a Sous Sol playlist .
The same spirit of creativity and whimsy is the very reason this restaurant is so beloved . Stepping through Sous Sol ’ s secret entrance , you never know quite what you ’ re going to get — but you know it will be magical .
8 ciao ! / dec / jan / two thousand twenty