ERA BISTRO Neighbourhood..... The Forks Address.... 85 Israel Asper Way Phone......... 204‐289‐2190 Entrées............ $ 19- $ 33
Located in the newly opened Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Era Bistro offers a space to commune and connect. The restaurant reflects the beauty of the space, while taking up the museum’ s mandate with a focus on sustainability, equality, and locality.
Communal tables, friendly servers, and a spotless open kitchen reinforce an intimate atmosphere for which the‘ bistro’ moniker is apt. The swank décor doesn’ t sacrifice warmth for style, with a palate of muted shades that mirror the museum’ s naturallyinspired design and bold elements, like a centerpiece of tangled metal rings that hangs above the room.
Imaginative and beautifully plated dishes match the sleek setting. Executive chef Barry Saunders, as he has at The Current for the past 10 years, proudly touts local, vegetarian and gluten free fare, as well as in-vogue ingredients. Young beets( both red and golden) tossed in a divinely creamy red wine dressing, scattered with pine nuts, and piled high with fresh microgreens are a reminder of why this Manitoba garden staple has gained its fashionable status. The popular penchant for updating the French fry makes its way onto the menu as well, but Era’ s version, made with carrots( not yams) are sweet, beer-battered slices, served alongside a kicky buttermilk jalapeño dip.
Manitoba delicacies are in no short supply on the shareable small plates menu. Warm pickerel cheeks coated in crispy panko breading pair with tart lemony remoulade. Small morsels of updated bannock, flecked with fresh ciao! reviews
herbs, arrive ready to be slathered with honey-drizzled ricotta, spicy tomato tapenade, or chickpea hummus. Wonton tourtiere and poutine topped with beef short ribs reveal harmonious multiculturalism indicative of the diversity that makes up our city.
Entrées are artfully composed from a palette of classic pairings and under-used ingredients. Salmon shares the plate with a stack of crisp sautéed fennel, the oft-overlooked, licorice fragrant vegetable a complement to the lightly flaky fish and its bright, nutty herb crust.
Manitoba lamb is sliced into tender pink coins and piled on sautéed mushrooms drizzled with a rosemary gastrique that perks the tongue with a soy sauce tinge of salinity. Other regional proteins like arctic char and venison make up the menu, reinforcing their locality with pairings like sour cherries, beets, and golden caviar.
Vegetable-centric offerings show Saunders is able to play just as nice with meatless meals, like the root vegetable Wellington. Slices of carrot, turnip, and parsnip tucked under a flaky crust lend the traditional pie an earthy, bittersweet crunch. Smoky red pepper ragout, crispy fried cubes of polenta and a stack of juicy oyster mushrooms accompany the dish.
You’ ll want to linger, and the dessert selection makes it easy. Chocoholic heaven, the Brooklyn blackout layers a hearty helping of chocolate cake with rich frozen chocolate mousse and a swipe of tart raspberry coulis.
Glasses of wine and after dinner coffee are guilt free indulgences, as all offerings are fair trade. Era ' s regional ingredient-packed menu and nods to ecological and social sustainability not only come from its location, but its own, somewhat lofty, personality: a belief that food has power to create hope and change.
Era Bistro is open for lunch Tue- Sun 11 am – 4:30 pm, for dinner Wed-Sat 5 pm-10 pm.
CIBO WATERFRONT CAFÉ Neighbourhood... The Exchange Address..... 339 Waterfront Dr Phone......... 204‐594‐0339 Entrées............ $ 12- $ 35
Italian cuisine is engrained in the food culture of Winnipeg. Pastas, pizzas, and panini appear on many contemporary menus to cater to masses and youngsters. This broad appeal is what makes well-executed Italian fare so revelatory: the notion that simple, well worn classics can become fresh and new through creative interpretation.
Cibo was added to the city’ s mix of stylish table settings when it assumed its place in the restored Red River Pump House last summer. This charming exposed brick space with its soaring ceiling, hardwood floors, and enormous windows, got its start in the 1950s as a water cooling station for the steam plant across the street. Today, the space is far from industrial, with a craft-focused kitchen spinning modern hybrids of Mediterranean flavours and Canadian favourites.
Chef / Operator Stephen Pawulski, a grad of the Red River College Culinary Arts program, builds on a foundation of quality ingredients, with culinary components culled from local sources( artisanal breads supplied by Stella’ s bakery) to faraway farms in Italy. Atlantic salmon pairs with French lentils, served skin side up to showcase a crispy pan sear and garnished with crunchy fried leeks. Small plates include arancini, perfect orbs of risotto, herbs, and baby bocconcino cheese rolled in breadcrumbs and fried golden brown.
While Cibo takes a modern angle on Mediterranean cuisine, interpretations are never over-wrought,
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