ciao! reviews
In this issue, we salute tried and true Winnipeg institutions that have been serving our culinary scene for more than a decade.
AMICI
Neighbourhood.... Downtown Address...... 326 Broadway Phone....... 204-943-4997 Entrées...........$ 22-52
If there ' s one restaurant that indisputably deserves a place in the city ' s culinary canon, it ' s Amici. The establishment that set the gold standard for Italian fine dining in Winnipeg is still in top form after 27 years. Pioneered by maestro Heinz Kattenfeld, and his wife Joanna, the legacy is now in the hands of Chef Patrick Shrupka and restaurateur Brian McKnight. Flawless execution, professional-grade service, and a commitment to Tuscan flavours that simply pair well together, cement the reputation of this long-standing downtown monument.
The white tablecloth dining room, painted in deep red and cream tones, is the epitome of oldworld elegance. Journey through Northern Italy with the refined menu, traditionally divided into Primi, Secondi and Pesce courses. Take the opportunity to try classic Italian dishes as they should be, such as gnocchi, in an herbed brie cream and topped with succulent pieces of beef tenderloin. Weekly specials sometimes offer a contemporary twist, like pillowy sweet potato gnocchi dressed in brown butter, proving that it can innovate with the best of them.
Kattenfeld was one of the first chefs in the city to introduce offals onto the menu, long before noseto-tail cookery took off. A salad featuring chicken livers, over a bed of mixed greens, and rounded off by the divine combination of poached pears, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts is a nod to that lore.
The jewels of Mediterranean cuisine are prized proteins, like lamb or veal. Both are given occasion to shine in classic renditions, like veal scallopine and herb-crusted fall-offthe-bone racksof lamb. Plump pieces of stuffed, bacon-wrapped quail are frequent specials, and serve to elevate poultry.
A proven history and long-standing reputation go a long way. Amici is the sort of place that inspires trust in its patrons: order dinner with eyes closed, at random, and still be delighted, which is why this eatery has stood the test of time.
Amici is open Mon to Fri 11:30- 2:00, dinner 5:00-10:00; Saturdays 5:00-10:00, closed Sundays
OSCAR ' S DELI Neighbourhood.... Downtown Address....... 175 Hargrave Phone....... 204-947-0314 Entrées............$ 6-12
Dining out serves different purposes, depending on the day. We dine to expand our epicurean horizons. We also return to places that beckon with familiar wafting aromas, and battered menus full of old favourites. For many, Oscar’ s Deli, which has been serving Jewish-style diner food to comfort-seeking Winnipeggers since 1930, is that place.
Outwardly, not much has changed at Oscar’ s. This Winnipeg institution, located in the heart of downtown on the ground-level of a Hargrave high-rise, still specializes in simple sandwiches piled high with ribbons of shaved meat between fresh slices of City rye. Of these, the Reuben, served here with beet horseradish and delicate layers of corned beef on pumpernickel bread, stands out. One bite is enough to convince even the most progressive that some traditions are worth holding on to.
The lunch-only spot serves droves of diners with machine-like efficiency, churning out dill-laden scratch-made soups and heaping platters garnished with the ubiquitous dill pickle slice. The scene is set with hungry power-lunchers hunkering down to their favourite rendition of childhood favourites, including egg salad sandwiches served open-faced with a tremendous scoop of the good stuff.
Despite this, the business has shown signs of evolving with the times. Popular grill options have found their way onto the menu, and a few labour-intensive items, like chili and roast beef are limited to weekday specials, which is the sort of thing die-hard patrons plan their weeks around. Oscar ' s has also expanded evening hours to accommodate the downtown Jets crowd during home games.
The family at the helm of the operation, Larry Brown and his daughter Rachel, are unabashedly passionate about simple-spun and delicious comfort food. In a lunchcounter culture obsessed with low-fat hermetically-sealed options, Oscar’ s is daring to preserve the tradition of cured cold-cuts heaped on classic bread. And there’ s still something for everyone: calorie counters can opt for the mandarin-almond salad, for their fix of garden greens.
This city treasure has outlasted nearly a century of progress by upholding the pillars of family and tradition, and its continued success is a testament to the timelessness of those ideas.
Oscar ' s Deli is open Mon to Fri 7-4; Saturdays 9-2, and evenings before Jets home games.
ciao! / feb / mar / two thousand fourteen 27