NOW OPEN Popular board game cafe Across the Board outgrew its small space on Albert St and has moved into a bright location on the corner of Main St and Bannatyne Ave . The spacious new room , boasting high ceilings and picture windows , sees its game selection upped to more than 1000 offerings , and an expanded menu of snacks , appies , and entrées ( pictured ) for hungry players to eat between turns . 211 Bannatyne Ave , 204‐691‐3422 , Map 1 : O-4 ; Tastes of the Mediterranean are the specialty at Agora Fine Foods . The spot , named after the ancient Greek market and gathering place , has plenty of reason to gather , from the shelves stocked with local and imported specialty foods to the sleek Indulge Bistro and Wine Bar that serves up Spanish , Greek , and Italian dishes in a smartly designed space . 1765 Kenaston Blvd , 204‐285‐4068 , Map 2 : F-3
BY JOELLE KIDD
PHOTOS : IAN MCCAUSLAND ( CHEF CAM TRAN ); MIKE LINTON , CENTRIC PRODUCTIONS ( ACROSS THE BOARD ); SCOT MCTAGGART COURTESY OF FUSION GRILL
FRENCH TWIST
It has been a long journey leading chef Cam Tran of Café Ce Soir to his petit Portage Avenue bistro . A child of Vietnamese immigrants , who escaped their country by boat , Tran began working in kitchens with his father as a teenager . A winding career path eventually led him to move to France to study as a pastry chef at the Michelin starred Gastronomicom near Montpellier . Today , in his welcoming 23-seat café , chef Cam whips up marvelous pastry creations , crème brûlées infused with flavour , and classic French cuisine . A member of the slow food movement , this passionate chef makes everything from scratch in the kitchen with local ingredients . 937 Portage Ave , 204‐414‐7647
EDITOR ’ S PICK
TOP 5 SPOTS TO WINE AND DINE
Calling all oenophiles : these restaurants are must-visits for wine lovers of all stripes .
At DeLuca ' s Cooking School , sip specially paired wines provided by attached DeLuca Fine Wines while chef Anna Paganelli demonstrates how to prepare elaborate Italian dishes . Call for class schedule and to register . 950 Portage Ave , 204‐774‐7617 , Map 1 : Q-1
529 Wellington , Winnipeg ’ s most lofty steakhouse , maintains its elevated reputation with an award winning wine list so thick it could have been written by Proust . More than 800 selections pair with anything from porterhouse to prawns . 529 Wellington Cres , 204‐487‐8325 , Map 1 : S-2
Mona Lisa Restaurant is a top pick for comforting red sauce Italian fare in a sleek yet casual atmosphere . The adjacent cantina is perfect for variety-loving imbibers , with 20 featured wines offered by the glass . 1697 Corydon Ave , 204‐488‐3684 , Map 2 : D-3
Fusion Grill stokes Canadian pride with its sophisticated use of regional ingredients , and local love doesn ’ t stop there . Owner Scot McTaggart ( pictured ) built an extensive wine list that is exclusively Canadian , and sure to win over even old-world enthusiasts to the Canuck terroir . 550 Academy Rd , 204‐489‐6963 , Map 2 : D-3 Forget hot cocoa — cap off a day of outdoor activities with a glass of vino at The Common at The Forks . Pours by the glass or in tasting flights are perfect to sip while relaxing in the food hall or even browsing the market ’ s upper level shops . The Forks Market , 204‐942‐6216 , Map 1 : Q-5
NOW OPEN Popular board game cafe Across the Board outgrew its small space on Albert St and has moved into a bright location on the corner of Main St and Bannatyne Ave . The spacious new room , boasting high ceilings and picture windows , sees its game selection upped to more than 1000 offerings , and an expanded menu of snacks , appies , and entrées ( pictured ) for hungry players to eat between turns . 211 Bannatyne Ave , 204‐691‐3422 , Map 1 : O-4 ; Tastes of the Mediterranean are the specialty at Agora Fine Foods . The spot , named after the ancient Greek market and gathering place , has plenty of reason to gather , from the shelves stocked with local and imported specialty foods to the sleek Indulge Bistro and Wine Bar that serves up Spanish , Greek , and Italian dishes in a smartly designed space . 1765 Kenaston Blvd , 204‐285‐4068 , Map 2 : F-3
MARCH / APRIL 2017 where . ca 23