COLD LAKE CATCH
MULTI-CULTI FINDS With more than 100 different languages and nationalities represented by people who call Winnipeg home, the city has a multicultural reputation. There are a wealth of festivals, events and restaurants celebrating the city’ s diverse make-up, but those who want serious cultural insight head to specialty food stores, which reflect a global range of good eats. These bakeries, butcheries, and markets are hidden gems for visitors who want to sample local flavour.
SECRETS of Winnipeg
Explore some of Winnipeg’ s best kept secrets while discovering captivating treasures of the region.
BY JOELLE KIDD
COLD LAKE CATCH
While the coasts of Canada boast their seafood specialties, those in-the-know seek Manitoba’ s catch of the day. Bragging rights come from white fish varieties found in the province’ s countless pristine lakes.
Beloved pickerel have a delicate flavour and light texture, making this fish able to handle a versatile range of preparations. Arctic char, Canada’ s exotic freshwater fish, makes appearances in the lower reaches of Manitoba’ s northern rivers and is considered a prime catch for chefs and skilled anglers. For tantalizing takes on these freshwater favourites, regional restaurants are the place to go. Restos committed to showcasing prairie cuisine present delicacies like crispy pickerel cheeks served with sea buckthorn crème fraîche and northern pike caviar at prairie cuisine pioneer Fusion Grill; or cured Arctic char served with pita, baba ghanoush, and smoked chili aioli at Smith. Chef Mike Robins’ gorgeous arctic char bisque( pictured) gives the northern river fish some
French flair at neo-speakeasy Sous Sol. Open Thursday to Saturday only and thriving on hush-hush theatricality without phones or reservations, the auspicious locale is definitely worth the dig. 20 km northeast of the city, idyllic Pineridge Hollow serves prairie taste in a bucolic setting. Executive chef Matty Neufeld shows his pickerel pride with a beer battered take on fish and chips and panko-breaded fish tacos.
MULTI-CULTI FINDS With more than 100 different languages and nationalities represented by people who call Winnipeg home, the city has a multicultural reputation. There are a wealth of festivals, events and restaurants celebrating the city’ s diverse make-up, but those who want serious cultural insight head to specialty food stores, which reflect a global range of good eats. These bakeries, butcheries, and markets are hidden gems for visitors who want to sample local flavour.
Light, buttery challah bread and Eastern European specialities like varenikes are well-loved at Gunn’ s Bakery, one of the city’ s oldest businesses, which has kept Jewish Polish heritage and tradition alive. Sugar Blooms & Cakes Inc.’ s lavish cakes and sweets pop with Filipino flavours like ube and coconut( pictured above). Delicate pâte à choux swans filled with pastry cream and rustic French loaves fill the cases at La Belle Baguette’ s two popular locations.
Take a cultural tour of Winnipeg through sausage- from hot and spicy Spanish chorizo to garlicky Ukrainian kielbassa- at the city’ s many butcher shops like The Carver’ s Knife, Miller’ s Meats and Winnipeg Old Country Sausage. Italian imports and freshly made pastas, pizza dough and sauces have made De Luca’ s a long time local favourite. Mediterranean mavens flock to Greek Market for lemon potatoes and flaky spanikopita; fresh bannock, bison and blueberries are found at Indigenous-run Neechi Commons; and Lucky’ s is the modern Asian superstore stocked with an impressive range of Eastern imports and deli specialties like crisp barbeque duck.
6 where. ca MAY / JUNE 2018