16th May 2024 

CANADIAN PRAIRIES: Tasting Winnipeg

This prairie city in Canada's heartland is earning national and global attention for its evolving culinary scene. And it's about time – Winnipeg, Manitoba, has all the ingredients of a great food town.

Unique mix: Here, agriculture is a primary industry, and the distance from farm-to-table is practically zero. In a Restobiz article, Jesse Friesen, executive chef of The Merchant Kitchen and Pizzeria Gusto, calls Winnipeg “a little big city or a big small town”. Approximately 750,000 people live there, enough to support a bustling restaurant scene, but not so big that people get lost in it. It also has a unique cultural mix, with influences from English, French, Ukrainian, Jewish, Mennonite, First Nations, Métis, Filipino and other peoples. The diverse population's influences on Winnipeg's culinary scene are evidenced by its most emblematic foods, which include perogies and Kielbasa sausage.

With the largest Indigenous population in Canada, Winnipeg has among the most Indigenous-owned and operated food businesses in the country. Some of its top chefs are Indigenous, including Christa Bruneau-Guenther, the Metis-French chef and restaurateur behind Feast Café Bistro (she's appeared on Top Chef Canada and is a standing judge on Wall of Chefs); and Tara Hall, chef at The Indigenous Kitchen food truck.

Chef's toques: Two Winnipeg restaurants recently landed on Canada's 100 Best magazine's prestigious list, including Deer + Almond, which has earned rave reviews from celebrities like Ed Sheeran and Samuel L. Jackson (the other, Máquè, is now closed). Two other restaurants were named on Air Canada's Best New Restaurants 2023 longlist: Bar Accanto, a neighbourhood eatery focused on minimal intervention wines and adventurous share plates, and Petit Socco, whose set menu changes with the seasons. There are also new dining adventures in Winnipeg. Vida Cucina Italia, which opened in October 2023, is located in the iconic Fort Garry Hotel, and is helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Rosanna Marziale. A household name in Italy, Chef Marziale has appeared on popular programs like Masterchef Italia and the Italian versions of Chopped and Iron Chef. Also new is the Honey Bunny Pastry Shop, a mother/daughter-run Ukrainian bakery; and Crumb Queen, a bakery opened by notable local chefs Cloe Wiebe and Andy Koropatnick.
Speaking of notable chefs, others in Winnipeg include Constance Menzies, a chocolatier whose elegant creations have graced the gift lounges of the Golden Globes and the Toronto International Film Festival; she's also created custom molds for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Ed Lam sets the gold standard for Japanese cuisine at Yujiro, which often sees lineups outside the door as diners wait for fragrant ramen bowls inspired by his Hong Kong background. And at Chaeban Ice Cream, Lebanese dairy scientist and cheesemaker Joseph Chaeban and his Syrian wife Zainab Ali pay homage to their Middle Eastern roots with memorable flavours like Abir Al Sham (toasted pistachio and cashews, orchid root powder, rose and orange blossom water).

Food trip: What's new and notable in the Winnipeg culinary scene this Autumn

Autumn suppers are a thriving thing in Manitoba, with more than 75 events taking place across the province. A beloved Prairie tradition that raises funds for charities, fall suppers invite people everywhere to sit down for a meal prepared by members of the community. They're often attended by hundreds of people and generally themed to the fall harvest – think locally sourced turkey, potatoes and meatballs. Join the Manitoba Fall Suppers Facebook group to track fall suppers coming up in Winnipeg.

Unique in Canada, Winnipeg neighbourhood The Forks is a popular dining complex, bolstered by a liquor licence that applies to an entire market area. Plus, it's got one of Western Canada's largest patios. This historic place, located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, has been a meeting place for over 6,000 years for Indigenous peoples, European fur traders, Scottish settlers, railway pioneers, and tens of thousands of immigrants. Today, it remains a thriving gathering place attracting over four million visitors each year. New at The Forks is Basta! Filipino Kitchen, by award-winning chef Norm Pastorin; and The Common, a craft cocktail bar that offers seasonal spirits alongside non-alcoholic options.

Sample Winnipeg's Indigenous flavours at local spots like Shelly's Indigenous Bistro, Bistro on Notre Dame, and the new Promenade Brasserie. See more Indigenous food options in Tourism Winnipeg's blog post or Plan your Winnipeg eating itinerary using Tourism Winnipeg's handy list of top restaurants in the region.

https://www.tourismwinnipeg.com/eat-and-drink/peg-city-grub/read,post/1458/winnipeg-indigenous-restaurant-guide

https://www.tourismwinnipeg.com/eat-and-drink/best-eats

 Image Credit : Travel Manitoba 

Readers wanting more information on Canada as a holiday destination should go to www.explore-canada.co.uk

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