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The shrimp Caesar salad at Steve’s. Absolutely delicious, but you may need some gum. (PHOTO BY KATHRYNE GRISIM)

Steve’s Bistro
3123 Portage Ave.
Sturgeon Creek neighbourhood
Street parking, wheelchair accessible
Breakfast, lunch and dinner

I was first introduced to Steve’s Bistro by reputation.  A good friend raved about Steve’s lunches and special dinner parties.  When I arrived at the location on west Portage Ave., I was surprised to find that it was at the end of the street where I lived when I was first married.  The current manifestation is barely recognizable from its original state, as Steve’s Place has morphed from a burger stop to a cozy, beautifully appointed neighbourhood bistro.

I had met Steve on a previous visit. He is welcoming and gregarious and passionate about the food that he offers his guests. I did not see him on this day, as we arrived considerably later than the bulk of the lunch crowd. But the food was just as good as on previous occasions, even without his presence.

My lunch date was a longtime friend I had just fetched from the airport. We both chose specials and hers was the shrimp Caesar salad. She asked our server about the garlic level and was told that it was not overly garlicky. She remarked that it was absolutely delicious, but garlicky it was as well. Even after chewing gum, she had to apologize when we were greeted by another friend.

I was tempted by the lemon and Dijon chicken special. The little strips of chicken appeared as if they were trimmed off larger breasts. This practice is not only a prudent manner to run your kitchen but offers guests the most succulent offerings from the bird. The chicken had been drenched in a hearty and grainy mustard and was beautifully complemented by the rice pilaf AND pita points. I find this practice of serving two carbs (but no veggies) is typical of Greek cuisine but I was not complaining because both sides were to my liking but by the time my evening supper came along, I was craving something green.

I mentioned that I was dining with an old friend. We met in university and have remained connected through many of life’s joys and heartaches. We travelled to Greece together decades previously and had some memorable tales of Greece’s national drink — ouzo.  The special cocktail on this day was an unusual concoction of ouzo and lemonade.  The taste took us back to our younger and carefree days and we knew that we had come to the right place.

Kathryne Grisim’s foodmusings.ca blog was named best local blog in Uptown Magazine’s Best of Winnipeg readers’ poll