Change on the menu

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/09/2017 (3112 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Restaurants for Change, an annual event to raise money to support community food programs in low-income neighbourhoods, is bigger than ever this year. Twenty-six restaurants have joined the campaign, bringing the total across Canada to 92 in 19 cities.

In Winnipeg, the participating restaurants are Chew, deer + almond, Forth, King + Bannatyne, Promenade Café and Wine and a pop-up from chef Ben Kramer (location yet to be announced). To take part, simply make a reservation to dine at one of the eateries on Oct. 18; proceeds will go to the NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre and Community Food Centres Canada.

For more information, go to restaurantsforchange.ca.

● ● ●

Dairy lovers who have been following the fabulous fromage served up by Meg Gifford and Courtney Dhaliwal from pop-ups and craft fairs to pairing seminars around the city will be happy to hear the duo has finally found a bricks-and-mortar location to house The Cheesemongers Fromagerie. The long-awaited retail space will open in the very near future at 839 Corydon Ave., formerly the home of Winnipeg Vacuum at the corner of Lilac Street.

Gifford says the shop will have a full-service cut-to-order cheese counter and will also serve a light lunch menu, as well as a variety of in-house cheese and charcuterie boards with complimentary wine and beer pairings. It will seat eight.

● ● ●

BMC Market, a south Osborne favourite for its authentic Mexican cuisine, is expanding its reach, opening a second location, BMC Taqueria, at 1113 Henderson Hwy. The original restaurant at 772 Osborne St. was recently named one of Canada’s best Mexican restaurants by Flare magazine and Flight Centre’s blog; last year, Food Network singled out the tiny joint’s three-tacos-for-$5 deal as one of Canada’s best bargains.

● ● ●

Local chefs are sharpening their knives for Kitchen Kumite: Clash of Pans, a cutthroat cooking competition coming up at Kitchen Sync, 370 Donald St. But no blood will be shed: the prize is the admiration of their peers and, of course, the pleasure of knowing all proceeds go to Cancer Care Manitoba Foundation.

Competitors in the event, organized by Baon Manila Nights Filipino pop-ups, include: Claire Snowball, Red River Kitchen Services; Paul Eccles, Clementine; RJ Urbano, Crème DeL’Essence; Jeremy Senaris, Masterchef runner-up; Jackie Hildebrand, Hy’s Steakhouse; Randy Khounnoraj, Khaohouse; and Matty Neufeld, Pine Ridge Hollow.

Tickets for the Sept. 24 quarter-finals are $35 and $40 for the Oct. 1 semifinals and finals, or $60 for both. Tickets include canapés and two free alcoholic beverages.

● ● ●

Have you ever polished off a plate of french fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds, wiped your mouth and thought, “Man, I could really go for nine more of those”? Well, gluttons for poutine, rejoice: It’s time once again for the Poutine Cup, an annual event that pits 10 local restaurants against each other in a battle of the bulge. Held Sept. 14 (rain or shine) at Fort Gibraltar, 866 St. Joseph, tickets are $45 plus fees and include all-you-can-eat poutine and three drink samples.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; food service starts at 6 p.m.

● ● ●

Is “un cerveza, por favor” the only thing you can say in Spanish? Mercadito Latino Restaurant & Market, 570 Sargent Ave., is offering one-on-one Spanish classes and tutoring this fall and winter. For more info, call Jesse at 204-415-2870.

 

Get in touch at jill.wilson@freepress.mb.ca or Twitter: @dedaumier.