Too cool for winter

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2018 (2921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Back in 2013, two Winnipeggers had an idea that sounded preposterous, even to the hardiest locals: an outdoor fine-dining pop-up on a frozen river, in the middle of January.

But chef Mandel Hitzer of deer + almond and architect Joe Kalturnyk were onto something. Now in its sixth year, RAW:almond is a full-fledged destination culinary experience, one that has garnered international attention. Sure, there’s some novelty baked into it — where else but Winnipeg could you brave Mars-cold temperatures to eat word-class dishes in your parka and Sorels where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet? But it’s the calibre of execution, and the dedication of the minds behind it, that elevates RAW:almond from gimmick to quality experience.

Hitzer and Kalturnyk are clearly not risk-adverse, and their willingness to try new things has resulted in RAW:almond’s growth. In October, the pair took the concept to Japan for RAW:Tokyo. And this winter has seen a couple more firsts: the inaugural RAW:Gimli popped up on frozen Lake Winnipeg at the end of December, and, for those whose adventurous spirit extends beyond their palate, RAW:Churchill will take place March 2-10 in partnership with Frontiers North Adventures and Parks Canada.

RAW:almond runs until Feb. 13, and is sold out. A record 34 chefs — hailing from across Canada and further afield — will prepare multi-course meals for curious foodies willing to shell out $130 (plus tax and service) for the experience.

Bury the Lede podcast co-host Erin Lebar and I scored seats at the 9:30 p.m. seating on Wednesday night. Neither of us had ever partaken in RAW:almond before; our seatmates were also new to it. Weather-wise, it was a gift of a night: -11 C and overcast. From the outside, this year’s structure looks like a cosy igloo emitting an inviting glow; inside, it was surprisingly warm. People immediately doffed their parkas and hats and settled around a candlelit communal table (you will make fast friends at RAW:almond). It was easy to forget you were outside — that is, unless, you ventured off the skating mats and onto the ice floor.

The featured chefs that night were Christie Peters, of Saskatoon’s The Hollows and Primal Pasta, and Edward Lam, of Winnipeg’s Yujiro. We were seated in Peters’ section, so we got to indulge in a charming five-course menu inspired by her home province.

First up was an amuse-bouche of winter rose hip, served with sauerkraut brine in a bowl of snow. Thin slices of melt-in-your-mouth steelhead trout — topped with allium, horseradish and delicate potato chips cut into hearts — was both delicious and photogenic. A briny sea buckthorn borscht taught me what a sea buckthorn is, and was dolloped with a dill sour cream I would eat by the bowlful.

Rich bird-liver paté layered with a honey-mustard butter and Concord grape jelly made for the evening’s most surprising (in a good way) flavour combination, and was followed by one of the best cabbage rolls I’ve ever eaten. It’s Peters’ aunt’s recipe, “but I used wild rice instead of Uncle Ben’s,” she told us. Peters, clad in a RAW:almond jumpsuit, came out of the kitchen to describe each course. The final course featured fresh cheese Peters made that morning, topped with saskatoon berries (naturally) and pine needles. A cube of rich, dark manjari chocolate topped with wild sage completed our culinary tour of Saskatchewan.

RAW:almond is part of a larger winter renaissance in this city. Instead of hibernating in sweats with pizza and Netflix, Winnipeggers are getting out and embracing our designation as a winter city. To wit, at 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night in January, The Forks was absolutely bustling. Skaters were zipping down the Red River Mutual Trail, itself a site for artistic expression via the much-Instagrammed warming huts. Teenagers in tuques were taking selfies under an archway made of lights. Indoors, the Common was alive with groups of friends bonding over post-skate beers. When we trudged back from RAW:almond at midnight, three skaters were lying on the ice under the canopy. As if on cue, the Weakerthans’ Sun in an Empty Room came on over the speakers. It was a little bit of Winnipeg magic.

It takes a specific type of city to sustain an outdoor restaurant on a frozen river in January. Few can pull off what we manage to pull off here. With only-in-Winnipeg events such as RAW:almond, our city doesn’t just capture the attention of outsiders. It captures their admiration.

jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @JenZoratti