It’s been a slice From New York-style pizza to Belgian breweries, our recommended restaurants and top trends of 2019 By: Alison Gillmor Posted: 3:00 AM CST Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019 Last Modified: 2:32 PM CST Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/12/2019 (2139 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s tough to single out standouts from a year of sampling outstanding local restaurants, but here are five that popped in 2019:

 

GaiJin Izakaya (1575 Regent Ave. W)

A hot spot for ramen, with rich, layered broths and intriguing add-ins, this buzzy Transcona venue — from chef Edward Lam, the man behind Yujiro — is also a sociable place to grab a sake-based cocktail and some inventive Asian-fusion snacks. (Think beef tartare with smoked egg yolk, pickled mustard seeds with a garlic baguette, or Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and bonito flakes).

On crowded nights, you might get seated at a communal table, and that’s all part of the fun.

(Read our review here.)

 

Wall Street Slice (753 Wall St.)

With a tight menu and some big tastes, this West End pizzeria specializes in New York-style slices, so thin and wide they’re best eaten using the fold-hold technique. (If you need a how-to, just watch some old Sopranos episodes.)

Richly crisp crusts meet upgraded toppings like mellow, melting roasted garlic, verdant kale pesto and house-made Berkshire pork pepperoni.

You can customize your own pie or choose from some well-balanced specialties, including a delicate four-cheese pizza bianca or a pulled pork and roasted pineapple option so good it could budge the needle on the fruit-on-pizza debate.

The venue’s modern-industrial style interior also feels right at home in this hardworking neighbourhood, which now has a small food-and-drink outpost on Wall.

(Read our review here.)

 

Beaurivage Bistro (788 Corydon Ave.)

The last couple of years have seen a wave of new Middle Eastern cafes, grocery stores and shisha lounges in Winnipeg. This Lebanese resto was way ahead of the trend, though, being a longtime St. Boniface fixture before moving last year to the Corydon strip.

Dinners are prix fixe feasts, which will include some apps (maybe golden-crisped cauliflower with tahini or smoky baba ghanoush), some salads (perhaps a bright, lemony tabbouleh) and some mains (possibly warmly spiced, fine-ground sirloin kafta rolls), all finished with a bite of good baklava and mint tea or aromatic coffee served in a rakweh.

Service is welcoming, warm and friendly — expect to hear some stories from Chef George.

(Read our review here.)

 

Dug & Betty’s Ice Creamery (309 Des Meurons St.)

Why am I talking about ice cream in December? Because the rich and creamy small-batch offerings at this St. Boniface spot are so good. (If you still need convincing, the nutmeg-infused eggnog flavour will totally turn around your perspective on winter ice cream.)

Tastes range from subtle (a delicate Earl Grey) to robust (a deep, dark Ferrero Rocher or a coffee-forward espresso option that will get you jittery).

Plus, this is an ice creamery with a liquor licence, allowing adults to pour a tot of liqueur over their vanilla ice cream or add a scoop of mango to their prosecco. Dug & Betty’s, a companion to InFerno’s Bistro across the street, has also started serving lunches, with a brief, nicely considered menu of soups, salads and sandwiches.

(One note: The shop will be closed for a holiday break from Christmas to New Year’s.)

(Read more here.)

 

Nonsuch Brasserie and Brewing Co. (125 Pacific Ave.)

The folks at this East Exchange taproom are serious about their Belgian-style beers, which range from a fruity straw-coloured tripel to a deep coffee-brown porter (and boast some high alcohol-by-volume numbers, so heads up). They’re serious about food: the rotating menu combines a creative use of local ingredients with an eye for humble but well executed dishes and some hardcore pickling, fermenting and curing. (Think house-made sausage with pickled fennel and beer-spiked mustard, or a homely-looking hamburger with tremendous inner qualities.) Knowledgeable servers are happy to help with food and drink pairings.

Nonsuch also cares about design. The Rain Room, a very sexy space, recently opened, joining the brasserie’s much-Instagrammed Umbrella Room, where a ceiling covered in dozens of golden photography umbrellas bounces around warm, glowy light.

(Read our review here.)

 

2019 TRENDS

Plant-based possibilities

With vegetarian patties hitting the fast-food chains, it’s clear plant-based eating is becoming an affordable and accessible trend.

In Winnipeg, there are more and more options for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and the vegan-curious, across the resto spectrum. The newly opened Roughage Eatery on Sherbrook, for example, specializes in tasty, fun vegan comfort food, such as craveable nachos with non-dairy cheeze sauce.

 

Plates — small, big, shareable

This year, I’ve had small plates, such as the lovely golden beets, braised peaches and double-creamed ricotta at the Amsterdam Tea Room in the Exchange. I’ve had big plates, such as the delicious fire-roasted whole sea bream, served with fennel, clams and nduja at the Osteria del Piolo in Charleswood.

I’ve had shareable plates, some so tasty I really wanted to think twice about sharing.

And then there’s sharing on social media. Milksmith, a new ice cream and drink emporium on Corydon, offers the most photo-ready treats in town, packed with rainbow hues and extravagant sprinkles and sparkles and set against cute, candy-coloured backdrops to make your Instagram pics pop.

 

Pick up, take out and drop off

For time-strapped 21st-century people, there are multiplying ways to get supper.

Black Market Provisions on South Osborne Street features house-made soups, salads and baking to go — with many plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free options — along with high-end condiments and pantry goods. Blady on Portage Avenue has Middle Eastern groceries, lots of prepared foods, grill-ready seasoned meats and made-to-order pita, still warm.

Suppertime quandaries are being solved with meal-planning apps, all-in-one meal-kits and handy delivery services.

It’s no wonder that in Winnipeg, which is home to both the Skip the Dishes empire and cold winters, it’s faster and easier than ever to get supper without leaving your house.

 

Low or high

Winnipeg pubs and eateries are increasingly offering sophisticated zero-proof options for non-drinkers, with clever, grown-up mocktails and craft non-alcoholic beers.

On the other hand, we have cannabis edibles rolling out this week in Manitoba, and there will be shelves of trippy new foodstuffs available at cannabis stores for consumption at home.

 

Halls, not courts

Forget those dingy food courts with dispiriting chain vendors. The new food halls feature upscale design and locally sourced food and drink. Here in Winnipeg, we’ve got the recent, much-needed outdoor patio extension of the Common at The Forks, as well as the just opened Hargrave Street Market downtown, which will be showcasing a lot of indie Manitoba talent, including outposts from Pizzeria Gusto, Merchant Kitchen and Miss Brown’s.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca