Open and shut (almost) Bistro boss isn't fazed by launching during a lockdown: It's not his first battle with a virus By: Eva Wasney / Mike Sudoma photography Posted: 7:00 PM CST Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020

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This article was published 18/11/2020 (1759 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dean Herkert has put a lot of thought into the decor at Bistro on Notre Dame.

Over the last year and a half, the first-time restaurateur has turned the former burger joint at 784 Notre Dame Ave. into a modern eatery with a rustic vibe. The silver radiators match the gleaming tin ceiling tiles, the walls are papered in a stylish print and the furniture built by Morden company Prairie Barnwood is made of reclaimed wood from local barns.

“I didn’t want to buy material that was shipped halfway from around the globe,” says Herkert, 54. “I wanted to know where the material was coming from, who was making it and whether or not they had an eye towards the role they play in their community.”

Stylish dividers have been hung between tables with care, but diners won’t be able to enjoy the restaurant’s interior touches anytime soon. Bistro on Notre Dame opened to the public on Tuesday in the midst of code red restrictions, which prohibit eat-in dining.

“There’s been adjustments and accepting the fact that everything’s going into containers,” Herkert says. “If I could present it to you on the plate where it was meant to be, I’d be much happier.”

Between health scares and contractor issues, the restaurant has been a longtime coming. Delaying the opening any longer didn’t make much sense, “I can stay shut and pay the mortgage or open and hopefully make enough money to pay the mortgage.”

Herkert grew up in Thompson and has worked in restaurant and hotel management in Winnipeg for the last two decades, most recently with Wow Hospitality. He came to a crossroads five years ago and decided that if he was going to continue working in the industry it was going to be as an owner.

While looking for a location, Herkert was drawn to the Notre Dame strip for its proximity to the Health Sciences Centre and the longstanding Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai restaurants in the neighbourhood.

“I wanted to do food a little different,” he says. “They’re surviving in this neighborhood (and) that tells me there are some adventurous types out here.”

The bistro’s comfort food menu and cozy atmosphere are designed to be a reprieve from the sterile environment of the nearby hospital campus. There’s even a private dining room in the basement that can be booked for meetings or used by healthcare staff looking for a quiet place to eat.

Herkert knows a thing or two about hospitals. He was about to make his restaurant dream a reality in 2018 when he contracted West Nile virus. He spent 10 days in hospital and nearly a year in recovery.

“It took me six months before I was functioning on a day-to-day basis, and it took another six months before I felt confident that I could go back to a full-time endeavour.”

The business was put on hold, but Herkert kept scheming about his restaurant-to-be. He spent many hours watching cooking and design shows and testing recipes while he was laid up.

The menu is substantial and draws inspiration from local ingredients and southern cuisine with dishes such as walleye mac and cheese, hush puppies and bison and bannock (a play on biscuits and gravy). Hints of barbeque appear in salads, soups and burgers by way of olives, mushrooms, onions and peppers prepared in the restaurant’s on-site smoker.

Herkert’s focus on local food comes down to environmental impact and his Métis heritage — the restaurant has received funding from the Manitoba Metis Federation.

“Bison used to be a significant part of the diet to the Métis people,” he says. “We do have one beef product on the menu, but if we’re going to offer red meat I would rather look at bison than beef just as part of the heritage of the area.”

Bistro on Notre Dame is open for takeout and delivery Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Find the full menu here.

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney