Tasty Tidbits

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/10/2023 (945 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Local chefs vying for national competition

Chefs Renée Girard (Made by Paste), Kris Kurus (deer + almond) and Graham Peltier (Sous Sol) are in the running to represent Winnipeg at the annual Canadian Culinary Championships in Ottawa next February.

The trio had the highest scores following a round of regional judging by a panel of local foodies made up of the Free Press’s own AV Kitching and Peg City Grub’s Mike Green, as well as chefs Christa Bruneau-Guenther, Jesse Friesen and Ed Lam.

The qualifying dishes included a carrot caputini pasta by Girard, a pork and cabbage terrine from Kurus and a bison carpaccio by Peltier. The winner will be announced later this month.

The Canadian Culinary Championships, also known as Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, have been running for 17 years. Winnipeg’s Emily Butcher is the most recent local chef to reach the podium with a bronze medal in 2020.

Food for cinephiles

Speaking of Emily Butcher, the head chef at Nola has teamed up with Linda Chen, former chef de cuisine at Máquè, for a special dining series this weekend inspired by classic movies.

Dinner reservations for parties of two or four are available this Saturday and Sunday at nolawpg.com with a $10 deposit. Seatings are 2 1/2 hours and will feature a 12-course $100 prix fixé menu.

The movie-inspired dishes range from The Life Aquatic — soft-shell crab served with Boursin cheese, pickles and wakame — to Reservoir Dogs, an apricot cake with pink peppercorn custard, chestnuts and sunflower seeds.

Nola, located at 300 Taché Ave., has previously hosted guest chef events with Vancouver’s Billy Nguyen, a private chef and Top Chef Canada contestant.

Imbibe with cider from the neighbourhood

Next Friend Cider celebrates this year’s harvest of more than 30,000 pounds and counting of local backyard fruit on Thursday, Oct. 19, from 4 to 10 p.m.

The local cider producer, which operates out of Low Life Barrel House at 398 Daly St. N, is offering special ciders by the glass, food by Crumb Queen and Andy’s Lunch, DJs and door prizes, plus $1 from every cider sold will be donated to the NorWest Community Food Centre.

The event is family-friendly and free to attend.

A coastal tradition in the heart of the Prairies

Get your fill of crab and lobster at Devil May Care Brewing, 155 Fort St., on Sunday, Oct. 29, during a traditional seafood boil hosted by the Winnipeg Supper Club.

The annual event will feature pots of seasoned crab, lobster, shrimp, mussels, crawfish, potatoes and sausage served with homemade biscuits and spread onto tables at the downtown brewery for a messy communal feast.

Beer, wine and oysters from Raw Bar — a mobile oyster vendor — will be available for purchase. Tickets are $125 each, plus fees, at Eventbrite.

For more local culinary news, sign up for Dish, our twice-monthly food and drink newsletter.