Tasty tidbits
• Good Neighbour Brewing has partnered with the team behind Hoagie Boyz and Kosmo’s Food Cantina to offer a new dining concept at 116 Sherbrook St. The restaurant, previously dubbed One Sixteen, has been renamed Next Door. Fine dining has been replaced with whimsical lunch and dinner fare, including a crispy mushroom sando, waffle fries, tuna nachos and “pastrami’d” short ribs. Next Door launches today; visit nextdoorwpg.com for more info.
• Apologies if your New Year’s resolutions included avoiding decadent, deep-fried delicacies. Fried Chicken Fest kicks off next Wednesday and runs until Jan. 27 for 10 days of poultry-based gluttony. Now in its sixth year, the annual Winnipeg food festival challenges dozens of local restaurants to put their best wing (or drumstick or breast) forward for a chance to rule the culinary roost. Find participating restaurants here.
• If conditions on the waterways near The Forks don’t improve, RAW:almond could be looking for a new home this winter. The wildly popular pop-up dining event takes place annually on the frozen river. The temporary eatery, designed by event co-founder Joe Kalturnyk and spearheaded in the kitchen by Deer + Almond chef Mandel Hitzer, has been staged on the historic rail bridge during one previous problematic year, but the bridge is currently closed. The event — which features much-lauded local, national and international chefs — has immediately sold out in years past, but some tickets for this year’s dinners still remain; perhaps the post-holiday cash crunch, inflation and the $292.50-per-person price tag have been factors. If you’re keen on going, you can still grab tickets at raw-almond.com.
• In more Deer + Almond news, chef and co-owner Kristopher Kurus will represent Winnipeg at the Canadian Culinary Championships next month. Kurus also recently announced he will be stepping away from the Princess Street restaurant following the competition.
• Stop by X-Cues Cafe & Lounge on Saturday, Jan. 21 for a serving of sunny side up laughs. Comedy Brunch is hosted by Winnipeg comedian Sofia Salsi. The event features a breakfast buffet and stand-up performances by Jimmy Skinner, Scott Koropas, Dewey Parker, Jaydin Pommer and The Lady Lumps. Tickets are $35 through Eventbrite or at the door.
Recommended fare
Ben: In a rare turn of events, I went out — on a weeknight, no less! On Wednesday, I met up with my pal Rhys Pender, a Kelowna-based wine consultant and winemaker who also curates the wine selections at The Common at The Forks Market; he was in town sorting out what would be going on The Common’s soon-to-be-updated list. After tasting through some of his picks we popped over to the lounge at Smith at Inn at the Forks for some snacks, including their absolutely addictive pounded cheese — a creamy, whipped old cheddar served with grilled sourdough — and a bottle of the Zucchi “Marascone” Lambrusco di Modena, a sparkling red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. It looks like it’s available from Jones & Co.
Eva: I made several dutch babies over the holidays and highly recommend adding the giant, puffy pancakes to your next brunch menu. They are so easy to make and turn into a show-stopping centerpiece in the oven. I mostly followed this savoury recipe from New York Times Cooking, but instead of goat cheese and honey, smeared leftover Boursin cheese onto the baby after baking.
Homemade
Homemade is a Free Press project celebrating home cooking in Manitoba. Want to share a recipe with readers? Visit wfp.to/homemade to fill out the submission form.
Cold weather calls for warm soup! Enjoy this recipe submitted by Marie Szport-Sedor, who writes: “When I was nine, I created a soup that my dad enjoyed and even gave a Ukrainian name… He ate it all, glancing up at me now and again, eyes twinkling. He loved it! He said it was the best soup he ever ate, and named it “Lamashka.”’
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