All the weird places I’ve purchased groceries

Last weekend, I pulled up to a vacant warehouse in Point Douglas to do some grocery shopping.

“Don’t worry, you’re in the right place,” said the greeter as I pushed through the dusty door with my bins and bags.

Behind them, a rope barrier and signs urging visitors to stay out of the main floor construction zone, where heavy equipment lay dormant and a deep trench ran across the concrete slab of the former lumber mill.

Another attendant gleefully pointed out the ancient mechanics of the 100-year-old freight elevator as we creaked our way to the second floor, my delight rising simultaneously.

It’s a place I never would have visited without a CSA (community-supported agriculture) subscription from Adagio Acres, an organic grain farm in the Interlake.

Weird locations are part of the fun when buying food directly from local farmers. I’ve also picked up vegetables at breweries, eggs at craft stores and meat in fitness-centre parking lots.

Adagio’s grain exchange features an array of small-scale producers doling out their goods to customers and hosting workshops. Shoppers are asked to BYOC (bring your own containers) to cut down on waste. The day ends with a community potluck.

Adagio Acres’ winter grain market. (Eva Wasney / Free Press)

The vibes were immaculate as I wandered from table-to-table collecting my mini grain bundle — which, for $125, included nearly 30-pounds of Manitoba-grown oats, dried pinto beans, lentils, hemp hearts, popcorn, sunflower seeds, flour and cornmeal.

Everyone, including me, seemed to be grinning from ear to ear while chatting with each other and the people who had grown their food. Genuine human connection is another major bonus of buying directly from farmers.

I’m a big fan of grocery shopping in every form. Even at a giant supermarket, it’s an errand that can feel meditative and productive. However, I’ve never left a Costco feeling more connected to my neighbours and the place that I live.

There are challenges that can come with signing up for a CSA: you don’t always know what kind of veg you’re going to get, extra storage space is necessary since you’re often buying in bulk and you may need to adjust your shopping schedule to accommodate pickups in delightfully offbeat venues.

In an era when food is becoming more expensive and community is harder to come by, the benefits, in my experience, far outweigh the barriers.

Many farms have opened their CSA registrations for 2026. Visit Direct Farms Manitoba for a list of local producers.

- Eva Wasney, food, arts and culture reporter

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Tasty tidbits

❄️ The Den has emerged from the snow once again in St. Adolphe. The novel seasonal restaurant is carved from 500,000 pounds of snow by Clint Masse, owner of A Maze in Corn, and features fine-dining fare from chef Luc Jean of WOW! Hospitality Concepts.

The ambient temperature inside the supersized snow fort is -5 C, so visitors are advised to dress warmly.

Reservations are $272 per person, including tax and gratuity, for a four-course meal, cocktail and admission to the on-site snow maze. Visit thedenrestaurant.ca for details.

🍝 A new Italian eatery appears to be coming to Osborne Village — specifically to 160 Osborne Street in the building called The Zü.

A liquor license application on the Liquor, Gaming & Cannabis Association of Manitoba (LGCA) website lists a restaurant called Sottobraccio coming to the space.

The restaurant doesn’t appear to have a website yet, but does appear to have an as-of-yet unused Instagram account. Stay tuned.

🍴 Ciao! Magazine’s annual Dine About Winnipeg promotion kicks off today, running through to Feb. 21. This year sees 14 eateries taking part in the event, in which restaurants offer multi-course meals featuring signature or limited-time starters, mains and desserts.

Among participating restaurants are Bull & Filly (1763 Henderson Hwy.), Damecca (305 Madison St.), Nikos (740 Corydon Ave.) and Saddlery on Market (114 Market Ave.). See the Dine About Winnipeg website for a complete list of participants.

Recommended fare

Ben: Last weekend we changed out of our comfy clothes, put on something nice and headed to Vera Pizza (670 Osborne St.) for some pie, salad and wine.

While there were no Jon Hamm sightings this time around, we did very much enjoy the Filetti pizza (with basil, garlic, cherry tomatoes and olive oil), the stellar lemon parmesan salad and a bottle of the Bernard Beaudry “Les Grandes” Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.

Eva: I enjoyed a really nice meal at Shirley’s recently with some girlfriends (also no Jon Hamm in sight, but he has been something of a regular at the restaurant at 135 Osborne St. while filming in town).

Highly recommend sampling the dinner rolls, very nice salad 2.0 and bucatini carbonara.

Homemade

Speaking of legumes, the latest edition of Homemade features a trio of filling, cost-effective bean recipes. Click here for recipes for tangy chana (chole) masala with cool cucumber raita from Charulata Gupta, black bean chili from Cathy Collins and slow-cooker chickpea veggie stew from Enid Barnes.

Chana Masala (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press

Homemade is a celebration of home cooking in Manitoba. We’re currently looking for Lunar New Year recipes. Visit Homemade to fill out the submission form.

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