A fusion of food, ambience and service

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This article was published 20/07/2021 (1518 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Scot McTaggart’s vision for Fusion Grill was a little ahead of its time, almost too far ahead. But he stuck with it and is now celebrating his restaurant’s 25th anniversary as one of Winnipeg’s prime dining spots.

McTaggart began his career gaining experience working in different dining environments. He was general manager of Rumours Comedy Club for six years and worked for legendary restauranteur Oscar Grubert, opening restaurants in his specialty division.

McTaggart always kept an eye out for new technologies which could improve the management of restaurants. While at Mr. Greenjeans, he introduced the city’s first industrial specific computer system and was also an early adopter of computer software.

“In my young mind I thought I had something there,” McTaggart recalled. “Innovation always stayed with me and carried on to this day.”

McTaggart, now 59, also worked in Toronto, waiting tables at several different eateries while taking plenty of notes. A favourite memory of that period was a weekly trip to Kensington Market to buy whatever was fresh and taking it back to the chefs so they could create dinner specials on the fly.

There were other key formative experience’s too. Fusion co-founder Geoff Kitt was a chef at a restaurant in Sooke Harbour, B.C., that only used ingredients from the surrounding areas and waters. Even the pork chops from naturally raised hogs on McTaggart’s cousin’s farm, which tasted better, fed his vision of using local ingredients.

By the mid-1990s, he felt it was time to take the leap to start Fusion Grill, located at 550 Academy Rd., which would feature a combination of local ingredients from Manitoba’s prairies, boreal forests and lakes, which together would create something that reflected the lives of people living in the most culturally diverse part of Canada.

“The idea was to create a Manitoba prairie cuisine… the best of Eastern Europe, Asia and South America, steeped in Italian and French classic techniques,” McTaggart said.

“The fusion for us was more than the food. It was one of people, places and things.”

A quarter-century ago, there was no ‘buy local’ movement. For something to be good, it had to come from somewhere else. That was especially true with wine, but when McTaggart offered an all-Canadian wine list, Fusion won an award in 1998.

“Name three restaurants in the universe with an all-Canadian wine list – you couldn’t do it,” McTaggart said with a laugh. “It was nice to get the recognition, and nice to be appreciated, even if the patrons didn’t appreciate it.”

Canadian wine didn’t have a good reputation, but that was slowly changing. McTaggart did his part, by stressing the local vision and offering a “by the glass” option that encouraged diners to be more adventurous with their selections.

“We ended up building an incredibly loyal patronage,” McTaggart said. “To this day people say they only grew to Canadian wine because of us.”

That loyal following has grown, and Fusion Grill has become a must for tourists McTaggart said. A highlight was when Robin Williams came in to dine. Athletes, governors general, politicians, they’ve all stopped by.

When Annie Potts was filming a movie in town, she brought a group in every week. She fell in love with the fiddleheads and mentioned them in an interview in the Los Angeles Times.

At its core, a successful restaurant is a three-legged stool, McTaggart said. It begins with the quality of the food, its ingredients and presentation. Then comes the ambience and welcoming environment.

At Fusion Grill the local focus extends to the music, which, if not from Manitoba artists, is definitely Canadian.

The final aspect is service.

“We’re heavily invested in creating a dining experience with timely, professional service that people remark on,” McTaggart said.

A restaurant is a social affair, and McTaggart cannot wait to see Fusion Grill full once again, as COVID-19 restrictions ease.

“And hopefully we show them a really great time,” he concluded.

For more information, visit www.fusiongrill.mb.ca or call 204-489-6963.