The best spots of 2017

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/01/2018 (3028 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was another exceptional year of Winnipeg dining.

I was recently at the Food Bloggers Canada conference which highlighted the adventures of two bloggers and their trip across Canada. When asked what their biggest surprise was, they quickly answered “Winnipeg — the food scene is amazing there”!

Ethnic restaurants still abound, especially in Winnipeg’s West End where I enjoyed Mercadito Latino, Ha Long Bay, Sushi Cushi, and Nhu Quynh.

I revisited old favourites like the Falafel Place on Corydon, Olympia Diner on west Portage Avenue, East India Company on York, Piazza De Nardi on Taylor and The Cottage Bakery on Pembina.
Visiting new (or relatively new) restaurants kept me busy and satiated: BerMax Caffé + Bistro on Corydon, Saddlery on Market, Beet Happening on Notre Dame, Indulge Bistro on Kenaston and Harth Mozza and Wine Bar on south St. Anne’s Road.

The burgeoning craft brewery scene had me loving the fare at One Great City, Brazen Hall and KYU Grill at The Common at The Forks. I have the newest brewery on my “must-try” list: I understand that Timmy Tom’s Pizzeria at Trans Canada Brewing Co. is in the running for the best pizza in the city.

Across the Board was in a category on its own where you can sup on carefully made food while you play a board game from their inventory of hundreds.

There were a number of delightful surprises for me in 2017:

1) The amazing Reuben and hand-cut fries at the Diner’s Grill in a St. Boniface Industrial Park.

2) Black garlic linguine with arugula and parmesan at Crème DeL’Essence in Inkster Industrial Park;

3) The modern dishes rooted in First Nation Foods of pickerel and bannock at The Feast Café Bistro;

4) The unique atmosphere and premise made delights at Caked with Love; and last but nowhere near least,

5) The restaurant and butcher shop that is Bouchée Boucher. With their focus on local, small-farm, sustainable meat and artisanal local goods, they represent exactly what surprised my trans-Canada-trekking blogger friends.

This is my last column with the Canstar Community Newspaper. I have enjoyed your emails and visits I have had with contest winners. I will continue to write about Winnipeg restaurants because well, I just can’t stop! Please feel free to follow me at: www.foodmusings.ca

Kathryne Grisim is a local food and travel writer and blogger: foodmusings.ca. She believes food = love