Bull in a china shop

North Kildonan

Southdale

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/08/2024 (717 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nestled into its home inside of the Nor-Villa Hotel (1763 Henderson Hwy.), the brand-new Bull & Filly is a bright, hole-in-the-wall addition to the established community hub.

The licensed restaurant and dining room — which serves breakfast, brunch specials, lunch, and dinner — was designed to be a reflection of the owners’ own lives and stories, and was inspired by similar “speakeasy vibe” restaurants in Toronto, hidden in nooks and crannies around Canada’s largest city.

The restaurant is a visual indicator of this — coloured in bright white, powered by natural light, and decorated with locality in mind. A faux tree sits in the middle of the dining area, a focal point and strong contrast to the Nor-Villa’s classic greys and older architecture.

The new dining venture is run by Kris and Corinne Kopansky, a husband-and-wife duo from Southdale. Kris is a “bull in a china shop,” Corinne Kopansky joked, and she’s more of a filly. Hence, the name.

Bull & Filly officially opened, without any fanfare, in June and has seen steady business thus far.

“We’d get people saying, ‘Oh, you opened up a restaurant in the Nor-Villa?’” Kopansky said, referring to the hotel’s long history with its neighbourhood. “We knew that this area is a tight-knit area. To put it lightly, this is a tight-knit community.”

It’s not simply a restaurant in the hotel, though, she said, nor is it a replacement for the restaurants of the hotel’s past. It’s a completely new, renovated space, welcoming to regulars and curious visitors alike.

“I want people to feel like they’re not in Winnipeg when they come here … whether it’s a business meeting, or just gathering with friends, we want everyone to feel welcome here and walk out with a story,” she said.

“We chose these chairs, we got these tables handmade … it all has a meaning to it,” she said, adding that the dining ware and some of the wall decor had been passed down through their own families before ending up at the restaurant. “Everything has a story behind it.”

Corinne and Kris collectively share 50 years of experience in the restaurant industry. They met when they were each running a local Earls location — at Polo Park and the former spot on Main Street — before they moved on to manage Brazen Hall Kitchen & Brewery, located at 800 Pembina Hwy., as a team. The couple also manages a charity fundraiser, in support of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, called Keeping Kenzi Close, created in memory of their daughter, Kenzi, who died of acute appendicitis when she was six months old.

Bull & Filly will eventually begin to incorporate fundraising into the business, Kopansky said. It gets its feet on the ground, its already started to host giveaways on its social media. Winners will never be asked for their credit card information over direct message.

The restaurant’s chef is Geoffrey Kitt, formerly of Fusion Grill (550 Academy Rd.). “We gave him a vision, and he went for it,” Kopansky said.

While Bull & Filly is a well-decorated and well-appointed place, it doesn’t aim to be a high-end restaurant, Kopansky added.

Food options are French-and-European-inspired, and many are “a twist on the classics.” On the weekend of July 27, the restaurant also jump-started a weekend exclusive brunch menu, featuring items such as the French brûler waffle dish.

Bull & Filly is currently open from Wednesday to Sunday, with varying hours. “We want to make sure anyone can come here. We’re mindful of portions … and keep it at a reasonable price,” Kopansky said.

Fore more information, visit them at @bullandfilly on Instagram or Facebook, as well as bullandfilly.net