Savour the flavour in the West End

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This article was published 11/8/2015 (742 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The West End is tasty — just ask the West End BIZ.

And if you’re skeptical or haven’t experienced the flavours in one of Winnipeg’s iconic neighbourhoods, they have the perfect solution for you: The West End BIZ Restaurant Tours.

With over 100 restaurants in the neighbourhood, including specialties from around the globe, the West End BIZ feels this is a great opportunity to expand one’s palate while discovering the walkability and diversity the neighbourhood has to offer.

"These are a series of tours that we offer in the summer where we sample three or four restaurants in an evening," said Joe Kornelsen, promotion and development coordinator for the West End BIZ, and the tour guide for the restaurant tours. "We get to sample a bunch of different foods from a variety of different cultures throughout the night.

"You get the opportunity to walk around one of the most historical neighbourhoods in Winnipeg. It’s over 100 years old, and there are a ton of stories that have accumulated over the years."
Kornelsen said it gives folks a chance to see a community which has often had a bad rap attached to it.

"Sometimes perceptions of the neighbourhood are a little bit negative, and those perceptions can easily be challenged by having people walking around the neighbourhood," he said. "The idea came from wanting to change those perceptions and then showing people what the neighbourhood has to offer."

You won’t be walking a marathon either between locations, with most establishments being within a five-minute jaunt of each other, and Kornelsen promises an engaging experience.

"I think people who come out feel they’ve made new friends for the two-and-a-half hours they are with each other," he said. "People leave pretty full, and we’ve had people come back for multiple tours."

Each tour begins at 6 p.m. and takes around two-and-a-half hours to complete. The cost per tour is $45, taxes included, and covers the price of the tour, meals and soft drinks or coffee at each restaurant.

"The meals are pre-planned and offer those who indulge a chance to taste the highlights of what the restaurant normally serves," Kornelsen said.

Additional drink tickets for alcoholic beverages can be purchased and run at $4.50 for domestic beer and $6.80 for import beer or a glass of wine. During the tour, alcoholic beverages will only be able to be purchased with the tickets.

Spots for the remaining three days – Aug. 12, 19 and 27 – are limited to 15 per tour and are filling up quickly, according to Kornelsen.

Bookings must be made at least two days in advance of the desired tour.

For more information, call the West End BIZ at 204-954-7900 or email at joe@westendbiz.ca