Winnipeg: a foodie’s city guide

I decided to try some of the local pierogis at Baba’s Tall Grass Pantry. The Ukrainians are one of the more recent and largest ethnic groups to arrive in Winnipeg, and their cuisine was evident all over the city. But my first meal was a simple albeit filling plate of meat pierogis, a cabbage roll, some farmer’s sausage, coleslaw with caramelised onions and sour cream. It was utterly divine and excellent value at only C$10.50 (£6.10).

For foodies that are staying longer in Winnipeg and have cooking facilities, the market also offers a huge range of locally grown and sourced fruit, vegetables, bread, cakes, wine and meat. I was particularly enamoured with the sister shop to Baba’s Tall Grass Pantry, the Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company, where I was lucky enough to visit the bakery for a behind the scenes tour and bread-shaping class. The bakery offers an amazing selection of different types of bread, bakes and cakes, from their famous cinnamon buns, German rye bread, sourdough, croissants, fruit loaves to challah bread, light sourdough rye bread and pumpkin.

On my first evening I was treated to a meal at Peasant Cookery in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District. The restaurant was simply furnished with tables and chairs outside for al fresco dining while jars of pickles adorned the window sills, adding to the atmosphere of the restaurant. The menu suggested starters of beetroot salad, duck bruschetta, poutine and charcuterie, followed by tourtiere, fish and ‘sticks’, Berkshire pork and king salmon, all served with a choice of salad, seasonal vegetables and fries.I started with the house charcuterie platter, as all of the charcuterie (and pickles) are made on the premises and opted for the fish and sticks, which was beer battered Pickerel with a caper coleslaw, smoked paprika and piquillo pepper aioli and hickory sticks (thinly cut fries).

After a beautifully cooked-to-order omelette for breakfast at The Fort Garry, my hotel, the rest of the day unfolded in a foodaholic’s haze of tempting tastings! Hot on the heels of breakfast came fruit cake – not just any fruit cake, but one which had been served to HRH the Prince of Wales. I was taken to Dessert Sinsations, which serves freshly made lunch, dinner and late night snacks as well as a formidable selection of cakes and sweet treats, all made on the premises by chef Barbara O’Hara and her husband and two daughters.

Lunch followed very quickly and was taken at the Sherbrook Street Delicatessen, where chef Jon Hochman told me all about Winnipeg’s Jewish deli roots. The deli’s inspiration comes from the New York Delicatessens of the early 1900s as well as traditional Jewish cuisine, and with the addition of some flavours from Eastern Europe you can expect some pretty sensational food offerings with a Winnipeg twist. My lunch was the deli’s signature Earl Barish smoked meat sandwich platter: a classic smoked meat sandwich with a side of Kettle Chips, coleslaw and some amazing dill pickles.

After a brief break from food and a restorative soak in the bath, I was treated to dinner at Deer + Almond, which is in the heart of the Exchange District. The restaurant is the brainchild of chef Mandel Hitzer, who wanted to create a homey atmosphere with a menu of convivial sharing platters made with locally sourced ingredients. The menu is modern home-style cooking with a ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ menu on offer, as well as a ‘Tipsy’ menu for the booze. There was a definite Asian influence on the menu and each plate, platter and bowl was a flavour explosion and the combination of ingredients was both innovative and very clever.

My time was soon over in this exciting city and as I boarded the train bound for Vancouver I was keen to promote Winnipeg, if only to encourage visitors to sample the diverse range of food on offer. You can dine from morning to night with ease and in all types of eating establishments – Winnipeg is way more than a stopover and well worth a visit, especially if like me you are food driven!