I have a new favourite Restaurant - Cafe Dario. Fantastic! We recently dined here with some friends after many recommendations. You could easily blink and miss this place, which would be a terrible mistake, so please take note 1390 Erin St, Winnipeg. (204) 783-2813. Reservations recommended.
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................5
Music .........................4 (radio in the background - but you don't need music)
Food............................5
Service........................5
Menu Selection..........5
Wine Selection ..........5
Price............................5*
*price is based on quality of food
I believe the building used to be a house, so it's not easily distinguishable however, the sign is clearly visible on the corner of the building. Promptly greeted and seated as per our reservation, always a good sign. The atmosphere is maybe not what you'd expect. There's no fancy lighting or rich tapestries, but its clean, comfortable and quaint.
The wine list has plenty of options without being overwhelming. We chose an Argentinian Malbec, which was quickly served and enjoyed. Our next choice was the menu. Cafe Dario offers a set menu each night with options for appetizers and entrees at the price of $33 per person. The salad, soup and dessert are the daily selection.
Each option sounded delicious which can make for a difficult decision. I was of course torn between the two shrimp appetizers - always predictable I guess. I eventually selected the Sesame dumpling & shrimp flauta (sort of a springroll) with spicy mango pulp. My husband chose the potpourri of mushrooms with salsa verde. Our friends each had the Sesame shrimp along with the pineapple gaspacho shooter, salmon gravelox with hearts of palm. None of us had anything bad to say. The presenatation alone will keep you coming back.
Soup was cream of spinach, delicious, and the salad a light offering of mixed greens with sesame seed and mint vinaigrette - light and fresh.
Each course is served with sufficient time to digest the previous course, without leaving you looking at your watch. Our entrees arrived and wow. I ordered the beef tenderloin - Churrasco style (typical South American style) with caper salsa. It was the most tender beef I've ever had. The flavours just danced in your mouth. I think my exact words were "I'm going to have dreams about beef this evening". In addition to the beef was grilled zucchini and mashed potatoes with what we believe were jalapenos, scrumptous.
My husband of course chose the salmon & monkfish with sweet corn, bacon and caviar creme. Again the flavours together were heavenly. Our friends chose the honey-glazed duck and dry chili & lemon rubbed pork tenderloin, a spicy selection. Each commented the choices were excellent.
During our meal the chef came out a couple times to speak to the tables and ask how everything was, he would also clear a few plates if needed - I like this casual yet genuine friendliness.
Last but not least was our desert. Simple, sweet and not too filling. Fresh figs with plum & port sauce. One of our friends hoped for something a bit more...substantial? not sure of the word. A pastry, cake, something more along those lines. I enjoyed the dessert and I didn't leave feeling as though I needed to unbutton my pants and nap for several hours.
The overall dining was about 2 & 1/2 hours, but well worth it. The owners are Columbian and give the North American foods a wonderful South American flare. I can not wait to return to this restaurant. And I absolutely love the building and area. Nothing pretentious, just great food to be enjoyed in a comfortable environment. Love it!
My overall rating is a 5. I'm not taking the music into consideration as honestly you do not need it. I highly recommend this place to anyone for any occasion.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Clay Oven - August 2008
To celebrate my dad's birthday we went on a recommendation to the Clay Oven. It's a fair drive from our house but we were hopeful that this would not be a turn off. It was okay.
http://www.clayovenrestaurant.ca/
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................2.5
Music .........................4 (typical Indian music)
Food............................3.5
Service........................4 (our main waiter was great, another was a bit stunned)
Menu Selection..........4.5
Wine Selection ..........4
Price...........................3.5*
*price is based on quality of food
Given other Indian restaurants we'd been to in Winnipeg I guess we were expecting more of a restaurant and less of a diner atmosphere. But not to be turned off we kept an open mind. Promptly seated (reservation was made) and greeted with a smile! The beverage listing is fine, a few wines, coctails, beer etc. Nothing exciting, but enough to keep you interested. Two of us chose "Clay Oven" caesers, quite good, an Indian spice ,that I couldn't quite place, certainly enhanced the flavour. Our guests chose the Indian beer, King Fisher and of course coffee.
We decided to each order a dish and share the bounty. My father the Hot and Spicy lover chose Lamb Vindaloo and requested "Hot"; I selected the appetizer platter complete with samosas, Paneer Pakora and Sona Tikki, and Butter Chicken; my mom ordered Shrimp curry, and my husband chose a vegetarian dish with lentils in a curry sauce.
Everything arrived at once, which isn't a major issue, but it makes for a crowded table. The appetizers were okay, the samosas a bit dry, but tasty.
Our main dishes were good, however the "Hot" Vindaloo, certainly wasn't as hot as we'd like. It was more of a lower end Medium. Our other dishes were definately mild, although ordered medium.
Butter chicken, I've had better. It tasted as though canned tomato soup had been used. The shrimp curry was tasty, but far too much sauce for the amount of meat.
The best dish, in my opinion, was the vegetarian lentil dish. Very tasty, good ratio of protein and sauce and the many spices were very evident!
The prices were okay compared to the quality. Most dishes were in the $12-15 range. Similar to most other restaurants, but I just didn't find the quality was there.
I'm not sure I'd return given the distance from our house and the fact that is was mediocre in both food and atmosphere compared to other Indian restaurants closer to us.
My overall rating - 3.75. Atmosphere definately needs an upgrade and the food needs...something. Maybe more care? I'm not sure, it just didn't give me the "wow" factor.
http://www.clayovenrestaurant.ca/
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................2.5
Music .........................4 (typical Indian music)
Food............................3.5
Service........................4 (our main waiter was great, another was a bit stunned)
Menu Selection..........4.5
Wine Selection ..........4
Price...........................3.5*
*price is based on quality of food
Given other Indian restaurants we'd been to in Winnipeg I guess we were expecting more of a restaurant and less of a diner atmosphere. But not to be turned off we kept an open mind. Promptly seated (reservation was made) and greeted with a smile! The beverage listing is fine, a few wines, coctails, beer etc. Nothing exciting, but enough to keep you interested. Two of us chose "Clay Oven" caesers, quite good, an Indian spice ,that I couldn't quite place, certainly enhanced the flavour. Our guests chose the Indian beer, King Fisher and of course coffee.
We decided to each order a dish and share the bounty. My father the Hot and Spicy lover chose Lamb Vindaloo and requested "Hot"; I selected the appetizer platter complete with samosas, Paneer Pakora and Sona Tikki, and Butter Chicken; my mom ordered Shrimp curry, and my husband chose a vegetarian dish with lentils in a curry sauce.
Everything arrived at once, which isn't a major issue, but it makes for a crowded table. The appetizers were okay, the samosas a bit dry, but tasty.
Our main dishes were good, however the "Hot" Vindaloo, certainly wasn't as hot as we'd like. It was more of a lower end Medium. Our other dishes were definately mild, although ordered medium.
Butter chicken, I've had better. It tasted as though canned tomato soup had been used. The shrimp curry was tasty, but far too much sauce for the amount of meat.
The best dish, in my opinion, was the vegetarian lentil dish. Very tasty, good ratio of protein and sauce and the many spices were very evident!
The prices were okay compared to the quality. Most dishes were in the $12-15 range. Similar to most other restaurants, but I just didn't find the quality was there.
I'm not sure I'd return given the distance from our house and the fact that is was mediocre in both food and atmosphere compared to other Indian restaurants closer to us.
My overall rating - 3.75. Atmosphere definately needs an upgrade and the food needs...something. Maybe more care? I'm not sure, it just didn't give me the "wow" factor.
Civita - July 2008
(quick review)
We decided to venture out for lunch one sunny afternoon and since we'd walked past Civita numerous times and never stopped, today was the day. We chose a spot on the sidewalk patio to catch a few rays and people watch.
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................5 (what's better than "interesting" people watching)
Music ........................N/A
Food............................5
Service........................5
Menu Selection..........4.5
Wine Selection ..........4.5
Price...........................5*
*price is based on quality of food
We started with a glass of Pinot Grigio, for myself, and a Shiraz for my husband. I chose the goat cheese salad with mixed greens, olives (which were set aside :-) and a yummy dressing, my husband selected the Raspberry vinaigrette salad. Both were fantastic. Light, tasty and just the right amount.We also decided to share a quesadilla, with chicken and sausage and drippy melting cheese. Fantastic! Such a great meal for a very reasonable price.
My overall rating is 4.75. The menu (food & wine) are small so if you're really looking for something, you may not find it here. I will definately return and try their evening menu as I was certainly impressed with their lunch!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Bonfire Bistro - April '08
Another ladies night, this time prior to a wedding social we decided on Bonfire Bistro for supper and drinks. They don't accept reservations (thumbs down) so make sure you're not on a particular schedule when going as it's usually busy.
http://www.cafecarlo.com/Bonfire%20Bistro.html
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................4
Music ........................N/A
Food............................4.5
Service........................4
Menu Selection..........4.5
Wine Selection ..........4.5
Price...........................4.5*
*price is based on quality of food
Three of us basically met at the door around 7pm and were advised it could be about a 40 min wait for a table, however we could sit at the bar (order and eat) until a lower table was available. We thought about it and since we were already there awaiting our fourth guest, we'd go with it.
My initial reaction to the service was a cool one. No warmth, more of a matter of fact, take it or leave it type attitude. I kept an open mind.
Atmosphere is small, but not crowded, and very bistro like with small tables and blackboards for the specials. It's very clean and well kept and I liked the (wood burning?) oven in the corner used for cooking pizza - nice touch!
Wine selection is quite good, they offer specials and seem to be fairly knowledgeable and quick to offer suggestions. A mistake was made with my wine selection, however quickly fixed without hesitation.
A few specials for the night included Atlantic Salmon, AAA steak and a pasta dish, each with very reasonable prices. We had heard so much about the pizza, we just had to try them.
I chose a side caesar salad as a starter with a friend having the mixed greens. Both were quite tasty! In time for a our main course to be served we were quickly moved to a lower table where we could visit much easier.
About a dozen choices for pizza, however a tough call as they all sound delicious. We each chose one so we could share. The Wild Mushroom, in my opinion, was the best of our 4 choices. Next would have to be the Italian sausage, with the spicy pepperoni coming in a close third. I had selected the seafood, which was good, but I likely wouldn't order it again.
The service had picked up by this time and I was content with our server and eager to leave a tip. We likely would have stayed and sampled the array of desserts, but we knew the social we were attendign would provide more than enough sweet stuff.
My overall rating = 4.25. The lack of reservation has me rating this slightly lower than it might deserve, but as an organized punctual person, I like reservations.
http://www.cafecarlo.com/Bonfire%20Bistro.html
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................4
Music ........................N/A
Food............................4.5
Service........................4
Menu Selection..........4.5
Wine Selection ..........4.5
Price...........................4.5*
*price is based on quality of food
Three of us basically met at the door around 7pm and were advised it could be about a 40 min wait for a table, however we could sit at the bar (order and eat) until a lower table was available. We thought about it and since we were already there awaiting our fourth guest, we'd go with it.
My initial reaction to the service was a cool one. No warmth, more of a matter of fact, take it or leave it type attitude. I kept an open mind.
Atmosphere is small, but not crowded, and very bistro like with small tables and blackboards for the specials. It's very clean and well kept and I liked the (wood burning?) oven in the corner used for cooking pizza - nice touch!
Wine selection is quite good, they offer specials and seem to be fairly knowledgeable and quick to offer suggestions. A mistake was made with my wine selection, however quickly fixed without hesitation.
A few specials for the night included Atlantic Salmon, AAA steak and a pasta dish, each with very reasonable prices. We had heard so much about the pizza, we just had to try them.
I chose a side caesar salad as a starter with a friend having the mixed greens. Both were quite tasty! In time for a our main course to be served we were quickly moved to a lower table where we could visit much easier.
About a dozen choices for pizza, however a tough call as they all sound delicious. We each chose one so we could share. The Wild Mushroom, in my opinion, was the best of our 4 choices. Next would have to be the Italian sausage, with the spicy pepperoni coming in a close third. I had selected the seafood, which was good, but I likely wouldn't order it again.
The service had picked up by this time and I was content with our server and eager to leave a tip. We likely would have stayed and sampled the array of desserts, but we knew the social we were attendign would provide more than enough sweet stuff.
My overall rating = 4.25. The lack of reservation has me rating this slightly lower than it might deserve, but as an organized punctual person, I like reservations.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bistro 7 1/4 - April '08
To celebrate a birthday we decided to try Bistro 7 1/4 on Osbourne. We've tried to go here a couple times without reservation, so the times available were rather limited. This time we were smart and booked a few days in advance.
http://www.alexanderskitchen.com/
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................4.5
Music .........................4 (we only noticed the music last minute, so this may not be a fair rating)
Food............................4.5
Service........................4.25 (see below)
Menu Selection..........5
Wine Selection ..........4.5
Price...........................5*
*price is based on quality of food
Upon arrival we were promptly seated not far from the open kitchen - which I loved to watch the chef cook in! Our server was very friendly and made some suggestions for wine, which we gladly accepted and enjoyed!
We started with the Pita Bread served with a trio of dips as an appetizer (white bean dip, red pepper and a spinach type dip); And were also given a crusty roll with butter, salt and a relish by another server - not sure this was meant for our table, but it was good.
I chose the Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with mushroom cream sauce - mmm!!! Very tasty! My husband selected the Wild Salmon with some sort of potato pancake type thing. His was tasty as well, a touch on the dry side, but only noticeable and not enough to complain about.
For wine we had an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon - Black Swan. Quite tasty, we'd have it again.
Something we noticed was all the tables ordering mussels, me not being a mussel lover wasn't keen to have them, but they did look good along side the homemade frites!
For dessert we had the dark chocolate espresso cake, it was soooo good! One thing I really liked is you can order 1/2 portions of dessert, and that is plenty to share.
The menu had plenty of options and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food ($20-25 on average for main course).
My only comment on the service was one server, I think the bartender, didn't seem to have much for customer service skills and I didn't think her attire was appropriate for the restaurant. Our primary server was very friendly and accommodating and also very gracious and thankful when we pointed out something was missed on our bill.
We will surely return here as I need to try those delicious looking frites and may even venture to try the mussels (eek).
Overall rating = 4.5. Highly recommend Bistro 7 1/4 to all - but make sure you call ahead to reserve!!
http://www.alexanderskitchen.com/
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................4.5
Music .........................4 (we only noticed the music last minute, so this may not be a fair rating)
Food............................4.5
Service........................4.25 (see below)
Menu Selection..........5
Wine Selection ..........4.5
Price...........................5*
*price is based on quality of food
Upon arrival we were promptly seated not far from the open kitchen - which I loved to watch the chef cook in! Our server was very friendly and made some suggestions for wine, which we gladly accepted and enjoyed!
We started with the Pita Bread served with a trio of dips as an appetizer (white bean dip, red pepper and a spinach type dip); And were also given a crusty roll with butter, salt and a relish by another server - not sure this was meant for our table, but it was good.
I chose the Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with mushroom cream sauce - mmm!!! Very tasty! My husband selected the Wild Salmon with some sort of potato pancake type thing. His was tasty as well, a touch on the dry side, but only noticeable and not enough to complain about.
For wine we had an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon - Black Swan. Quite tasty, we'd have it again.
Something we noticed was all the tables ordering mussels, me not being a mussel lover wasn't keen to have them, but they did look good along side the homemade frites!
For dessert we had the dark chocolate espresso cake, it was soooo good! One thing I really liked is you can order 1/2 portions of dessert, and that is plenty to share.
The menu had plenty of options and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food ($20-25 on average for main course).
My only comment on the service was one server, I think the bartender, didn't seem to have much for customer service skills and I didn't think her attire was appropriate for the restaurant. Our primary server was very friendly and accommodating and also very gracious and thankful when we pointed out something was missed on our bill.
We will surely return here as I need to try those delicious looking frites and may even venture to try the mussels (eek).
Overall rating = 4.5. Highly recommend Bistro 7 1/4 to all - but make sure you call ahead to reserve!!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Thida's Thai Restaurant - March '08
Last night we thought we'd try Thida's before the theatre, pretty good.
http://pixelnumber.com/thida.html
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................3
Music .......................N/A
Food............................4
Service........................4
Menu Selection..........3.5
Wine Selection ........N/A
Price...........................4.5*
*price is based on quality of food
Thida's is on Donald, sort of hidden on the ground floor of an apartment building, we've driven past this place numerous times and usually say "we should go there" and we finally did.
Nothing fancy about the place, but it's clean and the service was really good. I do have to mention the waitress was wearing Lulu Lemon stretch pants which aren't exactly my idea of work pants, but who am I to judge.
We started with rice paper rolls served with peanut sauce, yummy! Then ordered Panang Curry - of course, and some sort of stir fry, can't recall the name, #47 on the menu. Pretty good, not a whole punch of flavour, but good. The Panang Curry was good, we could have handled it a little spicier.
I'll return here, the prices can't be beat, appetizers around $5-8 and entrees from $7 and up, depending on if you want veg, chicken, shrimp etc. I noticed they had some desserts that looked tasty, but being so full I opted for ice cream later on at the theatre. Thank god they had ice cream because the play was terrible.
Overall rating is 4. Not your fine dining establishment, but perfect for a quick, tasty Thai meal!
http://pixelnumber.com/thida.html
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................3
Music .......................N/A
Food............................4
Service........................4
Menu Selection..........3.5
Wine Selection ........N/A
Price...........................4.5*
*price is based on quality of food
Thida's is on Donald, sort of hidden on the ground floor of an apartment building, we've driven past this place numerous times and usually say "we should go there" and we finally did.
Nothing fancy about the place, but it's clean and the service was really good. I do have to mention the waitress was wearing Lulu Lemon stretch pants which aren't exactly my idea of work pants, but who am I to judge.
We started with rice paper rolls served with peanut sauce, yummy! Then ordered Panang Curry - of course, and some sort of stir fry, can't recall the name, #47 on the menu. Pretty good, not a whole punch of flavour, but good. The Panang Curry was good, we could have handled it a little spicier.
I'll return here, the prices can't be beat, appetizers around $5-8 and entrees from $7 and up, depending on if you want veg, chicken, shrimp etc. I noticed they had some desserts that looked tasty, but being so full I opted for ice cream later on at the theatre. Thank god they had ice cream because the play was terrible.
Overall rating is 4. Not your fine dining establishment, but perfect for a quick, tasty Thai meal!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Bamboo - Feb 11, '08
Another Ciao Winnipeg "Dine About" experience with a couple friends, this time a fairly new restaurant on Corydon (at Wilton) called Bamboo. Fantastic!
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................4.5
Music .......................N/A
Food............................5
Service........................5
Menu Selection..........5 (see note)
Wine Selection ..........4.5 (see note)
Price............................5
*price is based on quality of food
note - Menu was limited given the Ciao Winnipeg promotion
This restaurant used to be a casual ma & pa type place, so when the owners of Bamboo started renovating, I got curious. I was greeted and seated promptly to await my fellow diners, who I'm pretty sure appreciate great food and wine as much as myself.
The decor has certainly changed, and for the better. Warm chocolate brown walls with touches of green and sketches of bamboo here and there - I really liked it. I don't recall music, but the ambience was still very good, even though you were close to other diners the mood was still relaxed and voices were kept low.
Due to the promotion currently available, the menu is a limited $25/person (plus wine) choice of one of three appetizers, one of three entrees and one of two desserts. Generally a meat, seafood and vegetarian dish are the offerings.
The wine menu was paired with the individual menu selections and we went with a trusty Wolf Blass yellow label. Our server was very knowledgable and professional. Went through the menu describing each dish before ordering, then quickly returned with our wine choice.
My first course was a warm beet noodle salad with sunchokes, goat cheese and mint - very tasty, the mint leaves really added a great punch to the dish.
All three of us went for the Bison rib-eye steak. Delicious! Served with asparagus, cooked to perfection, and some amazingly prepared yams, we couldn't stop talking about the yams. I'm pretty sure we all cleared the plates with ease it was so good.
Dessert was a tough choice: raspberry infused nanaimo bar or Shiraz poached pears. I went with the nanaimo bar, it too was very good, very rich, but good. One of my friends who had the pears was equally impressed.
Throughout the night one thing that really stood out and impressed me, and you're starting to not see this much anymore, was when I lifted the wine bottle to pour my friend a touch more wine, our server was quick to appear and request that we allow her to serve us. Call me a snob, but that is service I look for and appreciate! Bravo Bamboo!
I can't wait to take my husband here, so delicious!
Overall rating has to be an easy 4.75 - can anyone really be perfect?
Rating: 1 Poor - 5 Great
Atmosphere................4.5
Music .......................N/A
Food............................5
Service........................5
Menu Selection..........5 (see note)
Wine Selection ..........4.5 (see note)
Price............................5
*price is based on quality of food
note - Menu was limited given the Ciao Winnipeg promotion
This restaurant used to be a casual ma & pa type place, so when the owners of Bamboo started renovating, I got curious. I was greeted and seated promptly to await my fellow diners, who I'm pretty sure appreciate great food and wine as much as myself.
The decor has certainly changed, and for the better. Warm chocolate brown walls with touches of green and sketches of bamboo here and there - I really liked it. I don't recall music, but the ambience was still very good, even though you were close to other diners the mood was still relaxed and voices were kept low.
Due to the promotion currently available, the menu is a limited $25/person (plus wine) choice of one of three appetizers, one of three entrees and one of two desserts. Generally a meat, seafood and vegetarian dish are the offerings.
The wine menu was paired with the individual menu selections and we went with a trusty Wolf Blass yellow label. Our server was very knowledgable and professional. Went through the menu describing each dish before ordering, then quickly returned with our wine choice.
My first course was a warm beet noodle salad with sunchokes, goat cheese and mint - very tasty, the mint leaves really added a great punch to the dish.
All three of us went for the Bison rib-eye steak. Delicious! Served with asparagus, cooked to perfection, and some amazingly prepared yams, we couldn't stop talking about the yams. I'm pretty sure we all cleared the plates with ease it was so good.
Dessert was a tough choice: raspberry infused nanaimo bar or Shiraz poached pears. I went with the nanaimo bar, it too was very good, very rich, but good. One of my friends who had the pears was equally impressed.
Throughout the night one thing that really stood out and impressed me, and you're starting to not see this much anymore, was when I lifted the wine bottle to pour my friend a touch more wine, our server was quick to appear and request that we allow her to serve us. Call me a snob, but that is service I look for and appreciate! Bravo Bamboo!
I can't wait to take my husband here, so delicious!
Overall rating has to be an easy 4.75 - can anyone really be perfect?
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