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Funghi Deliziosi from Chef Greg Anania, Bellissimo
THE FOLK FEST COOKIE
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Read reviews from previous issues of Ciao! » top tables
This issue we review:LA P'TITE FRANCE
Tucked away on the edge of St. Boniface, La P’tite France has been quietly offering classic French fare for the past two years. The cozy space features bright orange walls decorated with black and white photos of Paris and the French countryside. Colourful blue and green tablecloths add whimsy to the rustic decor, and traditional French accordion music plays softly, making this a lovely spot for a romantic evening. The restaurant’s highlight is the six-course chef’s surprise menu for just $36. It is prepared by chef/owner Justin Bohémier, who spent his culinary education under Michelin-starred chef Bernard Mirlycourtois. It starts with a basket of pillowy white bread and olives marinated in herbs, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Sweet and salty, they offer perfectly balanced bursts of flavour. A velvety cream of onion soup is tangy, while a delicate cream of tomato is accented with pieces of sweet tomato. An amuse bouche of two small broccoli, onion and egg pancakes were crispy and light. The salad is a colourful mix of fruits, including figs and strawberries, tossed with greens and bits of creamy feta. The chef offers a choice of entrées that can be ordered as part of the prix-fixe menu or on their own. The meat in each comes expertly prepared and complemented with a bold, rich sauce. The flaky salmon fillet is smothered in a béarnaise sauce with citrus notes that enhance the flavour of the fish. The beef brisket is so succulent it could be eaten with a spoon and comes with decadent gravy flavoured with a zesty hit of blue cheese. The mild pork chops are elegantly complemented with a sweet, and somewhat sour, pear barbeque sauce. Other menu options include a Niçe;oise salad, which offers a twist on the classic using salmon and dollops of creamy potato salad highlighted with dill. It comes drizzled with a tart orange Dijon vinaigrette. Another well-executed dish is the daily quiche special. On one visit, tiny cubes of chorizo sausage offer a salty bite that contrasts with the gentle flavour of the egg and pastry. Desserts are made in-house and are simple in appearance but complex in taste. A traditional white genoise cake is served warm with a scoop of house made strawberry ice cream. The cake is slightly sweet and has a delicate crunchy crust. The contrast of textures—cold and creamy offset by warm and crispy—is exquisite. The genoise becomes the base of another delectable dessert when it is served on a pool of silky brown sugar sauce. La P’tite France is open Tue-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm and Tue-Sat 5:30 pm-9 pm. BAKED EXPECTATIONS
When Baked Expectations opened a quarter-century ago, dessert cafes were uncharted territory in Winnipeg. A precocious concept at the time, this Osborne Village hotspot has garnered a cult-like devotion and is still, in spite of increased competition, the definitive destination for the city’s sweet fix. The retro-diner-style restaurant attracts crowds with a combination of traditional baking and hip marketing. The decor is a throwback to days past with menu items written on chalkboards lining the walls, black and white checkered floors, bright red tables and galactic silver booths. Yet the presentation is modern and eye-catching. Stylized images of cute cartoon cakes and burgers saying "bite me" and "take me" adorn the space and servers wear funky blue t-shirts bearing similar slogans. The first thing diners see is the abundant display case filled with decadent tortes, golden pies and sky-high cakes. So save room for later, because the kitchen’s savoury dishes have something to show-off as well. A full dinner menu contrasts the elaborate desserts with simple, understated savoury dishes. The restaurant excels at creating delicious comfort foods using fresh ingredients and in-house preparations. The triple-decker grilled cheese with bacon is not to be missed. Mild cheddar and mozzarella, salty bacon and buttery slices of French bread all combine to create the ultimate gooey sandwich. Keep a stack of napkins handy if you decide to indulge in the chili burger. A thick, moist patty is heaped with a robust and piquant chili. Served alongside sandwiches and burgers are lightly salted house-made French fries, which come with the skins on. A rustic dish of spaghetti and meatballs demonstrates the care put into every dish. The tomato sauce is fresh and sweet; and the meatballs are tender, dense and full of mellow spiced flavour. But an evening at Baked wouldn’t be complete without standing in front of the glass case full of sugary options and wrestling with an inner struggle, as each cake looks more delicious than the last. A towering chocolate cake of moist layers sandwiched between swaths of orange chocolate mousse is reminiscent of the taste of Christmas. It even comes wrapped in a layer of solid dark chocolate. An impressive mocha torte combines coffee-flavoured cream with a dozen layers of chocolate cake that complement each other with just the right amount of sweetness. The cherry cheesecake is rich and tangy with hints of citrus. A top layer of glazed cherries is tart and offers a pop of fresh flavour that balances the lushness of cake. The Oreo cheesecake makes you feel like a kid reliving the days of dunking milk and cookies. The creamy cake has pieces of Oreo cookies dispersed throughout and a chocolate cookie crust. Baked Expectations is open Mon-Thurs noon-midnight, Fri-Sat noon-1 am and Sun 11 am-midnight. CASA GRANDE PIZZERIA
All senses are engaged as the red-and-white checkered curtain rises on a dining experience at Casa Grande Pizzeria. This bustling restaurant has been three decades in the making and is cinematic in its reproduction of a Lady-and-the-Tramp-style dining atmosphere. Tony Grande’s business is booming, and in the Italian tradition, still all in the family. Every classic touch is present here, like the tabletop Chianti bottles encased in a volcanic downpour of wax. The soft light creates ideal date ambiance, while kid-friendly menu items and affordable prices attract families and large groups in droves. When it comes to the meal, portions are generous and arrive with salad and a well-stacked side of signature garlic toast. Antipasti shakes up the palate with complementing tastes of meats, cheeses and marinated vegetables. The contrasting textures are also intriguing, and range from dense strands of chile-flecked spicy eggplant to the subtle flavour of a delicate capocollo ham. The easily shared fried mushrooms are a Grande example of why straight-forward flavour wins with its simplicity. A mound of earthy buttons gleams in a garlicky sauce and is awakened with a refreshing spritz of lemon juice. A tower of white pizza boxes behind the front counter hints at what makes Casa Grande famous. These stone-baked pies are freshly made to order (topped with heaping handfuls of cheese), and are a surefire crowd pleaser with a selection of eight varieties along with many build-your-own options. Piping-hot pasta entrées are doused in a variety of classic sauces and the baked pasta dishes, like beef cannelloni, ooze cheese, rich sauce and the essence of comfort food. The fettuccine al’paesana is similar to a puttanesca. Olives, anchovies, and capers mingle in a garlic and oil sauce over the pasta. This mixture of flavours works to create a bold, tangy dish that is a satisfying departure from the menu’s mostly tomato and cream sauces. Entrée selections showcase veal, and it’s evident this is a specialty. The Villa Grande is a staple. A large veal cutlet bursts with ham and mozzarella. The meat’s breading provides a mighty crunch that reveals the dish’s melted savoury stuffing. A bowl of spumone ice cream is a traditional way to cap off the Casa Grande experience. After the exceptional service and plentiful portions you’ll leave feeling full and loved, as though you had spent the evening at the Grande’s own table. Casa Grande is open Mon-Fri 11:30 am -2 pm, 5 pm-midnight; Sat 5 pm-midnight. LUCE
It’s been five years since Morgan Carnegie left his comfortable office job to open his own restaurant. In this time, the chef/owner at Luce has kept a steady pace, wisely focusing on consistency and execution. The buttercup yellow and eggplant interior is more rustic with age, and the menu has been slightly tweaked, but still illustrates Chef Morgan’s deftness with classic Italian dishes, alongside contemporary and fusion versions. The original rule of navigating the menu still applies: diners seeking the familiar stick to the left column, while intrepid foodies follow the right-hand side. The evening starts with an amuse bouche, which Chef Morgan uses to show off his affinity for cooking with exotic Asian produce. On both nights the canapés are simple towers of stacked vegetables—for example, a Japanese root vegetable with mushroom and avocado. While the course add a touch of elegance to the experience, it doesn’t particularly tickle the tastebuds. What works more to spark the palate is the fresh bread with garlic and onion-spiked dipping sauce. At this creative kitchen, diners can be as modest or daring as they want, depending on their mood. On a relaxing evening, start with the escargot chablis. Snails are poached in a sweet garlic broth and nestled beside texturally sync crimini mushrooms. Sprinkled chevre mellows the sharp sauce and adds a creamy mouthfeel. The savoury panna cotta is an adventurous starter, with salty flecks of smoked salmon and capers flavouring the creamed cheese dome. The paté is served with large slices of garlic crostini that radiate heat with every bite. Even diners with classic palates can enjoy the fusion soup option, peanut butter and banana squash. The two flavours are faintly distinguishable in the smooth stock, with a garnish of hemp seeds adding a nutty undertone. Chef Morgan differentiates himself from other Italian restaurants in the neighbourhood with his colourful collection of fusion pastas. With these dishes, striking flavours are a priority, particularly in the sauces. There’s no doubt the chef had fun inventing the playful gamberi nouva luce, corkscrew serpentini pasta topped with jumbo prawns and a fan of juicy mango slices. The creamy green cilantro sauce starts with delicate notes of fresh ginger, then explodes with lingering heat. Yellow curry is the ‘wow’ ingredient in spaghetti seville, fusing Asian spices with the classic noodle. With fragrant notes of lemongrass, the sweet curry sauce simultaneously warms and refreshes. The pasta is given even more dimension with a kick from house-made Italian sausage. The most memorable item is the chicken chèvre. This contemporary dish is not as bold as the fusion plates: herbed chicken, sautéed cranberries and roasted hazelnuts tossed with fettuccine in a decadent chèvre cream sauce. It’s comfort food dressed up. Despite their small size, the cranberries pack a punch with a distinctive candy quality, which is balanced with the rustic flavours of the nuts. The entrée section of the menu no longer follows the column distinctions of the pasta and appetizers. Here, Chef Morgan sets aside his dabbling tendencies and allows expert preparation and fine ingredients to speak for themselves. The classic pork wellington has extra character with spicy Italian sausage added to the tenderloin mixture. A slice of tart green apple on the side helps to balance the richness of the buttery puff pastry pouch. Even the dessert course stays true to Chef Morgan’s stylistic preparations. Tiramisu is the classic mainstay, while one night’s contemporary lava cake is fun way to get a chocolate fix. His strength in fusion cuisine shines with a herbaceous basil crème brûlée. Luce is open Wed-Mon at 5 pm. Reservations required. |
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