coming of
AGE
What ( and how ) we eat has changed a lot in 20 years . Here are 10 ways that Winnipeg ’ s dining scene has ( and continues to ) come of age .
GREEN LIGHT ON VEGETABLES
Who would have guessed that our most despised childhood vegetables would become menu MVPs ? An analysis of Pinterest users revealed the word “ veggies ” in comfort food searches rose 336 % in the last year while lasagna , macaroni and stroganoff dropped off by 69 %, 55 % and 50 %. The pervasive popularity of Brussels sprouts , beets and cauliflower continues . Serious chefs are giving vegetables center of the plate attention . In other cases they dominate starters and sides . Health benefits , availability , and versatility have resulted in beets roasted , juiced , spiralized , and made into fritters in restaurants around town , and Brussels sprouts charred , jazzed up with bacon or aioli , or dunked in the deep fry . Does it still count as healthy if a veggie is battered and fried ? Your call .
BUCK-A-SHUCK LUCK
Perhaps aphrodisiacal qualities have sparked this landlocked city ’ s love affair with oysters — or perhaps it ’ s a meeting of minds between chefs pushing creative loss leaders and diners ’ becoming open to new flavours ( accompanying mignonettes attract the discerning palates ). Weekly buck-a-shuck extravaganzas have all but replaced the ubiquitous wing nights with a feeding frenzy of ( non-prairie ) oysters .
BACON EATING
When “ The Other White Meat ” left pork belly underused , victim of ‘ lean ’ eating , the US pork industry relaunched bacon as a flavour enhancer . Can ’ t remember it as a hard sell , we all know bacon makes everything taste way better . Exhibit A : the baked potato has always been a carrier of smoky goodness . The marketing ploy successfully opened the creative floodgate for applications well beyond the Baconater ( Wendy ’ s ). Chefs use the unbeatable smoky , salty flavour punch as a way to expand palates and minds . Now virtually any combo , savoury or sweet , is eagerly tasted : bacon-topped salads , vegetables , mussels , and cupcakes and doughnuts .
All goooood .
ONLINE ORDER
Dining in has become as easy as dining out at our favourite restaurants due to the delivery revolution . Locally , Skip The Dishes , Don ’ t Cook Just Eat , and Mobile Maitre D ’ have made it easy for plenty of people to camp out in front of their TV to binge watch a season or two on Netflix while happily eating gourmet . No car to warm , no worries — unless you are a parent of a tween with a smartphone and a debit card . Just saying ; doughnuts delivered to the front door ?
CHEF DRIVEN FAST CASUAL
The city ’ s best eats are not always served on white linens . Classically trained chefs are opting to open casual , small footprint spaces which enable them to play out a passion for cooking and loosen their collar . Contemporary design and the addition of amenities like alcohol up the ante . Masterfully made authentic ethnic eats , inventive sandwiches and burgers , gourmet crêpes , and doughnuts represent the new normal for foodsters on the fly .
8 ciao ! / feb / mar / two thousand seventeen