Whenever I walk by Monticchio Ristorante Italiano (684 Osborne St.), I do a double take, retrace my steps and gaze inside.  I have never been sure of what goes on inside because the banners of the other businesses are displayed more prominently and the restaurant name across the building awnings has faded in the sun.  On this day, with a light snow fall that the wind had not yet dispersed, the letters were completely camouflaged.  But, now that I have been inside and know the delights within, I will never forget their locale.

I was hosting a dinner party that evening and had decided to pull out some of my Italian vegetarian recipes, so I let my lunch companion make the decisions as to what we would share.  Had I tried to avoid duplicating tastes, who knows what we would have ended up eating?

We started with their house salad which was dotted with shavings of cheese and Italian ham.  The tomatoes were meaty and the dressing a perfect complement to all ingredients-with a pungent acidic taste of vinegar, a fine olive oil and what I always assumed was my secret ingredient: a pinch of sugar.   

Our “main” was selected with the help of our server who is a part of the Di Fonte family, who have owned the restaurant for the past eight years.  She recommended that we share a pizza that is not listed on the lunch menu.  As my lunch mate picked up a slice, I grabbed my knife and fork.  When she commented, I had to admit that I was afraid that if I ate the amazing smelling pizza without utensils, my share would be completely gone before she finished her next sentence.  It was so tasty, I had to muster a great deal of restraint.  The crust was wafer thin and yet flaky and buttery.  Our sever described it simply as ”Pesto” on our bill and this is how it appears on their dinner menu.  In addition to the sauce of basil, pine nuts and parmesan, the pie was topped with sun-dried tomato, feta and chicken.  I often select a version similar to this and even make it often at home, but this rendition was truly stellar and expertly prepared. 

There was another ingredient that I just could not name but discovered what it was later in our conversation with our server.  She told us that her brother-in-law was recruited to be the chef.  They had tried to teach other staff to fulfil this role but they could not find a person who understood what it meant to “cook with love.”

Kath’s quote: “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”-John Ruskin

Love-that is all.

I loved Civita on Corydon Street in Winnipeg, although I didn’t get a chance to dine there very often and now that it is closed, I have regrets.  In its place is another Italian Bistro Called Mano a Mano.  Interestingly, the restaurant name comes from the Spanish and Portugese phrase meanning “hand to hand” and was used originally for bullfights where two matadors alternate competing for the admiration of the audience.  I cannot guess the signficance of this in relation to the special lunch that we celebrated there.  Without looking the phrase’s original up, I assumed that the restaurant would be a hand-made tappas place.  Once I got small plates in my head, I steered the selections to that area of the menu.

We started with Blistered Snap Peas-perfectly stir-fried with mint (a little bit too light on the chili flakes) but delectable when set aside a drizzle of plain yoghurt and a heavenly mound of fresh ricotta cheese.

Next up was Gnocco Frito with a Fontina Fondue. Enormous pillows of dough had been fried and then sprinkled with a glistening of salt.  They were fun on their own and extra savoury when dunked into the gooey cheese fondue.

Somewhere along the way a shrimp cocktail arrived.  I was paying less attention as the conversation flowed and our glasses were continually filled with the lovely Malbec that we had chosen.

The birthday girl requested Beef Carpaccio and was well pleased.  I appreciated the twists of crispy capers and white anchovies, adding a heady, salty layer.  The thin slices of beef tenderloin were perfect on the thick wedges of homemade bread that tasted as if they had been toasted over an open-flame.

Last but not least were pan seared scallops which were plentiful even if they were not quite the larger size that I prefer.  The crumbles of ham and tart apple pieces added both sweet and salty tones that I crave.

All of these selections were from their dinner menu as they do not offer a separate lunch menu.  This was explained as a result of them only being open for Thursday and Friday lunches.  Service was prompt which was not terribly surprising as were the only ones in the dining room until two business acquaintances came in to share a pizza.  It might be best to call ahead to ensure that their lunch hours do not change.

The refurbished décor is clean, stylish and warm, but then again, I loved Civita’s décor too.  Theo’s is the name of the bar/lounge area and I understand that they will have their lovely enclosed balcony open again next summer.

Kath’s quote: “Nobody really likes capers, no matter what you do with them. Some people
pretend to like capers, but the truth is that any dish that tastes good with capers in it tastes even better with capers not in it.”-Nora Ephron

Love-that is all.

The anticipated opening of Barley Brothers was a big deal in our family.  As many of you, my devoted readers know, J1 has been working hard to complete his Brewmaster Certification which I am pleased to announce, he has!  J1 is a passionate man and when he is not thinking about his gorgeous wife and beautiful new baby, he is focussed upon every thing about beer (unless his beloved Giants are playing).  He let us know when the invitations to the “dry” runs were posted on Facebook and we all marked down the date.  J1 ensured that we were in the parking lot a half an hour before the doors opened so that we would be first through the doors.  We achieved this, and settled into an enormous booth where he could survey the happenings at the bar and greet all the other beer enthusiasts that he suggested drop in that evening.

I love what is happening in the beer industry right now and when J1 suggests something that he knows that I will like, I appreciate the taste.  But after I have one, I am ready to go back to my libation of choice-red wine.  So I am not even going to attempt to comment about the Bad Batch, Fort Garry Pumpkin, BR Scottish Heavy, Bulwark, Island Larger, BR Life of Chai, Humulus, Noche, Portage & Main or Brocton IPA that arrived at our table that evening.   You can go to Untappd to read everything you might need to know about our choices.

I will leave the beer tasting to the experts and talk about something that I am an aficionado of-the food.  The anticipation for me was that Noel of Hermanoes, Corrientes and Carnavale was opening another establishment where I could enjoy his delectable fare.  The sausage platter seemed a fitting choice with our beer selections and we appreciated the differences in the variety of sausages and the potato salad.  The style served was my preference: vinegary and savoury especially because of the inclusion of bacon.  D prefers the mayonnaise and hard boiled egg potato salad version and so I rarely make this style at home. Yum.

The hot pretzel was fun but at $9, I would not likely indulge again.

The Perogies were excellent.  Once again the inclusion of sautéed bacon really made the dish.

We loved the peppercorns in the gravy of the poutine and the cheese curds (when we discovered the nuggets), were authentic but the fries were a bit of a bust especially when compared to the excellent poutine offerings at other establishments in the city.

I will note that because this was one of the inaugural runs for the kitchen and the staff there was a 50% Grand Opening discount on our food.  With the discount, I think that the value quotient was intact.  When I go back, as the guys in my family consistently do, I might be more discerning about service levels and food quality now that they have had a couple of months to work out the kinks.  I really hope that this concept succeeds and takes off and wish them no ill well.

Kath’s quote:

“He that eateth well drinketh well,
he that drinketh well sleepeth well,
he that sleepeth well sinneth not,
he that sinneth not goeth straight through Purgatory to Paradise.”

William Lithgow (1582-1645)

Love-that is all.

J&H’s has been an institution on west Portage Ave (2735) since 1976.  D and I first started dropping in for breakfast there about a decade later in the mid eighties.  Our first home was in the neighbourhood and in those days we couldn’t afford to go out for dinner very often, so we would go out for breakfast instead.  John and Helen Damianakos are the J&H of the restaurant’s name and they have been at the grill and in the kitchen for all this time, raising three children in the process.

In those days, the boys would help in the restaurant by delivering water and coffee cups and clearing away the lighter items.  We loved that the couple had created such a warm family atmosphere in their restaurant and the same is true today.  The exuberant and polite boys are all grown up, but still helping Mom and Pop out.

The little spot has doubled in size since our last visit many years ago.  The décor hasn’t changed though and some might call it “dated”.  In my mind, it is warm and clean and I would dub it more kindly with a description of “authentic”.  One thing has not changed and that is the families’ expertise in grilling up and serving delicious and enormous meals.

The all day breakfast is especially good value at 6.95 with six strips of bacon stacked up like the frame of a log cabin.

Adorning the edge of the bulging plate are the most succulent breakfast potatoes you will likely ever taste in Winnipeg.  Helen shared with my husband that she uses her Grandma’s recipe from Greece.  A potato is peeled and then sliced lengthwise.  I could not determine if they are deep fried, grilled or pan-fried, all I know is that Helen makes then sensational.

I chose a Greek omelet which brought back memories of time spent in Greece.  Our typical lunch while traveling was a big rustic salad of garden-fresh produce, briny olives and creamy feta.  Then a light omelet would arrive with a side of lemony potatoes.

We have never visited any time other than the morning, so we cannot comment on other menu selections, but I cannot imagine that they wouldn’t be anything but expertly prepared using traditional recipes and fresh ingredients.  The menu declares: “Good Food and Soul Warming Friendship”, it’s as simple as that.

Kath’s quote: “I’ve long said that if I were about to be executed and were given a choice of my last meal, it would be bacon and eggs. There are few sights that appeal to me more than the streaks of lean and fat in a good side of bacon, or the lovely round of pinkish meat framed in delicate white fat that is Canadian bacon. Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying in the morning, save perhaps the smell of coffee brewing.”-James Beard

Love-that is all.

Our son and his wife spent extended time in the Philippines, in Manila and the beautiful island of Puerto Galera.  They came home describing their culinary adventures including the eating of fertilized eggs that had baby chicks inside, feathers and all.  Perhaps this is why I had never been too anxious to seek out the cuisine of the Philippines.  But given the cultural diversity of our fair city, it seemed somehow preposterous that I had never been to a Philippine restaurant, until I visited Casa Mesa (617 Selkirk Ave.).

We started with Philippine spring rolls which I often enjoy when I visit Confusion Corner Bar and Grill.  There were stuffed with a savoury pork mixture and were excellent with the provided sauce for dipping.  In fact, the sauce was so good that we dipped just about all of our forkfuls into it.

At the recommendation of our son, I sampled Tosilog otherwise known as Philippine breakfast.  He says that he ate a version like this most mornings while he lived on the islands.  My plate did not have the spicy sauces that he mentioned, but it was still a hearty breakfast and so affordable at $4.99.  There were two perfectly cooked easy over eggs, garlic fried rice and this amazing pork concoction.  Our server (who is also the cook and owner) indicated that she marinates the pork overnight to give it the distinctive candy-like quality.  The sauce was like a sweet chili sauce but without the fieriness from the chilies.

My youngest daughter, who was my lunch date, chose a two dish special of Pancit Bihon (that is to say Philippine chow mein) and breaded shrimp.  The latter had been lightly tossed, just before cooking, into panko flakes.  Panko are Asian “bread crumbs”, which are coarsely ground utilizing rice and tend to be light and crispy.  Rice accompanied her dish as well.  Her plate was also exceptional value.

Casa Mesa has occupied this Selkirk location for just a year.  As you open the door, you are taken by surprise at how bright, sparkling clean and cheerful looking the restaurant is.  Beverly Mesa is equally cheerful as she welcomes you to her casa (home).

Casa Mesa is cash only, so get organized in advance to avoid disappointment.

Kath’s quote: “All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.”-John Gunther

Love-that is all.