New, Old Culture: The Winnipeg Restaurant

Family celebrations at Wasabi Sabi on Taylor (Photo by Pauline Boldt)

By Sylvia Jansen, , DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier

Restaurants, bars, and eateries of all sorts have been the settings for first dates and long goodbyes; for weddings and anniversaries; for happy celebrations and wakes; for business encounters and gatherings of old friends. The experience of shared food and drink outside of our homes is so profoundly part of the fabric of human experience that we can struggle to articulate its importance. The past year has made that importance very clear.

Eating out is not new. In Europe, the restaurant was first a necessity for travellers, pilgrims, or migrants who needed sustenance on their journey. The restaurant as we know it today began to take form only in the late 18th century and expanded significantly following the French revolution. (We can imagine the want ads from 1800: Experienced chef for hire: bosses lost their heads.) The very word “restaurant” derives from the French restaurer which means to restore or revive. For humans, this restoration is more than just eating: as creatures of meaning and social connection, we share meals and drink as part of our family experience, our cultural identity, and our sense of belonging. The restaurant has smoothed that experience and evolved into a meeting place, neighbourhood dining room, centre of delight, and symbol of special occasion.

From cultural traditions that span the globe and also celebrate our prairie home, Winnipeg has long enjoyed an enviable range of varied restaurant choices. The city is surrounded by rich agricultural resources. Moreover, Winnipeg’s size means that “farm to table” can be as short as a 20-minute drive. Layered on this backdrop are a host of ambitious and creative chefs, culinary teams, and restaurateurs who have been willing to invest in the city and its people.

La Roca’s downtown two-level patio

Photo courtesy of La Roca

One of Winnipeg’s most renowned restaurateurs is Doug Stephen, president of WOW! Hospitality. WOW’s varied restaurant portfolio was created from Doug’s goal to offer distinctive experiences, specially curated wine lists, and extraordinary hospitality. An important anchor is 529 Wellington steakhouse, which has received multiple awards, including the prestigious Wine Spectator Best Award of Excellence. “Whatever our concept,” Doug says, “we know that every life experience is marked by people getting together around food and drink. Restaurants gather us around that shared experience and let us enjoy those events even more. We always want our guests to have confidence they will experience great ambiance, food, and service.”

529 Wellington’s iconic dining room at the historic Ashdown House on Wellington Crescent

Photo courtesy of WOW! Hospitality

Another leader in the city’s wine and drinks scene is Elsa Taylor, who led The Roost to become a Winnipeg drinks destination before expanding her reach to The Oxbow Natural Wine Bar and Restaurant and Forth Bar. The special brand of hospitality served up in her establishments is legendary. “I always loved the theatrical, elegant experience of creating cocktails and have wanted to offer a place where it is casual yet special,” she says. “The bar gives a different sort of conviviality and liveliness, and people love the theatrics!” Even the experience of a casual drink with a friend takes on a ceremonial significance. As she says, the bartender can “take us out of ourselves” by crafting something that is both beautiful and delicious. The challenges of COVID-19 restrictions have been immense. Our social connections are not the only casualty. Restaurant staff who have been largely casual, hourly-paid workers, have been extremely hard hit. Businesses that supply restaurants have seen huge impacts. (At Jones & Company, for example, restaurants represent half of the entire business.) The solution has been to transform the meeting places of family and community into caterers for the private home. Most eateries have transformed food and wine menus to accommodate curbside pickup or home delivery. Some have also kept staff employed for deliveries, serving the home rather than the table. Restaurateurs have worked with customers to create virtual shared experiences. Many wine lists have been streamlined to make it easy to select a wine with the dinner order.

Elsa Taylor, co-owner of The Roost on Corydon, The Oxbow Natural Wine Bar and Restaurant on South Osbourne and Forth Bar in the Exchange (photo courtesy of Elsa Taylor) Family celebrations at Wasabi Sabi on Taylor

Photo by Pauline Boldt

Bar owners have experienced huge obstacles to stay afloat. Food and wine can be organized for offsite enjoyment, but it is against the law in Manitoba to deliver a cocktail. In the face of this reality, Elsa Taylor has used her trademark creativity to work on a collaboration between Patent 5 distillery and Forth Bar. Winnipeggers can now enjoy a made-in-Winnipeg pre-packaged cocktail for home delivery.

Creativity is in the DNA of chefs and restaurateurs, who have worked to provide new offerings as well as revised favourites. “There are a lot of great ideas out there for home dining,” says Doug Stephen. However, they need the rest of us to embrace their good ideas.

Restrictions of the past year have changed food and drink hospitality profoundly. At its core, though, is the culture of shared meals, helping define us as humans in relationships with one another. Those who have traditionally provided that hospitality have been actively re-imagining themselves. The setting may have changed, but the restaurant is still central to our culture, taking us out of ourselves and smoothing our connections. And that is something we all need. 

Bar-top dining at Rae’s Bistro, East Kildonan

Photo by Ian McCausland