If Part 1 wasn’t a big enough serving, this follow-up has you covered when it comes to Métis-inspired dishes, authentic Italian, pizza, Vietnamese and Caribbean cuisine.
Here’s the best things we ate in 2024, Part 2.
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My favourite place right now is Little Nana's Kitchen. The insulta di Salumi, chicken marsala and osso buco short ribs (the meat melts in your mouth, it is so tender) are to die for. My daughter Makenna loves the spaghetti con polpette as the meatballs are huge, plus they make all their own noodles. The complimentary shot of limoncello served at the end of your meal is always a refreshing treat.
-Kelly Krebs, Destination Experience Manager at Tourism Winnipeg
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Melt-in-your-mouth bison tenderloin, succulent duck breast and the best fries in Winnipeg— need I say more? This hidden gem of a restaurant was highly recommended by my Tourism Winnipeg colleagues, so we just had to try it for my husband's birthday last November. As an amateur hunter, I knew he would appreciate Bistro on Notre Dame's wild meat selection — all ethically and sustainably sourced from Manitoba. They make everything in-house, from their butters and breads (which our toddler loved and devoured) to their vast selection of desserts. We can't get enough of their shortbread chess pie, which was just divine.
This tenderloin was the best bison we've ever had. The steak was oh-so-tender, and our toddler's bison burger was simply amazing.
You can tell Chef Dean Herkert pours his heart and soul into every single detail of this restaurant. His Métis heritage is intricately woven into Bistro on Notre Dame, and every Winnipegger should be proud to have it in our backyard.
-Danica Hidalgo, Content Specialist at EDW
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I forgot to mention pizza! Two pies joined my best-in-the-city list ( Red Ember Common, Parcel, Wall Street Slice, Shorty’s, Gusto, Harth), those being the Mush Music from Friend Bakery and The Fort Garry Hotel's Diavola, on the Sunset Terrace Patio.
A white pizza, Friend's mushroom balances all this richness –– there's two mozzarellas and a chili cream sauce –– with the sweetness of caramelized onion and a balsamic reduction, while the mushrooms are deeply roasted. The crust is a worthy vessel that's chewy with a crispy exterior.
The Diavolo is Fort Garry's reddest pie –– indeed it will stain you crimson with nduga juice if you are not careful. The pizza itself is just spicy enough, and makes an ideal pairing with a cold lager-style beer. The nduja is crisped like the corner piece of lasagna all over the top of the pizza, while underneath you have spicy salami on fresh mozzarella and San Marzano tomato sauce. It’s a classic flavour profile held together on a very airy crust made from a 72-hour fermented dough. This expert dough is now thankfully found on the Oval Room’s FGH Signature Pizza menu.
-Mike Green
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This winter I treated my tastebuds to perhaps the greatest-named dish at Rae’s Bistro: I get gnocchi down but I get up again.
Maple bacon, butternut squash, corn, pumpkin spice sriracha Alfredo, gremolata and more in this large-portioned sweet and savoury pasta bowl.
While this dish is a chalkboard feature and perhaps not around for long, I highly suggest visiting Rae’s Bistro in the new year for an excellent selection of local beer on tap (I had the tasty Octopie Crumble Pie Sour from Kilter Brewing), deliciously fluffy Fergasa garlic toast, and a massive, drool-worthy dessert menu.
-Maddy Reico
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2024 was a delicious year and it's hard to pick one spot when Winnipeg is overflowing with such a vibrant food scene. Here are some highlights:
Le Colonial on Marion Street is my go-to for a cozy French-Vietnamese fix. Its vibe is perfect for date nights or catching up with friends. Start with their juicy skewers — think lemongrass pork, sugarcane shrimp, or charred squid. But the star? Their signature vermicelli bowl, loaded with charbroiled chicken, pork, or beef short rib, plus onion, basil, peanuts, bean sprouts, and crispy veggie spring rolls.
Caribbean food fans, D&M Caribbean Flava (Panet & Molson Rd) is a must. It’s bright, cheerful and bursting with bold flavours. We love everything — fried plantains, escovitch fish, jerk chicken, curry goat and those dreamy coconut curry shrimp rotis. Every dish hits the spot.
Also, shoutout to Miss Christine’s Kitchen for the best jerk pork and oxtail in town and Famena's for the most insane hot sauce I have had in the city.
Other bites that blew me away:
- Palak paneer from Cilantro's.
- Massive, flavourful Italian sandwiches at The Little Eggplant (now with a permanent spot on North Main Street).
- Pumpkin seed cranberry sourdough from Charito Bakery.
- Brunch at Oakwood Cafe.
- The hearty falafel platter with rice, Greek salad, hummus, hot sauce and turnips from Ramallah Café.
- Juneberry's prosciutto mushroom toast, beef short rib hash and lemon poppyseed pancakes with whipped mascarpone and blueberry-pistachio crumbs are truly unforgettable.
-Abby Matheson, Digital Engagement Specialist
