Seared scallop with ceviche, lime, sweet potato chips and chipotle is a delicious dance. Served on a clam shell, the large scallop was perfectly seared and delivered a range of textures.
Segovia
Address: 484 Stradbrook Avenue
Phone: 204-477-6500
Neighbourhood: Osborne Village
Website: www.segoviatapasbar.com
A year ago, my friends from Victoria came to Winnipeg. I really wanted to take them to Segovia, a superb Spanish tapas bar and restaurant in Osborne Village.
We showed up on a Friday night at 5:45.
The place was packed. Bummed out, we headed to another restaurant.
This June, our Victoria friends landed again. We weren't going to make the same mistake.
So on a Monday night at 5 p.m. (opening time) we presented ourselves at the front door of the Stradbrook Avenue eatery and began an eating and drinking odyssey that none of us will soon forget.
Segovia is, without exaggeration, one of the most fantastic restaurants in Winnipeg. It would easily stack up against its kin in Vancouver, Toronto or even New York City.
Its little bites will have you wondering what ingredients, spices and preparation went into the works. Eating off each other’s plates and communal eating is de rigeur at Segovia. While children are welcome, this is definitely a restaurant geared for adults.
The menu changes regularly. Daily specials are absolutely worth a try. On our visit we devoured freshly foraged Manitoba morel mushrooms sautéed in quince butter and served on grilled bread with a perfectly poached egg. Yolk spilled out over the pile, infiltrating every bite.
Dishes can come out all at once or course-by-course. Having plates delivered every few minutes is more fun. Insiders tip: As much as you should linger over your food adventure, management asks diners to consider their fellow food lovers and keep your stay to less than two and a half hours.
We also feasted on:
- Potatas bravas. Crispy, thick-cut slices of deep-fried potatoes painted with aioli and a gently spiced, tomato-based bravas sauce.
- Seared scallop with ceviche, lime, sweet potato chips and chipotle. Served on a clam shell, the large scallop was perfectly seared and delivered a range of textures. Citrus and cilantro owned the plate.
- Pork shoulder taco with cream fraiche. Shredded strips of slow-roasted pork shoulder topped a grilled, flat whole-wheat taco which was also loaded with spicy, black bean puree and shaved cabbage. Drips of juicy meat and creme fraiche dripped down fingers and arms after the first bite.
Our server knew the menu top to bottom, had a great grasp of ingredients and offered helpful tasting notes and honest advice on portions.
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