Here is the second installation profiling Winnipeg's outstanding food folks and where to find the fruits of their labour. The first post featured Deer + Almond's Mandel Hitzer, Parlour Coffee's Nils Vik and L'epi de Blé proprietors Nathalie and Gilles Gautier and is found here. PCG will profile more Winnipeg food movers and shakers in upcoming posts.
Monique Buckmaster: Red River General Store
Red River General Store, located about 30 minutes north of Winnipeg on Henderson Highway, is straight out of the turn of last century. Buckmaster stocks her shelves with garden-harvested vegetables (during summer), house-made spices, seedlings, organic and gluten-free foods and fresh-baked organic breads, scones and other oven-fresh goods. Go behind the long counter inside the back rooms and peruse vintage treasures and antique furniture, home decor, toys and old-timey kitsch. She also teaches canning, preserving and other DIY projects. Red River is open Fridays to Sundays only.
Ben Kramer: local food-activist and purveyor, chef, would-be greenhouse gardener and talent behind University of Winnipeg's Diversity Foods
British Columbia ex-pat Ben Kramer has made a remarkable impact on Winnipeg's food scene. He's a passionate advocate for local, organic, fair-trade foods. Inside Portage Avenue's Elements Restaurant and the University of Winnipeg's food services on campus, Kramer's talents are deliciously on display. Refined comfort food like Ramen noodle bowls, burgers with locally raised beef and chicken, oven-baked flatbreads, house-made soups with in-season ingredients and beer and bacon macaroni and cheese lead the way.
Cam Tran: Man on a mission, Slow Food afficionado, West End boy, chef and pastry chef behind Café ce Soir
Cam Tran is here to make a point. Food should be savoured, appreciated and respected. Café ce Soir, his West End bistro, is mission base for Winnipeg's Slow Food movement. The movement lost steam about four years ago but a small handful of food lovers, including Tran, want to resurrect a local chapter. Café ce Soir is Tran's homage to that movement which extolls the virtues of local, fair-trade, ethically-raised and organic foods. It's also about actually slowing dow and giving good food its due.
Peg City Grub is your ultimate source for everything foodie in Winnipeg. From the hottest chefs to the best new restaurants to the most delicious events, we’ve got you covered. Follow us on Twitter @pegcitygrub and visit www.tourismwinnipeg.com for more on the city’s fabulous dining options.
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