Ah, the simple satisfaction of a caprese salad at Tre Visi Café. (Photos by Robin Summerfield)
Tre Visi Café
926 Grosvenor Avenue
204-475-4447
Neighbourhood: Corydon Avenue
Directions: Map to Tre Visi Café
Website: trevisicafe.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Tre-Visi-Cafe
Around these parts, when you say 'Giacomo,' most Winnipeg food lovers know exactly of whom you speak.
Giacomo (last name Appice) is synonymous with hearty not heavy Italian food with bright flavours and well-seasoned sauces.
That has been the long-time Winnipeg chef's modus operandi for decades, first with his original Tre Visi location in the city's east Exchange District and now with his Corydon area spot. While he sold the Exchange location more than a year ago, Giacomo and his business partner and co-chef Heather Neskar, are now well established at Tre Visi Café.
His enduring popularity as a go-to chef with solid food (along with Heather's finely honed skills in the kitchen) have made this café version a serious hot spot.
That is made abundantly clear on a recent Saturday night. The 50-seat spot was packed. The reservations book was full. Three servers worked the room, delivering plates and clearing tables for each other and dominating their domain. It was fun to watch the trio remain unflappable despite the onslaught of diners.
And now the food. Oh the food. This lunch and dinner spot serves spot-on Italian. Oh, the simple wonders of a caprese salad; adorned with heirloom tomatoes, slabs of subtle mozzarella, fresh basil, a smattering of pickled red onions, drizzles with balsamic reduction and a crack of black pepper. What beats that?
Capelli Dorati with saffron sauce, roasted red peppers, scallops and prawns dishes satisfying richness—hello butter and cream. Meanwhile, the seafood stew, with salmon, scallops, prawns, clam and mussels performed a magic trick—not devolving into an innocuous muddle of flavours.
Every element of the sea was perfectly cooked and underscored by a light, tomato-based broth. A tower of grilled bread helped sop up the broth below.
Deciding what to pick from Tre Visi Café's dinner menu took some time. So many pastas called out to be tried. But so did the pizzas and so did the entrées, including some fantastic looking parmiggianas.
We can't wait to get back to work our way down the list.
Insider's tip: Weekend reservations highly recommended. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Seafood stew
Capelli Dorati
Chocolate truffle bombe with hazelnut
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