Inside Era Bistro at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Photos by Robin Summerfield)
Era Bistro
Main floor, Canadian Museum for Human Rights near main entrance
85 Israel Asper Way
Neighbourhood: Downtown/The Forks
Website: erabistro.ca
It's party season. It's get-together-with-colleagues season. It's reconnect-with-dear-friends season. And it's also where-should-we-go season?
It should also be try-somewhere-new season.
If you haven't yet visited the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, you should. Aside from the remarkable exhibitions and stunning architecture, the CMHR has other charms.
House restaurant Era Bistro is impressive for its food, service and setting. Located neat the main entrance across from the museum shop, Era is an impressive space. It's clear hotelier Ben Sparrow (the man behind Mere Hotel, Inn at the Forks and the Norwood Hotel) and executive chef Barry Saunders put much thought and time into creating Era from the light fixtures to the server uniforms to the divine lemon butter and basil that dresses perfectly pan-seared pickerel.
Saunder's menu reflects Manitoba's cultural and ethnic mosaic. Local staples take a starring role in dishes all across the menu.
Saunders specialties include wonton tortière with Manitoba lamb, bannock with a trio of dips, short rib poutine, venison loin with sour cherries, edamame with ginger sesame balsamic, carrot fries and beet-stained Arctic Char with olive oil snow.
Era's decor also taps into an emerging trend in restaurants: communal dining. Diners sit at long rough-hewn wood 'farm' tables. You may find yourself sitting beside strangers. It's all part of the big plan—bringing people together. That plan is perfectly instep with the museum's mandate to educate, enlighten and shine a light on the lives of others.
Communal dining, come to think of it, is also the perfect set up for a holiday gathering, no matter what size the group.
Give Era a call, book your own communal table, and celebrate the season with friends. Who knows, maybe you'll make some new friends too.
Roast half chicken with butternut squash and sage.
Bearcat pickerel with lemon, butter, basil, pickled tomato and Swiss chard.
Era Bistro's cocktail command centre.
Chef Barry Saunders (right) at the helm in the kitchen.
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