A fall harvest dinner at SMITH is just so apropos.
The restaurant, located within Inn at the Forks, is certainly one of the handsomest rooms in the city.
The rustic chic interior features Hudson’s Bay blanket banquettes and is awash in wood reclaimed from an old grain elevator, with faux antler chandeliers in the lounge and benches in the dining room that run the length of the floor between four-top tables – as if you were already seated around an extensive harvest table.
It makes for an inviting environment that you want to relax and cozy up in (in fact, we're often surprised we don't see hotel guests wearing comfy slippers walk into the room with a hardcover book in hand).
On top of that, there’s chef Barry Saunders’ menu, which is always studded with lux comfort food, often utilizing locally grown ingredients.
How fitting then that this season, from Friday, October 5 to Monday, October 8, they should be holding their very own harvest table dinners, which will celebrate autumn ingredients, in such a setting.
It will open with a luxurious soup of beer, apples, Quebec brie and candied pecans, followed by a starter that’s an ode to the flavours of Thanksgiving, being a confit duck croquette with cranberry, carrot puree and pickled jalapeños for acidity and a little kick.
There are two entrée choices: a lake and field offering of roast game hen with a leg stuffed with smoked goldeye that is wrapped in Serrano ham on top of a smoked potato puree; or a dish of Manitoba Arctic char with roasted Brussel sprouts sauced with celeric remoulade and Nduja – which is surely everyone’s favourite spicy pork spread.
Dessert is a churro with apple, dark cherries and a bay leaf crème anglaise (which is enough to have us sold), while the dinner cost is only $105 – for two people! (Which gets you both each course, with the exception of the starter, which is a shared plate featuring two croquettes).
You can also add a wine pairing from the sommeliers of Banville & Jones on to each course (for an additional cost), while regular menu items from SMITH can be added onto your harvest table experience a la carte.
This harvest table dinner will obviously be in demand and can only be secured by reservation by calling the restaurant at 204.944.2445.
