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39 www.tourismwinnipeg.com Winnipeg Itineraries From spring through fall you can't beat the catalogue of food trucks on Broadway. On this stretch you'll see high-end tater tots get topped with things like frog's legs and Korean barbecue at Tot Wheels; sexy Filipino food from Pimp My Rice (which might be the best food truck name ever), along with moan- worthy wood-fired pizza from The Red Ember. And speaking of pizza, Pizzeria Gusto in River Heights does amazing napoleon pies along with super-tasty small plates and pastas by chef Eric Lee. It's open for both lunch and dinner, and features a classy, sunny patio where all the cool kids (and usually some Winnipeg Jets) can be found. In fact, there is no shortage of incredible pizza in Winnipeg from Vera Pizzeria on Osborne (who also rocks napoleon pies), to Santa Ana Pizzeria and Bistro in St. Vital (where high-quality, combined with cheap prices have made getting a reservation a hot ticket), to downtown's Carbone, whose coal-fired pies and pour- your-own beer tap system sees this Vegas-style spot go from restaurant to club for the bar star crowd. ◗ EVENINGS Tapas are all the rage in Winnipeg these days with several restaurants standing above the shared plates fray. Since it opened a couple years back, Segovia in Osborne Village has been arguably the most locally and nationally acclaimed restaurant in town. The quaint, impeccably designed room doesn't take resos, so get there early or put your name down at the door then wait to be called at one of the many surrounding bars. Chef Adam Donnelly's open kitchen pumps out exquisite Spanish-inspired dishes that range from the traditional – like tortilla Española, patas bravas and an ever-changing roster of croquetas – to seasonal menus and specials that make great use of game and sustainable seafood (when you see Albacore tuna or some form of tartare on the menu, order it). Other expertly crafted Latin flavours can be found at Deseo Bistro, where the purées and dressings are off the charts and will have your taste buds singing. While its menu reads fairly meat-heavy with mandatory offerings of pork belly, veal cheeks and sweet breads (whose variations are updated often), be sure to tuck into the vegetable dishes and soups which are of an extremely high calibre. Deseo also has arguably the best drink program in the city, giving classic cocktails the respect (through tight fine-tuning) they deserve. The same owner/chef of Deseo, Scott Bagshaw, is more often than not found at his newest restaurant, Enoteca, which has brought artfully-plated Italian and French-inspired dishes to River Heights on a menu that is updated every six weeks or so. At Enoteca the sauces are so good that we've watched customers lick the plates clean while the pastas are what you would expect from a celebrated nonna in the Old World. Other small plates of note come courtesy of chef Mandel Hitzer whose whimsical offerings at Deer+Almond, along with his ambitious winter pop-up restaurant on ice RAW:Almond, have found national and international notice. Like the Red River, the menu at D+A ebbs and flows with the season, with the only constant that it is always inventive and playful. The room itself is also pretty hip, featuring work by local artists and smatterings of seasonal motifs, like when the centre of the dining room features a mound of gourds in autumn. If you can believe it, this bit of the land-locked prairies also has some top-notch sushi spots, with Yujiro Japanese taking the title in our opinion for its expertly-crafted, always fresh and authentic nigiri and sashimi. FOOD INSTITUTIONS Winnipeg also has its institutions, of which there are enough to write pages worth (but I'll spare you, for if you've already read this far I'd imagine you are ready to go do some eating). If it is steak you crave, and you're not afraid to do a bit of heavy lifting on the old charge card, then 529 Wellington is a must. This converted stately mansion combines impeccable black tie service (the pleasant sommelier Christopher expertly oversees a phonebook of vintages), while the aged steaks (get the ribeye, do it!) and the a la carte sides, like asparagus with hollandaise and sweet potato mash with maple pecan butter, will have you indulging in the best way possible. Before farm to table was fashionable, fusion grill was proudly rocking out fare from local producers with flair–a tradition it still continues with chef Lorna Murdoch's sublime dishes like pickerel cheeks with crème fraiche and local löjrom caviar, northern pike sliders, braised elk shank, and the always-irresistible truffle perogies with duck sausage and walnut cream sauce. Owner/ front of the house maestro Scot McTaggart is also a beauty, as is his all-Canadian wine list, which has some great finds from the Okanagan. Winnipeg also has incredible hole-in-the-walls. Of these, we rave over the Peking duck and authentic Hong Kong-style dishes at Sun Fortune (whose massive circular tables are always packed, so make a reso); the mouth-tingling spicy and addictive South East Asian soups and curries at Laos Thai in the North End; the best damn shawarma ever (along with every other Lebanese dish) from Baraka Pita Bakery on north Main Street; and of course, the insanely creamy soft serve from the venerable Bridge Drive-In ice cream stand. There is also no shortage of incredible pho and Vietnamese in the city, from Pho Hoàng on Sargent, to the crispy fresh salads at Saigon Jon's Vietnamese Kitchen, which is a rather stylish room in Fort Garry. And of course, we do old school burgers in spades, with locals either being Dairy Whip or V.J.'s fans – we lean towards the V.J.'s Special with its crispy patty covered in chili and mayo (and the fries are off the hook), while NuBurger, whose local, grass-fed beef has found a devoted following since it opened a few years back.