One popular delicacy which is found at Winnipeg Safeways is Baconnaise. This culinary travesty can be poured on anything from iceberg lettuce to French fries. But I'd like to use this post to write about some of the good food you can find in town, although I assume you're never going to eat it, since you're not going to visit.True, there are a lot of heartbreakingly bad restaurants, and places that seem promising until you hit the main course, but there are a few bright spots. In my opinion, the best foodie-type places are Segovia, a nouveau tapas place, Billabong, an adventurous Australian restaurant in a dive-bar atmosphere, and the Inn at the Forks, which offers a side of jazz with the food. You can get a good steak at Hermano's. Avoid Sydney's, which clumsily executes a seemingly haute cuisine menu, every Italian restaurant including Buccaccino's, Mona Lisa and Bellissimo, and almost all Thai restaurants (except Bangkok Thai Restaurant - this place is consistently good). At Fude, the food is mostly too sweet (people have a fondness for cranberries on top of everything here).
For more casual fare, the various Stella's locations offer a pretty good breakfast (although the pancakes are overrated - they're much better at Billabong's brunch). (Note: Do NOT order eggplant parmesan at Stella's; it's the worst I've ever had.) There are good egg wraps and smoothies at Fresh Cafe, although I'm not a fan of the home fries or sweet potato latkes. At The Forks, there is a surprisingly good fish and chips stand. Confusion Corner Bar & Grill has good sweet potato fries and bison back ribs. Baked Expectations sells terrific cakes and cheesecakes, while Lilac Bakery (fashioned after Magnolia) and the new Cupcake Barista (bizarre name) have excellent cupcakes. Burritos Del Rio is fresh and cheap (it's sort of like Chipotle). Good Chinese food is scattered around town, but you will probably find most places disappointingly bland. Tasty Indian food is much easier to find - most people fancy the East India Company or Clay Oven. For Japanese, there are only two or so Japanese-owned restaurants, and one seems to be slipping. I've always had decent meals at Edohei, however.
(I was not impressed by any of the food I ate in St. Boniface, the nominally French area, but I have not eaten at In Ferno's, the most well-known eatery there.)
Before I close, I should mention that you really can't get a decent bagel with lox and cream cheese here, and certainly not a good knish or bowl of matzo ball soup. I am a New Yorker, after all...
