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If today's post doesn't make you hungry, then I don't know what will! This entire blog was from my food adventures last week and I was on a quest to try some new things, whether it was a local restaurant that I haven't been to, newly opened food spots in the city or the first Winnipeg Beerfest.

- Sydney's at the Forks: An old one that still has its charm. I've been meaning to try this prix fixe style restaurant and finally had the chance when the boy and I went for date night. We started with grilled octopus as appetizer, tuna and pork loin as our mains, and matcha crepe for dessert. 

- Chew: A neighborhood favorite. I normally buy bread and pastries from their sister bakery, The Store Next Door, but one afternoon I found myself wanting to have lunch here and indulged in some crispy gnocchi, pork belly and truffle fries.

- Za Pizza Bistro: a growing artisan pizza chain around the city. I've been seeing a lot of this popping up here so I decided to try it myself - think Subway style for thin crust pizza where you can customize your own toppings. For something cheap and quick, I couldn't complain on the margherita I got here. 

- La Carnita: a Toronto favorite comes to my city. After a number of successful restaurants in Toronto, my city is lucky to welcome La Carnita at the Exchange District in downtown Winnipeg. Yes, think delicious Mexican street food including elotes (grilled corn), nachos and tacos. Their drinks are amazing too. Perfect food for a night out with friends. 

- Harth Mozza and Wine Bar: an aesthetically beautiful new restaurant complementing its amazing Italian menu. From a wonderful wine, cheese and charcuterie selection to housemade pasta and bread for their dishes, Harth is going to be your next go-to restaurant in the city. I even wish I had room for dessert to try one of their Ricotta Zeppole so obviously, I need to go back here.

- Last but not the least, the first ever Winnipeg Beer Festival, held at Fort Gibraltar. With over 20 different kinds of local beer, this event highlighted the growing craft brewery scene in the city. There were also unlimited poutine, pita, hummus and veggie platters, as well as local food vendors sampling their products. Peg Beer Co, Little Brown Jug and Torque Brewing came home as the top three winners of the night. Overall, a night filled with great beer, good friends and tons of fun!

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I'm one day late than my usual Monday posts, but I promise it's going to be a fully packed blog entry today, plus a video too! Over the weekend I managed to check out a bunch of new spots in the city and  try new events and experiences. I went for a quick day trip to Gimli, Manitoba (1 hour from Winnipeg) and saw how the harbour was during winter time. It was so cool, literally and figuratively, to see the frozen water with all the ice fishing huts around. Food stops for the day included Flatland Coffee Roasters - a Gimli must, Thaw Bakery - a new fusion style bakery with French and Asian influences in their pastries (I highly recommend their Matcha Brioche), La Pampa - offspring of a downtown restaurant called Corrientes that specializes in gourmet Argentinian empanadas (over 21 varieties and is a family business with the friendliest owners).

I was also finally able to check out Mur Lifestyle's studio and space at the Exchange District. If you haven't heard of this online store yet, go and search them now and browse through the most beautiful selection of curated home pieces. Just like their entire aesthetic, their space was minimal, functional and charming. It was a pleasure to meet one of the owners, Joel to chat with him about the brand's vision and aspirations. I bought a couple of things that I'm excited to share on IG.

Later in the evening, I attended a Filipino pop up dinner hosted by Creme Del'Essence and Manila Nights. The event was called Hapunan (meaning 'dinner') and consisted of a 5-course meal with Filipino inspired dishes. To cap the night, my friends and I decided to head to one of the newest microbrewery in the city, Little Brown Jug. Nothing beats ending a long day with a nice cold pint of beer and LBJ totally delivered that.


In case you don't want to read through all that text, here's a video recap of my weekend adventures.