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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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The weekend was filled with pop up events all over the city. I started Saturday morning lining up at the Third & Bird Spring market. In case you didn't know, I've been attending this craft market for a number of years now and the newest venue at the Hudson's Bay basement downtown is the best yet. To be honest, I spent most of my time eating than shopping, haha! But that doesn't disregard the fact that this market keeps getting better each year. I also stopped by my local bicycle shop before heading to Cornerstone for some drinks and chicken wings. For dessert, my friend and I decided to try out a new gelato spot called Baires, located along Marion street. It was a great surprise to see that they had Ube-flavored gelato which is traditionally a Filipino sweet delicacy. 

On Sunday, I was lucky to get tickets to Lasa (meaning 'taste' in Filipino), a series of pop up dinners by Master Chef Canada runner-up Jeremy Senaris. This time around he was collaborating with Kyu Grill, who recently gained a permanent spot at the Forks market hall. The pop up included a 6-course meal highlighting the chef's take on traditional Filipino cuisines. It was an amazing experience to see people of all backgrounds appreciating Filipino food, definitely all good vibes on a Sunday night.