smart | detour
A penchant for haute cuisine: Sydney’s upstanding fare leads way for new place in Osborne Village
The confit chicken dumpling soup starter at Sydney's. By Brenlee Coates
O
ne of the most celebrated culinary achievements in Winnipeg is RAW: almond, the once-a-year opportu- nity to indulge in multiple courses on the frozen river. Te interaction shared with the chefs, diners and servers
engulfs you in the moment, helping you treat every dish like an exotic journey in flavour. But without that opportunity year-round, where else can
a local foodie go to just obsess over food? You can still find it unfrozen at Te Forks. Obviously, there’s no shortage of great restaurants in the
204 – but the constant newcomers threaten to push clas- sics to the edge of our peripheral vision. One such place is Sydney’s at the Forks – once one of the only places to feel the difference a career server makes; a rare opportunity to marvel in attentive, devout service. But with the onset of tapas culture and the loosened-up
ties that came with it, Sydney’s old-school style of a fixed menu with course options and uniformed employees maybe briefly lost its zeal. Until you go back, and realize they’ve never missed a beat. Constant evolution
Sydney’s has been indefatigably reinventing its menu every month to keep it fresh in its decade-long history; its
Crossword
ACROSS 1. Publication read by drs. 5. Musical pace 10. "Boy, this place is ____!" 14. "God Don't Own ___" (Jimmy Buffett song) 15. Spring sign
16. Opposite of sud, on a French map 17. Finale at the U.S. Open 19. Baseball's Hideo 20. Potatoes from the Northwest 21. One who hears "You've got mail" 22. In an awful way 26. Gemstone weight 30. It has strings by the score 34. Popped up 35. Lymph ____ 36. "___ the fields we go" 37. Comment 39. Fireplace shelf
42. "Sheena ____ Punk Rocker" (Ramones tune)
43. Sound of interruption 47. Sheltered spot 48. Fine porcelain 51. Sheedy and McBeal 52. "Keep going!" 54. Diet guru Jenny 57. Chicago paper 62. Biblical verb 63. Begged 66. "If you build ____ will come" 67. Pay for 68. Hold back 69. Urinated 70. Have a spat 71. Suvari of "American Pie" and "American Beauty"
DOWN 1. She was on "Square Pegs" with Sarah Jessica
2. Military sch. 3. Spydom's Hari 4. Playfully roguish 5. Not live, maybe 6. Gradual decline 7. Caesar's 1002 8. Slammer 9. German direction 10. Bothers 11. Veterinarian's subj. 12. "Coffee, Tea ____?" (1960s novel)
Smoked goldeye,deviled egg and caviar on grilled challah bread. The Louisiana fried catfish main served with rice and beans.
chefs challenged to maintain excitement and uphold an extraordinary standard simultaneously. Sydney’s hasn’t shied away from change in other fields,
either; its dining room ditched booths for a communal table, and tables sparsely dot the incredible second-floor view of Te Forks Market and the Assiniboine River. Its greenhouse-like patio has also enjoyed a resurgence. And the service has also loosened up; while some of
the long-established servers still prefer their black-tie getup, new blood has opted for a shift in the stiff-necked look. General manager Carlos Portillo is at the helm along with Chef Michael Robins now – both millennials, and both pushing their mediums forward. Te result is an all-consuming adventure for the senses: almost none of the dishes look like you’d expect them to – and each tastes better than you could’ve imagined. You feel adorned with attention not only from your date if you’re lucky, but from the lavish plating and committed service you receive.
Te feast Our rack of lamb main melted off the bone, comple-
mented by just the right amount of tangy-sweet sauce; the breaded catfish was a sumptuous treat; and each course before it took surprising turns and displayed an exceptional command of balancing flavours. I found
an affinity for octopus when it is cooked and chopped up – not ominous in its natural, sea-creature presence. My fellow diner and I were immediately won over by
the baked bread, which came at an optimal temperature with exquisite hummus and garlic herb butter. Te five-course meal rewarded us with the same sat-
isfaction as a RAW: almond seating; it made eating the reason and the highlight for an outing. Luckily, Sydney’s resurrection comes with accompa-
niments: as many know, Rudy’s Eat & Drink by the same owner, Michael Schafer, is thriving in its downtown location – but his latest venture is a speakeasy, French- cuisine restaurant called Sous Sol in Osborne Village. Making organic use of the former Mise and La Bamba
location in the inconspicuous corner of Osborne at Con- fusion Corner, the basement space will enjoy a stylish new identity aiming to reach salacious Winnipeggers looking for yet another place to satisfy their hunt for great tastes. Opening soon, Sous Sol may earn its spot among Chef
Michael Schafer’s herd of respected, widely popular, and dignified haute-cuisine establishments. Sydney’s at the Forks is open for lunch Tuesday to
Friday and dinner Monday to Saturday. Visit
www.sydneysattheforks.com for more information.
Word Search
Angel Barged Baste Bucks Chaperon Coils Cubed Curtains Decree Dismal Drenched Facet Fleet Gelds Grape
13. Right Guard's target 18. Noisy owl 21. Pub drink
23. Start of Montana's motto 24. West Coast sch. that's home to the Aggies
25. Ham's brother 26. South American 27. "You ___ Beautiful" (Joe Cocker hit) 28. One in Antony's audience 29. ___ rule 31. General Mills brand 32. Like a marsh 33. French city
38. Madeline of Hollywood 40. Level of neatness 41. Devils' org.
Answers on next page July 2015
www.smartbizwpg.com Smart Biz 17
44. Producer's dream 45. Capt.'s aide 46. Walter of "Grumpy Old Men" 49. Polished, as text 50. Minor player 53. Give a grand speech 54. Bit of attitude on one's shoulder? 55. Amount charged 56. Arthur of tennis 58. Apt. listing abbr. 59. Title beekeeper played by Peter Fonda 60. Alternative to "ja" 61. Dame ____ Everage 63. Harper Valley org. of song 64. Part of ETA (abbr.) 65. Photog's original
Suduko
Hordes Humorist Impel Inciting Jigsaw Looked Media Methods Nodes Nougat Payers Plays Postcode Pound Probe
Pupil Rails React Render Resin Rickety Sells Sixty Tilde Track Tried Truer
Unwise World
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