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Editorial Review

Reviewed in Mar/Apr '04 Issue of WHERE

At one end of the spectrum the restaurant world is an ever-changing milieu of new ingredient pairings and innovative presentations, like foam food or even faux food. At the other end there are aspects of food service that have not changed since the cave dwellers invited their neighbours over for flame-grilled meat. Somewhere in this continuum rides the Corydon district’s Cafe Carlo. When it first arrived on the Winnipeg dining scene in the late 80s, Chef Dave Hyde’s inspired menu was groundbreaking. It showcased the bold culinary influences of warm climate countries, with ingredients like Mexico’s chiles, Italy’s spicy eggplant, and Spain’s fiery chorizo sausage. Traditional soup/salad/entrée meals were replaced by a selection of contemporary appetizers and pastas. Well-heeled patrons flocked in from the surrounding neighbourhood to sample this stellar cooking. Instead of roomy tables for four, they found themselves packed tightly at tables in long rows, with padded benches and facing chairs.

Fifteen years later a passionately loyal clientele still enjoys what founding partner Duncan Grant describes as pan-ethnic cuisine. The menu remains virtually unchanged and Cafe Carlo has comfortably settled into a successful role as a funky neighbourhood restaurant. But the question remains—following its innovative launch, is Cafe Carlo still significant today? Somewhat surprisingly, the answer is yes. This intimate bistro is very near the leading edge of what is happening on today’s dining scene. Certainly you can find contemporary pastas and creative small plates at a number of local restaurants. But many of these menus were influenced by chefs who trained at Cafe Carlo. And since consistency is the hallmark of every great restaurant, the past fifteen years spent perfecting these signature dishes has led to an exceptional product.

A new customer would find Cafe Carlo to be very au courant. The casual setting has dark, earth toned walls. These showcase an ever changing exhibition of original art by local painters, which is curated by managing partner Joel Boulet. The menu has a lengthy daily specials list offering soup, appetizer, seafood, and pasta. This strategy lets the kitchen be creative without depriving regulars of the popular pastas and appetizers that make up the rest of the menu.

Spicy corn and chorizo is the signature soup, introducing the meal with a southwestern accent. From there it is a veritable tropical journey: Vietnamese spring rolls with Thai chile dipping sauce; Mexican sun-dried tomato pesto and fontina cheese quesadilla with orange-chipotle salsa. A curried chicken and mango salad nods to Indian cuisine, as do the crispy prawns with house-made naan bread wedges. These are in a succulent, tangy ginger sauce accented with chunky mango chutney. Soft focaccia, with grilled brie, caramelized onion and roasted garlic, brings along a Mediterranean flair. From these small plates you can create an exceptional custom tasting menu. But be sure to include a pasta course.

Eight intriguing pastas round out the menu sheet. These are most notable for their sauces. The lemon herb cream sauce with fusilli is poignantly tangy. Spicy tomato with baby clams and linguine is vibrantly bold. Garlic black bean sauce bathes vermicelli and prawns in sharply contrasting visual splendour. Parmesan broth subtly accents the strong flavours of spicy eggplant, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes in spaghettini. Each pasta is available in regular or small servings.

Desserts are another strength of the kitchen, house-made and changing frequently.

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