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Editorial Review

Reviewed in the Aug/Sept '05 issue of Ciao! magazine

In 2001, when Winnipeg’s Wow! Hospitality Concepts renovated a gorgeous mansion and turned it into 529 Wellington Steakhouse, it was lauded as the most expensive restaurant in the city. And the public loved it! This positive response no doubt inspired the flurry of high-calibre, high-priced restaurants that opened these past twelve months. As a result, we decided to revisit the place that started it all.

The space alone, both inside and out, is worth a visit. This riverside manor has an excellent terrace for alfresco dining, although it takes an awkward maze of corridors and doors to get you there. Contrary to the main house, the outdoor decor skews modern and Zen-like, with the pleasing sound of bubbling water accompanying your meal. Inside they have replicated the century-old decor from the era when this mansion was owned by one of Winnipeg’s wealthiest citizens. It’s a beautiful restaurant with great food and exceptional service—but it definitely skews male. 529 is a man’s restaurant, where unaccompanied females may feel out of place and even get a lesser level of attention.

Reinforcing the masculine appeal is the pre-meal ‘meat tour’, à la top New York steakhouses. A waiter appears with a large tray of plastic-wrapped samples of the different cuts of raw meat and conducts a mini-seminar on beef.

The beef is Canada Prime grade, representing the pinnacle of Canadian production, and the kitchen knows what to do with a good cut. The porterhouse and New York strips are beautifully marbled and juicy—perfectly cooked. For those with ambitious appetites the house special prime rib is a whopping 28 oz which almost melts in your mouth. Beef tenderloin is fork tender, with a rich Cognac peppercorn cream sauce that adds velvety texture.

Enormous lobster hunker down in the live tank, adding to the grandeur of the place. The fresh fish of the day is also a good option. One evening it was Australian barramundi—a rare treat on the prairies.

Side portions are enormous and meant for sharing. They really highlight Chef Michael Dacquisto’s skill, as do the appetizers. Beef carpaccio is divine: paper-thin layers of pounded beef with whisper-light shavings of Parmagiano Reggiano. Traditional tuna tartare is updated with a fragrant roasted sesame vinaigrette, so tender and fresh that you can almost smell the sea. Baked onion soup is excellent: rich, flavourful broth with a hint of port brimming with caramelized onion. Mini Yorkshire pudding sits on a sea of dark jus filled with tender and flavourful meat. Beefsteak tomato, bermuda onion and blue cheese salad is an absolute winner. Creamy house buttermilk dressing is a perfect match for the blue cheese and onion.

The only blemish on the whole menu is with dessert, where the warm loaf of blueberry bread pudding with caramel cream lacks the flavour punch needed to make a bold closing statement. But you’ll be full by then anyway!

Reservations recommended.

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