Chaise Café & Lounge
Neighbourhood: St. Boniface
Address: 271 Provencher Blvd
Phone: 204-504-4012
Entrees: $15-$25
Past neatly lined hedges on a busy street, this friendly St. Boniface eatery has enough character and charm to fit right into a fairytale. Huddled in the cozy interior surrounded by diners tucking into made-with-love contemporary Italian cuisine, it’s easy to feel right at home.
Like the food, the surroundings are warm and comforting with glimmering candles and beautiful people conversing en français.
Located on Provencher Blvd, this old home turned resto has enough dining space to hold a dinner party for la famiglia. The place is helplessly cozy, capturing the frivolity of a well-oiled family dinner, but in a way that never feels contrived.
The best seats in the house are coveted window side tables where a direct view of the garden adjacent to the patio peeks through white blinds. Wooden tables and chairs framed by hanging planters make for a pristine spot for al fresco dining.
The unflashy menu contains regional inspiration like pan roasted Manitoba pickerel fillet topped with smooth pesto. A mini mountain of potato salad accompanies carrots, kale and asparagus in a butter bath with lemony caper gremolata. Fragrant, piquant notes punctuate each bite.
Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches are famous here, but starters like roasted butternut squash salad is a must try. A whisper of bacon rosemary vinaigrette floats over thinly sliced red cabbage and butternut squash like a sigh.
The grilled Caesar salad’s popularity is belied by the sound of crunching. Grilled romaine lettuce topped with capers, buttered breadcrumbs and a generous drizzle of creamy Caesar dressing has diners all around smiling in satisfaction.
For grilled cheese lovers, Chaise gives new meaning to PB & J with pear, Brie and jambon between slices of crusty bread. The delightful combination of pear and salty prosciutto results in a palate-pleasing bite even for the most finicky gourmand. Drag your fork through ‘bleutine’, an indulgent mix of blue cheese and alfredo sauce hugging thinly cut fries. Each bite provides a forkful of smooth, sharp flavour.
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