PRAIRIE’S EDGE
Neighbourhood: North Kildonan
Address: 2015 Main Street
Phone: 204-284-7275
Entrees: $16 – $33
Located in picturesque Kildonan Park, Prairie’s Edge may be off the beaten track for some, but its range of rewarding gastronomic delights make it worth the trip from any corner of the city. Formerly reviewed by us as Food Evolution, Prairie’s Edge continues to be a beacon in the city’s north end, serving tables of multi-generational diners in its exquisite setting.
Windows wrap around the destination dining room, giving an unrivaled view of the outdoors. Tucked in the expansive green space famed for its summer stage productions, guests get a front row seat to runners weaving through the park and skaters gliding by on the adjacent frozen pond. Snow covered trees – sparkling white in the sunshine and casting a rainbow glow under brightly hued park lights at night – raise its appeal as a magical winter dining choice.
Its menu presents an impressive range of options identifying the city’s cultural diversity and tastes of the surrounding neighbourhood. In step with the relaxing locale, this is not high falutin fare. Ingredients are familiar and still to come together for delicious and beautiful outcomes.
Pair your morning egg with perogies and kielbassa. Tuck into a Reuben made with perfect corned beef and the city’s beloved marble bread or open wide for zippy bites of a Nashville style fried chicken sandwich. Creative salad mixtures, starring mixed baby greens and kale, are fresh choices for lighter appetites.
High praise is warranted for creative use of Manitoba beets. The kitchen shows its partiality for the root vegetable two ways; as a star ingredient in a medley of mixed greens coated in a shallot vinaigrette, roasted beets blend with tart apples, salty feta and bacon, rounded out with toasty pumpkin seeds. For a more inventive twist on the root veggie opt for the beet fritters. Crisp crimson beet laden morsels are served atop an orange flecked fennel slaw dotted with hemp seeds for an exciting mix of crunchy flavours.
Updated comfort sets the tone for dinner dishes too. Pickerel is fried crisp in tempura and paired with fries and coleslaw. Thick slices of beef short ribs enlivened by vibrant chimichurri crowd a heap of mashed potatoes and broccolini spears in this vibrant main.
Plant based dishes are equally inspired. Half a butternut squash, roasted and packed with warm kale and quinoa salad is fortified with cashews and currants for added interest. Asian noodles are loaded with broccolini, onions and mushrooms dressed in garlic peanut sauce. Wonton crisps and sesame seeds create a light garnish on the umami rich bowl.
Savour the cozy atmosphere with a few final bites of decadent chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. If you’re in no rush to head home, consider strapping on skates for a few laps around the frozen pond glimmering outside the window.
