A special friend visit - Bistro 7 1/4

One of the joys of being in medicine is the relationships you can forge within the community. I was lucky to meet a number of incredible people during my training in Edmonton and have built strong relationships with a good chunk of them. With me moving away, I was honoured to welcome a special friend to Winnipeg. So this next series begins the food eating adventures we had.

This individual and I share a common love for food. Even before I moved to Winnipeg we had been researching a number of popular Winnipeg establishments and came upon Bistro 7 1/4. What a joy it was to subsequently dine there.

We started off the meal with Oysters. These were the chefs selection and their location escapes me. What I did not forget was the briny-ness and smooth flavour of these oysters. The true test is to eat them with a couple drops of lemon juice, and these passed with flying colours.

I had ordered the French Onion Soup as a conversation piece. My dining companion mentions that he has difficult finding a good "onion soup" at restaruants. Well, much to his pleasure, we found the version here wonderfully robust, well seasoned and luxurious.

This whopping mess of Moules et frites represented one order (yes it is enough to feed at least two by itself). Bistro 7 1/4 has a number of flavours but we wanted to go with the classic tomato, basil and white wine. The sauce imparted a nice aroma and subtle flavour to the cooked mussels. Overall, this dish was a little too overhyped: the mussels were small and the fries nothing special.

The Ricotta Gnudi was something new to me. Gnudi is very similar to Gnocchi except it is mostly made with cheese and very little flour. This dish was finished with asparagus, bacon and a creamy egg on top. Presented wonderfully; the pasta was al dente; and bacon imparted a smokey aroma. No complaints.

Last but not least was the Duck Confit. This was incredible. The unbelievably tender duck had a honey dressing on top of it which mixed perfectly with the crisp salad and crispy brioche. Star of the night.