Patio chilling (Cibo)

Last week Winnipeg had a spree of summer-like weather. With the mercury pushing into the mid and high 20's, me and my fellow residents went to re-live the summer life by going to Cibo.

Located on waterfront drive, Cibo is located on the back of hotel Mere. My understanding is this was an old factory in the Exchange district that was recently renovated and retrofitted into an hotel.

Cibo has a old school charm associated with it. A beautiful brick building overlooking the Red River, I cannot fault them for the esthetics of the location.

One of the members of our group ordered the Bruschetta. Cibo allows you to order three types and she opted for the: Tomato basil shallot; Mozarella tomato basil; Mushroom goat cheese. A big thumbs up as she delved into the crunchy bread and wonderful toppings.

Another member of the group got the Beef Bourguignon Poutine. A large skillet of matchstick fries with a huge topping of beef bourguignon and cheese curds. The fries I found were too small and thin for poutine but the beef stew was wonderful.

Another member got The Panino. Listed as chicken, arugula and soft cheese, this sandwich was finished with the same matchstick fries. No complaints from them!

There is nothing that speaks more of summer than a big glass of Sangria. Absolutely brimming with fresh fruit, this red wine (avoid the white wine version: it tastes like cough syrup) sangria was wonderfully refreshing and delightfully delicious.

Food is, in my opinion, often sold by the eyes. Thus when the Cibo pizza (Genoa, proscuitto, finished with an egg) came I was immediately sold. Thin crunchy crust, tasty meat and a rich egg make this an excellent offering.

I shared the pizza and Spanish Chicken Panino with a fellow resident. Paprika dusted chicken with Spanish cheese add a interesting element to the sandwich. Finished with the same unremarkable matchstick fries, this sandwich was merely okay, nothing crazy to write home about.