I am a bit ashamed writing this: I had never gone to Deer + Almond prior to this post. A further disclaimer is that this post is the culmination of two dinners on separate nights ... using separate cameras. And so I apologize for the varying quality of the pictures as I was getting used to a new camera for the blog.
One of the most recognizable names in the food scene in Winnipeg is Deer + Almond. Its Chef Mandel Hitzer is a key player and the brains behind the always popular Raw Almond restaurant on the ice or the annual Dinner in White in the spring/summer. Promoting unique twists on local and fresh ingredients, Deer + Almond has gained quite a notoriety and following in town. And so it was an fairly easy decision to head down for the first two of what will end up many visits.
Deer + Almond is a fairly inconspicuous restaurant in the heart of the exchange at the corner of McDermot and Princess. The metal and neon signage does little to tell customers of the delights inside; but when I walked in, I was immediately overwhelmed by the aroma of roasted meats, clang of wine glasses and chatter of happy patrons. Large and colorful canvas paintings adorn the sides of the restaurant to give a rustic and lived in experience. Each server is knowledgeable of the menu and consistently approachable and available for refills and to check in. And while sometimes there is a wait, I was impressed by the turnover and efficiency the staff, resembling the cogs of a well oiled machine working at full speed.
Deer + Almond runs on a limited menu which is changed occasionally, usually seasonally. On top of the usual options are nightly mains and dessert features. The best way to describe the menu is delightfully fusion cuisine. A large number of the items take humble ingredients and combine them in fun and whimsical ways. No item on the menu is pedestrian while everything is unique and exciting.
The starter Paprika Popcorn was a delight on both nights. There is something insanely fun about the combination of greasy oily balls of air and Raw Almond does one better by adding a slight touch of spicy sugary goodness in the paprika. Simply a palate cleanser, but if the flavour from the popcorn is any indication, the food was going to be excellent!
Beef "Nacho" Tartare is a whimsical name for a dish but it truly encompasses what flavours Chef Mandel was going for. The tender beef is chopped into bite size morsels and seasoned perfectly to create a smooth and luxurious bite. While the tortilla chips and cilantro add to the Mexican "nacho" flare, it is the use of shaved parmesan that works nicely to add a salty and creamy kick to the dish. Marvelous.
Simply named P.E.I. Mussels, these amounted to some of the best mussels I have ever tasted. The secret is in their sauce, a garlic and fermented chili sauce that comes to the consistency of a loose curry. The sauce gives a tantalizingly spicy addition to the meaty mussels which is further augmented by the fattiness of hungarian sausage. The brioche toasted bread is a necessity to lop up all the tasty sauce after you are done with it. I was less enamored by the use of feta here as it added little and made the dish a tad salty.
The special of the first night was the Eggplant and Tofu. Combined with sliced almond, green apple and pomegranate, the eggplant and tofu essentially become blank canvasses to tackle on flavour. The pop of pomegranate works well to counteract the inherent blandness of the tofu and the meatiness of the eggplant. While nice and refreshing I found it was lacking a nice sauce to bring everything together.
Delice de Bourgogne & Parsnip Tortellini seems a mouthful, but is truly worth the effort in ordering. We were attracted to the limited aspect of the dish but left wholly impressed. We learned that delice be bourgogne is a soft triple cream cheese which here worked in harmony with the creaminess of the parsnip puree. The tortellini were perfectly cooked and is topped with a load of fresh parmesan and finished with a brown butter sauce. Fatty, creamy and luxurious all equate to one word to describe this dish. Delicious.
Papaya & Pork is a hybrid salad and appetizer mixture. In it large pieces of pork belly are roasted to perfection and tossed on a bed of lettuce and papaya. As to its name, the two stars are the large pieces of pork, crispy and meaty on one side while smooth and fatty on the other side, contrasted to the fresh pops of flavour from papaya and pineapple. Unfortunately the rest of the salad components seemed under-dressed with the "tang-tang" dressing: a nice sweet and sour sauce in its own right but severely under-portioned.
Beets in Tahini takes the humble beet and tries to elevate it to star level. Here tender red beets are mixed in with apple, orange, sesame and topped with walnuts. The nuts give a nice crunch and work to remind the diner of the nutty tahini sauce. Which by itself is a nice compliment to the beets but in together with the rest of the components felt a bit lost and diminished leaving the entire dish starved of a strong and unifying sauce to bring everything together.
Deer + Almond is one of the most unique and exciting dining experiences in town. And while not every dish hits the highest points possible, each have enough interesting and tasty bits to warrant a try. I have to applaud them on trying to break the barrier of cuisine in Winnipeg and trying to push the food scene forward. An easy recommendation.
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