Il Molino Cafe, A Danish Twist

It is not everyday that an European deli opens up in Winnipeg, and even more so when they are as unique as Il Molino is. Touting traditional Danish fare, I noticed this new spot when they had a promotion running when the Danish hockey player in town scored his first goal. While certainly true to my Oilers colours, I could not help but enjoy this one benefit of being in a city enamored with their Jets.

Il Molino does its best to make itself noticed. While they unfortunately have the basement suite of a Corydon business, there are numerous attractive signs adorning the sidewalks beckoning customers forward. And while it took a couple seconds for me to find it, I was not disappointed when I arrived. Numerous tasteful and pleasing artwork fill the walls and overlook the quaint 20 (ish) seater restaurant. Homey indeed.

Il Molino advertises itself as giving a twist on the traditional Danish sandwich. And true to their word, their takes on open faced sandwiches are numerous and varied. Having never tried this before, I had very little to base the authenticity on, but it was exciting and novel for me to see new combinations like egg and caviar or duck meat sausage and goat cheese in a sandwich.

I could not help but let out a slight gasp when I saw how artfully presented this Shrimp and Eggs sandwich was. The dichotomy of fruit and protein was evident here as shown in the liberal use of strawberries to accentuate the sweetness of the plump shrimp. And while all the ingredients were delicious on their outright, I was missing a sauce to bring everything together. Furthermore, the one piece of thin rye bread felt lost and an add-on; in truth this dish would have worked as a salad without even the bread.

The same problems existed with the Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Avocado sandwich. I loved the fleshy tender salmon and thought it worked well with the salty kick of caviar, but the huge amount of avocado overwhelmed and robbed the dish of balance. And while the strawberries were a nice sweet kick, it did not do enough to save the dish from mediocrity. And here I have to give credit to the incredible potato salad Il Molino has: chunky, creamy and full of delicious dill-y goodness, it was the perfect compliment to the rather rich sandwiches.

I applaud Il Molino for bringing something unique to Winnipeg's diners and while the meal was certainly without fault, the concept is solid, the ingredients fresh and the flavours pronounced. What was missing from each dish was a balance of flavours, a small quibble I am confident the chefs can improve. Something for all to consider trying, but certainly not a restaurant I can wholeheartedly recommend.