Down the stairs of a former Princess St. warehouse sits one of Winnipeg’s shining stars. Clementine is open for breakfast and lunch and for every one of the numerous times I have visited, it has been packed.

On weekends you have to be particularly patient. It has always been well worth the wait. The morning I was at Clementine recently, two owners of other successful Winnipeg restaurants were noshing there as well. I was accompanied by a friend from Toronto. He had a bit of a tough time deciding on his order as he thought everything looked amazing. When he indicated that he was torn between theTurkish Eggs and the Fried Chicken on Toast, I jumped in and suggested that we get both to share. One of the perfectly cooked poached eggs of the Turkish dish was topped with a glistening tablespoon of zhoug, a spicy sauce created from green chilies, garlic and cilantro that resembles a pesto. Both eggs were cradled by a silky hummus and served with a side of sour dough toast. The dish was spicy perfection.

If you enjoy crispy but greaseless fried chicken, you will love Clementine’s version. The chicken crackles as you cut into it and was perfectly offset by the chipotle crema, pickled red onions and spicy sambal syrup. The dishes were a little tricky to divide up but when you are sharing with a good friend, it really doesn’t matter, does it?

After much deliberation over their extensive menu, my business lunch date chose the Souvlaki Pita with a Greek Salad and was well pleased. Pete’s Rueben was my choice, served with delectable hand cut French Fries. The classic grilled sandwich was generously stuffed with braised brisket, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and Thousand Islands dressing. When I bit into the rueben I had to prevent the juice from running down my arms with a wad of napkins. It wasn’t soggy; au contraire, it was juicy and delicious! Since the rye bread was stacked high with fixings, it was also very filling. As a result the second half was wrapped up as a treat for my spouse. Besides, I still had all those delicious fries to devour.

Kathryne Grisim

PHOTO CREDIT – Clementinewinnipeg.com