Café Carlo
243 Lilac Street
(204) 477-5544
info@cafecarlo.com
http://www.cafecarlo.com/
August, 2009
Café Carlo sits on Lilac Street, just a stone’s throw away from the heart of Corydon Avenue, although Carlo predates most of the restaurants on the Corydon strip. Open since 1989, this restaurant continues to maintain a reputation of serving some of the finest Californian-influence Italian food in Winnipeg. This small restaurant only seats about 50 people and without a patio, there isn’t anywhere for customers to overflow. The small size of the dining room also ensures that there’s consistent and considerable ambient noise. If you search for a quiet meal, you should probably look elsewhere (or pick an off-time). Although a bit loud, warm décor and the display gallery featuring local artists promote a cozy sense of comfort when you settle in your seat. Perched high above the gallery, a chalkboard advertises the daily features and house pours. Today’s wine specials include a tempranillo-garnacha blend that will pair with almost any pasta dish wonderfully. The vinho verde, the white wine of the day, acts as a welcome quencher on hot days. The folks at Carlo didn’t simply pick a few familiar names to suit everyone; a lot of thought went into the wines they offer and you should spend equal care in considering what should complement or contrast your dinner. If you’re not sure what to order, the knowledgeable staff can easily help you out. If you’re not a wine fan, Carlo offers a considerable and commendable beer selection.
The plain house bread tastes anything but plain. The deliciously crunchy crust houses pillowy-soft insides that yearn to soak up herbed butter or oil dip. The warmth of the bread shows off its freshness as steam rises from its innards. Don’t fill up on the bread though as the ensuing salad competes earnestly for your attention. The fresh red lettuce and crispy leeks blend perfectly into the remarkable dill-cucumber dressing. A sprinkling of olives finishes the salad. Olives have a very strong flavour and often, too many olives will dominate the flavour of the dish. Carlo adds just enough olives to bring a new dimension to the salad without taking over. The only thing I recommend is to add a bit more of the divine dressing—but perhaps it’s Carlo’s intent to leave you wanting just a bit more.
While Carlo changes its menu routinely, some staples persevere, and well they should. One of Carlo’s best known dishes, the Pen is a simple, time-tested serving of penne with spicy Italian sausage in a tomato sauce, topped with cheese. This dish however, tastes anything but simple. The penne is perfectly al dente, ready to be doused in the rich and complex sauce. The salty and sharp Romano cheese is the perfect covering on this successful rendition of a classic.
Carlo calls the Fett Chile their signature dish. This fettuccine selection combines chicken and chorizo with roasted peppers cashews. Although they call the dish “Chile,” only a touch of spiciness comes from the chilli-infused tomato-cream sauce. Those with an aversion to spicy foods need not shy away from this item. The generous lumps of chicken stand out among the pasta (often you find pitifully tiny pieces of chicken hopelessly lost in a mound of pasta), and the imposing chunks of chorizo dominate the serving. In fact, I suggest cutting down the size of the chorizo chunks; chorizo is a very strong and pungent sausage that easily takes over a dish. Carlo’s perfectly cooked, juicy pieces of chorizo impose its flavour over the wonderful sauce, leaving it lost in the background.
One of today’s specials includes a curried lamb pasta. While the mild curry sauce blends perfectly with the lamb meat, I’m not sure that it works on noodles. I prefer to see this lovely sauce sitting on a bed of rice, where the rice’s sponging qualities can soak up the earthy essences. Here, the pasta simply cannot stand up to the strength of the sauce and cannot assimilate enough of it to assume its flavour. It’s a nice effort but I wouldn’t deviate from the staples.
Café Carlo has been around a long time and I’m sure they’ll be around a lot longer. They have a nice location and beautiful ambiance, but all of it is dwarfed by the quality of their food. In a city where new and chic restaurants open every week, it’s wise not to forget about the longstanding favourites. Don’t forget to visit Café Carlo.
****½ /5
This is a free product that I'm happy to bring to you. If you enjoyed reading this, please consider clicking on the accompanying ads. This is the only payment I receive for offering this public service. Thank you as always for reading.
243 Lilac Street
(204) 477-5544
info@cafecarlo.com
http://www.cafecarlo.com/
August, 2009
Café Carlo sits on Lilac Street, just a stone’s throw away from the heart of Corydon Avenue, although Carlo predates most of the restaurants on the Corydon strip. Open since 1989, this restaurant continues to maintain a reputation of serving some of the finest Californian-influence Italian food in Winnipeg. This small restaurant only seats about 50 people and without a patio, there isn’t anywhere for customers to overflow. The small size of the dining room also ensures that there’s consistent and considerable ambient noise. If you search for a quiet meal, you should probably look elsewhere (or pick an off-time). Although a bit loud, warm décor and the display gallery featuring local artists promote a cozy sense of comfort when you settle in your seat. Perched high above the gallery, a chalkboard advertises the daily features and house pours. Today’s wine specials include a tempranillo-garnacha blend that will pair with almost any pasta dish wonderfully. The vinho verde, the white wine of the day, acts as a welcome quencher on hot days. The folks at Carlo didn’t simply pick a few familiar names to suit everyone; a lot of thought went into the wines they offer and you should spend equal care in considering what should complement or contrast your dinner. If you’re not sure what to order, the knowledgeable staff can easily help you out. If you’re not a wine fan, Carlo offers a considerable and commendable beer selection.
The plain house bread tastes anything but plain. The deliciously crunchy crust houses pillowy-soft insides that yearn to soak up herbed butter or oil dip. The warmth of the bread shows off its freshness as steam rises from its innards. Don’t fill up on the bread though as the ensuing salad competes earnestly for your attention. The fresh red lettuce and crispy leeks blend perfectly into the remarkable dill-cucumber dressing. A sprinkling of olives finishes the salad. Olives have a very strong flavour and often, too many olives will dominate the flavour of the dish. Carlo adds just enough olives to bring a new dimension to the salad without taking over. The only thing I recommend is to add a bit more of the divine dressing—but perhaps it’s Carlo’s intent to leave you wanting just a bit more.
While Carlo changes its menu routinely, some staples persevere, and well they should. One of Carlo’s best known dishes, the Pen is a simple, time-tested serving of penne with spicy Italian sausage in a tomato sauce, topped with cheese. This dish however, tastes anything but simple. The penne is perfectly al dente, ready to be doused in the rich and complex sauce. The salty and sharp Romano cheese is the perfect covering on this successful rendition of a classic.
Carlo calls the Fett Chile their signature dish. This fettuccine selection combines chicken and chorizo with roasted peppers cashews. Although they call the dish “Chile,” only a touch of spiciness comes from the chilli-infused tomato-cream sauce. Those with an aversion to spicy foods need not shy away from this item. The generous lumps of chicken stand out among the pasta (often you find pitifully tiny pieces of chicken hopelessly lost in a mound of pasta), and the imposing chunks of chorizo dominate the serving. In fact, I suggest cutting down the size of the chorizo chunks; chorizo is a very strong and pungent sausage that easily takes over a dish. Carlo’s perfectly cooked, juicy pieces of chorizo impose its flavour over the wonderful sauce, leaving it lost in the background.
One of today’s specials includes a curried lamb pasta. While the mild curry sauce blends perfectly with the lamb meat, I’m not sure that it works on noodles. I prefer to see this lovely sauce sitting on a bed of rice, where the rice’s sponging qualities can soak up the earthy essences. Here, the pasta simply cannot stand up to the strength of the sauce and cannot assimilate enough of it to assume its flavour. It’s a nice effort but I wouldn’t deviate from the staples.
Café Carlo has been around a long time and I’m sure they’ll be around a lot longer. They have a nice location and beautiful ambiance, but all of it is dwarfed by the quality of their food. In a city where new and chic restaurants open every week, it’s wise not to forget about the longstanding favourites. Don’t forget to visit Café Carlo.
****½ /5
This is a free product that I'm happy to bring to you. If you enjoyed reading this, please consider clicking on the accompanying ads. This is the only payment I receive for offering this public service. Thank you as always for reading.
Café Carlo has always been one of our favourites, it's upscale without being pompous and the food is consistently good. Good review!
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