|
|
|
February 9th, 2008
Amour? Mais oui, mon cher
by Marion Warhaft, Winnipeg Free Press
|
BISTRO 7 1/4 -- modern,
sophisticated, noisy and small, with
closely packed tables -- is typical of
many more contemporary Parisian bistros.
And here, too, the menu fosters a
feeling of France.
There are no oysters on the menu,
although apparently they do turn up as
sometime specials. However there was
foie gras, also available in a variety
of styles -- ours were, again, simply
sauteed and served with twists of toast,
and again no more than a couple of small
bites apiece ($16).
The menu is particularly strong on
appetizers, many of which can be
combined to make a delicious meal. I was
looking forward to the roasted marrow
bones ($9) -- a childhood favourite that
I never thought I'd find locally, and,
as it happened, eventually didn't, since
the kitchen had run out of them. But
there was compensation in the terrific
gratin of salt cod brandade, tucked into
a little cup and topped by a poached
egg, and in the savoury duck confit with
wild mushrooms and arugula ($11 each).
And there's always a big bowlful of
juicy mussels ($9). You can have them
with beer, bacon and cheddar chorizos
with saffron and green peas; or fennel,
leeks and Pernod, among others; or, as
we did, in their most traditional form,
with tomato, white wine and garlic. All
come with wonderful skinny fries and a
house-made mayonnaise to dip them in.
For entrees we choose two classic
French dishes -- a bountiful
bouillabaise with assorted seafood in a
fennel and saffron broth ($25), and a
robust cassoulet with duck confit, lamb
sausage and Berkshire pork belly ($23),
both delicious. Other options include
grilled wild sockeye salmon with
gnocchi-like gnudi ($19), braised beef
short ribs with garlic mashed potatoes
and spinach ($21) and sour cherry duck
breast with potato croquettes and wilted
greens ($23).
Whatever else, save room for one of
the glorious desserts, many (bless them)
available in half portions. Among them,
a lemon tart with fresh berries, dulce
de leche gelato with espresso dark
chocolate sauce and almond-orange
shortbread, and the incredible espresso
chocolate cake with kahlua ganache ($6
to $7 for full orders). |
|
|
Fall 2007
Pure Canada
In their "Inside Guide" column, Pure Magazine featured Bistro 7
1/4 as your Winnipeg dining destination. Here is what they had
to say:
With his playful take on French cuisine, chef Alexander Svenne
turns the tables on classic dishes as Bistro 7 1/4. Sample
the grilled salmon on a chowder of corn, bacon and potatoes.
Other must-try plates include the pumpkin ravioli and the
moules et frites, all dressed up in a saffron, vermouth and
mustard broth.
March 28th 2007
Pig with a Pedigree
by Wendy Burke, Winnipeg Free Press
When I tried a morsel of marinated, but
otherwise unadorned, slow-cooked pork belly at the restaurant I
found myself licking the juice off my hand - not just because I
didn't have a napkin handy. It was just really, really good.
November 28th 2006
Revisiting Mouth-Watering Memories
by Marion Warhaft, Winnipeg Free Press
|
I love writing about the past year’s
highlights. It’s all positive, and I get
to remind readers — and myself — about
the pleasures to be found in several new
restaurants, pleasures they may have
forgotten about since reading the
original reviews.
BISTRO 7 1/4 was
my favourite new restaurant of the year,
illustrating the fact that a restaurant
can add up to more than the sum of its
stars — four of them, in this case, and,
as it happens, a rating not to be
sneezed at. I liked the bistro ambiance
and the French accent on much of the
food, and especially chef Alexander
Svenne’s competence and ambition; to
wit, his resolve not to carve his menus
in stone, resting on the laurels of a
never-changing repertoire, but expanding
it to include ever more interesting
dishes. Moreover, at a time when most
upper-scale dinners for two routinely
top $100, the prices are moderate for
the quality, with most entrees priced
from $18 to $21.
Some of the stars were chicken
livers with caramelized onions, grilled
salmon with baby potatoes, and strudel
layered with asparagus, gruyère and
pecans. My favourite rillettes have been
dropped, but recent additions include
two other surefire keys to my heart,
i.e. a beef tongue appetizer (it took
courage to add that one) and the
cassoulet of beans with pork belly,
sausage and duck confit. Desserts are
memorable, and they deserve a medal for
offering them in half portions. 725
Osborne St., 777-2525. |
|
|
November 2006
Where to Eat Next: Winnipeg
enRoute Magazine
The open kitchen surrounded by bar stools
is a fun theatrical design element that we want to see more of –
hey, it keeps the kitchen on its toes. A solid menu based on Italian
and French traditions informs the bistro-style menu, from rabbit
ragout with papardelle to salade niçoise.
June 23rd 2006
Seven 1/4 Equals Four out of Five
by Marion Warhaft, Winnipeg Free Press
IF black is fashion's eternal standard,
Seven 1/4 is unquestionably this year's
black. It's the place Winnipeggers are
talking about, and few new restaurants have
generated so much curiosity and comment, at
least in my e-mail. It confirms my long-held
belief that what this town has always needed
was more French-style bistros.
They write to report on their own
experiences, or to ask about mine. And if
more proof were needed of their interest,
just try to get a last-minute reservation
for the weekend -- the space is quite small,
and on one recent Saturday night there was a
lineup at the entrance that stretched almost
into the street.
It's a charming place, a true bistro
with a stylish minimalist decor and an open
kitchen in the middle of the room, where
those seated at the bar can watch Chef
Alexander Svenne at work. Unfortunately,
high decibel levels also seem to be a trend,
and if you plan on having an intimate
conversation try for a table in the front of
the room instead of the rear. It can be
pretty loud in front too, but it's
relatively more tranquil; also brighter,
with big windows overlooking the street.
The menu is bistro style too,
generally if not always classically French.
You can start with such a fine old
number as pork rillettes -- savoury potted
pork with its traditional garnish of
cornichons, i.e. vinegar-pickled gherkins
($7). Or with luscious chicken livers
braised in dark ale with onions and smoky
little chunks of bacon ($8). Or with a
bowlful of mussels steamed with tomato,
garlic and white wine ($6). For $1 more at
lunch, $1.25 at dinner, you can have the
mussels with mushrooms, blue cheese and
cream, or fennel, leek and Pernod, as well
as with the most marvellous, skinniest
squiggles of frites possible.
The mussels were plumper and firmer on
a second visit than they had been on my
first. Shrimp, on the other hand were
unredeemably flabby and flavourless on two
tries, once, as an appetizer cooked with
mushrooms and peppers ($12), another time as
an ill-conceived entree in which they were
blanketed with onions and tomatoes and
poured over vegetable pancakes -- a
mis-match in flavours, and committing the
added sin of turning the pancakes soggy ($11
at lunch, $17 at dinner).
But disappointments were few and
mostly minor, and added to Seven 1/4's
attractions is the availability at lunch of
some of the dinner entrees, at remarkable
reductions. Two were standouts: the
delicious green pea fettuccine with seared
scallops, peas and prosciutto -- $17 at
dinner, an unbelievable $9 at lunch; and the
equally fine grilled salmon with baby
potatoes and braised leeks -- $19 at dinner,
$11 at lunch.
One of the best dinner-only entrees
sampled was a flaky strudel layered with
asparagus, gruyere and pecans ($16). Grilled
lamb chops were tender, albeit slightly
overdone and underseasoned ($12), and beef
short ribs braised in brown ale with onions
were also acceptable, although the flavours
of the meat and the luscious sauce didn't
quite fuse ($18).
Garnishes varied with each entree.
With the strudel, white beans au gratin and
minted snap peas; with the lamb, sautéed
asparagus and tomato confiture; with the
short ribs, wilted spinach; but also with
the last two, alas, dry, grilled polenta.
With everything, wonderfully crusty
baguettes and a little saucer of fruity
olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Other unsampled main-course
possibilities include sauteed pork
tenderloin with bacon and artichoke hearts,
pan-fried halibut with asparagus and wild
rice, pan-roasted duck breast with goat
cheese gnocchi, and such straightforward
dishes as a ribeye steak with frites (sold
by the ounce) and roast chicken with
potatoes and spring vegetables. At lunch
there are as well sandwiches and panini ($7
to $8), among them a delicious chicken
remoulade filling with capers and cornichons.
Desserts are not only delicious but
many of them come in half sizes as well -- a
blessing in these days of overkill servings
($5 to $6 for full sizes, $3 to $4 for
halves). Among them such glories as hazelnut
praline and chocolate dacquoise, dark
chocolate sour cherry torte, chestnut creme
brulee with pear and cranberry compote,
lemon tart with fresh berries, and pound
cake with fried bananas and ice cream. For
more austere types there's also a cheese and
fruit board.
The wine list is well selected, with
many available by the glass, and this is one
of the few places I've found that takes
advantage of the wise new law that permits
diners to take home an unfinished bottle.
Service is impeccable -- deft, attentive
without being intrusive, and thoroughly
knowledgeable about all the food and wines.
May 4th 2006
Superior Bistro 7 1/4 is a Winning Number
by Discreet Diner, Winnipeg Sun
With
the exposed kitchen situated in the centre of the restaurant, almost
every table can experience its sizzles and smells. Suede-covered
stools at the kitchen counter allow diners to watch the chefs in
action — it’s like being in the audience of a cooking show.
|
