Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 29, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29, 2025 ● ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: JILL WILSON 204-697-7018 ● ARTS@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ARTS ● LIFE SECTION C CONNECT WITH THE BEST ARTS AND LIFE COVERAGE IN MANITOBA ▼ A H, January. The coldest, darkest time of the year. A period ideal for hibernation, for staying indoors, for eating bowls of slop underneath piles of blankets while catching up on this year’s Best Picture nominees. And yet, there are many reasons to leave the house right now. The winter dining season is in full swing, with a growing number of local restaurants and all-season patios offering novel outdoor experiences — frostbite be damned. Winnipeg has always been a city defined by winter. Call it trauma bonding or communal identity, there’s a sense of camaraderie that comes with carrying on through months of drifting snow and biting windchill and scant sunlight. Our climate is a source of hard- earned civic pride, whether you like it or not. But it wasn’t until recently that Winnipeg started acting like a “winter city,” one in which the season isn’t merely tolerated, but celebrat- ed by wide swaths of the population. And by enticing diners out into the cold, intrepid restaurants have played an important role in that shift. Bundle up for a frosty tour of Winnipeg’s evolving winter dining scene. Raw:Almond Mandel Hitzer and Joe Kalturnyk were early adopters of cold-weather positivity. Much ado was made in January 2013 when the local chef and designer opened their first fine-dining pop-up at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. The Forks had recently created a world re- cord-breaking skating trail and its warming-hut competition was gathering steam. While the rivers were becoming a new winter hot spot, Raw:Almond was met with skepticism. Free Press coverage at the time questioned the hows, whys and economics of the concept. Who in this city of renowned cheapskates would spend $85 for a five-course meal in a glorified tent on a frozen sheet of ice? Hundreds of people, it turned out. Raw:Almond sold out every night of its inaugural 16-day run and has since become a seasonal local gem, attracting chefs, diners and acclaim from across the globe. The pop-up is on now until Feb. 16, with this year’s restaurant located in the greenspace east of Blue Cross Park. And despite tickets now sell- ing for nearly $300 a pop, most seatings are sold out. Cheap who? (Although you’d be forgiven for balking at those prices in this economy.) Visit raw-almond.org for more information. The Den Billed as “adventure dining,” The Den is the larger, colder, snowier cousin of Raw:Almond. Opened in St. Adolphe in 2023 by Clint Masse, owner of A Maze in Corn, this massive cave-like restaurant is carved from 500,000 pounds of packed snow with tables hewn from slabs of riv- er ice. While impressive, the natural materials also make the concept more finicky. The Den failed to open last winter, owing to lack of snow. It’s back this year, with nightly seatings Thursdays through Saturdays from Feb. 13 to March 15. Tickets are $244 per person for a five-course meal, cocktail, gratuity and optional entry to the onsite snow maze. The menu comes from chef Luc Jean of WOW Catering and includes warm flatbread, red cur- ry bisque, a salad with warm bacon vinaigrette, braised beef ribs and molten s’more cake — vegan and gluten-free versions available. Notice the heat radiating from those dishes? The interior of The Den is well-insulated from the elements, but, since heating isn’t an option, the ambient temperature remains below 0 C. Full outdoor attire is recommended. Visit thedenrestaurant.ca for reservations. Tickets must be paid in advance. EVA WASNEY RUTH BONNEVILLE / REE PRESS The Den in St. Adolphe is carved out of packed snow with tables made of river ice. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS This year, Raw:Almond pop-up restaurant is located on the riverbank across from Blue Cross Park on Waterfront Drive. THE CHILL IS GONE Winter dining options help Winnipeggers embrace the snowy season ● CONTINUED ON C3 Cultural groups celebrate the Year of the Snake REHEARSALS are in full swing at Great Wall Dance Academy as students, brows furrowed in concentration, perfect the intricate steps and graceful movements required of classical Chi- nese dance. Under the watchful eye of their teacher, Zimeng Liu, four groups refine their separate routines for the upcoming Lunar New Year cele- brations on Saturday, Feb. 8, at Club Regent Event Centre. “Preparations are progressing well. The performers are rehearsing regularly and we are focused on perfecting each routine to ensure a vibrant and meaningful performance,” says Liu, 29, a graduate of Beijing Dance Academy who has been teaching dance since 2017. The dancers at the Waverley Street academy are tackling both classical and folk dances, with each dance presenting different aspects of traditional Chinese culture. Ranging in age from four to 65 years, Liu’s older students will perform two classical pieces: Time, a piece exploring the passage of time, and Unwavering Love, which blends classical and modern dance elements, and one folk dance, Watching a Little Play. “Watching a Little Play is a lively and joyful folk dance with a rich, rural flavour,” Liu says. “Through humorous gestures and playful expres- sions, the performers vividly portray the fun of everyday life. “Accompanied by rhythmic drumbeats and cheerful melodies, this performance highlights the charm of northeast Chinese culture and also conveys a strong sense of community and warmth.” Dressed in vibrant costumes, the youngest members of the dance school, aged between four and 10, will take to the boards to perform The Red Chinese Knot. “This is a children’s dance full of innocence and festivity,” Liu explains. “The children use lively movements to depict the symbolic meaning of the Chinese knot — reunion, happiness and blessings. “With its joyful rhythm and energetic atmo- sphere, the dance represents the younger genera- tion’s love and inheritance of traditional culture.” Organized by Manitoba Great Wall Performing Arts, the Feb. 8 celebrations also feature perfor- mances by the Manitoba Chinese Choir, a piano and string quartet, and a zither recital. There will also be K-pop and hip-hop dances. “We started hosting the show in 2003. We invite performers from China as well as the rest of Can- ada,” says Gary Liu, president of the non-profit amateur cultural performance organization. “This year we will have a magician from Ottawa as well artists from Chengdu, China. AV KITCHING EVENT PREVIEW YEAR OF THE SNAKE 2025 LUNAR NEW YEAR SHOW ● Club Regent Event Centre, 1425 Regent Ave. ● Saturday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. ● Tickets start at $40 at the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural & Community Centre, 180 King St. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS A classical Chinese dance troupe rehearses at the Great Wall Dance Academy of Canada. ● CONTINUED ON C3 ;