CHEF ADAM DONNELLY is known for creating contemporary Spanish and Basque-style dishes. In 2022, he and his partner, Courtney Molaro, opened Petit Socco, an intimate restaurant with a seasonally inspired menu, in Winnipeg. The award-winning chef offers his recommendations for the best of the city’s culinary scene.

What do you love about Manitoba’s food culture?

It’s still relatively new, which is exciting. People in the community are interested in coming out and supporting independent restaurants. It’s kind of like a DIY scene and it has a lot of charm because of that.

What are some local dishes or ingredients that excite you?

Smoked goldeye comes to mind right away. Manitoba has many lakes and goldeye is such a beautiful freshwater fish.

Do you have a favourite coffee shop in Winnipeg?

It’s hard to choose a favourite. I like to go to Never Better Coffee during my days off. Little Sister Coffee Maker is a wonderful place where I go with my kids every Sunday. Parlour Coffee was the first kind of new wave coffee shop that came to Winnipeg about 12 years ago. It easily has the best espresso in the city.

Where should visitors dine and drink in Winnipeg?

For drinks, Ellement Wine + Spirits, which has mostly low-intervention, natural wines—very light and fresh. Enoteca is run by one of my friends and it’s a beautiful French-style restaurant—really small and intimate as well. Deer + Almond in the Exchange District for a night out in Winnipeg or a special occasion.

Describe the perfect way to spend a well-deserved day off work

After grabbing some coffee, I would walk down to BMC Market. It’s one of my favourite places for some simple, yet beautiful, tacos. And then for dinner, The Forks is a great place to hang out, and then we would grab a pizza at Red Ember Common. It’s owned by another friend who used to work for me at my last restaurant, Segovia.