Date Night: The Current at the Forks Market

Last weekend with all the hub-bub from Christmas and New Year finally past and a few bucks in our bank account thanks to Darlene’s ever joyful mother Rose we were given explicit instructions to go out and enjoy a nice dinner somewhere we had never been before.  You see not only does Rose care very much for our well being but she is also a frequent reader of Exploring Winnipeg and Beyond and loves to live vicariously through our dining experiences that I chronicle here in my blog.

So after much hand wringing and wondering what we wanted to eat for our weekend out we decided on The Current located at the Inn at the Forks, a fairly recent addition to the Forks Market property.  Reservations were booked in a flash using the Open Table app on my phone and we got all fancied up for a well deserved night on the town.

The Current at the Inn at the Forks

When going out on assignment for my blog I try to catch the kitchen at it’s best, our reservations were for the first seating around 6 pm and when we arrived we were one of the first tables seated in the establishment. Excellent for me in the regard that I was unhampered in taking pictures of the room and menu without disturbing other diners in the process.

A view of the Forks Market from the Dining room

Our server Lee graciously went over the specials and the Prix Fixe (Set Price) dinner options for the evening.  Darlene opted for the Half Chicken cooked under a heated brick from the Prix Fixe menu and I was leaning towards the Lamb until Lee announced that the evening’s seafood special was a whole butter poached lobster.  SOLD!

More of the quiet dining room

Darlene and I sat and enjoyed the quiet ambiance of the room, it is actually a very beautiful setting for dinner dim lighting and a view of the Forks Market out the main window with people rushing about in the final moments of daylight. Lee appeared shortly after with an amuse bouche (mouth amuser) of lightly seared salmon perched on mango salad with a few drops of sriracha hot sauce on the side for the adventurous palate.

Salmon mango amuse bouche

The salmon was perfectly cooked, lightly seared and mixed well with the mango and sriracha sauce, even though my little bite tried to escape my fork and ended up on my lap before it got popped into my mouth.

Next Lee brought us the salad and soup course, I opted for a bib lettuce salad with a very nice red wine vinaigrette and Darlene chose the beet borscht soup with crème fraiche in place of the normal Winnipeg tradition of sour cream.

Bib lettuce salad

I found the salad to be expertly made and laid out but felt that it lacked a note of heartiness and could have used the addition of thinly sliced white button mushrooms in between the layers of lettuce to help build body.  Darlene offered me a tiny taste of her borscht before wolfing it down I can only assume that it was excellent.

Shredded beet borscht

Next on our dining adventure were the mains, my lobster with quinoa and mixed veggies was plated like it belonged in an art museum.  The delicate butter poached lobster topped deftly with a dressed micro-green mixture to add a note of freshness and acid to the dish.  The first bite of lobster was an epiphany of subtle cooking technique. The interplay of the acid from the greens with the smooth rich flesh of the lobster claw blended perfectly on my tongue.  The same however cannot be said of the quinoa.  To my mind it stuck out like a sore thumb, this wonder-grain added nothing in my mind to the dish.  Although it was wonderfully cooked it’s grainy texture and course flavor needed something more hearty to accompany it on the plate.

Butter poached lobster and micro-greens with quinoa and veggies

Darlene’s half chicken on the other hand was served with hearty mashed potatoes and the same asparagus and carrot medley that I received.  Everything seemed to make perfect sense, a simply cooked chicken served with properly cooked home-style ingredients.  Her chicken was properly seared, although to my mind could have been seasoned just a touch more.

Brick seared half chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies

With our bellies reaching a comfortable state of fullness Lee brought around the dessert menu for Darlene’s Prix Fixe meal.  After the richness of the chicken and lobster she decided upon a very nice cherry apple crumble with home made vanilla ice cream.

Cherry apple crumble with home made vanilla ice cream

All in all the experience was a fine one, the dining room is very upscale, the food is of exceptional quality and aside from a few small nit picks that I had was expertly prepared and delivered.  Our whole meal with one cocktail and after dinner coffee came to just over $100.  I had actually expected the meal for two to be in the $150 price range so the affordability came as a welcome surprise.

It’s not something that we do every weekend after all, so if you feel like a nice evening out with your best girl or sexy man do consider the Current at the Forks.  You may be pleasantly surprised!