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Style Manitoba - Published Summer 2008

Swanky Spot for Gourmet Delights

Boasting sustainable raised meats, fresh ingredients, and unique preparations, it's no wonder Luxsolé dishes out some of the city's best urban regional cuisine. And now, with its new and neighbouring Luxalune Gastropub, add the swankiest spot for gourmet snacks and billiard gaming to their cuisine coups.

At the restaurant, we take shelter in a cozy atrium abuzz with funky music and sparkling evening chatter. A suggested snifter of syrupy Navan, Grand Marnier's vanilla-accented version of traditional cognac, is a sweet start. Sporting a trio of ruby red maraschino cherries, Lychee Martini refreshes with its crisp swirl of soho liqueur, vodka and quenching lychee juice.

Inside the record-jacketed menu, Luxsolé's tantalizing tapas promise tailspins for taste buds. Coconut Prawns feature split butterfly-style jumbo prawns skewered and coated with golden coconut shavings. Plump and juicy, this deceptively simple nibble wows, especially when dipped in sweet peanut sauce. And tangy is signature Berkshire Hawaiian Pizza, a soft crusted 'n saucy little number decked out in Spanish onion, red pepper, thick mozzarella cheese, chunky pineapple salsa, and succulent morsels of smoked Berkshire pork.

Entrées - Moroccan Spiced Braised Lamb and Cedar-roasted West Coast Salmon - offer a touch of exotic drama. Served with garlic potato mash and seasonal vegetables, the Moroccan delicately fuses a bouquet of coriander, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, thyme and fresh orange juice with hearty chunks of Manitoba lamb, fresh tomato, and dried apricot, raisin and cranberry. The "Rusty Tractor" wine pairing, a 2002 Californian Yulupa Shiraz, splashes the palate with peppery plum, clove, and raspberry.

Plated on cedar planks, the salmon makes a big statement. Crusted with creamy horseradish, topped with cilantro-accented roasted red pepper and accompanied with fluffy wild rice pilaf, these fillets delight the senses with woody aroma, deep-sea saltiness, and rich texture. Amber Yellow Tractor Australian Chardonnay Semillon 2005 complements with bright luscious fruit and soft honey.

Dessert poses serious temptation. We go hardcore with a thick Turtle Cheesecake slice. Seductively layering buttery cookie crust, smooth caramel-infused cream cheese, and dense walnut sprinkled chocolate ganache, only a frothy cappuccino and a decadent specialty coffee blend of Bailey's, Kahlua, and Frangelico are bold enough to wash down these buxom bites.

Luxsolé Restaurant & Tapas Lounge
726 Osborne Street South