Ciao Aug/Sep 2019 Ciao_Aug-Sep2019_Digital | Page 10

inthekitchen team spirit GOODFOODMANITOBA 2 restaurant of the year : Marion Street Eatery 0 1 9 Ciao! magazine’s annual awards for producer, retailer and restaurant of the year celebrate the creative use of and dedication to local ingredients. by Jessie Schmidtke Step through a door inside The Marion Hotel, and a whole new world opens up. Marion Street Eatery, the cozy neighbourhood café that staked out a sunny corner inside the hotel five years ago, has earned a dedicated crowd of fans and regulars. Here, cheery staff welcome guests like old friends; its the kind of place where early risers sit with coffee and a newspaper, and friends slow brunch all afternoon. Country-cute antique chairs and buffed wood floors play off the space’s dark leather booths and exposed brick pillars. Quirky messages like “Eat yourself happy!” or “Roam, but always come home” decorate the walls. So what’s the secret to its popularity? “The hands of many, many people make this place work,” says owner Laneil Smith. It’s a telling answer, one that reveals this young owner’s commitment to creating a safe and positive environment for her team to flourish. Ciao! magazine is devoted to the best in local food. But local- mindedness extends beyond using regional ingredients. For supporting its community and investing in the future generation 8 ciao! /aug/sep / two thousand nineteen