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• A vegan oasis

Winnipeg has a beautiful, diverse restaurant scene. In 2016, though, I can count the city's vegan restaurants on the fingers of one hand. Which explains my giddy delight at finding Verde ('Green' in Italian) a few days after it opened in July. This little Wolseley café focuses on fresh, affordable, super-nutritious food, prepared with love, before your eyes. Juices, smoothies, bowls and salads, plus a handful of snack/dessert items which are prepared in advance and wrapped to go. All but one (served with Greek yogurt) are vegan. I ordered the Green Me Up, and chatted with one of the owners, Giorgo (pronounced Yor'go), as he made it. It's a bowl with a green smoothie base (avocado, bananas, berries, spinach, kale, almond butter, flax, cashew milk) topped with granola, berries, hemp seed, coconut and sliced strawberries. My friend laughed at my moans of pleasure while I ate it. Simply delicious! Verde is clearly a labour of love with these guys. The elegant butcher-block-style bar was made by hand and finished with food-grade oils, every food item is nutrient-dense and scratch-made, and Giorgo and his partner Rob source as much as they can from local farmers. The place has a cozy, clean, organic feel, from white beehive-tile backsplash to the hardwood and neon 'Juice' sign. Sweet spot to dine in, but if you're short on time, everything can be made to take away (compostable containers? Check.) In short: Can't wait to go back.