Greek Serendipity

On my latest daytrip to Winnipeg I was actually undecided on where to go for dinner for a while, and I hadn't picked at least figure out a shortlist before my trip.  After a short drive down Osborne and Corydon I decided to give Kristina's on Corydon a try.  I didn't know what cuisine to expect there, but once indoors I discovered it was a Greek restaurant.  It was a small, cozy place, and, on that evening, it was nearly full of diners and abuzz with conversation and laughter.  The only visible indications that it was a Greek restaurant were all indoors with paintings of coastal Greek scenery along the tops of the walls, and two guitars and a mandolin hung on a wall, waiting to be played at any time, not to mention a fiery serving of saganaki at one point, with the flames shooting several feet into the air.

A cup-sized portion of Avgolemono topped with some freshly ground pepper.

I opted for a main course that included a choice of soup or salad, and I decided to choose a soup that intrigued me, Avgolemono, an egg-lemon soup. I initially didn't know what to expect as I'd never heard of this until that evening.  It turned out to be a creamy soup thanks to the egg that was smoothly mixed with the broth along with the starch of the rice.  The sourness of the lemon was evident, but, thankfully for my tastes, it wasn't overpowering.  The soup otherwise had no other significant flavours which can be married with sourness in many cuisines and foods such as spiciness or sweetness.  Also, because it wasn't a cream-based soup it was light in spite of the texture.

Greek Platter: spanakopita, moussaka, and chicken souvlaki.

For my main course I ordered the Greek Platter which featured three items: moussaka, chicken souvlaki and spanakopita.  Moussaka is basically an eggplant casserole-type dish, and Kristina's version consisted of eggplant, zucchini, potato, ground beef and bechamel sauce, all placed in layers before being baked.  I recall having spanakopitas years ago, and I was first beckoned to it thanks to the spinach filling.  Wrapped in phyllo pastry, the filling was the saltiest component of the dish likely thanks to the feta in the filling, but it was still at an acceptable level.  The phyllo was still light and crispy when it was served.  The chicken souvlaki was also nicely flavoured, and the homemade tzatziki was a refreshing counterbalance.  I also enjoyed the lemon potatoes, a vegetable dish associated with Greek cuisine.

Kristina's on Corydon was a nice little restaurant to bump into, and it made up for my earlier moment of indecision on where to go for dinner.  The maitre d' appeared to be in her element and definitely had customer service in mind, occasionally serving dishes at various tables (including mine) as well as chatting it up with some diners.  It was a pleasant and easy-going atmosphere, one that beckons a dining experience with company for sure.


Name: Kristina's on Corydon
Address: 761 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB
Cuisine: Greek
Price Range: Lunch $15-$45; Dinner $15-$60
Accessible:No