You could order regular café fare like burgers and fries at this pleasant new Pembina Highway spot, but why not try some of the really good Persian dishes?
Breakfast choices at Next Stop Café include a proper fry-up of eggs, bacon, cocktail sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, and toast. But there’s also a lovely, loosely constructed Iranian omelet with feta, dill, and turmeric, or a version made with mashed, spiced tomatoes and garnished with black olives.
Options for sides include hash browns, either cubed or shredded. Absolutely try the shredded — they’re like short, crisp little shoestring fries. Coffee is full-bodied.
For later in the day, there are burgers, sandwiches, and wraps, but also a thick and comforting lamb and lentil soup or a Port-style sausage baguette, an Iranian street-food favorite in which slices of sausage are layered with tomatoes, onions, pickles, and a tomatoey, chili-spiced sauce. Sides include Persian cup corn, another tasty street food staple, in which corn niblets are blended with a creamy sauce and melty cheese.
Drinks and ice cream treats are a whole thing here. There are fresh fruit and vegetable juices — the refreshing watermelon is especially nice if you’re eating something spicy — and show-stopping specialties such as Majoon, a milky drink made with dates and bananas, flavored with honey and cinnamon and garnished with strips of chopped pistachios and flaked coconut. Fabulous.
A super-thick pistachio shake is also good, and a non-dairy smoothie whipped up with sour cherries and pomegranate is just gorgeously intense and tart.
The décor is homey, and the service is friendly and efficient. And here’s a nifty feature: There’s a little doodad on your table where you can press a button to call your server.
COVID-19 protocols for in-house dining are tight — including your very own bottle of hand sanitizer at the table — and you can also get delivery through DoorDash.
By: Alison Gillmor
Posted: 10/8/2020 4:00 AM
Winnipeg free press
