Their coffee was the first outstanding feature of the meal. It was enough to “make a non-coffee drinker drink coffee!” says one breakfaster. Agreed all around.

Aside from the large coffee cups, there was a pleasing theme of red going on with the red melamine table, red matching chairs, red homemade jam (in a bowl!) and red cherry tomatoes on our plates.

The breakfast was served and I was in shock. The plate was so beautiful I didn’t want to touch it, but little could I resist.  The eggs were wonderful, and I got yolks that were clustered-together nicely. The toast was decent rye, the bacon came in four tasty pieces but the real winner was the sausage. Scrumptious Italian sausage instead of questionable breakfast links.

Black Sheep is raising the bar for sure. Last but certainly not least, the potatoes were (and I hate using this term) heavenly. More pan-fried than hash-browned (ok with me!), they were garnished, spiced and a little bit hot. Not hot enough for me, so I tossed on some of their Chetty’s hot sauce which made it nice and tingly.

I didn’t need a drop of their squeeze-bottled ketchup to enhance this meal at all. The hot sauce is just a given for me.

On top of the kitschy décor, the personable staff and the fantastic food was the incredible music. Not one displeasurable top-40 track hit our ears. Rather, they have a stack of records for patrons to choose from with Tom Waits topping the pile. Today they played CD’s on random and came across such favourites as Johnny Cash and Sufjan Stevens, not to mention the innumerable songs that I recognized and loved but couldn’t name to save my life. I love when that happens in a restaurant.

Can’t think of a single reason why this place shouldn’t be a 10. Our first 10 for the breakfast special. The Fort Garry also warranted a 10 but for completely different reasons and criteria.

I’m going to come back again and again, and next time I’m going to try the bison burger.

That’s it. Muffins. Maybe somebody had the munchies something fierce.

According to Angela, the police nailed up the plywood themselves, and then charged her for it.

The art on the walls is a big part of the restaurant. The Black Sheep is actually a venue for art openings according to Angela. Though poorly-advertised, the displays are changed every three months. Angela hopes that the restaurant will become more of an attraction for the art alone.

Congratulations again on being named “Best Breakfast of 2008!”

One difference is that this time I got the sausages which I was informed were from the Harvest Moon society (http://harvestmoonfood.ca/). They were delicious! Once again, Black Sheep demonstrated their dedication to serving locally-grown food.

We presented Black Sheep with a snappy certificate and a t-shirt for their awesomeness. Afterwards, we sat down with owner Angela Forget (pronounced “Phor-Jay”) for a chat.

The Black Sheep Diner opened on January 6 2008. Angela lives in the West End and saw the opportunity to finally open her own restaurant - a dream she’s had since she was 10 - in the location of an old pharmacy, neé Thai restaurant.

Her favourite meal is breakfast, so it was obvious what she would do with the space once she acquired it. Her plans for the future include taking over the whole building which would mean having a patio and second floor.

Having a restaurant in the West End of Winnipeg presents some challenges. In late ’08 there was a break-in. Thieves broke a window, climbed through, and stole eight muffins.

French Toast!

Leif and Andrew present Angela Forget with the award for Best Winnipeg Breakfast of 2008

(and a special gold ink shirt).

Click on photo to enlarge.

January 18 2009

Black Sheep Diner

540 Ellice Avenue

204 925 4334

Hours of operation:

Monday    Closed

Tuesday - Friday  8 AM - 3 PM

Sat & Sun – 9:30 AM - 2 PM

Red-Eye Breakfast (Before 10 AM)  $5.50

Choose Your Own Breakfast adventure - $6.50

Both with coffee included.

Presenting: The Breakfast Connoisseur’s pick for Best Breakfast of 2008!

When we reviewed Black Sheep back in February 2008, they were a fledgling breakfast joint that had yet to really catch on. Since then they’ve caught on, garnering media coverage by the Winnipeg Free Press and CBC. There is also a healthy clientele from the University of Winnipeg.

Their food is outstanding. Our original review still stands, so read it below for lots of enthusiastic “MMmmmm” sounds translated into words.

The Black Sheep Diner

February 20 2008

540 Ellice Ave.

The Black Sheep Diner deserves its name. It’s a singular restaurant in Winnipeg that stands out of the crowd tremendously. All the other restaurants would hate it if they weren’t so likable. In a nutshell, the Black Sheep has the best breakfast we’ve eaten during these reviews.

First off, it’s student-friendly. The diner is a two-minute walk down Ellice from the University of Winnipeg’s doors. This may not be a bonus so much for others who read this, but for all the Breakfast Connoisseurs, it’s fantastic.

The place is owned and operated by super cool people who believe in a chill atmosphere without sacrificing the hard work they put into cooking.

The diner may be small in stature, but the kitschy décor more than makes up for it. There was more kitsch on our table than at the last 15 restaurants we’ve been to altogether. Original pieces of art on the walls and live plants spread about represent the restaurant’s genuine nature very well. They try for organic, locally grown food whenever they can.