69-A Main Street South
Carman, MB
Phone: (204) 745-2767
Email: ciaodownristorante@gmail.com
Reservations accepted
Sometimes you wonder why people bother to set up upscale restaurants in small towns. Sometimes you just shut up, eat and be thankful that they do.
On January 18th, the BAGz headed over to Carman to visit Ciao Down for supper. We've gotten a bit spoiled by some of the places we've visited and have come to have somewhat high expectations. This makes it difficult for us to choose places, because none of us wants to pick something substandard. Ciao Down, however, was no worry. It met and exceeded our expectations for excellent food, appealing decor and friendly, attentive service.
Ciao Down is a bit bigger than you think when you first arrive. The restaurant is laid out as a series of cozy rooms, each with about 5-8 tables. The decor is trendy and modern, giving homage to classic black and white films. We began with drinks (it is a fully licenced establishment) and appetizers of White Wine Mussels and Garlic Cheese Bread. The mussels were heavenly -- cooked perfectly tender in a broth of wine, basil, tomato and red onion, and served with bread which was perfect for sopping up the flavourful broth. The Garlic Cheese Bread was also very well done. It was not overly salty like so many restaurant garlic breads can tend to be, and was served with a fresh tomato and oregano dipping sauce.
Caesar salads and house salads followed. Both were very well prepared with fresh parmesan and herbs and well-balanced dressings. For entrées, we ordered the Atlantic Cod, the Lasagna and the Sausage Rosé, as well as one of the specials of the evening, BBQ Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Mushrooms. It is interesting to note that the menu offers a selection of "add ons" -- extra toppings or ingredients that you can add, for a small extra charge, to any dish. This makes the menu nearly endless in variety.
The Atlantic Cod was ordered with potatoes, which were pan roasted and tender, well-carmelized and flavourful -- definitely not your average potato. The cod itself was flaky and tender, married perfectly with a white wine lemon sauce with tomato and onions. The BBQ pork was ordered with pasta which came with a tasty fresh tomato sauce. The pork was cooked beautifully and very flavourful, as was the sauce. The pork and cod also came with carrots as the vegetable. One wouldn't usually mention such a humble vegetable, but they were cooked crisp-tender and seasoned with a hint of orange and perhaps honey, making for a lovely side dish.
The Lasagna and the Sausage Rosé were both excellent examples of perfectly cooked pasta dishes. The lasagna was rich and flavourful, but not heavy and the sausage rosé was silky with just enough spiciness to keep it interesting and going back for bite after bite. We finished with the dessert of the day, a refreshing lemon blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting.
We all agreed we would be returning to Ciao Down again. It certainly makes taking a trip to Carman worthwhile, not just for the food, but also for the friendly attentive service and easy-going, relaxed atmosphere. Ciao Down is easily located on the main drag, and there is plenty of off street parking. We recommend that the next time you think you'll just be driving through Carman, plan to be driving through around lunch or supper time. You will not be disappointed in the detour.
Email: ciaodownristorante@gmail.com
Reservations accepted
Sometimes you wonder why people bother to set up upscale restaurants in small towns. Sometimes you just shut up, eat and be thankful that they do.
On January 18th, the BAGz headed over to Carman to visit Ciao Down for supper. We've gotten a bit spoiled by some of the places we've visited and have come to have somewhat high expectations. This makes it difficult for us to choose places, because none of us wants to pick something substandard. Ciao Down, however, was no worry. It met and exceeded our expectations for excellent food, appealing decor and friendly, attentive service.
Ciao Down is a bit bigger than you think when you first arrive. The restaurant is laid out as a series of cozy rooms, each with about 5-8 tables. The decor is trendy and modern, giving homage to classic black and white films. We began with drinks (it is a fully licenced establishment) and appetizers of White Wine Mussels and Garlic Cheese Bread. The mussels were heavenly -- cooked perfectly tender in a broth of wine, basil, tomato and red onion, and served with bread which was perfect for sopping up the flavourful broth. The Garlic Cheese Bread was also very well done. It was not overly salty like so many restaurant garlic breads can tend to be, and was served with a fresh tomato and oregano dipping sauce. 
Caesar salads and house salads followed. Both were very well prepared with fresh parmesan and herbs and well-balanced dressings. For entrées, we ordered the Atlantic Cod, the Lasagna and the Sausage Rosé, as well as one of the specials of the evening, BBQ Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Mushrooms. It is interesting to note that the menu offers a selection of "add ons" -- extra toppings or ingredients that you can add, for a small extra charge, to any dish. This makes the menu nearly endless in variety.
The Atlantic Cod was ordered with potatoes, which were pan roasted and tender, well-carmelized and flavourful -- definitely not your average potato. The cod itself was flaky and tender, married perfectly with a white wine lemon sauce with tomato and onions. The BBQ pork was ordered with pasta which came with a tasty fresh tomato sauce. The pork was cooked beautifully and very flavourful, as was the sauce. The pork and cod also came with carrots as the vegetable. One wouldn't usually mention such a humble vegetable, but they were cooked crisp-tender and seasoned with a hint of orange and perhaps honey, making for a lovely side dish.
The Lasagna and the Sausage Rosé were both excellent examples of perfectly cooked pasta dishes. The lasagna was rich and flavourful, but not heavy and the sausage rosé was silky with just enough spiciness to keep it interesting and going back for bite after bite. We finished with the dessert of the day, a refreshing lemon blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting.
We all agreed we would be returning to Ciao Down again. It certainly makes taking a trip to Carman worthwhile, not just for the food, but also for the friendly attentive service and easy-going, relaxed atmosphere. Ciao Down is easily located on the main drag, and there is plenty of off street parking. We recommend that the next time you think you'll just be driving through Carman, plan to be driving through around lunch or supper time. You will not be disappointed in the detour.
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