Daily bite: Winnipeg's Chew gets new chef and a revamp

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Spring is officially here and change is in the air. Maybe not in terms of the weather for most parts of Canada, but at least for one Winnipeg chef's career.

Tyrone Welchinski, formerly the executive chef of popular sandwich spot, King and Bannatyne in Winnipeg's Exchange District has just made the move over to Chew. Located away from most of the restaurant-saturated neighbourhoods of the city, this bakery-meets-restaurant-meets-catering company may be a little bit of a drive to get to and perhaps not as "on the radar" as other eateries, but Winnipeggers have come to love it for its quality baking and approachable food.

The two owners, Kristen and Kyle Lew, are getting more involved in the catering side of the business and have become primarily hands off with both the Chew restaurant--letting Welchinski truly make it his own--as well as the bakery side, known as "The Store Next Door", which is run by Welchinski's wife, Cloe.

"I'll be taking the menu in a new direction, offering more shareable plates while building on Kristen and Kyle's reputation of supporting local farmers and producers," says Welchinski. "We have a lot of great ingredients here and you don't have to look far to find them. The idea is pretty simple: Cook the food that I want to eat in a space that feels like home and I hope our guests will feel the same."

Chew will close on April 29 for some mild renovations to give the dining room a more contemporary look before reopening on May 4 for dinner service.