The Spicy Radish

Whitemouth, MB

In this day and age, it is difficult for many young people to choose a lifelong profession straight out of high school, but not for Shannon Stebelko. Her university roommates can attest to her creativity and flair in the kitchen and a love of feeding the people around her has continued to grow into her very own restaurant, along with her fantastic team of loyal staff. It’s easy for the restaurant industry to take over your life but Shannon makes a very strong point of having a “family dinner” with her staff whenever they can.

“If we get really busy and don’t have time to sit down, we send people home with food,” Shannon said. “We don’t want our staff to go home hungry.”

A young woman with boundless energy, the Spicy Radish has a phenomenal fresh and familiar menu with local fare stuffed wherever it can fit. Shannon works with a market gardener to provide fresh produce for the restaurant from June into November and her signature coffee blend-available for purchase- is roasted in nearby Elma. She is very grateful for the fantastic community support the restaurant has received and promotes sustainability through recycling any food waste from the establishment into her parents’ garden as compost.

There is a certain customer that frequents a small town restaurant and Shannon likes to keep the menu familiar but with a little something extra. Food doesn’t have to be extraordinarily fancy and complex to be exquisite. Shannon takes a simple spinach salad and turns it into a delicious appetizer with mandarin slices, homemade creamy poppyseed dressing, and crisp, candied walnuts done in-house. The fresh, green crunch with a sweet, nutty undertone is deliciously refreshing and wholesome.

 

She leafs through old and well-worn recipe books as she shows me a recipe for a classic coconut cream pie- crisp, flaky pastry and smooth, cream filling topped with homemade whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes.

There is something peaceful about simplicity and trying to figure out what that extra flavour is in your chicken pot pie, homemade soup, or delectable dessert will keep you intrigued. It is amazing what Shannon can do with a few ingredients and even having the recipes in my hands and having the instructions right there in front of me, I know I can’t make it taste the same as it does at the Spicy Radish. Now that’s worth the drive.