Woodfire Deli

Souris, MB

“Italian capicollo, local bacon, drunken mushrooms, mozzarella, finished with a garlic infused oil and fresh cracked pepper.”

Now look me in the eye and tell me you don’t want a slice of the Woodfire Deli’s Canuck Pizza.

Or how about the Farmhouse? The first bite of crust crumbles, crisp from being cooked on the stone surface of a wood-stoked oven, but yields a soft and indulgent interior.  Prosciutto and tomatoes sitting atop a seasoned tomato sauce, covered in mozzarella and the entire masterpiece topped off with a fresh crunch of spicy arugla dressed in a  garlic infused oil, with the addition of lemon and salt. Only the 700^oF of the oven stops you from reached right into the fire and helping yourself from this divine creation.

Real Food- the way it was intended. That is the bare bones of the philosophy of Steve and Elizabeth, co-owners of the Woodfire Deli in Souris, MB. Both native to Manitoba, Steve and Elizabeth had met at Clear Lake, a popular vacation spot both local and traveling tourists. They eventually ended up in Ontario, Steve completing studies in Audio Engineering which led to his own business in website and video production, and Elizabeth pursing a part-time Master’s degree in Waterloo.

While spending time in Toronto, the pair often visited local markets full of exquisite specialty foods and dreamed of being able to create something similar in their home province. Elizabeth had always been interested in people’s personal relationships with their food and began studies in Holistic Health Coaching. In this, she realized her true passion.

Both Steve and Elizabeth had plenty of experience working in restaurants as students, and Steve knew the ins and outs of starting up of a small business. The made the decision to take the plunge and began speaking to with many owners of small-scale food businesses, particularly with the owner of a wood-fired pizza restaurant and food truck.

After some time searching for a location, they fell in love with a beautiful, old, brick building constructed in 1902. In had been empty for a number of years and they spent 6 months renovating, with some help from Steve’s father and uncle. They imported an Italian, wood-fired oven and created a menu in-line with their attitude towards the enjoyment of quality food. They served their first pizza in Souris on April 7, 2014.

Since then, they have brought a talented, full-time, Red Seal chef, Tim Taylor, along with several other loyal staff into a dynamic and energetic team. The couple added the ParWest Drive In, a seasonal ice cream and burger take-away joint, to their business in the spring of 2015. They have enjoyed loyal support from their patrons and have quickly worked their way up to be voted one of the top restaurants in rural Manitoba.

“People want high quality food,” says Steve, “but they want it fast. We wanted to make slow food in a fast setting.” They have a focus on quality ingredients and work with De Luca’s, local farmers, Prairie Mills, and Prairie Rose Meats to obtain them. Sometimes, they receive hesitant reactions from customers when exotic ingredients have been introduced, but they stick to their guns. “We don’t serve cheese,” Steve says, “We serve provolone.”