Hotel Arts played host to the 2nd Annual Chef Meets BC Grape event on May 10, 2018, welcoming more than 30 BC wineries featuring 125 wines to pair alongside small plates prepared by twelve of Calgary’s top chefs and renowned local restaurants including Anju, Deane House, Foreign Concept, Oxbow, Provision, Raw Bar, River Café, Teatro, Shokunin, Thomsons, Two Penny and Yellow Door Bistro. This sold out event saw participants competing for top awards in three categories: Best Small Plate; Best Wine & Food Pairing; People’s Choice. Winners were selected based on a blind tasting by a judging panel of wine and culinary experts.
Chef Katarina Edwards from the Yellow Door Bistro won Best Small Plate which received rave reviews from the judges. Her winning dish: Preserved Okanagan Cherry “Bear & The Flower” Pork Head Cheese, Braised Pork Belly and Cherry Mustard Sauce paired with 2014 Tinhorn Creek Syrah.
Raw Bar Chef Peter Paiva won the award for Best Wine and Food Pairing. Event emcee and wine writer Brad Royale commented that he could sit on a patio all day and eat this delicious pairing. His winning Dish: Puffed Shrimp & BC Dungeness Crab Fritter, Rhubarb Nouc Cham, Poplar Bluff Carrot & Apple Slaw paired with 2017 Road 13 Vineyards Rosé.
The People’s Choice Award went to our neighbours (and Hotel Arts’ Alumni) Duncan Ly and Jinhee Lee from Foreign Concept for their Tofino Dungeness Crab Tortellini with Blush Lane Tomatoes, Cherry Pit Rhubarb and a Hot & Sour Broth.
The talented team from Oxbow at Kensington Riverside Inn also prepared a delicious and very popular dish. Oxbow Chef Rupert Garcia’s dish: Puffed Alberta Barley Crusted BC Halibut, Spring Radish, English Pea & Chili Lime Aioli paired with 2016 Noble Ridge Pinot Gris.
Thanks to all the talented chefs who prepared amazing dishes paired with delicious BC Wines.
To learn more about BC Wines and perhaps to plan your next escape, please visit https://winebc.com/discover-bc-wine-country/.
