Dine, unwind & indulge: Whistler offers more than mountains
In Whistler, the action is just as hot off the slopes as on. With more than 200 shops and stores, a dozen spas, 100 restaurants, and some of the liveliest nightspots in the nation, Whistler is attracting visitors who never even strap on skis or a snowboard.
Chefs and farmers collaborate
Whistler's close proximity to Pemberton, a fertile farming valley 25 minutes north, has made it easy for chefs to work with local farmers to create dishes that feature spectacular local ingredients. Executive Chef James Walt of Araxi lives in Pemberton and stops by North Arm Farm on most work days in the spring and summer to pick up fresh produce. The farm is operated by Jordan Sturdy - a past production executive in the fashion industry and current Paramedic, professional ski patroller at Whistler Blackcomb, and Mayor of Pemberton. July 2009, Jordan collaborated with James to deliver Outstanding in the Field - a unique culinary event providing guests with a tour of the farm, a five-course dinner with wine pairings, and table guests that include the farmer, chef, winemaker and other local food artisans associated with the meal. Chef Vincent Stufano of The Fairmont Chateau Whistler also works closely with Jordan, and their joint "Chef's Trip to the Farm" event is a sell-out every year at Cornucopia - Whistler's annual Celebration of Wine and Food.
Gastronomically Speaking
Whistler has earned an international reputation for delivering exceptional culinary experiences. More and more of the resort's award winning restaurants are working hand-in-hand with local farmers to deliver the freshest food options paired with some of the best wines in the world (which, by the way are right here in British Columbia). The annual Slow Food Cycle Sunday in Pemberton, held every August is a unique back-to-the-land bike ride through the nearby farm community of Pemberton where riders engage with local producers and taste the best of what the land has to offer. Feast of the Mountains, also held in August, is a wandering gourmet picnic providing visitors the unique chance to mingle with some of B.C.'s great chefs, vintners, brewer's farmers and food artisans.
Chef Melissa Craig serves up Gold Medal Plates
In an industry traditionally dominated by men, it's a tasty find to discover that one of the country's hottest chefs is breaking the mold. Melissa Craig, Executive Chef of renowned Bearfoot Bistro, is just such a discovery. Not only is she young, inventive, driven and a natural leader, but she's got a whole lotta hardware to back it up. Indeed, Craig has had her spatula in the national spotlight since the inception of her career. Following her education at the renowned Culinary Arts Program of Malaspina University College in British Columbia, Craig went on to win the annual National Apprentice Competition - no small task, considering she was just 20 years old at the time (Craig's win also marked the first time the title was awarded to a female chef). Fast forward a few years and a few apprenticeships later, and Chef Craig added another first to her recipe book, this time when she snatched gold at the 2008 Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships in Toronto. Noted as the most prestigious culinary event in Canada, this gruelling three-day contest included a black box competition, a mystery wine pairing, and a grand finale wine-pairing event. Today, Craig commands a team of 20 in the open and electrifying show kitchen of the Bearfoot Bistro, creating thoroughly modern Canadian menus with west coast flair. And with a kitchen set right in the heart of Whistler, a host site for the 2010 Winter Games, Chef Craig is poised to serve up a bounty of medal-worthy dishes, sure to tempt powderhounds and celebrities alike.
Hell's Kitchen hopefuls vie for position at Araxi in Whistler
During summer 2009 another HOT reality series chose to showcase Whistler, British Columbia. The resort and its popular award-winning Araxi Restaurant featured on FOX'S "HELL'S KITCHEN" starring Chef Gordon Ramsay. The famous Chef paid a secret visit to Whistler in January 2009 to film a teaser for this season's grand prize: the opportunity to receive a Head Chef position at Araxi in Whistler, joining Executive Chef James Walt in welcoming the world during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In October, Araxi hosted the final four contestants at a season finale viewing party where Dave Levey was named the winner. Dave commenced working in the Araxi kitchen in January 2010.
The airing of Hell's Kitchen follows another popular reality series, The Bachelorette, which aired a two-hour Whistler episode in June 2009 to nearly 11 million viewers.
www.araxi.com
Aboriginal cuisine showcased at Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Located on six forested acres along Fitzsimmons Creek, the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) provides visitors with the unique opportunity to explore the heritage and living culture of the Squamish and Lil'wat First Nations. This includes tasting some exceptional First Nations cuisine. The SLCC joined forces with Four Seasons Resort Whistler, to offer a brilliant menu created by the resort's Executive Chef Scott Thomas Dolbee and his team. Using the finest local ingredients, many of them inspired by traditional Squamish and Lil'wat foods, the culinary team creates a spectacular dining experience that can be customized for groups. Some unique menu items include: Bannock, Wild Boar Bacon, Caribou Sausage, Soapallallie Berry Juice, Bison Jerky and Oolichan.
Eating in Whistler is sampling the culinary creations of Canada's top chefs
Skiers like to eat, and Whistler boasts some of the best food artisans within Canada. Although the population of Whistler is only 10,000, the Village has over 90 eateries and is home to some of the best chefs in the country.
In a profession traditionally dominated by men, Melissa Craig, the award-winning executive chef of the Bearfoot Bistro, is a rarity. And, she's just 29 years old! In 2008 she was named the winner of the Gold Medal Plates' Canadian Culinary Championships - arguably the most prestigious culinary event in Canada. Passionate, driven, and undeniably talented, Craig is a B.C. girl whose career began in the Culinary Arts Program of Malaspina University College on Vancouver Island. Her menu features the very finest wild and cultivated products paired with wines from the Bearfoot's 16,000 bottle wine cellar.
Recognized by Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper as ‘one of the top seven chefs in the country shaping the nation,' James Walt is executive chef at Araxi Restaurant. Walt creates compelling regional cuisine based on local, sustainable ingredients. His impressive culinary career includes stints at some of British Columbia's leading restaurants, as well as an appointment as executive chef to the Canadian Embassy in Rome, a post that significantly influenced the way he cooks today. He has also been invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City three times, the first and only chef in Whistler to receive such an invitation.
Scott Thomas Dolbee, executive chef of Four Seasons Resort Whistler, might best be described as ‘a cook's chef'. Unlike most occupying his culinary echelon, Dolbee never studied at a cooking school. Instead, at 18, he joined a hotel restaurant in his hometown of Los Angeles and began learning the art from fellow line cooks. What he missed in class, Dolbee gained in hands-on experience. Appointed to Four Seasons Resort Whistler in early 2008, Dolbee has brought California cool and boundless possibility to the Four Seasons' Fifty-Two 80 Bistro. Rather than transplant California cuisine to the Coast Mountains, Dolbee draws influences from around the world and from his own backyard. He drew inspiration from First Nations culture to create a menu for Whistler's Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, which includes items such as caribou tacos, bison carpaccio, Dungeness crab cakes and wild rice pancakes.
Chef/owner of the Rimrock Café, Rolf Gunther is a long-time Whistlerite. His formal training includes Hotel and Restaurant Management in Heidelberg, Germany as well as culinary training in Germany's Black Forest region. His experience has taken him from Switzerland to Holland to various leading establishments in Canada. Specializing in fish and game, Rolf Gunther and his team at the Rimrock have cemented themselves as firm favourites with locals and visitors to Whistler.
Originally from Montreal, Fairmont Chateau Whistler executive chef Vincent Stufano studied culinary arts at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, where he developed a unique style and flair. Over the years, Stufano has worked under influential leaders of the Canadian culinary profession, who helped shape his style. His culinary philosophy reflects the growing trend towards a healthier and down-to-earth lifestyle and diet. Stufano works with neighboring farmers to seek out the finest in regional and local organic produce.
Pemberton's organic potato vodka distillery
In the lush Pemberton Valley just north of Whistler, home-grown wonders don't just flourish in the fields. Here's a taste: add ice to a short glass and pour Pemberton Distillery's maiden production, Schramm Vodka. The region's first and only ultra-premium potato vodka crafted from Across the Creek Organics farm produce, the spirit splashes into glasses, courtesy of the Schramm brothers - Tyler, Jonathan and Jake. For the brothers, two local ingredients proved key to bottling this liquid treasure: premium potatoes from farmland dubbed "Spud Valley" and the endless stream of glacial waters sourced from mountain creeks. It was Tyler, armed with a Masters in Brewing and Distilling from the prestigious Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, that hand-distilled the Schramm's first crop of potatoes in early 2009; family members followed by hand-bottling Pemberton Distillery's first robust taste of the valley. The result? A smooth mouth-feel and a richness characterized by the area's raw ingredients. And with the operation's own tasting room slated to open onsite this fall, visitors and locals alike can settle in for a taste that is distinctly spirited. www.schrammvodka.com
Secrets of a Hell’s Kitchen revealed in new Araxi cookbook
The secrets of Araxi's award-winning kitchen are revealed in executive chef James Walt's new cookbook, Araxi: Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant. The Gordon Ramsay-acclaimed book, published by Douglas & McIntyre, shares over 100 recipes from the 20-year-old restaurant, just awarded its tenth consecutive ‘Best of' Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine, and ninth consecutive Gold medal for Best Whistler restaurant in the Vancouver Magazine restaurant awards. The book also takes readers on a tour of the Pemberton Valley, where Chef Walt and his colleagues pastry chef Aaron Heath and sous-chef John Ferris all live, the better to source local organic produce. The winner of last season's Hell's Kitchen reality TV show was awarded a head chef position under Chef Walt during the 2010 Winter Games.
www.araxi.com