A Capital Affair

IMAGINE HAVING A meal dining in one of the best restaurants in Vancouver, then doing the same in Edmonton. Then Calgary, and Saskatoon, Ottawa, Toronto… all across the country. Even better, imagine twelve first-rate chefs turning up on your doorstep and cooking just for you. That's what happened to me when the Canadian Culinary Championships moved from its former home in Kelowna, BC, to Ottawa.

You will learn more about that fabulous feast in this issue as Ottawa's CCC judge Anne DesBrisay describes the three-day event. I was lucky enough to taste all the Wine Pairing and Grand Finale dishes, and to watch the excitement of the Black Box competition. The talent on display was truly awe inspiring and there can be no doubt that Canadian chefs are among the best in the world.

There are exciting things happening on the culinary scene in Quebec

City too, as both Anne and our Travel Editor Susie Ellison discovered during recent visits. Read in the following pages about the restaurants that are finding inspiration in the boreal forests and rivers of the province.

This issue takes us to Nashville, currently one of the hottest dining destinations in the US, and for a complete change of pace, we visit a Wisconsin lakeside retreat. Foraging further afield, we travel to Adelaide for the Fringe Festival and hunt some terrific bouillabaisse in Marseilles. Nathan Fong makes some interesting observations about changes taking place in Cuba and Elyse Glickman experiences the ultimate luxury on board a Swiss train.

I hope you'll enjoy our inspiring Spring issue.