Serving it up
Summerfest Taste Pavilion will have plenty of sizzle
The annual appetizer for Summerfest food has become an event unto itself.
Twenty-three of the participating cafes and restaurants signed up for the Summerfest Taste Pavilion set up a sneak peek of their upcoming delights and let some of Summerfest’s top supporters come have a look, and a smell, and a touch, and most especially a taste of what’s in store.
“Thank you to these amazing chefs who are here today,” said Colleen Van Mook, executive director of Downtown Prince George. “We have amazing people in our community who want our downtown to be great.”
One of the most effective weapons in the fight for a vibrant, renewed, uplifted downtown is food. Summerfest is a family event full of entertainment, kids’ activities, artistic expression, full-spectrum fellowship, and the main ingredient in that positive gathering is the culinary festival that anchors the annual extravaganza.
“It’s a great way to give our business some profile, and let the community know that we are a part of the downtown even though our location is not down there,” said Nate Coole, proprietor of the Westwood Pub, which had some of its classic menu offerings at the preview event held Wednesday at the Coast Inn of the North’s ballroom.
Not far away was the Cowboy Ranch offering its own samples, and again they are not located in the downtown. Events co-ordinator Helen Villeneuve said this was something their kitchen was looking forward to.
“Smoked meat is our thing, we have our own in-house smoker,” said Villeneuve as she speared a couple of brisket cubes on a shish kebab stick. “These were smoked for 14 hours and marinated for 24 hours before that.”
There were delectable drinks, frozen treats, sumptuous desserts, curries, meats, greens, and many other delicacies on offer.
It was a gratifying scene for Eoin Foley, co-proprietor of Nancy O’s Pub, one of the founding restaurants of the Summerfest preview event.
“We always use this event to take a look at what works and what doesn’t. We know that comfort food is what people want in these small samples,” Foley said. “These are always miniature versions of what we serve in the restaurant, but we sit down about two months out to start brainstorming what we are going to do for this event.”
Foley is more than a restaurateur, he is also the president of DPG’s executive board. As has gone the Summerfest event, so too has the food industry gone in the past several years. He has had a front row seat.
“The Prince George restaurant scene, especially downtown, has exploded in the last few years,” he said. “It’s brought a great vibe to the downtown, because everything is so different and within easy walking distance, so people move around and do different things at different times of day. That’s the best part. It’s a great way to spend a night out.”
The main event, Summerfest 2018, happens on July 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Canada Games Plaza.
These are always miniature versions of what we serve in the restaurant, but we sit down about two months out to start brainstorming what we are going to do for this event.
— Eoin Foley, Nancy O’s Pub