Cornucopia

EPICUREAN DELIGHT Whistler’s popular Cornucopia returned for its 21st edition. A far cry from the days when we needed to be coaxed to Mount Olympic by lavish parties hosted by Bearfoot Bistro’s Andre

St. Jacques, the eleven-day, everything food and drink festival truly is a celebration of chefs, farmers, producers, wine makers, craft brewers and the culinary talent here in B.C. More than 100 events filled this year’s expansive schedule of events.

As always, Toptable Group’s Big Guns Dinner at Araxi, a fixture on the Cornucopia calendar, was a must attend. Food and wine enthusiasts fortunate enough to get a seat were treated to an exclusive preview of the firm’s soon-to-open Il Caminetto Italian Restaurant. Acquiring the mountainside restaurant from legendary restaurateur Umberto Menghi, Araxi executive chef James Walt will helm the iconic establishment, leaving his Araxi post of 20 years to

Quang Dang, most recently at West. The Four Seasons Hotel was another hot spot. The luxury resort invited star mixologist Mica Rousseau from their sister property in Mexico City to headline a series of cocktail focused events. Declared the World’s Best Bartender at the Diageo World Class competitions in 2016, Rousseau held a Mezcal Masterclass for drink enthusiasts before fronting a series of Après Parties at the resort’s Side Cut Modern Steak and Bar.

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler hosted Elevate TogetHER dinner, one of the festival’s blue-chip events. Led by Isabel Chung, Fairmont Hotel’s only female executive chef of some 75 properties worldwide, the collaborative fundraising dinner benefiting the Canadian Cancer Society featured the industry’s top female chefs, sommeliers and winemaker. Nicole Gomes, Top Chef Canada All-Stars winner, and

Melissa Craig of Bearfoot Bistro joined Chung and Quails Gate winemaker Nikki Callaway for the deeply personal wine-paired dinner.

All three chefs jumped at the opportunity to collaborate, elevate the profile of women in the industry, and pay homage to the people they love while raising funds for cancer research. Chung lost her mom to cancer, Gomes lost her uncle, and Craig’s stepdaughter Louise, on hand for the six-course culinary feast, is currently fighting the disease. Each chef oversaw two mouth-watering dishes, with a female apprentice sharing the spotlight, generating more than $10,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

From left, sommelier Jill Spoor, Quails Gate winemaker Nikki Callaway and sommelier Maryke Vandermarel were among those raising their glasses to all the women in the culinary world.

Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Isabel Chung, Top Chef Canada All-Stars Winner Nicole Gomes and Bearfoot Bistro’s Melissa Craig led the all-female collaborative wine paired charity dinner.

Chefs Brad Masciotra and James Walt gave guests a sneak peek of Toptable Group’s soon-toopen Il Caminetto Restaurant.

The Four Seasons Whistler brought in celebrity mixologist Mica Rousseau from their sister property in Mexico City.