Talented chef elevates Canmore food at 4296
Chef Blake Flann's creative cuisine pops at 4296
Three years ago, when Canmore's Blake Flann won the local heat of Gold Medal Plates (now known as Canada's Great Kitchen Party), he was, without a doubt, one of the most buzzed-about chefs in the province. Young and talented, Flann developed a reputation for a creative and, more importantly, delicious take on food, whipping up beautifully plated and delightfully playful dishes that contrasted with the elk and bison typically found in Bow Valley fine dining restaurants. But a little over two years ago, Flann parted ways with his flagship BLAKE and
PD3 restaurants (which are both still open, though he no longer is affiliated with either) and his devotees started to wonder what he was going to do next.
While many award-winning chefs would have taken the opportunity to try their luck in Toronto, Vancouver, or even Calgary, Flann did what few may have expected him to. He stayed in Canmore. After taking some time off, this summer Flann and his partner (in business and in life) Kale Mcivor opened 4296, a new spot hidden off Canmore's main street.
Lush and intimate, the space feels simultaneously opulent and casual, with just enough space for 30 or so seats and 12 more on a small patio, all spaced and separated to adhere to COVID-19 protocols. The plush banquettes and green accents don't read like a stereotypical mountain restaurant, which, despite Flann's dedication to staying in Canmore, is exactly what he wanted.
“I really wanted to focus on my food and make that the most important thing, which is hard with a really big space,” Flann says. “I wanted to make the restaurant a bit of a destination and to create something that Canmore doesn't already have.”
While Flann and Mcivor did intend the restaurant's name to be slightly cryptic, “4296” doesn't refer to the address: it's the elevation of the town of Canmore, meant to refer to the community they call home as well as Flann's “elevated” approach to food. And as anyone who has followed the chef will recognize, the food at 4296 is pure Flann — he likes to call his food “pop culture cuisine,” to highlight the liveliness of both presentation and flavour — and between the restaurant's small size and the chef's loyal following, he really can (and does) take the opportunity to play in the kitchen.
Flann is currently fixated on both Japanese and Creole flavours and is also challenging himself to provide a good selection of vegan dishes. He gets some wiggle room with a multiitem features menu that changes constantly, but he also has a more consistent menu of small, medium and large shareable plates.
It's destined to change with the seasons, but the current menu includes standouts like crispy eggs with yuzu kosho aioli ($13) and Hawaiian black salt, vegan “crab” rolls with hearts of palm, and wasabi guacamole ($21), Viet-cajun prawns with potatoes and Thai basil ($33), and a mezze plate with falafel and marinated roasted tomatoes ($36), plus a house-made replica of a Magnum ice cream bar with yuzu and strawberry for dessert ($16).
Cocktails are also a going concern (the “Banana Emoji” garnished with a torched banana marshmallow is an early fan favourite), as are local beers, an international selection of wines, and both cider and sake. It all feels young, fun, and far less stodgy than your typical higher-end restaurant, as well as a solidifica
tion of Flann's vision for the story he wants to tell with his food.
4296 is located at #3 - 626 Main Street in Canmore (it's a little tricky to find — it's at the back of the courtyard adjacent to the Grizzly Paw Pub and Where the Buffalo Roam) and can be reached at 403-688-4296 or fourtwoninesix.ca.
In other news, after six months of being closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pigeonhole has reopened, and it's reemerged as a slightly different bird. Founding chef Justin Leboe left the restaurant in January, so between that and the pandemic, it seems like as good a time as any for the Concorde Group to introduce a new look, rebrand and menu change. The new Pigeonhole is stripped-down and more casual, with an emphasis on boozy drinks and snacks.
The new menu is full of rich items that pair well with cocktails (though there is still a good wine list). Revellers can munch on items like wagyu beef tartare ($16), marinated tomatoes with labneh ($9) and burrata on toast ($16) as well as larger plates like chicken schnitzel in a mushroom cream sauce ($36) and ricotta gnocchi with Taber corn ($22). The cocktails include fun concoctions like a Dr. Pepper old-fashioned ($14) and a chocolate whisky milkshake ($15), as well as a list of shots and for truly serious drinkers, an absinthe fountain for two to four people ($60).
Pigeonhole is located at 306 17th Ave. S.W. and can be contacted at 403-452-4694 or pigeonholeyyc.ca.