BANFF SPRINGS RESTAURANTS FLOURISH
New culinary leadership aims to `help break the stigma of hotel restaurants'
What does a chef do with a property like the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel?
Running food services at a castle in the Rockies is no easy assignment. An executive chef has to balance the history of the building and the standard of luxury expected by guests with an ongoing need for modernization and an eye on how we collectively eat are changing. It's a big gig, and chef Atticus Garant, who took over the top kitchen job at the Springs about a year and a half ago, is now ensconced in his role and running at full stride.
An executive chef's position at a behemoth like the Springs involves a lot of vision, mentorship and managing of staff — it's more a steering of the ship than toiling in the scullery kind of a job. But Garant, who is originally from B.C. and has worked at Fairmont properties in Canada and the U.S., is clearly passionate about food and likes to pick up a knife or pan whenever he can. At a recent event, Garant led the kitchen through a special multicourse meal full of creative Latin American dishes that would give any high-end modern Mexican restaurant in the country a run for its money, eliciting obvious glee from the chef as he dropped each plate at the table.
“Part of why I'm here is to help break the stigma of hotel restaurants,” Garant says. “I oversee 250 people, so there are admin tasks, but if the executive chef can't cook, how do you inspire the next generation of cooks? I want to see all of my current leaders become executive chefs dispersed across the region.”
Garant's love of a wide range of cuisine is being felt throughout the hotel. In recent years, the Springs has systematically either updated or completely overhauled many of its restaurants, introducing the modernized Rundle Bar and the French brasserie-inspired Vermillion Room, the latter of which just introduced a new lunch menu. That heavy lifting was done before Garant's arrival and he's now working on reworking the venues' menus to best represent each individual concept and ensuring they meet dietary requirements ranging from vegan and gluten-free to grownup zero-proof drinks, while also bringing a consistent sense of energy to the hotel's eateries.
Also relatively new to the castle is Sam Clark, the regional manager of bars and mixology for Banff Springs and the Chateau Lake Louise. Originally from the U.K., Clark is a crackerjack behind the bar and has been working hard to bolster both hotels' signature cocktail programs. Hotel guests can partake in a Rundle Bar cocktail class to get to know the signature drinks of the Fairmont's mountain properties while picking up some key bartender tricks.
But it's not all about the Banff Springs. The hotel's many restaurants have continued to evolve, at least partially, to stay in line with the innovation of the exciting food scene in the Banff townsite. Once a sea of chains and mediocre restaurants, Banff continues to position itself as a destination for people who want to look at mountains as they eat fantastic food.
At the Juniper Hotel near the Mount Norquay turnoff, the Juniper Bistro recently launched a new dinner menu to bring its evening offerings to the same level as its wildly popular brunch items (the fry bread-based Juniper eggs benny topped with braised rabbit remains a delight). The restaurant brought in chef Paul Rogalski from Rouge in Calgary to help chef Catherine Bohn develop a revitalized menu full of shareable plates inspired by the elements outside.
The bulk of the menu is plantbased, with dishes like brussels sprouts dressed with birch syrup and toasted sesame seeds ($16) and squash ravioli with green juniper oil and walnut pesto ($23). There are also some meatier dishes, such as the pressed beef cheek with carrot purée and pickled onions ($42) and seared scallops with sweet corn purée, pork belly, and sea asparagus ($33). A new menu is about to launch, so look for new selections on your next trip to Banff. For more information, visit thejuniper.com.
In Calgary, congratulations to Rupert Garcia, chef de cuisine at the Palliser Hotel's Hawthorn Dining Room, who took home the top prize at the regional qualifier of the Canadian Culinary Championships on Nov. 2. Garcia competed against seven other chefs from Calgary and surrounding area and wowed a panel of judges (including yours truly) with a steelhead trout dish featuring several creative preparations. Jun Young Park of Sushi and Ryuko took the silver medal, with Shamir Bechara from Pat and Betty coming in third.
Garcia will advance to the national finals in Ottawa in early February.
What about the Indo-canadians, the Chinese Canadians? Do they feel left out? Or maybe your family comes from the Punjab or Pakistan — 74,000 of those guys were killed in the First World War.” R.H. Thomson, author, By the Ghost Light