ARAXI THE PINNACLE OF WHISTLER FINE DINING

WHEN WALKING THROUGH THE DOORS OF ARAXI, ONE CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL A WARM SENSE OF WELCOME. FROM THE SOFTLY LIT CEILINGS TO THE WARM EARTHY TONES OF THE DECOR, THE PLEASANT SETTING IS SECONDARY ONLY TO THE SMILES SEEN ON ALL THE STAFF FROM THE GREETING HOSTESS TO THE CHEF BUSY WORKING AT THEIR SIGNATURE RAW BAR. FOR OVER 30 YEARS THIS RESTAURANT HAS SET THE BAR FOR CULINARY CULTURE IN WHISTLER AND HAS EARNED AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR ITS EXCELLENCE IN FOOD, WINE AND HOSPITALITY. HAVING BEEN RECOGNISED IN THE “TOP 50 CANADA’S BEST RESTAURANTS” BY MACLEAN’S MAGAZINE, 2012, ARAXI EXEMPLIFIES WHISTLER FINE DINING. Farm to table is now a common theme in high- end restaurants, an initiative that Executive Chef James Walt has promoted in the Araxi kitchen since his arrival in 1997. Walt has built strong relationships with Pemberton’s farming and ranching community, where he sources the majority of his ingredients. “We have a big focus on locally sourced, farm- to- table ingredients from Pemberton, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland,” says Araxi restaurant director Neil Henderson. “The menu is seasonally derived as well; once something is out of season from the local area, then it goes off the menu.” The culmination of this relationship is evident with Araxi’s Longtable Series, a four- course al fresco dining experience with up to 170 guests seated at one continuous table. The farmers that provide Araxi’s ingredients are usually in attendance and will showcase their product for guests to sample. Afterwards, the farmers sit down with the guests and enjoy their products prepared by the team of chefs. This summer there are already three Longtable dinners confirmed that will be held in Lost Lake Park in Whistler, North Arm Farm in Pemberton, and a yet to be determined venue in Vancouver. “It shows the direct relationship that we have with the farmers and the synergy we have with the farms,” says Henderson. “We don’t just use their products at the Longtable dinners; they are used every day in the restaurant. We spend all this time bringing the farm to the restaurant; this time we’ve taken the table and the restaurant to the farm.” Such a memorable dining experience would not be complete without exquisite wines to pair. For every Longtable dinner, Araxi’s wine director Samantha Rahn orchestrates exclusive tastings and pairings from a regional wine list. Rahn received the 2013 award for Sommelier of the Year in Western Canada at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. This is the first time the award has been given to a sommelier outside of Vancouver. She conducts weekly wine seminars for her staff at Araxi – five of which are qualified sommeliers themselves - to keep everyone engaged and up to date on the latest labels. Only she is familiar with the selection of all 1100 varieties, but all staff is educated in the various regions and able to navigate the wine list with absolute confidence. So how does one receive the full dining experience that Araxi has to offer? “By our guests letting us guide them,” says Henderson. “By asking us to describe the menu and all the possibilities we can achieve with the menu, we are able to suggest dishes and combinations as well as wine pairings according to the intensities of the wine and the season.” During the summer months Araxi opens its patio for full- service lunch and dinner and on the weekends for brunch. The cocktail

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