NCC Press Event

This past Monday, the National Capital Commission (NCC) held a press event to announce this year’s Taste of Winterlude, a festival I once  dubbed Ottawa’s response to Toronto’s Winterlicious.

We arrived late. The press event was wrapping up. The speakers, members of the NCC’s Media Relations team including Guy Laflamme, were a quarter way through their highlights of 2011′s Taste of Winterlude “Dining Experiences.” There was a video camera in the room and several reporters from the CBC on hand (each with handheld recording devices).

My companion Claire (@gadgetgirl_ca), a wine blogger, and I would find seats near fellow Ottawa food blogger and friend, Shari (@whisk_food_blog) of Whisk: A Food Blog. We would also sit with the founder of the food blog aggregator TheFood.ca, Marc-André Plouffe. I waved at Ottawa Citizen‘s food editor Ron Eade and former food columnist Gay Cook who were standing nearby.

The next day, Eade and the Food editor of the Ottawa Magazine, Shawna Wagman, would release blog posts, both highlighting the impending visit of Montreal’s vaunted chef/owner of Au Pied de Cochon. Chef Martin Picard will “recreate his famous gourmet sugar shack” during February 4, 2011′s “Dining Experience Event” at the Museum of Civilization. This event will mark the opening of Winterlude, the National Capital Region’s winter festival that runs for 3 weeks every February. Dinner will culminate in a fireworks display.

Chef Picard goes by “The Wild Chef” on Food Network Canada. He is often referred to as a culinary hedonist. For Anthony Bourdain fans, it was at Chef Picard’s restaurant the Travel channel’s No Reservations host was brought to his knees by savoury excess. An older episode, Chef Picard’s multi-course omakase-style meal showcased dishes he is now famous for: foie poutine, duck-in-a-can (canard en conserve), and an incredibly rich take on one of the fattiest dishes in French cuisine, cassoulet.

Eade and Wagman’s posts would develop some buzz around Chef Picard’s upcoming visit. Both also mentioned how the format of the Taste of Winterlude has changed. Instead of having prixe fixe menus that encourage Ottawans to try new restaurants during what is typically a slower period of the year, the NCC has organized a series of culinary events. The events, according to the media release, are “exclusive culinary happenings” that “celebrate the creativity and talent of some of Canada’s top chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers.”

Between Claire and I, we saw some standout events.

• There is the “Introduction to Indian Cuisine” by the East India Company on February 1, 2011 (cost: $45/person for demo and wine-paired dinner).
• Fashionistas may be interested in the “Fare and Flare” event at the Arc: The Hotel on February 18, 2011(cost: $65/person).
• Chef Derek Benitz’s “East to West – A Culinary Journey Across Canada” at his eponymous bistro on February 10, 2011 caught my eye (cost: $65/person for 5 courses with wine pairings).
• Parents may be interested in “Chocolate Painting with Miss Chocolat” (a Gatineau-based chocolatier) on February 4, 2011 (cost: $22/child)
• We puzzled a bit about the “Let’s Get Loud: Motorhead Dinner” at Atelier, we knowing full well how creative Chef/owner Marc Lepine and his kitchen (looking at you Chef Sarah Allen!) can be (Cost $160/person for a 12 course blind tasting).
• We marveled at the “Dueling Sommeliers – A Food and Wine Pairing Showdown” at Play Food and Wine. It matches Steven Beckta against Grayson McDiarmid in a teacher vs. student style competition. Executive Chef Michael Moffat will prepare a complex four course menu for McDiarmid and Beckta to pair wines with. Attendees decide how well the sommeliers chose the wines (Cost: $100/person for 4 courses, paired with 10 wines).
• Our friends at C’est Bon Cooking will be offering tours of the ByWard Market every Saturday starting January 29, 2011 and ending February 19, 2011 (cost: $49/person). We suggest participants dress warmly!

While there is more of a range of events organized that include restaurants across Ottawa, in Chelsea and in Gatineau, I am left to wonder about the lack of prixe fixe menus. Many of the events cost more than $100/person, topping out in a $300/person package at the Cordon Bleu. Going the culinary event route will likely not attract the same attention as last year, especially from locals. It may even evoke some consternation as fellow Ottawa food blogger Jodi (@simplyfresh) of Simply Fresh Ottawa blogs. She raises some valid points. Are these events meant to attract culinary tourism? Well, some of us travel to Toronto to try new restaurants because of the prix-fixe menus offered during Winterlicious and Summerlicious.

I understand prixe-fixe menus stress kitchen staff because of the repetitive nature of the paired down and value-consious dishes served and the high intensity of increased table turnover, but did last year’s Taste of Winterlude not translate into exposure or new relationships with local patrons?

That said, and Chef Picard’s visit aside, the National Capital Region’s culinary scene has a lot to offer. The organized events demonstrate such. Many are well worth the ticket price.

Tickets/reservations went on sale to the general public yesterday. Click here for more information.

The press event, being held at the Cordon Bleu @ Signatures, tasked Chef Armando Biasis, a master carver, with carving a Santa statue during the press event from a new block of ice.

Chef Armando Biasis and Guy Laflamme

Light refreshments and coffee were served.

Particulars:
Le Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures
453 Laurier Avenue East
(613) 236-2433

PRESS RELEASE: Taste of Winterlude:
UNIQUE Fine dining experiences in Canada’s capital region

Canada’s Capital Region ¾ The National Capital Commission (NCC) and American Express would like to invite residents and visitors to experience Taste of Winterlude and discover the many flavours of Canada’s Capital Region.

From January 28 to February 21, 2010 some of the best local restaurants will be offering exclusive prix-fixe menus, fine dining experiences, wine pairings and other culinary delights.

As of Saturday, December 5, 2009, food and wine enthusiasts will be able to register for Taste of Winterlude’s fine dining experiences – a great holiday gift idea for foodies and wine lovers. Restaurants create unique dining events that feature chefs, sommeliers or winemakers. These multi-course dinner concepts featuring wine pairings with each course and many culinary delights are the perfect opportunity to warm up to Winterlude, to gather up some first-rate company and savour the long winter nights. Please consult the enclosed listing which provides the details for all of the very different experiences on the menu.

Taste of Winterlude is presented by American Express in collaboration with the National Capital Commission. This program showcases, for the fifth year, some of the region’s top restaurants while providing great value to consumers, and aims to entice residents and visitors to dine out during January and February, and enjoy Winterlude activities.

Members of the public who would like to register or offer a fine dining experience as the perfect Christmas gift, may call 613-715-9399 or email events@groovygrapes.com. American Express Cardmembers can go to the Front Of The Line to book early reservations for the fine dining experience, from November 30 to December 4, 2009. For more information on these special events, please visit the NCC’s website at Winterlude.gc.ca/taste.