I was enjoying a nice vacation on the East Coast when I read chef Michael Blackie’s congratulatory Facebook post on Gold Medal Plates. I was thrilled to hear the news.
For those of you unfamiliar with the culinary competition, the Gold Medal Plates is an annual Canadian culinary competition that takes place regionally in each city and then finalizes in one major city to crown the Gold medal plate winner. Each regional competition is comprised of several local kitchens preparing one compelling dish each – paired with a red or white wine of their choice – for several hundred diners who are there to be wow’ed. A panel of regional judges, including last year’s regional gold medal chef, arrange to privately critique the dishes on several culinary levels to achieve first, second and third place winners.
Of course, this is all in the name of charity. Proceeds from the Gold Medal Plates are given to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to “assist Canada’s athletes in becoming ambassadors for sport, healthy living and the pursuit of excellence across the nation”. Here, Canada’s Olympic and aparalympic athletes share their stories.
Back in November 2011 Ottawa bronze, silver and gold medal winners were Les Fougeres’s Charles Part, Zen Kitchen’s Caroline Ishii and Atelier’s Marc Lepine, respectively. Chef Marc Lepine packed his bags and headed for the great white….West to compete in the National competition in Kelowna BC.
Congratulations to our own Chef Marc Lepine for bringing home gold with his Quadra Island Scallops with potatoes, Truffle, Chanterelle, Chorizo and Lemon paired with Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2009.
Congratulations also goes to silver place winner (world renowned) Rob Feenie from Cactus Club Restaurants in Vancouver, and bronze place winner Jean-Phillipe St-Denis from Kitchen Gallerie Poisson in Montreal.
