Wildebeest Hosts Guest Chef Dinner with Ron McKinlay of Canoe on April 8

WILDEBEEST EXECUTIVE CHEF IAN MCHALE WELCOMES RON MCKINLAY OF TORONTO’S CANOE FOR ONE-NIGHT-ONLY COLLABORATIVE DINNER ON APRIL 8

Wildebeest X Canoe Collaboration Sees Pedigreed Chefs Trade Talents, Courses During Event Showcasing Wild, Local Ingredients

Wildebeest Executive Chef Ian McHale will reunite with a like-minded culinary colleague who shares his philosophy of incorporating locally sourced, seasonal ingredients when he welcomes Chef de Cuisine Ron McKinlay of Toronto’s critically acclaimed Canoe for a collaborative dinner at the Gastown hotspot on Monday, April 8.

First opened in 1995 and widely considered to be one of the country’s top fine-dining destinations, Canoe is renowned for its adventurous approach to contemporary Canadian cuisine and has earned numerous industry awards and accolades, including the No. 18 ranking on the 2018 list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants and the No. 9 spot on the 2018 edition of Toronto Life magazine’s Top 100 Best Restaurants list.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the Wildebeest X Canoe dinner will see McHale and McKinlay trade talents and courses during a multi-course feast that spotlights their signature nose-to-tail sensibilities in dishes that include cattail pollen bannock, Quebec red stag tartare, Thiessen Farm quail, West Coast sea urchins and Peace Country lamb loin.

A limited number of tickets to the one-night-only dinner are available for $99 per person plus tax and gratuity. Guests can opt to enhance their meal with wine pairings selected by Wildebeest Wine Director Christina Hartigan or with a variety of zero-proof cocktails created by Bar Manager Alex Black.

McHale began his culinary career in his home state of Maryland before hopping the pond to hone his skills at the five-star Merrion Hotel and the Michelin-starred Chapter One Restaurant in Dublin, Ireland. Since 2016, he has been a fixture in the Wildebeest kitchen, where he takes great pride in nurturing the restaurant’s close relationships with a host of local farmers, butchers and foragers and developing menus that change with the seasons.

Originally from Vancouver, McKinlay served as the opening sous chef at Abigail’s Party before globetrotting to Scotland to train under Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin. He later moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he opened Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and helmed kitchens at Estelle Bar and Kitchen and Saint Crispin. After a stop as chef de cuisine at the Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort in Oman, Ron returned to Vancouver where he briefly worked on the line at Wildebeest with McHale before joining the team at Toronto’s critically acclaimed Canoe.

WILDEBEEST X CANOE COLLABORATIVE DINNER MENU
— $99 per person plus tax and gratuity —
wine or non-alcoholic cocktail pairings available for an additional charge— Welcome Snack —Wildebeest: Jerusalem Artichoke
guanciale, wild garlic, thymeCanoe: Cattail Pollen Bannock
Tamworth pork lardo, carp roe emulsion, pine pollen catkin vinaigrette— Starters —

Canoe: Quebec Red Stag Tartare (cold)
evergreen cured and roasted leg, foie parfait, charred Brussels sprouts,
charcoal and immature wild juniper

Wildebeest: Thiessen Farm Quail (hot)
grand fir, charred leek, house mustard, nasturtium

— Fish Course —

Canoe: West Coast Sea Urchins
vermouth veloute, Haida Gwaii bull kelp, pine-cured bottarga, caramelized bonito custard

— Main Course —

Wildebeest: Peace Country Lamb Loin
spruce tip, evergreen huckleberry, foraged herbs

— Dessert —

Canoe: Tarragon

Wildebeest: Preserved Plum
buttermilk & barley ganache, smoked boar brioche ice cream,
malt shortbread, Okanagan plum

“I’ve long been a fan of Ron’s reputation for incorporating wild and seasonally inspired ingredients that reflect Canada’s rich and diverse landscape into his menus,” says McHale. “It’s a huge thrill for me to be able to collaborate with him on this one-of-a-kind dinner and give our guests a taste of the very best that this country has to offer.”

TICKETS
Tickets to the Wildebeest x Canoe Dinner on Monday, April 8 may be purchased online at wildebeest.ca/events. As both chefs pride themselves on placing a premium on the availability and seasonality of all ingredients, the dinner menu is subject to slight changes.

For more information about Wildebeest, go to wildebeest.ca become a fan of /wildebeestyvr on Facebook and follow @WildebeestYVR on Twitter and Instagram Wildebeest also offers private dining spaces available to be booked for evening and weekend events. For more information, enquiries, and pricing for private functions, call 604-687-6880 or email eat@nullwildebeest.ca

ABOUT WILDEBEEST | Located in a refurbished 19th-century building in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Gastown district, Wildebeest offers decadent yet simple country cooking in a multi-level space that features a cocktail bar and lounge, open-concept kitchen, warm and inviting dining room with banquette seating and an intimate ‘Underbelly’ private dining room. Employing classic butchery traditions and contemporary techniques, Chef Ian McHale and the culinary team work closely with nearby farms and suppliers to develop delicious menus that change with the seasons. Dishes are paired with a diverse selection of Old- and New-World wines and a carefully crafted, award-winning cocktail list for a truly unforgettable dining experience.

Facebook: wildebeestyvr Instagram: @wildebeestYVR Twitter: @WildebeestYVR

ABOUT CANOE | Connecting people to place through contemporary Canadian cuisine, Canoe crafts inspired dishes reflective of our country’s diverse landscape, history and culture. Our chefs work closely with farmers and suppliers to source the finest ingredients from across the nation. With over 20 years of culinary history, Canoe continues to challenge creative boundaries in the spirit of celebrating Canada and its distinct provinces.

66 Wellington St. West, TD Bank Tower, 54th Floor, Toronto, ON M5K 1H6 | Lunch Mon – Fri 11:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Dinner Mon – Fri 5 -10:30 p.m. | 416-364-0054 | canoerestaurant.com

Facebook: canoetoronto | Instagram: @canoerestaurant