Chef Brian Tesolin Appointed to Executive Chef Role
The Courtney Room refines its farm-fresh approach by promoting Tesolin
to lead the kitchen team
With deep relationships with local farmers and a commitment to allowing Vancouver Island produce and flavours to shine, Chef Brian Tesolin has been promoted to the role of executive chef at Victoria’s The Courtney Room.
After two years with the team, Tesolin has helped curate one of the city’s leading dining experiences, crafting menus that speak to Vancouver Island cuisine, driven by seasonal produce from local farms and shorelines.
“I am proud of what I’ve helped to create here at The Courtney Room and now I have the chance to hone it,” says Tesolin. “We are all custodians of the produce that grows on Vancouver Island’s farms, in its fields and under its oceans. As chefs we need to honour the hard work of our farmers and producers by creating something that guests can’t wait to eat.”
With experience spanning some of the country’s most respected kitchens, including Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver and Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa in Ontario, Tesolin’s passion for local food was inspired by both his grandfather who was an award-winning urban farmer, and his father, an avid and talented gardener.
Since opening in 2018, The Courtney Room’s relationships with local farmers have always been at the forefront of its approach. From free-run eggs from Littlest Acre Organics, seasonal vegetables from Square Root Organic Farm and local seafood from Finest at Sea, Vancouver Island’s fresh bounty drives all elements of the restaurant’s kitchen and bar program.
The Courtney Room’s take out menu, offered since the start of the pandemic, is being expanded while indoor dining is paused in British Columbia. South Vancouver Island residents should watch for more house-made pasta dishes, lamb merguez and increased local seafood options. The restaurant’s popular Date Night In menu ($110 + tax, six shared courses and a bottle of wine) will also be updated with new seasonal dishes, celebrating the very best of Vancouver Island.
About The Courtney Room
Old world meets new at The Courtney Room in Victoria, B.C., voted #10 in the 2018 Canada’s Best New Restaurant Awards, included in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2019 and a finalist for Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards 2020. An extension of The Magnolia Hotel & Spa’s award-winning boutique hotel experience, The Courtney Room is a modern dining space where locals and visitors alike can enjoy genuine hospitality and a menu that honours both land and sea, showcasing Pacific Northwest ingredients with classic cooking techniques. Gather at the bar for fresh-shucked oysters, unwind with friends over sharing plates in the lower brasserie, or savour an elevated experience in the upstairs dining room with impeccably prepared local seafood, steak and fine wine. www.thecourtneyroom.com
Media release and images provided by Marisa Cuglietta, Hawksworth Communications.
