Cornucopia celebrates the inaugural Restaurant Association of Whistler Hall of Fame and continues to delight with expertly paired multi-course dinners
Whistler, B.C. – In collaboration with the 20th anniversary of Cornucopia, Presented by BlueShore Financial, the Restaurant Association of Whistler (RAW) has launched the Restaurant Association of Whistler Hall of Fame with renowned legendary local restaurateur Mario Enero as the first-ever inductee.
“This annual celebration will honour members of our food and beverage community that have been pioneers, trailblazers, and innovators within our beloved restaurant industry. As our first recipient, Mario Enero exemplifies all of those qualities and more. He took a chance on a young and unproven little ski town over 20 years ago and managed to create two amazing establishments with La Rua and Caramba. His warm and charming demeanour matched the flair, style and genuine hospitality of both his locations. We could not be more proud, or more delighted, to honour Mario as our very first inductee into the RAW Hall of Fame,” said Amy Huddle, president of the Restaurant Association of Whistler.
The Restaurant Association of Whistler Hall of Fame was established to give recognition to individuals in the hospitality industry who have made significant contributions to the Whistler restaurant community. Enero, a former Spanish bullfighter with a passion for both hospitality and fine cuisine, has been at the forefront of British Columbia’s elite dining scene for some 35 years. Enero’s global sensibilities and enduring yet unpretentious style inspire a distinctive brand of culinary fusion.
In the words of Keeley Higgins, former General Manager of La Rua and Caramba, “Good food, good service, good people…Mario is a patriarch in Whistler’s culinary and hospitality scene because of simple principles and a gift for sharing his experience and passion with the community and those who work with him.”
The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 10th prior to Cornucopia’s 20th Anniversary Party at The Picnic: A Celebration of Whistler Culinary Excellence.
Cornucopia’s 20th Anniversary delivers on its promise to celebrate Whistler Culinary Excellence with a unique and rich line-up of Whistler experiences from Whistler’s iconic establishments. This year, the festival welcomes several newcomers to the fold.
New to the 2016 dinner selection is the Audain Art Museum: Artistic Expressions. This event hosted by Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa will feature a culinary adventure designed by Collective Kitchen and guided wine pairing by Fort Berens Estate Winery followed by a private tour of Whistler’s newest cultural hub – the Audain Art Museum.
This year, The Four Seasons Whistler introduces the Peak to Peak to Peak – A Four Seasons Mountain Collection Chefs Collaborative at SIDECUT Modern Steak + Bar. Executive Chef Eren Guryel plays host to his Four Seasons Vail and Jackson Hole counterparts to create a culinary experience paired with premium Kettle Valley wines. SIDECUT Modern Steak + Bar will also host a Best in Show dinner to celebrate British Columbia’s local producers with the culinarians on hand to speak about what makes their products so special. Wines from Fort Berens Estate Winery Lillooet will be paired to perfection.
The Rimrock Café: California Outer Limits Wine Dinner presents a four- course wine dinner with Hope family wines of Paso Robles & Michael David Wines of the Lodi Valley, California. Quattro restaurant features a multi-course meal paired with the wines from esteemed Barolo producer Ceretto. The Venue will host a dinner with a focus on sustainability and paired with wines from Siren’s Call and The Escapist all from the B.C. Wine Studio. The popular Red Door Bistro offers two five-course winemaker dinners expertly paired with wines from Tightrope Winery.
Araxi will host its dinner series in the beautiful private dining space known as The Cellar by Araxi. The dinner series lineup features legendary Canadian wine pioneer Don Triggs sharing the exceptional wines of his family’s Culmina Family Estate Winery, an intimate wine dinner with Foxtrot Vineyards, Pacific Northwest cuisine paired with wines from Chateau Ste Michelle, and the rare opportunity to savour the great South African Anthonij Rupert Wines. Not to be missed, of course, is Araxi’s well-renowned Big Guns dinner but also Araxi’s The Best of British Columbia with Cornucopia’s 2016 International Guest Chef Benito Molina of Ensenada’s acclaimed Manzanilla Restaurant. This multi-course collaboration will see a friendly duel as Chef Molina adds subtle Baja twists to prime British Columbia ingredients.
At Nita Lake Lodge’s Aura restaurant’s Sip & Savour Nose to Tail Dinner with Laughing Stock Winery, Chef Dean celebrates fresh, local produce by using all of the specially raised pig from Root Down farm just 50km away in this unique four-course winemaker’s dinner.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler will host multiple winery dinners in the private and intimate setting of the Grill Room. Act quickly though as most are already sold-out! Choose from dinners paired with wines from Blasted Church Vineyards, Meyer Family Vineyard, Tinhorn Creek Winery or Quails’ Gate Winery.
Looking for something different than wine? Fear not, as beer-paired or whiskey-paired dinners are also on offer. Black’s Pub features a five-course guided dinner paired with five local beers from Whistler Brewing. Nita Lake Lodge’s Aura Restaurant is offering a Sip & Savour Beer Dinner where great local food is paired with beers from across Europe. Or choose their Sip & Savour Whiskey Dinner and let the master of malt guide you through a delicious journey of great food paired with incredible whiskies from Diageo spirits.
Don’t miss out – tickets are selling fast. Visit www.whistlercornucopia.com for ticket and event information.
