COMPETING CHEFS FOR 2008 | ATHLETES | WINERIES |
AUCTION | 2007 EVENT SUMMARYVANCOUVER
Chair: Arthur Griffiths
Gold Medal Plates is a celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine, wine and athletic achievements.
Gold Medal Plates Vancouver
Wednesday November 5, 2008
The Westin Bayshore
To order tickets please download the following 3-page sales package:
Download Sales Package (PDF Reader Required - Download Adobe Acrobat)
Or contact:
Tina Oliver
Power of T.W.O
3219 West King Edward Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6L 1V6
604-803-8813 - phone
604-730-9592 - fax
E: tinaoliver@shaw.ca
Jeremie Bastien - Boneta
Robert Belcham - Fuel
Ned Bell - Cabana Grille
Quang Dang - C Restaurant
Kevin Doucette - The Westin Bayshore
Andrey Durbach - Parkside
Frank Pabst - Blue Water Café
JC Poirier - Chow
Hidekazu Tojo - Tojo's
Edward Tuson - Sooke Harbour House
Jeff Van Geest - Aurora Bistro
Koji Zenimaru - Kingyo
Judges:
Andrew Morrison, Urban Diner, Eat magazine
Sid Cross, wine and food guru, Western Living magazine
Joan Cross, co-editor Vancouver Cooks, Flavours of Vancouver
Pino Posteraro, Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill, Gold Medal Winner '07
John Bishop, chef, Bishop's
To be determined.
2008 WINERIESTo be determined.
"Gold Medal Plates was founded to promote awareness in the excellence of Canadian cuisine and wine, while raising funds for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. My job is to put Canadian chefs and Canadian wineries in touch with each other and to ensure the Gold Medal Plates food and wine pairings truly reflect excellence. This program carries forward my personal goals expressed through the founding of Canadian Wine Awards in 2001 - to let Canadians know that a great industry is growing and flourishing under their feet. I first began to sense the potential and need for national wine pride based on quality as a wine columnist for the Globe and Mail in the mid-nineties, prompting me to make Wine Access a national publication in 1997. Gold Medal Plates is, for me, the logical next step in putting the idea directly on to Canada's tables."
David Lawrason
National Wine Advisor
To be determined.
November 14 saw the 2007 Vancouver leg of the Gold Medal Plates campaign soar into history at the luxe Westin Bayshore hotel. The buzz in the room from the sold-out crowd was palpable and the welcome given to our speaker, triathlete Simon Whitfield rocked the ceiling. As did Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo who was easily coaxed into an encore before the national anthem. Appropriately, the calibre and passion of the cooking from every competitor in the first half of the evening set a new standard for this campaign.
Taking the bronze medal (by a difference of less than one percentage point over David Hawksworth of West) was Chef Scott Jaeger of The Pear Tree. Poised over a stripe of celeriac purée, his little slab of B.C. Berkshire pork belly was impeccably textured, so tender it parted at the touch of a fork. The sweet flavour of the meat was beautifully enhanced by a miniature puck of cipollini onion jelly and a tiny crunchy tube of pastry filled with pear butter. The accompanying wine, cutting valiantly through the fat, was Inniskillin's 2004 Malbec from the Okanagan.
The silver medal also went to an out-of-town chef - Melissa Craig from Barefoot Bistro in Whistler. Her presentation was exceptionally refined - four dainty treasures from the sea set out on a small wooden block. Here was a Cortez Island Black Pearl oyster - one of a new breed of East Coast oyster being farmed in the Pacific - dressed with a pickled daikon and cucumber mignonette that tasted intensely of cucumber and had a lovely sweetness to contrast with the oyster. A stiff mousse of B.C. spot prawn was cut into a tiny drum wrapped in a membrane of sesame jelly and topped with what looked like caviar but turned out to be a molecular doppelganger of miso and squid ink. Albacore tuna sashimi was dressed with a yuzu bonito mayonnaise and topped with soy-flavourd "pop rocks". A crunchy cone of cured wild salmon was dressed with horseradish cream. The matching wine, a 2005 Riesling from Tantalus Vineyards, was perfectly chosen, its acidity and intensity of flavour dovetailing with the many tastes on the plate.
The gold medal for our Vancouver event this year was awarded to Chef Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's. The banner above his station described the dish simply as a "porcini mushroom and chestnut soup" - and indeed it was, served in a coffee cup like some kind of cappuccino. But the texure was profoundly enriched and the layers of mushroom flavour were dramatically deepened by melted foie gras and a scattering of crunchy truffled brioche croutons. In a ceramic spoon set on the saucer of the "coffee cup" was the other element of the dish - a square of chilled mushroom jelly and a roasted mushroom salad served at room temperature, the supple textures and contrasting temperatures working beautifully in the mouth. The judges were unanimous in awarding the dish maximum "wow factor". As an accompanying wine, Posteraro chose a Niagara Chardonnay that proved an inspired match - Pillitteri Estates Winery Chardonnay Sur Lie 2006.
Chef Posteraro will now be competing in the Canadian Culinary Championship, our gruelling three-day finale to the competition, to be held in Toronto from February 7 to 10, 2008. So far his opposition consists of Anthony Walsh of Canoe in Toronto, Martin Ruiz Salvador of Fleur de Sel in Lunenberg, and Roland Ménard of Manoir Hovey representing Montréal. Tonight we do it all again in Calgary!
James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
The following chefs have been selected by Vancouver's top food and wine critics and will compete for a gold, silver and bronze medal.
Robert Belcham - Fuel
Melissa Craig - Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler
Kevin Doucette - The Westin Bayshore
David Hawksworth - West
Scott Jaeger - The Pear Tree
Jay Lynn - Hilton Whistler Resort
Lee Parsons - Wedgewood
Pino Posteraro - Cioppino's
Nico Schuermans - Chambar
Stefan Pimenta - Le Gavroche
Javier Alarco - Hyatt Regency Vancouver
Rob Feenie - Lumiere
Judges:
Andrew Morrison - Urban Diner, Eat Magazine
Sid Cross, Joan Cross, Vicki Gabereau - TV/Radio Host
Robert Clark - C (Gold Medal Plates '06 Winner)
2006 Winner - Robert Clark will be a guest judge and will be inducted into the GMP Hall of Fame
Veronica Brenner - Freestyle Skiing
Nagano 1998 Olympic Games
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Games - Silver medallist
Diane Clement - Athletics
Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games
Doug Clement - Athletics
Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games
Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games
Charmaine Crooks - Athletics
Moscow 1980 Olympic Games
Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games - Silver medallist
Seoul 1988 Olympic Games
Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games
Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games
Robert Esmie - Athletics
Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games - Gold medallist
Chris Farstad - Bobsleigh
Albertville 1992 Olympic Winter Games
Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games
Joy Fera - Rowing
Montréal 1976 Olympic Games
Joel Finlay - Rowing
Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games
David Ford - Canoe/Kayak
Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games
Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Nikola Girke - Sailing
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Ryan Johnson - Freestyle Skiing
Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games
Marion Lay - Swimming
Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games
Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games - Bronze medallist
Marianne Limpert - Swimming
Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games - Silver medallist
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Lilo Ljubisic - Athletics
Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games - Bronze medallist
Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games - Gold and Silver medallist
Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games - Bronze medallist
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
Doug Martin - Swimming
Montréal 1976 Olympic Games
Lori-Ann Muenzer - Cycling
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Athens 2004 Olympic Games - Gold medallist
Steve Podborski - Alpine Skiing
Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games - Bronze medallist
Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games
Derek Porter - Rowing
Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games - Gold medallist
Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games - Silver medallist
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Carla Qualtrough - Swimming
Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games - Bronze medallist
Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games - Silver and Bronze medallist
Emanuel Sandhu - Figure Skating
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games
Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games
Kyle Shewfelt - Gymnastics
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Athens 2004 Olympic Games - Gold medallist
Adam van Koeverden - Canoe/Kayak
Athens 2004 Olympic Games - Gold and Bronze medallist
Daniel Wesley - Sit Ski
Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games
Nagano 1998 Paralympic Winter Games - Gold and Bronze medallist
Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games - Gold, Silver and Bronze medallist
Georgina Wheatcroft - Curling
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games - Bronze medallist
Simon Whitfield - Triathlon
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games - Gold medallist
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Lauren Woolstencroft - Alpine Skiing
Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games - Double Gold and Bronze medallist
Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games - Gold and Silver medallist
2007 WINERIES"Gold Medal Plates was founded to promote awareness in the excellence of Canadian cuisine and wine, while raising funds for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. My job is to put Canadian chefs and Canadian wineries in touch with each other and to ensure the Gold Medal Plates food and wine pairings truly reflect excellence. This program carries forward my personal goals expressed through the founding of Canadian Wine Awards in 2001 - to let Canadians know that a great industry is growing and flourishing under their feet. I first began to sense the potential and need for national wine pride based on quality as a wine columnist for the Globe and Mail in the mid-nineties, prompting me to make Wine Access a national publication in 1997. Gold Medal Plates is, for me, the logical next step in putting the idea directly on to Canada's tables."
David Lawrason
National Wine Advisor
Gold Medal Plates would like to thank the following wineries for their generous donations to the 2007 campaign:
| WINERY | WINE |
| Golden Mile Cellars | 2006 Black Arts Pinot Noir |
| Quails Gate Estate Winery | 2004 Limited Release Merlot |
| Sumac Ridge Estate Winery | 2006 Private Reserve |
| Tantalus Vineyards | 2005 Reisling |
| Sandhill Estate Vineyard | 2006 Pino Blanc |
| Jackson-Triggs | 2004 Grand Reserve Meritage |
| Pilliterri Estates Winery | 2006 Chardonnay Sur Lie |
| Inniskillin | 2004 Discovery Series Malbec |
| Inniskillin | 2004 Malbec |
| Tinhorn Creek Vineyards | 2004 Old Field Merlot |
2007 AUCTION
The Vancouver Gold Medal Plates team would like to thank the following donors for their generous donations to our Live Auction, Silent Auction and our Rare Wine Auction.
Live Auction, Raffle, and Wine Auction Donors and Supporters
Aquilini Investment Group
Bearfoot Bistro
BOBOLI
Edgar F. Kaiser Jr.
Evelyn Charles Salons - Spas
Maynard's
Michella Frosch
Octagon
Tony & Marge Boosheri
Turnagain Enterprises Ltd.
Vancouver Canucks
West Restaurant
Progressive Dinners
Beyond
Blue Water Café & Raw Bar
C Restaurant
Cin Cin
Hapa Izakaya
Le Gavroche Restaurant
Nu
Raincity Grill
Tojo's
West Restaurant
Production and Entertainment Supporters
Bak Mei Kung Fu bakmei.ca
BC Speed Skating Association
Clark's Audio Visual Services Ltd.
Club Elite Rhythmics
The Flower Factory
Q1 Production Technologies
Winery Donors
Golden Mile Cellars Estate Winery
Inniskillin
Jackson-Triggs
Okanagan Valley Winery
Pillitteri Estates Winery
Quails Gate Estate Winery
Sandhill Estate Vineyard
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
Tantalus Vineyards
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
VINCOR CANADA
A special thank-you to our Vancouver Bronze Sponsor: Sports Funder