Western Living AB, JulAug2017

Foodies of the Year 2017!

WESTERN LIVING // JULY/AUG 2017

The 10 Most Influential Tastemakers in the West

PM 40068973

Cool Design France, India and Calgary: One Home, Three Design Influences

The House That Brought Two Calgary Architects Back Home

PLUS The Perfect Cocktail Recipe for Hot Summer Nights

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Experience the before and after

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WLSTYLE // title

J U LY/AU G U S T 2 017 A L B E R TA // V O LU M E 4 3 // N U M B E R 6

26 20 design 17 // Ones to Watch

37

FOODIES OF THE YEAR

18 // Shopping

20 // Global Touch

Inside a bohemian apothecary and a luxe new kitchen showroom.

A fateful trip to Paris by the homeowners sets the stage for the multinational design influences that give this Stephanie Browndesigned Calgary home its eclectic-yetsophisticated flavour.

26 // The Homecoming

18 6 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

The right project (and the right clients) brought the team at Hindle Architects back to their hometown of Calgary, where they constructed a gorgeous, open-concept modern home with the help of interior designer Alykhan Velji.

Sleek lighting, curvy furniture and more home decor we’re coveting right now.

19 // Openings

food 37 // 2017 Foodies of the Year

These chefs, bartenders, restaurateurs, producers and designers are making the West a delicious place to live.

plus 50 // Trade Secrets

How to design a nursery with a style that grows up along with the baby.

Cover: Phil Crozier. This page: rooms: Phil Crozier; Bridgette Bar: Jager & Kokemor.

Victoria florist and gardener Clare Day knows how to work her green thumb.

YOUR EXCITING NEW LIFE AWAITS

WESTERN LIVING GENERAL MANAGER | PUBLISHER Dee Dhaliwal EDITORIAL

MARDA LOOP!

164 Somme Manor S.W. | This meticulously maintained home comes with hardwood on both levels, open floor plan, finished basement,and an oversized sunny west facing yard with huge deck and double garage. Easy stroll to Marda Loop, parks, schools, etc. $559,900

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Anicka Quin ART DIRECTOR Paul Roelofs EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stacey McLachlan TRAVEL EDITOR Neal McLennan ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Jenny Reed ASSOCIATE EDITOR Julia Dilworth ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Natalie Gagnon STAFF WRITER Kaitlyn Gendemann CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Amanda Ross, Nicole Sjöstedt, Barb Sligl, Jim Sutherland, Julie Van Rosendaal CITY EDITORS Karen Ashbee (Calgary), Jyllian Park (Edmonton), Rosemary Poole (Victoria) EDITORIAL INTERNS Christine Beyleveldt, Maansi Pandya, Aryn Strickland ART INTERN Lydhia-Marie Bolduc-Gosselin

EMAIL mail@westernliving.ca

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DALHOUSIE!

6103 Dalmarnock Cres. N.W. | Are you looking for a Large Renovated Family Home in the desirable community of Dalhousie?

This must see comes with 5 bedrooms, hardwood throughout, illegal suite, and new 24 x 24 garage. Easy walk to schools, parks, shopping and transit. $549,000

ONLINE COORDINATOR Leah Webb PRODUCTION MANAGER Lee Tidsbury DESIGNER Swin Nung Chai MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER Dale McCarthy EVENTS COORDINATOR Kaitlyn Lush MARKETING INTERN Rachel Cheng TEL 604-877-7732 FAX 604-877-4848 CUSTOMER SERVICE WEB westernliving.ca TEL 604-877-7732

VANCOUVER & VICTORIA OFFICE

ACCOUNT MANAGERS Corinne Gillespie, Jeff Leyland, Gabriella Sepúlveda Knuth SALES COORDINATOR Karina Platon Suite 560, 2608 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3V3 TEL 604-877-4843 FA X 604-877-4849

U.S. SALES REPRESENTATION, MEDIA-CORPS TEL 1-866-744-9890 EMAIL info@media-corps.com

MISSION!

108-25th Ave S.W. | Imagine waking up to this stunning river view from your luxury corner unit with high end finishings throughout. An easy walk to mission’s boutiques, cafes’, bike paths, LRT, and downtown.

2 Beds + 2 Baths + Underground Parking. $459,500

CALGARY & EDMONTON OFFICE

ACCOUNT MANAGER Anita van Breevoort 2891 Sunridge Way NE Calgary, Alta., T1Y 7K7

CALGARY TEL 403-461-5518 EDMONTON TEL 780-424-7171 FA X 403-685-0582 EMAIL anita.vanbreevoort@westernliving.ca

NATIONAL MEDIA SALES REPRESENTATION, MEDIATIVE SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, NATIONAL SALES Ian Lederer

WESTERN MEDIA GROUP Suite 560, 2608 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3V3 TEL 604-877-7732

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With gorgeous hardwood flooring throughout, it’s only a 5 minute walk to MRU, coffee shops, transit, etc.

1 Bed + Den + Underground Parking. $243,900

For complete details on these and All Calgary Listings, Log onto: www.CalgaryPad.com

8 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

Michael McCafferty 403-708-3868 calgarypad@gmail.com

Caroline Andrews

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THE THREE R’S:

RUSCO. RENOVATE. REBATE.

1953 2017

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As an approved contractor, through the Energy Efficiency Alberta Rebate Program, Rusco Industries can help you recover rebates of up to $3,500 for exterior rigid insulation with R12 or greater, and up to $1500 for new windows.

We’ll work with you to plan your exterior renovation, tell you how much you’ll receive back in rebates, and even submit the paperwork. Energy Efficiency Alberta will mail the cheque directly to you.

Visit our showroom: #3, 1430 40th Ave. NE, Calgary Showroom Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4pm, Saturdays 10am to 4pm After hour appointments on request || Call the industry leader today at

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WL // EDITOR’S NOTE

ANICK A QUIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ANICK A.QUIN@WESTERNLIVING.CA 1 0 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

Q& A This month we asked our contributors, what excites you most about Western Canada’s food scene?

B a Ko r & S p eJa r, p ‫ה‬rs, “ s t‫ ה‬ar” 39 We love the trend of greenery and plants incorporated into the design of a lot of the restaurants that have opened in the last little while—like all of the terrariums that are in Bridgette Bar. Such a nice touch—feels a bit like home!

O­rM m, w r, “ s t‫ ה‬ar” 39 Alberta is finally having its microbrewery moment.

We fell behind because, despite having very lax liquor laws, strict production laws stifled brewers.

Since changing the rules in 2014 the number of microbreweries has tripled.

Behind the Scenes Photographer Janis Nicolay snaps a shot of the Vancouver home featured at westernliving.ca. Stylist Nicole Sjöstedt captured this moment. “We were all laughing that it felt like we were cheating,” she says. “We were literally hanging poolside all day.”

VISIT

FOLLOW US ON

Anicka Quin portrait: Evaan Kheraj; styling by Luisa Rino, makeup by Melanie Neufeld; dress courtesy Nordstrom; watch courtesy Tiffany & Co. Photographed at the Aviary, theaviary.ca.

Omar Mouallem: Aaron Pedersen

WHEN FOOD CREATES COMMUNITY

It was on one of those rainy, often miserable late-winter nights in Vancouver when I experienced my first Tayybeh dinner. Our associate art director, Natalie Gagnon, had told me about a group of newly arrived Syrian women who were cooking pop-up dinners each month in borrowed spaces—a church basement, an elementary school cafeteria—and I’d hovered over their Facebook page to jump on the event as soon as the next date was announced.

There were about 75 of us there that night, piling into a gym that had been transformed into a dinner party for the evening. The dishes were all carefully made and beautifully presented by six chefs who stood smiling behind the buffet as we piled our plates high with mahshi (slow-cooked zucchini stuffed with rice and ground meat), kibbeh mabroumeh (baked fine ground beef, bulgur, pistachios and spices) and yalanji (vine leaves filled with rice and spices).

As the evening went on, conversations warmed up, children sprinted between tables and the women’s families passed around tea and Syrian pastries. Organizer Nihal Elwan—one of this year’s Foodies of the Year (page 39)— brought the chefs up front and, for the sake of their English practice, had each say a few words to the crowd. It was mutually emotional, with the chefs moved by the crowd’s love for their home cuisine, and more than a few of us visibly teary at being invited to be a part of their new lives, if only for the evening. It was one of those nights that transformed a typically cold city into a friendly, lively, memorable time and place.

This year’s Foodies of the Year have that ability to create a wonderful new space in common, whether it’s cooking for a bustling new bar in Calgary where locals gather over woodfired pizza (JP Pedhirney); opening a building in Victoria that can host other aspiring restaurateurs, butchers and markets (Jayne and Suzanne Bradbury); or leading the charge to create Vancouver’s busting-at-the-seams craft brewery scene (Graham With). They’re people who have have built something out of nothing— and in doing so built a better place to be for the rest of us, one warm evening at a time.

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2017 IS THE YEAR TO GO GREEN! “Greenery” is the pantone designer colour of 2017.

Green is back in every shade from spring to emerald. It’s easy to introduce just by bringing some outdoors in — try jade plants, fig trees, succulents or anything that thrives in your area. Another easy step is bright new pillows, or a statement rug. If you’re feeling adventurous, paint a place that will be a smile-inducing surprise, like the inside of a closet, a door, or your powder room.

DIY vs. DIFM? There’s a definite shift happening in home renovation and design trends, a shift that has many of us choosing experts to do-it-for-me. Do-it-yourself is a great choice for so many fun projects, like a family gallery wall or creating an indoor garden spot. But there are always those mind-boggling tasks that require design experience, measuring skills, installation talent and more. More and more Canadians are realizing the cost of hiring a professional compares very well to the real costs of first-time mistakes, time spent doing and redoing the job, and our own personal level of satisfaction with the final result. Summertime motto: put the pros on the jobs you keep postponing because they are just too much! (Save the fun stuff for yourself.)

Warmer and richer? Yes, please.

Whatever your style, from sleek and modern to cozy and traditional, 2017 is a welcome move to a softer, richer look and feel. Think 3D fabrics. Velvet pillows. Choose organic bamboo or wood tables. And wallpaper is back, but we’re over the florals. Try marble or other sleek, contemporary finishes. Put on a little lux.

Peace out. It’s amazing what getting a little help can do to reduce your stress level.

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Envious of the beautiful kitchens you see on television design shows?

You don’t have to be on screen to have a beautiful kitchen. You just need to know where the pros go. And why. We caught up with Merit Kitchens’ Julie Johnstone to chat pedigree,quality and everyone’s favourite local design show (and how Merit Kitchens shines bright in every episode).

What makes Merit Kitchens unique?

It’s the people - dedicated craftspeople, technical specialists and customer service professionals. Many have been with Merit for over 20 years. Their knowledge and expertise are why we’ve been designing and building beautiful cabinetry for over 40 years.

Julie Johnstone Design Consultant, Merit Kitchens

Why do clients love your cabinets so much?

I think it’s because we truly believe that cabinets can transform a house into a home.

We start with only the best raw materials and European hardware. And by using the delicate touch of hand-finishing, we reveal the wood’s beauty and natural grain.

Why has Merit Kitchen been so successful?

I’d say it’s because our cabinets combine beauty with intelligent design. We stay on top of current trends so customers can choose from the latest storage innovations, door styles, finishes, and decorative elements. In short, we honour history and tradition while embracing modern trends and technological advances to deliver better cabinets for the kitchen, bathroom and throughout the home.

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DESIGN

S H O P P I N G // T R E N D S // P E O P L E // S PA C E S // O P E N I N G S // I N T E L

ONE TO WATCH

Constant Gardener Clare Monica Day, Garden to Vase, Victoria

Lillie Louise Major

In paintings from the Renaissance, flowers were depicted as wild and occasionally decayed, a far cry from the industrially farmed blooms commonplace today.

Master gardener and floral designer Clare Monica Day seeks a return to the unruly. Through her 12-acre Red Damsel Farm, Day cultivates organic cut flowers for singular arrangements that spill out of their confines asymmetrically, as though very much alive. For her admirers, such as the editors of Martha Stewart Weddings and her 10,000-plus followers on Instagram, Day offers instructional classes from her on-site studio as well as online through her latest venture, Garden to Vase—a Renaissance woman for our digital age. —Rosemary Poole

Flower Power “I focus on having as much diversity in the garden as possible,” says Day, who grows hellebores in the spring and chocolate cosmos in the fall.

westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T

2017 17

WLDESIGN // SHOPPING

A a’s Pi Monkey ceiling lamp

by Seletti

$690, available at Dade Loft, dadeartanddesignlab.com

At this year’s Dinner by Design in Calgary, Greg Fraser and Darcy Lundgren of Dade Loft had one of the most buzzed-about displays. Suspended over their table design were a half-dozen resin monkeys—with bowls of bananas just out of their reach. I’d assumed that’s all these simians were— the sculptural equivalent of taxidermy—but in fact they’re new outdoor lamps from Seletti’s quirky collection. The ceiling design drops down over a table (a great surprise for your dinner guests), but the Monkey lamp also comes in sitting and standing form—or a hanging design that’ll cling to a wall.

Perfect for the playful design lover.

For more of Anicka’s picks, visit westernliving.ca

Light Show

Launched at the venerable Salone del Mobile Milano, Bocci’s new 84 series (pricing on request) sees fine copper mesh trapped within layers of clear glass. Available in nine configurations.

Le Belle Arti, Calgary, lebellearti.com

NOTEWORTHY New in stores across the West

Seeing Spots

Terrazzo continues its ascent, popping up in the latest furniture and accessories from, among others, Hay and Normann Copenhagen. Now, Ferm Living adds the distinctive stone patterning to its new wallpapers (from $92 a roll), available in rose or in pale grey, as shown. Kit, Calgary, kitinteriorobjects.com

Modern Utility

Every ceramic piece (from $20 to $125) by Lynne Mulvihill and Jenn McCurry of Mud and Stone Studio is made with an eye on functionality and longevity. An ever-changing inventory includes perforated garlic keepers and utensil crocks, olive oil decanters, teapots, bird feeders, shaving scuttles and, in a rare display of extravagance, dishware flecked with 22-karat-gold paint.

Mud and Stone Studio, Winnipeg, mudandstonestudio.com

Water Wise

Mix Master

The fresh patterns in these Medina cement tiles (from $10 per square foot) are designed to both contrast and complement one another and are suitable for floor or wall application. Available in square or hexagonal formats, in black, navy, ecru, muted green and a range of greys. Icon Stone Tile, Calgary, iconstonetile.com 1 8 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

Vaia is Dornbracht’s latest collection of fittings (from $3,000), combining a modern, eclectic form with the company’s exacting craftsmanship and materials. Available in platinum matte and chrome (with a new dark platinum matte finish coming this fall). Robinson Lighting and Bath, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, robinsonlightingandbath.com

OPENINGS Hot new rooms we love

BY ARYn StRiCkL And

Come celebrate our 50th Anniversary season with us.

Subscriptions now on sale!

Bocci: Fahim Kassam; Boreal Folk: Kelly Brown

CALGARY JP’s Indian Bistro Calgary furniture designer Sumer Singh has put a newage spin on an Indian bistro that celebrates comfort-food favourites. The restaurant collaboration is a first for Singh (a previous WL One to Watch) and his studio, Mtharu.

Singh designed everything from the interiors to the millwork to the dramatic drop pendants and wire lights (most pieces were made by his studio, too). Inside, visitors are met with a dramatic three-toned blue feature wall, 14-foot ceilings and ornate geometric mirrors mounted on lasercut steel that dazzle like jewellery (we also love the framed Indian superhero comics!). As for the menu, look out for fresh and elevated takes on familiar dishes like chicken biryani or chana masala. 7006–2060 Symons Valley Pkwy. NW, jpsbistro.com

403-294-7447 theatrecalgary.com

CALGARY Luxuries of Europe A turn-of-the-century redbrick barn is the new spot in downtown Calgary to find high-end European furniture.

Once used to house horses for the local creameries during the 1900s, the space has a small boutique feel; visitors can browse pieces from top Italian brands like Reflex Angelo (longtime specialists of Murano glassworks) and Prianera (known for the sleek lines of their modern sofas). 221 10 Ave. SW

PHOTO BY ANDRÉE L ANTHIER

WhiStLeR (And BeYond) Boreal Folk Apothecary Partners Raphaëlle Gagnon and Mark Coelho are the brains behind the Boreal Folk mobile apothecary currently roaming across Western Canada. The selfproclaimed modern-day nomads decided to take their natural skincare company into the wilderness, where Gagnon harvests all-natural ingredients. Inside the 99-square-foot solar-powered workshop—designed and handcrafted by Coelho—you’ll find chic sheet metal workstations and wooden crates, the latter just brimming with raw ingredients for products like wild rose bath oils and geranium and soaps rendered from sagebrush and cedarwood. Catch the travelling wilderness laboratory in Whistler this summer or track them online. borealfolk.ca

WesternLiving.ca

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Daily stories that connect you to the best of Western Canadian designs. Fresh, local topics that keep you in the know. Plus the Western Living Recipe Finder, with hundreds of our best recipes that you’ve come to expect from Western Canada’s lifestyle source—as gorgeous on your phone as it is on desktop.

But that’s just the beginning.

See more at WesternLiving.ca.

The West lives here. Daily.

WL HOMES // calgary

Family History A custom-millwork table from Martin’s Custom Finishing sets the scene for more-casual meals in the open kitchen and living room. The nearby sitting room (opposite) was designed around a 100-year-old kilim that’s a favourite of the homeowners.

GLOBAL TOUCH A fateful trip to Paris sets the stage for the multinational design influences in this Calgary home. by jacquie moore photographs by phil crozier

westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t

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It’s in the Mix “‘Eclectic’ is the hardest style for a designer,” says designer Stephanie Brown. “For the Sandhus, I had to find careful ways to mix European influences with Upper East Side New York, a touch of their Indian heritage and some mid-centurymodern design.” In the dining room (far right), a striking chandelier from Arteriors pairs with mid-century-style dining chairs from Rove Concepts and a dining table with a sexy gold base. In the living room (right), a custom sofa cozies up to a Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams ottoman, its warm metal legs both classic and perfectly on trend.

I

n the spring of 2012, Navi and Manjot Sandhu were having a Paris moment when Calgary crashed the party. The couple, originally from Winnipeg, were out for dinner in the City of Light but on pins and needles over an offer they’d made a week before on a piece of land in Calgary’s Hounsfield Heights. “We were so anxious, we’d connect to wifi before we even got past the hotel doors,” says Navi. When at last the acceptable counter-offer arrived, Navi was forced to use her “broken high-school French to print and fax the paperwork at 11 o’clock at night.” The Sandhus spent the rest of their holiday with their heads 7,000 kilometres away. “Every piece of architecture and design, every piece of art—it was all up for inspiration.”

Little wonder, then, that the Sandhu home, whose occupants now include a baby and a toddler, reflects a subtle Parisian radiance. “The interior was meant to be classic and timeless,” says Navi. “It could be Paris a century ago or right now.” The first of many pieces of art a

2 2 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

visitor encounters, just inside the foyer, is a framed blueprint of the Dôme des Invalides, purchased by Navi at the Louvre gift shop during the aforementioned holiday. “I loved it because it’s historical yet very graphic and modern,” she explains, adjectives she can now use to sum up the aesthetic of her own home. (Paris, it should be noted, is not the only city that beguiles the couple: they worked with their architect, Ron Wildman from Inside Out Architecture, to design an exterior reminiscent of a Manhattan brownstone.)

Designer Stephanie Brown, who relocated from Calgary to Vancouver several years ago, was put in touch with the Sandhus through their builder, Laratta Homes. An instant shorthand of shared tastes ensued, as did a three-year process of designing on a schedule that kept them just ahead of construction. “The plans were beautiful,” says Brown, whose challenge lay largely in the blending of the Sandhus’ broad passions and influences.

“‘Eclectic’ is the hardest style ever for a designer,” she says. “For the Sandhus, I had to find careful ways to mix European influences with Upper East Side New York, a touch of their Indian heritage and some mid-century-modern design.” Rather than talking her clients out of any idiosyncratic choices, Brown found thoughtful, lasting ways to incorporate their ideas. “I admit that their desire to put mid-century in the mix, especially walnut cabinetry, threw me for a loop,” she says. “But we found a way to make it harmonious, and they love it.” Indeed, two oversized walnut cabinets in the living room at the back of the house not only provide symmetry by echoing the built-in in the front foyer but also anchor the room with an alluring source of warmth and depth.

Together, Brown and her clients likewise landed on unexpected yet elegant ways to turn single beloved elements into focal points in various rooms throughout the house. The sitting room, for instance, was designed around the Sandhus’ favourite 100-year-old kilim, westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t

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Private Luxury There’s a touch of grandness on the upper floor: the master bath (above) features a rug from Jaipur, along with a playful Taj Mahal-inspired cut-out above the bath; the dressing room (right) features a marbletopped centre island.

Colour and Calm In the master bedroom (far right), Brown designed a space both quiet and full of detail. A rug from Restoration Hardware sets the colour palette for a bold blue accent chair from Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams. On the console table near the entrance, gold accent pieces from West Elm add mid-century flair.

purchased in Turkey years before. “I wanted the rug to have a place of prominence in the house,” says Navi. “I don’t usually go for bold colours, but once in a while I go all out.” The kilim’s riot of oranges, reds and blues pulls vitality into an otherwise tranquil room; as well, refreshingly, in a front room that could easily tend toward formality, built-ins here are filled with colourful travel mementos, casual family photos and books for all ages, which set a welcoming and relaxed tone for the whole house.

The expansiveness of the top floor of the three-storey house is a direct result of Navi’s tenacity and imagination. Rather than a typical single hallway leading to bedrooms and bathrooms, the stairwell is surrounded by a wide, open square of corridors that lends an ocean of light and a touch of grandness to the entire floor; the view down from there to 2 4 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

the first floor feels akin to a great old train station or an opera house. The master bath and a bedroom are decorated with a well-trod rug from Jaipur and a kilim from Turkey, and whimsical illustrated maps of big cities temper any potential ostentation; a Taj Mahal-inspired cut-out above the ensuite bathtub is a likewise lighthearted touch.

So Jaipur and Agra, Paris and Manhattan come together in northwest Calgary. Oh, and that’s not all: the startling wallpaper in the tiny front-hall powder room, which reminds Navi of a coral reef (“or, sometimes, of chanterelle mushrooms”), is distinctly modern Japanese. Still, thanks to an exquisitely light hand, the spirit of this home—rather than “eclectic global mash-up”—is simply an enchanting feeling of vitality, warmth and harmony. Just the way a perfect holiday abroad should feel. s e e w e s t e r n l i v i n g .c a f o r s o u r c e s

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WL HOMES // calgary

THE HOMECOMING The right project (and the right clients) brings a pair of architects back to their hometown of Calgary. by jacquie moore photographs by phil crozier

Room to Breathe An open design plan in the house extends to double-height ceilings in the living room. A concrete side table from local designer Sumer Singh of Mtharu adds an architectural accent to a custom sofa and cozy Kravet chair.

2 6 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

F

or architects Jesse Hindle and Laura Alvey, the adage that all lasting business is built on friendship has proven exquisitely true.

In 2011, the work/life partners were charmed by a friend to return to Calgary from London, England, to start their own firm. “I was walking along Carnaby Street when I got a call from an Alberta number,” says Hindle. “It was an old friend I’ve known since we were teenagers.”

The friend told Hindle that he’d recently purchased a home in southwest Calgary’s Lakeview Village—a tony enclave of the larger circa-1960s Lakeview neighbourhood adjacent to North Glenmore Park. At last, he (now married with three daughters) was able to hire Hindle to design a house to his heart’s content. Hindle and Alvey said

2 8 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

an enthusiastic yes to the project. “Around the time my friend called, we’d been considering moving back to Calgary,” says Hindle. “So this was a meaningful job for us.”

As it turned out, it was also a bigger job than intended. Originally slated for an extensive renovation, the original two-storey house was situated less than ideally on its pie-shaped lot. “It had a really tight front yard and a big backyard—it was awkward,” says Hindle. They tried various ways to preserve the house but, in the end, “it just didn’t make sense.” It was razed, and a new plan was tailored to the lot, stretching deeper onto the site yet maintaining a facade that respects the scale of other homes typical to the cul-de-sac.

Inside, the homeowners desired “fewer, better-quality spaces” than what they’d seen in many newer Calgary homes that were, to them, overly abundant with bonus rooms and unused bathrooms and bedrooms.

“They just wanted a room for each of them, one guest room and good, simple flow throughout the rest of the house—no bagginess,” says Hindle.

The architects refer to the home’s configuration as a “free-plan” arrangement, with few walls and a focus on light and ventilation. “We wanted to create a feeling of seamlessness from inside to outside,” says Hindle.

Warm Modern Designer Alykhan Velji came on board when the white oak millwork was in process. “The goal with every space is that it has to be different from anything else we’ve ever done,” he says, “and it has to reflect the personalities of the clients.” In the living room (opposite), cushions from Kelly Wearstler add a hit of pattern and colour. In the kitchen (this page), pale grey Caesarstone counters pick up on the veining in the porcelain, marble-look backsplash.

westernliving.ca / j u ly / a u g u s t

2 0 1 7 2 9

To Dine For In the dining room (above), a light fixture from Vancouver’s Matthew McCormick Studio hovers over a dining set from B&B Italia—complete with eggplantcoloured chairs.

Under Cover Even the hallway (left) gets a smartly designed nook. A table from Mtharu is paired with elegant brassand-steel Marx stools from Montreal-based design team Gabriel Scott.

Indeed, there’s a buoyant sense of the house being peeled away as it levels off from two storeys to one, allowing natural light to flow through, even at basement level.

Once the plentiful (white oak) millwork was in process, designer Alykhan Velji came on board, approaching the home with his signature intuition and novelty. “The goal with every space is that it has to be different from anything else we’ve ever done, and it has to reflect the personalities of the clients,” he says. “These homeowners,” he adds, “are not boring—they’re amazing and fun—so we wanted finishes and furnishings that were streamlined and modern, but also warm and interesting.” Not only that, architect and designer were also laser-focused on the home’s essential function: to house a bustling family of five with no patience for preciousness. “This is a family home—it had to be durable,” says Velji. That informed the choice of resilient Caesarstone countertops, a porcelain marble look-alike backsplash and stain-resistant fabric on the furniture.

Everything in the home was purchased new (including the 3 0 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

Karoleena is a manufacturer of designer prefabricated homes, focused on providing premium modern dwellings that are move in ready in just 6 months.

Starting at $275 per sq. ft.

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Untitled-2 1

2017-05-10 2:35 PM

WesternLiving.ca Daily stories that connect you to the best of Western Canadian designs. Fresh, local topics that keep you in the know. Plus the Western Living Recipe Finder, with hundreds of our best recipes that you’ve come to expect from Western Canada’s lifestyle source—as gorgeous on your phone as it is on desktop.

But that’s just the beginning. See more at WesternLiving.ca. The West lives here. Daily.

The hottest shop picks.

Sleep Zone The bed in the master bedroom (above) was custom-designed by Hindle Architects and paired with a Dell Williams brass headboard piece. A Gus Modern chair completes the look.

Elegant Retreat A Persian rug and a petrified-wood side table add a sense of tradition in a very modern bathroom (left). Artwork from Stephen Frew lines the walls; the bathtub is from Agape.

all-Canadian artwork throughout) or custom-made, as with the sofa and master bed, the latter of which was worked into the build. Collaborating with the architects and homeowners, Velji sought out a combination of textures and patterns that would add “loads of personality without being overwhelming.” Deep aubergine chairs in the dining room ground the large space, and the art (by the architects’ friend, artist Jasmine Wallace) above the built-in sideboard was chosen for its subtle textural quality; the custom-made light fixture is thusly set up to steal the show. Likewise, Velji’s take on the living room—a simple, unique mix of modern and traditional pieces with emphasis on personality—allows a striking copper Martha Sturdy bowl on the wall to shine bright.

Hindle and Alvey have since been shaping Calgary’s residential and commercial landscape, designing a community centre, a church and housing projects Altadore 36 and the Henry in Parkdale; currently, they’re developing 12 floors of downtown Calgary’s anticipated Telus Sky building—presumably with the same warmth and light they’d bring to a friend.

3 2 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

s e e w e s t e r n l i v i n g .c a f o r s o u r c e s

DESIGNERS OF THE YEAR 2017

10

th

a n n i v er sa ry

Celebrating the best new design in Western Canada, as judged by the world’s foremost designers and architects including: Todd Saunders, Saunders Architecture Jonathan Adler, Ceramicist and Designer Stephanie Forsythe, Molo Paolo Cravedi, Alessi Douglas Cridland, Cridland Associates Dan & Dean Caten, Dsquared2 Robert Bailey, Robert Bailey Interiors Scott Cooper, Crate & Barrel Michael Green, Michael Green Architecture Barbara Atkin, Fashion Visionary Michael Budman & Don Green, Roots Canada Shauna Levy, Design Exchange Geoff Lilge, On Our Table Kelty McKinnon, PFS Studio Brent Comber, Brent Comber Originals Michael Shugarman, Shugarman Architecture Thom Fougere, EQ3 Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, University of Calgary

September 2017

Details at designersoftheyear.ca

SPONSORED REPORT

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hether you’re building a new home or planning a renovation a great way to up the wow factor is making your stairs, railings and spindles into a statement piece.

“The stairs are often what you see when you first walk in the door to your home so creating a grand staircase can really have impact,” says Blaine Wickerson, owner of Prestige Railings & Stairs, which has offices in Calgary and Edmonton. “If you have an open riser staircase that allows you to see through to the back of the house you can really make a great first impression.

“A lot of homeowners and builders are recognizing that and looking for a design that is going to make an impact,” he says. “Many of our customers work with designers to come up with a stair design or they’ve found a style they like in a magazine and they come to us to make it happen.”

On trend in stair and railing design right now is glass and stainless steel, Blaine says. “We still get people who want the more traditional wood and metal, but a lot of customers desire the more modern look and the glass panels in the staircase make the house look larger and more open.”

One of Prestige’s most recent projects was the creation of a large curved staircase with glass railings. During the design process, Blaine notes, they had to deal with the templating of the curved glass panels and securing the glass to the staircase while making it all conform to building code. In the end, the glass panels had to be custom made in Germany.

“It’s challenging, but the glass panels really create a bright, open look and make the stairs a focal point in the home.”

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Drink Up Graham With—the convivial brewmaster behind some of Vancouver’s most iconic craft beers—celebrates with a shot of one of his own Parallel 49 brews straight from the tank (page 44).

Foodies Evaan Kheraj

2017

From cheeky brewmasters to push-the-envelope chefs and every plant-based cheese disruptor in between, our top 10 Foodies of the Year are making the West the tastiest place to be.

of theYear

WLFOOD // 2017 Foodies oF the year J o ë l Wata n a b e ' s r e c i p e

Potato Tortellini Pasta 4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 4 large eggs 3 large egg yolks

Filling 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes 1 cup ricotta cheese Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste Salt

Dashi

Joël Watanabe Owner/Chef, Kissa Tanto, Vancouver

At first blush it sounds like the worst elevator pitch ever. A chef who made his name with an updated take on Shanghainese/Taiwanese food (Bao Bei) decides that for his new venture he wants to fuse— wait for it—Italian and Japanese cuisine, give it a nonsensical name, locate it in a still-transitional part of town and charge downtown prices. Um, hard pass. But it’s a testament to Joël Watanabe’s vision that when everyone was probably telling him to do Bao Bei 2.0, he and partner Tannis Ling went the passionate route, transforming a derelict second-floor room on East Pender into an elegant take on jazz-age cool and creating a menu that walks an exacting tightrope between two cuisines that heretofore were not thought to be natural partners. If there’s anyone else on the planet combining Snake River Farms Wagyu, pearl onion petals, salt, charred scallion sauce, Parmesan, arima sansho, fresh herbs and gnocco fritto, it’d be a miracle. But under Watanabe’s eye it all seems like the most logical idea ever, and the praise—and the attendant crowds—started the moment the doors opened and haven’t stopped since.—Neal McLennan 3 8 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

4 cups water 2 1/2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced 200 g Parmesan rinds 40 g bonito flakes 5-inch piece of konbu (kelp) 2 tbsp white soy sauce 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp mirin Wakame seaweed, to taste

1. To make the pasta, pulse the flour, eggs and

egg yolks in a food processor until crumbly.

Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead for 10–15 minutes or until smooth. Wrap in cling film and let rest for at least 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375˚F. Poke holes in the potatoes all over with a fork. Roast for 45 minutes or until tender. While still warm, scoop out the flesh and pass through a fine food mill. Stir in the other ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Put into a piping bag with a small tip, or a heavy-duty zip-lock bag with one corner snipped off.

3. Roll out the pasta dough until it’s just trans-

lucent (extremely thin). Cut into 4-by-15-inch strips. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the potato mixture at 2 1/2-inch intervals along each strip, spray with a very fine mist of water and fold pasta over to enclose the filling. Press around the mounds to push out any air bubbles and to seal the pasta. With a small round cookie cutter, cut half circles around the potato filling.

Join the two corners to form the tortellini.

4. To make the dashi, bring water, mushrooms and Parmesan rinds to a boil and remove from heat. Add bonito flakes, konbu, soy sauce and mirin. Leave to soak for at least 45 minutes, and then strain through a fine sieve, discarding the solids.

5. To finish the dish, heat the broth, cook

the tortellini in salted boiling water for 3–4 minutes or until tender, and drain. Pour broth over tortellini in serving bowls and garnish with wakame seaweed.

Portrait and food: Luis Valdizon; room: Knauf and Brown

the risktaker

THE VISIONARY

Matt Dumayne

Winemaker, Okanagan Crush Pad, Summerland

“THERE’S NOT AS MUCH GLAMOUR AS PEOPLE IMAGINE. I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT THAT WINEMAKING IS 90% CLEANING, 9% SCIENCE AND 1% ART.”—MATT DUMAYNE

3 WINE PICKS

What’s Trending in Wine?

Lionel Trudel

A Return to Terroir.

“There is a movement toward less is more, respecting grapes and varietal character without unnecessary additives, heavy manipulation and extraction in the winery.”

—Matt Dumayne

“Blue Grouse is making great Island wines with an emphasis on purity.”

BLUE GROUSE QUILL ROSÉ $20

Hop on any of the recent trends in the B.C. wine industry and odds are Matt Dumayne has had a hand in its genesis. Crafting wine in huge concrete eggs? His Haywire Pinot Gris was the pioneer. Native ferments? His Haywire Native Ferments. Orange wine? His work at Vancouver Island’s 40 Knots and the current work at Fraser Valley’s Singletree. Natural wine? Haywire’s Free Form. But the irony is that the gregarious Kiwi—who, after making his own wine in New Zealand, spent time working in Australia, Oregon and California before landing here—is anything but trendy, preferring instead to focus his considerable winemaking skills on searching for the truest expression of the grapes he works with. It’s why he can on one hand make the priciest, most ambitious pinot noir in the province (Mirabel Vineyards) and on the other nerd out on crown-capped sparkling chardonnay made in the hip Pét-Nat method (Narrative Ancient Method) and both examples will be memorable . . . like pretty much everything else he touches.—N.M.

“Rhys and Alishan (of Little Farm Winery Winery) are making fabulous and funky wines.”

LITTLE FARM RIESLING $30

“Tyler Harlton has a great hands-off approach.”

TH WINES ROSÉ $23

westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T

2017 39

WLFOOD // 2017 FOODIES OF THE YEAR

at’s ur Gu P Đ° u ? “HOT DOGS! ESPECIALLY CHICAGO DOGS AND BRATWURST STUFFED IN A BAGUETTE.â€?—JP PEDHIRNEY

THE TRANSFORMERS

sh u'd it r

Kate Allen, Kristen Lien & Kelly Morrison

“THE FERMIĂˆRE GALETTE AT SUZETTE BISTRO. I NEVER ORDER ANYTHING ELSE.â€? —KATE ALLEN

Designers/Architects, Frank Architecture, Calgary

—Kaitlyn Gendemann 4 0 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

THE COMPOSER

JP Pedhirney Chef, Bridgette Bar, Calgary

It’s tough to be a chef in a town that’s going through a downturn, but you wouldn’t know it from the crowds lined up to get into Bridgette Bar. Calgary-born JP Pedhirney, local homegrown talent and graduate of the culinary program at SAIT, was first choice to take the helm as executive chef. Named after Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire, the restaurant features a menu that is long on woodfired items. “I like to think of it as a masculine way of cooking with a delicate feminine spin,� says Pedhirney. A long counter of patrons sits

happily sipping inventive cocktails while digging into platters of grilled octopus and roasted cauliflower tossed with an espelette mayonnaise. The chef artfully merges the tried and true—like roast chicken and fries— with the experimental, such as braised rabbit on toast or escargot tarts, and his carefully crafted menu focuses on seasonality combined with creativity. “But it’s not just me alone who’s responsible for the menu,� explains the busy chef. “The food we create at Bridgette is a compilation of more than two dozen people’s input. And it can take months to nail a recipe.� Clearly Pedhirney and his team have created something so right for today’s tastes.—Karen Ashbee

Jager & Kokemor Photography

The next time you’re dining in Calgary, do yourself a favour and look beyond the plate of food that’s in front of you. What will you see? If you’re at Bridgette Bar, you’ll notice a 1960s-inspired collection of mid-century-modern furniture, macramÊ and your-grandma-will-think-it’s-cool emerald marble. If you’re at Model Milk, you’ll discover southern comfort food served in an industrial-meets-Mad-Men– style space (think wood panelling, leather banquettes and fur throws). Next door, Pigeonhole (named best new restaurant in Canada by enRoute magazine in 2015) boasts a Parisian wine bar/cafÊ vibe, and down the block at Anju you can feast on Korean tapas in a modern dining room that has subtle-but-gorgeous nods to East Asia.

Though each restaurant’s design and concept is distinct, all have been brought to life by Frank Architecture—the femalefounded firm made up of Kate Allen, Kristen Lien and Kelly Morrison that has transformed Calgary’s dining scene into a mecca of locally influenced, designoriented bars, lounges and eateries. And now, with plans to step outside Alberta’s borders (the team at Frank has been tasked with revamping the Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s food and beverage spaces and are already working on projects in B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba), they’re well on their way to becoming a household name in Western Canada, and there’s no telling when—or where—they’ll stop.

ur D n nt

JP PEDHIRNEY'S RECIPE

“DESIGN LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN.� —KELLY MORRISON

Grilled Baby Carrots 36 baby carrots, preferably with greens attached Black sesame seeds Canola oil, for grilling Salt and pepper, to taste

Chili Pistou 1 cup cilantro, loosely packed 1â „2 cup parsley, loosely packed 1â „3 cup fresh mint, loosely packed 1â „4 cup fresh dill leaves, loosely packed 2-inch piece lemongrass, finely chopped 2 tsp crushed fresh garlic 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 1 dry chipotle chili (optional) 2 tsp fresh-squeezed lime juice 1â „4 tsp sugar 3 tbsp water Pinch salt 1â „3 cup canola oil

Goat Cheese Mousse

Cu t D n Ob ss n

“NAVY, RAW CHALKY WHITE AND LAYERED TEXTURED FABRICS.� —KRISTEN LIEN

250 g soft goat cheese 1 cup whipping cream 2 tsp lemon juice Pinch salt

1. To make the chili pistou, combine all ingredients except the canola oil in a blender. PurĂŠe the ingredients on the highest setting while slowly pouring in the oil in a thin stream.

Blend until smooth.

2. To make the mousse, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and fold together with a spatula until fully incorporated.

C H EF ' S T I P

3. If the carrots still have their greens attached,

remove them with a knife. You can pick off the best leaves and use them to garnish the final dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add your carrots and cook until the carrots are just tender. Strain the carrots and immediately lay them on a baking sheet to cool at room temperature—this will allow the last little bit of cooking to take place. Once the carrots are completely cool, they are ready to be grilled.

4. Toss the carrots in a little bit of canola oil and

Every kitchen needs a‌

“4L and up earthenware sauce pot like Le Crueset or Staub. Perfect for braising, stockmaking, soups, sauces and even baking bread. These pots are extremely durable, easy to keep clean and they distribute heat evenly so your sauces don’t scorch on the sides if you’re cooking for long periods of time.� —JP Pedhirney

season with salt and pepper. Place them on a hot grill and allow them to get a little bit of char, periodically moving them around so they do not burn.

Once the carrots are hot and evenly charred, transfer them to a stainless mixing bowl. Add the chili pistou and toss until the carrots are evenly coated. To serve, scoop several spoonfuls of the goat cheese mousse onto a serving dish, place the carrots overtop the mousse, and finish the dish with black sesame seeds, a drizzle of the chili pistou and a few carrot leaves if you wish.

westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T

2017 41

WLFOOD // 2017 foodIes of the year

What Defines a Good Restaurant?

“It can be a hole-In-the-wall joInt or a beautIfully desIgned room, but that feelIng of soul Is what I really seek out.”

—Jayne BradBury

the place-makers

Jayne & Suzanne Bradbury On Jayne and Suzanne Bradbury’s company website, a succinct credo, courtesy of Winston Churchill: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” The joint owners of Fort Properties, a threegeneration property management company in Victoria, refer to it often.

“That quote touches every part of the work we do,” says Jayne (seen above, left, with Suzanne). “Our built environment affects us in so many different ways. It’s really that intersection of place and well-being.”

When the sisters assumed leadership of the company in 2012, they embarked on a long-term revitalization of their flagship properties known as the Fort Common District, slowly transforming a hodgepodge of four buildings fronting Broughton Avenue and Fort and Blanshard Streets and into the city’s buzziest food and dining area. Among their tenants: Fishhook, Chorizo and Co. and Be Love, plus recent arrivals Farm and Field Butchers, a shop that sources its meats and 4 2 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

products directly from Island farmers. Suzanne says supporting that farm-to-table economy is an important part of their business model: “We love to eat and our passion is great food, but we take a very holistic approach to building the whole system, wherever we can.”

Last year, the Bradburys made their boldest building improvements to date, adding new indoor and outdoor space for both Discovery Coffee and the Livet restaurant, and turning the once-underutilized brick carriage yard at the back of the site into an atmospheric venue for outdoor events, lit by strings of lights overhead. As tech offices and condos enter the scene, taking over the antique shops that once dominated the area—there’s a metaphor in here somewhere—the city’s mayor has called Fort Street’s revitalization “a microcosm of the kind of economic ecosystem we are trying to build in Victoria.” We call it simply good taste.—Rosemary Poole

Portrait: Lillie Louise Major

Owners, The Fort Common, Victoria

K A R E N M c AT H Y ' S R E C I P E

THE CHEMIST

Karen McAthy

Owner/Chef, Blue Heron Creamery, Vancouver

Portraits: Evaan Kheraj; Stuffed figs: Colin Medhurst, shot at Cook Culture

Necessity is the mother of invention. When Karen McAthy was named executive chef at Vancouver’s Graze restaurant in 2013, she sought to include vegan cheeses on a plantbased charcuterie board but found the available options limited and lacking. Too often they simply imitated the taste of traditional dairy cheeses, and some even contained casein, a milk-based protein. “I began exploring the processes associated with traditional cheese making to see what I could cull from there and apply to what I was doing at Graze,” says McAthy. “Basically, I’m a huge nerd . . . I like to understand the principles of why things work in certain ways, so this has provided me with endless opportunities to learn and experiment.” The results, such as a coconut kefirbased cheese with wine-macerated figs, or a five-month-aged almond beechwood cheese smoked and washed with kelp stout to cure the rind, have led to a growing fan base of customers and restaurants, culminating in a breakout year in 2016 with the launch of her business, Blue Heron Creamery, and her thoughtful, just-published how-to book, The Art of PlantBased Cheesemaking. Sharing her knowledge— a head-spinning world of fermentation, brining, probiotic capsules, and mould—is an important part of the work.—R.P.

IN MY FRIDGE

Wine-Poached Figs Stuffed with Almond Ricotta Almond ricotta 1 cup whole almonds, with their skins Water for blending 1⁄2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar Salt, to taste

Wine-poached figs 1 cup red wine (one with a bigger flavour profile) 2 tbsp maple syrup 1⁄2 tsp salt 2 cups dried Mission figs or dried apricots Cinnamon, for garnish (optional) Finely chopped and toasted walnuts, for garnish (optional)

1. Soak almonds in very hot (not boiling)

water for at least 1 hour. Peel the skins off the almonds with your fingers (discard the skins) and place the almonds in a blender or food processor. Add small amounts of water (preferably filtered) and, starting on low speed, finely grind the almonds. Gradually increase the speed, adding small amounts of water to help move the mixture along, until you have a thick mixture that is quite creamy in texture but not watery.

2. Place the mixture into a glass or plastic

container and add the apple cider vinegar.

Cover the container and place in a warm area of your kitchen to leave at room temperature for up to 12 hours. The raw apple cider vinegar will culture your almond mixture and give it a light tangy flavour.

3. Uncover and drain the "ricotta" through a

fine sieve or nut milk bag for 30 minutes or longer, if needed. Stir the salt into the ricotta.

You can add herbs, garlic, lemon juice or other flavours if you like. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

4. Place the wine, maple syrup and salt in a heavy cast iron pot and bring to a boil.

After 5 minutes, reduce heat and add the figs. Allow the figs to poach in this mixture over low heat for up to 30 minutes, checking to ensure that they don’t become too soft or mushy. Remove the figs from the wine mixture and allow to cool and dry. Save the poaching liquid to use in a salad dressing.

Ingredient You Can’t Get Enough of:

“Nettles! Loving nettles and fir tips right now.”

—Karen McAthy

5. To assemble the bites, cut the figs in

half and fill with the almond ricotta. I like to sprinkle the tops with a little cinnamon and toasted walnut crumbs. Serve.

westernliving.ca / J U LY / A U G U S T

2017 43

WLFOOD // 2017 FOODIES OF THE YEAR

THE SILENT OPERATOR

Minoru Tamaru Owner, Group Restaurants, Vancouver

Graham With Head Brewer, Parallel 49, Vancouver

In 2012, fewer than 10 craft breweries were open in Vancouver, and Parallel 49 was one of them. Which makes its 35-year-old brewmaster, Graham With, somewhat of a granddaddy of the scene. But don’t be fooled by the baby face: With has seriously honed his craft over the past five years. In his first 12 months he produced a million litres of beer on the job, and since then he has crafted some of the label’s most beloved bevs: Tricycle, Jerkface 9000 and Apricotopus. Under his watch, P49 has scooped up accolades aplenty (the latest: a gold from the Canadian Brewing Awards), started distributing nationally and into the States and launched a limited-edition brewing collaboration called Brews Bros., as well as starting up Hop Circuit, an annual free tour-and-tasting day promoting the wares of Yeast Van. Now Parallel 49 has transformed its tasting room into a full-fledged restaurant and patio with the help of Measured Architecture—but with With’s savvy, P49’s reach will continue to go much farther than the sidewalk of Triumph Street.—Stacey McLachlan 4 4 J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

GR AHAM’S 3 BEER PICKS

What’s Trending in Beer?

“Juicy” Fruit IPAs.

Boombox Brewing Tropic Thunder

Twins Sails Dat Juice

Bridge Brewing Side Cut

“A LOT OF NEW HOP VARIETIES HAVE PLEASANT TROPICAL FRUITY FLAVOURS REMINISCENT OF MANGOES AND PAPAYAS. SOME BREWERS HAVE DROPPED THE BITTERNESS IN IPAS TO GIVE THE BEER A ‘JUICY’ FLAVOUR.”—GRAHAM WITH

With: Evaan Kheraj

THE HUSTLER

In 2006, when Minoru Tamaru opened Kingyo (Japanese for “goldfish,” though that particular sea creature doesn’t appear anywhere on the menu), it was not necessarily immediately obvious that the quirky izakaya was the catalyst for an empire. Yes, it was an immediate hit, wowing critics and locals with its playful take on the Japanese pub format, serving up inventive small plates and fusion-forward bento boxes in a cozy woodlined room in Vancouver’s West End. But even its biggest fans likely couldn’t have predicted that a decade later Tamaru would have an international stable of restaurants to his name.

South Granville’s Suika (“watermelon”) opened in 2011, bringing the same boisterous atmosphere and Japanese bites to the west-side set; Rajio (“radio”) followed in 2012, specializing in Osaka-style kushikatsu—shareable platters of battered-and-fried snacks on skewers. His then business partner Makoto Kimoto took the concept south the next year, opening up a Suika outpost in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, while Tamaru continued eastward to Toronto the year after that, launching a new Kingyo in 2012.

But with Tamaru’s latest project, the dark-and-buzzy year-old Raisu (“rice,” but you probably guessed that one) in Kitsilano, he returned back home to Vancouver—which makes it feel like an appropriate time to fete the man behind this least chainlike of chains. Just over a decade of spreading the gospel of Japanese pub culture, serving up crispy prawn heads and corn karaage, of encouraging us to share every once in a while— that’s worth raising a glass to. Kanpai!—S.M.

THE FIRE STARTER

Kevin Cam

Cooper & O’Hara Photography

Owner, Baijiu and North 53, Edmonton

“I was a 23-year-old trying to pickpocket well-off folks,” jokes Kevin Cam about opening North 53, in 2013, on a corner of Edmonton’s bougie Westmount neighbourhood. Instead, the room—dark and covered in black beehive tiles—drew in ultra-hip millennials, smitten by creative drinks requiring bartenders to torch sprucewood. But they hardly touched the tasting menu that was North’s cornerstone. Within months, Cam—neither trained chef, bartender, nor maître d’, but a well-travelled former fashion buyer with good tastes and, more importantly, investors—had to pivot. He changed chefs, supplanting elevated comfort-food share plates with whimsical baskets of tempura popcorn chicken dusted with blitzed popcorn.

The vibe now is like “a party within a party,” says Cam. Lessons in hand, his second venture, Baijiu, required no weaning after opening this year.

Inspired by Shanghai and Hong Kong speakeasies, with floral Asian murals on one wall and a Biggie Smalls print on the other, it’s both a tribute to his Chinese roots and adolescent days in Vancouver karaoke bars throwing back Hennessy and green tea shots. The drinks program romps with Asian ingredients like nigorizake, soy milk and Thai basil syrup, while chef Alexei Boldireff plays with a modern style of bao tacos and impossibly tender Szechuan-style confit chicken. Like North, it’s a multisensual combination. “I get a high when I’m standing in one of my rooms; it’s full, the Champagne is flowing and there’s laughter everywhere.”—Omar Mouallem

My first s ff k “IT WAS MIXING CHINESE RICE WINE WITH ORANGE JUICE. I WAS 11.”—KEVIN CAM

BAIJIU RECIPE

Sakura Spritz 2 oz Umeshu plum wine 1⁄2 oz Cointreau 1 oz grapefruit juice 1⁄4 oz lemon juice 2 drops hibiscus extract 2 oz sparkling rosé Dried rose petal, to garnish Combine all ingredients except bubbles in a shaker tin and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and double strain with a tea strainer into a Champagne flute. Top with sparkling rosé and garnish with a dried rose petal.

–Recipe by Andre Bober

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WLFOOD // 2017 foodIes of the year

“I thought If I had the chance to do somethIng, I wanted to do It.” —Nihal ElwaN

The Women of Tayybeh Left to right: Rawaa Mahouk, Heba Najib, Hasna Shekh Omar, Leena Alahmad with daughter Loubana, Nihal Elwan, Raghda Hassan with daughter Solar. Taken at Shaughnessy United Church, January 30, 2017.

the community builder

Nihal Elwan It started as a casual conversation. Development consultant Nihal Elwan was sharing her love for Syrian cuisine with a neighbour—growing up in nearby Cairo, she knew Middle Easterners often travelled to Aleppo as a culinary destination—when it occurred to her she could help recently arrived refugees with a fundraiser. “I thought, okay, let’s arrange it,” she says. “Some Syrian families can cook a neighbourhood dinner.”

A Facebook post later, the dinner for 50 sold out in minutes. It was the start of Tayybeh: A Celebration of Syrian Cuisine (tayybeh means “kind” in Arabic and “delicious” in the Levantine dialect), a series of pop-up 4 6 j u ly / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca

dinners run by Syrian women. The dinners have developed a cult following, with each successively larger event—the latest hosted 150—rapidly selling out. For the Vancouverites who attend, the impact is more than just culinary discovery and charitable support, says Elwan. “We’re realizing that eating has become a lonely, almost solitary experience,” she says. “People often eat on their own or in twos—but the experience of dining with that large a number of people, it’s something they don’t often experience here. We’re trying to replicate experiences in the Middle East, where large numbers of people get together from their neighbourhood.”

The dinners continue, a catering business is developing and, under Elwan’s guidance, the women of Tayybeh have started to test-market some of their pastries at various farmers’ markets around town to develop a larger food business. Most importantly, all of this puts money in the hands of these women, most of whom have never been able to earn their own wages.

“One of them told me, ‘I’m making my own money, and I’m not sleeping thinking about this I’m so excited,’” says Elwan. “It’s the money, but it’s also their sense of confidence.

This is really at the heart at what I’ve always loved doing.”—Anicka Quin

Carlo Ricci

Creator, Tayybeh, Vancouver

The Western Living e-newsletter brings you inspired home and entertaining ideas three times a week, including:

• Exclusive home tours • Design advice from the pros • Wine picks • Fabulous events • Must-try dishes from our Recipe Finder PLUS entertaining tips, fantastic contests, getaway guides, cooking tips, and everything else you need to know to live life well in the West.

WLFOOD // 2017 FOODIES OF THE YEAR

Cheers to our Foodies of the Year Finalists Ignacio Arrieta & Marcelo Ramirez

Daniel Edler

Ryan O’Flynn

Co-owners, La Mezcaleria and La Taqueria, Vancouver

Owner, 49 Below Ice Cream, Victoria

Executive Chef, the Guild, Calgary

Jason Barton-Browne

Matthew Garrett & Simon Underwood

Blogger, Follow Me Foodie, Vancouver

Trevor Bird & Victor Straatman Co-founders, Meatme, Vancouver

May Chau

Owners, Moonshine Doughnuts, Doughnut Party, Edmonton

Mark Perrier

Kelsey Johnson

Allan & Amanda Pineda

Chef/Owner, Café Linnea, Edmonton

Founders, Filipino Pop-up Concepts Baon Manila Nights, Winnipeg

Chef/Co-owner, Savio Volpe, Vancouver

Chef, Golden Paramount Seafood, Richmond

Mandolyn Jonasson

Darren & Sylvia Cheverie

Chef/Owner, Island SodaWorks, Qualicum Beach

Liam Quinn

Eldric Kuzma

Michael Robins

Owner, Aubade Coffee, Vancouver

Executive Chef, Sous Sol, Sydney’s, Winnipeg

Ed Lam

Will Robinson

Chef, Yujiro Japanese, Winnipeg

Owner, Hop 'n' Hog, Clearwater, B.C.

Jake Lee

Shane Taylor

Chef/Owner, Seoul Fried Chicken, Edmonton

Wine Director, CinCin, Vancouver

Owners, Very Good Butchers, Victoria

Jinhee Lee

Butcher/Owner, Farm and Field Butchers, Victoria

Jay Drysdale & Wendy Rose

Leung Yiu Tong

Owners, Bella Wines, Okanagan

Executive Chef, Foreign Concept, Calgary

Marla Ebell

Paul McGreevy

Natasha Trowsdale

Owner, Hold General Store, Victoria

Chef, Starbelly Open Kitchen and Lounge, Calgary

Mixologist, SpeakTiki pop-up program; bar manager, Alta, Edmonton

Owners, Chartier, Edmonton

Eva Choi & Dallas Southcott Owners, the Chocolate Lab, Calgary

Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote & John Cote Owners, Black Fox Distillery, Saskatoon

James Davison & Tania Friesen

S H OU T OU T S

Foodies Nominate Other Foodies We asked our winners, who’s killing it in the West right now?

“Chef Justin Leboe. He is de-formalizing fine dining by seeking to establish social atmospheres with the eclecticism and charm of one’s home to replace the traditional white tablecloth.”—Kate Allen

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“Camil Dumont of Inner City Farms, the team at Solefood Farm, and Kimi Hendess and Kareno Hawbolt at Sweet Digz Farm—the farmers produce the food we cook, process and eat. And I have always admired Chef Andrea Carlson’s work; I love what Burdock and Co. and Harvest Community Foods are doing.”—Karen McAthy “Douglas King, the chef at Pigeonhole in Calgary.

Since his landing in Calgary, there has been nothing but great reviews with the food he and his crew are putting out. He is a welcome addition to the local food scene.”—JP Pedhirney “My friend Kylo Hoy at Four Winds has been doing a great job with their sour and wild ales. He pays a lot of attention to all the ingredients he uses and he’s a phenomenal cook.”—Graham With

Chef/Owner, the Salt and Pepper Fox, Victoria

Rebecca Teskey

Chef/Owner, Hoi Tong, Richmond

Fresh Thinking Farm-to-table chef and owner Andrea Carlson runs Burdock and Co. in Vancouver.

Daniel Edler: Tegan McMartin; Jinhee Lee: Colin Way; Ryan O'Flynn: Cindy La; Mijune Pak: Three Sixty Photo; Shane Taylor: Gordan Dumka; Andrea Carlson: Carlo Ricci

Chef, Hayloft, Airdrie, Alta.

Mijune Pak

T‫ ה‬L k

MODERN NURSERY

Pick colours and patterns that can grow up with the little ones.

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DESIGNED BY

Though there’s certainly plenty of whimsy to be found in this Calgary nursery (case in point: the adorable balloon-shaped overhead light from Brokis), the space is slyly sophisticated. As she designed the room for her new daughter, Elena Del Bucchia chose features—like the Campbell Dunsmore wallpaper and the Ikea rug—that are stimulating but not explicitly babyish; as the Dwell Studio crib is retired and the toys on the Ikea shelving units make way for books, those graphic patterns will still be totally appropriate. “I wanted to be wise about and reuse everything,” says Del Bucchia. “She’ll grow into the room and mix them in.”

a D Bu a

Portrait: Henry Del Bucchia; room: Lori Andrews

WL // TRADE SECRETS

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