Gold Medal Plates Competition
Notable had the pleasure of being in attendance at the Gold Medal Plates competition in Calgary on October 28, 2011. It was the ultimate celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine, wine, the arts and athletic achievement, and brought out over 750 of YYC’s elite.
The goal of Gold Medal Plates is to raise substantial funds for Canada’s high performance athletes, while celebrating Canadian excellence. Since its inception in 2004, this event has generated close to $5 million for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes through the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
Though the event celebrated Canadian athletes, the stars of the night were definitely Calgary’s best chefs. Each competitor created and served a unique dish to the delight of everyone in attendance. A panel of local culinary leaders then judged each dish.
The unofficial theme of the evening seemed to be foie gras, as many of the dishes featured this delectable ingredient.
The gold medalist of the evening was Michael Dekker of Rouge, whose dish was a Foie Gras Sundae – a ball of foie gras ice cream perched on top of a layer of candied oats and a stripe of reduced balsamic with a poppyseed tuile to top it off.
Silver went to Han Hrabec of Crazyweed Kitchen and bronze to Justin Leboe of Model Milk.
Michael Dekker will go on to compete at the Gold Medal Plates finale in February 2012, which crowns the top chef in Canada.
The most inspiring part of the evening was having the opportunity to meet Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes and to hear about their hard work and dedication.
Click here to view the photos.
Commonwealth Bar & Stage Opening
Commonwealth opened a few weeks ago to a great reception by many YYC YPs. The opening was unpretentious and definitely worth making it out for.
Spread out over 25,000 square feet with a 500-person capacity, Commonwealth boasts three distinct spaces within it’s interior – a street-level lounge, a second floor stage and dancefloor, and a basement space.
We made the rounds through the second level and took advantage of their amazing drink specials. Commonwealth clearly has an affinity towards bourbon and offers a drink menu with cocktails (traditional and innovative) inspired by this delicious spirit.
The second level is wide open with ample opportunity to dance, mingle or perch somewhere for candid people watching.
When we felt it necessary to relax a little, we headed downstairs to a cozy room with plenty of seating along the edges and laidback music to match. This space is perfect if you are looking to chill and chat with friends as you sip your beverage.
The music in all of the rooms is phenomenal and lives up to Commonwealth’s expectation of becoming a cultural hub in Calgary.
For those who are looking for a little snack, Commonwealth features Cafeteria, which is essentially a food window that parallels a street food truck and provides patrons with upscale munchies.
With such an excellent space and great team, it is no wonder that Calgary’s best came by to check it out. It was almost impossible not to run into someone you knew.
Click here to see the photos.