FEATURE
Young Cuisine
Good vibes, affordability, and porky excesses are all part of a new wave of urban cuisine that is transforming the way this city eats
FOOD EDITOR SHAWNA WAGMAN’S HOT 10 LIST
Letter from the Editor
Reinvention is the name of the game in the restaurant business and food editor Shawna Wagman is thrilled to report that the city’s culinary cool kids are turning haute cuisine on its head this season. Seems the chefs are feeling a touch rebellious. Linen napkins and fancy plates are out the window and local gastronomes are suddenly being challenged to embrace whatever food — and vibe — pleases the chefs. In describing the trend, Wagman says the city’s most ambitious restaurants today remind her of “a reality show in which the audience stumbles into the kitchen on the chef’s day off.”
Daring their customers is risky for both chef and diner. But the rewards are also potentially greater. When chefs feel like they’re cooking for themselves, they can be less inhibited and, hence, more creative. The movement is called Young Cuisine and it has diners lining up to jam into rustic restaurants with mismatched chairs and shared tables. Once there, they chow down on, well, whatever has the chef pumped-up this week. It all makes for an exhilarating — and talk-worthy hot-10 list this year.
After you’ve indulged in Wagman’s 12 pages of food fantasy, turn the final page and head straight into the next story for an antidote to all the eating out you’re about to do. Filled with invigoratingly sporty ideas, our Winter Primer will have you raring to get outside and make the most of the fresh powder in your backyard. From the extreme (ice climbing, anyone?) to the recreational (family snow-shoeing is more your speed), we’ve got you covered.
COMING UP: We’re already working furiously on the 2013 Interiors issue, which hits newsstands in mid-January. This year, we’ve managed to get invites into the homes of some of our favourite tastemakers, who have graciously toured us around their living rooms and boudoirs, kitchens and closets. Now we’re putting together all the luscious photography and getting the goods on their at-home design and decorating philosophies. Prepare to be wowed.
Sarah Brown, Editor
feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com
FEATURE
Young Cuisine
Good vibes, affordability, and porky excesses are all part of a new wave of urban cuisine that is transforming the way this city eats
FOOD EDITOR SHAWNA WAGMAN’S HOT 10 LIST
COLUMNS
For the Record
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The British is Coming
The new owner of the historic British Hotel is dreaming big, with plans to restore what had become a run-down Aylmer drinking den and turn it into business- and family-friendly restaurants and much-needed office space
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Get the most out of winter this year. Try a new sport (skate-skiing, anyone?) or take your routine to a new level. Step out in style and meet other snow bunnies. Or pack the whole family up for a weekend getaway to remember. Our guide to winter sports has something for everyone — even the armchair adventurer
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CITY SELECT
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SUPER SHOPPER
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Which wines you should seek out at this year’s Ottawa Wine and Food Festival
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