On the evening of May 9, guests at the Saskatoon Club had the opportunity to visit 10 of Saskatoon’s best local restaurants all under one roof. The night’s culinary journey included three popular dishes from each restaurant, interspersed with wine and beer stations for liquid refreshment.
The Saskatoon Club’s Executive Chef Anthony McCarthy spearheaded this unique evening. The Prairie Food Faire also served as an unofficial tour for non-members through the Club and its latest renovations.
The 10 terrific restaurants on hand for the evening included The Cure Artisanal Charcuterie, The Hollows, Il Secondo, Little Bird Pâtisserie & Café, Odd Couple, Nosh Eatery & Tap, Picaro, Primal, The Saskatoon Club and Shift (at Remai Modern).
“This is an event I’ve been wanting to do for a few years now. With so many great local restaurants doing amazing food, the time was right to showcase them in this way. I was thrilled from the response when I put the invite out to all the great restaurants, and look forward to building on the inaugural success of this event,” says Chef McCarthy.
Food highlights included Little Bird’s signature chocolate birch cake and lemon tarts, The Hollows’ beet salad with goat cheese and pistachios, Shift’s beef tartare with mint tahini and pomegranate seeds, Primal’s spicy meatballs, and Odd Couple’s Asian sausage and sweet potato potstickers.
Spencer Early and his wife Jan have been members of the Saskatoon Club for more than 15 years (his father and grandfather were also Club members). The Earlys were enjoying the evening with their friends Bill and Maureen Preston, who were actually the first couple to be married at the Club.
“I’m impressed by the quality and variety of the food here. These are some of the best restaurants in the city and it’s the first time the Club has done something quite like this,” says Early.
Overall there was a good mix of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as enough delicious desserts to tempt any palate. Guests were encouraged to circulate and mingle while trying new dishes and meeting new people.
Joel Hassler and Lorenzo Brazzini are co-owners of The Cure Artisanal Charcuterie. A native of Perugia, Italy, Brazzini previously worked as a sous chef at the Club with Chef McCarthy. Hassler was born in Saskatoon and shared the sous chef position with Brazzini.
The Cure produces hand-crafted charcuterie on a larger scale, caters events and supplies local restaurants with its cured meat products. Originally just wholesale, Brazzini and Hassler also opened a brick and mortar location in Riversdale a year ago.
“It’s a pleasure to do events like this. It helps to get out in the Saskatoon community so people can get to know us and taste our products,” says Brazzini.
After guests consumed many tempting dishes, Odd Couple was chosen as the people’s choice for best Prairie Food Faire restaurant. The Hollows was picked as the judges’ choice for best restaurant. Both restaurants are located in the trendy Riversdale district of Saskatoon.