The Chef’s Table is returning to Ottawa’s National Arts Centre (NAC) this July, hosted at 1 Elgin Restaurant’s outdoor patio along the Rideau Canal. The multi-weekend event invites guests to sample a variety of cuisines from headlining chefs across the country, alongside music performances.
The “farm to table feast” hosted by the Ontario Festival of Small Halls, which was launched by the “Team Behind Bluesfest,” aims to highlight world class chefs utilizing local farm products.
“This is a great way for folks to enjoy an outdoor dining experience on a terrace in the heart of the city, listening to live music performed alongside the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” The Chef’s Table’s Executive Director, Mark Monahan, said in a press release.
The line-up of chefs this year includes the NAC’s Executive Chef Kenton Leier, Prince Edward County’s Leah Marshall Hannon, Global Affairs Canada and Rideau Gate’s Pascal Ménard, and the NAC’s Executive Sous-Chef Connor McQuay.
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“We have a recipe that we’re following that works for us,” said Nelson Borges, the NAC’s general manager of food and beverage.
In previous years, the main stage for the performers used to be outdoors, so organizers would have to block off the pathway along the canal and detour people who would take that route. Borges said that they’ll be setting up the stage inside this year to make it easier, as well as have the performers closer to the guests. “I think the difference this year is people are expecting to have a stage outside, because that’s what they’ve been experiencing. And now to come inside, that’s going to be the challenge and exciting to see how that works.”
In this year’s line-up of food and entertainment, Borges is especially looking forward to introducing the guests to the French menu curated by Chef Ménard.
“French cuisine is very unique. It’s very precise, petite, [and] beautiful,” Borges said.
He is also excited to have guests try Chef Marshall Hannon’s menu, who’s been 1 Elgin’s most recent resident chef. Some of her feature dishes include high quality meats, fish, and vegetables, in addition to layers of sauces and garnishes.
Chef Leier said that he’s looking forward to the interaction between the guests and the chefs, where he says he gets to learn about their culinary styles.
People are here for an experience, and to see the satisfaction and joy they have from eating… that’s really rewarding
Getting to collaborate with the other chefs is another highlight, as he and the rest of his team get to learn different cooking techniques and experiment with different ingredients.
“They’re getting exposure to really cool restaurants in DC or Edmonton or Winnipeg… it’s great for my staff. That’s rewarding for me to see them.”
Chef Leier also teased a “fresh, summery, seasonal, and light” theme for the dishes this year.
Borges talked about the importance of using locally sourced ingredients, which is the backbone behind the dishes presented at The Chef’s Table. Having worked in the hotel industry before joining the NAC, he said the main difference between the two businesses is that hotels typically focus more on profit, while the NAC allows “more freedom to create art.” Because the NAC receives a large volume of guests that generate profits, they have more resources to put towards supporting local food partners.
“Rather than turning a big profit, we’re just reinvesting our profits we make at food and beverage back into the art… We support organic fisheries and foods, because we can swallow those costs by more than other people.”
Chef Leier also agrees with this sentiment.
“We’re in an area of the country that has a lot of really great things available to us,” he said.
You want to encourage local producers to keep doing what they’re doing. We want them to make a living showcasing what they’re doing. And it gives us confidence knowing exactly where that stuff is coming from.
Tickets are availabe online for most events in the series. 1Elgin is a fully accessible restaurant at the National Arts Centre.
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