Story by Dee Raffo | Images by Joern Rohde
Araxi
I talked to celebrated Culinary Director James Walt after he’d spent a weekend at North Arm Farm in Pemberton with 300 other chefs at Cooks Camp.
“It was inspiring to be amongst the other chefs but also on the farm, reminding us all of our connection to the land,” Walt says. “Yarrow Meadow brought ducks from the Fraser Valley and showed us how they were processed, which inspired me and [our new] Executive Chef Ying Gao to utilize every part of the duck on Araxi’s fall menu.”
Walt has a deep appreciation and regard for where produce comes from and is proud of how connected Araxi is to the Whistler community.
“It’s a great time for feedback from friends and our extended ski family,” says Walt. “This is the 27th time we’re doing a prix fixe menu. Tables are getting up and chatting with each other, and the service team riffs off of that — it creates more of a party vibe.”
Araxi is known for ingenuity and innovation, and their four-course menu changes weekly as the produce shifts to fall bounties like Walt’s favourites: squash, sunchokes, salsify and stone fruits. araxi.com
The incredible $43 price tag for both Araxi and Il Caminetto’s prix fixe menus is a celebration of their 43 years on the dining scene in Whistler and is a way of showing appreciation for their customers’ support and patronage.
Il Caminetto
I caught up with Mark McLoughlin, executive chef at Il Caminetto, one of Whistler’s favourite Italian restaurants, after he’d been on a morning forage for wild mushrooms.
“Right now, the late summer vegetables are at their peak, especially the tomatoes,” explains McLoughlin. “But we’ll soon be bidding them farewell and turning to butternut squash, beets and cabbages as the fall comes in. It’s a creative time of year for the chefs. With new produce to play with, team members step up and the vibe is electric, with diners celebrating a summer well spent.”
“The [Il] Caminetto classics will always be there, like our warm Sicilian olives, gem lettuce Caesar salad, minestrone soup and tiramisu, but what’s exciting is that we’ll be changing up the menu as new produce comes from our local farms.”
What to look out for? McLoughlin says the mushrooms are going to be a highlight this fall. Il Caminetto is expanding its prix fixe availability this year to seven days a week, with subtle changes to the menu as they incorporate seasonal variety. ilcaminetto.ca
Bar Oso
A “Taste of Spain” is Bar Oso’s first fall dinner menu series, and we’re all excited. Available from Sunday to Thursday, the three-course menu for $29 features traditional Spanish dishes like paella valenciana, tortilla de patatas (using a family recipe), and pintxos (skewers).
“’Taste of Spain’ is a celebration of everything Spain has to offer, not just the food but also the love and care that goes into it,” says Chef Jorge Muñoz-Santos. He spent months hosting tastings with his friends and family to perfect his paella dish before bringing it to Bar Oso’s menu.
“If we don’t challenge ourselves, we don’t get better — I want to serve something I’m proud of,” says Muñoz-Santos. “Every aspect of cooking a paella is important, from the rice to the stock and even the pan. I was looking for rich flavours and that caramelization below the surface.”
Bar Oso has a warm, high-energy feel, and Muñoz-Santos admits they deliberately keep the tables close together to foster friendly interaction. There will be changes to the menu weekly, but you can expect tapas to start, a sharable main, like the paella, and a sweet treat, such as basque cheesecake, churros, or their signature jumbo chocolate chip cookie to finish. baroso.ca
Bearfoot Bistro
Culinary Director Dominic Fortin laughs when I ask what he’s up to during the fall. Of course, he’s in the kitchen. Bearfoot’s three-course lobster menu is famous in Whistler, and this butter-poached delicacy, accompanied by baby potatoes and seasonal vegetables, is divine.
“We proudly support Canadian products and ship our lobster [in] from Nova Scotia weekly,” explains Fortin. “Try our exclusive black cod for two. A native fish of B.C., it’s raised sustainably in a fjord off Vancouver Island. We serve it with a miso glaze, oyster mushrooms, bok choy, furikake and salmon roe. It’s just delicious” (look for this dish to be back on the menu in mid-November). Note that he said for two. The Bearfoot has noticed that people are enjoying sharing plates; being able to taste a dish together makes the dining experience a very social one.
They are also offering small plates, so you can order several for the table to share, and that’s where I spotted the mini lobster roll. “They have been very popular and something we’re looking to keep on the menu into the winter,” says Fortin. “It’s fun to sit at the bar, sip on a glass of Champagne and share a seafood tower or a selection of tasty small plates.”
The three-course Lobster Fest for $76 will be offered until late November, and then Fortin will switch to something completely different — he offered no spoilers or hints — so stay tuned. bearfootbistro.com
Quattro
As you enter Quattro, one of Whistler’s beloved Italian restaurants, you walk past a wall of hand-painted Venetian scenes that transport you across the Atlantic. The restaurant is lively and warm, and its four-course for $40 fall menu is all about that sense of comfort.
“This is my favourite time of year,” says James Paré, Co-CEO of the Paré Restaurant Group. “We can indulge in certain ingredients, products and cooking techniques. We like to focus on richness, bringing together simplistic flavours but really making them stand out.”
One of the techniques Paré is referring to is braising. Look out for their short rib meatballs, which are braised and then fried to give them a bit of crunch on the outside and a juicy richness inside. It's a tasty second-course option with San Marzano tomatoes and pecorino cheese.
They’re also famous for their tagliatelle bolognese, braised for eight hours in a carefully crafted stock. This sauce is less about the tomatoes and more about the richness of the meat, perfectly coats the fresh pasta, and is topped with Parmigiano cheese. Choose a classic tiramisu or luscious panna cotta as a sweet treat to round out this four-course Italian extravaganza. quattrorestaurants.com
Mekong
There’s nothing like the fragrant, warming spices of Thai food in the fall. And that’s why you’ll find Chef Bonnie Khummuang’s gaeng lamb shank massaman and gaeng gari Brome Lake duck confit curries on Mekong’s fall dining menu.
“In Thailand, food is all about family and sharing,” explains Khummuang. “In the fall, when it’s a little quieter in Whistler, I like to come out of the kitchen and connect with people, [and] tell them about the food they are eating. It’s a lovely time of year.”
Khummuang marries local produce with Thai ingredients and uses cooking techniques from her multicultural team. Gathering produce from Brew Creek Farm, just south of Whistler, and North Arm Farm in Pemberton, you’ll find the floral scent of lemongrass added to earthy mushrooms and potatoes, ingredients not typically found in Thai cooking.
“I went back to Thailand this summer and surprised my mother when she opened the trunk of my brother’s car,” Khummuang says with a laugh. “Friends are considered family in Thailand, and the first thing you ask someone is, ‘Have you eaten?’ It shows you care. I gathered a lot of inspiration at home and can’t wait to share that with Whistler this fall and winter.”
The care that Khummuang mentions is evident in the carefully crafted dishes at Mekong. Join them for their fall three-course for $38 menu, which is offered daily. 88mekong.com
After speaking with these award-winning Whistler restaurants, I found a few things abundantly clear. There’s a dedicated passion for their craft and local produce, an appreciation for their guests, whether local or visiting, and excitement you’ll only feel if you pick up a knife and fork at one of their establishments this fall.
The availability of these specials is subject to change. Please visit the restaurant's websites or follow them on social media for dates and their latest menus.
To read more about our restaurant partners, see our latest dining article HERE.