Top Chef Canada finalist Connie DeSousa of CHARCUT Roast House and her colleague Jessica Pelland, the soon-to-be Executive Chef of Calgary’s most anticipated new restaurant charbar, were in town to collaborate with chef Andrea Carlson at Burdock & Co. as part of EAT Vancouver’s festival’s Dinner Series.

We  caught up with them today at YEW Restaurant where they were prepping for the dinner where they dished a little on what’s going on in Calgary and what they are doing while in Vancouver. I was hoping to be able to edit this file a bit more, but I’ve yet to master this task and wanted to get the interview up before EAT Vancouver ended, so here it is as rather raw, but very interesting, content. Also a note to myself, I best lay off the caffeine as two cups of coffee made me edgy and that, along with the being slightly star (or in this case chef) struck, didn’t quite work in my favour!

What drew you in to the industry?

Where did you attend Culinary school and receive your training?

You both competed, Connie in Top Chef Canada and Jessica Chopped Canada – why compete?

What’s going on lately at CHARCUT…

How will charbar be different?

Where else do you recommend to eat and visit for foodies in Calgary?

Where do you eat in Vancouver?

Where can we catch you during EAT?

Tell us a little about the dinner you did during EAT and how you collaborated.

Brought any ingredients from your homeland?

I am sure you are asked a lot about how it is being a “female chef” – have you faced any challenges because of your sex?

Do you think it is still relevant to ask – What it’s like to be a female chef?

How often do people ask what it’s like being a female chef?
And you get it less now?

Do you think that it’s good that we’re bringing up the subject? Or bad that we’re asking women about being women, a question we don’t ask men?

We will see Connie and Jessica at EAT Vancouver as the week progresses.