On September 27, 2010, some of the best known names in the B.C. hospitality industry will be inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame. They will join such luminaries as Hy & David Aisenstat, Vikram Vij & John Bishop in Canada’s only restaurant Hall of fame. The evening will be one of celebration as well as entertainment as the evening will also feature one of North America’s funniest funny men, Sinbad. Members of British Columbia’s culinary scene will gather at the River Rock Resort Casino Resort, for the 6th annual BC Restaurant Hall of Fame induction gala. The ceremonies will salute eleven individuals in five categories; Active, Industry (front and back of house), Pioneer and Friend of the Industry.
Inductees in the five categories are:
1. Active Restaurateur Category
Celebrating exceptional restaurateurs currently active in the BC restaurant industry.
Warren Erhart- White Spot – President/CEO
Richard Jaffray- Cactus Club Cafe – Founder and President/CEO
Harry Kambolis- Raincity Grill, C Restaurant, Nu Restaurant – Proprietor
2. Pioneer Category
Pioneers of the BC restaurant industry either retired or deceased.
Peter Bonner & Wayne Holm- Co-Founders of Spectra Foods
Xavier Hertzman- Former Executive Chef at the Westin Bayshore (deceased)
3. Friend of the Industry Category
An individual who has provided exceptional support to the restaurant industry – either a supplier, restaurant reporter, or politician who has consistently supported BC’s restaurant industry.
Rhonda May – Cityfood Magazine – Publisher
Barbara -Jo McIntosh- Barbara -Jo’s Books to Cooks – Proprietor
4. The Industry Award
Individual-retired, deceased or active- who is or has been a chef, server, manager, bartender and who has demonstrated exceptional professionalism working in the restaurant industry. These individuals are recognized for making their restaurant a special experience for customers.
i. Back of House
Frank Pabst- Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar – Executive Chef
Pino Posteraro – Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill and Enoteca – Executive Chef/Owner
ii. Front of House
Brian Hopkins- West – Restaurant Director
Robin Bourne- The Empress Hotel – Maître d
“Now in its 6th year, the inductees into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame continue to be impressive. The 11 individuals being inducted in 2010 once again represent the very best of those who have made a significant difference to the BC Restaurant industry” says John Harper, Chair of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
The Hall of Fame inductees will be honoured at a black tie gala on September 27th, 2010. This extraordinary event will feature a reception presented by the Keg Steakhouse & Bar, celebrity presenters and guests and a veritable feast prepared by River Rock’s Executive Chef, Sylvain Cuerrier, which of course will be paired with the best of BC wines. Furthermore, the red carpet will be rolled out not only for our deserving inductees, but we will also be welcoming renowned comedian Sinbad who will entertain the crowd after the ceremony.
Hall of Fame Gala chair Heidi Romich notes “I would like to congratulate the 2010 Inductees into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame. We honor and celebrate your accomplishments, dedication and passion for our Industry. Your contributions have helped put British Columbia’s culinary scene on the world stage!”
To cap off the festivities the BCRFA will also be donating a portion of the evening’s proceeds to the Canucks for Kids Fund and the BC Hospitality Foundation. “The Canucks for Kids Fund is honoured to be celebrating the best of BC with the BC Restaurant & Food Services Association,” said Debbie Butt, Executive Director of CFKF. “Children and families in need in our province will be the beneficiaries of an industry that is innovative in food and wine and also giving back to the community.”
Tickets for the September 27th gala ($225) are now available for purchase online or by phone: 604-669-2239 www.bcrfa.com
For more information, please contact:
Sharron Tulk
Director of Marketing BCRFA
778-999-4119 stulk@bcrfa.com
Together, Bing Smith and Don Monsour, Executive Directors of BCRFA at the time, took their vision from conception to reality. The BC Restaurant Hall of Fame was conceived in 2004 and the first groups of inductees were honoured in March of 2005. This is the first, and remains the only, Restaurant Hall of Fame in Canada. The BC Restaurant Hall of Fame was established to recognize the individuals in the restaurant industry who have made significant contributions to the BC restaurant scene; making it the finest in Canada.
Our active inductees are designing our future. Our friends of the industry assist us in making our present time a success and supporting us to our future successes. The incredible changes in the BC dining scene were made possible by the vision, creativity and unbelievable hard work of the individuals recognized through induction into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame.
The inaugural group of sixteen inductees was led by Erwin Doebeli and Umberto Menghi and included legends such as Nat Bailey, Hy Aisenstat, George Tidball, Bruno Marti and Harry McWatters. In 2008 some of the inductees that joined this illustrious group included David Hawksworth, Anthony Gismondi, and a special lifetime achievement award to the late James BarberAll past and present
BCRHOF Inductees at A Glance 2005 – 2009
Active Restaurateur Category
Erwin Doebeli – The William Tell (2005)
Umberto Menghi – Umberto’s (2005)
Bud Kanke – Joe Fortes (2006)
John Bishop – Bishop’s (2006)
Jack Evrensel – TopTable Group (2007)
The Fuller family – Bus / Stan / Jeff / Stewart (2007)
Michel Jacob – Le Crocodile (2008)
Sinclair Philip – Sooke Harbour House (2008)
Vikram Vij – Vij’s & Rangoli (2008)
David Aisenstat – The Keg, The Shore Club, Ki, Hy’s Whistler (2009)
Geoffrey Howes – Salmon House / Aqua Riva / Horizons (2009)
Pioneer Category
Frank & Eva Iaci – Iaci’s (2005)
Frank Baker – The Attic (2005)
George Tidball – Keg Restaurants (2005)
Mario Corsi – Park Royal Hotel and Corsi Trattoria (2005)
Mike McLaughlin – Old House Restaurant, Comox (2005)
Hy Aisenstat – HY’s Steakhouse (2005)
Nat Bailey – White Spot (2005)
Peter Szazz – Szasz Restaurant (2005)
Joe Troll – Troll’s Restaurant (2005)
Louis Stervinou – Devonshire Seafood House and Ondines (2005)
Peter Toigo – White Spot (2006)
Chick Chamberlain – Tomahawk BBQ (2006)
Jean Claude Ramond – Smoking Dog (2006)
Jeff Mooney – A&W Restaurants (2006)
Joel Thibualt – Joel’s Whistler (2006)
Glenn Anderson – Kettle of Fish (2007)
Pulos Family (Andy, Lee, & Peter) – Spaghetti Factory (2007)
Jeffrey & Peter Barnett – Elephant & Castle (2007)
Tommy O’Bryan – O’Doul’s/Tommy O’s (2008)
Diamond Almas – Seven Seas (2008)
Bert Love – Love’s Café (2008)
Bruno Patassini – Westin Bayshore, Vancouver Catering Manager (2009)
George Frankel – Bridges Restaurant (2009)
Primo Villanueva – Primo’s Mexican Grill(2009)
Industry Award
Back of House Category
Bruno Marti – Chef/Owner, La Belle Auberge (2005)
Hidekazu Tojo – Tojo’s (2006)
Karen Barnaby – The Fish House (2006)
Rob Feenie – Lumière (2006)
Pierre Dubrulle – Dubrulle Culinary School / La Gavroche School (2007)
Robert Clark – C Restaurant and Nu Restaurant (2007)
Rod Butters – Fresco Restaurant (2007)
Bernard Casavant – Bernards, Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl (2008)
David Hawksworth – Chef/Proprietor, The Restaurant at the Hotel Georgia (2008)
Scott Jaeger – The Pear Tree (2009)
Thomas Haas – Thomas Haas (2009)
Front of House Category
Ann Bentley – General Manager, Aqua Riva (2005)
Francesco Alongi – Don Francesco’s (2006)
Ruy Paes Braga – Four Season Hotel (2006)
Bobby Copiak – Il Giardino (2007)
Robert “Frenchy” Gagne – Joe Fortes (2007)
John Blakeley – Pastis (2008)
Brent Hayman – Raincity Grill (2008)
Darren Gates – Joe Fortes & Gold Fish (2009)
Jean Turcotte – The Cannery (2009)
Friend of the Industry Award
Harry McWatters – Sumac Ridge Winery (2005)
Peter Whittall – Neptune Food Service (2005)
Anthony von Mandl – Mission Hill Wine (2006)
Jurgen Gothe – CBC Radio / Georgia Straight (2006)
Don Bellamy – BCRFA and City of Vancouver Councilor (2007)
Hans Konings – Konings Wholesale (2007)
Anthony Gismondi – Wine critic, writer, broadcaster and speaker (2008)
Mark Hills – Hills Food (2008)
Jamie Maw – Vancouver Magazine (2009)
Sid Cross – Co-Founder The Chefs’ Table Society of BC (2009)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Bing Smith – Vitality Foodservice Canada Inc. (2007)
James Barber – Writer, host of TV cooking series, The Urban Peasant (2008)
Duncan Holmes- Freelance Journalist (2009)
