ROB FEENIE JOINS WEDGEWOOD HOTEL AS CHEF-IN-RESIDENCE AT BACCHUS
One of Canada’s most decorated and internationally recognized chefs has returned to the Relais & Châteaux family. and his talented team, assisting them with menu development and more.
Feenie previously opened the award-winning Lumière in 1995, where it was Canada’s only freestanding restaurant to receive Relais Gourmand status from the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rob to our Bacchus team as Chef-in-Residence,” says Elpie Marinakis, co-owner and managing director of Wedgewood Hotel & Spa. “Rob is one of the most talented chefs I have the honour of knowing, and he is an incredible leader in the kitchen. His culinary mastery already shines through at Bacchus, and we are delighted with the new dishes he has helped create with our team.”
Feenie comes to Bacchus after a long tenure at powerhouse chain Cactus Club, where he helped create and carve out the casual fine dining category.
“Wedgewood is one of my favourite properties in Vancouver, a place I’m very familiar with,” adds Feenie. “I met the late and beloved Eleni when I was just a 24 year old cook, looking for a job. She offered some great advice that has stayed with me throughout my career. The incredible team at Wedgewood Hotel and Bacchus have been wonderful so far. I relish my time here as Chef-in-Residence before opening my next restaurant. I haven’t been this excited in a long time.”
A two-time Iron Chef winner, first with Iron Chef America and then with Iron Chef Canada, Feenie is known for his innovative West Coast style of cooking, incorporating classically trained French techniques, local ingredients, and Pacific Rim-region flavours in his dishes. He graduated from the Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver before working with some of B.C.’s classic restaurants, including Le Crocodile and The Rim Rock Café. He travelled throughout Europe, staging at Michelin three-star rated restaurants, before working with some of America’s top chefs, such as Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. He then returned to Vancouver and opened fine dining institution Lumière and later the more casual eponymously named bistro Feenie’s.
Guests can already find many of Feenie’s dishes on the winter and lounge menu at Bacchus.
For more information about Bacchus, please visit www.wedgewoodhotel.com.
About Rob Feenie
Robert Feenie is one of Canada’s most recognized and acclaimed chefs. Feenie’s interest in cuisine started during a high school exchange program in Europe and at 20, he attended the Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver. Following graduation, he became a sous chef in some of this region’s top restaurants, notably Le Crocodile and The Rim Rock Café. While at Le Crocodile he began a series of work and educational travels, or stages, throughout Europe and North America, starting in Alsace with Chef Emile Jung at Au Crocodile and Antoine Westermann at Le Buerehiesel, both Michelin three-star rated restaurants. In North America, he worked with America’s top chef, Charlie Trotter, at Trotter’s Restaurant in Chicago, with Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel and Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Jean-Georges in New York.
In 1995 Feenie opened Lumière in Vancouver to accolades from notable food critics around the world. Lumière was the first freestanding restaurant in Canada to receive the Relais Gourmand designation. It then later became the first restaurant in Canada to be awarded the Traditions et Qualitè. Feenie also opened the eponymously named Feenie’s, a more casual Canadian bistro right next door to Lumière.
Feenie has published several cookbooks, including Rob Feenie Cooks at Lumiere, Lumiere Light, and Rob Feenie’s Casual Classics. He also starred on New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie on Food Network Canada for five seasons. Feenie is a two-time Iron Chef winner, first with Iron Chef America and then with Iron Chef Canada.
About Bacchus Restaurant
Located inside Vancouver’s only Relais & Châteaux property Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, the award-winning Bacchus Restaurant exudes old-world charm and modern elegance. Named after the Roman Wine God Bacchus, guests enjoy dishes featuring regional ingredients and global flavours with a distinct European flair. Bacchus Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with its celebrated Bacchus Lounge offering locals and visitors alike a hotspot for cocktail hour and nightcaps seven days a week and nightly live piano music daily from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
About Wedgewood Hotel & Spa
An elegant, world-class property set in the heart of Vancouver’s thriving and cosmopolitan downtown district; the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa has been a well-kept secret to visitors of Vancouver since it opened in 1984. With 83 luxury rooms and suites, it is the only Vancouver hotel that is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux – an exclusive collection of the world’s finest hotels and restaurants.
845 Hornby Street, Vancouver BC V6Z 1V1
www.wedgewoodhotel.com/bacchus-restaurant | 604-608-5319
Instagram: @bacchusvancouver | Facebook: @wedgewoodhotel | Twitter: @wedgewoodhotel
