Canada’s best new restaurants of 2013, chosen by the editors of Where
Where Canada’s Best New Restaurants is an annual award program recognizing the nation’s top chefs and outstanding restaurants. Editors from each of the following Where magazine regions select an exceptional restaurant to be honoured: Calgary, Canadian Rockies, Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler and Winnipeg.
In this year’s selection, a tie is declared in Calgary with two bistros claiming the prize, while an eclectic mix of cuisine is highlighted including Spanish fare in Toronto, Mediterranean dishes in Victoria, market menus in Winnipeg and much more.
Click on the slideshow to see all of Where’s Best New Restaurants of 2013.
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- Sister to the internationally acclaimed Rouge, the more casual Bistro Rouge is a classic French brasserie. Chef Paul Rogalski’s traditional bistro fare includes melt-in-your-mouth sweetbreads and paillards grille (thin, tenderized and grilled meats). The bistro’s three intimate dining rooms feature a stellar view of Calgary’s downtown skyline.<br /> <br /> 1919 Sirocco Drive SW, Calgary<br /> 403-514-0561<br /> <a href="http://bistrorougeyyc.com/" target="_blank">bistrorougeyyc.com</a>
- <strong>Bistro Rouge –</strong> Calgary, Alberta
- Bistro Rouge – Calgary, Alberta
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- With a French bistro-inspired menu by Duncan Ly, one of the city’s top chefs as well as being the menu-planner for Chef’s Table and Raw Bar, this inviting restaurant in Hotel Arts serves brilliantly delicious food. Consider the best-ever duck cassoulet, superb sous vide beef tenderloin or grilled Alberta trout (you’ll be hooked!), and pair these sumptuous selections with wines by the glass from its enomatic vino system.<br /> <br /> 119 12 Ave SW, Calgary<br /> 403-206-9585<br /> <a href="http://www.yellowdoorbistro.ca/" target="_blank">yellowdoorbistro.ca</a>
- <strong>Yellow Door Bistro –</strong> Calgary, Alberta
- Yellow Door Bistro – Calgary, Alberta
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- Austrian-trained chef John Riedler, a 25-year veteran of Jasper’s dining scene, creates “beautiful and healthy” Middle Eastern cuisine at his new The Raven Bistro. Tasty sauces that incorporate fine olive oils, fresh herbs and probiotic yogurts adorn dishes that include The Three Pharaohs skewers, pistachio crusted Moroccan lamb, spicy lentil quinoa nut loaf and seared fresh halibut with truffle mash. Indecisive diners do well with Kitchen Confidential comprised of six (or more) chef’s choice tastings. The intimate “kick back” décor with soft chairs, couches in the corner and 10-seat bar is French/North African inspired.<br /> <br /> 504 Patricia St., Jasper<br /> 780-852-5151<br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRavenBistro" target="_blank">facebook.com/TheRavenBistro</a>
- <strong>The Raven Bistro –</strong> Jasper, Alberta
- The Raven Bistro – Jasper, Alberta
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- Owner and chef Blair Lebsack has brought his creative farm-to-table concept to Edmonton with a constantly changing menu that is fresh, seasonal and local. This was one of the most highly anticipated restaurants to open in the city in years and has delivered ten-fold, quickly becoming the favourite watering hole for resident foodies, visitors and chefs. If you are craving Alberta beef, this is your new go-to spot, as RGE RD brings in whole cows and then uses every part to create unforgettable dishes. Make sure to save room for dessert though — mouthwatering concoctions like the Chocolate S’mores shouldn’t be missed!<br /> <br /> 10643-123 St., Edmonton<br /> 780-447-4577<br /> <a href="http://www.rgerd.ca/" target="_blank">rgerd.ca</a>
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- <strong>RGE RD –</strong> Edmonton, Alberta
- RGE RD – Edmonton, Alberta
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- Chef Craig Flinn has long been a darling of Halifax's restaurant scene, thanks to his acclaimed work at Chives Canadian Bistro. Now, he's focused those talents on a new project—2 Doors Down showcases his trademark love of slow-food and local suppliers. The atmosphere is homey and relaxed (no reservations accepted), while the menu takes comfort food to a sophisticated new place. The Old School Cheeseburger (made with house ground P.E.I. chuck, brisket and short rib) is a strong contender for the city's best, while the Moroccan Vegetable Curry is a veritable explosion of flavours. The care and creativity continues to the drink menu, which showcases local wines, creative cocktails and the city's only bourbon menu. Little wonder that 2DD claimed three trophies at the recent Nova Scotia Restaurant Awards.<br /> <br /> 1533 Barrington St., Halifax<br /> 902-422-4224<br /> <a href="http://www.go2doorsdown.com/" target="_blank">go2doorsdown.com</a>
- <strong>2 Doors Down –</strong> Halifax, Nova Scotia
- 2 Doors Down – Halifax, Nova Scotia
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- Maritime fare and art convene on a plate at Ottawa’s Supply and Demand. Chef Steve Wall uses only the best hand-selected ingredients, from the raw food bar items to oysters and grilled Ontario trout. Supply and Demand’s menu also includes pasta made in-house, as well as meat and vegetarian options. The restaurant’s simple, personal atmosphere, complete with quirky seahorse wallpaper and old oil lanterns, complements the tasty dishes.<br /> <br /> 1335 Wellington St. W., Ottawa<br /> 613-680-2949<br /> <a href="http://supplyanddemandfoods.ca/" target="_blank">supplyanddemandfoods.ca</a>
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- <strong>Supply and Demand –</strong> Ottawa, Ontario
- Supply and Demand – Ottawa, Ontario
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- We’re hardly the first, nor will we be the last to number this restaurant among Toronto’s absolute best. The brainchild of Grant van Gameren, whose virtuoso work with cured meats and offal at The Black Hoof marked him as one of our most exciting young chefs, Bar Isabel’s Spanish tavern setting—cozy, yet energetically convivial—is perfectly keyed to match the shareable, Mediterranean-inspired plates turned out by its kitchen. As you might expect, the salumi offerings are top notch, but don’t leave without ordering the grilled octopus for your table. Pressed for time? Step up to the bar for a quick snack and an artisan cocktail (or beer, or old-world wine). We guarantee you’ll soon be planning a return visit.<br /> <br /> 797 College St., Toronto <br /> 416-532-2222<br /> <a href="http://barisabel.com/" target="_blank">barisabel.com</a>
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- <strong>Bar Isabel –</strong> Toronto, Ontario
- Bar Isabel – Toronto, Ontario
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- Homer St. Cafe and Bar is located in an ingeniously reworked space in the historic Homer Building. The two-tiered room dazzles with its period tin ceiling, tiled floors, marble bar and “nouveau” cafe feel. The mood is polished brasserie, with a traditionally inspired menu that focuses on responsible sourcing and local ingredients. On the menu: hallmarks such as spice-rubbed, perfectly golden, turned rotisserie chicken, served with new potatoes, plus rustic tastes such as short rib pie with bone marrow. A wealth of easy-to-like appetizers roams from crostini with chickpeas to a chorizo skillet, all good for matching with a smart list of hard-to-find wines.<br /> <br /> 898 Homer St., Vancouver<br /> 604-428-4299<br /> <a href="http://homerstreetcafebar.com/" target="_blank">homerstreetcafebar.com</a>
- <strong>Homer St. Cafe and Bar –</strong> Vancouver, British Columbia
- Homer St. Cafe and Bar – Vancouver, British Columbia
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- 2013 has brought Victoria the celebrated Catalano Restaurant and Cicchetti Bar, downtown in the Magnolia Hotel. Boasting a distinctly Mediterranean flare, including Venetian tapas known as “cicchetti,” Catalano draws on the cuisine of such luscious locales as Venice and the Spanish coast. Chef Aaron Lawrence has created an inspired selection of appetizers and entrees interpreted with locally sourced seafood and quality meats and produce from Island farms. Complemented by a well-chosen wine list and excellent selection of traditional and custom cocktails, Catalano has quickly become a favourite for lunch, dinner and late-night dining.<br /> <br /> 619 Courtney St., <br /> 250-480-1824<br /> <a href="http://catalanorestaurant.com/" target="_blank">catalanorestaurant.com</a>
- (Image: courtesy Catalano Restaurant and Cicchetti Bar)
- <strong>Catalano Restaurant and Cicchetti Bar –</strong> Victoria, British Columbia
- Catalano Restaurant and Cicchetti Bar – Victoria, British Columbia
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- The room is spacious and welcoming, but the real star at Grill & Vine is fresh regional fare. Rich natural flavours shine in mains such as wild boar lasagne, scallops with bone marrow risotto, and Sakura Farms duo of pork tenderloin and pork belly. Side dishes are equally enticing: chorizo tater tots, truffled macaroni and cheese, butternut squash gratin. And the chef’s grown-up take on the banana split will please palates of any age.<br /> <br /> Westin Resort & Spa Whistler<br /> 4090 Whistler Way, Whistler<br /> 604-935-4338<br /> <a href="http://www.grillandvinewhistler.com/" target="_blank">grillandvinewhistler.com</a>
- <strong>Grill & Vine –</strong> Whistler, British Columbia
- Grill & Vine – Whistler, British Columbia
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- Chew, with its 21-seat dining room and ever-changing market-based menu, is proof that the best things do come in small packages. The couple behind the restaurant, Chefs Kyle Lew and Kristen Chemerika, are highlighting regional fare and creative offcuts in an unexpected, and intimate, suburban setting. A bread board featuring herbed bone marrow butter starts off the meal, and leads to dishes like seared scallops over a saffron cauliflower puree with housemade lemon preserves and beet chips. Robust flavour profiles carry through to dessert, with options such as a salted chocolate cremeux, paired perfectly with orange olive oil sorbet and housemade sponge toffee.<br /> <br /> 532 Waterloo St., <br /> 204-667-2439<br /> <a href="http://chewcatering.ca/" target="_blank">chewcatering.ca</a>
- <strong>chew –</strong> Winnipeg, Manitoba
- chew - Winnipeg, Manitoba
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