The softly-spoken man with the English accent and the French name is full of surprises, beginning with his roots. Scottish-born, Alain moved to England as a child, soon modulating his native burr to match the cadence of his new schoolmates. The family construction industry was his expected career path, but serendipity intervened. A casual conversation with the head chef at Chewton Glen Hotel launched Alain’s three-year apprenticeship, where he prepared food for Prince Phillip and Prime Minister Ted Heath.
Alain became Executive Chef at major Canadian resorts and hotels, followed by positions at Five Diamond resorts in Jamaica and Bermuda. In Alberta, he transformed Banff’s Eden Restaurant into one of Canada’s top Five Diamond restaurants, and then headed up Marriott Hotels’ food operations in Calgary and Washington. In 2004, Muskoka welcomed Alain as Executive Chef at Taboo Resort, where he was named Canada’s Top Chef by the International Association of Conference Centers. Three years later, he and his wife Robbie opened North Restaurant, now the Oar and Paddle Restaurant and Pub. HIDEAWAYS recently had the chance to chat with the man in the kitchen.
A. It was my lifelong dream. As an Executive Chef, it’s more about managing the staff than working with the food. I prefer hands-on cooking and creating my own rec
ipes. I have a passion for food, and I now have the freedom to promote distinctly Canadian cuisine using local products.
A. No, it was actually Warren Buffett. He arrived at Muskoka Airport, and was told that North was the best place to get a great sandwich. He gave us quite a list by phone for a boxed lunch, which we packed up and took to him. A lot of interesting people pass through our airport, from rock stars to sports heroes. We’ve delivered food to Steven Spielberg, Keith Richards, Cindy Crawford, Kenny G, Regis Philbin, and Alex Rodriguez.
A. Maybe the time that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia visited the Elbow Beach Hotel in Bermuda. Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his entourage anchored his yacht and took over the resort. I cooked a rack of lamb on the barbeque for him and his closest associates
A. I created a vegetarian dish for Mick Jagger when I worked at Truffles, and I presented a Canadian-themed buffet for Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela. It was also an interesting evening when the famous quarterback, Joe Montana, was kicked out of Eden Restaurant for wearing jeans . . . though they changed their dress code the very next day!
A. I once had to prepare meals for 3,500 people at Marriott’s Convention Centre in Calgary. They flew me to their Ocean Pointe location in West Palm Beach to train me on capacity-serving techniques, which is an interesting system including conveyor belts and slow-heating processes.
A. Each one is unique, with its own set of challenges. We served sixty people on a Muskoka island property. There was no power, so everything was pre-cooked. They even hired the Segwun steamship to dock there for washroom facilities.
A. There are “Dine Around Clubs” here. People often want it plated on their own decorative platters, and add some ‘Wow’ factor with unusual food selections.
A. I watch some of them for interest’s sake. I enjoy ‘Theatre Kitchen”, and have put together menus with ‘how-to’ sheets. But I’m not the ‘normal’ chef. I’m too low-key — I don’t throw pots and pans and rage at the staff. We handle any issues discreetly and at the right time.
A. All the time! I was trained in the classic French traditions, but everything is lighter and fresher now. We do ethnic cooking, on-site smoking, wild game such as caribou and bison. I particularly admire the great French chef, Roger Vergé, and one of his favourite dishes was macaroni and poached lobster.
A. When I train apprentices, I tell them that the cardinal rule is that they must eat everything to get the flavours into their heart. I’m personally not fond of raw oysters, but other than that I have a pretty broad palate. People who are entertaining us are nervous to cook for me, but I tell them that my very favourite dish is ‘mince-and-tatties’.
A. Certainly. The family takes turns. When our kids were little, they preferred Kraft Dinner to real macaroni-and-cheese, but fortunately their tastes have become more discerning now.
Photos: Robert Nelson
