Our Urban Barn Dinner with Dale MacKay (part 1 of 2)

Urban Barn, teamed up with Top Chef Canada Winner Dale MacKay, of Ensemble Restaurant, to offer an opportunity of a lifetime to a lucky winner.

My dear friend Pamela Wise,  entered on the Urban Barn Facebook, and  got the call in December 2011  that she had been chosen as as their grand prize winner.

The highlight of her prize was for Chef Dale Mackay to come to her house to be her private chef for her and seven of her friends.  The prize also included eight gorgeous place settings  and table decor from Urban Barn.

Interview with Chef Dale Mackay about the dinner

Pamela is larger that life in her spirit and ideas!. She and her husband Ari Wise, Core Music Agency, decided on  a ‘Mad Men’ themed party to mark this life event, and felt their circa 1960’s home would be the perfect setting. My wife Ellie and I were one of the lucky couples to attend the party.

Once the 4 course menu was revealed to Pamela, Road 13 Vineyards, came onboard and provided some exquisite wine pairings.

These photos illuminate the inspiration of Pamela and Ari’s home, the beautifully dressed Urban barn table and Chef Dale Mackay’s stellar menu.

Road 13 Vineyards > Ever since my first wine trip to the Okanagan, I fell in love with the picturesque backdrop and the Okanagan wine & region. My wife and I ensure our trunk is empty before we make our annual trip to the Okanagan. Road 13 Vineyard has always been part of our itinerary, there’s something about the “Golden Mile terroir” that draws us back to Road 13 Vineyard year after year.


The table gleaming, and ready for the feast.

Left > Dale Mackay and his right hand Dougal King busy, adjusting just fine to the real home kitchen set up.
Right > Chef Dale Mackay also served the guests, and cleared each course when done, this made us all feel like royalty!


Upper Top > It was a pleasure to see the craftsmanship of every dish right as they plate right before the guests.
Top > Chef Dale Mackay explains the beet starter to Pamela.


Left > Beet tartar, Mascarpone, Preserved lemon
Right > Tuna tartar, Cucumber, Green Onion


Left > Chef Dale Mackay wore a smile most of the night, as did every guest.
Right > The crab starter that began our feast


First Course > Dungeness crab salad. With Mexican spiced pineapple and avocado. The crab was elegant and understated, which allowed the wine and sweet crab to shine

To toast: 2008 Road 13 Sparkling Chenin Blanc. Breaking the tradition of sparkling wine, but this is a clear winner. Aromas of cool climate fruits like lemon and lime. Bright and clean, floral and creamy. A perfect sparkling to toast off the evening.


Second Course > Butternut squash soup with Parmesan and button mushrooms. The butternut squash soup was possibly my favorite, the texture was so silky and the earthiness of the mushroom was a great choice for balance.

Wine pairing > 2009 Road 13 Jackpot Riesling. From 29 year-old vines in a cooler-site, single vineyard right off the Golden Mile. A fragrant and aromatic wine with notes of stonefruit, honey, and apples, apricots and diesel(a classic Riesling note). It’s clean and has a nice balance of acidity. The palate has balanced of stonefruit: honey, lemon, and granny smith apple. Love it!

Third Course > Duck confit leg with white cocoa beans, Shimeji mushrooms. The duck leg was perfectly, expertly, lovingly rendered with crisp skin, delicate thin layer of fat, and moist meat.

Wine pairing: 2009 Road 13 Pinot Noir Jackpot. What a complex and elegant wine, layers upon layers of aromas unfolded as this wine opens up. Knowing I was tasting the Pinot Noir from Road 13, my pallet automatically looked for the signature earthy tone and the raspberry note found in the Okanagan “terroir.” A beautiful representation of the the kind of wine that put BC on the map in the world of wine. A perfect pairing


Nuts (left): > Ayoub’s Dried Fruits & Nuts

Dessert (right): Chocolate Fondant, caramel, hazelnut-Nougatine ice cream. And the desert was off the hook–chocolate just flowing out of the cake with the caramel ice cream and nuts.

Upper left > The girls were in the true spirit of the night in their 60’s dresses, accessories and hair, the gin martini’s and wine pairings elevated spirits too!
Upper right > The guests toast the chef and sous as they arrive.
Bottom left > Jennie looking beautiful, as the chef and his sous confer in the kitchen.
Bottom right > All ages had fun at this party

 

Let’s just say the dinner was divine. The perfect mix of guests, energy and creative intentions. Thank you Chef Dale MacKay. If you’d like to experience this Chef Dale Mackay’s fine cuisine visit Ensemble Restaurant or Ensemble Tap.

Stay tune, more to come…

 

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Special thanks to…

 

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