Cranbrook's very own MasterChef Canada contestant Danielle Cardozo is hosting a viewing party for the series' first episode on Monday, Jan. 20 at the Heid Out Restaurant and Brewhouse.
Cardozo, who works as a sous chef at the Heid Out, has made the Top 50 and will appear in at least the opening episodes of the new Canadian series, which will air on CTV.
After deciding to watch the series at the Heid Out with friends and family, Cardozo thought she would take it one step further and invite Cranbrook to join in for a viewing party.
"I knew I was going to be serving my signature dish to the public at some point. So I thought, why not serve it up during the show?" said Cardozo.
Her boss, Heid Out co-owner Heidi Romich, agreed to have the restaurant host the viewing party.
"I talked to Heidi about airing the show at the restaurant that week and she was on board. Heidi is a forward-thinking business owner and is really looking at moving forward in the food scene. We thought this would be a great opportunity to try out some dishes that might be new to her patrons."
For the viewing party, the Heid Out will serve the dish that Cardozo makes on the show: a pan-seared miso-glazed rainbow trout, served with ponzu mushrooms and citrus miso broth.
“I’m looking forward to serving it at the Heid Out on the 20th,” she said.
Because Cardozo plans to watch the show herself that night, she will prepare the Heid Out’s chefs the day before to serve the dish on Monday.
“Though you can guarantee I will be in and out of the kitchen ensuring the dish is just so,” she added. “I’m a bit picky and controlling when it comes to putting my name on a dish.”
Everyone who attends the viewing party will also be treated to an “amuse bouche” when they walk through the door.
“Amuse bouche literally means mouth amuser. It is a bite-size sample of a creation made by the chef. So each Monday that we air the show, customers will be treated to a small sample of a future dish we are interested in introducing onto the menu or as a feature dish.”
Cardozo has arranged for two celebrity foodies from Calgary to make the trip to Cranbrook for the event.
Chris Shaften was a competitor in the third season of Top Chef Canada. Dan Clapson is a food writer who co-founded eatnorth.ca, writes for the Food Network and appears on Global Television.
Cardozo said she met Clapson when she auditioned for MasterChef in Canada. He was also auditioning, but didn’t make the top 50.
“I am pretty confidant it’s not because of lack of personality or cooking ability. I think he was just a little too connected to the food scene,” said Cardozo.
She met Shaften through Clapson. The pair are best friends.
“I got to know Chris as he told me all about his Top Chef Canada experience. It was nice to listen to someone talk about an experience that I could relate to,” she said.
"I am constantly going to each of them for culinary, promotional and career advice. They're exceptionally supportive. And they're just really nice guys."
The Heid Out will host a MasterChef Canada season one premiere viewing party on Monday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. To make a reservation, phone 250-426-7922.