RAW:almond founder and chef Mandel Hitzer (HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — When the seventh annual RAW:almond begins taking shape on the Assiniboine River at The Forks this winter, it will have a refreshed design and some of the world’s best chefs at the helm.
The pop-up restaurant on ice is the concept of co-founder designer Joe Kalturnyk and chef Mandel Hitzer.
“We are so excited to continue this winter tradition. We’ve been busy extending our friendly Manitoba invitations to chefs across North America and beyond,” said Hitzer.
“It is such an honour bringing these chefs to Winnipeg and sharing them with local food lovers.”
Twenty-five guest chefs will bring their culinary talents to Winnipeg January 24 to February 17 for 24 tasty nights on the river. Chefs range from Iceland and Tel Aviv to New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Montreal and Vancouver. Thirteen of those invited will cook at RAW:almond for the first time next year.
Guests include Canadian culinary legend Jeremy Charles of Raymonds Restaurant, as well as Food Network’s “Chopped” and Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Joe Sasto, 2016 Eater Dallas Chef of the Year, Misti Norris, New York’s Jonas Offenbach, and Mitchell Bates of Grey Gardens in Toronto, to name a few. Ten Winnipeg chefs will also be thrown into the mix to cook up specialities during the limited on-ice run.
RAW:almond is offering three different settings for its guests this year, including the popular Weekend Brunch featuring local chefs Ben Kramer and Talia Syrie (Tallest Poppy), a Drag Brunch hosted by Prairie Sky and her crew of queens, and the evening experience dinners for $150 per person.
Tickets go on sale December 15 at 8 a.m. through raw-almond.com.
