Rob Feenie is the Canadian equivalent of superstar chefs Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud and Jamie Oliver.
He's published cookbooks, headed the kitchens of fine dining establishments and starred in his own show
New Classics with Rob Feenie, but his ultimate claim to worldwide fame is being the first chef from The North to win the
Iron Chef America title over the very talented Masaharu Morimoto.
For the past two years, Feenie has brought his mighty culinary touch to casual fine-dining as the Food Concept Architect for
Cactus Club Cafe, so when I got an invite to taste some of Cactus' best-selling menu items -- and new items that are currently in test mode -- it was an offer the foodie in me couldn't refuse.
Along with Cactus Club founder
Richard Jaffray, Chef Feenie took us through eight unbelievably tasty menu items (my mouth is salivating at the moment thinking of them):
Tomato and Hendricks Gin Soup, Ravioli + Prawn Trio, Sake-soy Marinated Sablefish, Duck and Chicken Presse and Foie Gras Chicken Boudin, Rob's Hunter Chicken, Peppercorn Filet, White Chocolate Cheesecake and
Pumpkin Sponge Cake.
Barring any food allergies or strong tastebud dislikes (I, for one, cannot eat chopped liver and onions without turning an unattractive shade of green), everyone needs to at least try one of these dishes. Every offering was paired with a wine from labels like Road 13, Vineyard 29 and Domaine Weinbach, and each choice was explained lovingly by bar operations manager,
Sam Zavari (whose black frame glasses I wanted to steal, uh, borrow).
After scooping the last of my Pumpkin Sponge Cake into my mouth and sipping the last of my dessert wine, I tottered out of the restaurant feeling happily full -- and I couldn't wait to go home to stare at my photos of the Sake-soy Marinated Sablefish over and over.
Bravo, Mr. Feenie. You've done it once again.