JASPER – The destructive wildfire in Jasper National Park that ravaged homes and businesses took away a milestone opportunity for one restaurant owner and chef to be featured on a new food series.
Syrahs of Jasper burned down in July, with the restaurant set to showcase its specialty dishes on Cuisine of the Rockies, streaming on the free platform Tubi, with host John Gilchrist.
However, despite dire circumstances, owner Jason Munn says he hasn’t hung up his chef’s cap as the mountain community begins rebuilding.
“Currently, my plans are to stay in Jasper and create something memorable like Syrahs again,” Munn said in a message to the Rocky Mountain Outlook. “The restaurant meant so much to so many people, and that has inspired me to bring that experience to guests again.”
Munn added he’s glad the TV series is moving forward, and he had a wonderful time hosting the crew of Cuisine in the Rockies, even though the chef won't benefit from its exposure.
The eight-episode series, in which chefs share unique visions of what their mountain munchies are all about, has stops in Jasper, Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and Montana.
Cuisine of the Rockies with John Gilchrist Trailer from Voice Pictures Inc. on Vimeo.
The other Jasper restaurant featured is Fiddle River, which is in an area that was not damaged by fire.
The series host Gilchrist, a seasoned food critic and author who worked reviewing restaurants for 38 years for the Calgary Herald and CBC Radio, said he hopes everyone in Jasper recovers and returns to homes and businesses as soon as possible.
“I just feel so badly about the Jasper situation,” said Gilchrist.
“I know for a lot of people it’s going to be hard to watch that episode where we’re in Jasper where we’re walking the streets and we see everything the way it was before."
As a born and raised Albertan, Gilchrist said many talented chefs come to the mountains and put their own sensibility into dishes, on top of their influences in their current Rockies surroundings.
“The places I went for were the local establishments I thought deserved a bit of notoriety,” said Gilchrist.
The new show highlights the use of Rocky Mountain ingredients, like game meat such as elk and bison and seasonal herbs, greens and root vegetables.
Named after a dark red grape used to make wine, Syrahs, which Munn opened in 2014, had a Canadian-influenced kitchen that had customers coming back for seconds.
“As we pick up the pieces, I have been extremely touched by the number of former guests who have reached out, expressing their sorrow for the loss of the business. But we are trying not to dwell on the why or the how and instead move forward as a community,” said Munn in a July social media post.
Cuisine of the Rockies can be found online at tubitv.com.
