WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ...?
What’s Your Favourite ...?
Chef and CAA Member Brett Stecyk dishes on dessert, ingredient shopping and what to feed picky kids.
By Nicole Keen
THESE DAYS, The Burrow restaurant inside Regina’s Hotel Saskatchewan is attracting attention not only from visitors but from locals as well — thanks in large part to the talents of executive chef Brett Stecyk. “We get a lot of people coming in for special occasions, but also just people coming in to check it out,” Stecyk says. Since being appointed to the position in 2022, Stecyk has focused on using local and seasonal ingredients to create dishes that balance innovation with tradition. Born and raised in Regina, Stecyk has worked across Canada, but he’s happy to have landed back home.
The Hotel Saskatchewan, opened in 1927, was originally constructed and owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE HOTEL SASKATCHEWAN; COURTESY OF BRETT STECYK
What do you love about Regina?
I love how the community seems close, and you can kind of get anywhere in the city within 20 minutes, even during rush hour. There are tons of activities for families. It’s affordable living. It’s a good place to raise a young family.
What kind of ingredients inspire you?
Anything seasonal, and high-quality meats. With my menus, you won’t find three types of vegetables on the plate. I’ll take parsnips and serve them three ways — pureed, roasted and smoked. Just let them shine on their own without manipulating everything too much.
You’ve talked about the importance of a good dessert.
I want to end on a high note! And they shouldn’t be too big, either. You should leave feeling full, but not like you need to sleep for three hours.
What’s your ultimate sweet treat?
My grandma’s fruit crumble. She picks Saskatoon berries in the summer, then freezes them and makes fruit crumbles throughout the year.
“It would be a dream to visit Noma in Copenhagen... Or Eleven Madison Park [in Manhattan] since they went full vegetarian.”
(Clockwise from left) The fermentation lab at Noma produces unique condiments such as Nordic “soy” sauce, made with fava beans and toasted rice; Noma’s airy, wood-panelled dining room blends modern and rustic Nordic design elements; Tonburi with Leek and Avocado at Eleven Madison Park. | PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) NOMA PROJECTS; DITTE ISAGER; EVAN SUNG
Is there a restaurant you’d love to visit?
It would be a dream to visit Noma in Copenhagen. I’d love to see the whole Nordic dining concept, and I appreciate how they do completely separate seasonal menus. They [do] a ton of fermenting and preserving, so it's kind of a little inspiration for my food here. Or Eleven Madison Park [in Manhattan] since they went full vegetarian.
Do you have a favourite place to shop?
Lakeview Fine Foods is a nice little spot. They use a lot of local meats, and their butcher does cool stuff like make his own charcuterie and break down whole animals.
What’s a foolproof meal that the whole family will enjoy?
Honestly? Mac and cheese or something like that. When I was a kid, I was super picky, and my kids are really picky as well. I don’t think I voluntarily ate a vegetable until I was 15, so I’m not too worried at this point. CAA
THESE DAYS, The Burrow restaurant inside Regina’s Hotel Saskatchewan is attracting attention not only from visitors but from locals as well — thanks, in large part, to the talents of executive chef Brett Stecyk. “We get a lot of people coming in for special occasions, but also just people coming in to check it out,” Stecyk says. Since being appointed to the position in 2022, Stecyk has focused on using local and seasonal ingredients to create dishes that balance innovation with tradition. Born and raised in Regina, Stecyk has worked across Canada, but he’s happy to have landed back home.
Tonburi with Leek and Avocado at Eleven Madison Park. | PHOTO: EVAN SUNG
Noma’s airy, wood-panelled dining room blends modern and rustic Nordic design elements. | PHOTO: DITTE ISAGER
“It would be a dream to visit Noma in Copenhagen... Or Eleven Madison Park [in Manhattan] since they went full vegetarian.”