Press Release: Chef Martin Ruiz Salvador Wins Gold Medal Plates Halifax

Chef Martin Ruiz Salvador of Fleur de Sel in Lunenburg proved his culinary prowess on October 17, 2013, taking home the gold award at the Nova Scotia 2013 Gold Medal Plates competition held at the Cunard Centre in Halifax. Chef Martin went head-to-head with eight of Nova Scotia’s finest at the prestigious culinary competition and will go on to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championships, the Gold Medal Plates Finale, in Kelowna on February 7 and 8, 2014.

Chef Martin took the gold medal with the East Coast Breakfast, his version of a fish cake, with bologna hash, fried egg, bacon, baked beans, green tomato chow, pickled beets and ketchup. This was paired with a Nova Scotia Mimosa featuring Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 (2012) and Ironworks Distillery’s Pear Eau de Vie.

Chef Terry Vassallo of Café Chianti in Halifax, rose to the occasion as well, taking the silver medal. Chef Terry created Savoury Tiramisu Duck with egg brioche, espresso and foie gras butter, duck and marsala ragu, seagrass smoked scallop and Jerusalem artichoke mousse, chanterelle dust with big apple gelee paired with 2012 Lavender Rosé from Avondale Sky Winery.

Taking the bronze medal was chef Jason Lynch of Le Caveau Restaurant in Grand Pré. His dish was Martock Glen Chukar Partridge Roulade wrapped in caul fat, salo seasoned liver sausage, croquette of confit leg with sweet potato squash – coffee puree and roasting juices paired with Vintner’s Reserve Castel 2012 from Domaine de Grand Pré.

“The atmosphere tonight was amazing. It was a charged room and I loved the enthusiasm from the chefs and the crowd in Halifax,” said national judge James Chatto. “Pork, fish, poultry, meat, vegetables and wine…so many Nova Scotia ingredients were utilized in the chefs’ dishes, some ingredients even came from their own backyards.”

In the wine category, the Best of Show Awards went to L’Acadie Vineyards’ 2010 Vintage Cuveé certified organic sparkling (Gold), Devonian Coast Wineries’ 2012 Mercator White (Silver) and Avondale Sky Winery’s 2012 Lavender Rosé (Bronze).

Music for the evening was provided by Canadian legend Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo and an all-star cast of Canadian entertainers including Bruce Guthro, Sam Roberts, Measha Brueggergosman and Anne Lindsay.

The other chefs competing in Halifax were: Luis Clavel (Seasons by Atlantica, Halifax), Mark Gabrieau (Gabrieau’s Bistro, Antigonish), Roland Glauser (Charlotte Lane Café), Sam Jaggi (Grand Taj Restaurant, Halifax), Matthew Krizan (Mateus Bistro) and Tahir Salamat (RCR Hospitality, Halifax).

Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian excellence in food, wine, athletic achievement and entertainment. In addition to the finest food and excellent music, guests had the opportunity to mingle with 22 celebrated Olympians such as Marnie McBean (rowing), Ellie Black (gymnastics), Lisa Ross (sailing), Mark de Jonge (canoe/kayak) and Thomas Marks (water polo).

“The money raised at Gold Medal Plates helps divert funding through all facets of Canadian sport… nutrition, research and development, sports psychology, coaching and access to new equipment so Canada can compete on a world level,” said two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, Tracy Cameron.

Mathew Harris, co-chair of the event, said, “I think it improves our community to bring events like Gold Medal Plates to Halifax. What gets me pumped up about events like this is that we are building opportunities for local athletes who are on the road to Olympic medals and that’s the greatest gift we can give these competitors.”

Proceeds from Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, supporting programs that further Canadian high performance athletes’ pursuit of excellence on the world stage – programs like Own The Podium and the COC’s Athlete Excellence Fund. Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has generated over $7 million for Canada’s Olympic athletes.

Judges for the Halifax competition were: James Chatto (head judge), Bill Spurr (Nova Scotia senior judge), Alain Bossé, Renee Lavallée, Pete Luckett and Amy Savoury. Each dish was judged out of 100 points, based on visual presentation (20%), texture (20%), taste (30%), wine compatibility (10%), originality (10%) and wow factor (10%).

Gold Medal Plates Halifax also featured a silent auction as well as a live auction, with spectacular getaways with Olympians and Canadian entertainers to destinations such as British Virgin Islands, Tuscany, Provence, South Africa, Scotland and Kelowna for the Canadian Gold Medal Plates finals – the Canadian Culinary Championship.

Culinary Award Winners

Gold: Chef Martin Ruiz Salvador (Fleur de Sel, Lunenburg)
Silver: Chef Terry Vassallo (Café Chianti, Halifax)
Bronze: Chef Jason Lynch (Le Caveau Restaurant, Grand Pré)

Best of Show Wine Award Winners

Gold: 2010 Vintage Cuveé certified organic sparkling, L’Acadie Vineyards, NS
Silver: 2012 Mercator White, Devonian Coast Wineries, NS
Bronze: 2012 Lavender Rosé, Avondale Sky Winery, NS

For more information, visit the Gold Medal Plates website www.goldmedalplates.com.

For further information contact:

Karen Blair
Co-Founder and Media Director
Gold Medal Plates – National
416-778-6533
kblair@goldmedalplates.com

Christine White
Media and Communications
Gold Medal Plates – Halifax
902-880-2180
Christine@tasteofnovascotia.com