Local Restaurant Recognized for Excellence

Congratulations to Rock Salt Restaurant on their recent recognition, detailed in  their press release:

Canada’s independent National Restaurant Guide Where to Eat has chosen Rock Salt Restaurant as one of the best places to eat in Canada.  Every year Where to Eat researchers travel the country and pick the best restaurants in every city and town to profile in this popular guide. Over 200,000 copies of the guide are sold every year.  Unlike some other guides, restaurants cannot buy their way in.  The publisher of the guide, Oberon Press, states, ‘If you’re in the guide, that’s because you deserve to be.  Every restaurant in the guide has been personally tested.  Our reporters are not allowed to identify themselves or accept free meals.”

Jill Thomas and Stanley Mulder, owners of Rock Salt Restaurant were thrilled to receive the surprise letter in the mail May 27, notifying them of their restaurant’s listing in the 2009 guide.  “I give serious kudos to our staff as it was them that served this special secret shopper,” says Thomas.  “We have no idea when they visited.”

“Kudos must also be extended to the Rock Salt executive chef team of Rafael Flores and Bernice Balbuena.”  Rafael and Berenice were hired as cooks at Rock Salt last May and were promoted to the position of Executive Chef(s) last October.

The dynamic cooking duo is happy to add this Canadian achievement to their to already illustrious resumes.   Both chefs studied at the most distinguished cooking school in Latin America – the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana.  They did their apprenticeships at a well-known Three Star Michellin restaurant in Spain called Martin Berasategui.

Berenice worked at El Celler de Can Roca – commonly thought to be one of the best restaurants in the world.  Rafael worked at El Bulli under chef Ferran Adria one of the most recognized chef’s in Europe.   Previous to being hired by Rock Salt, Rafael and Berenice worked at Pujol, the most well known restaurant in Mexico City under Mexican celebrity chef Enrique Olvera.”