Michael Allemeier

That desire to cook for a living, led to stints in Winnipeg and Montreal and time spent as Executive Chef of Vancouver’s lauded Bishop’s Restaurant. Next up, he moved to Whistler’s Wildflower Restaurant and served a five-year term as Executive Chef at Calgary’s Teatro. A certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC), Canada’s highest professional culinary accreditation, Allemeier has also taught at schools in Seattle, Vancouver and Calgary.

He appears in the internationally syndicated show Cook Like A Chef, seen in Canada on the Food Network. In 1993, he had the honour of cooking for Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin during their Vancouver Summit Meeting.

His approach to food and wine pairing is straightforward. When he creates a menu, he looks to enhance, compliment and occasionally contrast a pairing. Allemeier always begins with the wine. He then approaches nearby farmers and growers to procure the best and freshest ingredients that are available locally. The rest is experimentation at its best. With every new vintage, recipes are re-designed and modified to ensure a perfect match. Well versed in all culinary disciplines, he has a special fondness for sauce work, cooking anything from the ocean and charcuterie (terrines and pâtés).

Extra-curricular activities for Allemeier, his wife and young family, 5-year-old Colin and baby Lachlan, include camping and canoeing. He also loves to rock climb, mountain bike and ski. At home, his favourite meal is Risotto. When asked why he chose Mission Hill and the Okanagan Valley, he responds simply that he fell in love with the space and the place and wanted to be part of what he calls proprietor Anthony von Mandl’s epic vision.