A conversation with Carl Heinrich, winner of Top Chef Canada - Season Two

As if strolling through a Niagara vineyard on a warm August evening isn’t charming enough, try doing it in the company of the dashing Carl Heinrich. Heinrich, the winner of Top Chef Canada Season two, participated in a winemaker’s dinner, nestled among the grape vines at Rosewood Estates Winery in Beamsville, Ontario this past Sunday.

There to pair his food with Rosewood’s selected vintages, Heinrich’s dishes were the highlight of the evening. His first dish, Cream Louisa was a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, topped with plump preserved cherries that had been soaked in honey made on the premises at Rosewood. His second dish, wild boar croquettes with a sour cherry relish were crunchy, salty, and succulent — the tang of the cherry relish balancing the richness of the croquette wonderfully.

If these two dishes are any indicator of things to come, I’m looking forward to when Heinrich opens his new restaurant, Richmond Station, with partner Ryan Donovan sometime in the next six weeks. Although, he wasn’t willing to pin down an exact date, giving the impression that the opening will be based on readiness, not the calendar.

Heinrich and Donovan go way back, having attended Stratford Chefs School together. When spending time with them you get the feeling that they are good friends first, and business partners second. Donovan recalled sharing a beer with Heinrich just after graduating from Stratford. At the then-new Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, the two discussed one day opening a place together that was approachable and easy, with amazing food — a place where together, the two of them could host and feed people.

Although this is a dream of many chefs fresh out of culinary school, Heinrich’s resume along with his Top Chef Canada win, accompanied by Donovan’s accomplishments with West Side Beef Co. have made this dream a reality. The two — sporting hip Richmond Station t-shirts — are warm and engaging, a departure from the sometimes exclusive feel of top chefs.

When asked about the feel of Richmond Station, Heinrich described the scene as comfortable, with aesthetics of wood and tile. The restaurant will be open (and potentially noisy) with a 10-seat chef’s table where Heinrich and his team will be on display demonstrating the skills that make one a Top Chef. Regarding the menu, Heinrich states: “You can build a menu and find the ingredients, or find the ingredients and build a menu." Heinrich and Donavon clearly opting for the latter, which means Richmond Station will surely provide restaurant goers with wonderful flavours of the fresh and local food.

Richmond Station, located at 1 Richmond St. W (Richmond and Yonge) in Toronto will be open Monday to Saturday for dinner, and Monday to Friday for lunch. If you’re hoping to make reservations, you have a little while to wait — but the website should be up and running soon.

Originally published August 22, 2012.