Chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe gets ready for the opening of his new venture, The Wine Academy, next month.

Chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe gets ready for the opening of his new venture, The Wine Academy, next month.

Between 2011 and 2013 Parkdale’s Keriwa Café was one of the places to eat in the West End. Both critically lauded and beloved by many, Chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe’s aboriginally-inspired menu was unfortunately a blink-and-you-miss-it experience. I had planned to go for months and then, what do you know, the place was shuttered and sold. Bear Robe appeared to vanish from the city’s dining scene, a blossoming culinary talent missing-in-action.

A few months back we were happy to discover that in the interim he has been developing a sizable new project, The Wine Academy, at Richmond and Bay. We got a sneaky peek into its subterranean depths a good month before opening ; Naturally, we took some time to interview Bear Robe and have him explain exactly what he has been up to.

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Jamie Drummond

Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And this place is really shaping up to be quite something.