Taste of YMM Eats Recognizes Excellence In Our Region’s Restaurants
It’s no secret that things have been different this year. Nobody needs reminding about the COVID-19 Pandemic, and its impact on our lives. This meant that the 2020 Fort McMurray Food Festival wasn’t quite the same as it’s been in the past. One thing does remain the same though: our region has some incredible restaurants.
Taste of YMM and YMM Eats, two events that typically occur during a normal (read: non-Pandemic) Food Festival, were combined this year to create the Taste of YMM Eats, presented by Suncor. This event ran for several weeks, and asked participating restaurants to put their best food forward with a fabulous menu showcasing their eats. The public was then invited to dine around and vote on their favourites in a variety of categories. In addition to this, a panel of Food Festival judges also weighed in on the decision.
The results are in, and they’re tasty.
The Award Winners of the 2020 Taste of YMM Eats presented by Suncor are:
Surekha’s On The Snye
Best Plating, Best Customer Experience, and Best Overall
The experience at Surekha’s was the best dining experience by all accounts. The staff were warm and friendly while taking the time to explain the dishes, how they were prepared, and what the best drink pairings would be. The chef took great care in making the plates appealing to the eye to wet your appetite before you even took your first bite and the taste of the food did not disappoint any expectations your taste buds had imagined along the way. There is something for everyone at Surekha’s, from comfort food stables with a delightfully tasty twist like the Crispy Glazed Wings with the Farmhouse Burger, and a simple but elegant Gelato, to the elevated foodie experience of Scallops with a perfectly cooked Rib-eye, and finishing with an alluring Blackout Torte. It is a truly pleasurable dining experience that everyone in the region will delight in.
Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse Casual
People’s Choice and Best Steal of a Deal, as voted by the public.
The public ratings and votes given to Mr. Mikes could not deny they are a fan favourite of places get a fantastic meal in Fort McMurray. The Bruschetta, New York Steak, and Sticky Toffee Pudding combination was a winning strategy for customers who then took the time to rate their meal and experience as being the best in every category to win People’s Choice. The votes were so many in the Steal of a Deal category the festival had to make it a new award just for that.
Bear & Buffalo Bar/Restaurant
Best Creative
Creating a menu that not only tastes marvelous but also offers unique flavours is a goal all restaurants work to achieve. The Bear & Buffalo’s menu offering of Jalapeno Poppers, BBQ Ribs, and Crème Brûlée for the competition was very successful in creating flavours that had the judges wanting more.
The Club House at Miskanaw
Best Savoury
For those that crave a savoury meal, The Club House at Miskanaw is the place to go. With East Coast Mussels, Alberta Beef, and Racks of Lamb on the menu, any salty taste buds will be more than satisfied.
Paddy McSwiggins
Best Sweet
Great pub food now includes desserts because of Paddy’s! Their whole menu is an easy fan favourite but their desserts are something special and won over the judges with their scrumptious Caramel Apple Crumble and the decadent Chocolate Lava Cake… topping it off with a shot of Laura Secord liqueur is a must.
Zee Bar & Grill
Best Value for Money
Anzac’s best-kept secret is the dining experience at Zee Bar & Grill. The judges were impressed with the amount of great tasting food you get for a very reasonable price. Wings, Beef, Elk, Bison and more all make an appearance on the menu. There is something for everyone at Zee Bar and you won’t be going home hungry that is for sure.
Each and every restaurant deserves a huge congratulations for their incredible work and delicious food. In addition to serving up some serious eats, the Fort McMurray Food Festival 2020, presented by Suncor raised $21,000 for Waypoints this year. That’s $21,000 that will support helping women, children and men affected by domestic-family and sexual violence.
“We want to thank our partners, volunteers, participating restaurants, judges and of course the public for making this Festival a success for the fourth year in a row,” said Festival co-chair Clarence Buchanan.
Just because the Festival is over doesn’t mean there’s not plenty of good eating to be done in our region, so if you’re mouth is watering, why not treat yourself?
Follow the Fort McMurray Food Festival on Facebook or check out their website to stay in the loop about future Festival events. Learn more about Waypoints work in our region on Facebook and on their website.
