Brunch, Baby, Brunch

RAW: Almond kicks off dinner service tonight, but brunch is stealing the show

RAW: Almond—the annual pop-up on our frozen river—starts tonight, offering over three weeks of culinary adventure. It’s sold out, so the best we can do is keep a close watch for ticket sales for the next one. In the meantime, we chatted with two of Winnipeg’s most beloved chefs who are heading up the brunch offerings. Ben Kramer, a custom caterer and Talia Syrie, chef owner of The Tallest Poppy can’t wait for this year to get underway.

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Q: How many years have you been involved with RAW: Almond and in what capacity (brunch, dinner)? 

BEN: I’ve been involved with RAW since it’s inception. I’ve done my own dinners, helped with brunch and helped other chefs with their dinners. This year I am co-running all of the brunches with Talia, cooking all of the Winnipeg alumni dinners and doing two vegan nights. I’m really looking forward to it all.

TALIA: We’ve done brunch every year from the beginning, with the exception of last year when I broke my ankle and couldn’t manage it, which was sad and weird for me.  

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Q: Give us an idea of the challenges of the first couple of years?

BEN: The first few years we didn’t really have much of a kitchen or an infrastructure. The RAW crew was still figuring it out. We had limited heat, equipment and space but we had SO MUCH heart. Everyone rallied together to get it done to the best of our ability.

TALIA: The first few years were definitely challenging, as you may recall ;)*.  We just really didn’t know what to expect. The concept was still evolving and we weren’t always prepared for some of the obstacles outdoor winter cooking can entail.

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Q: What was your most memorable experience with RAW: Almond? 

BEN: The first year. Every year has its highlights, but the first year was the most memorable. It was bare bones, a small core crew of chefs, barely held together, very RAW. It was a huge challenge but so much fun.

TALIA: I think the most memorable moment for me happened the first year, we were having a lot of trouble with heaters. It was really cold and then a few of the diners just got up and started dancing around the room to keep warm. Pretty soon everyone was doing it, staff included. It was pretty magical.

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Q: What can brunch patrons expect this year?

BEN: We have an incredible team doing brunch this year. The kitchen crew is all close friends with incredible talent. We are doing four seatings a day with four courses. We are also doing two drag brunch seatings—brunch AND a show!  

TALIA: I think this year is going to be really special. Everyone involved is so good at their jobs and we’ve known each other for so long now. There will be a lot of jokes. 

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Q: Why do you think the brunch option has become so wildly popular?

BEN: Almost everyone I know loves brunch. It’s a great way to start the weekend. It is also quite a bit more accessible than dinners. It’s a bit less of a time commitment for those unable to make it to dinner.

TALIA: What’s not to like about brunch? I think it has gained momentum over the last several years because it’s just so fun and accessible. Also, it’s family friendly, something you could take your mom to!

*Our editor Shel Zolkewich had the opportunity to join Talia’s team in the kitchen in the early years of RAW: Almond.

Thumbnail photo – RAW:Almond Brunch – photo by Josh Dookie