Devour! Chefs & Short Gala Dinner

This is Devour!’s signature showpiece event that has been presented worldwide, from Fogo Island to The Bahamas, from Sonoma to New York. Each dish in this five-course dinner is inspired by a corresponding short film screened right in the hall with the diners created by chefs: Shane Robicheau, Luc Doucet, Stephen Stryjewski, Meg Bickford & Pierre Michael Martin. 

Film Program:
Pane directed by Odveig Klyve
Pomological directed by Sebastian Ko
The Castro Family Recipe: Pozole Rojo directed by Daniel Klein
Chef de Partie directed by Ágúst Þór Hafsteinsson
Oh Sirop directed by Marie Côté

Ticket Price: $195.00 per guest, includes wine pairings and admission to the Chefs & Shorts After-Party on-site
Sponsored by United States Consulate General – Halifax, Office of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, Consulat Général de France à Moncton et Halifax, BeamSuntory, Basil Hayden Bourbon, Bishop’s Cellar, Chef Works, J.R. Mahoney Ltd, Devour! Seafood Partnership- Victoria Co-operative Fisheries Ltd, Afishionado & Comeau’s Sea Foods Ltd., The North Grove

Menu

Chef Shane Robicheau– Lobster terrine with sea salad & salted onion cream sauce & acadian crouton

Chef Luc Doucet– Scallop Crudo, pickled green apples, poached pears, granola, Parmesan foam, burnt lime dust

Chef Stephen Stryjewski– Shrimp Stew with cornmeal dumplings

Chef Meg Bickford– Fricassée de Reintier de Cochon (pork backbone fricassee) Hog braised in a dark roux with trinity, sweet potatoes, crushed tomato, mushrooms and garlic finished with crunchy hog’s skin

Chef Pierre Michael Martin– Sirop en cinq textures

Shane Robicheau

Shane Robicheau was raised in small-town Clare, Nova Scotia, but has travelled the world as part of his culinary education. Shane began working in his family’s restaurant when he was 12 and immediately knew it was how he wanted to spend his life. He then attended the culinary arts program at the Kingstec Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College and trained under some of the province’s most accomplished and esteemed chefs. Upon graduation from the program, Shane was selected to be part of Canada’s U-25 Culinary Team, competing in the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg.

Today, Shane provides private chef services in his hometown and surrounding area. In fall of 2020, Shane opened his first food truck located in Saulnierville and has recently launched a new culinary experience, Searoots Oceanside Dining, in South West Nova Scotia. @shane_robicheau

Luc Doucet

The discovery of flavours in food came in my early teens. Curiosity came over me and I started experimenting with different flavours, and cooking techniques allowing myself to discover new things. By my late teens, I trained myself to cook through complicated French cookbooks discovering classic techniques and ingredients true to the French style. 

I fell in love with the hospitality industry working through all the positions I could from dishwasher to leading wine programs for restaurants. When Black Rabbit was born in 2019, I went back to the kitchen and never left. My experiences on restaurant floors over the last 20 years gave me a unique perspective that has led me to change the way I thought restaurants could work. 

Changing constantly and trying new things has kept the love of cooking alive as well as feeding my need to always be moving in the direction of making things better. Surrounding myself with the right people has been integral to the success of this company. Creating experiences for our guests will always be my passion. @lucdoucetmct

Stephen Stryjewski

Winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundation “Best Chef South,” Stephen Stryjewski is Chef/Partner of New Orleans’ numerous award-winning restaurants including Cochon, Cochon Butcher, Pêche Seafood Grill, and Gianna. Both Cochon and Pêche Seafood Grill were named a “Best New Restaurant” finalist by the James Beard Foundation, and Gianna was honoured to be named a James Beard Award Nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2019. Additionally, Cochon consistently listed as a Top Ten New Orleans Restaurant in The Times-Picayune Dining Guide, and was recently named one of the 20 most important restaurants in America by Bon Appétit. In 2015, Stryjewski and his business partner Chef Donald Link created the Link Stryjewski Foundation to address violence, poverty, and the lack of quality education and job training opportunities for young people in New Orleans. Stryjewski currently resides in New Orleans’ Irish Channel with his wife and two daughters. @cracklinfat

Meg Bickford

Chef Megan “Meg” Bickford has called the Commander’s Palace kitchen her culinary home since June 2008, and took on the role of Executive Chef at the New Orleanians’ destination for leading-edge Haute Creole cuisine in October 2020. With both Cajun and Creole family influences that run in her blood, and over 12 years of experience with the Commander’s Family of Restaurants, Chef Meg previously served as the Executive Chef of Cafe Adelaide, the Commander’s playfully modern Creole restaurant. In her time at the helm of Café Adelaide, Meg was chosen as one of FSR Magazine’s “Rising Stars” and one of Louisiana Cookin’s “Chefs to Watch.” Chef Meg is a mother to Stella and on her days off can be found at large family gatherings with Stella and her husband Richard in tow in Cut Off, Louisiana where food is the center of life. @megbickford

Pierre Michael Martin

Pierre-Michael Martin is an award-winning chef and restaurant owner originally from Normandy, France, where he took his first steps in the kitchen in front of Mont-Saint-Michel. From this inspired start, he went on to culinary internships in Normandy and the French Alps, then began working in the remarkable kitchens of 33 cité, la Mère Brazier, Le Potager des Halles, and Bistrot du Potager. Today, Chef Martin is the executive chef and restaurant owner of Chez Pimousse in Lyon, France, in 2021. The restaurant was immediately awarded “two toques” by the highly esteemed Gault & Millau, which also awarded Chef Martin the Young Talent Auvergne Rhône-Alpes trophy and featured him in their 2023 edition of 109 – The New Blood of French Gastronomy. @pimoussemartin