Cam Dobranski, chef/owner of Kensington Brasserie in Calgary, spotlights the classics with a twist. He is always about simple, comfort food.

“I want customers to come in, look at the menu, and always feel like they have a go-to,” says Dobranski, who believes that while you want food to taste good, you also want it to make people feel good. Describing his food as rustic cuisine, Dobranski strives to create dishes that can pick you up after a hard day, or warm you from head to toe like a shot of whisky.

Kids’ classics for grownups

Comfort food at Brasserie Kensington is about memories of childhood classics, but done with a little adult flair, like spaghetti with goat bolognese, a hearty bowl of cassoulet and a buttery biscuit on the side, or a homemade ice-cream sandwich with real, wholesome ingredients. The “more mature” grilled cheese and tomato soup is always a favourite with house-cured Canadian bacon and smoked cheddar. Of course some things can’t change – the sandwich still comes on the good ol’ traditional white bread you remember (but from a local bakery, of course). With an established history in fine dining cuisine, Dobranski admits he is happy to return to a simpler style of cooking making everyday classic comfort food with an edge.

Comfort food has become the art of reinventing the classics. The childhood favorite Mac and Cheese has been transformed into items such as Lobster Mac & Cheese or Crisped Duck Confit Oka Cheese & Macaroni on many menus across the country. But where does one start when creating a re-imagined, yet traditional masterpiece?

A formula for success

There is a simple formula that you can use to help create an enduring and unique recipe. First, take time to list your staff’s favourite childhood food experiences. Second, take a good look at your customer base. And third, pay attention to flavour profile trends. Understanding to whom you are marketing your food is a good way to ensure sales and success. The Mac & Cheese experience for a small pub could be sold as Blackened Chicken Mac & Cheese, whereas at a fine dining establishment, Lightly Curried Lobster Mac & Cheese would be a perfect fit for the customer base while maintaining the expected price and quality.

Creative and clever reinvention of classic comfort foods is a great way to increase profit. As a bonus marketing technique, you are not only serving up a delicious dish, but a healthy serving of childhood nostalgia too! For example, a simple grilled cheese sandwich that might sell for $8.00 on a menu can be reinvented to a “Grilled Aged Cheddar & Local Shaved Ham on Maple Brioche” for $15.00. The favourite flavours are still there, but you have upped the ante in terms of quality. Similarly, introducing an on-trend flavour profile such as Pulled Korean Style Beef Rib & Aged Cheddar Sandwich could sell for $18.00 on your menu.

Family ties

Comfort foods can also provide a connection to family. Kathleen Blake, chef/owner of The Rusty Spoon in Orlando, Florida, shares her philosophy on comfort foods:

“Comfort food to me is a “foodographic” memory from growing up in Iowa. Meals simply prepared by my mother or grandmother. Meatloaf, creamy mashed potatoes, handmade egg noodles, slow braised meats and vegetables, creamed corn, hardboiled eggs. In our restaurant, we have ‘gussied up’ all those great memories to recreate more upscale comfort foods or flavours. Our meatloaf has been made with duck legs; we braise the off cuts, hocks, shoulders in leftover whey from our cheese making, potatoes in bacon fat or pan drippings, or cooked in cream to make our version of decadent mashed potatoes and our stuffed eggs are one of our most popular items.”

Nicole Gomes, chef/owner of Nicole’s Gourmet Catering and a contestant on season three of Top Chef Canada, looks at comfort food for more than chicken noodle soup. Harissa lamb sliders with feta tzatziki is a customer favourite. Another staple for Gomes is meat pies – with fillings ranging from rabbit to duck, bison to curried vegetables the possibilities are endless.

A question of timing

When I posed the question of comfort food to Derek Dammann, chef/owner of Montreal’s Maison Publique, he sat back and reflected: “Comfort food? For me, I believe it all depends on emotions, the company you are with, the time and the place… Rustic and comfort foods fall into the exact same category for me. It could be Thanksgiving dinner with the family, arguably my favourite meal of the year and the one that all of us can relate to as comfort food. Comfort food is all about timing to me. It can’t be forced; it just happens.”

Kendra Smith, sous chef at the Calgary Petroleum Club, believes that comfort doesn’t have to end with the main course. She uses her power of pastry to transform a fluffy, feel-good doughnut into lemon/lavender-stuffed masterpieces. She believes that comfort should be the foundation for a great meal experience. The Club is a traditional private club, and its menu is built on the foundation of classics. Members enjoy and count on their comfort food classics to be available for them (even when not on the menu). They enjoy classics with a twist, for the simple reason that people can relate and connect to a dish they know and understand.

Whether it’s the food itself or the ones you share it with, offering childhood favourites will have customers lined up around the corner. While you might think it’s overplayed, nostalgia never gets old – it already is! Thomas Wolfe said you can’t go home again, but maybe through a really, really good meal, we can visit.

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About the author:

Liana Robberecht, Executive Chef, Calgary Petroleum Club, began her training with the Professional Cooking Program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (Edmonton), passing the Red Seal qualifying examinations in 1995. Chef Liana is passionately committed to regional cuisine, and a farm-to-table philosophy pervades the three kitchens and staff of 45 under her leadership. She has a number of professional memberships under her belt, including the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Board and the SAIT Advisory Committee for the Professional Cooking Program.