From Two Sides of the Salish Sea: Andrea Carlson’s Burdock & Co. Welcomes Johnny Spero for a One-Night Culinary Collaboration
Chef Johnny Spero (Passage), Chef Andrea Carlson (Burdock & Co.)
Burdock & Co.X passage
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
Address : 2702 Main Street, Vancouver
Later this week, two Michelin-starred chefs prepare to sit down for dinner together on Salt Spring Island. It will be hosted at Jane Squier’s The Garden (those in the know…). One is making the journey from Mount Pleasant. The other from Whidbey Island, at the edge of Washington State. At this highly anticipated, and yet thoroughly private moment, taking place at philosophies will be exchanged, personalities discovered and vital connections made with local producers. The significance? The character of this dinner will have direct influence on the outcomes and expression of another dinner shortly to follow; a one-night only dinner event at Vancouver’s acclaimed Burdock & Co taking place on Tuesday, August 11th.
When Andrea Carlson, chef-owner of Burdock & Co. welcomes Johnny Spero, executive chef of Passage at The Inn at Langley, it’s a dinner that feels less like a traditional guest-chef appearance, and more like a conversation across the Salish Sea. Together they prepare for a collaborative tasting menu guided by the landscapes, producers, and natural ecologies that characterise the Pacific Northwest. Presented as part of The Salty Magazine Dinner Series, the evening brings together two chefs who, as Chef Carlson puts it, “speak the same food language”.
For Carlson, the language of botanicals and local seasonality has defined Burdock & Co. since its inception in 2013. Long before terms like "hyper-local" and “farm-to-table” shaped the dialect of fine dining, she was building enduring relationships with British Columbia’s farmers, foragers, and fishers, inviting the province's changing seasons to inform her culinary expressions.
Likewise, Spero’s passion for locality comes naturally given his stage at Copenhagen’s famed Noma at the age of 18. Following this remarkable start to his career, Spero built his reputation in Washington, D.C., cooking under celebrated chefs Johnny Monis and José Andrés before opening his own restaurant, Reverie, which earned a Michelin star in 2022. For audiences beyond the restaurant world, Spero’s name is equally recognisable from his feature on Netflix's series The Final Table. In recent times, Spero has traded the intensity of urban fine dining for the quieter tides of Whidbey Island. In fact, this collaboration with Chef Carlson will be his first since landing on the west coast.
Rather than presenting two contrasting styles, the collaborative dinner promises to accentuate both chef’s creative voices in dialogue alongside the produce of Washington and British Columbia. Chef Carlson and Chef Spero’s dinner will live in Vancouver for one night only: an ephemerality that reads much like the Pacific Northwest’s micro-seasons and the fleeting opportunities they afford to indulge in land’s freshest and most unique offerings. Beverage pairings have been curated to complement the menu, with wines from O'Rourke Family Estate and Peak Cellars, underscoring the Okanagan’s viticulture.
This extraordinary dining experience will take place on August 11th, with seating at 5:30pm - 8:00pm. The multi-course tasting menu will cost $195 (excluding tax and service) per guest, with optional wine pairings available at $95 per guest, or non-alc pairings for $65 per guest.
