For patrons craving a truly unparalleled dining experience, look no further than The Sensory Restaurant And Wine Bar. Nestled in the town of Canmore, Chef Tracy Little has created an ever changing menu, inspired by the local flora and fauna of the rocky mountains, where she actively forages to cultivate new dishes.
“The Sensory is based around foraging, we use rotating menus that I change everyday. Usually we offer three courses for $49, as well as an a la carte menu for the less adventurous,” Little jokes.
Tracy also teams up with local producers for the Sensory Menu, as well as high school students from the surrounding area.
“We work with a local high school. (Christian Rice) his company is called Farm Box and he works with the kids on growing at the school and then he sells us the produce that comes from that. We get our Wagyu from Brant Lakes and our pork is from Bear And The Flower farms.”
The aspect of foraging is what sets apart the Sensory from most restaurants. Consuming wild ingredients from your own backyard is a forgotten human skill in this day and age. Not only is it delicious, but educational as well.
Little says, “my culinary background kind of ties in with foraging. When I was a kid, I would go out to work with my Dad who was a forrester and that is where the foraging thing would happen. He would try to teach me about stuff and would tell me to find things to keep me busy. Later on when I was older, I decided I wanted to be a chef, so I went to culinary school. I like the foraging thing because it is kind of a local exoctic cuisine for people. It’s stuff they walk by everyday that you can introduce to them as a different adventure.”
Another component of The Sensory is the Wit Bar, which is the lounge that is located downstairs in their restaurant; featuring craft cocktails from local distillers and brewers.
“We got wildlife distillery, Blindman Brewing and Canmore Brewing which is one of my favourites. I cannot get enough of their Ten Peaks Ale. There’s also the Raw distillery which is from Canmore; there are a lot of Distilleries in our tiny town,” boasts Little.
In 2016, Tracy Little won the food games at the Women’s Chefs And Restaurants Tour Conference in LA, as the only Canadian competitor. Her revolving dishes continue to inspire and educate diners alike.
