Top 50 Restaurants in Canada Week to celebrate dining out across the nation

Thursday, April 25, 1 pm ET: Runner-up restaurants Nos. 91-100 announced via Twitter (#Vacay50)

Friday, April 26, 1 pm ET: Nos. 76-90 announced

Saturday, April 27, 1 pm ET: Nos. 71-75 announced

Sunday, April 28, 1 pm ET: Nos. 66-70 announced

Monday, April 29: No announcements from Vacay.ca; World’s 50 Best Restaurants are announced

Tuesday, April 30, 11 am ET: Nos. 51-65 and Top Food Truck in Canada winner announced

Wednesday, May 1, 11 am ET: Top 50 Restaurants in Canada countdown begins; People’s Choice winner announced

Friday, May 3, 4 pm ET: Three finalists for the Canadian Foodie of the Year Contest announced

Thursday, May 9, 1 pm ET: Announcement of Foodie of the Year winner (as chosen by selection of judges)

“We’ve received so many entries from the public that it would be a shame to not recognize as many restaurants as we can in some way,” says Janine MacLean, the Chair of the Vacay.ca Top 50 Restaurants in Canada. “The runner-up restaurants will be noted, while special recognition will remain for the Top 50, which will be known as the very best places to dine out in Canada.”

Thousands of votes have been received from the public and a full recount will occur after the final votes come in on April 15. The public votes will be added to the votes from the 34 judges of the Vacay.ca Voting Academy to determine the Top 50 Restaurants in Canada.

The 2013 Vacay.ca Voting Academy

Chair

Janine MacLean – Vacay.ca Food Columnist and chef

East Coast

Renée Lavallée – Chef and food writer at FeistyChef.ca, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (Regional Head Judge)
Jeremy Charles – Chef/co-owner Raymonds, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador
Chris Makin – Sommelier, server at Saege Bistro in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Vacay.ca Wine Columnist
Cailin O’Neil – Food blogger based in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Stephen Lee – Co-owner Mallard Cottage, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador
Zane Kelsall – Owner Two If By Sea, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Quebec

Marie Asselin – Food Nouveau and About.com writer, Quebec City (Regional Head Judge)
Travis Champion – Owner of L’Orignal, Le Gros Jambon and Magdalen, Montreal
Dustin Gilman – Food Guy Montreal writer
Mayssam Samaha – Will Travel for Food writer, Montreal
Allison Van Rassel – Foodie in Quebec City writer
Jean-Baptiste Herlem – Restonomy writer, Montreal

Ontario

Rebecca LeHeup – Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance executive director, Toronto (Regional Head Judge)
Renee Suen – Toronto Life food writer
Gizelle Lau – Toronto Life food writer
Arlene Stein – Chair of Terroir Symposium, Toronto
John Placko — Head of Modern Culinary Academy, Mississauga
Barry O’Neill – Zed Financial Partners managing partner, Toronto
Jenn Chow – blogger from Foodie Prints, Ottawa
Don Chow – blogger from Foodie Prints, Ottawa

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Jody Robbins – Vacay.ca writer, Calgary (Regional Head Judge)
Diana Ng – WestJet Up! magazine travel editor, Calgary
Derryl Murphy – Food aficionado from Saskatoon
Dan Clapson – Food writer at DansGoodside.com, Saskatoon
Julie van Rosendaal – Food columnist, blogger at Dinner with Julie, Calgary

British Columbia/Territories

Adrian Brijbassi – Vacay.ca Managing Editor, Vancouver and Toronto (Regional Head Judge)
Terry Pichor – Chef at Sonora Restaurant in Discovery Islands, food writer at Vancouver Sun
Sarah Bancroft – Vitamin Daily editor, Vancouver
Katie Martie – Vacay.ca writer, Vancouver and Revelstoke
Sophia Cheng – Heth PR manager, Vancouver
Lee Man – Food writer at Vancouver Magazine

Token American

Steve Dolinsky – ABC Chicago food reporter, chairperson for World’s 50 Best Restaurants, multiple James Beard Award winner for food reporting

Token Canadian Snowbird

Dean Tai — Chef and Cordon Bleu graduate from Ottawa currently living in Florida.