“Into the Wild” is a culinary collaboration by Chef Jefferson Alvarez & Chef Dean Hossack with wines by Stags Hollow. This unique pop-up event will celebrate the best of the wild, foraged delights and local produce in an inspiring lakeside setting. Chef Jefferson and Chef Dean will bring it all together with elegance and a creative flair; this 10 course affair will take you “Into the Wild” and should not be missed.

About Aura Restaurant:

Fresh. Casual. Local.

Inspired and influenced by our people, our place and our produce, AURA creates a casual and comfortable dining experience in a unique lakeside setting. Whether it’s freshly-caught salmon from the west coast of BC or black trumped mushrooms foraged from the forest around us, we create unforgettable dishes using lovingly-harvested seasonal ingredients and then we share it with friends. Fresh and local, Chef Dean celebrates all things BC.
We are passionately committed to offering the freshest ingredients by presenting a seasonal menu that is locally focused and globally artistic, cultivating a healthy relationship between our plates and our planet. Served lakeside and with a smile, join us at AURA for breakfast, dinner or your next special event.

About Chef Jefferson Alvaraz:
Self taught chef, Jefferson Alvarez left Venezuela for Ottawa at age 16 where he briefly attended Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Institute. It didn’t take long for the young chef to get itchy feet and within a year, Alvarez had packed up his knife and English dictionary and moved to Toronto to work at Centro under famed chefs David Lee and Mark Thuet. This ignited an intensity to absorb as much knowledge as he possibly could from Toronto’s culinary talents at restaurants around the city. Brief experiences at Pangea, Adega and Scaramouche were followed by a two-year stint at Canoe working under the inspiring Anthony Walsh.

Alvarez’s thirst for knowledge and experience has led him to spend his vacation times working, seven days a week, at a number of top restaurants in New York and Philadelphia including Aquavit and Morimoto. He spent a year working at Senses under chef Claudio Aprile before taking on his first Executive Chef role at a small restaurant called tomi-kro.
Throughout his career, Alvarez has taken many return trips to explore Spain in-depth while working stages at exciting restaurants such as the three-star Michelin rated Arzak and Akelare. Ready for a new experience, Alvarez decided to move to British Columbia in 2009 to head up the kitchen at Divino. His experience and techniques paired with his culinary passions are sure to spell delicious and exciting times.