Edmonton Journal - The Butternut Tree to Open at Ledgeview Business Centre
Posted on June 06, 2017
Trained in New York, chef Scott Downey is bringing his culinary skills back home to Edmonton to launch his new restaurant, The Butternut Tree.
Located in the Ledgeview Business Centre at 9707 110 St., the restaurant — scheduled to open in August — will offer more than 60 seats to diners keen to experience its stellar view.
With large banks of window overlooking the river valley and the Alberta legislature, The Butternut Tree (named after the only walnut tree that grows in Canada) will offer fare that’s coast-to-coast Canadian, including lots of local produce from Prairie Gardens near Bon Accord.
Though the restaurant is in the downtown neighbourhood of Oliver, being tucked in near the river valley gives it a more peaceful, natural feeling, says Downey.
“It’s the perfect fit,” says the 27-year-old chef, who was born in St. Albert.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Downey did an internship at the three-Michelin-starred New York eatery, Daniel (owned by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud). He’s also done a stage (or internship) at Noma under Rene Redzepi, and has been sous chef at the popular Vancouver restaurant, Wildebeest, as well as having a foraged-plant business.
Downey plans to “explore and emphasize” Canadian ingredients in the restaurant. He’s bringing in duck from Quebec, wild rice from Saskatchewan and seafood from the Arctic.
“We have an incredible diversity of product,” he says.
Though the restaurant is in a mainly residential area, Downey says there are 75 parking spaces at the Ledgeview reserved for customers of The Butternut Tree. Watch this space for more details as the restaurant’s opening date approaches.