Cover_M_FEB15 (Page 01)
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Michael Bonacini is a judge on MasterChef Canada. He is known for his calm and polite judging style, providing constructive feedback without being overly harsh. As the owner of Oliver & Bonacini restaurants, he is also renowned for his meticulous attention to detail and high standards. Bonacini established himself early in his career and has since grown his and Peter Oliver's restaurant business to include over a dozen locations grossing over $100 million annually. Though now focusing more on the business, Bonacini remains passionate about food, farming, and his role on MasterChef Canada.
![ICHAELBONACINI
Knives dance across green garnishes as
the two remaining MasterChef Canada
contestants rush to get their finale
entrees onto their respective plates.The
usually composed Michael Bonacini is
brimming with excitement as
he and his co-judges, Alvin
Leung and Claudio Aprile,
count down the rounds final
seconds.
Five, four, three, two, one,
call out the judges in unison,
with each tick of the oversized
clock. As the clock runs out,
Bonacinis excitement is
palpable, which is
uncharacteristic for one of
Torontos most elegant
restaurateurs.
MasterChef Canada cuts to
the next scene. Bonacini
dressed in a slim-fitting,
classically tailored black suit
punctuated with a white pocket
square is sitting behind the
judges table.
His cool composure has
returned as he assesses finalist
Eric Chongs poached lobster
and egg noodle dish.
MasterChef Canadas British
judge is certainly no Gordon
Ramsay. Bonacinis cool, even-
keeled style of judging is honest
and descriptive without veering
toward hyperbole.
MasterChef Canada, Season 1
winner, Eric Chong, would
classify Michael Bonacinis judging
style as classy and polite.According to
Chong, one of the youngest winners in
MasterChef history: He will never
completely bash you like Alvin but will
casually say hes not a fan of it. He will
compliment you like a gentleman.He is
like a teacher who writes, Needs more
improvement, whereas Alvin would
write, Worst dish ever.
I certainly started watching the
show even more vehemently than I had
before, says Bonacini on preparing to
be a judge.
The chef who started his culinary
career in Canada in 1985 at the
Windsor Arms Hotel wasnt
particularly stressed out about
cultivating a judging persona.
I am who I am, and I have
tasted hundreds of thousands
of dishes,says the 55-year-old
co-owner of the Oliver &
Bonacini restaurant empire.
Michael Bonacini does
Michael Bonacini best.
Despite looking like hes just
come from a fashion shoot for
Zoomer magazine (the
restaurateur is perennially
perfectly polished, perfectly
pressed), Bonacinis not always
serious.
When the chef starts
laughing about an anecdote he
has yet to tell me, I know its
going to be good.
Alvin was lighting his cigar
off a gas burner, recounts
Bonacini as his sentence nearly
devolves into laugher. And
bomph, up went his hair!
Hopefully MasterChef
Canada, Season 2 will show off
more of Bonacinis sense of
humour. Or at the very least
we would love to see some of
these Three Stoogesesque
outtakes!
Unlike more dramatic
celebrity chef judges, Bonacini is not
cut from histrionic cloth. Youd never
see him throwing a plate of not-up-to-
snuff food onto the ground to make a
point. But that doesnt mean that
Bonacini isnt demanding.
Like a Roman general,Bonacini is an
exacting strategist. He expects even the
lowest ranking employee to strive for
perfection: a wrinkled shirt, a spot on a
glass that just wont do. Bonacini
very clearly outlines his expectations;
theres even a handbook given to O &
B employees.
If your vision has flaws or holes in
it, it is like pushing string up a hill,
explains Bonacini.
For Bonacini, everything must be
comme il faut down to the place settings.
Back at my days at Centro, we used
to pull a string to line up the tables, the
chairs, the plates, the cutlery, the glass,
the salt and pepper,says the unabashed
perfectionist.
The string technique was used to
ensure that everything was exactly
where it should be, not a millimetre too
far to the left. And we still do that at
all of our restaurants today, says
Bonacini proudly.
The Wales-born chefs attention to
detail is even more impressive when
you consider the scope of his restaurant
empire. There are currently 12
restaurants in the Oliver & Bonacini
portfolio, and thats not counting the
companys strategic partnerships,which
include iQ Food Co. and Soma
Chocolate.
The Toronto-based company is even
putting its imprint on the cow-country
dining scene. O & B is in the throes of
opening a speakeasy, restaurant and
event space all within downtown
Calgarys Hudsons Bay.
Over the past five years, Oliver &
Bonacini will have nearly doubled their
sales. Next year, Bonacini projects that
the company will gross over $100
million.
When Bonacini moved to Toronto
three decades ago, he didnt have
aspirations of celebrity chef stardom
(that wasnt even a thing back then),
but he quickly established himself as an
exacting executive chef while working
at the Windsor Arms Hotel and then
Centro, which was one of the most
exclusive places to sup in Toronto in the
early 90s.
Since he teamed up with local
philanthropist and small-time
restaurateur Peter Oliver to open
downtown power lunch destination
Jump in 1993, the pair have become
one of the biggest names in Toronto
dining. The duo, however, almost
missed out on opening one of their
most iconic restaurants: Canoe.
Cadillac Fairview approached
Bonacini and Oliver three times asking
them to take over a failing restaurant
on the 54th floor of the TD Bank
Tower.
The still-green restaurateurs were
rightfully nervous about the venue.The
view mightve been phenomenal, but
the lack of street presence made the
young entrepreneurs hesitate. Luckily
for the Toronto dining scene, Cadillac
Fairview sweetened the deal just
enough to make the risk worthwhile.
Since then, their clutch of
restaurants has grown to include
Auberge du Pommier, Luma, Bannock
and Biffs Bistro, among others.
These days Bonacini doesnt spend
much time in the heat of the restaurant
kitchens. He has a very busy schedule.
A few years ago his family sold their
Etobicoke home and downsized to a
Yorkville condo.
Bonacini is an avid walker, who loves
the convenience of his new
neighbourhood. We [the family] love
going to the movies, popping into
Indigo, cruising around Pusateris and
Whole Foods and window shopping,
says Bonacini, who also owns a 172-
acre farm up in Caledon.
The farm boasts a small vineyard,but
Bonacinis not interested in
winemaking. The grapes are for show,
not taste. Hes a honey fanatic, after
talking about it for years, Bonacinis
finally about to get into beekeeping.
MasterChef Canada, Season 2
contestants should take note and keep
Bonacinis honey mania in mind when
cooking for the judge.
The season two premiere will air on
Feb. 8, at 7 p.m., on CTV.
Ifyourvisionhasflawsorholesinit,
itislikepushingstringupahill.
The entrepreneur on leading the O & B restaurant
empire, life as a MasterChef Canada judge
and why he loves living in Yorkville
by Caroline Aksich](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/17b19fe0-3cc2-4834-8058-da8d38c55dcb-150212163510-conversion-gate01/85/Cover_M_FEB15-Page-01-1-320.jpg)
Cover_M_FEB15 (Page 01)
- 1. ICHAELBONACINI Knives dance across green garnishes as the two remaining MasterChef Canada contestants rush to get their finale entrees onto their respective plates.The usually composed Michael Bonacini is brimming with excitement as he and his co-judges, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile, count down the rounds final seconds. Five, four, three, two, one, call out the judges in unison, with each tick of the oversized clock. As the clock runs out, Bonacinis excitement is palpable, which is uncharacteristic for one of Torontos most elegant restaurateurs. MasterChef Canada cuts to the next scene. Bonacini dressed in a slim-fitting, classically tailored black suit punctuated with a white pocket square is sitting behind the judges table. His cool composure has returned as he assesses finalist Eric Chongs poached lobster and egg noodle dish. MasterChef Canadas British judge is certainly no Gordon Ramsay. Bonacinis cool, even- keeled style of judging is honest and descriptive without veering toward hyperbole. MasterChef Canada, Season 1 winner, Eric Chong, would classify Michael Bonacinis judging style as classy and polite.According to Chong, one of the youngest winners in MasterChef history: He will never completely bash you like Alvin but will casually say hes not a fan of it. He will compliment you like a gentleman.He is like a teacher who writes, Needs more improvement, whereas Alvin would write, Worst dish ever. I certainly started watching the show even more vehemently than I had before, says Bonacini on preparing to be a judge. The chef who started his culinary career in Canada in 1985 at the Windsor Arms Hotel wasnt particularly stressed out about cultivating a judging persona. I am who I am, and I have tasted hundreds of thousands of dishes,says the 55-year-old co-owner of the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant empire. Michael Bonacini does Michael Bonacini best. Despite looking like hes just come from a fashion shoot for Zoomer magazine (the restaurateur is perennially perfectly polished, perfectly pressed), Bonacinis not always serious. When the chef starts laughing about an anecdote he has yet to tell me, I know its going to be good. Alvin was lighting his cigar off a gas burner, recounts Bonacini as his sentence nearly devolves into laugher. And bomph, up went his hair! Hopefully MasterChef Canada, Season 2 will show off more of Bonacinis sense of humour. Or at the very least we would love to see some of these Three Stoogesesque outtakes! Unlike more dramatic celebrity chef judges, Bonacini is not cut from histrionic cloth. Youd never see him throwing a plate of not-up-to- snuff food onto the ground to make a point. But that doesnt mean that Bonacini isnt demanding. Like a Roman general,Bonacini is an exacting strategist. He expects even the lowest ranking employee to strive for perfection: a wrinkled shirt, a spot on a glass that just wont do. Bonacini very clearly outlines his expectations; theres even a handbook given to O & B employees. If your vision has flaws or holes in it, it is like pushing string up a hill, explains Bonacini. For Bonacini, everything must be comme il faut down to the place settings. Back at my days at Centro, we used to pull a string to line up the tables, the chairs, the plates, the cutlery, the glass, the salt and pepper,says the unabashed perfectionist. The string technique was used to ensure that everything was exactly where it should be, not a millimetre too far to the left. And we still do that at all of our restaurants today, says Bonacini proudly. The Wales-born chefs attention to detail is even more impressive when you consider the scope of his restaurant empire. There are currently 12 restaurants in the Oliver & Bonacini portfolio, and thats not counting the companys strategic partnerships,which include iQ Food Co. and Soma Chocolate. The Toronto-based company is even putting its imprint on the cow-country dining scene. O & B is in the throes of opening a speakeasy, restaurant and event space all within downtown Calgarys Hudsons Bay. Over the past five years, Oliver & Bonacini will have nearly doubled their sales. Next year, Bonacini projects that the company will gross over $100 million. When Bonacini moved to Toronto three decades ago, he didnt have aspirations of celebrity chef stardom (that wasnt even a thing back then), but he quickly established himself as an exacting executive chef while working at the Windsor Arms Hotel and then Centro, which was one of the most exclusive places to sup in Toronto in the early 90s. Since he teamed up with local philanthropist and small-time restaurateur Peter Oliver to open downtown power lunch destination Jump in 1993, the pair have become one of the biggest names in Toronto dining. The duo, however, almost missed out on opening one of their most iconic restaurants: Canoe. Cadillac Fairview approached Bonacini and Oliver three times asking them to take over a failing restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower. The still-green restaurateurs were rightfully nervous about the venue.The view mightve been phenomenal, but the lack of street presence made the young entrepreneurs hesitate. Luckily for the Toronto dining scene, Cadillac Fairview sweetened the deal just enough to make the risk worthwhile. Since then, their clutch of restaurants has grown to include Auberge du Pommier, Luma, Bannock and Biffs Bistro, among others. These days Bonacini doesnt spend much time in the heat of the restaurant kitchens. He has a very busy schedule. A few years ago his family sold their Etobicoke home and downsized to a Yorkville condo. Bonacini is an avid walker, who loves the convenience of his new neighbourhood. We [the family] love going to the movies, popping into Indigo, cruising around Pusateris and Whole Foods and window shopping, says Bonacini, who also owns a 172- acre farm up in Caledon. The farm boasts a small vineyard,but Bonacinis not interested in winemaking. The grapes are for show, not taste. Hes a honey fanatic, after talking about it for years, Bonacinis finally about to get into beekeeping. MasterChef Canada, Season 2 contestants should take note and keep Bonacinis honey mania in mind when cooking for the judge. The season two premiere will air on Feb. 8, at 7 p.m., on CTV. Ifyourvisionhasflawsorholesinit, itislikepushingstringupahill. The entrepreneur on leading the O & B restaurant empire, life as a MasterChef Canada judge and why he loves living in Yorkville by Caroline Aksich