After a years of training and working in other kitchens, chef Kim Martin has stepped out on her own with a new dinnertime offering at Cranewood on Main, on Thursday and Friday evenings.
CHMA sat down with Martin one afternoon in June under the white Cranewood tent, to find out more about the pop-up restaurant within a restaurant:
Martin is from Sackville, and studied culinary arts in Charlottetown before going to work in Banff, Winnipeg, Halifax and the Annapolis Valley. For the past three seasons, Martin worked at Bistro Le Chat Bleu in Baie Verte. Martin says she has wanted to branch out on her own for many years, and felt ready to take the plunge this year.
“I’ve been learning, and I’ve been cooking for other chefs, and I was ready. I was ready to explore my own style and be a little bit more independent with my menu.”
Martin says her culinary focus is regional, but with inspiration from beyond. “All over the Maritimes there’s a lot of things to tap into,” says Martin. “I like being in season. I like looking at what we have available at that time, and just going from there,” she says. “I like to also blend in different styles, so bringing what we have here together with what’s available in the world, as far as styles and flavours.”
The timing wasn’t perfect, says Martin, what with public health restrictions limiting capacities and occasionally shutting down in person dining. But as things started to open up, Martin approached Malcolm Fisher from Cranewood with a proposal for a pop up restaurant or event. “He was very eager to meet and talk about it,” says Martin, and a collaboration was born.
Billed as, “A Culinary Experience with Chef Kim Martin”, the dining events are similar to a prix fixe restaurant service, with patrons purchasing a ticket for the evening, and having choices for a three course meal.
There are two seatings slated for Thursday and Friday this week. Martin says she is taking it slowly. “While we still have COVID restrictions, and we’re still just starting out, we want to move slowly so that we are sure we can provide the best possible experience for people.”
