Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 21/05) - Barclay's dining room may now be part of the Explorer Hotel's history, but the new Trader's Grill is still promising Northern food within a Northern setting.

The restaurant is undergoing renovations, which will keep with the hotel's theme, according to food and beverage manager Trent Jones.

"Our goal is to be the number one restaurant in town," Jones said.

"We want to find that happy medium. We don't want to be too fancy or too basic.

"Reasonable prices are the biggest thing." With a clientele largely consisting of Japanese tourists, hunters and other out-of-town visitors, Jones said they want to ensure a sampling of Northern cuisine, including caribou and Arctic char, among others.

Nunastar Properties of Edmonton purchased the hotel in May of 2004 and it has been under renovation since.

Slight changes to design

With regard to the decor, the former open concept design of the restaurant has changed slightly, Jones noted.

"The large fireplace remains the centrepiece (in the main dining area), but we will have two private dining rooms as well," he said.

One area will accommodate about 16 patrons, while the other will fit about 12.

The glass wall overlooking the scenic property will remain unchanged, he said, adding that the property itself will undergo landscaping.

The colour scheme will be a pallet of earth tones. The seating capacity of the restaurant will be 130, with 31 tables.

A new lounge area will have a capacity of 60 and will feature a full bar.

The Trapline Lounge will also feature food service in addition to the cocktails, beer and martinis.

"We have a very unique martini glass that was brought in, so hopefully that will stimulate martini sales, as well," he said.

"But just having everything brand new is going to be very nice."

The total cost of renovating the hotel will be between $3 million and $4 million.