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Sandwich counter on wheels ready to roll
Robin Wasicuna prepares to bring Wiseguy Foods downtown this weekThandie Vela Northern News Services Published Tuesday, August 9, 2011
If the thought of the two combined—a one-pound beef patty sizzling between two grilled cheese sandwiches—makes your mouth water, then you might want to keep a lookout for Robin Wasicuna's mobile restaurant. The high-calorie sandwich is one of five quirky menu items the Yellowknifer has created to serve from his new food trailer business, Wiseguy Foods. "There's gonna be lots of fun food like that," the culinary entrepreneur said about his food trailer, which he hopes to have running downtown by the end of the week. "I come from a fine dining background but I'm trying to get away from the pretentiousness of it all and go back to just honest food." Wasicuna, who moved to Yellowknife in 2004, has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years, including 20 years as a chef. His background in fine dining first developed on the east coast, where he attended the Culinary Institute of Canada. He cut his teeth at various pubs and restaurants in Nova Scotia before moving to Edmonton in 1996, where he met his mentor, Jiro Ooishi, who trained him in classical French fine dining. "He really opened up my mind to what food can be--it's not just about filling your hole," Wasicuna said. "He showed me that food can be fun. "You can make dishes whimsical and tongue-in-cheek," he said, offering his "Elvis" sandwich as an example example. The Elvis is a grilled peanut butter and banana item with bacon. Daily specials, which will be listed in addition to the core roster of sandwiches, give Wasicuna the opportunity to showcase his fine dining flair, like his braised short rib with onions, burgundy and Dijon sauce, on a whole wheat bun. "With a hearty meat like beef, you want a bread to back that up," Wasicuna said, explaining how he selects each sandwich's bread to match the flavour profile. Wasicuna said he is looking for a local baker to provide him with bread as fresh as possible, that he plans to shop for at least every other day, along with all his ingredients. "There's a chance I'm going to run out everyday but everything is going to be made fresh, with quality ingredients," he said. "The whole philosophy behind this trailer is you're going to get good quality food in large portions." Wasicuna began planning his food concession in March, when he bought his eight by 20-foot trailer, and selected the company name Wiseguy Foods, as a nod to his love of gangster movies. "Like any chef I've always wanted to open up my own restaurant," Wasicuna said. "(The trailer) is just a more feasible way to go. It's not a restaurant but at least people get to taste my food--I'm very very happy." With the menu down, Wasicuna was only waiting on his trailer's health inspection, which was scheduled for Monday. "Everything is ready to go," he said, anticipating he would be operating by Thursday or Friday. His first choice of location is the park at City Hall, though followers can find out his location and daily special on his Facebook page Wiseguy Foods, or on Twitter by following his handle @wiseguyfoods. Wasicuna expects to serve about 100 customers a day, operating as far into the fall as possible, and then setting up again starting in March. During the off-season, Wasicuna plans to focus on his catering services under the same company name, offering intimate, customizable at-home multi-course meals for couples or groups up to 50 people. "It's an option of catering that isn't available in Yellowknife," he said, explaining how he would bring his own cooking gear, prepare five courses with wine pairings, clean up and leave. In terms of expansion, Wasicuna hopes to trade his trailer in for a mobile food truck within the next couple of years, but the street vendor will stick to sandwiches. "I like sandwiches," he said. "Everybody does, I think."
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