beyond the plate montreal pasquale vari ithq
Food & Drink

ITHQ x Beyond the Plate: Getting schooled and fed by Pasquale Vari & Montreal’s next top chefs

by Heidi Small

Watch Season 4, Episode 3 of Beyond the Plate, presented in partnership with Cult MTL.

This has been a longtime dream of mine: to visit the ITHQ (Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec) culinary institute, where many of the Montreal chefs I’ve spoken to over the years have graduated. Hearing about their trajectory and time spent learning at this great institution always piqued my interest and beckoned a deeper dive.

Enter chef and newest member of the series Pasquale Vari, and my dreams came true! What a teacher, what a leader.

To witness Chef Vari at the helm of his classroom, taking the graduating class smack-dab into the middle of a working first-class kitchen, had me holding my breath as I watched them prepare both for the real world AND my dinner, along with patrons at their in-house restaurant!

I don’t want to give anything away — just watch and enjoy for yourselves.

ITHQ chef and consultant Pasquale Vari and his graduating class Montreal’s next top chefs

Produced and Hosted by Heidi Small

Filmed and Directed by Ezra Soiferman

Edited by Teagan Lance

Graphic Design & Logo by Alex Chocron

Beyond the Plate by Heidi Small is an experience brought to you by Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove.

For more on the food and drink scene in Montreal, please visit the Food & Drink section.

Posted in Food & Drink

by Heidi Small

Contributor
Born and raised in Montreal, Heidi is a champion of the local restaurant scene with a background working in the film industry, in politics and in fundraising for brain cancer research. Heidi spent a year and a half as columnist at the Gazette writing and hosting her popular “Beyond the Plate” column and 15-episode YouTube series. The culinary aficionado later served up her scrumptious, up-close-and-personal monthly portraits to the delight of tens of thousands of hungry Montrealers as well as foodies far afield on the website of celebrated magazine Canada’s 100 Best. Next, Small was part of our city’s CTV television lineup where her beloved Beyond the Plate chef series was seen monthly, giving our Montreal chefs much needed love and shine during and after the harrowing COVID period. With some 35 episodes already out in the world, in 2024 Beyond the Plate has begun a brand new chapter in collaboration with Montreal media outlet Cult MTL and numerous prestigious corporate sponsors. With the thriving series Heidi continues her role as a spokesperson and passionate leader in the city's celebrated restaurant community.