Contributors

Our Contributors

Our staff and food aficionados bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Canadian Food Aficionado.

Chef Gordon Ramsay, Lorena Urrutia-Mandarino and Jay Mandarino at the Chef’s Challenge fundraiser. Jay was the auctioneer for the event and Gordon was his assistant!

Jay Mandarino

Founder, Publisher & Editor

Jay Mandarino, Publisher & CEO of SBC Media (a Member of The CJ Group of Companies), is our Chief Food Aficionado and the brains behind this venture. In addition to his passion for good food and travel, Jay runs one of the largest printing organizations in Canada, and is an active philanthropist. He donates his services as an auctioneer and it was at these events he was able to meet some of the best chefs in the world and develop his appreciation for great food and respect for those chefs and their craft. He has taken several food courses and attended many seminars from the best in the business both locally and internationally. Jay’s favourite dining partner is his wife, Lorena Urrutia-Mandarino, whose sophisticated palate is particularly fond of the big flavours and multi-ethnic influences found in the cuisine of her native Peru. She loves hot spices and they travel to many interesting places all over the world together experiencing some of the best foods. So it only makes sense that this great couple are co-editors of this magazine. Lorena is a certified Reiki practitioner and is interested in spirituality and the mind & body connection. She has a passion for well-being and living a healthy lifestyle and part of that is having a balanced great meal. Jay was previously a founding investor in a restaurant and a founding partner of another food publication.

Jay Mandarino, Chief Aficionado and Co-editor jay@cfamag.ca
Lorena Urrutia-Mandarino, Co-editor lorena@cfamag.ca

Aficionado Advisory Board

Michael Bonacini

Co-Founder
Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants

Kevin Gallagher

Co-Founder
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
and the Mildred Pierce Group

Felice Sabatino

Principal
Via Allegro Ristorante

Mitsuhiro Kaji

Chef/Owner
Sushi Kaji Restaurant

Rodney Clark

Head Fishmonger
Rodney’s Oyster House Corp.

Mary Beaton

Managing Director
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa

Contributing Aficionados

Our contributors are all regular people that love food – not food critics – so no ulterior motives here, just the facts!

Josh Allen | Lorraine Bates | Mike Catalfamo | Jeff Ekstein | Axel Kindbom | Bruna Nicoletti-Guido
Carly Silberstein | Aidan Testa | Kevin Page

 

Additional Staff

Lorraine Bates, Art/Editorial Director | Lee Eldridge, Director, Interactive | Hassan Gafri, VP Finance | Mike Seifert, Video/Editing

Banner photography courtesy of Rodney’s Oyster House (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)