Lindsay Porter graduated from the culinary arts program at NAIT in 2006 and has since exploded onto Edmonton’s culinary scene. Most recently, she has been working tirelessly as the head chef at El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar.
The kitchen seems to be where Porter is happiest. “In a restaurant setting, I like the stress and the chaotic atmosphere… I love cooking for people and coming up with new ways to do things,” she says. Her creative flair certainly comes in handy, especially when she’s engaged in a complementary passion: competing. She won bronze in the Gold Medal Plates competition in 2014 and first place in the pasta category of the Canadian Food Championships in 2015. “I love seeing what [other people] are doing. You always want to do better,” she says.
For the new year, Porter is excited about the next chapter of her El Cortez experience. The restaurant is taking over the building and expanding to the third floor, where they hope to serve “more of an American, very home-style comfort food.”
When she’s not in her own kitchen, Porter likes to investigate other restaurants, believing that eating out is the best kind of research there is. In Edmonton, some of Porter’s favourites include Corso 32, Bar Bricco, RGE RD, North 53, and Japonais Bistro. Or if you’re looking for fresh ingredients to make your own dishes, head to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, where Porter herself likes to shop.
You cannot go wrong with any of these choices. As Porter says, “No one’s happier than when they’re eating!” —Tamara Aschenbrenner
