When I first saw Roger Mooking‘s smiling mug as a celebrity judge on Chopped Canada, I struggled to place the face. He was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place where from; “Was he on Degrassi or YTV or something back in the 90s?,” I thought.
No, I discovered. He was on MuchMusic.
I know Roger Mooking as MC Mystic, one third of the 90s funk trio Bass is Base. Mooking (AKA Mystic) along with Chin Injeti and Ivana Santilli, were a laid back groovy presence in rotation on Z95-3 and the 10 disc changer in my trunk.
From Funkmobile to I Cry, they picked up Junos, toured with Celine Dion, Fugees, and James Brown and set the stage for the likes of Drake to show that yes indeed, Canada has soul.
While he still makes music on the side, being a chef is how he pays the bills. A celebrity one, at that, and a restaurateur too. Mooking visited Calgary this week to launch his new market concept, Social Eatery at TELUS Spark. He phoned in and we chatted about Bass is Base back in the day and his ideas to reboot family food for today:
With a focus on fresh ingredients cooked from scratch, the new menu items have been carefully selected from Chef Mooking’s global travels, bringing flavours back to Canada that are sure to appeal to guests’ palettes.
It’s a market styled approach. You walk in and are handed a small menu card, you can wander the coolers and see the chefs cooking the menu items to see what you want and explore. Social Eatery isn’t a name by accident, Mooking says the menu is meant to be a conversation starter. You talk to the staff, to other people wandering, and engage in the process.
Some showstopper dishes include Cheese Buns made fresh daily with aged Canadian cheddars, the Stacked Sandwich featuring 10 oz of shaved Alberta beef, a variety of healthy vegetarian and vegan options and in-house made smoothies.
Your taste buds won’t be the only ones to receive a sensory thrill, as Social Eatery showcases a playfully modern aesthetic in an interactive family-friendly environment. There’s a social media wall to pose for photos, and share with your friends. When your order is ready, your funky assigned science name (“Order up for .. Plasma!Beaker!Spock!”) will be announced and you can move over to your table.
Sound good? I’ve got 4 tickets to go and check out TELUS Spark with your family, just enter below:
CONTEST
Terms and conditions: Prize: Four (4) general admission tickets to TELUS Spark in Calgary. Prize must be accepted as awarded and is valid only for TELUS Spark in Calgary. This prize is not transferable, cannot be exchanged for value or applied to previous purchases and is not redeemable for cash or equivalent. Other restrictions may apply. Prize must be redeemed by December 31, 2017.
Disclosure: I’m a member of Team TELUS
Dad. Broadcaster. Writer.
Three time Guinness World Record Holder.
I run the world for Team Diabetes.
I would love to try the Jamaican patty and butter flap. This sounds interesting.