Dual passions for cuisine and equestrian have landed a world-class chef in the Foothills.
A desire to train and compete in the world of showjumping brought Manuel Panfili to the area and he has taken his considerable culinary talents to the D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club where Jerry’s Restaurant is taking off as a year-round destination for casual elegance dining.
“I really love the project, they’re family owned, they want to elevate the food,” said Panfili, the executive chef at D'Arcy. “I was scared to join a golf course because it’s seasonal business, but they want to open it all year round, it’s public and open for everybody.
“And that’s my dream come true. I can turn this restaurant into a fine-dining gourmet experience with good food at a reasonable price.”
While working in Italy, Panfili was head chef for two restaurants that received Michelin star ratings at Massimo Bottura’s famed Osteria Francescana in Modena and at Ristorante Lapprodo in Calabria.
Panfili has made it a habit to work with some of the best in the world, both inside and outside the kitchen.
“I was in France with Alain Ducasse for several years because I wanted to learn,” he said. “And I put it together with the kitchen and the horses. My trainer was Olympic rider Michel Robert for 10 years in France.”
Panfili originally moved to Canada in 2008, working at Bocconcini restaurant in Toronto, but found opportunities for his side-gig as a second level FEI coach competitor a bit lacking in the Big Smoke. After a couple years back in Europe, Panfili set course for the best area for showjumping he could find.
“I went back to Italy and googled where in Canada is the city with the horses? And Spruce Meadows showed up,” he said. “I landed in Calgary in 2013 and never left. I started working in a restaurant and moved south from Calgary to Glenmore, McKenzie Towne, Okotoks and High River where I live now.”
While in southern Alberta, the chef worked at the luxurious Azuridge Estate Hotel in the Priddis area and was the executive chef for Lina’s Italian Market in the Stampede City prior to joining D’Arcy.
“High River I love the concept of the town, it’s super friendly, I do lots for the community especially at Christmas time,” he said. “That’s what I want to do with Okotoks too. Make sure I can do something for the community because when I landed in Canada I have no money, no security, no job because I’m an immigrant that needed permanent resident (status).
“Canada gave me an opportunity, Calgary, Okotoks, High River gave me an opportunity to build my life so I want to give back. I’m happy and available to share anything to help in this community.”
This is the second season D’Arcy has kept its restaurant open over the winter months, having previously been closed once the tarps were put on the course signaling the off-season.
“We think it will give us a higher profile, we’re shooting for that casual elegance dining and you need the chef for that,” said Tim Watt, vice-president and general manager at D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club. “What we’re trying to do is we want to be the place to go in Okotoks, especially during the off-season, during those long winter months when people don’t want to drive into Calgary and want to have a great meal right here in town.
“We know in the summer we’re going to be packed for the most part, weather permitting, but we’re looking at the off-season and he’ll be a real good addition to promoting our off-season sales.”
The revamped menu maintains the favourites from chicken wings, nachos and calamari to those with an Italian influence including Caprese and Grilled Ceasar salads to a charcuterie board more reminiscent of antipasto to a pesto sandwich and Chef Manuel’s pasta bar.
Panfili wants his menu to be fluid, adding seasonal and new items to keep customers coming back for more.
Italian food when done correctly should be approachable and simple, he added.
“As an Italian chef I want to share with the community the flavour of the cuisine,” he said. “It’s really simple, it’s good product, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. And the other key is we make everything from scratch, fresh pasta, fresh tomato sauce.”
Sharing the kitchen with the best, Panfili learned the vision the greats have and the knowledge base and curiosity needed to put their creativity on the plate.
“The way they think about food, pairing food like a fruit with a sour thing, they have that sense and come in with a theme and a story behind that dish,” said Panfili, the Alberta ambassador for Association Chef Professional Italian Canada. “For me I want to taste everything, I love travelling because I want to, for example, test the cilantro in Mexico because it’s very different than here, I want to taste the muscles in Europe because the water is different than what you would have in a restaurant.
“I want to know the best of any product, that’s what they teach me, the way you open your mind, taste more and new things.”
Growing up in Cosenza in the southern Italian region of Calabria, northeast of Sicily, Panfili was raised on a farm as one of five brothers. He learned the tricks of the trade from his mother.
“My dad was a carpenter, my mom worked too making dresses for the brides,” he said. “With five boys what do you do? One cooks, one sets up the table, the other one does the laundry, we learn this when we were really young.”
In the incredibly hilly part of the ‘toe’ of Italy, horses are a big part of the agricultural process, helping to transport items such as tomatoes.
“I started taking (horse) lessons when I was 15 and that’s when I started to travel away from my town,” he said. “I needed money so I started to work in the kitchen, started to cut bread, washing pans, and I really loved the lifestyle of making people happy with food.
“I cook in the night and ride in the morning.”
For Panfili, having horses as a passion off-sets some of the challenges that come with the fast-paced world of restaurants.
“It’s stressful in the kitchen, organizing, feeding a lot of people and trying to please everybody is really hard because at the end of the day you might think the food is good, but what about the feedback?” he said. “The horses keep me at peace. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t play games, my only other home is my horse.
“Since that time at about 15, I never left cooking, never left the horses.”
One common thread between the two pursuits is a dedication to succeed, to respect the ingredients, respect the animal to get the desired results.
“For me, now especially after COVID I want to see the family happy to dine outside of the house, have them walk away with a good time, good dinner and good experience for the family,” he said. “I want to share my fine dining, Michelin dining all of that and put it back to the community and have them say ‘let’s go see Chef Manuel’ and see what’s happening tonight.’
“I believe this can be the place to go in the community.”
