Red Lion Smokehouse and Tomlin Restaurant are swapping chefs for two nights of culinary madness. On the 13th of June, the kitchen crew from Red Lion Smokehouse will take over Tomlin Restaurant to serve up a five-course tasting menu under the hawk eyes of head chef Steve Simpson.
“My team and I are excited to experiment with a new style of cooking in Tomlin’s kitchen. I’m also particularly looking forward to getting back to my culinary roots and cooking a tasting menu once again,” says John Murray, head chef and co-owner of Red Lion Smokehouse.
One week later, the culinary madness continues when the kitchen crew from Tomlin Restaurant take over Red Lion 
Smokehouse’s kitchen. On the 20th June, the Tomlin team will cook up their own barbecue menu under the watchful eyes of head chef John Murray.
“The kitchen crew at Tomlin couldn’t be more excited to come in to the Red Lion kitchen for a night. Our plan is to stay rooted in Southern BBQ for a night and get a little playful with it,” says Steve Simpson, head chef and co-owner of Tomlin Restaurant.
Each kitchen crew will be pushing their teams into new culinary arenas giving diners an evening they won’t soon forget. Each head chef has prepared a menu to show off their team’s skills and pay homage to the kitchen in which they are cooking.
Restaurants in the Waterfront District love to collaborate and this is another fantastic opportunity to show off the exciting culinary talent that Thunder Bay has to offer.
Bookings are limited. To book a spot at Red Lion Smokehouse, please contact Red Lion Smokehouse on 807.286.0045 or email hello@redlionsmokehouse.ca. To book a spot at Tomlin, please contact Tomlin Restaurant on 807.346.4447. The five course tasting is $75 per person.
The Restaurants and Their Chefs
Red Lion Smokehouse
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Red Lion Smokehouse specialises in Home Smoked Food and Craft Beer. The restaurant is co-owned by husband and wife team John Murray and Alexandra Bono.
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Head Chef and Co-Owner John Murray trained in Toronto under Susur Lee, before moving to London, England. While in London John worked in a number of Michelin starred restaurants including St John Bread & Wine, L’Autre Pied, Yauatcha & Petrus. While living in London, John was a Roux Scholarship Finalist and is a Yo Chef winner.
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Red Lion Smokehouse owns the only Josper Oven in Ontario (there are only two others in Canada). The Josper is a Spanish made charcoal grill that can reach temperatures of up 900F.
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Red Lion Smokehouse is a 110-seat restaurant that offers a semi-private dining room for private functions as well as a stage for live music and is wheelchair accessible.
Tomlin Restaurant
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Tomlin works alongside local farmers and producers to create bold and eclectic dishes with an emphasis on sharing at the table. We encourage family style dining and specialize in house made charcuterie, pasta and dry aged ribeye. Our drink program features boutique Ontario VQA wine, craft beer and original cocktails. All menus change frequently.
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Limited reservations are now available for groups of 6 or more. Private parties are available for groups of 20 plus.
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Tomlin Restaurant is co-owned by Steve Simpson and Nancy Shaw
