Frosty annual pop-up restaurant rising from river at The Forks

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This article was published 10/01/2017 (3212 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Construction is underway on the fifth edition of Raw:almond, the pop-up river restaurant at The Forks that opens later this month for 21 nights of frigid al fresco dining.

The restaurant operates from Jan. 20 to Feb. 13; there will be 63 sittings in total.

Foodies snapped up 2,500 tickets last month at an in-person ticket sale at The Forks and during an online sale that followed.

The event boasts seven Canadian gourmet chefs from 26 restaurants who will cook up some haute cuisine for diners who were willing to pay $162.50 per ticket for an experience unmatched anywhere else in the world.

The event is organized by deer + almond chef Mandel Hitzer and designer Joe Kalturnyk.

Kalturnyk said tickets always go quickly. Some enthusiasts buy a large quantity for business dinners or other large gatherings, and there are regulars, some from out-of-town, who come back each year.

Raw:almond features a different architectural design each year at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers for the three-week extravaganza.

This year, the theme for the design is billed as Reciprocal Framing, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and his architectural drawings. What that means is still a mystery, but the surprise element of a new style of outdoor restaurant construction every winter has become part of the event’s marketing charm.

Expect something “soaring,” organizers hinted.

This year students at the Art City not-for-profit community art centre on Broadway assisted with the design.

— with files from Alexandra Paul