Johnny Spero and Andrea Carlson are teaming up for a botanical, micro-seasonal tasting menu, beginning with a joint sourcing trip to Salt Spring Island.<\/p>\n
Vancouver food lovers have a rare dinner landing on Main Street next month.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, acclaimed U.S. chef Johnny Spero will join Burdock & Co chef-owner Andrea Carlson for a one-night-only collaborative tasting menu.<\/p>\n
The dinner is part of the Salty Magazine Dinner Series, created by chef and publisher Geeta Bansal to bring notable culinary figures together for special collaborative events. Bansal is the founder of Salty Magazine, an independent print and digital publication featuring chefs, producers and other voices from the international food community.<\/p>\n
Priced at $195 per person, the dinner brings together two chefs with a shared interest in regional sourcing, micro-seasons and botanically driven cooking.<\/p>\n
A new chapter on Whidbey Island<\/p>\n
Spero\u2019s background includes leading Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s\u2019 experimental Minibar in Washington, D.C., competing on Netflix\u2019s The Final Table and earning a Michelin star at his former restaurant, Reverie.<\/p>\n
He moved his family west nearly 10 months ago and is now executive chef of Passage at The Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island, Washington. The Burdock dinner will be his first culinary collaboration since relocating to the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n
\u201cCollaborations have always been a huge part of what I do,\u201d Spero said. \u201cI have friends in Seattle and a ton in California who have reached out, but this is the first one since I moved to the Pacific Northwest.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Bansal suggested Burdock & Co, he was immediately interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Geeta asked about Burdock, I said absolutely,\u201d Spero said. \u201cThey seem to have a similar ethos to how we operate. It\u2019s all about the dining experience and the sourcing relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was also drawn to the Vancouver restaurant\u2019s distinct identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe menu is truly unique,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem to be a carbon copy of anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than simply presenting separate dishes in the same kitchen, Carlson and Spero are building the dinner through shared experiences and exploration.<\/p>\n
Before cooking together at Burdock & Co, the chefs plan to travel and dine on Salt Spring Island. Carlson will introduce Spero to local growers, including Jane Squier of The Garden, who grows more than 40 types of citrus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have an opportunity to dine and travel together to Salt Spring Island,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cI\u2019ll be introducing him to Jane Squier and to other unique local growers. This will strengthen the collaborative nature of the event.\u201d<\/p>\n
A collaboration rooted in Pacific Northwest ingredients<\/p>\n
Carlson believes the two chefs already share a culinary language.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohnny has a stellar reputation in the U.S. and abroad,\u201d she said. \u201cHe seems like an engaged and creative chef who has limitless curiosity.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also sees similarities between Spero\u2019s early work at Passage and her own approach at Burdock & Co.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can see from Chef Johnny\u2019s very brief time at Passage that he is embracing all the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and is inclined to speak the same food language as I do at Burdock,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cVery botanically based and micro-seasonal.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Spero, the Salt Spring Island trip is also an opportunity to become more connected to his new region.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m interested in exploring things that aren\u2019t as commonly talked about,\u201d he said. \u201cCollaborations allow me to meet new people in the region and find new resources.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Rourke Family Estate and Peak Cellars have been announced as the dinner\u2019s official wine partners, with optional wine pairings available for $95. Both Lake Country wineries focus on cool-climate wines, including chardonnay, pinot noir and riesling.<\/p>\n
Event details<\/p>\n
When: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026<\/p>\n
Where: Burdock & Co, 2702 Main St., Vancouver<\/p>\n
Cost: $195 per person, excluding tax and service. Optional wine and non-alcoholic pairings are available.<\/p>\n
Reservations: Available through OpenTable<\/a><\/p>\n