ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Photo of chef's Celeste Mah and Ross Larkin sitting on a wooden bench in between two tables in their restaurant Portage. Ross' arm is around Celeste's shoulder. Both are wearing olive green tshirts and blue aprons with their legs crossed.

Photo credit: Johnny Lam

Originally from Vancouver BC, Celeste Mah worked as a pastry chef at some of the city’s best restaurants. In 2014, she moved across the country to work at Raymonds Restaurant in St. John’s, NL with her partner in life and work, Ross Larkin. While at Raymonds, she was named Canada’s Best Pastry Chef in 2019 by Canada’s 100 Best Magazine. She is now part chef/owner of Portage Restaurant with her husband Ross, where they collaborate on all aspects of the restaurant.

Ross Larkin grew up in St John’s, NL where he would help at his grandparent’s restaurant, Henry’s Lunch. Fast forward years later, where he found himself in Vancouver working at a small French bistro. This is where his love for cooking really started. He moved home in 2014 with his partner in life and work Celeste Mah and was given the opportunity to work at Raymonds restaurant. While at Raymonds, Ross quickly worked his way up to becoming the Chef de Cuisine and competed in and won Top Chef Canada. He is now part chef/owner of Portage Restaurant with his wife where they collaborate on every aspect of the restaurant.

Ted Blades is a happily-retired journalist and longest-serving host of CBC Radio’s afternoon show, On The Go. Three-time finalist at the New York Festivals International Radio Competition and Gold Medal winner in 2015 for best interview. Winner of the inaugural Atlantic Journalism Award for best podcast, in 2017.

MUSICAL GUEST

A portrait of Kelly McMichael from the shoulders up. She is lying in the snow with her shoulder length hair fanned out around her. She is wearing large dark sunglasses with a gold chain necklace. the photo is taken from directly above

Photo credit: John Moran

Kelly McMichael is an artist and producer based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, originally from Peterborough Ontario. She is a versatile multi-instrumentalist who can sling a guitar, serenade on piano and program beats in equal measure. McMichael has toured North America and Europe both solo and as a side player with acts The Burning Hell, Tim Baker and Canadian icon Sarah Harmer. Her solo debut Waves was a breakthrough release of 2021, garnering a spot on the Polaris Prize shortlist, three Music NL Awards, and the ECMA for Best Rock Album. After the Sting of It, a psychedelic art-pop expansion on the classic sound of her debut, will be released in the fall of this year.