Nov. 26, 2008 - Issue #684: I Served the King of England

Cindy Lazarenko

Don't panic: perogies still available

When Bacon closed abruptly in early September, many people were shocked. The charming eatery, tucked away in Highlands, had been open for over a year, and had received rave reviews from the media and community alike for their focus on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Not long after, it surfaced that Cindy Lazarenko had bought out partner Julianna Mimande, and would be launching a second Culina in that location, based partly on her brother Brad’s successful venture in Mill Creek.

 

Online speculation about the reasons behind the buyout was rampant and misinformed. “I think what I’ve read on different blogs and stuff ‘Oh, Bacon closed, Bacon went under,’” says Lazarenko, “But it was a successful restaurant ... right up until the day it closed.”

 

What led to the end of their partnership is difficult for Lazarenko to discuss. She is extremely careful with her words, wanting to be fair and respectful towards her former associate. “We decided we were doing two different things,” Lazarenko admits. “And so we basically had a partnership agreement—the way that works is that there is a choice to be made—you either buy the partner out or be bought out, and Julianna chose to be bought out.” 

 

Lazarenko stresses that her collaboration with Culina had been in the works for some time. “My husband re-did the three apartments above Culina [Mill Creek],” she relays. “He transformed that into a catering space, so that was what I was going to do if I didn’t end up here.” 

 

A 20-year veteran of the Edmonton restaurant industry, it seems somewhat inevitable that Lazarenko, a married mother of two young children, would eventually branch out on her own. Having been a part of the openings of several stalwart Edmonton establishments, including Hardware Grill and the now-defunct Il Portico, she has intimate knowledge of what local consumers are looking for when dining out.

 

Although the majority of her work experience has been in front-of-house and management (and a three-year stint in catering), Lazarenko has been cooking since she was 10 years old; she’s self-taught and proud of it. “I love being in the kitchen,” she confesses. “Just running a kitchen comes naturally. That’s where I want to be.”

 

With her experience in restaurant launches, it’s no surprise that Culina Highlands had a remarkable turnaround time. The space that was formerly Bacon reopened on October 3 with a different décor and a new menu. “We decided that Bacon was always sort of Julianna’s, so I didn’t really feel comfortable running it as Bacon,” Lazarenko acknowledges. At the same time, she wanted to keep the restaurant linked to its history. “I didn’t want people to be like one day it’s Bacon, and the next day it’s something completely different. I wanted people to know that I’m still involved with Bacon, and I’m Brad’s sister. I wanted some kind of connection and familiarity.” 

 

Associating with Culina Mill Creek also made financial sense, as it streamlined marketing and design needs. But Lazarenko asserts that Culina Highlands has its own identity. 

 

“I don’t think that people go to Culina Mill Creek and come here and feel like they’re having the same experience or that they’re in a chain restaurant,” she says. While there are some “ethnic comfort food” similarities, and a few of the same dishes, because of the surrounding community, this location focuses on food of Ukrainian and Eastern European heritage.

 

Borscht, pyrohy and naleshniki (a type of crepe), all traditional dishes that Lazarenko grew up with, can be found on the menu. A recipe for a Ukrainian version of stuffing, nachynka, “comes from a cookbook that has been in the family for 40 years,” she shares. 

 

Over the summer, it became apparent to Lazarenko that there was another reason, besides catering to the neighbourhood, for her to look to her roots for guidance in the kitchen. During a party her parents had thrown to celebrate their 50th anniversary, she was overcome by “this really strong feeling when they all brought over their special dishes and Ukrainian food and cabbage rolls,” she remembers. “It just made me think, ‘When they’re not doing that, who’s going to do it?’ I decided that’s what I need to do—in my way, keep it going.”

 

If early signs are any indication, Lazarenko’s vision to carry on her family’s traditions will be a successful one. She also has big plans for the future—lunch, when they’re ready; weekly prix fixe specials in the spring/summer when the menu changes to reflect the season; and an expansion of Culina’s to-go options. Having initiated Culina’s popular frozen-and-reheat TV Dinners, she wants to make meal time as easy as possible for busy families. “If they’re not willing to cook then I want to cook for them,” she laughs.

Whatever forms her endeavour takes, Lazarenko’s passion for good food and ardent love of family have manifested themselves in the warm and comfortable restaurant, with its best days yet to come. V



Cindy Lazarenko
Culina Highlands
6509 - 112 AVE, 780.477.2422

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