VIDEO: watch the crowd go wild at a Top Chef Canada viewing party hosted by the winner

VIDEO: watch the crowd go wild at a Top Chef Canada viewing party hosted by the winner

(Video: Suresh Doss)

Last night, we found ourselves at an open viewing party hosted at The Sister with the winner of this year’s Top Chef Canada, along with some of his close friends, industry types and sundry supporters. Winner Carl Heinrich’s girlfriend Julia Ayearst was present at his side for the 90-minute viewing, as was episode 13 sous and season two contestant Trista Sheen (Crush Wine Bar). Packed against the bar, the boisterous crowd was glued to the closed-captioned flat screens which were tuned to the show, with plenty of heckling any time there was on-screen drama. Cheering erupted at each word of praise given to Heinrich, and the bar went wild when the season two winner was announced. Even show judge Mark McEwan and his entourage dropped by to congratulate Heinrich on his win (he’d earlier attended the 86’d viewing party at The Drake). Up next for Heinrich and Ayearst: a trip to his hometown of Sooke, B.C. this weekend, with a short stop in Vancouver for dinners at Fable, the new restaurant by season two runner-up Trevor Bird and Ensemble, the restaurant owned by season one winner Dale MacKay.