Air Canada enRoute invites Canadians to step up to the plate and choose their favourite new restaurant on EATANDVOTE.com

MONTREAL, Aug. 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada's award-winning inflight magazine, Air Canada enRoute, in partnership with lead sponsor American Express, invites Canadians to vote – from August 9 to September 30 – for their favourite new restaurant from a select list of 35 nominees at EATANDVOTE.com. Customers' votes will determine the winner of the people's choice award for Canada's Best New Restaurant of 2016, and everyone who votes will have a chance to win a culinary adventure of a lifetime.

From all-organic offerings showcasing the West Coast's bounty in Victoria, British Columbia, to artistic tasting menus in a former Montreal print shop and fire-stoked feasts at a Prince Edward Island country inn, this year's contenders celebrate the delicious diversity that is Canadian cuisine. Based on nominations by a panel of high-profile food experts, industry insiders and restaurant critics, the country's most notable new restaurants are reviewed by our veteran food and drink writer on the Eat & Vote site. Voters will be entered automatically to win a trip [for two], courtesy of Air Canada, to dine at the nominated restaurant of their choice, plus $500 spending money. Additional information, including the contest rules, may be found online.

The nominees for 2016 from Air Canada enRoute are:

Agrikol, Montreal, QC; Agrius, Victoria, BC; Alo, Toronto, ON; Ancora, Vancouver, BC; Antler, Toronto, ON; Backhouse, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON; Bar Oso, Whistler, BC; The Berlin, Kitchener, ON; Candide, Montreal, QC; Chabrol, Toronto, ON; Charbar, Calgary, AB; Commodore, Toronto, ON; Datsun, Ottawa, ON; Fairouz, Ottawa, ON; Le Fantôme, Montreal, QC; Fireworks, Bay Fortune, PEI; Foxy, Montreal, QC; Highwayman, Halifax, NS; Hoogan & Beaufort, Montreal, QC; Hvor, Montreal, QC; Kissa Tanto, Vancouver, BC; Kraken Cru, Quebec City, QC; Le Mousso, Montreal, QC; Little Grouse on the Prairie, Saskatoon, SK; Máquè, Winnipeg, MB; Mission, Vancouver, BC; Montréal Plaza, Montreal, QC; Noorden, Toronto, ON; Osteria Savio Volpe, Vancouver, BC; Piano Piano, Toronto, ON; Royal Dinette, Vancouver, BC; Seto Kitchen + Bar, St. John's, NL; Torafuku, Vancouver, BC; Uccellino, Edmonton, AB; Whitehall, Calgary, AB

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Canada's Best New Restaurants, a celebration of the True North's rich culinary culture that sends one writer on a month-long coast-to-coast dining marathon to determine the annual Top 10 list. Eat & Vote has grown into a popular component of the Canada's Best New Restaurants program as it allows Canadians to crown their favourite new restaurant in addition to the Top 10 named by Air Canada enRoute. Canada's Best New Restaurants celebrates restaurants that have launched in the last year (roughly June 2015 to June 2016) and that show innovation and creativity while delivering highly memorable dining experiences.

"Air Canada is proud to see such a diverse array of restaurants selected for the 15th anniversary of Canada's Best New Restaurants program," says Johanne Dumont, General Manager, Brand, Air Canada. "This unique initiative gives people from across the country the opportunity to eat and vote for their favourite places to dine, encouraging them to experience the best of Canada's culinary scene."

"We're proud to be the official credit card sponsor of the Air Canada enRoute Canada's Best New Restaurants program for a second year in a row. We are committed to providing our Cardmembers with the best in travel and dining experiences, so aligning ourselves with a program that celebrates great chefs and restaurants across the country is a natural fit. We're excited to see which restaurants make the list this year," says David Barnes, VP of Communications and Advertising, American Express Canada.

"Air Canada enRoute is happy to share recommendations from across Canada covering all the new restaurants sampled and reviewed by one writer on a cross-country journey," says Jean-François Légaré, Editor-in-Chief, Air Canada enRoute. "The EATANDVOTE.com site is not only a contest, but a useful and up-to-date resource for travellers looking for their next great meal. We're excited to see which restaurant wins the public vote this year."

This year's Top 10 list of Air Canada enRoute Canada's Best New Restaurants and the Eat & Vote contest winner will be featured in the November issue of Air Canada enRoute and at enroute.aircanada.com. As of November 1, the updated Air Canada enRoute Eats app (available on iTunes) will showcase 2016's Top 10 restaurants – and all the 2016 nominees – along with Air Canada enRoute-tested and -approved restaurants across the country.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline, serving more than 200 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world, and in 2015 served more than 41 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 63 airports in Canada, 56 in the United States and 86 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network, serving 1,330 airports in 192 countries. Air Canada rewards its most loyal customers through its top-tier recognition program, Altitude, which offers frequent flyers a range of priority travel services, lounge access and upgrades to Business Class. This complements their membership in Aeroplan, Canada's premier loyalty program, which provides numerous ways to earn and redeem Aeroplan Miles with over 150 travel and retail partners.

Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking from independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. According to the 2015 Canadian Business Travel Survey conducted by Ipsos, Air Canada was the preferred airline for more than 80 percent of frequent business travellers in Canada. In 2014, readers of Global Traveler magazine again voted Air Canada "Best Airline in North America," readers of Business Traveler voted Air Canada "Best North American Airline for International Travel" and "Best North America Airline Inflight Experience," and readers of Premier Traveler voted Air Canada "Best Flight Attendants in North America." For more information on Air Canada, visit aircanada.com, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

About American Express in Canada 

American Express in Canada operates as Amex Bank of Canada and Amex Canada Inc. Both are wholly owned subsidiaries of the New York-based American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., the largest operating unit of the American Express Company. Amex Bank of Canada is the issuer of American Express charge and credit cards, with outstanding products like the SimplyCash™ Card from American Express^©, the American Express® Gold Rewards Card and the American Express® AeroplanPlus® Gold Card. American Express opened its first offices in Toronto and Hamilton in 1853. For more information, visit AmericanExpress.ca or connect with us at Facebook.com/AmericanExpressCanada and YouTube.com/AmericanExpressCAD.

About Air Canada enRoute

Air Canada enRoute is Air Canada's award-winning travel media brand. An inspirational authority for the global traveller, it reaches passengers at every step of their journey through its multimedia portfolio: print publications (including Air Canada enRoute, the iconic magazine with over 1 million readers each month, the Air Canada enRoute Inflight Entertainment Guide and a series of special-interest publications), digital channels (enroute.aircanada.com), a dining app (enRoute Eats) and many prestigious programs and events (Canada's Best New Restaurants, the Air Canada enRoute Film Festival, the Air Canada enRoute Hotel Design Awards).

Air Canada enRoute is produced by Spafax, one of the world's leading content marketing agencies and providers of inflight media, with offices in 15 cities around the world. enroute.aircanada.com

Follow on Twitter and Instagram @enRoutemag, #EatandVote

SOURCE Air Canada's enRoute

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