D.C. chef Johnny Spero comes to Main Street for one-night Burdock & Co collaboration

Acclaimed Washington, D.C. chef Johnny Spero is heading to Vancouver for a rare one-night-only collaborative tasting menu at Main Street's Burdock & Co on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The dinner, priced at $195 per person, pairs Spero with chef-owner Andrea Carlson through the Salty Magazine Dinner Series, created by chef and publisher Geeta Bansal to bring notable culinary voices together for special events.

Spero's background includes leading José Andrés' experimental Minibar in Washington, D.C., competing on Netflix's The Final Table and earning a Michelin star at his former restaurant, Reverie. Nearly ten months ago, he relocated his family west and is now executive chef of Passage at The Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island, Washington. The Burdock dinner marks his first culinary collaboration since moving to the Pacific Northwest.

Before cooking together at Burdock & Co, the chefs plan to travel and dine on Salt Spring Island, where Carlson will introduce Spero to local growers, including Jane Squier of The Garden, who cultivates more than 40 varieties of citrus. "I'm interested in exploring things that aren't as commonly talked about," Spero said. "Collaborations allow me to meet new people in the region and find new resources."

Both chefs share an ethos centred on regional sourcing, micro-seasons and botanically driven cooking. Carlson, who marked ten years of Burdock & Co in 2024, credits her time at Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island with shaping her approach to ingredient quality and local production.

Wine pairings from Lake Country's O'Rourke Family Estate and Peak Cellars are available for an additional $95.