A new name in the frame for Yellowknife cuisine: the hospital

The operators of Yellowknife’s hospital café are launching a rebrand, saying they have elevated the quality of the food on offer.

Last week, Yellowknife artist Robyn Scott unveiled three pieces of her art to help christen the newly renamed Frame Café.

In one artwork, a fox perched on a Canadian Shield outcrop considers a selection of baked goods. In another, a raven contemplates a coffee.

“I have never painted a cinnamon bun before, but now I want to do nothing but paint cinnamon buns,” Scott told Cabin Radio.

The fox “looks very tempted,” she added. “He’s considering where to start. Does he want the muffin? Does he want the croissant?”

The café is operated by Stanton Territorial Hospital facility manager Dexterra.

Graeme Evans, Dexterra’s regional general manager, said efforts to rebrand and improve the café’s food came partly as a response to feedback and partly through his own experience at hotels and establishments across the country.

The name Frame Café was an improvement on the “little bit underwhelming” experience of simply calling it the cafeteria, Evans said, outlining his vision.

“This isn’t a burger joint,” he said. “This isn’t, for lack of a better term, a greasy spoon. I want food that’s warming, heartfelt, that expresses as much as we can local flavours, but also celebrates international items as well.

“We have this whole new group of these exciting chefs and they’re really raising their game, from their Arctic char to their Philly cheesesteak subs.

“The food here isn’t just your regular fare; it’s amazing, and I would put it in line with any of the other meals you can get from the area. I mean, we make handmade paninis. It’s just wonderful.”

The menu on display last week still included plenty of burgers. Evans said that menu had been supplemented by a giant delivery of seafood, with regular specials priced at cost or just above, recognizing a hospital café cannot price people out of eating there.

“Despite the circumstances of why you may be here, this is a place to unwind and take a step back from all the things that can happen,” Evans said, praising Scott for creating colourful art “that’s going to be here for decades to come, up on the walls.”

“A hospital is full of hard moments,” said Scott.

“I wanted something that makes people feel a little warm and fuzzy about the place we live in. As soon as I knew the feeling I wanted to create, the animals walked into the scene, and I knew exactly what I was going to do.

“There’s something about ravens and coffee cups. I don’t know. I think they have lots of energy. They have to be caffeinated, right?”