Chef René Rodriguez of Ottawa has gone from rolling out pizza dough in his uncle's restaurant in Mexico to plating lamb shank black mole topped with fried mealworms on Top Chef Canada, with many, many dishes and notable restaurant missions in between.

He describes the cooking style that won him the Season 4 title last month as one that blends his years in Mexico and Canada with frequent travels to Spain, the country of his father. His own top-rated restaurant, Navarra (navarrarestaurant.com), is Basque-influenced; an intricate beef tartar with Serrano ham and chives has been on the menu since day one.

Ottawa's culinary scene continues to evolve, Rodriguez says. "It's changing for the better. It's a little more edgy and more open."

When he wants to get out of the kitchen, this is where he likes to go.

This interview has been edited and condensed.