Eatdrink #68 November/December 2017 "The Holiday Issue"

8 | November/December 2017
Publisher’s Notes
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
It’s the Most Wonderful Time
of the Year. Really!
By CHRIS McDONELL
This can be the most wonderful time
of the year, and we have done our
best to help make it so. Our annual
Holiday Issue always gets us thinking
about the season a little prematurely because
of our production schedule, but the reward
is similar to that good feeling one gets after
wrapping the last present on your gift-giving
list. The work is done and now we can really
enjoy ourselves and jump into the festivities
with both feet.
Our Gift Guide will provide plenty
of inspiration. Getting our favourite
retailers to highlight just one item
each is a challenge they take on
willingly, but it really isn’t fair.
There are sure to be hits for
you there, but a visit to the
shop and talking to the experts
will ensure you find a perfect fit
— sometimes quite literally. Our
culinary focus at Eatdrink also leads
us to know that people who like to
eat and drink well also enjoy every other facet
of “the good life” ... and express their zest for
living with the clothes they wear, the home
they keep, the culture they enjoy, and what
they do with their leisure time.
Party season is kicking into high gear,
and you’ll see that the quality restaurants
advertising in Eatdrink are keen to help take
care of the particulars for you, whether you’re a
table of four or you need to book out the whole
space for the bash of the year. The holiday
season is a time to be with people, so why not
let professionals take some of the load off your
shoulders so you can enjoy yourself?
Of course, hosting in your own home can
be a great experience too, and we’ve got
plenty of help for that in this issue. Wow your
guests with a “spherical cocktail” that you
will find the secret to in our Spirits column.
The magical ingredients are surprisingly
affordable and you don’t need to be David
Copperfield to pull this off.
’Tis also the season for more robust beers,
and you’ll know their history and have
some leads on porters and stouts after you
read beer columnist Aaron Brown’s first
contribution to Eatdrink. For more solid
sustenance, you’ll find some intriguing recipes
and “indigenous fusion” ideas — and reviewer
Tracy Turlin has kept the holidays in mind
with her suggestions — as we look at the
popular Cooking with the Wolfman cookbook
that combines rustic indigenous traditions
with fine dining.
Bryan Lavery hit the road for
a few days for us this issue. He
surveyed some of the key culinary
highlights — and there are
many — in the Kitchener-
Waterloo region. He also
made the envious trek to
Blyth and visited the exciting
Cowbell Brewing Co., which is an
outstanding brewery, restaurant
and so much more. It’s a great story
about an inspiring business, and don’t we all
love seeing a bold group of people embracing
a grand vision that taps into so many ideals,
and pulling it off. Kudos!
Closer to home, Bryan also shares the story
of the transformation of London’s Hilton into
something new, and specifically the Blake’s
Bistro & Bar on the second floor. Will Blake’s
still be “a London secret” after this? I doubt it.
Let’s really celebrate the season with
gusto, but also ensure that we remember the
less fortunate members of our community.
There is no shortage of worthy organizations
looking for support and I encourage you to
find one or two that have meaning for you
and give to them generously. While I often
say “we reap what we sow,” I know that good
fortune is often not earned, and misfortune is
too often out of one’s control.
Peace,