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Eatdrink #73 September/October 2018

The LOCAL food and drink magazine serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007

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Issue <strong>#73</strong> | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink<br />

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine<br />

A11 th<br />

N N<br />

I V E R S A RY<br />

I S S U E<br />

Craft<br />

Farmacy<br />

A Genuine<br />

Taste of Place<br />

in London<br />

FEATURING<br />

Eddington’s of Exeter<br />

Food Champion James Eddington<br />

Alton Farms Estate Winery<br />

Pioneers of “Huron Shores”<br />

Forest City Cookbook<br />

From Farm to Table to Page<br />

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007<br />

www.eatdrink.ca


THE BACON AND ALE TRAIL<br />

IS A WELL ROUNDED MEAL<br />

IF YOU COUNT BARLEY<br />

AS A VEGETABLE<br />

Bacon and ale are a combination made in heaven,<br />

includes 5 tastes for just $30.<br />

-<br />

Stratford Tourism Alliance at 47 Downie Street.<br />

visitstratford.ca


eatdrink<br />

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine<br />

eatdrinkmagazine<br />

@eatdrinkmag<br />

eatdrinkmag<br />

eatdrink.ca<br />

Think Global. Read Local.<br />

Publisher<br />

Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca<br />

Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca<br />

Food Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca<br />

Copy Editor Kym Wolfe<br />

Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca<br />

Advertising Sales Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca<br />

Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca<br />

Stacey McDonald – stacey@eatdrink.ca<br />

Terry-Lynn “TL” Sim – TL@eatdrink.ca<br />

Finances<br />

Ann Cormier – finance@eatdrink.ca<br />

Graphics<br />

Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy<br />

Writers<br />

Jane Antoniak, Gerry Blackwell,<br />

Darin Cook, Andrew Coppolino,<br />

Gary Killops, Bryan Lavery,<br />

George Macke, Chris McDonell,<br />

Tracy Turlin<br />

Photographers Steve Grimes, Nick Lavery,<br />

Brogan McNabb<br />

Telephone & Fax 519-434-8349<br />

Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6<br />

Website<br />

City Media<br />

Printing<br />

Sportswood Printing<br />

OUR COVER<br />

London’s Craft Farmacy<br />

is owned by chef Andrew<br />

Wolwowicz, Jess Jazey-<br />

Spoelstra (of The River<br />

Room & North Moore<br />

Catering) and Harmen<br />

Spoelstra.<br />

Photo by Alieska Robles<br />

(alieskarobles.com)<br />

© <strong>2018</strong> <strong>Eatdrink</strong> Inc. and the writers.<br />

All rights reserved.<br />

Reproduction or duplication of any material published in <strong>Eatdrink</strong><br />

or on <strong>Eatdrink</strong>.ca is strictly prohibited without the written permission<br />

of the Publisher. <strong>Eatdrink</strong> has a printed circulation of 20,000<br />

issues published six times annually in each of two markets, for a total<br />

of 240,000 copies in print. The views or opinions expressed in the<br />

information, content and/or advertisements published in <strong>Eatdrink</strong><br />

or online are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily<br />

represent those of the Publisher. The Publisher welcomes submissions<br />

but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material.<br />

Serving up<br />

Great<br />

partnerships<br />

commercial | digital | wide format | design<br />

Let us help with your next project...<br />

519.866.5558 | ben@sportswood.on.ca<br />

www.sportswood.on.ca


Contents<br />

Issue <strong>#73</strong> | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

The Harvest Issue<br />

Publisher’s Notes<br />

The Harvest Issue<br />

Eat Fresh, Eat Local<br />

By CHRIS McDONELL<br />

6<br />

Restaurants<br />

Food Champion James Eddington<br />

The Chef/Owner of Eddington’s of Exeter<br />

By BRYAN LAVERY<br />

8<br />

A Genuine Taste of Place<br />

London’s Craft Farmacy<br />

By BRYAN LAVERY<br />

12<br />

Road Trips<br />

Hammer Time!<br />

Hamilton: A Heaven for Food Lovers<br />

By AMANDA STANCATI<br />

18<br />

Wine<br />

Pioneers of “Huron Shores”<br />

Alton Farms Estate Winery<br />

By GARY KILLOPS<br />

24<br />

Spirits<br />

Taking it Slow<br />

Willibald Farm Distillery<br />

By ANDREW COPPOLINO<br />

28<br />

Beer<br />

Seasonal Sensations<br />

Ciders and Sours<br />

By GEORGE MACKE<br />

31<br />

8<br />

51<br />

58<br />

12<br />

24<br />

The BUZZ<br />

Culinary Community Notes<br />

34<br />

Theatre<br />

World Curious, London Proud<br />

Grand Theatre: Preview<br />

By JANE ANTONIAK<br />

48<br />

Music<br />

Change of Season<br />

Upcoming Musical Highlights<br />

By GERRY BLACKWELL<br />

51<br />

Recipes<br />

From Farm to Table to Page<br />

Forest City Cookbook<br />

Review & Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN<br />

55<br />

Books<br />

The Great Immigrant Road Trip<br />

Buttermilk Graffiti<br />

Review by DARIN COOK<br />

60<br />

The Lighter Side<br />

Pescatarian Tales<br />

By REBECCA ST. PIERRE<br />

62<br />

62<br />

31<br />

56<br />

28


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

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RESTAURANT<br />

OF<br />

THE YEAR!<br />

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6 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Publisher’s Notes<br />

The Harvest Issue<br />

Eat Fresh, Eat Local<br />

By CHRIS McDONELL<br />

There is no better time or place to<br />

appreciate the bounty of our country<br />

than autumn in Ontario. Our farmers’<br />

markets are especially chock-a-block<br />

full of beautiful fruits and vegetables, and if<br />

you like to eat fresh and eat local, get out there.<br />

To assist your efforts, we’ve compiled a list<br />

of regional farmers’ markets that are looking<br />

forward to seeing you. Meet a farmer and thank<br />

her or him for the bag of goodies you’re<br />

taking home with you.<br />

Of course, while I do like<br />

to think of this as harvest<br />

season, I’m aware that this<br />

is not technically true for<br />

many of our local farmers<br />

and producers. For some, their primary harvest<br />

happened months ago, such as the asparagus<br />

and strawberry growers, and for others,<br />

Thanksgiving comes much too early for a true<br />

day of rest. Their fields won’t be harvested until<br />

later in the fall, bringing in much of our squash,<br />

cabbage and carrots. For those raising livestock,<br />

seasonality may or may not be a factor in their<br />

operation. It might be “turkey season” but the<br />

dairy business runs 365 days a year.<br />

Global warming is having an effect on<br />

farming, perhaps most negatively through<br />

“extreme” weather, but a longer growing season<br />

may be a fringe benefit in our locale. Some<br />

businesses have taken big — and prescient —<br />

steps to be less weather-dependent. In Strathroy,<br />

Jo and Pauline Slegers started building<br />

greenhouses 30 years ago and became certified<br />

organic in 2004. Today, Slegers Living Organic<br />

Greens sells 30 different products year-round,<br />

from tender young micro greens to mature salad<br />

greens, lettuce and herbs. Packed still growing<br />

in soil for better taste and a longer shelf life,<br />

you can have your own harvest days with a little<br />

snip. Available at many retailers such as Remark<br />

Fresh Market and through distributors like On<br />

the Move Organics, you can also buy direct at<br />

their farm gate (slegersgreens.com).<br />

The commitment to using local, fresh<br />

products is shared by two restaurants that<br />

we are profiling in this issue. Eddington’s<br />

of Exeter and Craft Farmacy, with chefs<br />

James Eddington and Andrew Wolwowicz<br />

respectively, offer seasonal menus that reflect<br />

our region, while creatively expressing their<br />

culinary talents in unique ways. I’m certain<br />

our readers will enjoy both stories.<br />

Our wine column features Alton Farms<br />

Estate Winery in<br />

Lambton County,<br />

where harvest<br />

season is taken<br />

extremely seriously.<br />

The Huron<br />

Shores wine region<br />

is starting to flourish and this is a great story<br />

about working with our climate, soil and local<br />

challenges to make great wine. I especially<br />

appreciate Alton Farms’ commitment to sustainable<br />

practices.<br />

For over a year now, London has been<br />

excited about Alieska Robles’ Forest City<br />

Cookbook project. The book is now out, and<br />

it’s a show-stopping epic that is both a great<br />

collection of recipes from London’s top chefs<br />

and a thoughtful tribute to local farmers and<br />

agriculture. I hasten to add that the book is<br />

gorgeous to look at too. We’re pleased to share<br />

a couple of recipes in this issue, and a bonus<br />

recipe online from “our” Bryan Lavery, <strong>Eatdrink</strong><br />

Food Editor and Writer at Large, who also<br />

contributed a foreword, a couple of recipes,<br />

and other writing to the book. Congratulations<br />

Alieska and your crew for an accomplishment<br />

that exceeded our high expectations.<br />

There’s plenty more to enjoy in the<br />

following pages. This issue marks our 11th<br />

anniversary, and I’m amazed at how there is<br />

still so much happening that we can never<br />

keep up with all of it. We’re glad for the<br />

challenge though. Thanks for reading.<br />

Peace,


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 7<br />

Local Farmers’ Markets, from Amherstburg to Woodstock<br />

Name Address Online Days & Hours Closing Day<br />

Amherstburg Farmers‘ Market 7860 County Road 20, outside Malden Community<br />

Cultural Centre, Amherstburg amherstburgfarmersmarket.com SAT 8:30am – 1:30pm OCT 19<br />

Bayfield Farmers‘ Market Clan Gregor Square, Bayfield bayfieldfarmersmarket.com FRI 3pm – 7pm OCT 13<br />

Belle River Farmers‘ Market Optimist Park, 705 Notre Dame St., Belle River fb.com/belleriverfarmersmarket SUN 10am – 2pm OCT 7<br />

Chatham-Kent Farmers‘ Market Highway 2, 9877 Longwoods Rd., Chatham chathamfarmersmarket.ca WED 9am –5pm Open All Year<br />

Covent Garden Farmers’ wMarket 130 King Street, London coventmarket.com THUR 8 – 2, SAT 8 – 1 DEC 29<br />

Downtown Windsor Farmers‘ Market Pelissier and Maiden Lane, Windsor dwfm.ca SAT 8m – 1pm OCT 6<br />

Downtown Woodstock Farmers‘ Market Downtown Museum Square, Woodstock bit.ly/2wN05xF THUR 11am – 4pm OCT 4<br />

Exeter Farmers‘ Market 1-35 MacNaughton Drive, Exeter fb.com/exeterfarmersmarket/ THUR 3am – 7pm OCT 4<br />

Forest Farmers‘ & Artisan Market 14 King Street, Forest bit.ly/2PxDI6R FRI 8am – 1pm OCT 6<br />

Goderich Farmers‘ Market Downtown Market Square, Goderich fb.com/FarmersMarketGoderichBIA/ SAT 8am – 1pm OCT 6<br />

Grand Bend Farmers‘ Market 1 Main Street, Grand Bend fb.com/GrandBendMarket/ WED 8am – 1pm OCT 3<br />

Horton Farmers‘ Market 10–16 Manitoba Street, St. Thomas hortonfarmersmarket.ca SAT 8am – noon NOV 3<br />

Ilderton Farmers‘ Market 92 Ilderton Road, Ilderton bit.ly/2oACix5 SAT 8am – noon SEPT 22<br />

Kingsville Farmers‘ Market 28 Division Street South, Kingsville kingsvillefarmersmarket.com SAT 10am – 2pm OCT 13<br />

Leamington Farmers‘ Market Leamington Fairgrounds, 194 Erie St. N., Leamington fb.com/LeamingtonFarmersMarket SAT 9am – 2pm Open All Year<br />

Masonville Farmers‘ Market 1680 Richmond St., London masonvillemarket.com FRI 8am – 1pm OCT 12<br />

Old South Farmers‘ Market Storm Stayed Brewing Co., 169 Wharncliffe Rd. S., London fb.com/oldsouthfarmersmarket/ THURS 4pm – 7pm SEPT 27<br />

Petrolia Farmers‘ Market 369 Fletcher St., behind the Library (Main St.), Petrolia bit.ly/2wHsllb SAT 7:30am – noon OCT 6<br />

Point Edward Moonlight Farmers‘ Market Next to Michigan Ave. (under the Bluewater Bridge),<br />

Point Edward bit.ly/2Q2GzFT THURS 4pm – 8pm OCT 4<br />

Port Rowan Farmers‘ Market Lions Pavilion — Sea Queen Rd., Port Rowan fb.com/PortRowanFarmersMarket/ FRI 3pm – 6Ppm OCT 5<br />

Sarnia Farmers‘ Market Corner of Proctor & Ontario St., Sarnia fb.com/SarniaFarmersMarket/ WED, SAT 7am – 1pm Open All Year<br />

Simcoe Farmers‘ Market 172 South Drive, Simcoe fb.com/SimcoeMarket/ THURS 9am – 4pm Open All Year<br />

St. Marys Farmers‘ Market 116 Jones St. E., St. Marys stmarysfarmersmarket.ca SAT 8am – noon Open All Year<br />

Stratford Farmers‘ Market 353 McCarthy Road, Rotary Complex/Agriplex, Stratford bit.ly/2NGJimT SAT 7am – noon Open All Year<br />

Stratford Slow Food Market Market Place Drive, Stratford fb.com/StratfordSundayMarket/ SUN 10am – 2pm Open All Year<br />

The Market at Western Fair District 900 King St., London westernfairdistrict.com/market SAT, SUN 8am – 3pm Open All Year<br />

Tillsonburg Farmers‘ Market 41 Bridge Street West, Tillsonburg fb.com/tillsonburgfarmersmarket/ SAT 8am – noon NOV 10<br />

Trails End Farmers‘ Market 4370 Dundas St East, London fb.com/trailsendfarmersmarket/ FRI 8am – 1pm Open All Year<br />

Waterford Farmers‘ Market Corner of Alice St. & St. James St. S., Waterford fb.com/WaterfordFarmersMarket/ WED 4pm – 7pm SEPT 26<br />

Wingham Farmers‘ Market 360 Josephine St., Wingham fb.com/winghamfarmersmarket/ WED 2:30pm – 6pm SEPT 26<br />

Woodstock Farmers‘ Market* Woodstock Fairgrounds, 875 Nellis Street, Woodstock fb.com/WoodstockOntarioFarmersMarket/ SAT 7am – noon Open All Year<br />

ED73 final pages.indd 7<br />

<strong>2018</strong>-09-04 12:14 PM


8 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Restaurants<br />

Food Champion James Eddington<br />

The Chef/Owner of Eddington’s of Exeter<br />

By BRYAN LAVERY<br />

Whenever I go out to dine, I generally<br />

seek out establishments<br />

whose chefs champion farmers,<br />

small-scale producers and food<br />

artisans. Restaurateurs and chefs who procure<br />

and feature local ingredients and products<br />

that are responsibly sourced are always at the<br />

top of my list. I was particularly interested in<br />

Eddington’s of Exeter because of chef/owner<br />

James Eddington’s long-standing reputation<br />

as a champion of food tourism in Huron<br />

County, and his participation in the Feast On<br />

program. For over two decades Eddington has<br />

displayed a dedicated focus to personalized<br />

service, seasonally-inspired menus and a<br />

value-driven customer experience.<br />

Feast ON has stringent guidelines and one<br />

can be assured that any restaurant with this<br />

certification has been well scrutinized. Feast<br />

ON is the criteria-based certification program<br />

designed to promote, market, and protect the<br />

authenticity of foodservice operators whose<br />

specific attributes qualify their commitment<br />

to local food. The program is designed to raise<br />

the profile of restaurants that advocate Ontario<br />

food and beverages, and share principles that<br />

are in sync with the Feast ON mandate. The<br />

program uses verification and enforcement<br />

mechanisms to maintain its integrity. Since<br />

launching the Feast On program in 2014 the<br />

Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) has<br />

continued growing, evolving, and improving<br />

the program. (OCTA is a not-for-profit devoted<br />

to connecting tastemakers, sharing their<br />

stories and developing authentic food tourism.)<br />

Head out of town to Exeter where chef/<br />

owner James Eddington and sous chef<br />

Lori Debrouwer prepare locally-sourced<br />

ingredients at Eddington’s of Exeter. This<br />

is contemporary, casual fine dining with a<br />

rustic charm. The yellow brick Italianate-style<br />

mansion on Main Street stands out with its<br />

decorative bracket eaves, large bay windows<br />

and well-manicured lawn with mature<br />

James Eddington in the kitchen


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 9<br />

maple trees. Eddington’s occupies<br />

the original Carling homestead<br />

(built in the 1870s), a designated<br />

historical landmark. The house has<br />

been updated throughout the years<br />

with two extensive renovations, an<br />

additional 20-seat dining room and<br />

a tri-level seasonal deck for up to 60<br />

people that is shaded with umbrellas<br />

for alfresco drinking and dining.<br />

The restaurant features twelve-foot<br />

ceilings both upstairs and down, wellspaced<br />

tables with lots of elbow room,<br />

and warm tones with a contemporary<br />

ambience bordering on elegant.<br />

Exeter, located close to Lake Huron,<br />

London and Stratford has all the amenities of<br />

a big city and the warmth of a small village.<br />

Exonian’s have a reputation for possessing<br />

plenty of community spirit. Eddington grew<br />

up in the community of Thamesford located<br />

east of London in Zorra Township. He moved<br />

to Exeter 20 years ago when he started the<br />

restaurant and now states, “I can honestly say<br />

it feels like home and that just feels good.”<br />

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes<br />

is Lake Huron pickerel. In the absence of<br />

pickerel, there is often fresh perch in season.<br />

On a recent visit we drank peach sangria made<br />

with white wine and fresh fruit, followed by a<br />

selection of Italian-themed tapas which were<br />

presented on a wooden board. There were<br />

perfectly braised beef rib with sweet and sour<br />

cherry jam and runny cambozola cheese on<br />

a crostini; sweet honey-pitted dates stuffed<br />

with blue cheese and pecans and wrapped in<br />

prosciutto with a smear of fig jam; skewers of<br />

cherry tomatoes and cubed bocconcini cheese<br />

WIN A LEXUS FOR A WEEKEND!<br />

Plus get your own car cleaned and detailed!<br />

This elegant mansion on Main Street is home to Eddington‘s of Exeter<br />

eatdrink &<br />

Presented by<br />

Enter at www.facebook.com/eatdrinkmag<br />

Contest ends <strong>October</strong> 26, <strong>2018</strong>. Complete details online.<br />

Congratulations Mary McGarry,<br />

winner of our July/August Draw!


10 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Clockwise from top left: Peach Bellini<br />

Sangria;<br />

Sticky Honey & Sriracha Crispy Chicken,<br />

waffle Cone , zesty slaw;<br />

Tomato & White Bean Vegetable Ragout,<br />

zucchini, cauliflower & corn fritters,<br />

micro greens (vegan and gluten-free);<br />

Tapas — choices might include these<br />

selections: Honey Pitted Date with<br />

blue cheese, pecan, prosciutto,<br />

cipolline onion & fig jam; Crostini with<br />

braised beef rib, sweet & sour cherry<br />

jam & cambozola cheese; Sweet Mini<br />

Heirloom Tomato with bocconcini<br />

cheese, fresh basil & balsamic glaze<br />

(gluten-free option); Blue Crab Fritter<br />

with arborio rice, remoulade & lemon;<br />

Iced Crème Brûlée Cake<br />

with fresh basil leaves and a splash of balsamic<br />

glaze; and blue crab fritters with Arborio<br />

rice, remoulade and lemon. We followed that<br />

with sticky honey and sriracha crispy chicken<br />

served with slaw in a waffle cone. At dinner<br />

the menu has such requisites as Breaded Herb<br />

of Chicken with brie and caramelized apples,<br />

and Lamb Shanks with Dijon-mint red pepper<br />

glaze. Few foods have left the global impact<br />

that ramen has on the food scene; a savoury<br />

broth with braised pork shoulder, noodles,<br />

soft poached egg, scallions, vegetables and<br />

cilantro pay homage to the obsession. Large,<br />

broad pappardelle noodles are served simply<br />

with a rustic, chunky tomato sauce with red<br />

peppers, carrots, broccoli, parmesan and<br />

Asiago cheese without too much dressing<br />

up. Tomato and local white bean vegetable<br />

ragout is served with zucchini, cauliflower,<br />

micro greens and crisp fritters with luscious<br />

corn interiors. For dessert there is carrot<br />

cake, apple bread pudding, white chocolate<br />

and lemon cheesecake and pecan pie. There<br />

is a good flourless chocolate cake and an<br />

impressive iced crème brûlée cake that shouts<br />

quality ingredients.<br />

Eddington literally fell in love with the<br />

sound of the restaurant business. As a<br />

young teen he visited a friend who worked<br />

as a dishwasher at a local fine dining<br />

establishment and waited for him to finish his<br />

shift. “Like a symphony of sounds the dining<br />

room sang with a rumble of laughter, the<br />

clinking of glasses and ambiance of live music.<br />

The kitchen was alive with a chef barking<br />

orders, the screaming sizzle of hot pans and<br />

the adrenalin rush of a full house. That was<br />

the moment everything changed. The next<br />

morning I dug out my Sunday best and shined<br />

my shoes and walked in with my resume. After<br />

much consideration, the owners hired me as<br />

host/busboy. I had my foot in the door and<br />

the rest is history,” he recounted.<br />

Locally-sourced food has been a driving


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Trust...<br />

Taste...<br />

Quality...<br />

The tri-level deck offers space to enjoy outdoor dining<br />

force at Eddington’s of Exeter. “We are blessed<br />

to be living in such an agriculturally rich area<br />

of the world,” states Eddington. He has 25<br />

acres located on the shores of Lake Huron and<br />

farms 16 acres of corn, white beans and wheat<br />

in rotation. On other lands he has extensive<br />

gardens where he grows over 25 varieties<br />

of fruits and vegetables. The property has<br />

unique plantings alongside fruit trees with an<br />

extensive trail system with its own labyrinth.<br />

When Chef purchased the farm it was run<br />

down and over-grown, but he spent the last<br />

couple of years bringing it back to life and<br />

ensuring the longevity of the buildings. There<br />

is a small apple orchard and fresh kiwi fruit,<br />

blood peaches and quince (ingredients that<br />

are showing up more frequently on Ontario<br />

farm-to-table menus). There is a pumpkin and<br />

squash patch melded into the headlands. This<br />

past year he converted an old art studio into a<br />

working greenhouse so he could stagger seed<br />

planting in March and April to start all the<br />

vegetables that are grown on the property.<br />

Eddington’s favourite seasonal ingredients<br />

are those that are at their peak of freshness at<br />

any given time. Fresh off of the vine, picked<br />

from the tree, foraged from the forest or dug<br />

up from the earth.<br />

Eddington’s of Exeter<br />

527 Main Street, Exeter<br />

519-235-3030<br />

eddingtons.ca<br />

<strong>Eatdrink</strong> Food Editor and Writer at Large, BRYAN<br />

LAVERY brings years of experience in the restaurant<br />

and hospitality industry, as a chef, restaurateur and<br />

consultant. Always on the lookout for the stories that<br />

<strong>Eatdrink</strong> should be telling, he helps shape the magazine<br />

both under his byline and behind the scenes.<br />

Your Source for<br />

Dry Aged Steaks,<br />

Sausages, Burgers & Kebabs<br />

and so much more ...<br />

• Sourced locally from trusted farms<br />

• Traditional European preparation methods<br />

• The latest in food processing innovation<br />

Open six days a week.<br />

Hensall, Ontario<br />

Just off Hwy 4,<br />

45 minutes north of London.<br />

www.metzgermeats.com<br />

519-262-3130<br />

Available in London at<br />

The Village Meat Shop<br />

at Western Fair Farmers’ Market<br />

on Saturdays!<br />

Local Beef • Pork • Lamb • Poultry<br />

Specialty European Meat Products


12 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Restaurants<br />

A Genuine Taste of Place<br />

London’s Craft Farmacy<br />

By BRYAN LAVERY<br />

Modern farm-to-table restaurant<br />

concepts such as Craft Farmacy<br />

have shed most everything that<br />

is ingrained about guests’ dining<br />

perceptions. What’s left is intentionally curated<br />

and self-assured, hospitable and fueled with<br />

the lifeblood of culinary skill, craftsmanship<br />

and authenticity. Craft Farmacy is the epitome<br />

of the contemporary farm-to-table restaurant.<br />

Entrepreneur Jess Jazey-Spoelstra has always<br />

delivered cutting-edge and quality food<br />

experiences combined with extraordinary<br />

service, her forte and hallmark as the owner<br />

of North Moore Catering, The River Room,<br />

Rhino Lounge and co-owner of Craft Farmacy.<br />

Chef Andrew Wolwowicz, formerly of The<br />

Springs restaurant, is a partner as is Spoelstra’s<br />

husband Harmen. Jamie Sandwith and Cody<br />

Ballman are the experienced restaurant<br />

professionals who round out the seasoned<br />

front-of-the-house team that include some of<br />

the city’s top servers.<br />

We are living through a culinary renaissance.<br />

As a result there has been a major shift in the<br />

focus of the restaurant industry over the last<br />

few years. More than ever, my work puts me<br />

in contact with the local food ethos, gamechanging<br />

restaurateurs and chef visionaries<br />

advancing our food culture, like Jazey-Spoelstra<br />

and Wolwowicz. Just as important are those<br />

restaurant owners who have become arbiters for<br />

political issues and social justice concerns. Most<br />

of us have come to realize that if an inexpensive<br />

meal in a restaurant can only be provided on the<br />

backs of people slaving away in the kitchen for<br />

next to nothing, we should not be patronizing<br />

that restaurant. Historically the restaurant<br />

business does not provide a great living for<br />

cooks. Restaurateurs need to sustain their<br />

employees with a living wage. A good business<br />

embraces these attributes and treats their<br />

staff and clientele with dignity and integrity.<br />

Like many people I know, I will not knowingly<br />

support a business that is contrary to my<br />

Craft Farmacy‘s chef and co-owner Andrew Wolwowicz,<br />

with partners Jess Jazey-Spoelstra and Harmen Spoelstra<br />

values. Craft Farmacy is a restaurant with a well<br />

thought out ethos that is easy to get behind.<br />

As a small business owner who works hard<br />

and supports other small businesses, local<br />

food initiatives and the larger community in<br />

general, it seems ironic that Jazey-Spoelstra<br />

was recently targeted by vegan activists for<br />

offering vegetarian options at Rhino Lounge<br />

Bakery and Coffee Shoppe, and not being<br />

solely vegan. She was accused of exploiting<br />

veganism. If anything, she has helped<br />

by raising the bar in the city for quality<br />

vegetarian food. The bakery had been the


purview of her former pastry chef, the gifted<br />

Michele Lenhardt, who ran the operation as<br />

she saw fit. Lenhardt, who incidentally is a<br />

vegan, served some of the best vegetarian<br />

food in the city on the Rhino’s former plantbased<br />

Wednesdays and Fridays. Spoelstra<br />

might have been on hand to suggest a little<br />

tweaking here or there, or after seeing a<br />

cool fritter online, would want the bakers<br />

to replicate it. That is and was pretty much<br />

the extent of her input into the menu at the<br />

Rhino. After Lenhardt left to partner in the<br />

Clockwise from top left: Medley of heirloom tomatoes<br />

from the garden;<br />

Oysters Rockefeller with aged havarti bechamel;<br />

Cuban-inspired Mojo Chicken, garden zucchini,summer<br />

corn succatash;<br />

Cast iron-seared Hanger Steak, grilled peach and<br />

habanero compote, heirloom tomato and lemon<br />

cucumber salad;<br />

Heirloom Tomato and Buratta Cheese Salad with blue<br />

basil;<br />

House-smoked Cherrywood Chicken, summer peas,<br />

caramelized onions, peas and sherry reduction, injera<br />

crepe,


14 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

V Spot, the direction of the Rhino<br />

changed under the new chef.<br />

Wolwowicz is also pro-active in<br />

the local food scene and among a<br />

small group of local chefs who wield<br />

unprecedented influence, and believes<br />

that part of his responsibility is to<br />

educate customers about the four<br />

pillars of sustainability: cultural<br />

vibrancy, economic prosperity,<br />

environmental responsibility and<br />

social justice. A well-known culinary<br />

gymnast who cooks with skill and<br />

dedication, Wolwowicz is one of the<br />

local pioneers of the homegrown and<br />

ethical farm-to-table movements.<br />

He was an early proponent of using<br />

locally grown ingredients from farms<br />

specializing in sustainable agriculture,<br />

organic growing practices and ethically<br />

raised livestock. Wolwowicz is aided by his<br />

talented sous chef Kyle Trafford and a team<br />

of apprentices. The chefs plate the food with<br />

open-handed generosity.<br />

Menu items are progressive, rustic in<br />

style, feature high quality ingredients, local,<br />

region-specific and specialty products, and<br />

are executed with aptitude, innovation and<br />

attention to detail. Wolwowicz’s menus<br />

reflected dishes crafted from local, regional<br />

and seasonal products long before it became<br />

the prevailing attitude. There has been a<br />

significant rise in customer expectations for<br />

restaurants in terms of healthy-eating, allergy<br />

concerns, sourcing, and sustainability over the<br />

last few years. Craft Farmacy has kept abreast<br />

of these changes.<br />

We have enjoyed plenty of unique tasting<br />

experiences like Roasted Bone Marrow (which<br />

The blackboard menu displays the daily changes in draught beer and oyster offerings.<br />

The dining room at Craft Farmacy is stylish yet comfortable,<br />

and includes a fireplace and spacious bar area.<br />

can later be used as a bourbon luge) with<br />

Ox Tail Marmalade; Lamb Belly Croquettes;<br />

Brown Butter Chicken Schnitzel with Warm<br />

Potato Salad with Forked River Abbey Jus;<br />

Craft Duck Plate with Magret, Confit and<br />

Duck Fat Fingerlings; Cast Iron Hanger Steak<br />

with Garlic Frites, Slaw, Demi, Aioli, Red<br />

Onion Marmalade and Chimichurri; and a<br />

dynamite Lamb Burger. There is Hangover<br />

Soup (not on the menu) made with shellfish<br />

broth and a raw bar featuring a fresh Shellfish<br />

Tower, Shrimp Cocktail and a changing<br />

selection of six to nine East Coast oyster<br />

varieties including Malpeque, Irish Point,<br />

Daisy Bay, Raspberry Point, Lucky Lime<br />

and Savage Blonde with fresh horseradish,<br />

mignonette sauce and hot sauce.<br />

Jazey-Spoelstra’s stylish design sensibility<br />

is reflected in Craft Farmacy and she definitely<br />

delivers style and comfort with attention to<br />

the smallest details.<br />

Setting the tone is an<br />

ample repurposed bar,<br />

stunning fireplace,<br />

custom-made leather<br />

banquettes and<br />

repurposed tables with<br />

comfortable strappedback<br />

bentwood-style<br />

chairs. The servers’<br />

custom-designed<br />

leather aprons by<br />

Coakley’s are another<br />

example of Spoelstra’s<br />

keen eye for detail.<br />

Craft, as in an<br />

activity involving skill


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

celebrating 122 years in stratford<br />

Craft Farmacy‘s Chef and co-owner Andrew Wolwowicz,<br />

a local pioneer of ethical farm-to-table cuisine.<br />

in making things by hand, and Farmacy, as in<br />

from the “farm” and from the “sea.” With 112<br />

seats, Craft Farmacy features sharing plates, a<br />

carefully though-out wine list, premium craft<br />

cocktails, ten craft beers on tap, and plenty<br />

of pizzazz. There is a private event space with<br />

room for 40 on the second floor.<br />

Craft Farmacy happens to be London’s<br />

first Feast ON certified “Taste of Ontario”<br />

restaurant. Wolwowicz gives props to Chef<br />

James Eddington of Eddington’s of Exeter for<br />

introducing him to Feast ON. Let’s hope that,<br />

with the unbridled success of Craft Farmacy,<br />

more London restaurants see the advantages<br />

and merits of becoming part of this worthy<br />

province-wide initiative.<br />

Craft Farmacy<br />

449 Wharncliffe Road South, London<br />

519-914-2699<br />

facebook.com/craftfarmacy<br />

tuesday to sunday: 11:30 am–midnight<br />

brunch sunday; closed monday<br />

BRYAN LAVERY is <strong>Eatdrink</strong> Food Editor and Writer at<br />

Large, helping shape the magazine both under his byline<br />

and behind the scenes.


Stratford is<br />

more than<br />

great theatre<br />

visitstratford.ca<br />

um<br />

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A restaurant inspired by<br />

local ingredients.<br />

Run by workers.<br />

Owned by workers.<br />

Shared by the Community.<br />

7 Days a Week<br />

Reservations Recommended<br />

64 Wellington St, Stratford<br />

redrabbitresto.com<br />

519.305.6464<br />

@redrabbitresto<br />

global tapas with local ingredients<br />

fresh cocktails<br />

Perfect for dinner before or snacks after the show<br />

Wednesday–Sunday from 5pm<br />

85 Downie St, Stratford<br />

(next to Avon Theatre)<br />

519.305.8585<br />

85Downie.com


“Our bodies are our gardens<br />

to which our wills are gardeners.”<br />

— William Shakespeare<br />

Awaken your taste buds<br />

with over 50 choices of fresh,<br />

olive oils & balsamic vinegars,<br />

all in the heart of Stratford.<br />

What’s Your Flavour?<br />

Fire Roasted Corn<br />

(with Lime and<br />

Cilantro Pesto)<br />

Follow us to see what’s fresh today!<br />

21 York Street<br />

TUES, WED, THURS, SAT 10–5;<br />

FRI 10–6; SUN 12–4; Closed MON<br />

519-508-1757<br />

oliveyourfavourites.com<br />

Fresh & Frozen<br />

Eat-In or Take-Out<br />

45+ Soup Flavours<br />

Vegan, Dairy Free &<br />

Gluten Free Options<br />

No additives or<br />

preservatives<br />

Tuesday–Friday 11–6 • Saturday 11–4<br />

Sunday 10–2 at Stratford Slow Food Market<br />

98 Wellington St., Stratford 519.497.5167<br />

soupsurreal.com<br />

“A fun place to shop<br />

for housewares and gifts!”<br />

Emma Bridgewater<br />

“Vegetable Garden” Pottery<br />

Tomatoes, artichokes and peppers illustrated<br />

in delicious detail, looking good enough<br />

to eat straight from the plate.<br />

WATSON’S<br />

CHELSEA BAZAAR<br />

84 Ontario St. Stratford<br />

watsonsofstratford.com<br />

519-273-1790


18 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

SPONSORED BY<br />

Road Trips<br />

Hammer Time!<br />

Discover Hamilton — A Food Lovers Heaven<br />

By AMANDA STANCATI<br />

A<br />

visit to the city that produces<br />

Dempster’s bread, Maple Leaf<br />

meats, Karma Candy candy canes<br />

and other national food brands is<br />

sure to be a tasty one. A strong coffee culture,<br />

beloved local establishments, a growing<br />

number of craft breweries, and a steady<br />

stream of new and exciting restaurants makes<br />

Hamilton a worthy destination for roadtrippers.<br />

Looking for the best food and drink<br />

in town? Here are some must-tries.<br />

Hamilton Farmers’ Market<br />

The indoor Hamilton Farmers’ Market,<br />

located in the heart of downtown beside<br />

Jackson Square, has been operating since<br />

1837. Visit on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or<br />

Saturday to check out the 60 vendors who<br />

offer everything from produce and prepared<br />

foods to flowers and crafts. Market highlights<br />

include Relay Coffee Roasters for small<br />

batch, organic and fair trade coffee (and a<br />

selection of Donut Monster donuts), Cake<br />

and Loaf for Instagram-worthy desserts,<br />

Pokeh, Canada’s first poke bar serving up the<br />

fresh Hawaiian dish, and Sensational Samosa<br />

for samosas, rotis, curries, and salads.<br />

City Dishes<br />

“Distinctly Hamilton” dishes come in all<br />

shapes and sizes. Here are some favourites.<br />

Hamilton Farmers’ Market<br />

While Hamilton is where Tim Hortons<br />

was founded, donut-lovers in the city know<br />

Grandad’s is the place to go. Donuts are<br />

baked daily and are larger than what you’ll<br />

typically find in a coffee shop. And they come<br />

in flavours you won’t find anywhere else (like<br />

walnut crunch and strawberry fritter!).<br />

Simple yet delicious, Roma Bakery’s “plain”<br />

pizza isn’t topped with cheese (crazy, right?),<br />

but the saucy bread has become the go-to for<br />

birthday parties and picnics in Hamilton. Grab<br />

a slab for the road at the flagship bakery (it’s<br />

also sold at other locations around the city) and<br />

you’ll understand what all the hype is about.


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39MONTHS DOWN PAYMENT $6,400' 39MONTHS DOWN PAYMENT $5,250" 39MONTHS DOWN PAYMENT $4,180"<br />

DELIVERY CREDITS OF UP TO F SPORfCREDITS OF UP TO F SPORfCREDITS OF UP TO<br />

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^Delivery Credits are available on retail purchase/lease of select new <strong>2018</strong> and 2019 Lexus vehicles from a Canadian Lexus Dealer and will be applied after taxes have been charged on the full amount of the negotiated<br />

price. Vehicle must be purchased/leased, registered and delivered by August 31st, <strong>2018</strong>. *‡ Lease and Finance offers provided through Lexus Financial Services, on approved credit. *Representative lease example based on<br />

a <strong>2018</strong> RX 350 AWD sfx ‘A’ on a 39 month term at an annual rate of 1.9% and Complete Lexus Price of $59,552. Bi-weekly lease payment is $249 with $6,400 down payment or equivalent trade in, $0 security deposit and<br />

first bi-weekly lease payment due at lease inception. Total of 84 bi-weekly lease payments required during the lease term. Total lease obligation is $27,478. *Representative lease example based on a <strong>2018</strong> IS 300 AWD sfx<br />

‘B’ on a 39 month term at an annual rate of 0.9% and Complete Lexus Price of $48,302. Bi-weekly lease payment is $199 with $5,250 down payment or equivalent trade in, $0 security deposit and first bi-weekly lease<br />

payment due at lease inception. Total of 84 bi-weekly lease payments required during the lease term. Total lease obligation is $22,099. *Representative lease example based on a 2019 NX 300 sfx ‘A’ on a 39 month term at<br />

an annual rate of 1.9% and Complete Lexus Price of $46,852. Bi-weekly lease payment is $219 with $4,180 down payment or equivalent trade in, $0 security deposit and first bi-weekly lease payment due at lease inception.<br />

Total of 84 bi-weekly lease payments required during the lease term. Total lease obligation is $22,723. ‡ Representative finance example is based on a <strong>2018</strong> RX 350 AWD sfx ‘A’ on a 36 month term at an annual rate of<br />

0.9% and Complete Lexus Price of $59,552; Monthly payment is $1,677 (includes $4,000 Delivery Credit); Cost of borrowing is $830 for a total obligation of $60,381. Complete Lexus Price includes freight/PDI<br />

($2,075), EHF Tires ($16.50), EHF Filters ($1), A/C charge ($100), Dealer Fees ($599), and OMVIC Fee ($10). Taxes, license, registration (if applicable), and insurance are extra. Lexus Dealers are free to set their own<br />

prices. Limited time offers only apply to retail customers at participating Lexus Dealers. Dealer order/trade may be required (but may not be available in certain circumstances). Offers are subject to change or cancellation<br />

without notice. See Lexus of London for complete details.


eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Putting the finishing touch on S‘mores Cupcakes,<br />

at Cake & Loaf<br />

For a beachfront snack, Hamiltonians have<br />

been frequenting Hutch’s since 1946. The<br />

diner is beloved for its fish and chips, cones,<br />

milkshakes, and old-school decor.<br />

Craft Beer<br />

Hamilton’s growing craft beer scene includes<br />

a number of beautiful spaces around the city<br />

to visit for a cold one. In addition to its drink<br />

offerings, Merit Brewing offers a menu of<br />

shareables and unique sausage options to<br />

enjoy at the communal tables.<br />

Other notable craft breweries include<br />

Fairweather Brewing Company,<br />

Grain&Grit, Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.,<br />

Rust City Brewery, and Collective Arts<br />

Brewing. Collective Arts’ award-winning<br />

beers are celebrated for their limited-edition<br />

artwork on the cans and labels — and make<br />

for a tasty souvenir to bring home!<br />

Aberdeen Tavern<br />

Capri Ristorante, opened in 1963, is known<br />

for traditional pizzas and pastas — both<br />

Hamilton mainstays.<br />

For something more trendy, Aberdeen<br />

Tavern belongs to the same family of the<br />

more recently opened The French and The<br />

Shawn & Ed Brewing Co., on Hatt Street<br />

Diplomat, all excellent choices for upscale<br />

food and drink in stylish environments.<br />

Ancaster Mill and Edgewater Manor<br />

are elegant options for special occasions.<br />

Merit Brewing<br />

Notable Restaurants<br />

Hamilton restaurants serve cuisine from<br />

around the globe. Black Forest Inn has<br />

been a landmark since 1967, serving hearty<br />

Bavarian cuisine including a famous schnitzel<br />

selection. For large Italian-style portions,<br />

Ancaster Mill


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Sample delicious local eats,<br />

meet inspiring producers and<br />

marvel at the tempting array<br />

of fresh and artisanal edibles.<br />

From farm to table, pork to pies<br />

to pints, discover more<br />

in Perth County!<br />

Mezcal TNT<br />

Built from limestone, Ancaster Mill is set<br />

beside a waterfall offering pretty views, while<br />

Edgewater Manor serves steak and seafood<br />

beside Lake Ontario.<br />

James Street<br />

James Street is one of the Hamilton’s hippest<br />

neighbourhoods, and has a high concentration<br />

of dining options. To the north is Wild<br />

Orchid for flavourful seafood, and Born<br />

and Raised for wood-oven pizza and a raw<br />

bar. To the south you’ll find Mezcal TNT<br />

for tacos and tequila and Radius for fine<br />

dining and a two-level patio — and loads of<br />

choices in between. This is a very walkable<br />

neighbourhood so get out and enjoy!<br />

Leave room for dessert from Chocolat on<br />

James or Rush Sugar Bar. Coffee options<br />

include Mulberry Coffeehouse and Saint<br />

James Espresso Bar and Eatery.<br />

restaurants<br />

farm gates<br />

NàRoma<br />

Pizzeria<br />

food shops<br />

Find us, follow us!<br />

#DiscoverMore #PerthCounty<br />

@PerthCoTourism<br />

perthcountytourism.ca


22 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Locke Street<br />

From NàRoma Pizzeria’s fusion of<br />

Naples and Roman-style pizzas to Bread<br />

Bar’s from-scratch breads, pizzas, soups<br />

and salads, Locke Street packs big flavour<br />

along a relatively short strip. For casual<br />

fine dining, Brux House and Mattson &<br />

Co both offer quality food and cocktails.<br />

For something sweet to round out your<br />

trip, Amo Gelato Caffe makes gelato<br />

in-house!<br />

Dundas<br />

The quaint town of Dundas is home to<br />

the award-winning fine dining restaurant,<br />

Quatrefoil, the pretty Detour Cafe for a<br />

coffee and bite to eat, and Beanermunky<br />

Chocolates for sweet confections.<br />

Winona<br />

Located in Hamilton towards Niagara<br />

Falls is a little community called Winona,<br />

home to Memphis Fire BBQ, a must-visit<br />

for meat-lovers. This Southern-style<br />

BBQ joint makes mouth-watering burgers,<br />

beef brisket, pulled pork, buttermilk<br />

chicken, and baby back ribs.<br />

Also in the neighbourhood is<br />

Puddicombe Estate Farms & Winery.<br />

Pick up some hand-baked pies or some<br />

award-winning wines at this 200-year-old<br />

family fruit farm.<br />

Tasty Souvenirs<br />

On your way out of the city, pick up some<br />

culinary souvenirs to enjoy at home.<br />

Nardini Specialties and Denninger’s<br />

Foods of the World have some of the<br />

best European-style sausages and meats.<br />

Lasagna-lovers can pick up some Mama<br />

Yolanda’s gourmet lasagna at Nardini.<br />

For the sweet tooth, Bennett’s Apples<br />

makes scrumptious apple pie, turnovers,<br />

and other baked goods at its market.<br />

Sam’s Queenston Bakery is known for<br />

the cannoli, made in a nut-free facility,<br />

along with other Italian treats like mini<br />

tiramisu and rum cakes.<br />

I am sure your visit to Hamilton will be a<br />

delicious one!<br />

AMANDA STANCATI is a Hamilton-based writer<br />

who loves to eat her way through different cities around<br />

the world. Follow her on Twitter @amandastancati.<br />

From the top down: NàRoma Pizza, Detour Cafe in Dundas,<br />

Memphis Fire BBQ in Winona, and Sam’s Queenstown Bakery.


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 23


24 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Wine<br />

Pioneers of “Huron Shores”<br />

Alton Farms Estate Winery in Lambton County<br />

by GARY KILLOPS<br />

Looking for a day trip close to<br />

home? Alton Farms Estate<br />

Winery, located at 5547<br />

Aberarder Line, Plympton-<br />

Wyoming is just about an hour west of<br />

London.<br />

Marc Alton and Anne Kurtz-<br />

Alton, who own and operate the<br />

vineyard, recently celebrated the fifth<br />

anniversary of the winery. The Altons<br />

purchased the 90-acre property in 2005<br />

and soon after planted a test acre of fifteen<br />

different varietals to see what they could grow<br />

best on the property.<br />

They proved wrong the naysayers who said<br />

it would be too cold for grapes to grow and for<br />

vines to survive the cold winters, and went<br />

on to became Lambton County’s first winery.<br />

Together with Dark Horse Estate Winery and<br />

Maelstrom Winery in neighboring Huron<br />

County an Ontario wine region is forming,<br />

unofficially called “Huron Shores”.<br />

“From the beginning we have always been<br />

committed to sustainability both in the<br />

vineyard and the winery,” Anne explains. “We<br />

try not to waste anything.<br />

We compost the pruned<br />

vines in the spring, and<br />

the grape skins and seeds<br />

after harvest. We also have<br />

a herd of Shetland sheep<br />

and 15 lambs who eat the<br />

ground cover between the<br />

rows of vine and fertilize<br />

the soil.”<br />

As is the case for most<br />

vineyards in southern<br />

Ontario, too much<br />

moisture from rain and<br />

humidity can be a concern.<br />

Marc, who is both the<br />

winemaker and vineyard<br />

manager, keeps a close<br />

watch on the climate and<br />

will only use the<br />

most sustainable products when there is a<br />

need to spray in the vineyard.<br />

A geo-engineer and marine geologist by<br />

profession, Marc is a self-taught winemaker<br />

and grape grower. He is learning, adapting,<br />

and challenging traditional winemaking<br />

practices and is willing to experiment with<br />

unusual blends that are both interesting and<br />

unique.<br />

In 2013 the winery opened to the public<br />

in a century-old wooden drive shed on the<br />

property. “It’s been a labour of love,” says<br />

Anne. “As our budget allows we look to make<br />

Anne Kurtz-Alton with some of the vital sheep at the Alton Farms vineyard


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 25<br />

Taste the elements.<br />

1709 Front Road, St. Williams, Norfolk County, ON<br />

Tastings, Tours & Events<br />

burningkilnwinery.ca 519.586.9858<br />

@burningkilnwine


eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Alton Farms<br />

EST A TE WINERY<br />

New look<br />

...same great wines!<br />

WINE TASTINGS, EVENTS,<br />

TOURS, OUTDOOR<br />

PATIO, WOOD-FIRED<br />

PIZZA OVEN<br />

7<br />

LAKE<br />

HURON<br />

SARNIA<br />

21<br />

Grand<br />

Bend<br />

Forest<br />

Aberarder Line<br />

21<br />

402<br />

London<br />

77 km<br />

Available at the winery, select LCBOs & farmers’ markets<br />

5547 Aberarder Line, Plympton-Wyoming<br />

519-899-2479 • altonfarmsestatewinery.com<br />

Enjoy wine on the patio. Food choices include pizza from<br />

the wood-fired oven<br />

improvements to the winery and in the<br />

vineyard.” This year the tasting room and<br />

retail store were moved to the renovated<br />

basement of the family home, offering a<br />

striking wooden tasting bar with superior<br />

lighting and welcoming ambience. The winery<br />

offers a flight of three wines for $5. The tasting<br />

fee is waived with wine purchase. In addition<br />

to wine, the retail store has glassware, gift<br />

baskets, and wine accessories for sale.


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 27<br />

more wine, and sell more volume,” Marc said.<br />

Anne also pointed out that the patio and<br />

special events help keep the winery open at<br />

this time.<br />

The winery hosted quite a few events this<br />

past summer such as “Wine Wednesday<br />

Dinners” featuring different local chefs each<br />

week and food paired with wines from Alton<br />

Estates. They also hold “Wine and Paint” and<br />

“Wine and Yoga” afternoons and the annual<br />

“Fine Art, Fine Wine: Show and Sale.” Many of<br />

these events sold out.<br />

The new tasting room has a warm and welcoming<br />

ambiance<br />

Other recent additions to the winery<br />

include an open-air patio and a wood-fired<br />

pizza oven offering Margherita, meat lovers,<br />

Mediterranean chicken and gluten-free pizzas.<br />

The patio menu also includes charcuterie<br />

boards with a selection of seasonal meats,<br />

cheeses, breads, crackers and fruits. Wine is<br />

available by the glass.<br />

The selection of red, white and rosé wines<br />

available for purchase from the winery is<br />

always changing as new wines are released.<br />

The current offerings include a 2016 riesling,<br />

2016 sauvignon blanc and 2015 chardonnay,<br />

and a rosé made from marechel foch grapes.<br />

Red wines include the 2016 baco noir, 2015<br />

cabernet sauvignon and 2015 cabernet franc.<br />

Some hybrid and vinifera blends are also<br />

available.<br />

Alton Farms wine production is small when<br />

compared to other wineries in Ontario. Last<br />

year they produced just under 600 cases and<br />

hope to increase production to about 800<br />

cases this year. With this volume it is difficult<br />

to make a profit. “You really have to make<br />

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28 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

stomping fee is $5 per entry, with all proceeds<br />

in support of Bluewater Centre for Raptor<br />

Rehabilitation. This is a family event with<br />

competitive adult grape stomping and kid<br />

stomps.<br />

On <strong>October</strong> 13th the winery will host their<br />

second annual Weinfest. This family-friendly<br />

event is a German tradition in celebration of<br />

the new wines in production after harvest.<br />

Anne Kurtz -Alton and Marc Alton, of Alton Farms Estate<br />

Winery.<br />

On <strong>September</strong> 23rd the winery will host<br />

the third annual grape stomp event. The<br />

Alton Farms Estate Winery<br />

5547 Aberarder Line, Plympton-Wyoming<br />

519-899-2479<br />

altonfarmsestatewinery.com<br />

GARY KILLOPS is a CAPS Certified Sommelier who<br />

loves to talk, taste, and write about wine. He shares his<br />

tasting notes on EssexWineReview.com<br />

Spirits<br />

Taking it Slow<br />

Willibald Farm Distillery in Ayr<br />

By ANDREW COPPOLINO | Photos by BROGAN McNABB<br />

The folks at Willibald Farm Distillery<br />

might say that time hasn’t been on<br />

their side — and that’s all right with<br />

them. At the distillery located near<br />

Ayr, about 30 minutes south of Kitchener,<br />

they’re in the habit of just taking things slow.<br />

Even after the investment in start-up costs, they<br />

weren’t in a rush to get to market. Their success<br />

is a marker of the painstaking nature of the<br />

planning and distilling process they developed.<br />

“We probably went through close to 100<br />

variations of recipes before we decided which<br />

one to use. We were confident then that we<br />

had something people would really like,” says<br />

co-owner Jordan van der Heyden.<br />

The 29-year-old and his business partners<br />

and co-founders — brother Nolan, 25, and<br />

long-time friend Cam Formica, also 29 — have<br />

set themselves up on 100 acres of the van<br />

der Heyden family farm, formerly a livestock<br />

operation. The partners, who grew up together<br />

in Ayr, wanted to test their entrepreneurial<br />

mettle and “find something different that we


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 29<br />

could use the land for,” according to Jordan.<br />

Their own time-dependent version of gin<br />

was the immediate answer. They grow grains,<br />

lavender, and other crops, and keep honey<br />

bees. “With everything we grow, we make<br />

spirits,” he says.<br />

Nolan and Jordan both went to University<br />

of Waterloo. Formica attended Lakehead.<br />

That brought business, engineering and<br />

environmental science to the Willibald<br />

management table, along with some distilling<br />

education in the U.S. Distilling is Nolan’s<br />

responsibility, and he is broadening his<br />

understanding of the art and science of the<br />

process with schooling in Scotland. As for the<br />

name, it’s an inside family joke that everyone<br />

is now happy to share: Willibald is Jordan’s<br />

and Nolan’s grandfather’s middle name. “We<br />

were looking for something unique. He’s never<br />

been too fond of it, but he’s warmed up to it<br />

as a business name and wears a shirt with the<br />

brand,” says Jordan.<br />

It was 2012 when the trio was searching for<br />

a way to use the farm, recognizing that there<br />

were a lot of breweries out there. “We realized<br />

distilling was still in its infancy at that point.<br />

Only Dillon’s in Niagara and Still Waters in<br />

Toronto were in business at the time.” Today<br />

there are about 20 distilleries up and running.<br />

The Willibald facility is an old barn,<br />

refurbished but maintaining its post-andbeam<br />

character. There’s a retail store, and they<br />

give tours and offer complementary tastings.<br />

Until very recently, distilleries could not offer<br />

glasses of spirits in the way that breweries<br />

and wineries were able to. “We just got that<br />

privilege a few months ago and are serving<br />

cocktails at the farm. That’s been a great thing<br />

for us,” says Jordan. They’ve added a woodfired<br />

oven and have started serving food.<br />

Gin itself has a storied history. A grain<br />

distillate, it is initially distilled to a desired<br />

alcohol content and then distilled again along<br />

with an infusion of juniper berries and a range<br />

of herbs and botanicals. Water is added to<br />

establish the correct alcohol concentration —<br />

usually 80 to 95 proof — with the hope that<br />

the spirit will be aromatic and fairly light. At<br />

Willibald they have gotten that down pat, if<br />

their success is any indication. They started<br />

with the trial-and-error of home distilling<br />

and learned the theory side in the U.S. Those<br />

were the easy steps. “It took us a few years<br />

to get the necessary permits and zoning<br />

amendments,” says Jordan. The farm is zoned<br />

for agriculture, but distilling is considered<br />

an industrial process. “The authorities were<br />

extremely supportive, but because it was a<br />

new concept it took a long time.”<br />

Gin, by law, has to include juniper as a<br />

flavour component. “We also add caraway seed,<br />

grapefruit peel, cardamom, coriander and<br />

angelica root. Those ingredients flavour the gin,<br />

and from there we barrel it, and that’s where the<br />

colour comes from,” says Jordan. The blending<br />

process only takes about 10 days. Then comes<br />

the barrel aging — a time commitment of many<br />

months. After aging the contents of the barrels<br />

are blended and then bottled for shipping.<br />

The gin, which is constantly being distilled,<br />

is available at LCBO year-round. “Our first<br />

seasonal release will be later this summer. That<br />

will be in the realm of 1,500 to 2,000 bottles.”<br />

The current revival of the cocktail menu at<br />

bars and restaurants, and the bespoke, crafted<br />

impetus it carries, has meant that mixologists


30 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

not yet have what Jordan calls “the craft-spirit<br />

mentality” like they have for craft beer. “Once<br />

they’ve tried it, it’s a good sell for us,” he says.<br />

There’s more Willibald to look forward<br />

to. Gin accounts for only about one-third<br />

of their production. Whisky makes up the<br />

majority. However, that spirit, by virtue<br />

of Canadian law, must be aged a minimum<br />

of three years. “We haven’t been able to<br />

release any yet. We’ve been in production<br />

for a little over two years now, so in the next<br />

are constantly scanning product lines for the<br />

new and unique. Willibald fits the bill. At the<br />

time of this writing Willibald gin was the<br />

only barrel-aged gin available at the LCBO.<br />

“Gin is typically an unaged spirit. It’s clear<br />

and never been in oak, traditionally. But<br />

our gin looks a lot like whisky with its dark<br />

amber colour, and that’s because it spends<br />

anywhere from four to ten months in oak<br />

casks.” The results are what he calls a “whisky<br />

character” that bartenders are interested in<br />

because they can’t get it elsewhere. “It makes<br />

a phenomenal whisky sour,” he adds.<br />

A barrel-aged gin like Willibald lends itself<br />

to being sipped neat. For consumers who have<br />

never thought of drinking gin straight that’s<br />

something of a perceived obstacle that the<br />

company is trying to change. “Barrel aging<br />

really mellows out the spirit and cleans it up a<br />

bit, making it suitable if you do want to drink<br />

it neat or on the rocks. It’s quite smooth.<br />

There has been a remarkable appetite for<br />

good quality gin in an older demographic of<br />

customer we are seeing.”<br />

Identifying the exact nature of “local” is<br />

a bit of a mug’s game: it can mean different<br />

things to different people. But the concept<br />

does play a part in Willibald’s marketing<br />

strategy. “What we find is that a lot of the<br />

restaurants that are focussed on quality<br />

cocktails don’t necessarily put as much<br />

emphasis on local. They’re more concerned<br />

with the quality of the product,” Jordan says.<br />

That makes sense, of course — and that’s<br />

the way it should be — but he adds that this<br />

region has been supportive of this new entry<br />

into the marketplace, for being both local and<br />

of high quality. Willibald currently doesn’t<br />

have the competition that breweries and<br />

wineries do. Even at the LCBO, the product<br />

is unique, and that’s been good. They target<br />

establishments with specialty cocktail menus<br />

rather than venues that focus on volume. Yet<br />

even some better bars and restaurants may<br />

year or two we’ll have some whisky,” Jordan<br />

says. There are plans for spiced whisky with<br />

apple. “We’re also doing some work with the<br />

lavender we grow and we have honey bees<br />

at the farm.” That means Willibald, unique<br />

with its inventive gin, is continuing along the<br />

creative path they’ve forged for themselves,<br />

but they’re not rushing things. “We are<br />

playing around with quite a few things,” says<br />

Jordan. “We have the type of still that allows<br />

us to do anything with spirits, from gins<br />

and whiskies to fruit brandies. Those are the<br />

products we’re interested in pursuing. But<br />

because it’s aged, it takes time.”<br />

Willibald Farm Distillery<br />

1271 Reidsville Road, Ayr<br />

226-556-9941<br />

drinkwillibald.com<br />

ANDREW COPPOLINO is a Kitchener-based writer<br />

and broadcaster. He is publisher of Waterloo Region Eats<br />

(waterlooregioneats.com) a longstanding online resource<br />

dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, chefs, sustainability<br />

and agriculture. Andrew also serves as a regional<br />

<strong>Eatdrink</strong> Editorial Consultant.<br />

BROGAN McNABB is a Toronto-based fashion and<br />

lifestyle photographer. broganmcnab.com


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Beer<br />

Seasonal Sensations<br />

Ciders and Sours, for Autumn<br />

by GEORGE MACKE<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 31<br />

Ciders and sours. As summer morphs<br />

into fall, these two styles of alcoholic<br />

beverages become top of mind for<br />

me.<br />

Craft ciders, led by cideries such as KW Craft<br />

Cider in Waterloo, are gaining momentum as<br />

both an alternative to white wine and, because<br />

ciders are fermented using fruit not grain, a<br />

gluten-free choice for an alcoholic beverage.<br />

Interest is such that some craft breweries<br />

— Walkerville in Windsor and Toboggan in<br />

London, for example — are adding their own<br />

takes on cider in-house, perhaps with wider<br />

distribution on the horizon.<br />

Sour beers have an exciting tartness, and<br />

are more enjoyable, sessionable and thirstquenching<br />

than an overly hopped IPA. We can<br />

thank Belgium for developing the style which<br />

has been embraced by many Ontario craft<br />

brewers, most notably Half Hours on Earth<br />

in Seaforth. Farmhouse sours, in theory, feature<br />

locally available ingredients and started<br />

as a low-alcohol style consumed around the<br />

fall harvest, as a lunchtime meal companion<br />

or end-of-day reward after hard hours in the<br />

fields. Look for words like lambic, Flanders red,<br />

gose, or Berliner weisse and chances are you’ve<br />

got a delightful sour in your hand.<br />

While many good examples of ciders and<br />

sours can be found at the LCBO and select<br />

grocery stores, beverage explorers know<br />

the best way to discover the talents of<br />

Southwestern Ontario cideries and brewers<br />

is to hit the road and buy direct, or<br />

use the breweries’ online stores if<br />

available.<br />

To whet your appetite, here’s a<br />

twelve-pack of sensational ciders and<br />

sours.<br />

KW Craft Sparkling Dry<br />

Cider —This flagship brand has<br />

been a consistent medal winner at<br />

the Great Lakes International Cider<br />

and Perry Competition in Michigan.<br />

This is 6.7 per cent alcohol (abv) and<br />

is refreshing on its own or with a<br />

cheese tray.<br />

Hammer Bent Original<br />

by Twin Pines — Made from a blend of<br />

Northern Spy, Ida Red, Golden Russett and<br />

Jonagold apples grown in the<br />

Thedford orchards, Hammer<br />

Bent Original leads a family<br />

of nine versions of cider and<br />

apple wine from Twin Pines.<br />

It’s their best, but Crack Willow,<br />

an apple wine made with<br />

Northern Spy, Ida Red, and Golden Russet<br />

piques the interest of beverage voyageurs.<br />

Against the Currant by Wellington<br />

Brewing — Available as part of the Welly<br />

CRAFT BEER<br />

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27 Adelaide st. south . Chatham Ont<br />

TAP ROOM . BEER SHOP . EVENTS . SNACKS<br />

sonsofkent.com 519-354-BEER (2337)<br />

now available at the LCBO!


eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Look for<br />

us in the<br />

LCBO!<br />

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • PROUDLY BREWED IN LONDON<br />

1030 ELIAS STREET, LONDON • 548-888-ALES<br />

Road Trip!<br />

Come to the Cowbell Farm in Blyth, Ontario<br />

“THE NO.1 CRAFT BREWERY IN CANADA TO VISIT.”<br />

—WAYNE NEWTON, FOOD & DRINK JOURNALIST<br />

40035 BLYTH ROAD, BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0<br />

1-844-523-4724 WWW.COWBELLBREWING.COM<br />

Rebooted Mix Pack Volume 4,<br />

Against the Currant is a purple monster<br />

of tang. Brewed in Guelph using<br />

Ontario black currants, there’s also<br />

a slight lemon flavour. The pack is at<br />

the LCBO or can be ordered through<br />

Wellington Brewing’s online store.<br />

Oak Aged Blueprint by Half<br />

Hours on Earth — Okay,<br />

it’s tough to keep up<br />

with what’s available at<br />

Half Hours on Earth in<br />

Seaforth, as versions of small batch<br />

sours come and go quickly. Half<br />

Hours updates its inventory availability<br />

each Thursday. Earth Oak<br />

Aged Blueprint is a 4.5% abv farmhouse<br />

saison. It’s aged in cider barrels,<br />

then blended with perry (aka<br />

cider made from pears) from Revel<br />

Cider in Guelph. Snag one of these to impress<br />

your friends.<br />

Hansel and Brett’el Farmhouse<br />

Blonde Ale by Forked<br />

River — Aged in chardonnay barrels<br />

for six months, Hansel and Brett’el<br />

is both light (4.6% abv) and flavourful,<br />

but not found by walking in the<br />

woods. Forked River suggests pairing<br />

it with a Cobb salad. Hansel and<br />

Brett’el is available only at the brewery<br />

bottle shop in London or through<br />

the Forked River online store.<br />

Berry Berliner by Innocente<br />

Brewing — This seasonal was brewed as a collaboration<br />

between Innocente of Waterloo and<br />

craft-loving Beertown Public House (locations in<br />

Waterloo, London, Cambridge,<br />

and Burlington). Brewed with<br />

raspberries and blackberries,<br />

it’s a nod to Ontario fruit<br />

farmers. It’s very light at 3.8%<br />

abv with an entry-level tartness.<br />

Innocente and Beertown<br />

have done six collaborative brews — keep an<br />

eye out for them. Berry Berliner is in cans at the<br />

brewery or available for growler fills.<br />

Sports by Refined Fool — Named in<br />

honour of sports being one<br />

of our most beloved universal<br />

conversation-starters (How<br />

‘bout those Leafs? Finally,<br />

eh?), Sports is 5.5% abv and 20<br />

IBU (International Bitterness<br />

Units). This saison uses boy­


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

senberries. Tasting notes point out tangerine<br />

and honey flavours. Game on!<br />

Face for a Neck Tattoo by Refined<br />

Fool — Make it two for<br />

Sarnia’s craft brewery. This<br />

5.2% abv, 27 IBU saison uses<br />

Szechuan peppercorns. The<br />

name plays on tough guys<br />

softened by liking the taste<br />

of this one.<br />

Keyser Gose by Forked River<br />

— Brewers at London’s Forked River<br />

used lactobacillus followed by brewers<br />

yeast to create this new gently<br />

sour, citrusy gose, a beer style from<br />

Germany. It’s a brewery store/<br />

Forked River online exclusive.<br />

Spirit of the Woods by Revel<br />

Cider — Guelph’s cider house collaborated<br />

with Dillon’s Small Batch<br />

Distillers of Beamsville<br />

to create this by aging<br />

the cider on spent gin<br />

botanicals. A gold medal<br />

winner at the Ontario Cider<br />

Awards in 2015, Spirit of<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 33<br />

the Woods is 6.9% abv.<br />

66 Pickup by Hoity Toity — A gold<br />

medal winner at the Great Lakes International<br />

Cider and Perry competition,<br />

66 Pickup veers to the dry side. Kudos<br />

to the rural Bruce County winery for<br />

rebranding this cider from its original<br />

name, Gravel Run, which left my throat<br />

dusty. This lightly carbonated cider is<br />

made with apples harvested in Grey<br />

and Bruce counties.<br />

Toboggan Cider — The Richmond Row,<br />

London brew pub aims to<br />

please by offering a pair of its<br />

own ciders, a dry and a sweet.<br />

Either works well for sitting<br />

on the restaurant’s patio and<br />

toasting the drop-off of your<br />

kid up the road at Western,<br />

but the nod goes to the dry version for its citrus<br />

undertone. Both are 6% abv.<br />

GEORGE MACKE is a craft beer lover exploring the<br />

breweries (and cideries) throughout Southwestern<br />

Ontario.<br />

BLACK SWAN<br />

BREWING COMPANY<br />

STRATFORD • ONTARIO<br />

It's what we drink.<br />

144 DOWNIE ST, STRATFORD<br />

BLACKSWANBREWING.CA 519 • 814 • 7926 @BLACKSWANBREWINGCO


34 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

The BUZZ<br />

Culinary Community Notes<br />

London<br />

We’re moving ahead as briskly as we can with an<br />

updated London’s Local Flavour Culinary Guide.<br />

We’re happy to report that all 30,000 copies we<br />

printed were distributed last year and we’ve been<br />

out of copies for several weeks. We got them out to<br />

important locations like tourism offices, the airport,<br />

farmers’ markets, and select restaurants, shops and<br />

cultural spots. This year we are excited to allow outof-town<br />

neighbours to take part in Local Flavour. Let<br />

us know if you would like to participate in the Guide.<br />

The recently launched Old South Farmers Market<br />

operates from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Its debut<br />

last month drew large crowds to the host venue<br />

Storm Stayed Brewing Company.<br />

Join us in a celebration of local food and drink.<br />

The Artisanal Culinary Arts program at Fanshawe<br />

College will be hosting a Harvest Dinner to<br />

celebrate International Chefs Day on <strong>October</strong> 20.<br />

The dinner will feature five courses with drink<br />

pairings. 130 Dundas Street (Fanshawe’s new<br />

downtown campus). Tickets are $100 and available<br />

through fanshawec.ca/harvest<br />

Restaurateur Joe Duby has launched gNosh in the<br />

former Blu Duby space with entrances off Dundas<br />

Street and Market Lane. Using locally sourced,<br />

sustainable ingredients to create delectable fare<br />

is the passion of Chef Cynthia Beaudoin and her<br />

culinary team. gNoshbyJoeDuby.com<br />

Chef Dave Lamers and business partner Rob<br />

D’Amico of Abruzzi have started construction on<br />

Taverna 1331 in Hyde Park. Abruzzi welcomed Chef<br />

Justin Dafoe, a graduate of Stratford Chefs School,<br />

earlier this year. Dafoe is currently working at<br />

Abruzzi, and will be leading the kitchen team at the<br />

new restaurant. Follow Taverna on Instagram and<br />

Facebook. abruzzi.ca<br />

Palasad North is closed for renovations and<br />

will bring a new concept to the city around mid-<br />

November. The Palasad South location will be<br />

rockin’ as always. Stay tuned to their social sites for<br />

exciting updates on this new adventure. It’s exciting!<br />

After 11 years, the folks at True Taco have closed<br />

their Dundas Street operation. They will continue<br />

operating at the Market at Western Fair. They would<br />

like to thank their family, friends and customers<br />

who have supported them and made the experience<br />

tremendously memorable. “It has truly changed our<br />

lives, and we are excited to start a new chapter!”<br />

The recently opened Casa Cancun at 325 Wharncliffe<br />

Rd. South serves authentic Mexican fare and has<br />

a genuinely cantina-like ambience, although it is<br />

unlicensed. It serves excellent tacos and enchiladas<br />

and is located close to the Hyland Theatre. Tacos are<br />

50% off on Tuesdays! www.casacancun.ca<br />

Another great Latino hotspot is Lo Nuestro at 722<br />

Hamilton Road. The humble restaurant with great food<br />

has new owners and we are hearing great reports from<br />

our readers. lonuestrolatinrestaurant.com<br />

The Market at Western Fair will open on both<br />

Saturday (8am–3pm) and Sunday (11am–3pm)<br />

each week beginning <strong>October</strong> 6. Market Manager<br />

Dan Ross and Assistant Manager Courtney Berens<br />

481 Richmond Street<br />

519-432-4092<br />

garlicsoflondon.com


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

are working to grow attendance and improve<br />

the customer experience. Up to $400,000 will be<br />

invested in the Confederation Building location<br />

this year, including washroom upgrades and<br />

new cooler storage. Support local and include @<br />

TheMarketWFD and use #MeetMeAtTheMarket<br />

when sharing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.<br />

westernfairdistrict/market<br />

Chef Chris Morrisson of the Katana Kafe will be at<br />

it again, switching up the menus for cooler weather<br />

during <strong>October</strong>. Come out and enjoy his mouthwatering<br />

dishes. Come for breakfast, get lost in time<br />

watching aviation, and find yourself staying for<br />

lunch and dinner. katanakafe.ca<br />

Bourbon Street, London’s destination for Cajun and<br />

Creole food on Oxford Street, has closed.<br />

The Village Teapot in Ilderton is owned and run by<br />

Gaynor Deeks and Jana Yassine. Gaynor is originally<br />

from the UK, Jana from Chatham, Ontario. They<br />

are tea drinkers and sandwich makers, and know<br />

a good scone when they see one. Located in one of<br />

the oldest properties in the town, believed to be<br />

at least 145 years old, the premises retain many<br />

period features. Beginning <strong>September</strong> Deeks and<br />

Yassine will again be offering Sunday Roast lunches<br />

Destination for the food lover<br />

Featuring specialty foods,<br />

kitchenwares, tablewares,<br />

cooking classes and gift baskets.<br />

115 King St., London Ontario<br />

jillstable.ca 519-645-1335<br />

NOW<br />

OPEN!<br />

We’re dedicated to making your experience perfect,<br />

whether it’s a romantic evening EatDrinkAd_2017.indd out, a night<br />

1 2017-04-19 2:28<br />

with good friends, a corporate function, or an<br />

important life event. We’re here to help.<br />

Using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients to<br />

create delectable fare is Chef Cynthia Beaudoin and<br />

gNosh’s culinary team’s passion. With an ever-evolving menu, focused<br />

on the seasons and executed to perfection, we’ll wow you with every<br />

bite. We have assembled a service team of accomplished pros to ensure<br />

your every need is taken care of.<br />

gNosh is excited to be part of Dundas Place, the newly created<br />

flex street, with construction anticipated to be finished in<br />

<strong>September</strong> <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

125 Dundas Street, London<br />

Reservations: 519-601-8050<br />

www.gnoshbyjoeduby.com


Your love of all things Italian begins at<br />

Gift Cards<br />

Available<br />

519-652-7659 • HWY 401 & 4 • pastosgrill.com<br />

NEW<br />

AUTUMN<br />

MENU<br />

FLIGHTS & BITES<br />

HALF PRICE Sharing Plates & Oysters<br />

Tuesday–Friday from 3:30–5:30pm<br />

SUNDAY INDUSTRY NIGHTS<br />

20% OFF!<br />

NOW BOOKING CHRISTMAS PARTIES<br />

TUES–SAT Lunch & Dinner 11:30am to Close<br />

SUNDAY Brunch 11am & Dinner<br />

449 Wharncliffe Road South<br />

519.914.2699<br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

once a month. Usually these are scheduled at the<br />

beginning of each month but to accommodate a<br />

Turkey Dinner before Thanksgiving the first one<br />

will be Sunday <strong>September</strong> 30 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.<br />

Turkey with all the trimmings will be on the menu.<br />

Reservations required. thevillageteapot.ca<br />

Gino Parco of Porcino, the Italian hotspot on<br />

Southdale, has launched Veta Wine and Pasta<br />

Bar in the former Blu Duby North location at 745<br />

Fanshawe Park Road West.<br />

This year’s VegFest — London’s annual “plantbased<br />

party” — takes place Saturday, November 10,<br />

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Metroland Media Agriplex,<br />

Western Fair District. A wide variety of vendors<br />

will be on site, offering food and drink samples and<br />

all kinds of support for a plant-based lifestyle.<br />

Admission is $5 (children 12 and under are free) and<br />

parking is free. vegfestlondon.com<br />

Museum London is hosting the inaugural “Night<br />

at the Forks” fundraising gala, featuring a tasting<br />

menu by one of the leaders pushing the vanguard<br />

of Indigenous cuisine, Chef Joseph Shawana<br />

of Kū-Kŭm Kitchen (one of Toronto Life’s Best<br />

Restaurants <strong>2018</strong>). This will be the first time Chef<br />

Shawana will be creating his delicacies in the Forest<br />

City. Be prepared for creative dishes that combine<br />

fine dining techniques and traditional Indigenous<br />

recipes. For example, from the restaurant’s menu:<br />

Pemmican, Venison Gravlax, and Sweet Grass<br />

Cream Brûlée. The gala will take place throughout<br />

the Museum, with a concert in the new Centre at the<br />

Forks space. Funds raised will go towards children’s<br />

programming and other activities at Museum<br />

London. The gala seeks to spread awareness of<br />

modern Indigenous culture through food and<br />

music. Saturday, November 17 at 6:00 pm.<br />

Celebrating its sixth anniversary, The Root Cellar<br />

remains committed to working with local, organic,<br />

and sustainably focused farms in Southwestern<br />

Ontario. Through On the Move Organics,<br />

the worker-owners have forged meaningful<br />

relationships and continue to expand the network<br />

of organic farmers and producers they work with.<br />

Aranka Csárda is a family-run Hungarian restaurant<br />

on Longwoods Road just outside of Lambeth. The<br />

owners take pride in what they do and serve only<br />

authentic and quality food. The decor and colours of<br />

the restaurant are meant to mimic the feel of a real<br />

Hungarian Csárda. You’ll feel like you’re in a different<br />

country when you dine with them. 7447 Longwoods<br />

Road, London. aranka.ca<br />

Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ has opened in the space<br />

previously occupied by Icarus on Richmond Row.


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

The Forest City Cookbook crew recently launched<br />

the book to considerable acclaim. It features over<br />

60 talented culinary artists and 40 dedicated local<br />

producers in a stunning 500-plus-page hardcover<br />

edition, with 135 recipes. There are still a few copies<br />

left for sale at Haymach Canada and Edge Food<br />

Equipment. forestcitycookbook.ca<br />

Jill’s Table fall cooking classes have a big season<br />

planned including classes on Vietnamese, How to<br />

Sous Vide, The Big Red Bowl, Cider & Food Pairing,<br />

Hands-On Pasta, Vegan Brunch, Gluten Free Baking,<br />

Sake & Sushi, Chinese Street Food, Festive Cookies,<br />

Cooking With Cast Iron, French Baking, Vegetarian<br />

Food & Wine Pairing, Inspiring Appetizers and so<br />

much more. jillsclasses.ca<br />

Thanksgiving Sunday (<strong>October</strong> 7) is the day to treat<br />

family and friends to turkey and all the trimmings,<br />

at Idlewyld Inn & Spa. Thanksgiving Sunday Brunch<br />

Buffet, sittings at 11 am & 1:30 pm. Children age 3 to<br />

12: 50% off. Thanksgiving Sunday Dinner, sittings<br />

at 5 pm & 7:30 pm, children age 3 to 12: 50% off. The<br />

Idlewyld is also accepting reservations for holiday<br />

parties. 36 Grand Ave, 519-432-5554, idlewyld.com<br />

The In Home Chef’s new fall cooking class schedule<br />

is here. Just click on the link to check out what<br />

SUNDAY BRUNCH<br />

11am−2pm<br />

Intimate<br />

Outdoor<br />

Courtyard<br />

Open 7 Days a Week<br />

Mon/Tues 11:30-10, Wed/Thurs 11:30-11, Fri/Sat 11:30-12, Sun 11-10<br />

$110<br />

Inclusive<br />

Friday, <strong>September</strong> 21st, <strong>2018</strong><br />

Scotch Tasting is Back!<br />

Simon Hooper Scotch Ambassador, will be showcasing a special Scotch blended<br />

from all their distilleries, only 64 cases in the world. Tickets available now.<br />

$79<br />

Inclusive<br />

Sunday, <strong>October</strong> 7th, <strong>2018</strong> | Brunch - $38.95 ~ Dinner - $42.95<br />

Thanksgiving Buffet at the Idlewyld<br />

Featuring turkey, all the trimmings, hot and cold sides, & a decadent dessert table!<br />

11:00am Brunch, 1:30pm Brunch, 5:00pm Dinner and 7:30pm Dinner.<br />

| Starts at 7:00 pm<br />

Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun!<br />

Ricki just moved to the neighbourhood four months ago, but already he’s been accused<br />

of stealing cats, soliciting foolish relationships, disregarding town building codes and<br />

he’s making enemies fast. In an effort to mend fences and reverse bad first impressions,<br />

Ricki decides to invite the neighbourhood to a god, old-fashioned Halloween party.<br />

36 Grand Ave, London • 519.432.5554 • www.idlewyldinn.com


38 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

they’ve got cooking. Chef Thomas Waite offers<br />

cooking classes, pop-up dinners and a private<br />

dining room. Waite will be partnering with other<br />

chefs and farmers this fall for pop-up dinners and<br />

events. theinhomechef.ca/cooking-classes/<br />

Reverie is a Canadian-focused five-course tasting<br />

menu restaurant with optional wine pairings,<br />

operated by Chef Brian Sua-an and Jerrah Revilles.<br />

Chef uses modern and molecular techniques and<br />

applies them to his cuisine to make each dish<br />

uniquely his own. Chef is teaming up this fall with<br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

our food editor Bryan Lavery for a pop-up event<br />

featuring a menu inspired by Lavery’s former<br />

Murano Restaurant at the end of <strong>September</strong>.<br />

Reservations are required. 1–208 Piccadilly Street,<br />

519-914-6595, reverierestaurant.ca<br />

Thanksgiving Sunday (<strong>October</strong> 7) is the day to treat<br />

family and friends to turkey and all the trimmings,<br />

at Idlewyld Inn & Spa. Thanksgiving Sunday Brunch<br />

Buffet, sittings at 11 am & 1:30 pm. Children age 3 to<br />

12: 50% off. Thanksgiving Sunday Dinner, sittings<br />

at 5 pm & 7:30 pm, children age 3 to 12: 50% off. The<br />

Idlewyld is also accepting reservations for holiday<br />

parties. 36 Grand Ave, 519-432-5554, idlewyld.com<br />

Blackfriars Bistro & Catering is open on Mondays<br />

for lunch and dinner. Betty Heydon’s locallyacclaimed<br />

bistro continues to wow all age groups<br />

and recently celebrated its 22nd birthday. Chefs<br />

prepare innovative, seasonal blackboard specials<br />

with cutting-edge menus that respect tradition.<br />

Closed Sundays. 46 Blackfriars St., 519-667-4930,<br />

blackfriarsbistro.com<br />

Food Trucks on the Farm: It’s Heeman’s 5th annual<br />

Food Truck event on <strong>September</strong> 15 & 16 with unique<br />

food offerings from 10am to 3pm each day. This year’s<br />

trucks include local favourites plus a couple great food<br />

wagons on wheels from the K-W area.Look for, among<br />

others, Bifana Boys, Goodah Gastrotruck, My Big Fat<br />

Food Truck, ish & chips, Smokestacks & The Donut<br />

Diva. heeman.ca/food-trucks/<br />

Matthew and Kristin Buckley of Powerhouse<br />

Brewing are setting up in the former Kellogg’s in<br />

the Albert Kahn-designed power plant. Generators<br />

that once churned out the energy to produce cereal<br />

have been replaced by a four-vessel, 20-barrel<br />

brewhouse. When Powerhouse’s taproom opens,<br />

it will feature eight taps: six Powerhouse or<br />

Tobermory beers plus two rotating among other<br />

craft breweries in London. The brewery is familyowned<br />

and operated, using quality Canadian-made<br />

From Recipe to Reality: How to Start A Food Business<br />

If you want to turn your winning recipe into a successful<br />

venture, then this seminar is for you!<br />

Tuesday, <strong>September</strong> 25 th , <strong>2018</strong> - FREE! (seating is limited!)<br />

Hosted in Partnership with:<br />

379 Dundas Street, Unit 220 | London, Ontario N6B 1V5 | 519-659-2882 | www.sbcentre.ca/foodbusiness


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

equipment. It will offer tastes, tours and memorable<br />

dining experiences. powerhousebrewery.beer<br />

Fanshawe’s College’s new $66-million downtown<br />

campus in the former Kingsmill’s department store<br />

is now open on time and on budget. The hospitality/<br />

culinary and information technology programs<br />

have their new home in the downtown campus.<br />

Most of the third floor is devoted to state-of-theart<br />

kitchens and bakery. The culinary program<br />

will be showcased in Chef’s Table, a groundfloor<br />

restaurant that will help provide a training<br />

ground for culinary students and serve locallysourced<br />

food with a sustainable focus featuring<br />

international flavours.<br />

Culinary wizard Matt Reijnen, former chef at Pub<br />

Milos, has opened Pizzeria Madre in the space<br />

previously occupied by Manito’s Rotisserie at 111<br />

Wellington Street. We are already hearing glowing<br />

reports. pizzeriamadre.wixsite.com/book<br />

Olha and Anatolii Prytkova’s Happiness Coffee<br />

and Desserts opened its doors at 430 Wellington<br />

Street across from One London Place recently. The<br />

family owned business bakes all the European-style<br />

desserts from scratch, including specialty cakes,<br />

cupcakes and chocolates.<br />

Delighted to welcome you late fall <strong>2018</strong><br />

reserve@gracelondon.ca<br />

@gracerestaurantlondon<br />

@graceLDNONT<br />

FRESH.<br />

The essence of who we are.<br />

Visit us to sample over 70 oils and balsamics.<br />

Savour white & dark balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy,<br />

paired with the freshest olive oils from across the globe.<br />

Bottling fresh in store since 2012.<br />

The<br />

Pristine<br />

live<br />

Est. 2012<br />

884 Adelaide Street N. | London | 519-433-4444<br />

www.thepristineolive.ca


40 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Keto Health Foods is on the move! As of <strong>September</strong><br />

8 they at a new location at 911 Commissioners Road<br />

East under a new name – ketolibriyum.<br />

Stratford<br />

Stratford is awash with culinary hubs where locals,<br />

visitors, chefs, farmers, artists and artisans gather,<br />

such as Market Square, Your Local Market Co-op, the<br />

Local Community Food Centre, Stratford Farmers’<br />

Market at the Agri-plex (on Saturdays) and the Slow<br />

Food Farmers’ Market (on Sundays). There are many<br />

great retailers like Bradshaws Kitchen Detail, Downie<br />

WHOLESALE<br />

HAND ROASTED<br />

COFFEE BEANS<br />

FROM MY BUSINESS<br />

TO YOUR BUSINESS<br />

Quality,<br />

Consistency,<br />

and Value<br />

... in the roasting,<br />

in the delivery,<br />

and in the price.<br />

New Location!<br />

1-141 WORTLEY RD.<br />

London, Now Open 6 Days<br />

TM<br />

Street Bakehouse (“Really Good Bread from the Wrong<br />

Side of the Tracks”), Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar and<br />

Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop. The recently opened<br />

Grounded is Stratford’s only purely plant-based café.<br />

facebook.com/ Groundedraw/<br />

The Planet Diner, with candy-apple red upholstered<br />

booths and a ’50s vibe, is warm and welcoming,<br />

with enthusiastic and well-informed staff. Owner<br />

Dee Christensen says, “This is where herbivores can<br />

bring their carnivore friends.” Most items on the<br />

menu are derived from plant-based ingredients, but<br />

there are meat-based options. There’s just nothing<br />

like the Chick’un burger made in-house with vegan<br />

buffalo butter. Try the cashew-based banana split,<br />

bound to be a hit even with die-hard ice cream<br />

lovers. 118 Downie Street. theplanetdiner.com<br />

Digi Writing + Literary Festival: A literary festival<br />

with a culinary twist. The Appetite for Words<br />

Festival program is a partnership between the<br />

Stratford Writers Festival and Stratford Chefs<br />

School, featuring authors who have written about<br />

food and fiction writers who have food as a strong<br />

component of their novels. Chefs and students<br />

from Stratford Chefs School develop and prepare<br />

menus inspired by featured books so you can<br />

taste the words you’re reading. Appetite for Words<br />

revolves around storytelling and is created for the<br />

enthusiastic and curious — anyone interested in<br />

reading, discussing and consuming food (that’s you,<br />

right?). There will also be educational workshops<br />

and tasting sessions. At literary dinners and<br />

lunches, food is matched with authors’ readings, so<br />

participants can taste the words they’re hearing.<br />

During workshops, participants can build their<br />

skills and increase their knowledge of both<br />

the culinary and literary arts. From a literary<br />

picnic-style farm lunch to a food photography<br />

workshop, come whet your appetite for literature.<br />

stratfordwritersfestival.com/literary-events/<br />

appetite-for-words-festival/<br />

We have a Latte to be thankful for...<br />

and it’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Season!<br />

223 Colborne St., Port Stanley 519-782-7800 • 1-141 Wortley Rd., London 519-601-6610<br />

The Market at Western Fair, 900 King St. London Sat. 8–3 • www.peppertreespice.com


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Olive Your Favourites let us know their new<br />

Southern Hemisphere extra virgin olive oils (EVOO)<br />

have arrived from Chile and South Africa and the<br />

customer-favourite Hojiblanca EVOO from Australia<br />

is due at any moment. oliveyourfavourites.com<br />

Raja Fine Indian Cuisine is the place for authentic<br />

Northern Indian food in Stratford. Raja offers upscale<br />

cuisine in sophisticated and elegant surroundings,<br />

and knowledgeable, well-trained staff. The service<br />

is white linen, and professional but friendly. Foods<br />

are prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients.<br />

The heat quotient of dishes can be adjusted to your<br />

preferences. Raja offers milder Indian fare such as<br />

Butter Chicken, Korma, and Tikka Masala. 10 George<br />

Street West, rajastratford.ca<br />

Milky Whey offers Cheese Pairings workshops<br />

starting <strong>October</strong> 27. visitstratford.ca/partner/The-<br />

Milky-Whey-Fine-Cheese-Shop<br />

The Bruce Restaurant offers delicious events<br />

including a complete take away Thanksgiving dinner!<br />

visitstratford.ca/partner/The-Bruce-Restaurant<br />

Savour Stratford Chocolate Trail. If you’re a chocoholic<br />

this is the trail for you! What could be better<br />

than spending an afternoon (or two) strolling<br />

Hey Cupcake!<br />

where art is<br />

a piece of cake<br />

The ORIGINAL<br />

LONDON CAKERY &<br />

GOURMET CUPCAKE<br />

BAKERY<br />

Fall Food Fest<br />

Saturday, <strong>September</strong> 29 10am–1pm<br />

Celebrate the harvest and come to the Farmers’<br />

Market for this annual family-friendly event.<br />

Celebrate our local farmers and enjoy the fall<br />

season. In partnership with Growing Chefs, we<br />

will be hosting a free<br />

corn roast, children’s<br />

activities, live music,<br />

a cooking class<br />

and a contest<br />

with local chefs.<br />

Family Pumpkin Patch<br />

Saturday, <strong>October</strong> 20 10am–1pm<br />

Enjoy lots of fun for the kids including crafts, a<br />

bouncy castle, face painting, entertainment,<br />

seasonal treats and more. Kids, don’t forget to<br />

dress up in your Halloween costumes!<br />

Vegan Cooking Workshop<br />

Thursday, <strong>September</strong> 20 6:30 pm–8:30 pm<br />

Learn to make fabulous vegan meals in a small<br />

class. You will cook, eat and take home all the<br />

yummy recipes. Go to our website to register!<br />

FREE Cooking Classes are held Saturdays,<br />

11am–noon, upstairs in the Market Kitchen,<br />

until <strong>September</strong> 22.<br />

FREE PARKING<br />

With Validation<br />

Half Hour Weekdays<br />

ASK US Custom Bakery • Walk-In Orders Available<br />

ABOUT OUR<br />

“RANDOM<br />

ACTS OF<br />

SWEETNESS!”<br />

CAMPAIGN<br />

www.heycupcake.ca<br />

275 Wharncliffe Rd. North<br />

519-433-CAKE (2253)<br />

STORE HOURS: Mon–Fri 11–7<br />

Saturday 10–5 • Sunday 11–4<br />

Market Hours<br />

Monday to Saturday<br />

Mezzanine & Restaurant Hours Differ


42 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

the Victorian streets of Stratford and sampling<br />

chocolate? The self-guided Chocolate Trail is<br />

offered year-round. Tickets are just $30 (+HST), are<br />

valid for one week from the date of purchase, and<br />

can be used at six of the 27 stops. visitstratford.ca/<br />

chocolatetrail<br />

Savour Stratford Bacon and Ale Trail. This selfguided<br />

walking trail includes vouchers that you<br />

can use at 5 stops. Each voucher will entitle you to<br />

a “tasting” of unique bacon and ale inspired treats<br />

and the chance to speak to Stratford and area’s<br />

“a gastronomical landmark for over 22 years”<br />

Bistro & Catering<br />

Lunch Mon–Fri<br />

Dinner Mon–Sat<br />

Dietary Needs Accommodated | Ample Free Parking<br />

Available for Private Parties<br />

46 Blackfriars Street, London | 519-667-4930<br />

blackfriarsbistro.com<br />

Far Out ...<br />

but we like it that way!<br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

culinary stars while visiting restaurants and retail<br />

locations. This trail is offered year-round and is<br />

valid for one week from the date of purchase ($30<br />

+HST). visitstratford.ca/bacontrail<br />

Around the Region<br />

Alton Farms Estate Winery, a pioneer estate winery<br />

and vineyard in Ontario’s emerging wine region,<br />

Huron Shores, is featured in this issue’s Wine<br />

column. In late-breaking news, the winery just<br />

celebrated their fifth anniversary with fresh new<br />

graphics and signage. altonfarmsestatewinery.com<br />

Lambton County continues to add to its fine list<br />

of beverage producers, which also includes Twin<br />

Pines Cider House in Lambton Shores, Refined Fool<br />

Brewing Co. in Sarnia, and the Munro Meadery<br />

in Alvinston. Just around the corner from Alton<br />

Farms Estate Winery, the Stonepicker Brewing<br />

Company taproom and retail outlet is now open,<br />

Thursday to Sunday. Partners Mary & Joe Donkers<br />

and Laura and Jim Soetemans are brewing ales,<br />

lagers and stouts from the Donkers farm, where<br />

they are also growing some of their own barley.<br />

7143 Forest Road, Plympton-Wyoming (Forest)<br />

stonepickerbrewingcompany.com<br />

Stonetown Artisan Cheese is a purveyor of Swiss<br />

mountain-style cheeses, hand-crafted by master<br />

cheesemaker Ramon Eberle. Using unpasteurized<br />

milk from farmers Hans and Jolanda Weber’s<br />

herd of Holsteins, Eberle uses raw milk so that the<br />

cheese ripens as naturally as possible while the<br />

flavours improve with maturation. Cheeses and<br />

other local products are available to buy on-site<br />

at the farm store. Guided group tours are $5 per<br />

person (60–90 minutes for a minimum 15 people).<br />

5021 Perth County Line 8 (Kirkton Road), St. Marys,<br />

519-229-6856, stonetowncheese.com<br />

Fat Olive, a new Italian-inspired family-friendly<br />

restaurant in Dorchester, has opened at 2135<br />

Dorchester Road. fatolive.ca<br />

Blair Rd<br />

London<br />

International<br />

Airport<br />

Crumlin Rd<br />

Oxford St<br />

½ Price<br />

Bottle of Wine Wednesdays<br />

$5<br />

| 16-oz Pints Thursdays |<br />

Check out our Stormy Skies &<br />

Caesar, Caesar, Caesar Sunday<br />

519-455-9005<br />

katanakafe.ca<br />

2530 Blair Rd, London<br />

Diamond Flight Centre<br />

Lunch Mon–Fri 11–3 • Dinner Wed–Sun from 5pm • Weekend Breakfast 9–12, Lunch 12–3, Dinner 5–9


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Chris and Mary Woolf have ceased operations of<br />

Little Red’s in St Marys and retired at the end of<br />

August. Congratulations go out for two successful<br />

and celebrated careers in hospitality, and best wishes<br />

for many enjoyable years in retirement. Cheers!<br />

Heritage Grain Weekend and Bread Camp is an<br />

opportunity to educate and connect growers,<br />

millers, bakers and chefs who are creating a rise in<br />

demand for local grains. This program will increase<br />

a baker’s capacity to procure and utilize regionally<br />

grown whole grains to help build and develop the<br />

regional food shed. Bread Camp is for chefs, cooks<br />

and bakers, and those with an interest in baking<br />

who want to gain more knowledge in the versatility<br />

of using specialty grains. <strong>October</strong> 19, 20 and 21.<br />

cktable.ca/regenerate-event-weekend-<strong>2018</strong>/<br />

Taste Detours highlights Guelph’s history by mapping<br />

it from one culinary experience to the next, offering an<br />

authentic “taste of place.” Lynn Broughton, founder<br />

of Taste Detours (tastedetours.ca, 1-866-736-6343),<br />

is a certified Food Tour Professional, a passionate<br />

and knowledgeable guide. Guelph has stunning<br />

architecture, a strong cultural fabric and a rich history<br />

that Taste Detours explores through food and drink<br />

experiences. tastedetours.ca<br />

Living<br />

Energy!<br />

Conveniently packaged, living and ready to eat.<br />

Just snip, rinse & serve!<br />

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44 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

Since 1969 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has<br />

developed its own traditions, combining the largest<br />

Bavarian festival in North America with the greatest<br />

Thanksgiving Day Parade in Canada. Thousands of<br />

visitors celebrate annually in the Festhallen and<br />

by attending one or more of 40 family and cultural<br />

events. The local economy is stimulated through the<br />

celebration of this spirit of Gemuetlichkeit, and over<br />

70 charities and not-for-profit organizations raise<br />

funds to support the high quality of life enjoyed in<br />

Kitchener-Waterloo. Tickets for the 50th Anniversary<br />

event (<strong>October</strong> 5–13) are on sale now. oktoberfest.ca<br />

Experience Hessenland Inn & Vineyard<br />

Where heritage is infused into every vine and vintage<br />

Join us for one of our<br />

Signature Events & Experiences!<br />

• Thanksgiving Buffet & Dinner<br />

• 3rd Annual Long Table Dinner<br />

• Novemberfest<br />

• Fall SOULitude & MORE!<br />

Accommodations • Award-Winning Gardens • Private Beach Access<br />

Vineyard • Dining Room with European & Locally Inspired Fare<br />

Located steps from Lake Huron between Grand Bend & Bayfield<br />

Call 519-236-7707 or 866-543-7736<br />

hessen@hessenland.com • www.hessenland.com<br />

Reservations required for all events<br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Early Bird Coffee will be moving to 815 Juliana<br />

Drive in Woodstock. Their focus is on producing<br />

top quality coffee that is sustainable, economically<br />

supportive. early-bird.ca<br />

Truffle Camp: Handcraft a dozen of your own<br />

delicious and gourmet truffles alongside Cindy<br />

Walker of Chocolatea. Learn how to use flavours<br />

from Southwestern Ontario to create a selection<br />

of delicious ganaches as you step into the role of<br />

chocolatier. $75.00 per person + HST. Chocolatea,<br />

Ingersoll, chocolatea.ca/product/truffle-camp<br />

Preserving Workshops: Join Rural Oxford and Chef<br />

Murray Zehr to learn how to preserve the season’s<br />

freshest produce. From workshops on salsa and<br />

beets to apples 101, you’ll love exploring ways to eat<br />

local all year long. roedc.ca/preserving<br />

A Taste Of Port is celebrating the food of Central<br />

Elgin, and the wine and craft beers of the region.<br />

Come and join them as they launch the first Food<br />

Festival <strong>September</strong> 21 to 23 in beautiful Port<br />

Stanley. portstanley.net/a-taste-of-port/<br />

A trip to Port wouldn’t be the same without a stop<br />

at Shaw’s Ice Cream. It’s been serving up “delicious<br />

old fashioned ice cream made the way it should be”<br />

and is celebrating its 75th birthday. Shaw’s offers<br />

a wide selection of hard ice cream, fruit sorbets,<br />

frozen yogurt, thick milkshakes, decadent sundaes<br />

and celebratory ice cream cakes. 6598 Sunset Drive,<br />

St. Thomas. 519-631-2510. shawsicecream.com<br />

Ottercreek Woodworks is opening their doors<br />

to offer an exclusive Tree to Table Experience to<br />

visitors interested in crafting a beautiful live-edge<br />

charcuterie board with the woodworker himself.<br />

Explore a Carolinian forest, savour a charcuteriestyle<br />

lunch and of course, create something<br />

beautiful with your own hands in an environmentally<br />

conscious way. $250.00 per person + HST, Ottercreek<br />

Woodworks, Burgessville. ottercreekwoodworks.ca.<br />

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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

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This home delivery service has some<br />

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The 12th Annual Taste Real Fall Rural Romp is a<br />

self-guided tour of Guelph and Southern Wellington<br />

County farms, markets and local food businesses.<br />

Experience a day in the countryside, meet local<br />

farmers, eat, learn about food and experience the<br />

local bounty. Saturday <strong>September</strong> 29. wellington.<br />

ca/en/business/tr-fallruralromp.aspx<br />

We want your BUZZ!<br />

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that you’d like us to share?<br />

Every issue, <strong>Eatdrink</strong> reaches more than<br />

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Get in touch with us at editor@eatdrink.ca and/or<br />

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46 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

In Memoriam<br />

Paul Leigh Smith, 1928–<strong>2018</strong><br />

Founder of Hasbeans, Covent Garden Market<br />

Contributed by Joel McMillan<br />

“It’s for you, Papa.” I say handing him the phone.<br />

“Oh, hello Sandra, you’re looking well!” He’s<br />

got that sparkle in his eye, with a laugh just below<br />

the surface. I often wondered how many people<br />

he caught off guard with that simple greeting. Did<br />

they thank him with an automatic response and<br />

then later think, “Hey, wait a minute ... what? Is he<br />

watching me?!”<br />

That was him. Constantly cracking jokes, ranging<br />

from ridiculously inappropriate to little kid corny<br />

“dad” jokes. He also had an amazing ability to call up<br />

images from his past, images that would transport<br />

you to the very places that had affected him with<br />

so much awe and wonder. Whether he was driving<br />

through mountain ranges or sitting on his deck up<br />

north by the lake or with people from back in the day,<br />

you were there with him through his words.<br />

I think one of the most inspiring aspects of Papa<br />

was his ability to immerse himself in business without<br />

becoming inhuman. I believe that’s why he was able to<br />

overcome the many obstacles that any entrepreneur<br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

faces. Many many<br />

years ago, when his<br />

father Paul Smith Sr.<br />

ran businesses in the<br />

market, Papa was<br />

filling in the blanks<br />

and doing a lot of<br />

damage control. With<br />

the help of my mom<br />

Deb, Papa’s daughter<br />

who started working<br />

with Papa at a very<br />

young age, and with<br />

his head held high,<br />

he pulled those<br />

businesses out of debt and continued to evolve and<br />

better himself and the whole family.<br />

When he conceived of Hasbeans in 1969, Papa<br />

was truly swimming in unknown waters. Coffee<br />

roasting was absolutely unheard of in North<br />

America. It didn’t take long to catch on though, and<br />

Hasbeans has been (wink wink nudge nudge) firing<br />

delicious coffee into your mouths since!<br />

You might have known my Papa as a man who<br />

kicked alcohol 50 years ago. You might have known<br />

him as a man who smiles and plays with your kids<br />

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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

when your family swings by the market. You might<br />

have known him to help you when life felt it was<br />

at its worse, to guide you to a better you. He truly<br />

was an inspiration to everyone he crossed paths<br />

with and his mark has been softly yet permanently<br />

recorded in many of our hearts.<br />

As Mom and I fully take over the reigns of the<br />

shop and all that it means to run a business in this<br />

modern world, I’m reminded of the love, time, and<br />

Anthony Michael Bourdain, 1956–<strong>2018</strong><br />

Chef, writer and broadcaster<br />

Contributed by Holly Granken<br />

When we heard the news that Anthony<br />

Bourdain had taken his own life, we were in<br />

shock. In one way or another, he had an impact<br />

on anyone who works in a kitchen. He was<br />

cool, he was a bad-ass and he worked damn<br />

hard — something all of us pride ourselves<br />

on. We read his books, we watched his shows,<br />

he was awesome. I wanted to do something<br />

to honour him. I’ve always loved the cover of<br />

Kitchen Confidential. It’s a photo of a young Tony<br />

with two other chefs. They’re leaning against a<br />

graffiti-covered wall holding huge knives with<br />

self-satisfied smirks on their faces. I wanted to<br />

The Best Ingredients<br />

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<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 47<br />

energy Deb and Paul put into this glorious little<br />

magic bean shop. The sacrifices were worth it, and I<br />

know he will live on through us, the fourth and fifth<br />

generation in the market. I wouldn’t be half the man<br />

I am today without his soul, love and charity. Come<br />

on by the shop if you miss him. He will always be<br />

there ... crackin’ jokes.<br />

— Joel McMillan is Paul Smith’s grandson and a<br />

proprietor at Hasbeans in Covent Garden Market.<br />

recreate that golden moment with my own crew. I<br />

hope you will consider this for publication.<br />

— Holly Granken is a photographer (Studio 575)<br />

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48 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Theatre<br />

World Curious, London Proud<br />

This Season at The Grand Theatre<br />

By JANE ANTONIAK<br />

The culinary world often champions<br />

the eating local philosophy. At the<br />

Grand Theatre in London, artistic<br />

director Dennis Garnhum puts his<br />

own spin on the local movement. The Grand’s<br />

vision is to be “World Curious, London<br />

Proud.” The new season of 12 productions on<br />

two stages, which kicks off in <strong>September</strong> with<br />

the High School Project and wraps up in May<br />

with Mamma Mia!, pays tribute to this vision<br />

with internationally acclaimed and locallyinfused<br />

productions.<br />

Local<br />

It all starts with a uniquely London tradition:<br />

The High School Project and the controversial<br />

decision to produce Prom Queen: The Musical.<br />

There was criticism from some long-time<br />

educational partners who felt the topic was<br />

not appropriate for younger audiences, but<br />

the controversy spurred on a successful<br />

crowd-funding campaign. In turn, The Grand<br />

announced it would use the funds to offer<br />

1,600 complimentary tickets to schools. It<br />

runs <strong>September</strong> 18 to 29. Meanwhile advance<br />

sales have doubled over the previous season,<br />

according to The Grand. The production,<br />

directed by Garnhum, stars London high school<br />

student Devon Kenway and features more<br />

than 50 students on stage and another 30 back<br />

David Webber and Fisayo Akinade in Barber Shop Chronicles<br />

at The National Theatre. Photo by Marc Brenner<br />

stage. They receive mentoring by professionals<br />

in all aspects of theatre production through<br />

this unique program, now it its 22nd year.<br />

Prom Queen was developed by the Musical<br />

Theatre Project at Sheridan College. It is based<br />

on the real-life story of a teenager, Marc Hall,<br />

who wanted to bring his same-sex partner to<br />

the high school prom, and the controversy<br />

that ensued. It is described as being suited for<br />

youth in Grade 7 and beyond.<br />

Vigilante, the story of the locally famous<br />

Black Donnellys of Lucan — think 1880s<br />

massacre in a rural setting with a modernday<br />

rock musical score — returns to the<br />

Grand February 19 to March 9. It was last<br />

here in 2016, when it played to sold-out<br />

houses. Ironically, it is an Edmonton company,<br />

Catalyst Theatre, which tells the story<br />

so many locals know by heart.<br />

World<br />

Being “world curious” is depicted by Garnhum’s<br />

accomplishment in bringing Barber Shop<br />

Chronicles from the National Theatre in London,<br />

England to this London for its only Canadian<br />

performance. As of late June, the show was<br />

already 50% sold out for the run from November<br />

15 to 24 on the Spriet Stage. This high-energy<br />

production takes the audience to barber<br />

shops around the world to hear discussions by<br />

African men. From our London it<br />

heads to the Kennedy Centre in<br />

Washington, D.C. We are certainly<br />

fortunate to have Garnhum<br />

spotting such hits and bringing<br />

them to our community.<br />

The Brits return at Christmas<br />

with the second annual production<br />

of A Christmas Carol,<br />

December 5 to 29. This is a<br />

reprise of Garnhum’s spectacular<br />

adaptation of 2017, featuring iceskating,<br />

ghosts, and the re-birth<br />

of the human spirit. This year<br />

theatre-goers will see the lobby


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

transformed into an artisanal market with local<br />

vendors, artists, carolers and more, including<br />

treats and cider. This is sure to warm your holiday<br />

season!<br />

Our American neighbours bring us the<br />

Pulitzer Prize-winning production of August<br />

Wilson’s Fences, March 19 to April 6. This is a<br />

look at Pittsburgh in the 1950s through the<br />

eyes of a former Negro League baseball star,<br />

now a garbage collector.<br />

National<br />

The Grand has a focus on global and local<br />

stories, as well as being proudly national with<br />

the beloved story of Maggie & Pierre as well<br />

as Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, which is<br />

directed by Canadian Megan Follows.<br />

If you reach far enough back in the time<br />

machine you will remember Follows as Anne<br />

of Green Gables, or as Juliet at the Stratford<br />

Festival opposite a young Antoni Cimolino.<br />

This Canadian-made story retells Homer’s<br />

Odyssey through the eyes of Penelope, the wife<br />

of Odysseus. It runs January 22 to February 9.<br />

For those with long theatrical memories<br />

or who were swept up in Trudeaumania, the<br />

nostalgic show of the season will be Maggie<br />

& Pierre. This epic Canadian love story runs<br />

February 12 to 23, and has already been<br />

extended. The one-woman show tells the story<br />

of a young Maggie Sinclair falling in love with<br />

Canada’s dashing, and much older, Prime<br />

Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. I first saw this<br />

as a teenager in Toronto and can’t wait to see<br />

it again decades later! It stars Kaitlyn Riordan<br />

who portrays many characters, including the<br />

love-struck couple, their parents, members of<br />

the media, and more.<br />

Timothy Findley’s The Wars runs from <strong>October</strong> 23 to, fittingly,<br />

November 11, the 100th anniversary of The Great War.<br />

PortStanley FestivalTheatre<br />

IMPROV<br />

NIGHT<br />

Cash Bar, Appezers & Laughs!<br />

Join Us for a Night of Holiday Improv<br />

Saturday December 1 8pm<br />

LINK theatre & PortStanleyFestivalTheatre<br />

presents a really Retro<br />

CROONER Christmas<br />

featuring Rick Kish<br />

& Connor Boa<br />

with those<br />

fabulous Croonettes<br />

&The Nevin<br />

Campbell Trio<br />

Saturday December 8<br />

2pm & 8pm<br />

$<br />

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these Events are PSFT Fundraisers<br />

*Prices subject to HST/Handling<br />

To Purchase Tickets<br />

519-782-4353 www.ps.ca<br />

acknowledgment of the 100th anniversary of<br />

the end of WWI, known as the war that was<br />

supposed to end all wars. This fittingly runs<br />

in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day,<br />

<strong>October</strong> 23 to November 11 — a poignant day<br />

to close the show. There will be several events<br />

around this production including a pre-show<br />

theatre talk on November 7 at noon by James<br />

Reaney, long-time London Free Press arts<br />

writer (now retired).<br />

Another Ontario journalist, Ian<br />

Brown (CBC, Globe and Mail), brings<br />

us The Boy in the Moon, November<br />

20 to December 1. It is based on a<br />

true story of a family that includes a<br />

severely disabled son, Walker.<br />

The Grand season wraps up with<br />

the feel-good musical, Mamma Mia!<br />

April 23 to May 11, 2019. The music of<br />

Abba, and a complicated love/family<br />

story will take us into the summer on<br />

a high note!<br />

A “world curious” production with a<br />

national slant is The Wars by Timothy Findley.<br />

Adapted and directed by Garnhum, it is his<br />

JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to <strong>Eatdrink</strong>.<br />

She is also Manager, Communications & Media Relations,<br />

at King’s University College in London.


50 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

<strong>2018</strong>/1<br />

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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 51<br />

Music<br />

Change of Season<br />

Upcoming Highlights on the Music Scene<br />

By GERRY BLACKWELL<br />

Photo by Rachelle Richard-Léger<br />

The season has begun. That’s what<br />

they used to call it, when all the<br />

cultural and social events in a city<br />

started again in the fall: the season.<br />

London this year has an exciting jam-packed<br />

music season, with something for everyone.<br />

Roxanne Potvin<br />

Kick it off with Montreal-based Junonominated<br />

singer-songwriter Roxanne Potvin<br />

at London Music Club Friday, <strong>September</strong><br />

14. Potvin is touring a new five-song EP, a<br />

follow-up to her 2016 album, For Dreaming.<br />

Know her name, but can’t place Potvin’s music?<br />

Check it out here: goo.gl/Zwnk7A.<br />

Also on <strong>September</strong> 14, Stratford’s Revival<br />

House (revival.house) presents Gypsy Kumbia<br />

Orchestra from Montreal, a potent mix of<br />

Afro-Colombian music and dance, with the<br />

brass and violin melodies of Eastern Europe,<br />

combining live music, choreographed dance,<br />

circus, theatrical staging and dynamic audience<br />

interaction. Taking over dance floors wherever<br />

they go, the 16-piece Juno-nominated group<br />

Gypsy Kumbia<br />

Orchestra<br />

formed three years ago and has won numerous<br />

awards. They will also participate in the TD<br />

Sunfest World Music & Jazz Series with<br />

an appearance at Aeolian Hall on Saturday,<br />

<strong>October</strong> 13, where they received an enthusiastic<br />

reception back in May. sunfest.on.ca<br />

Then on Saturday, <strong>September</strong> 15, London<br />

Symphonia, the surviving core of the old<br />

Orchestra London, kicks off its season<br />

at Metropolitan United Church with<br />

“Revolutionary Tales.” The program features<br />

rising star Kerson Leong in Sergei Prokofiev’s<br />

Violin Concerto No. 1 and Hector Berlioz’s<br />

great Symphonie Fantastique. CBC Radio host<br />

Tom Allen emcees the evening.<br />

London’s venerable Jazz for the People<br />

series keeps trucking along. The fall season<br />

opens Wednesday, <strong>September</strong> 19 at Wolf<br />

Performance Hall with a show featuring<br />

vocalist Rick Kish and The Ken Foster<br />

Quartet. It’s always free, always fun.<br />

Magisterra<br />

Soloists<br />

Classical music seems to be undergoing a<br />

renaissance in London. Magisterra Soloists<br />

is a relatively new chamber music ensemble<br />

in town — based here but touring widely. The<br />

musicians kick off their season at Museum<br />

London on Thursday, <strong>September</strong> 20 with<br />

“Aimez-vous Brahms?” The concert features<br />

guest soloists Kyoko Hasimoto, a Montrealbased<br />

pianist, and world-renowned Dutch<br />

Photo by Viara Mileva


52 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

violist and composer Vladimir Mendelssohn.<br />

The program includes Brahms’ iconic G-minor<br />

piano quartet, and a less familiar work, the<br />

powerful piano quintet by Louis Victor Jules<br />

Vierne (1870-1937).<br />

Dala<br />

Aeolian Hall has a great season this fall.<br />

Dala, an award-winning folk duo with<br />

heavenly harmonies, is in Friday, <strong>September</strong><br />

28. Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine<br />

have been singing together since high school,<br />

and writing insightful folk songs for almost<br />

as long. They always turn in a polished,<br />

entertaining performance.<br />

If folk is your flavour, the Cuckoo’s Nest<br />

Folk Club is the (other) place to be. The longrunning<br />

series is on at Chaucer’s Pub for<br />

another season. On Monday, <strong>October</strong> 1, direct<br />

from Scotland, it’s North Sea Gas! Don’t know<br />

the Gas? Check ‘em out here: goo.gl/a18hzm.<br />

Hint: it’s three Scottish blokes playing spirited<br />

Celtic folk music. You really can’t go wrong.<br />

Speaking of Celtic, Jimmy Rankin of the<br />

Rankin Family is at Aeolian Hall on Wednesday,<br />

<strong>October</strong> 3. Rankin recently moved back to Nova<br />

Scotia from Nashville and is touring a new<br />

album, aptly named Moving East. It’s billed as a<br />

Cape Breton kitchen party on disc and features<br />

his trademark east-coast folk-rock sound. “I<br />

was trying<br />

to distill<br />

the fabric<br />

of Maritime<br />

culture into<br />

a musical<br />

collection<br />

replete with<br />

life’s highs<br />

and lows,”<br />

Rankin<br />

says of the<br />

album.<br />

The music<br />

performance<br />

Jimmy Rankin<br />

schedule<br />

at Western<br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

U’s Music Faculty gets into high gear when<br />

renowned American concert pianist Sara<br />

Davis Buechner appears Friday, <strong>October</strong> 5.<br />

She plays at the Paul Davenport Theatre in<br />

Talbot College. Buechner appears as part of the<br />

Parsons and Poole Legacy Concert series, created<br />

to honour pioneering Music Faculty members<br />

Margaret Parsons and Clifford Poole. For<br />

more about Western Music: goo.gl/YUs1vo.<br />

Yet another memorial concert series, the<br />

Jeffery Concerts, is bringing in internationally<br />

praised Canadian concert violinist James<br />

Ehnes. The Guardian newspaper called Ehnes,<br />

“effusively lyrical … hair-raisingly virtuosic.”<br />

He appears with pianist and frequent recording<br />

and performing partner Andrew Armstrong.<br />

They’re at Wolf Performance Hall on<br />

Wednesday, <strong>October</strong> 10. The program includes<br />

works by Beethoven, Ravel, Brahms and 20th<br />

century American composer John Corigliano.<br />

James Ehnes<br />

You see what we mean about a renaissance<br />

of classical music. But if classical isn’t your cup<br />

of tea, how about good ol’ Jann Arden. The<br />

much-loved Canadian singer-songwriter —<br />

and broadcaster, speaker, actor and author —<br />

is at Budweiser Gardens, also on Wednesday,<br />

<strong>October</strong> 10. Arden has a new album, These Are<br />

The Days. The London date kicks off a national<br />

tour for the disc.<br />

The TD Sunfest World Music & Jazz Series<br />

<strong>2018</strong>-19 is bringing multi-award-winning<br />

British folk trio The Young’uns to the<br />

The Young’uns


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club (Chaucer’s Pub) on<br />

Monday, <strong>October</strong> 15. The Young’uns, a capella<br />

specialists, sing traditional English and modern<br />

folk songs, including their own compositions.<br />

They have a new-ish album, 2017’s Strangers.<br />

Check out their music here: goo.gl/uFk2PH.<br />

Down the road in Chatham<br />

that same Wednesday, <strong>October</strong><br />

15, it’s another multi-awardwinner,<br />

big-voiced home-grown<br />

indie-rock star Serena Ryder.<br />

She’s at the Capitol Theatre (238<br />

King St. W.) Ryder scarcely needs<br />

an introduction. She’s been<br />

wowing audiences at home in<br />

Canada and abroad for 20 years.<br />

She now has 10 albums to her<br />

credit, including last year’s twodisc<br />

Utopia. Big star, big show.<br />

London Symphonia is back<br />

on Tuesday, <strong>October</strong> 16, this time<br />

at Talbot Street Church, and with<br />

just the LS Winds. They’re playing<br />

an interesting program of works by modern<br />

composers with a London connection — Western<br />

U grad Jeff Smallman, former Music Faculty<br />

member Kenneth Bray and London-based jazz<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 53<br />

guitarist (and former UWO English prof) Oliver<br />

Whitehead. They’re also playing works by a couple<br />

of other guys called Brahms and Mozart.<br />

Prog-rock pioneers The Strawbs are at<br />

Aeolian Hall, also on Tuesday, <strong>October</strong> 16.<br />

They’re billing it as their farewell electric tour,<br />

the last time featuring the<br />

full band. The lineup includes<br />

original members Dave<br />

Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas<br />

Cronk and Tony Fernandez,<br />

who were all there for the<br />

band’s classic 1970s albums.<br />

The group started over 50 years<br />

ago, double-billing early on<br />

with another up-and-coming<br />

band, The Rolling Stones.<br />

They played bluegrass at first,<br />

then folk-rock, then evolved<br />

to a more layered, melotronic<br />

Serena Ryder<br />

sound. Half a century on, the<br />

Strawbs still draw raves.<br />

It’s a busy week of music in<br />

the city. There’s another Jazz for the People<br />

at Wolf Performance Hall on Wednesday,<br />

<strong>October</strong> 17, this time featuring The Four<br />

Trombones. We’re guessing it’s not the 1950s<br />

DIGGIN’<br />

DUNDAS<br />

SHARE THE LOVE & WIN<br />

#DigginDundas


54 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

combo featuring Kai Winding, but it should<br />

still be fun if it really does feature four bones.<br />

Then it’s Australian roots music guitar prodigy<br />

Daniel Champagne at the London Music Club<br />

on Thursday, <strong>October</strong> 18. “He coaxes sounds<br />

and melodies out of his instrument that<br />

literally drop jaws,” says The Calgary Herald.<br />

ing new students into professional music studio<br />

mmunity<br />

lifelong gift of music<br />

Jill Barber<br />

s<br />

, encouraging, understanding<br />

It gets even better on the weekend at<br />

Aeolian Hall. First, it’s two dates with jazz<br />

sweetheart Jill Barber — she of the smoky<br />

voice and retro arrangements — first on<br />

Friday, <strong>October</strong> 19, then again Saturday,<br />

<strong>October</strong> 20. Barber’s latest album, Metaphora,<br />

dropped in June. Legendary Canadian concert<br />

Develop skills & a love for music<br />

PIANO LESSONS<br />

pianist André Laplante is in the next night,<br />

Sunday, <strong>October</strong> 21. Laplante has played all<br />

over Canada and around the world with great<br />

orchestras, and records prolifically. A rare<br />

opportunity to see a master play.<br />

The next Parsons & Poole Legacy Concert<br />

goes Friday, <strong>October</strong> 27, 11 a.m. at the Paul<br />

Davenport Theatre in Talbot College. It<br />

features award-winning young Canadian<br />

concert pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin<br />

— who was a student of Laplante’s, and also<br />

records on the Quebec-based Analekta label<br />

where Laplante has long been a mainstay.<br />

Remember Centennial Hall? It still gets<br />

the occasional name act, sometimes great big<br />

ones. On Friday, November 2, former Great<br />

Big Sea front man Alan Doyle and his band,<br />

along with special guest Whitney Rose, are<br />

in to play some Newfoundland Celtic rock.<br />

They’re also at the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia<br />

the next night, part of the summer leg of<br />

Doyle’s #ComeOutWithMe tour. Should be a<br />

rollicking good time.<br />

The Jeffery Concerts has Quartetto di<br />

Cremona at Wolf Performance Hall on Friday,<br />

November 9. Founded in Cremona, Italy, the<br />

group plays historic instruments, including<br />

Stradivari, performs all over the world,<br />

records on the Audite label and routinely<br />

draws rave reviews. The all-Italian program<br />

includes works by Boccherini, Verdi, Puccini<br />

and Respighi. jefferyconcerts.com<br />

Liona Boyd<br />

Experienced Piano/Theory Teacher<br />

now accepting new students<br />

Individual Instruction for All Ages<br />

Compassionate, Caring, Encouraging<br />

Home-based Professional Music Studio<br />

Royal Conservatory Exam Preparation<br />

University Piano Proficiency Preparation<br />

Beth Hickey, BA (MUS)<br />

North London<br />

bhickey57@hotmail.com 519-432-4022<br />

Best for last? Liona Boyd is at Aeolian Hall<br />

on Tuesday, November 13. Boyd, a legendary<br />

cross-over figure in the classical world, has<br />

played everywhere and everything since her<br />

debut in 1975. She used to open for Gordon<br />

Lightfoot, and has performed with Chet<br />

Atkins, Eric Clapton and Yo Yo Ma, to name a<br />

few. Don’t miss an intimate evening with the<br />

first lady of guitar.<br />

GERRY BLACKWELL is a London-based freelance<br />

writer.


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 55<br />

Recipes<br />

From Farm to Table to Page<br />

Forest City Cookbook<br />

By Alieska Robles<br />

Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN<br />

If you’re not paying attention, London<br />

might seem a little ... beige (as I once<br />

heard it described by comedian Billy<br />

Connolly). Fortunately, Alieska Robles<br />

has experience finding the heart of a place.<br />

She was raised in Caracas, Venezuela and<br />

spent several years in Buenos Aires, Argentina<br />

before relocating to London. Once here,<br />

she went looking for the vibrant network of<br />

people that make up the local food movement<br />

in London. The result of this labour of love<br />

of nearly two years is Forest City Cookbook<br />

(Alieska Robles; self-published; <strong>2018</strong>).<br />

The best cookbooks, to me, are stories of<br />

people and their traditions, our memories of the<br />

past and our connections to our communities.<br />

Forest City Cookbook focuses on local producers,<br />

artisans and chefs in the London region. It’s<br />

organized not by courses but by producers,<br />

and offers recipes from local chefs using the<br />

highlighted ingredients. I love this approach as it<br />

allows you to choose a recipe based on what you<br />

have on hand. It’s easy to forget but traditionally<br />

cooking is ingredient driven. If you have<br />

peaches, you make something with peaches.<br />

There’s a guide to seasonal produce in the back<br />

of the book to help you plan for that.<br />

The author’s well-travelled<br />

parents exposed her to many<br />

different cultures, leaving<br />

her with a love of antiques,<br />

collectibles and cookbooks.<br />

This is reflected in her<br />

wonderful photography, which<br />

is unusually dark (but very<br />

effective) for a cookbook. The<br />

refreshing approach gives you<br />

the feeling of an old-fashioned,<br />

slower way of life while<br />

highlighting modern food.<br />

Forest City Cookbook has<br />

more than a few surprises. I<br />

had no idea<br />

that we had<br />

local producers<br />

of wild<br />

boar but<br />

Perth Pork<br />

Products<br />

offers it<br />

among<br />

its selection<br />

of<br />

heritage<br />

breed<br />

meats.<br />

David<br />

Bistro’s chef<br />

Elvis Drennan’s recipe for<br />

Honey & Rosemary Glazed Wild Boar combines<br />

this delicious meat with a tart cherry<br />

compote. A potato rosti with sauerkraut adds<br />

a beautiful touch of crispy and tangy. Served<br />

with fresh green beans, it’s the kind of dish<br />

that, without being too technically difficult,<br />

makes you look like a genius in the kitchen.<br />

I love fruit crisps because they are easy<br />

to prepare and adjust to whatever fruit you<br />

have on hand. Juliana Guy Wesseling won the<br />

<strong>Eatdrink</strong>/Forest City Cookbook<br />

original recipe contest using<br />

all local ingredients. Her<br />

Apple Crisp recipe takes<br />

this humble dessert to new<br />

heights. Generous portions<br />

of fruit and crumble topping<br />

are pushed over the top with<br />

a candied bacon caramel<br />

sauce and Gunn’s Hill 5<br />

Brothers Reserve Cheese.<br />

This dish ticks all the yummy<br />

boxes, and then some.<br />

Author/photographer Alieska Robles


56 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Forest City Cookbook is focused on<br />

community. There’s a special mention of Urban<br />

Roots, a non-profit dedicated to utilizing<br />

underused city space to grow fresh food. Its<br />

goal is to reduce food insecurity by facilitating<br />

the placement of urban farm plots throughout<br />

London. <strong>Eatdrink</strong>’s Food Editor Bryan Lavery<br />

contributed the cookbook’s foreword and a<br />

summary of local culinary history. His recipe<br />

for Roasted Vegetable Terrine is an ideal way<br />

to bring a variety of these vegetables together<br />

while keeping their flavours and textures<br />

intact. Infinitely variable, it can be served as an<br />

appetizer or main course and tastes as amazing<br />

as it looks.<br />

Alieska Robles’s Forest City Cookbook<br />

connects the dots between all the players in<br />

the local farm-to-table community. It’s the<br />

story of our city and some of the people who<br />

work so hard to make it a special place to be:<br />

producers, educators, suppliers, chefs and<br />

artists. Robles looks at London with fresh<br />

eyes and shows us what we may have missed<br />

in our complacency. Sometimes it takes a new<br />

perspective to make you appreciate how good<br />

we have it.<br />

TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer<br />

in London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com<br />

Recipes excerpted from Forest City Cookbook<br />

reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher.<br />

All rights reserved.<br />

Apple Crisp<br />

with Candied Bacon, Bacon Caramel Sauce & Aged Cheese<br />

by JULIANNA GUY WESSELING<br />

Prep: 35 Minutes • Cook: 1 Hour 30 Minutes<br />

Serves 8<br />

Apples • Dessert • Easy<br />

Apple crumble and apple pie<br />

with cheddar have always<br />

been top contenders on my<br />

father’s favourite desserts<br />

list. He would even ask for<br />

them instead of birthday cake!<br />

This recipe quickly became<br />

my family’s “go-to” dessert<br />

but needed a little “extra<br />

something” to be a contestwinning<br />

recipe for submitting<br />

to the <strong>Eatdrink</strong> magazine<br />

recipe contest. Combining<br />

sweet and peppery bacon with<br />

creamy, salty caramel, and<br />

sharp aged cheese is a twist<br />

on a classic that is sure to<br />

impress!<br />

CRUMB TOPPING<br />

¾ cup flour<br />

1 cup quick oats<br />

¼ cup packed brown sugar<br />

2 Tbsp sugar<br />

½ tsp salt<br />

⅔ cup butter, frozen, grated<br />

love<br />

In a large bowl, mix flour, oats,<br />

brown sugar, white sugar and salt.


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Using your hands or a pastry blender, cut the butter into<br />

the flour (the butter should hold its shape when pressed).<br />

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the apple<br />

filling is ready.<br />

FILLING (makes 6 cups)<br />

⅓ cup sugar<br />

1 Tbsp cornstarch<br />

¼ tsp ground nutmeg<br />

2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />

8 medium Royal Gala apples, peeled, medium<br />

diced<br />

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar<br />

love<br />

In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add<br />

nutmeg, cinnamon and apples. Drizzle with vinegar and<br />

toss until the apples are evenly coated.<br />

APPLE CRISP<br />

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the apple filling into a 9x9<br />

baking dish. Evenly cover the apples with crumb topping,<br />

making sure to fill all the little nooks and crannies around<br />

the sides. Bake for 45–55 minutes or until golden brown<br />

and bubbling.<br />

CHEF NOTE: Don’t worry, the mound of apples will cook<br />

down!<br />

CANDIED BACON<br />

500 g double smoked bacon, thinly sliced<br />

½ cup brown sugar<br />

freshly cracked black pepper<br />

love<br />

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Evenly<br />

distribute the bacon and generously cover each strip with<br />

brown sugar. Evenly sprinkle the black pepper and bake<br />

for 15-20 minutes until glazed and crispy. Rotate halfway<br />

through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Try not to<br />

eat it all!<br />

CANDIED BACON CARAMEL SAUCE<br />

1 cup sugar<br />

2 Tbsp water<br />

¼ cup candied bacon, crumbled<br />

¼ cup butter, cubed<br />

¾ cup 35% cream<br />

love<br />

In a medium pot, bring sugar and water to a boil over<br />

medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes<br />

without stirring, occasionally swirling the pot until the<br />

caramel reaches a medium amber colour. Add the candied<br />

bacon to the caramel and remove from heat. Add butter<br />

and cream and whisk until well combined. Transfer to a<br />

glass jar and allow to cool until ready to use.<br />

FINISH<br />

200 g Gunn’s Hill Five Brothers Reserve Cheese<br />

In a deep plate, scoop a portion of the apple crisp, drizzle<br />

with caramel sauce, add a few pieces of Five Brother’s<br />

Cheese and top with a strip of candied bacon. Enjoy!<br />

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58 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

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A Feast On® Certification means<br />

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You’re supporting our farmers<br />

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To get certified, visit:<br />

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@ONTARIOCULINARY #FEASTON


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

Honey & Rosemary Glazed Wild Boar<br />

with Cherry Compote, Green Beans & Sauerkraut Roti<br />

by ELVIS DRENNAN<br />

Prep: 20 Minutes • Cook: 40 Minutes<br />

Serves 2<br />

Pork & Wild Boar • Main • Easy<br />

Boar is an underused meat, not commonly seen<br />

in many restaurants. This recipe comes from<br />

an eagerness to experiment with it, challenging<br />

myself to create an unconventional meal<br />

with an unusual and particularly interesting<br />

combination of flavours.<br />

HONEY & ROSEMARY GLAZE<br />

4 Tbsp honey<br />

2 sprigs of rosemary, stems removed, minced<br />

In a small pot, slightly warm the honey. Remove from heat<br />

and add rosemary. Set aside until ready to use.<br />

CHERRY COMPOTE<br />

1 Tbsp olive oil<br />

⅛ Tbsp onion, minced<br />

⅛ Tbsp garlic, minced<br />

2 Tbsp sugar<br />

12 local cherries, pitted, halved<br />

½ cup red wine<br />

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar<br />

salt and pepper to taste<br />

In a small pan, heat the olive oil and sauté<br />

onions and garlic until soft. Add remaining<br />

ingredients and bring to a simmer, allow the<br />

liquid to reduce until thickened. Set aside until<br />

ready to use.<br />

SAUERKRAUT ROTI<br />

1 large Yukon gold potato<br />

¼ cup sauerkraut, drained<br />

¼ cup flour<br />

1 large egg<br />

1 Tbsp olive oil<br />

salt to taste<br />

Place the potato in a large pot and cover with<br />

water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and<br />

simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from<br />

the heat and leave the potato in the water for<br />

5-10 additional minutes. Strain and rinse the<br />

potato in cold water. Shred with the skin on.<br />

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a stand<br />

mixer, combine shredded potato, sauerkraut,<br />

flour and egg. Mix well until a moist dough<br />

forms and shape into 2 patties. Adjust<br />

consistency with water or flour if needed.<br />

In a large ovenproof pan, heat the olive<br />

oil over high heat. Sear one side of the potato<br />

patties until golden brown. Season with salt,<br />

turn over and place in the oven for 10 minutes<br />

or until thoroughly cooked.<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 59<br />

GREEN BEANS<br />

1 cup green beans<br />

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch the green<br />

beans for 2 minutes until crisp and bright green. Strain<br />

and shock in an ice water bath. Lightly sauté in the same<br />

pan used for the sauerkraut roti.<br />

BOAR TENDERLOIN<br />

2 Tbsp olive oil<br />

2 large wild boar tenderloins<br />

salt and pepper<br />

In a separate ovenproof pan, heat the olive oil over high<br />

heat. Add boar tenderloins and sear until golden brown,<br />

turn over and place in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until<br />

desired doneness.<br />

CHEF NOTES: Ideally, the boar should still have some<br />

pink colour for best results.<br />

Remove from oven and brush thoroughly with<br />

rosemary glaze. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to<br />

rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.<br />

Serve with sauerkraut roti and green beans. Top with<br />

cherry compote.


60 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

Books<br />

The Great Immigrant Road Trip<br />

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef ’s Journey to Discover<br />

America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine<br />

by Edward Lee<br />

Review by DARIN COOK<br />

Fusion is not new in the restaurant<br />

world. Even though Chef Edward<br />

Lee fears it has become a culinary<br />

gimmick, he knows the concept<br />

had profound meaning when it originated<br />

in a restaurant in Florida under the gaze of<br />

one of his heroes, Norman Van Aken. Real<br />

fusion is attuned to the everyday cooking<br />

of families who set roots in a new country<br />

and harmonize immigrant traditions with<br />

local cuisine. These are the types of recipes,<br />

restaurants, chefs and families that Lee<br />

searched for from the nationalities sprawled<br />

across American cities when writing his book<br />

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef ’s Journey to Discover<br />

America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine (Thomas<br />

Allen & Son, <strong>2018</strong>). Whenever Lee has<br />

clam pizza in Connecticut he contemplates<br />

“the slow and gradual interconnection of<br />

two cultures, in this case, Italian and New<br />

England.” He further writes, “When you look<br />

at the evolution of American cuisine, you<br />

always find this tension between tradition and<br />

innovation, a tension that produces the foods<br />

we crave most. It is in the intersection of the<br />

home we leave and the home we adopt that we<br />

find a dish that defines who we really are.”<br />

Lee himself was raised in Brooklyn with his<br />

Korean family<br />

before he<br />

moved to Kentucky<br />

to refine<br />

his own cooking<br />

style. He<br />

identifies as<br />

a Southern<br />

chef, influenced<br />

not<br />

only by all<br />

other American styles,<br />

but immigrant ones, as well. Through<br />

his writing, he implores us to be “fascinated<br />

by other unlikely couplings that make up the<br />

narrative of life in America” because he knows<br />

that people project the food of their culture<br />

onto the fabric of their whole identity.<br />

Immigrants he met along the way<br />

revealed how they missed the ways of<br />

eating in their homeland. A Moroccan<br />

immigrant in Connecticut reminisces about<br />

Marrakesh by telling Lee: “Every day, you<br />

gather with families and friends for meals.<br />

You stroll through the markets and smell<br />

spices … You drink mint tea in cafes and<br />

talk all day till the sun goes down. Meals<br />

are celebrations, enjoyed in large groups.”<br />

Keeping food traditions alive in<br />

her transplanted home helps as<br />

she teaches Lee to prepare smen,<br />

a traditional Moroccan butter. He<br />

had been searching for someone<br />

to show him how to make it all his<br />

life. Lee himself pontificates about<br />

being a resident of America: “Maybe<br />

part of being American is releasing<br />

the anchor that we have to our<br />

Author Edward Lee


eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine<br />

heritage so we can drift directionless into<br />

the unknown waters of identity.”<br />

All parts of his cross-country journey are<br />

entertaining and enlightening with French<br />

beignets in New Orleans, Cambodian cuisine<br />

in Massachusetts, Cuban food in Florida<br />

(where he learned to taste food in new ways<br />

by learning the nuances of smoking cigars),<br />

German schnitzel in Wisconsin, Lebanese<br />

kibbeh in Mississippi, and Swedish pancakes<br />

in Seattle. The oddest segment was Lee<br />

deciding to fast during Ramadan in a Muslim<br />

community in Michigan. It was paradoxical<br />

not only because he is a chef who builds his life<br />

around food, but he was also on a food-writing<br />

odyssey. All he could think was: “Conventional<br />

wisdom says that food writing should steer<br />

clear of politics and religion, but how do I do<br />

this in a place that is defined by its religion and<br />

cultural isolation?” So he fasted as the Muslims<br />

did and it provided new insight to food.<br />

Daytime fasting heightened the taste of food<br />

when the fast was broken at sundown each<br />

night. He writes, “After a day’s fast, the flavors<br />

and fats cling to your bones like medicine and<br />

heal you from the inside out.”<br />

<strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 61<br />

Throughout the book, Lee engages in<br />

another type of experimentation by making<br />

food fusion personal. He suggests taking a<br />

recipe that you like, that may already be a<br />

food imported from another culture, and<br />

fusing it with your own preferences, even<br />

changing one ingredient to make it your<br />

own personal recipe. This is how the recipes<br />

at the end of each chapter were born, as Lee<br />

riffs on unique global delicacies, like Coffee-<br />

Glazed Bacon with Pickled Watermelon and<br />

Fried Peanuts. He writes: “I never understood<br />

why the Asian identity and the American<br />

identity had to be compartmentalized, the<br />

way my Salisbury steak and apple pie were<br />

separated in my Swanson’s dinner. I wanted<br />

them all in one bite.” All the bites he took<br />

across America while writing Buttermilk<br />

Graffiti prove that each bite of food can lead to<br />

cultural outpourings about families, recipes,<br />

traditions, and memories.<br />

DARIN COOK is a regular <strong>Eatdrink</strong> contributor who<br />

lives and works in Chatham-Kent.<br />

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62 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag<br />

The Lighter Side<br />

Pescatarian Tales<br />

By REBECCA ST. PIERRE<br />

Meat was a constant part of my diet<br />

when I was growing up in rural<br />

Southwestern Ontario. Pot roast,<br />

chicken wings and my mother’s<br />

signature headcheese took turns stealing<br />

prominent places of distinction on my dinner<br />

plate. At Christmas a large platter of honeyglazed<br />

ham was proudly displayed in the<br />

middle of the dining table, forcing all other<br />

lesser dishes of food to fight for the remaining<br />

space, and at Thanksgiving a beautifully<br />

browned turkey encouraged sibling rivalry<br />

over the wishbone. I didn’t question whether I<br />

should or shouldn’t eat meat.<br />

Time passed and I moved<br />

away from home, and after<br />

careful deliberation decided<br />

to stop eating meat — at least<br />

land animals. I continue to eat<br />

aquatic creatures like fish and<br />

seafood. For the past 20 years I<br />

thought I was a vegetarian because I<br />

was raised on the belief that fish flesh<br />

was not meat. Unknowingly I have been lying<br />

to family, friends, and myself for nearly two<br />

decades. The Vegetarian Society defines a<br />

vegetarian as someone who does not eat the<br />

flesh of any animal, including the critters<br />

residing in our lakes, streams and coastal<br />

oceans. For the sake of simplicity, I often<br />

continue to refer to myself as a vegetarian.<br />

“I’m a pescatarian” elicits quizzical looks, head<br />

tilting and raised eyebrows.<br />

Over the years I’ve mastered the skill of<br />

discreetly removing pepperoni from slices<br />

of pizza at social events and avoiding bacon<br />

bits in Caesar salads. I suspect many people<br />

assume I’m a picky eater with a small appetite.<br />

With only two or three meatless dishes at<br />

most group gatherings, my plate often looks<br />

desolate. A hefty helping of large salad greens<br />

usually solves the problem. If a host should<br />

discover I’m a pescatarian, he or she is always<br />

accommodating and generous.<br />

Sometimes my choice of diet defies a way<br />

of life that someone has identified with<br />

since childhood. My husband eats meat and<br />

probably always will. Chicken legs, pork<br />

sausage and beef burgers are a regularly<br />

included in his diet. We visited his friends<br />

in Alberta shortly after we started dating,<br />

where Chinook winds, frigid temperatures<br />

and meaty meals are as common as breathing,<br />

walking and sleeping. I wonder to this<br />

day if his friends initially considered an<br />

intervention when they heard his girlfriend<br />

did not eat beef. But the seafood chowder<br />

they prepared for lunch was absolutely divine.<br />

A pescatarian diet can be a conversation<br />

starter, stimulating interesting discussions.<br />

New acquaintances have asked, “Do you miss<br />

eating chicken?” and “If you don’t<br />

eat red meat, what do you eat?”<br />

— queries similar to those I<br />

asked myself in the first couple of<br />

years of saying goodbye to most types<br />

of meat dishes. Soon after answering<br />

their questions, we are sharing stories of what<br />

influences our food choices, which usually<br />

launches a delectable chat on a buffet of topics.<br />

Having an atypical diet can also cause<br />

confusion, as perfectly portrayed in one of<br />

my favourite scenes from the movie My Big<br />

Fat Greek Wedding. When the bride’s aunt,<br />

played by Andrea Martin, discovers the groom<br />

is a vegetarian, she exclaims to a room filled<br />

with guests, “What do you mean he don’t eat<br />

no meat!” All conversation suddenly ceases.<br />

A glass crashes to the floor. After a pregnant<br />

pause, she calmly says, “Oh, that’s okay, that’s<br />

okay, I make lamb, come.”<br />

A baked, meaty portobello mushroom is<br />

beginning to look as appetizing as a seared<br />

fillet of rainbow trout. Perhaps I will be a<br />

vegetarian by the end of the year, but until<br />

then, please pass the fish.<br />

REBECCA ST. PIERRE is a London-based freelance<br />

writer and photographer. She has been writing for<br />

publications, non-profits and small businesses since 2008.<br />

For more of her work, visit www.WordFlightAndLight.com.


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64 | <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

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