The LOCAL food and drink magazine serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007
Issue #73 | September/October 2018
eatdrink
The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine
A11 th
N N
I V E R S A RY
I S S U E
Craft
Farmacy
A Genuine
Taste of Place
in London
FEATURING
Eddington’s of Exeter
Food Champion James Eddington
Alton Farms Estate Winery
Pioneers of “Huron Shores”
Forest City Cookbook
From Farm to Table to Page
Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007
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Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca
Food Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca
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OUR COVER
London’s Craft Farmacy
is owned by chef Andrew
Wolwowicz, Jess Jazey-
Spoelstra (of The River
Room & North Moore
Catering) and Harmen
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Contents
Issue #73 | September/October 2018
The Harvest Issue
Publisher’s Notes
The Harvest Issue
Eat Fresh, Eat Local
By CHRIS McDONELL
6
Restaurants
Food Champion James Eddington
The Chef/Owner of Eddington’s of Exeter
By BRYAN LAVERY
8
A Genuine Taste of Place
London’s Craft Farmacy
By BRYAN LAVERY
12
Road Trips
Hammer Time!
Hamilton: A Heaven for Food Lovers
By AMANDA STANCATI
18
Wine
Pioneers of “Huron Shores”
Alton Farms Estate Winery
By GARY KILLOPS
24
Spirits
Taking it Slow
Willibald Farm Distillery
By ANDREW COPPOLINO
28
Beer
Seasonal Sensations
Ciders and Sours
By GEORGE MACKE
31
8
51
58
12
24
The BUZZ
Culinary Community Notes
34
Theatre
World Curious, London Proud
Grand Theatre: Preview
By JANE ANTONIAK
48
Music
Change of Season
Upcoming Musical Highlights
By GERRY BLACKWELL
51
Recipes
From Farm to Table to Page
Forest City Cookbook
Review & Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN
55
Books
The Great Immigrant Road Trip
Buttermilk Graffiti
Review by DARIN COOK
60
The Lighter Side
Pescatarian Tales
By REBECCA ST. PIERRE
62
62
31
56
28
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6 | September/October 2018
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Publisher’s Notes
The Harvest Issue
Eat Fresh, Eat Local
By CHRIS McDONELL
There is no better time or place to
appreciate the bounty of our country
than autumn in Ontario. Our farmers’
markets are especially chock-a-block
full of beautiful fruits and vegetables, and if
you like to eat fresh and eat local, get out there.
To assist your efforts, we’ve compiled a list
of regional farmers’ markets that are looking
forward to seeing you. Meet a farmer and thank
her or him for the bag of goodies you’re
taking home with you.
Of course, while I do like
to think of this as harvest
season, I’m aware that this
is not technically true for
many of our local farmers
and producers. For some, their primary harvest
happened months ago, such as the asparagus
and strawberry growers, and for others,
Thanksgiving comes much too early for a true
day of rest. Their fields won’t be harvested until
later in the fall, bringing in much of our squash,
cabbage and carrots. For those raising livestock,
seasonality may or may not be a factor in their
operation. It might be “turkey season” but the
dairy business runs 365 days a year.
Global warming is having an effect on
farming, perhaps most negatively through
“extreme” weather, but a longer growing season
may be a fringe benefit in our locale. Some
businesses have taken big — and prescient —
steps to be less weather-dependent. In Strathroy,
Jo and Pauline Slegers started building
greenhouses 30 years ago and became certified
organic in 2004. Today, Slegers Living Organic
Greens sells 30 different products year-round,
from tender young micro greens to mature salad
greens, lettuce and herbs. Packed still growing
in soil for better taste and a longer shelf life,
you can have your own harvest days with a little
snip. Available at many retailers such as Remark
Fresh Market and through distributors like On
the Move Organics, you can also buy direct at
their farm gate (slegersgreens.com).
The commitment to using local, fresh
products is shared by two restaurants that
we are profiling in this issue. Eddington’s
of Exeter and Craft Farmacy, with chefs
James Eddington and Andrew Wolwowicz
respectively, offer seasonal menus that reflect
our region, while creatively expressing their
culinary talents in unique ways. I’m certain
our readers will enjoy both stories.
Our wine column features Alton Farms
Estate Winery in
Lambton County,
where harvest
season is taken
extremely seriously.
The Huron
Shores wine region
is starting to flourish and this is a great story
about working with our climate, soil and local
challenges to make great wine. I especially
appreciate Alton Farms’ commitment to sustainable
practices.
For over a year now, London has been
excited about Alieska Robles’ Forest City
Cookbook project. The book is now out, and
it’s a show-stopping epic that is both a great
collection of recipes from London’s top chefs
and a thoughtful tribute to local farmers and
agriculture. I hasten to add that the book is
gorgeous to look at too. We’re pleased to share
a couple of recipes in this issue, and a bonus
recipe online from “our” Bryan Lavery, Eatdrink
Food Editor and Writer at Large, who also
contributed a foreword, a couple of recipes,
and other writing to the book. Congratulations
Alieska and your crew for an accomplishment
that exceeded our high expectations.
There’s plenty more to enjoy in the
following pages. This issue marks our 11th
anniversary, and I’m amazed at how there is
still so much happening that we can never
keep up with all of it. We’re glad for the
challenge though. Thanks for reading.
Peace,
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 7
Local Farmers’ Markets, from Amherstburg to Woodstock
Name Address Online Days & Hours Closing Day
Amherstburg Farmers‘ Market 7860 County Road 20, outside Malden Community
Cultural Centre, Amherstburg amherstburgfarmersmarket.com SAT 8:30am – 1:30pm OCT 19
Bayfield Farmers‘ Market Clan Gregor Square, Bayfield bayfieldfarmersmarket.com FRI 3pm – 7pm OCT 13
Belle River Farmers‘ Market Optimist Park, 705 Notre Dame St., Belle River fb.com/belleriverfarmersmarket SUN 10am – 2pm OCT 7
Chatham-Kent Farmers‘ Market Highway 2, 9877 Longwoods Rd., Chatham chathamfarmersmarket.ca WED 9am –5pm Open All Year
Covent Garden Farmers’ wMarket 130 King Street, London coventmarket.com THUR 8 – 2, SAT 8 – 1 DEC 29
Downtown Windsor Farmers‘ Market Pelissier and Maiden Lane, Windsor dwfm.ca SAT 8m – 1pm OCT 6
Downtown Woodstock Farmers‘ Market Downtown Museum Square, Woodstock bit.ly/2wN05xF THUR 11am – 4pm OCT 4
Exeter Farmers‘ Market 1-35 MacNaughton Drive, Exeter fb.com/exeterfarmersmarket/ THUR 3am – 7pm OCT 4
Forest Farmers‘ & Artisan Market 14 King Street, Forest bit.ly/2PxDI6R FRI 8am – 1pm OCT 6
Goderich Farmers‘ Market Downtown Market Square, Goderich fb.com/FarmersMarketGoderichBIA/ SAT 8am – 1pm OCT 6
Grand Bend Farmers‘ Market 1 Main Street, Grand Bend fb.com/GrandBendMarket/ WED 8am – 1pm OCT 3
Horton Farmers‘ Market 10–16 Manitoba Street, St. Thomas hortonfarmersmarket.ca SAT 8am – noon NOV 3
Ilderton Farmers‘ Market 92 Ilderton Road, Ilderton bit.ly/2oACix5 SAT 8am – noon SEPT 22
Kingsville Farmers‘ Market 28 Division Street South, Kingsville kingsvillefarmersmarket.com SAT 10am – 2pm OCT 13
Leamington Farmers‘ Market Leamington Fairgrounds, 194 Erie St. N., Leamington fb.com/LeamingtonFarmersMarket SAT 9am – 2pm Open All Year
Masonville Farmers‘ Market 1680 Richmond St., London masonvillemarket.com FRI 8am – 1pm OCT 12
Old South Farmers‘ Market Storm Stayed Brewing Co., 169 Wharncliffe Rd. S., London fb.com/oldsouthfarmersmarket/ THURS 4pm – 7pm SEPT 27
Petrolia Farmers‘ Market 369 Fletcher St., behind the Library (Main St.), Petrolia bit.ly/2wHsllb SAT 7:30am – noon OCT 6
Point Edward Moonlight Farmers‘ Market Next to Michigan Ave. (under the Bluewater Bridge),
Point Edward bit.ly/2Q2GzFT THURS 4pm – 8pm OCT 4
Port Rowan Farmers‘ Market Lions Pavilion — Sea Queen Rd., Port Rowan fb.com/PortRowanFarmersMarket/ FRI 3pm – 6Ppm OCT 5
Sarnia Farmers‘ Market Corner of Proctor & Ontario St., Sarnia fb.com/SarniaFarmersMarket/ WED, SAT 7am – 1pm Open All Year
Simcoe Farmers‘ Market 172 South Drive, Simcoe fb.com/SimcoeMarket/ THURS 9am – 4pm Open All Year
St. Marys Farmers‘ Market 116 Jones St. E., St. Marys stmarysfarmersmarket.ca SAT 8am – noon Open All Year
Stratford Farmers‘ Market 353 McCarthy Road, Rotary Complex/Agriplex, Stratford bit.ly/2NGJimT SAT 7am – noon Open All Year
Stratford Slow Food Market Market Place Drive, Stratford fb.com/StratfordSundayMarket/ SUN 10am – 2pm Open All Year
The Market at Western Fair District 900 King St., London westernfairdistrict.com/market SAT, SUN 8am – 3pm Open All Year
Tillsonburg Farmers‘ Market 41 Bridge Street West, Tillsonburg fb.com/tillsonburgfarmersmarket/ SAT 8am – noon NOV 10
Trails End Farmers‘ Market 4370 Dundas St East, London fb.com/trailsendfarmersmarket/ FRI 8am – 1pm Open All Year
Waterford Farmers‘ Market Corner of Alice St. & St. James St. S., Waterford fb.com/WaterfordFarmersMarket/ WED 4pm – 7pm SEPT 26
Wingham Farmers‘ Market 360 Josephine St., Wingham fb.com/winghamfarmersmarket/ WED 2:30pm – 6pm SEPT 26
Woodstock Farmers‘ Market* Woodstock Fairgrounds, 875 Nellis Street, Woodstock fb.com/WoodstockOntarioFarmersMarket/ SAT 7am – noon Open All Year
ED73 final pages.indd 7
2018-09-04 12:14 PM
8 | September/October 2018
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Restaurants
Food Champion James Eddington
The Chef/Owner of Eddington’s of Exeter
By BRYAN LAVERY
Whenever I go out to dine, I generally
seek out establishments
whose chefs champion farmers,
small-scale producers and food
artisans. Restaurateurs and chefs who procure
and feature local ingredients and products
that are responsibly sourced are always at the
top of my list. I was particularly interested in
Eddington’s of Exeter because of chef/owner
James Eddington’s long-standing reputation
as a champion of food tourism in Huron
County, and his participation in the Feast On
program. For over two decades Eddington has
displayed a dedicated focus to personalized
service, seasonally-inspired menus and a
value-driven customer experience.
Feast ON has stringent guidelines and one
can be assured that any restaurant with this
certification has been well scrutinized. Feast
ON is the criteria-based certification program
designed to promote, market, and protect the
authenticity of foodservice operators whose
specific attributes qualify their commitment
to local food. The program is designed to raise
the profile of restaurants that advocate Ontario
food and beverages, and share principles that
are in sync with the Feast ON mandate. The
program uses verification and enforcement
mechanisms to maintain its integrity. Since
launching the Feast On program in 2014 the
Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) has
continued growing, evolving, and improving
the program. (OCTA is a not-for-profit devoted
to connecting tastemakers, sharing their
stories and developing authentic food tourism.)
Head out of town to Exeter where chef/
owner James Eddington and sous chef
Lori Debrouwer prepare locally-sourced
ingredients at Eddington’s of Exeter. This
is contemporary, casual fine dining with a
rustic charm. The yellow brick Italianate-style
mansion on Main Street stands out with its
decorative bracket eaves, large bay windows
and well-manicured lawn with mature
James Eddington in the kitchen
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 9
maple trees. Eddington’s occupies
the original Carling homestead
(built in the 1870s), a designated
historical landmark. The house has
been updated throughout the years
with two extensive renovations, an
additional 20-seat dining room and
a tri-level seasonal deck for up to 60
people that is shaded with umbrellas
for alfresco drinking and dining.
The restaurant features twelve-foot
ceilings both upstairs and down, wellspaced
tables with lots of elbow room,
and warm tones with a contemporary
ambience bordering on elegant.
Exeter, located close to Lake Huron,
London and Stratford has all the amenities of
a big city and the warmth of a small village.
Exonian’s have a reputation for possessing
plenty of community spirit. Eddington grew
up in the community of Thamesford located
east of London in Zorra Township. He moved
to Exeter 20 years ago when he started the
restaurant and now states, “I can honestly say
it feels like home and that just feels good.”
One of the restaurant’s signature dishes
is Lake Huron pickerel. In the absence of
pickerel, there is often fresh perch in season.
On a recent visit we drank peach sangria made
with white wine and fresh fruit, followed by a
selection of Italian-themed tapas which were
presented on a wooden board. There were
perfectly braised beef rib with sweet and sour
cherry jam and runny cambozola cheese on
a crostini; sweet honey-pitted dates stuffed
with blue cheese and pecans and wrapped in
prosciutto with a smear of fig jam; skewers of
cherry tomatoes and cubed bocconcini cheese
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This elegant mansion on Main Street is home to Eddington‘s of Exeter
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Clockwise from top left: Peach Bellini
Sangria;
Sticky Honey & Sriracha Crispy Chicken,
waffle Cone , zesty slaw;
Tomato & White Bean Vegetable Ragout,
zucchini, cauliflower & corn fritters,
micro greens (vegan and gluten-free);
Tapas — choices might include these
selections: Honey Pitted Date with
blue cheese, pecan, prosciutto,
cipolline onion & fig jam; Crostini with
braised beef rib, sweet & sour cherry
jam & cambozola cheese; Sweet Mini
Heirloom Tomato with bocconcini
cheese, fresh basil & balsamic glaze
(gluten-free option); Blue Crab Fritter
with arborio rice, remoulade & lemon;
Iced Crème Brûlée Cake
with fresh basil leaves and a splash of balsamic
glaze; and blue crab fritters with Arborio
rice, remoulade and lemon. We followed that
with sticky honey and sriracha crispy chicken
served with slaw in a waffle cone. At dinner
the menu has such requisites as Breaded Herb
of Chicken with brie and caramelized apples,
and Lamb Shanks with Dijon-mint red pepper
glaze. Few foods have left the global impact
that ramen has on the food scene; a savoury
broth with braised pork shoulder, noodles,
soft poached egg, scallions, vegetables and
cilantro pay homage to the obsession. Large,
broad pappardelle noodles are served simply
with a rustic, chunky tomato sauce with red
peppers, carrots, broccoli, parmesan and
Asiago cheese without too much dressing
up. Tomato and local white bean vegetable
ragout is served with zucchini, cauliflower,
micro greens and crisp fritters with luscious
corn interiors. For dessert there is carrot
cake, apple bread pudding, white chocolate
and lemon cheesecake and pecan pie. There
is a good flourless chocolate cake and an
impressive iced crème brûlée cake that shouts
quality ingredients.
Eddington literally fell in love with the
sound of the restaurant business. As a
young teen he visited a friend who worked
as a dishwasher at a local fine dining
establishment and waited for him to finish his
shift. “Like a symphony of sounds the dining
room sang with a rumble of laughter, the
clinking of glasses and ambiance of live music.
The kitchen was alive with a chef barking
orders, the screaming sizzle of hot pans and
the adrenalin rush of a full house. That was
the moment everything changed. The next
morning I dug out my Sunday best and shined
my shoes and walked in with my resume. After
much consideration, the owners hired me as
host/busboy. I had my foot in the door and
the rest is history,” he recounted.
Locally-sourced food has been a driving
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Trust...
Taste...
Quality...
The tri-level deck offers space to enjoy outdoor dining
force at Eddington’s of Exeter. “We are blessed
to be living in such an agriculturally rich area
of the world,” states Eddington. He has 25
acres located on the shores of Lake Huron and
farms 16 acres of corn, white beans and wheat
in rotation. On other lands he has extensive
gardens where he grows over 25 varieties
of fruits and vegetables. The property has
unique plantings alongside fruit trees with an
extensive trail system with its own labyrinth.
When Chef purchased the farm it was run
down and over-grown, but he spent the last
couple of years bringing it back to life and
ensuring the longevity of the buildings. There
is a small apple orchard and fresh kiwi fruit,
blood peaches and quince (ingredients that
are showing up more frequently on Ontario
farm-to-table menus). There is a pumpkin and
squash patch melded into the headlands. This
past year he converted an old art studio into a
working greenhouse so he could stagger seed
planting in March and April to start all the
vegetables that are grown on the property.
Eddington’s favourite seasonal ingredients
are those that are at their peak of freshness at
any given time. Fresh off of the vine, picked
from the tree, foraged from the forest or dug
up from the earth.
Eddington’s of Exeter
527 Main Street, Exeter
519-235-3030
eddingtons.ca
Eatdrink Food Editor and Writer at Large, BRYAN
LAVERY brings years of experience in the restaurant
and hospitality industry, as a chef, restaurateur and
consultant. Always on the lookout for the stories that
Eatdrink should be telling, he helps shape the magazine
both under his byline and behind the scenes.
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Restaurants
A Genuine Taste of Place
London’s Craft Farmacy
By BRYAN LAVERY
Modern farm-to-table restaurant
concepts such as Craft Farmacy
have shed most everything that
is ingrained about guests’ dining
perceptions. What’s left is intentionally curated
and self-assured, hospitable and fueled with
the lifeblood of culinary skill, craftsmanship
and authenticity. Craft Farmacy is the epitome
of the contemporary farm-to-table restaurant.
Entrepreneur Jess Jazey-Spoelstra has always
delivered cutting-edge and quality food
experiences combined with extraordinary
service, her forte and hallmark as the owner
of North Moore Catering, The River Room,
Rhino Lounge and co-owner of Craft Farmacy.
Chef Andrew Wolwowicz, formerly of The
Springs restaurant, is a partner as is Spoelstra’s
husband Harmen. Jamie Sandwith and Cody
Ballman are the experienced restaurant
professionals who round out the seasoned
front-of-the-house team that include some of
the city’s top servers.
We are living through a culinary renaissance.
As a result there has been a major shift in the
focus of the restaurant industry over the last
few years. More than ever, my work puts me
in contact with the local food ethos, gamechanging
restaurateurs and chef visionaries
advancing our food culture, like Jazey-Spoelstra
and Wolwowicz. Just as important are those
restaurant owners who have become arbiters for
political issues and social justice concerns. Most
of us have come to realize that if an inexpensive
meal in a restaurant can only be provided on the
backs of people slaving away in the kitchen for
next to nothing, we should not be patronizing
that restaurant. Historically the restaurant
business does not provide a great living for
cooks. Restaurateurs need to sustain their
employees with a living wage. A good business
embraces these attributes and treats their
staff and clientele with dignity and integrity.
Like many people I know, I will not knowingly
support a business that is contrary to my
Craft Farmacy‘s chef and co-owner Andrew Wolwowicz,
with partners Jess Jazey-Spoelstra and Harmen Spoelstra
values. Craft Farmacy is a restaurant with a well
thought out ethos that is easy to get behind.
As a small business owner who works hard
and supports other small businesses, local
food initiatives and the larger community in
general, it seems ironic that Jazey-Spoelstra
was recently targeted by vegan activists for
offering vegetarian options at Rhino Lounge
Bakery and Coffee Shoppe, and not being
solely vegan. She was accused of exploiting
veganism. If anything, she has helped
by raising the bar in the city for quality
vegetarian food. The bakery had been the
purview of her former pastry chef, the gifted
Michele Lenhardt, who ran the operation as
she saw fit. Lenhardt, who incidentally is a
vegan, served some of the best vegetarian
food in the city on the Rhino’s former plantbased
Wednesdays and Fridays. Spoelstra
might have been on hand to suggest a little
tweaking here or there, or after seeing a
cool fritter online, would want the bakers
to replicate it. That is and was pretty much
the extent of her input into the menu at the
Rhino. After Lenhardt left to partner in the
Clockwise from top left: Medley of heirloom tomatoes
from the garden;
Oysters Rockefeller with aged havarti bechamel;
Cuban-inspired Mojo Chicken, garden zucchini,summer
corn succatash;
Cast iron-seared Hanger Steak, grilled peach and
habanero compote, heirloom tomato and lemon
cucumber salad;
Heirloom Tomato and Buratta Cheese Salad with blue
basil;
House-smoked Cherrywood Chicken, summer peas,
caramelized onions, peas and sherry reduction, injera
crepe,
14 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
V Spot, the direction of the Rhino
changed under the new chef.
Wolwowicz is also pro-active in
the local food scene and among a
small group of local chefs who wield
unprecedented influence, and believes
that part of his responsibility is to
educate customers about the four
pillars of sustainability: cultural
vibrancy, economic prosperity,
environmental responsibility and
social justice. A well-known culinary
gymnast who cooks with skill and
dedication, Wolwowicz is one of the
local pioneers of the homegrown and
ethical farm-to-table movements.
He was an early proponent of using
locally grown ingredients from farms
specializing in sustainable agriculture,
organic growing practices and ethically
raised livestock. Wolwowicz is aided by his
talented sous chef Kyle Trafford and a team
of apprentices. The chefs plate the food with
open-handed generosity.
Menu items are progressive, rustic in
style, feature high quality ingredients, local,
region-specific and specialty products, and
are executed with aptitude, innovation and
attention to detail. Wolwowicz’s menus
reflected dishes crafted from local, regional
and seasonal products long before it became
the prevailing attitude. There has been a
significant rise in customer expectations for
restaurants in terms of healthy-eating, allergy
concerns, sourcing, and sustainability over the
last few years. Craft Farmacy has kept abreast
of these changes.
We have enjoyed plenty of unique tasting
experiences like Roasted Bone Marrow (which
The blackboard menu displays the daily changes in draught beer and oyster offerings.
The dining room at Craft Farmacy is stylish yet comfortable,
and includes a fireplace and spacious bar area.
can later be used as a bourbon luge) with
Ox Tail Marmalade; Lamb Belly Croquettes;
Brown Butter Chicken Schnitzel with Warm
Potato Salad with Forked River Abbey Jus;
Craft Duck Plate with Magret, Confit and
Duck Fat Fingerlings; Cast Iron Hanger Steak
with Garlic Frites, Slaw, Demi, Aioli, Red
Onion Marmalade and Chimichurri; and a
dynamite Lamb Burger. There is Hangover
Soup (not on the menu) made with shellfish
broth and a raw bar featuring a fresh Shellfish
Tower, Shrimp Cocktail and a changing
selection of six to nine East Coast oyster
varieties including Malpeque, Irish Point,
Daisy Bay, Raspberry Point, Lucky Lime
and Savage Blonde with fresh horseradish,
mignonette sauce and hot sauce.
Jazey-Spoelstra’s stylish design sensibility
is reflected in Craft Farmacy and she definitely
delivers style and comfort with attention to
the smallest details.
Setting the tone is an
ample repurposed bar,
stunning fireplace,
custom-made leather
banquettes and
repurposed tables with
comfortable strappedback
bentwood-style
chairs. The servers’
custom-designed
leather aprons by
Coakley’s are another
example of Spoelstra’s
keen eye for detail.
Craft, as in an
activity involving skill
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
celebrating 122 years in stratford
Craft Farmacy‘s Chef and co-owner Andrew Wolwowicz,
a local pioneer of ethical farm-to-table cuisine.
in making things by hand, and Farmacy, as in
from the “farm” and from the “sea.” With 112
seats, Craft Farmacy features sharing plates, a
carefully though-out wine list, premium craft
cocktails, ten craft beers on tap, and plenty
of pizzazz. There is a private event space with
room for 40 on the second floor.
Craft Farmacy happens to be London’s
first Feast ON certified “Taste of Ontario”
restaurant. Wolwowicz gives props to Chef
James Eddington of Eddington’s of Exeter for
introducing him to Feast ON. Let’s hope that,
with the unbridled success of Craft Farmacy,
more London restaurants see the advantages
and merits of becoming part of this worthy
province-wide initiative.
Craft Farmacy
449 Wharncliffe Road South, London
519-914-2699
facebook.com/craftfarmacy
tuesday to sunday: 11:30 am–midnight
brunch sunday; closed monday
BRYAN LAVERY is Eatdrink Food Editor and Writer at
Large, helping shape the magazine both under his byline
and behind the scenes.
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85 Downie St, Stratford
(next to Avon Theatre)
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watsonsofstratford.com
519-273-1790
18 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
SPONSORED BY
Road Trips
Hammer Time!
Discover Hamilton — A Food Lovers Heaven
By AMANDA STANCATI
A
visit to the city that produces
Dempster’s bread, Maple Leaf
meats, Karma Candy candy canes
and other national food brands is
sure to be a tasty one. A strong coffee culture,
beloved local establishments, a growing
number of craft breweries, and a steady
stream of new and exciting restaurants makes
Hamilton a worthy destination for roadtrippers.
Looking for the best food and drink
in town? Here are some must-tries.
Hamilton Farmers’ Market
The indoor Hamilton Farmers’ Market,
located in the heart of downtown beside
Jackson Square, has been operating since
1837. Visit on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or
Saturday to check out the 60 vendors who
offer everything from produce and prepared
foods to flowers and crafts. Market highlights
include Relay Coffee Roasters for small
batch, organic and fair trade coffee (and a
selection of Donut Monster donuts), Cake
and Loaf for Instagram-worthy desserts,
Pokeh, Canada’s first poke bar serving up the
fresh Hawaiian dish, and Sensational Samosa
for samosas, rotis, curries, and salads.
City Dishes
“Distinctly Hamilton” dishes come in all
shapes and sizes. Here are some favourites.
Hamilton Farmers’ Market
While Hamilton is where Tim Hortons
was founded, donut-lovers in the city know
Grandad’s is the place to go. Donuts are
baked daily and are larger than what you’ll
typically find in a coffee shop. And they come
in flavours you won’t find anywhere else (like
walnut crunch and strawberry fritter!).
Simple yet delicious, Roma Bakery’s “plain”
pizza isn’t topped with cheese (crazy, right?),
but the saucy bread has become the go-to for
birthday parties and picnics in Hamilton. Grab
a slab for the road at the flagship bakery (it’s
also sold at other locations around the city) and
you’ll understand what all the hype is about.
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DELIVERY CREDITS OF UP TO F SPORfCREDITS OF UP TO F SPORfCREDITS OF UP TO
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© I LEXUSOFLONDON
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^Delivery Credits are available on retail purchase/lease of select new 2018 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
price. Vehicle must be purchased/leased, registered and delivered by August 31st, 2018. *‡ Lease and Finance offers provided through Lexus Financial Services, on approved credit. *Representative lease example based on
a 2018 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
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‘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
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eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Putting the finishing touch on S‘mores Cupcakes,
at Cake & Loaf
For a beachfront snack, Hamiltonians have
been frequenting Hutch’s since 1946. The
diner is beloved for its fish and chips, cones,
milkshakes, and old-school decor.
Craft Beer
Hamilton’s growing craft beer scene includes
a number of beautiful spaces around the city
to visit for a cold one. In addition to its drink
offerings, Merit Brewing offers a menu of
shareables and unique sausage options to
enjoy at the communal tables.
Other notable craft breweries include
Fairweather Brewing Company,
Grain&Grit, Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.,
Rust City Brewery, and Collective Arts
Brewing. Collective Arts’ award-winning
beers are celebrated for their limited-edition
artwork on the cans and labels — and make
for a tasty souvenir to bring home!
Aberdeen Tavern
Capri Ristorante, opened in 1963, is known
for traditional pizzas and pastas — both
Hamilton mainstays.
For something more trendy, Aberdeen
Tavern belongs to the same family of the
more recently opened The French and The
Shawn & Ed Brewing Co., on Hatt Street
Diplomat, all excellent choices for upscale
food and drink in stylish environments.
Ancaster Mill and Edgewater Manor
are elegant options for special occasions.
Merit Brewing
Notable Restaurants
Hamilton restaurants serve cuisine from
around the globe. Black Forest Inn has
been a landmark since 1967, serving hearty
Bavarian cuisine including a famous schnitzel
selection. For large Italian-style portions,
Ancaster Mill
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Sample delicious local eats,
meet inspiring producers and
marvel at the tempting array
of fresh and artisanal edibles.
From farm to table, pork to pies
to pints, discover more
in Perth County!
Mezcal TNT
Built from limestone, Ancaster Mill is set
beside a waterfall offering pretty views, while
Edgewater Manor serves steak and seafood
beside Lake Ontario.
James Street
James Street is one of the Hamilton’s hippest
neighbourhoods, and has a high concentration
of dining options. To the north is Wild
Orchid for flavourful seafood, and Born
and Raised for wood-oven pizza and a raw
bar. To the south you’ll find Mezcal TNT
for tacos and tequila and Radius for fine
dining and a two-level patio — and loads of
choices in between. This is a very walkable
neighbourhood so get out and enjoy!
Leave room for dessert from Chocolat on
James or Rush Sugar Bar. Coffee options
include Mulberry Coffeehouse and Saint
James Espresso Bar and Eatery.
restaurants
farm gates
NàRoma
Pizzeria
food shops
Find us, follow us!
#DiscoverMore #PerthCounty
@PerthCoTourism
perthcountytourism.ca
22 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Locke Street
From NàRoma Pizzeria’s fusion of
Naples and Roman-style pizzas to Bread
Bar’s from-scratch breads, pizzas, soups
and salads, Locke Street packs big flavour
along a relatively short strip. For casual
fine dining, Brux House and Mattson &
Co both offer quality food and cocktails.
For something sweet to round out your
trip, Amo Gelato Caffe makes gelato
in-house!
Dundas
The quaint town of Dundas is home to
the award-winning fine dining restaurant,
Quatrefoil, the pretty Detour Cafe for a
coffee and bite to eat, and Beanermunky
Chocolates for sweet confections.
Winona
Located in Hamilton towards Niagara
Falls is a little community called Winona,
home to Memphis Fire BBQ, a must-visit
for meat-lovers. This Southern-style
BBQ joint makes mouth-watering burgers,
beef brisket, pulled pork, buttermilk
chicken, and baby back ribs.
Also in the neighbourhood is
Puddicombe Estate Farms & Winery.
Pick up some hand-baked pies or some
award-winning wines at this 200-year-old
family fruit farm.
Tasty Souvenirs
On your way out of the city, pick up some
culinary souvenirs to enjoy at home.
Nardini Specialties and Denninger’s
Foods of the World have some of the
best European-style sausages and meats.
Lasagna-lovers can pick up some Mama
Yolanda’s gourmet lasagna at Nardini.
For the sweet tooth, Bennett’s Apples
makes scrumptious apple pie, turnovers,
and other baked goods at its market.
Sam’s Queenston Bakery is known for
the cannoli, made in a nut-free facility,
along with other Italian treats like mini
tiramisu and rum cakes.
I am sure your visit to Hamilton will be a
delicious one!
AMANDA STANCATI is a Hamilton-based writer
who loves to eat her way through different cities around
the world. Follow her on Twitter @amandastancati.
From the top down: NàRoma Pizza, Detour Cafe in Dundas,
Memphis Fire BBQ in Winona, and Sam’s Queenstown Bakery.
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 23
24 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Wine
Pioneers of “Huron Shores”
Alton Farms Estate Winery in Lambton County
by GARY KILLOPS
Looking for a day trip close to
home? Alton Farms Estate
Winery, located at 5547
Aberarder Line, Plympton-
Wyoming is just about an hour west of
London.
Marc Alton and Anne Kurtz-
Alton, who own and operate the
vineyard, recently celebrated the fifth
anniversary of the winery. The Altons
purchased the 90-acre property in 2005
and soon after planted a test acre of fifteen
different varietals to see what they could grow
best on the property.
They proved wrong the naysayers who said
it would be too cold for grapes to grow and for
vines to survive the cold winters, and went
on to became Lambton County’s first winery.
Together with Dark Horse Estate Winery and
Maelstrom Winery in neighboring Huron
County an Ontario wine region is forming,
unofficially called “Huron Shores”.
“From the beginning we have always been
committed to sustainability both in the
vineyard and the winery,” Anne explains. “We
try not to waste anything.
We compost the pruned
vines in the spring, and
the grape skins and seeds
after harvest. We also have
a herd of Shetland sheep
and 15 lambs who eat the
ground cover between the
rows of vine and fertilize
the soil.”
As is the case for most
vineyards in southern
Ontario, too much
moisture from rain and
humidity can be a concern.
Marc, who is both the
winemaker and vineyard
manager, keeps a close
watch on the climate and
will only use the
most sustainable products when there is a
need to spray in the vineyard.
A geo-engineer and marine geologist by
profession, Marc is a self-taught winemaker
and grape grower. He is learning, adapting,
and challenging traditional winemaking
practices and is willing to experiment with
unusual blends that are both interesting and
unique.
In 2013 the winery opened to the public
in a century-old wooden drive shed on the
property. “It’s been a labour of love,” says
Anne. “As our budget allows we look to make
Anne Kurtz-Alton with some of the vital sheep at the Alton Farms vineyard
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 25
Taste the elements.
1709 Front Road, St. Williams, Norfolk County, ON
Tastings, Tours & Events
burningkilnwinery.ca 519.586.9858
@burningkilnwine
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Alton Farms
EST A TE WINERY
New look
...same great wines!
WINE TASTINGS, EVENTS,
TOURS, OUTDOOR
PATIO, WOOD-FIRED
PIZZA OVEN
7
LAKE
HURON
SARNIA
21
Grand
Bend
Forest
Aberarder Line
21
402
London
77 km
Available at the winery, select LCBOs & farmers’ markets
5547 Aberarder Line, Plympton-Wyoming
519-899-2479 • altonfarmsestatewinery.com
Enjoy wine on the patio. Food choices include pizza from
the wood-fired oven
improvements to the winery and in the
vineyard.” This year the tasting room and
retail store were moved to the renovated
basement of the family home, offering a
striking wooden tasting bar with superior
lighting and welcoming ambience. The winery
offers a flight of three wines for $5. The tasting
fee is waived with wine purchase. In addition
to wine, the retail store has glassware, gift
baskets, and wine accessories for sale.
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 27
more wine, and sell more volume,” Marc said.
Anne also pointed out that the patio and
special events help keep the winery open at
this time.
The winery hosted quite a few events this
past summer such as “Wine Wednesday
Dinners” featuring different local chefs each
week and food paired with wines from Alton
Estates. They also hold “Wine and Paint” and
“Wine and Yoga” afternoons and the annual
“Fine Art, Fine Wine: Show and Sale.” Many of
these events sold out.
The new tasting room has a warm and welcoming
ambiance
Other recent additions to the winery
include an open-air patio and a wood-fired
pizza oven offering Margherita, meat lovers,
Mediterranean chicken and gluten-free pizzas.
The patio menu also includes charcuterie
boards with a selection of seasonal meats,
cheeses, breads, crackers and fruits. Wine is
available by the glass.
The selection of red, white and rosé wines
available for purchase from the winery is
always changing as new wines are released.
The current offerings include a 2016 riesling,
2016 sauvignon blanc and 2015 chardonnay,
and a rosé made from marechel foch grapes.
Red wines include the 2016 baco noir, 2015
cabernet sauvignon and 2015 cabernet franc.
Some hybrid and vinifera blends are also
available.
Alton Farms wine production is small when
compared to other wineries in Ontario. Last
year they produced just under 600 cases and
hope to increase production to about 800
cases this year. With this volume it is difficult
to make a profit. “You really have to make
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28 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
stomping fee is $5 per entry, with all proceeds
in support of Bluewater Centre for Raptor
Rehabilitation. This is a family event with
competitive adult grape stomping and kid
stomps.
On October 13th the winery will host their
second annual Weinfest. This family-friendly
event is a German tradition in celebration of
the new wines in production after harvest.
Anne Kurtz -Alton and Marc Alton, of Alton Farms Estate
Winery.
On September 23rd the winery will host
the third annual grape stomp event. The
Alton Farms Estate Winery
5547 Aberarder Line, Plympton-Wyoming
519-899-2479
altonfarmsestatewinery.com
GARY KILLOPS is a CAPS Certified Sommelier who
loves to talk, taste, and write about wine. He shares his
tasting notes on EssexWineReview.com
Spirits
Taking it Slow
Willibald Farm Distillery in Ayr
By ANDREW COPPOLINO | Photos by BROGAN McNABB
The folks at Willibald Farm Distillery
might say that time hasn’t been on
their side — and that’s all right with
them. At the distillery located near
Ayr, about 30 minutes south of Kitchener,
they’re in the habit of just taking things slow.
Even after the investment in start-up costs, they
weren’t in a rush to get to market. Their success
is a marker of the painstaking nature of the
planning and distilling process they developed.
“We probably went through close to 100
variations of recipes before we decided which
one to use. We were confident then that we
had something people would really like,” says
co-owner Jordan van der Heyden.
The 29-year-old and his business partners
and co-founders — brother Nolan, 25, and
long-time friend Cam Formica, also 29 — have
set themselves up on 100 acres of the van
der Heyden family farm, formerly a livestock
operation. The partners, who grew up together
in Ayr, wanted to test their entrepreneurial
mettle and “find something different that we
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 29
could use the land for,” according to Jordan.
Their own time-dependent version of gin
was the immediate answer. They grow grains,
lavender, and other crops, and keep honey
bees. “With everything we grow, we make
spirits,” he says.
Nolan and Jordan both went to University
of Waterloo. Formica attended Lakehead.
That brought business, engineering and
environmental science to the Willibald
management table, along with some distilling
education in the U.S. Distilling is Nolan’s
responsibility, and he is broadening his
understanding of the art and science of the
process with schooling in Scotland. As for the
name, it’s an inside family joke that everyone
is now happy to share: Willibald is Jordan’s
and Nolan’s grandfather’s middle name. “We
were looking for something unique. He’s never
been too fond of it, but he’s warmed up to it
as a business name and wears a shirt with the
brand,” says Jordan.
It was 2012 when the trio was searching for
a way to use the farm, recognizing that there
were a lot of breweries out there. “We realized
distilling was still in its infancy at that point.
Only Dillon’s in Niagara and Still Waters in
Toronto were in business at the time.” Today
there are about 20 distilleries up and running.
The Willibald facility is an old barn,
refurbished but maintaining its post-andbeam
character. There’s a retail store, and they
give tours and offer complementary tastings.
Until very recently, distilleries could not offer
glasses of spirits in the way that breweries
and wineries were able to. “We just got that
privilege a few months ago and are serving
cocktails at the farm. That’s been a great thing
for us,” says Jordan. They’ve added a woodfired
oven and have started serving food.
Gin itself has a storied history. A grain
distillate, it is initially distilled to a desired
alcohol content and then distilled again along
with an infusion of juniper berries and a range
of herbs and botanicals. Water is added to
establish the correct alcohol concentration —
usually 80 to 95 proof — with the hope that
the spirit will be aromatic and fairly light. At
Willibald they have gotten that down pat, if
their success is any indication. They started
with the trial-and-error of home distilling
and learned the theory side in the U.S. Those
were the easy steps. “It took us a few years
to get the necessary permits and zoning
amendments,” says Jordan. The farm is zoned
for agriculture, but distilling is considered
an industrial process. “The authorities were
extremely supportive, but because it was a
new concept it took a long time.”
Gin, by law, has to include juniper as a
flavour component. “We also add caraway seed,
grapefruit peel, cardamom, coriander and
angelica root. Those ingredients flavour the gin,
and from there we barrel it, and that’s where the
colour comes from,” says Jordan. The blending
process only takes about 10 days. Then comes
the barrel aging — a time commitment of many
months. After aging the contents of the barrels
are blended and then bottled for shipping.
The gin, which is constantly being distilled,
is available at LCBO year-round. “Our first
seasonal release will be later this summer. That
will be in the realm of 1,500 to 2,000 bottles.”
The current revival of the cocktail menu at
bars and restaurants, and the bespoke, crafted
impetus it carries, has meant that mixologists
30 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
not yet have what Jordan calls “the craft-spirit
mentality” like they have for craft beer. “Once
they’ve tried it, it’s a good sell for us,” he says.
There’s more Willibald to look forward
to. Gin accounts for only about one-third
of their production. Whisky makes up the
majority. However, that spirit, by virtue
of Canadian law, must be aged a minimum
of three years. “We haven’t been able to
release any yet. We’ve been in production
for a little over two years now, so in the next
are constantly scanning product lines for the
new and unique. Willibald fits the bill. At the
time of this writing Willibald gin was the
only barrel-aged gin available at the LCBO.
“Gin is typically an unaged spirit. It’s clear
and never been in oak, traditionally. But
our gin looks a lot like whisky with its dark
amber colour, and that’s because it spends
anywhere from four to ten months in oak
casks.” The results are what he calls a “whisky
character” that bartenders are interested in
because they can’t get it elsewhere. “It makes
a phenomenal whisky sour,” he adds.
A barrel-aged gin like Willibald lends itself
to being sipped neat. For consumers who have
never thought of drinking gin straight that’s
something of a perceived obstacle that the
company is trying to change. “Barrel aging
really mellows out the spirit and cleans it up a
bit, making it suitable if you do want to drink
it neat or on the rocks. It’s quite smooth.
There has been a remarkable appetite for
good quality gin in an older demographic of
customer we are seeing.”
Identifying the exact nature of “local” is
a bit of a mug’s game: it can mean different
things to different people. But the concept
does play a part in Willibald’s marketing
strategy. “What we find is that a lot of the
restaurants that are focussed on quality
cocktails don’t necessarily put as much
emphasis on local. They’re more concerned
with the quality of the product,” Jordan says.
That makes sense, of course — and that’s
the way it should be — but he adds that this
region has been supportive of this new entry
into the marketplace, for being both local and
of high quality. Willibald currently doesn’t
have the competition that breweries and
wineries do. Even at the LCBO, the product
is unique, and that’s been good. They target
establishments with specialty cocktail menus
rather than venues that focus on volume. Yet
even some better bars and restaurants may
year or two we’ll have some whisky,” Jordan
says. There are plans for spiced whisky with
apple. “We’re also doing some work with the
lavender we grow and we have honey bees
at the farm.” That means Willibald, unique
with its inventive gin, is continuing along the
creative path they’ve forged for themselves,
but they’re not rushing things. “We are
playing around with quite a few things,” says
Jordan. “We have the type of still that allows
us to do anything with spirits, from gins
and whiskies to fruit brandies. Those are the
products we’re interested in pursuing. But
because it’s aged, it takes time.”
Willibald Farm Distillery
1271 Reidsville Road, Ayr
226-556-9941
drinkwillibald.com
ANDREW COPPOLINO is a Kitchener-based writer
and broadcaster. He is publisher of Waterloo Region Eats
(waterlooregioneats.com) a longstanding online resource
dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, chefs, sustainability
and agriculture. Andrew also serves as a regional
Eatdrink Editorial Consultant.
BROGAN McNABB is a Toronto-based fashion and
lifestyle photographer. broganmcnab.com
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Beer
Seasonal Sensations
Ciders and Sours, for Autumn
by GEORGE MACKE
September/October 2018 | 31
Ciders and sours. As summer morphs
into fall, these two styles of alcoholic
beverages become top of mind for
me.
Craft ciders, led by cideries such as KW Craft
Cider in Waterloo, are gaining momentum as
both an alternative to white wine and, because
ciders are fermented using fruit not grain, a
gluten-free choice for an alcoholic beverage.
Interest is such that some craft breweries
— Walkerville in Windsor and Toboggan in
London, for example — are adding their own
takes on cider in-house, perhaps with wider
distribution on the horizon.
Sour beers have an exciting tartness, and
are more enjoyable, sessionable and thirstquenching
than an overly hopped IPA. We can
thank Belgium for developing the style which
has been embraced by many Ontario craft
brewers, most notably Half Hours on Earth
in Seaforth. Farmhouse sours, in theory, feature
locally available ingredients and started
as a low-alcohol style consumed around the
fall harvest, as a lunchtime meal companion
or end-of-day reward after hard hours in the
fields. Look for words like lambic, Flanders red,
gose, or Berliner weisse and chances are you’ve
got a delightful sour in your hand.
While many good examples of ciders and
sours can be found at the LCBO and select
grocery stores, beverage explorers know
the best way to discover the talents of
Southwestern Ontario cideries and brewers
is to hit the road and buy direct, or
use the breweries’ online stores if
available.
To whet your appetite, here’s a
twelve-pack of sensational ciders and
sours.
KW Craft Sparkling Dry
Cider —This flagship brand has
been a consistent medal winner at
the Great Lakes International Cider
and Perry Competition in Michigan.
This is 6.7 per cent alcohol (abv) and
is refreshing on its own or with a
cheese tray.
Hammer Bent Original
by Twin Pines — Made from a blend of
Northern Spy, Ida Red, Golden Russett and
Jonagold apples grown in the
Thedford orchards, Hammer
Bent Original leads a family
of nine versions of cider and
apple wine from Twin Pines.
It’s their best, but Crack Willow,
an apple wine made with
Northern Spy, Ida Red, and Golden Russet
piques the interest of beverage voyageurs.
Against the Currant by Wellington
Brewing — Available as part of the Welly
CRAFT BEER
MADE IN CHATHAM
27 Adelaide st. south . Chatham Ont
TAP ROOM . BEER SHOP . EVENTS . SNACKS
sonsofkent.com 519-354-BEER (2337)
now available at the LCBO!
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Look for
us in the
LCBO!
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • PROUDLY BREWED IN LONDON
1030 ELIAS STREET, LONDON • 548-888-ALES
Road Trip!
Come to the Cowbell Farm in Blyth, Ontario
“THE NO.1 CRAFT BREWERY IN CANADA TO VISIT.”
—WAYNE NEWTON, FOOD & DRINK JOURNALIST
40035 BLYTH ROAD, BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0
1-844-523-4724 WWW.COWBELLBREWING.COM
Rebooted Mix Pack Volume 4,
Against the Currant is a purple monster
of tang. Brewed in Guelph using
Ontario black currants, there’s also
a slight lemon flavour. The pack is at
the LCBO or can be ordered through
Wellington Brewing’s online store.
Oak Aged Blueprint by Half
Hours on Earth — Okay,
it’s tough to keep up
with what’s available at
Half Hours on Earth in
Seaforth, as versions of small batch
sours come and go quickly. Half
Hours updates its inventory availability
each Thursday. Earth Oak
Aged Blueprint is a 4.5% abv farmhouse
saison. It’s aged in cider barrels,
then blended with perry (aka
cider made from pears) from Revel
Cider in Guelph. Snag one of these to impress
your friends.
Hansel and Brett’el Farmhouse
Blonde Ale by Forked
River — Aged in chardonnay barrels
for six months, Hansel and Brett’el
is both light (4.6% abv) and flavourful,
but not found by walking in the
woods. Forked River suggests pairing
it with a Cobb salad. Hansel and
Brett’el is available only at the brewery
bottle shop in London or through
the Forked River online store.
Berry Berliner by Innocente
Brewing — This seasonal was brewed as a collaboration
between Innocente of Waterloo and
craft-loving Beertown Public House (locations in
Waterloo, London, Cambridge,
and Burlington). Brewed with
raspberries and blackberries,
it’s a nod to Ontario fruit
farmers. It’s very light at 3.8%
abv with an entry-level tartness.
Innocente and Beertown
have done six collaborative brews — keep an
eye out for them. Berry Berliner is in cans at the
brewery or available for growler fills.
Sports by Refined Fool — Named in
honour of sports being one
of our most beloved universal
conversation-starters (How
‘bout those Leafs? Finally,
eh?), Sports is 5.5% abv and 20
IBU (International Bitterness
Units). This saison uses boy
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
senberries. Tasting notes point out tangerine
and honey flavours. Game on!
Face for a Neck Tattoo by Refined
Fool — Make it two for
Sarnia’s craft brewery. This
5.2% abv, 27 IBU saison uses
Szechuan peppercorns. The
name plays on tough guys
softened by liking the taste
of this one.
Keyser Gose by Forked River
— Brewers at London’s Forked River
used lactobacillus followed by brewers
yeast to create this new gently
sour, citrusy gose, a beer style from
Germany. It’s a brewery store/
Forked River online exclusive.
Spirit of the Woods by Revel
Cider — Guelph’s cider house collaborated
with Dillon’s Small Batch
Distillers of Beamsville
to create this by aging
the cider on spent gin
botanicals. A gold medal
winner at the Ontario Cider
Awards in 2015, Spirit of
September/October 2018 | 33
the Woods is 6.9% abv.
66 Pickup by Hoity Toity — A gold
medal winner at the Great Lakes International
Cider and Perry competition,
66 Pickup veers to the dry side. Kudos
to the rural Bruce County winery for
rebranding this cider from its original
name, Gravel Run, which left my throat
dusty. This lightly carbonated cider is
made with apples harvested in Grey
and Bruce counties.
Toboggan Cider — The Richmond Row,
London brew pub aims to
please by offering a pair of its
own ciders, a dry and a sweet.
Either works well for sitting
on the restaurant’s patio and
toasting the drop-off of your
kid up the road at Western,
but the nod goes to the dry version for its citrus
undertone. Both are 6% abv.
GEORGE MACKE is a craft beer lover exploring the
breweries (and cideries) throughout Southwestern
Ontario.
BLACK SWAN
BREWING COMPANY
STRATFORD • ONTARIO
It's what we drink.
144 DOWNIE ST, STRATFORD
BLACKSWANBREWING.CA 519 • 814 • 7926 @BLACKSWANBREWINGCO
34 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
The BUZZ
Culinary Community Notes
London
We’re moving ahead as briskly as we can with an
updated London’s Local Flavour Culinary Guide.
We’re happy to report that all 30,000 copies we
printed were distributed last year and we’ve been
out of copies for several weeks. We got them out to
important locations like tourism offices, the airport,
farmers’ markets, and select restaurants, shops and
cultural spots. This year we are excited to allow outof-town
neighbours to take part in Local Flavour. Let
us know if you would like to participate in the Guide.
The recently launched Old South Farmers Market
operates from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Its debut
last month drew large crowds to the host venue
Storm Stayed Brewing Company.
Join us in a celebration of local food and drink.
The Artisanal Culinary Arts program at Fanshawe
College will be hosting a Harvest Dinner to
celebrate International Chefs Day on October 20.
The dinner will feature five courses with drink
pairings. 130 Dundas Street (Fanshawe’s new
downtown campus). Tickets are $100 and available
through fanshawec.ca/harvest
Restaurateur Joe Duby has launched gNosh in the
former Blu Duby space with entrances off Dundas
Street and Market Lane. Using locally sourced,
sustainable ingredients to create delectable fare
is the passion of Chef Cynthia Beaudoin and her
culinary team. gNoshbyJoeDuby.com
Chef Dave Lamers and business partner Rob
D’Amico of Abruzzi have started construction on
Taverna 1331 in Hyde Park. Abruzzi welcomed Chef
Justin Dafoe, a graduate of Stratford Chefs School,
earlier this year. Dafoe is currently working at
Abruzzi, and will be leading the kitchen team at the
new restaurant. Follow Taverna on Instagram and
Facebook. abruzzi.ca
Palasad North is closed for renovations and
will bring a new concept to the city around mid-
November. The Palasad South location will be
rockin’ as always. Stay tuned to their social sites for
exciting updates on this new adventure. It’s exciting!
After 11 years, the folks at True Taco have closed
their Dundas Street operation. They will continue
operating at the Market at Western Fair. They would
like to thank their family, friends and customers
who have supported them and made the experience
tremendously memorable. “It has truly changed our
lives, and we are excited to start a new chapter!”
The recently opened Casa Cancun at 325 Wharncliffe
Rd. South serves authentic Mexican fare and has
a genuinely cantina-like ambience, although it is
unlicensed. It serves excellent tacos and enchiladas
and is located close to the Hyland Theatre. Tacos are
50% off on Tuesdays! www.casacancun.ca
Another great Latino hotspot is Lo Nuestro at 722
Hamilton Road. The humble restaurant with great food
has new owners and we are hearing great reports from
our readers. lonuestrolatinrestaurant.com
The Market at Western Fair will open on both
Saturday (8am–3pm) and Sunday (11am–3pm)
each week beginning October 6. Market Manager
Dan Ross and Assistant Manager Courtney Berens
481 Richmond Street
519-432-4092
garlicsoflondon.com
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
are working to grow attendance and improve
the customer experience. Up to $400,000 will be
invested in the Confederation Building location
this year, including washroom upgrades and
new cooler storage. Support local and include @
TheMarketWFD and use #MeetMeAtTheMarket
when sharing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
westernfairdistrict/market
Chef Chris Morrisson of the Katana Kafe will be at
it again, switching up the menus for cooler weather
during October. Come out and enjoy his mouthwatering
dishes. Come for breakfast, get lost in time
watching aviation, and find yourself staying for
lunch and dinner. katanakafe.ca
Bourbon Street, London’s destination for Cajun and
Creole food on Oxford Street, has closed.
The Village Teapot in Ilderton is owned and run by
Gaynor Deeks and Jana Yassine. Gaynor is originally
from the UK, Jana from Chatham, Ontario. They
are tea drinkers and sandwich makers, and know
a good scone when they see one. Located in one of
the oldest properties in the town, believed to be
at least 145 years old, the premises retain many
period features. Beginning September Deeks and
Yassine will again be offering Sunday Roast lunches
Destination for the food lover
Featuring specialty foods,
kitchenwares, tablewares,
cooking classes and gift baskets.
115 King St., London Ontario
jillstable.ca 519-645-1335
NOW
OPEN!
We’re dedicated to making your experience perfect,
whether it’s a romantic evening EatDrinkAd_2017.indd out, a night
1 2017-04-19 2:28
with good friends, a corporate function, or an
important life event. We’re here to help.
Using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients to
create delectable fare is Chef Cynthia Beaudoin and
gNosh’s culinary team’s passion. With an ever-evolving menu, focused
on the seasons and executed to perfection, we’ll wow you with every
bite. We have assembled a service team of accomplished pros to ensure
your every need is taken care of.
gNosh is excited to be part of Dundas Place, the newly created
flex street, with construction anticipated to be finished in
September 2018.
125 Dundas Street, London
Reservations: 519-601-8050
www.gnoshbyjoeduby.com
Your love of all things Italian begins at
Gift Cards
Available
519-652-7659 • HWY 401 & 4 • pastosgrill.com
NEW
AUTUMN
MENU
FLIGHTS & BITES
HALF PRICE Sharing Plates & Oysters
Tuesday–Friday from 3:30–5:30pm
SUNDAY INDUSTRY NIGHTS
20% OFF!
NOW BOOKING CHRISTMAS PARTIES
TUES–SAT Lunch & Dinner 11:30am to Close
SUNDAY Brunch 11am & Dinner
449 Wharncliffe Road South
519.914.2699
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
once a month. Usually these are scheduled at the
beginning of each month but to accommodate a
Turkey Dinner before Thanksgiving the first one
will be Sunday September 30 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Turkey with all the trimmings will be on the menu.
Reservations required. thevillageteapot.ca
Gino Parco of Porcino, the Italian hotspot on
Southdale, has launched Veta Wine and Pasta
Bar in the former Blu Duby North location at 745
Fanshawe Park Road West.
This year’s VegFest — London’s annual “plantbased
party” — takes place Saturday, November 10,
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Metroland Media Agriplex,
Western Fair District. A wide variety of vendors
will be on site, offering food and drink samples and
all kinds of support for a plant-based lifestyle.
Admission is $5 (children 12 and under are free) and
parking is free. vegfestlondon.com
Museum London is hosting the inaugural “Night
at the Forks” fundraising gala, featuring a tasting
menu by one of the leaders pushing the vanguard
of Indigenous cuisine, Chef Joseph Shawana
of Kū-Kŭm Kitchen (one of Toronto Life’s Best
Restaurants 2018). This will be the first time Chef
Shawana will be creating his delicacies in the Forest
City. Be prepared for creative dishes that combine
fine dining techniques and traditional Indigenous
recipes. For example, from the restaurant’s menu:
Pemmican, Venison Gravlax, and Sweet Grass
Cream Brûlée. The gala will take place throughout
the Museum, with a concert in the new Centre at the
Forks space. Funds raised will go towards children’s
programming and other activities at Museum
London. The gala seeks to spread awareness of
modern Indigenous culture through food and
music. Saturday, November 17 at 6:00 pm.
Celebrating its sixth anniversary, The Root Cellar
remains committed to working with local, organic,
and sustainably focused farms in Southwestern
Ontario. Through On the Move Organics,
the worker-owners have forged meaningful
relationships and continue to expand the network
of organic farmers and producers they work with.
Aranka Csárda is a family-run Hungarian restaurant
on Longwoods Road just outside of Lambeth. The
owners take pride in what they do and serve only
authentic and quality food. The decor and colours of
the restaurant are meant to mimic the feel of a real
Hungarian Csárda. You’ll feel like you’re in a different
country when you dine with them. 7447 Longwoods
Road, London. aranka.ca
Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ has opened in the space
previously occupied by Icarus on Richmond Row.
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
The Forest City Cookbook crew recently launched
the book to considerable acclaim. It features over
60 talented culinary artists and 40 dedicated local
producers in a stunning 500-plus-page hardcover
edition, with 135 recipes. There are still a few copies
left for sale at Haymach Canada and Edge Food
Equipment. forestcitycookbook.ca
Jill’s Table fall cooking classes have a big season
planned including classes on Vietnamese, How to
Sous Vide, The Big Red Bowl, Cider & Food Pairing,
Hands-On Pasta, Vegan Brunch, Gluten Free Baking,
Sake & Sushi, Chinese Street Food, Festive Cookies,
Cooking With Cast Iron, French Baking, Vegetarian
Food & Wine Pairing, Inspiring Appetizers and so
much more. jillsclasses.ca
Thanksgiving Sunday (October 7) is the day to treat
family and friends to turkey and all the trimmings,
at Idlewyld Inn & Spa. Thanksgiving Sunday Brunch
Buffet, sittings at 11 am & 1:30 pm. Children age 3 to
12: 50% off. Thanksgiving Sunday Dinner, sittings
at 5 pm & 7:30 pm, children age 3 to 12: 50% off. The
Idlewyld is also accepting reservations for holiday
parties. 36 Grand Ave, 519-432-5554, idlewyld.com
The In Home Chef’s new fall cooking class schedule
is here. Just click on the link to check out what
SUNDAY BRUNCH
11am−2pm
Intimate
Outdoor
Courtyard
Open 7 Days a Week
Mon/Tues 11:30-10, Wed/Thurs 11:30-11, Fri/Sat 11:30-12, Sun 11-10
$110
Inclusive
Friday, September 21st, 2018
Scotch Tasting is Back!
Simon Hooper Scotch Ambassador, will be showcasing a special Scotch blended
from all their distilleries, only 64 cases in the world. Tickets available now.
$79
Inclusive
Sunday, October 7th, 2018 | Brunch - $38.95 ~ Dinner - $42.95
Thanksgiving Buffet at the Idlewyld
Featuring turkey, all the trimmings, hot and cold sides, & a decadent dessert table!
11:00am Brunch, 1:30pm Brunch, 5:00pm Dinner and 7:30pm Dinner.
| Starts at 7:00 pm
Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun!
Ricki just moved to the neighbourhood four months ago, but already he’s been accused
of stealing cats, soliciting foolish relationships, disregarding town building codes and
he’s making enemies fast. In an effort to mend fences and reverse bad first impressions,
Ricki decides to invite the neighbourhood to a god, old-fashioned Halloween party.
36 Grand Ave, London • 519.432.5554 • www.idlewyldinn.com
38 | September/October 2018
they’ve got cooking. Chef Thomas Waite offers
cooking classes, pop-up dinners and a private
dining room. Waite will be partnering with other
chefs and farmers this fall for pop-up dinners and
events. theinhomechef.ca/cooking-classes/
Reverie is a Canadian-focused five-course tasting
menu restaurant with optional wine pairings,
operated by Chef Brian Sua-an and Jerrah Revilles.
Chef uses modern and molecular techniques and
applies them to his cuisine to make each dish
uniquely his own. Chef is teaming up this fall with
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
our food editor Bryan Lavery for a pop-up event
featuring a menu inspired by Lavery’s former
Murano Restaurant at the end of September.
Reservations are required. 1–208 Piccadilly Street,
519-914-6595, reverierestaurant.ca
Thanksgiving Sunday (October 7) is the day to treat
family and friends to turkey and all the trimmings,
at Idlewyld Inn & Spa. Thanksgiving Sunday Brunch
Buffet, sittings at 11 am & 1:30 pm. Children age 3 to
12: 50% off. Thanksgiving Sunday Dinner, sittings
at 5 pm & 7:30 pm, children age 3 to 12: 50% off. The
Idlewyld is also accepting reservations for holiday
parties. 36 Grand Ave, 519-432-5554, idlewyld.com
Blackfriars Bistro & Catering is open on Mondays
for lunch and dinner. Betty Heydon’s locallyacclaimed
bistro continues to wow all age groups
and recently celebrated its 22nd birthday. Chefs
prepare innovative, seasonal blackboard specials
with cutting-edge menus that respect tradition.
Closed Sundays. 46 Blackfriars St., 519-667-4930,
blackfriarsbistro.com
Food Trucks on the Farm: It’s Heeman’s 5th annual
Food Truck event on September 15 & 16 with unique
food offerings from 10am to 3pm each day. This year’s
trucks include local favourites plus a couple great food
wagons on wheels from the K-W area.Look for, among
others, Bifana Boys, Goodah Gastrotruck, My Big Fat
Food Truck, ish & chips, Smokestacks & The Donut
Diva. heeman.ca/food-trucks/
Matthew and Kristin Buckley of Powerhouse
Brewing are setting up in the former Kellogg’s in
the Albert Kahn-designed power plant. Generators
that once churned out the energy to produce cereal
have been replaced by a four-vessel, 20-barrel
brewhouse. When Powerhouse’s taproom opens,
it will feature eight taps: six Powerhouse or
Tobermory beers plus two rotating among other
craft breweries in London. The brewery is familyowned
and operated, using quality Canadian-made
From Recipe to Reality: How to Start A Food Business
If you want to turn your winning recipe into a successful
venture, then this seminar is for you!
Tuesday, September 25 th , 2018 - FREE! (seating is limited!)
Hosted in Partnership with:
379 Dundas Street, Unit 220 | London, Ontario N6B 1V5 | 519-659-2882 | www.sbcentre.ca/foodbusiness
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
equipment. It will offer tastes, tours and memorable
dining experiences. powerhousebrewery.beer
Fanshawe’s College’s new $66-million downtown
campus in the former Kingsmill’s department store
is now open on time and on budget. The hospitality/
culinary and information technology programs
have their new home in the downtown campus.
Most of the third floor is devoted to state-of-theart
kitchens and bakery. The culinary program
will be showcased in Chef’s Table, a groundfloor
restaurant that will help provide a training
ground for culinary students and serve locallysourced
food with a sustainable focus featuring
international flavours.
Culinary wizard Matt Reijnen, former chef at Pub
Milos, has opened Pizzeria Madre in the space
previously occupied by Manito’s Rotisserie at 111
Wellington Street. We are already hearing glowing
reports. pizzeriamadre.wixsite.com/book
Olha and Anatolii Prytkova’s Happiness Coffee
and Desserts opened its doors at 430 Wellington
Street across from One London Place recently. The
family owned business bakes all the European-style
desserts from scratch, including specialty cakes,
cupcakes and chocolates.
Delighted to welcome you late fall 2018
reserve@gracelondon.ca
@gracerestaurantlondon
@graceLDNONT
FRESH.
The essence of who we are.
Visit us to sample over 70 oils and balsamics.
Savour white & dark balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy,
paired with the freshest olive oils from across the globe.
Bottling fresh in store since 2012.
The
Pristine
live
Est. 2012
884 Adelaide Street N. | London | 519-433-4444
www.thepristineolive.ca
40 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Keto Health Foods is on the move! As of September
8 they at a new location at 911 Commissioners Road
East under a new name – ketolibriyum.
Stratford
Stratford is awash with culinary hubs where locals,
visitors, chefs, farmers, artists and artisans gather,
such as Market Square, Your Local Market Co-op, the
Local Community Food Centre, Stratford Farmers’
Market at the Agri-plex (on Saturdays) and the Slow
Food Farmers’ Market (on Sundays). There are many
great retailers like Bradshaws Kitchen Detail, Downie
WHOLESALE
HAND ROASTED
COFFEE BEANS
FROM MY BUSINESS
TO YOUR BUSINESS
Quality,
Consistency,
and Value
... in the roasting,
in the delivery,
and in the price.
New Location!
1-141 WORTLEY RD.
London, Now Open 6 Days
TM
Street Bakehouse (“Really Good Bread from the Wrong
Side of the Tracks”), Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar and
Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop. The recently opened
Grounded is Stratford’s only purely plant-based café.
facebook.com/ Groundedraw/
The Planet Diner, with candy-apple red upholstered
booths and a ’50s vibe, is warm and welcoming,
with enthusiastic and well-informed staff. Owner
Dee Christensen says, “This is where herbivores can
bring their carnivore friends.” Most items on the
menu are derived from plant-based ingredients, but
there are meat-based options. There’s just nothing
like the Chick’un burger made in-house with vegan
buffalo butter. Try the cashew-based banana split,
bound to be a hit even with die-hard ice cream
lovers. 118 Downie Street. theplanetdiner.com
Digi Writing + Literary Festival: A literary festival
with a culinary twist. The Appetite for Words
Festival program is a partnership between the
Stratford Writers Festival and Stratford Chefs
School, featuring authors who have written about
food and fiction writers who have food as a strong
component of their novels. Chefs and students
from Stratford Chefs School develop and prepare
menus inspired by featured books so you can
taste the words you’re reading. Appetite for Words
revolves around storytelling and is created for the
enthusiastic and curious — anyone interested in
reading, discussing and consuming food (that’s you,
right?). There will also be educational workshops
and tasting sessions. At literary dinners and
lunches, food is matched with authors’ readings, so
participants can taste the words they’re hearing.
During workshops, participants can build their
skills and increase their knowledge of both
the culinary and literary arts. From a literary
picnic-style farm lunch to a food photography
workshop, come whet your appetite for literature.
stratfordwritersfestival.com/literary-events/
appetite-for-words-festival/
We have a Latte to be thankful for...
and it’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Season!
223 Colborne St., Port Stanley 519-782-7800 • 1-141 Wortley Rd., London 519-601-6610
The Market at Western Fair, 900 King St. London Sat. 8–3 • www.peppertreespice.com
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Olive Your Favourites let us know their new
Southern Hemisphere extra virgin olive oils (EVOO)
have arrived from Chile and South Africa and the
customer-favourite Hojiblanca EVOO from Australia
is due at any moment. oliveyourfavourites.com
Raja Fine Indian Cuisine is the place for authentic
Northern Indian food in Stratford. Raja offers upscale
cuisine in sophisticated and elegant surroundings,
and knowledgeable, well-trained staff. The service
is white linen, and professional but friendly. Foods
are prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients.
The heat quotient of dishes can be adjusted to your
preferences. Raja offers milder Indian fare such as
Butter Chicken, Korma, and Tikka Masala. 10 George
Street West, rajastratford.ca
Milky Whey offers Cheese Pairings workshops
starting October 27. visitstratford.ca/partner/The-
Milky-Whey-Fine-Cheese-Shop
The Bruce Restaurant offers delicious events
including a complete take away Thanksgiving dinner!
visitstratford.ca/partner/The-Bruce-Restaurant
Savour Stratford Chocolate Trail. If you’re a chocoholic
this is the trail for you! What could be better
than spending an afternoon (or two) strolling
Hey Cupcake!
where art is
a piece of cake
The ORIGINAL
LONDON CAKERY &
GOURMET CUPCAKE
BAKERY
Fall Food Fest
Saturday, September 29 10am–1pm
Celebrate the harvest and come to the Farmers’
Market for this annual family-friendly event.
Celebrate our local farmers and enjoy the fall
season. In partnership with Growing Chefs, we
will be hosting a free
corn roast, children’s
activities, live music,
a cooking class
and a contest
with local chefs.
Family Pumpkin Patch
Saturday, October 20 10am–1pm
Enjoy lots of fun for the kids including crafts, a
bouncy castle, face painting, entertainment,
seasonal treats and more. Kids, don’t forget to
dress up in your Halloween costumes!
Vegan Cooking Workshop
Thursday, September 20 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Learn to make fabulous vegan meals in a small
class. You will cook, eat and take home all the
yummy recipes. Go to our website to register!
FREE Cooking Classes are held Saturdays,
11am–noon, upstairs in the Market Kitchen,
until September 22.
FREE PARKING
With Validation
Half Hour Weekdays
ASK US Custom Bakery • Walk-In Orders Available
ABOUT OUR
“RANDOM
ACTS OF
SWEETNESS!”
CAMPAIGN
www.heycupcake.ca
275 Wharncliffe Rd. North
519-433-CAKE (2253)
STORE HOURS: Mon–Fri 11–7
Saturday 10–5 • Sunday 11–4
Market Hours
Monday to Saturday
Mezzanine & Restaurant Hours Differ
42 | September/October 2018
the Victorian streets of Stratford and sampling
chocolate? The self-guided Chocolate Trail is
offered year-round. Tickets are just $30 (+HST), are
valid for one week from the date of purchase, and
can be used at six of the 27 stops. visitstratford.ca/
chocolatetrail
Savour Stratford Bacon and Ale Trail. This selfguided
walking trail includes vouchers that you
can use at 5 stops. Each voucher will entitle you to
a “tasting” of unique bacon and ale inspired treats
and the chance to speak to Stratford and area’s
“a gastronomical landmark for over 22 years”
Bistro & Catering
Lunch Mon–Fri
Dinner Mon–Sat
Dietary Needs Accommodated | Ample Free Parking
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46 Blackfriars Street, London | 519-667-4930
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Far Out ...
but we like it that way!
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
culinary stars while visiting restaurants and retail
locations. This trail is offered year-round and is
valid for one week from the date of purchase ($30
+HST). visitstratford.ca/bacontrail
Around the Region
Alton Farms Estate Winery, a pioneer estate winery
and vineyard in Ontario’s emerging wine region,
Huron Shores, is featured in this issue’s Wine
column. In late-breaking news, the winery just
celebrated their fifth anniversary with fresh new
graphics and signage. altonfarmsestatewinery.com
Lambton County continues to add to its fine list
of beverage producers, which also includes Twin
Pines Cider House in Lambton Shores, Refined Fool
Brewing Co. in Sarnia, and the Munro Meadery
in Alvinston. Just around the corner from Alton
Farms Estate Winery, the Stonepicker Brewing
Company taproom and retail outlet is now open,
Thursday to Sunday. Partners Mary & Joe Donkers
and Laura and Jim Soetemans are brewing ales,
lagers and stouts from the Donkers farm, where
they are also growing some of their own barley.
7143 Forest Road, Plympton-Wyoming (Forest)
stonepickerbrewingcompany.com
Stonetown Artisan Cheese is a purveyor of Swiss
mountain-style cheeses, hand-crafted by master
cheesemaker Ramon Eberle. Using unpasteurized
milk from farmers Hans and Jolanda Weber’s
herd of Holsteins, Eberle uses raw milk so that the
cheese ripens as naturally as possible while the
flavours improve with maturation. Cheeses and
other local products are available to buy on-site
at the farm store. Guided group tours are $5 per
person (60–90 minutes for a minimum 15 people).
5021 Perth County Line 8 (Kirkton Road), St. Marys,
519-229-6856, stonetowncheese.com
Fat Olive, a new Italian-inspired family-friendly
restaurant in Dorchester, has opened at 2135
Dorchester Road. fatolive.ca
Blair Rd
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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Chris and Mary Woolf have ceased operations of
Little Red’s in St Marys and retired at the end of
August. Congratulations go out for two successful
and celebrated careers in hospitality, and best wishes
for many enjoyable years in retirement. Cheers!
Heritage Grain Weekend and Bread Camp is an
opportunity to educate and connect growers,
millers, bakers and chefs who are creating a rise in
demand for local grains. This program will increase
a baker’s capacity to procure and utilize regionally
grown whole grains to help build and develop the
regional food shed. Bread Camp is for chefs, cooks
and bakers, and those with an interest in baking
who want to gain more knowledge in the versatility
of using specialty grains. October 19, 20 and 21.
cktable.ca/regenerate-event-weekend-2018/
Taste Detours highlights Guelph’s history by mapping
it from one culinary experience to the next, offering an
authentic “taste of place.” Lynn Broughton, founder
of Taste Detours (tastedetours.ca, 1-866-736-6343),
is a certified Food Tour Professional, a passionate
and knowledgeable guide. Guelph has stunning
architecture, a strong cultural fabric and a rich history
that Taste Detours explores through food and drink
experiences. tastedetours.ca
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44 | September/October 2018
Since 1969 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has
developed its own traditions, combining the largest
Bavarian festival in North America with the greatest
Thanksgiving Day Parade in Canada. Thousands of
visitors celebrate annually in the Festhallen and
by attending one or more of 40 family and cultural
events. The local economy is stimulated through the
celebration of this spirit of Gemuetlichkeit, and over
70 charities and not-for-profit organizations raise
funds to support the high quality of life enjoyed in
Kitchener-Waterloo. Tickets for the 50th Anniversary
event (October 5–13) are on sale now. oktoberfest.ca
Experience Hessenland Inn & Vineyard
Where heritage is infused into every vine and vintage
Join us for one of our
Signature Events & Experiences!
• Thanksgiving Buffet & Dinner
• 3rd Annual Long Table Dinner
• Novemberfest
• Fall SOULitude & MORE!
Accommodations • Award-Winning Gardens • Private Beach Access
Vineyard • Dining Room with European & Locally Inspired Fare
Located steps from Lake Huron between Grand Bend & Bayfield
Call 519-236-7707 or 866-543-7736
hessen@hessenland.com • www.hessenland.com
Reservations required for all events
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Early Bird Coffee will be moving to 815 Juliana
Drive in Woodstock. Their focus is on producing
top quality coffee that is sustainable, economically
supportive. early-bird.ca
Truffle Camp: Handcraft a dozen of your own
delicious and gourmet truffles alongside Cindy
Walker of Chocolatea. Learn how to use flavours
from Southwestern Ontario to create a selection
of delicious ganaches as you step into the role of
chocolatier. $75.00 per person + HST. Chocolatea,
Ingersoll, chocolatea.ca/product/truffle-camp
Preserving Workshops: Join Rural Oxford and Chef
Murray Zehr to learn how to preserve the season’s
freshest produce. From workshops on salsa and
beets to apples 101, you’ll love exploring ways to eat
local all year long. roedc.ca/preserving
A Taste Of Port is celebrating the food of Central
Elgin, and the wine and craft beers of the region.
Come and join them as they launch the first Food
Festival September 21 to 23 in beautiful Port
Stanley. portstanley.net/a-taste-of-port/
A trip to Port wouldn’t be the same without a stop
at Shaw’s Ice Cream. It’s been serving up “delicious
old fashioned ice cream made the way it should be”
and is celebrating its 75th birthday. Shaw’s offers
a wide selection of hard ice cream, fruit sorbets,
frozen yogurt, thick milkshakes, decadent sundaes
and celebratory ice cream cakes. 6598 Sunset Drive,
St. Thomas. 519-631-2510. shawsicecream.com
Ottercreek Woodworks is opening their doors
to offer an exclusive Tree to Table Experience to
visitors interested in crafting a beautiful live-edge
charcuterie board with the woodworker himself.
Explore a Carolinian forest, savour a charcuteriestyle
lunch and of course, create something
beautiful with your own hands in an environmentally
conscious way. $250.00 per person + HST, Ottercreek
Woodworks, Burgessville. ottercreekwoodworks.ca.
Featuring
Creative Menus
from Chefs
Erryn Shephard
&
Ben Sandwith
Always Available
for Caterings!
519.238.6224
42 Ontario St. S., Grand Bend
www.finearestaurant.com
Lunch and Dinner — Seasonal Hours
Reservations Recommended
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
In case you missed our story online about
truLOCAL, check the link at eatdrink.ca/dealingwith-dragons-trulocal-focuses-on-the-meat-ofthe-matter/.
This home delivery service has some
cool options for purchasing quality local proteins
and for a limited time is offering Eatdrink readers
a special offer. Use the EATDRINK10 code for a 10%
discount on your order! trulocal.ca
The 12th Annual Taste Real Fall Rural Romp is a
self-guided tour of Guelph and Southern Wellington
County farms, markets and local food businesses.
Experience a day in the countryside, meet local
farmers, eat, learn about food and experience the
local bounty. Saturday September 29. wellington.
ca/en/business/tr-fallruralromp.aspx
We want your BUZZ!
Do you have culinary news or upcoming events
that you’d like us to share?
Every issue, Eatdrink reaches more than
50,000 readers across Southwestern Ontario
in print, and thousands more online.
Get in touch with us at editor@eatdrink.ca and/or
connect directly with our Social Media Editor
Bryan Lavery at bryan@eatdrink.ca
Submission deadline for the next issue is October 5.
519-565-2576
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46 | September/October 2018
In Memoriam
Paul Leigh Smith, 1928–2018
Founder of Hasbeans, Covent Garden Market
Contributed by Joel McMillan
“It’s for you, Papa.” I say handing him the phone.
“Oh, hello Sandra, you’re looking well!” He’s
got that sparkle in his eye, with a laugh just below
the surface. I often wondered how many people
he caught off guard with that simple greeting. Did
they thank him with an automatic response and
then later think, “Hey, wait a minute ... what? Is he
watching me?!”
That was him. Constantly cracking jokes, ranging
from ridiculously inappropriate to little kid corny
“dad” jokes. He also had an amazing ability to call up
images from his past, images that would transport
you to the very places that had affected him with
so much awe and wonder. Whether he was driving
through mountain ranges or sitting on his deck up
north by the lake or with people from back in the day,
you were there with him through his words.
I think one of the most inspiring aspects of Papa
was his ability to immerse himself in business without
becoming inhuman. I believe that’s why he was able to
overcome the many obstacles that any entrepreneur
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
faces. Many many
years ago, when his
father Paul Smith Sr.
ran businesses in the
market, Papa was
filling in the blanks
and doing a lot of
damage control. With
the help of my mom
Deb, Papa’s daughter
who started working
with Papa at a very
young age, and with
his head held high,
he pulled those
businesses out of debt and continued to evolve and
better himself and the whole family.
When he conceived of Hasbeans in 1969, Papa
was truly swimming in unknown waters. Coffee
roasting was absolutely unheard of in North
America. It didn’t take long to catch on though, and
Hasbeans has been (wink wink nudge nudge) firing
delicious coffee into your mouths since!
You might have known my Papa as a man who
kicked alcohol 50 years ago. You might have known
him as a man who smiles and plays with your kids
growers & creators of fine lavender products
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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
when your family swings by the market. You might
have known him to help you when life felt it was
at its worse, to guide you to a better you. He truly
was an inspiration to everyone he crossed paths
with and his mark has been softly yet permanently
recorded in many of our hearts.
As Mom and I fully take over the reigns of the
shop and all that it means to run a business in this
modern world, I’m reminded of the love, time, and
Anthony Michael Bourdain, 1956–2018
Chef, writer and broadcaster
Contributed by Holly Granken
When we heard the news that Anthony
Bourdain had taken his own life, we were in
shock. In one way or another, he had an impact
on anyone who works in a kitchen. He was
cool, he was a bad-ass and he worked damn
hard — something all of us pride ourselves
on. We read his books, we watched his shows,
he was awesome. I wanted to do something
to honour him. I’ve always loved the cover of
Kitchen Confidential. It’s a photo of a young Tony
with two other chefs. They’re leaning against a
graffiti-covered wall holding huge knives with
self-satisfied smirks on their faces. I wanted to
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Deserve the Best Tools
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Retailer of
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September/October 2018 | 47
energy Deb and Paul put into this glorious little
magic bean shop. The sacrifices were worth it, and I
know he will live on through us, the fourth and fifth
generation in the market. I wouldn’t be half the man
I am today without his soul, love and charity. Come
on by the shop if you miss him. He will always be
there ... crackin’ jokes.
— Joel McMillan is Paul Smith’s grandson and a
proprietor at Hasbeans in Covent Garden Market.
recreate that golden moment with my own crew. I
hope you will consider this for publication.
— Holly Granken is a photographer (Studio 575)
and a baker at Plant Matter Bistro in London.
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48 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Theatre
World Curious, London Proud
This Season at The Grand Theatre
By JANE ANTONIAK
The culinary world often champions
the eating local philosophy. At the
Grand Theatre in London, artistic
director Dennis Garnhum puts his
own spin on the local movement. The Grand’s
vision is to be “World Curious, London
Proud.” The new season of 12 productions on
two stages, which kicks off in September with
the High School Project and wraps up in May
with Mamma Mia!, pays tribute to this vision
with internationally acclaimed and locallyinfused
productions.
Local
It all starts with a uniquely London tradition:
The High School Project and the controversial
decision to produce Prom Queen: The Musical.
There was criticism from some long-time
educational partners who felt the topic was
not appropriate for younger audiences, but
the controversy spurred on a successful
crowd-funding campaign. In turn, The Grand
announced it would use the funds to offer
1,600 complimentary tickets to schools. It
runs September 18 to 29. Meanwhile advance
sales have doubled over the previous season,
according to The Grand. The production,
directed by Garnhum, stars London high school
student Devon Kenway and features more
than 50 students on stage and another 30 back
David Webber and Fisayo Akinade in Barber Shop Chronicles
at The National Theatre. Photo by Marc Brenner
stage. They receive mentoring by professionals
in all aspects of theatre production through
this unique program, now it its 22nd year.
Prom Queen was developed by the Musical
Theatre Project at Sheridan College. It is based
on the real-life story of a teenager, Marc Hall,
who wanted to bring his same-sex partner to
the high school prom, and the controversy
that ensued. It is described as being suited for
youth in Grade 7 and beyond.
Vigilante, the story of the locally famous
Black Donnellys of Lucan — think 1880s
massacre in a rural setting with a modernday
rock musical score — returns to the
Grand February 19 to March 9. It was last
here in 2016, when it played to sold-out
houses. Ironically, it is an Edmonton company,
Catalyst Theatre, which tells the story
so many locals know by heart.
World
Being “world curious” is depicted by Garnhum’s
accomplishment in bringing Barber Shop
Chronicles from the National Theatre in London,
England to this London for its only Canadian
performance. As of late June, the show was
already 50% sold out for the run from November
15 to 24 on the Spriet Stage. This high-energy
production takes the audience to barber
shops around the world to hear discussions by
African men. From our London it
heads to the Kennedy Centre in
Washington, D.C. We are certainly
fortunate to have Garnhum
spotting such hits and bringing
them to our community.
The Brits return at Christmas
with the second annual production
of A Christmas Carol,
December 5 to 29. This is a
reprise of Garnhum’s spectacular
adaptation of 2017, featuring iceskating,
ghosts, and the re-birth
of the human spirit. This year
theatre-goers will see the lobby
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
transformed into an artisanal market with local
vendors, artists, carolers and more, including
treats and cider. This is sure to warm your holiday
season!
Our American neighbours bring us the
Pulitzer Prize-winning production of August
Wilson’s Fences, March 19 to April 6. This is a
look at Pittsburgh in the 1950s through the
eyes of a former Negro League baseball star,
now a garbage collector.
National
The Grand has a focus on global and local
stories, as well as being proudly national with
the beloved story of Maggie & Pierre as well
as Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, which is
directed by Canadian Megan Follows.
If you reach far enough back in the time
machine you will remember Follows as Anne
of Green Gables, or as Juliet at the Stratford
Festival opposite a young Antoni Cimolino.
This Canadian-made story retells Homer’s
Odyssey through the eyes of Penelope, the wife
of Odysseus. It runs January 22 to February 9.
For those with long theatrical memories
or who were swept up in Trudeaumania, the
nostalgic show of the season will be Maggie
& Pierre. This epic Canadian love story runs
February 12 to 23, and has already been
extended. The one-woman show tells the story
of a young Maggie Sinclair falling in love with
Canada’s dashing, and much older, Prime
Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. I first saw this
as a teenager in Toronto and can’t wait to see
it again decades later! It stars Kaitlyn Riordan
who portrays many characters, including the
love-struck couple, their parents, members of
the media, and more.
Timothy Findley’s The Wars runs from October 23 to, fittingly,
November 11, the 100th anniversary of The Great War.
PortStanley FestivalTheatre
IMPROV
NIGHT
Cash Bar, Appezers & Laughs!
Join Us for a Night of Holiday Improv
Saturday December 1 8pm
LINK theatre & PortStanleyFestivalTheatre
presents a really Retro
CROONER Christmas
featuring Rick Kish
& Connor Boa
with those
fabulous Croonettes
&The Nevin
Campbell Trio
Saturday December 8
2pm & 8pm
$
30* PER TICKET OR
BUY BOTH EVENTS FOR $ 50*
these Events are PSFT Fundraisers
*Prices subject to HST/Handling
To Purchase Tickets
519-782-4353 www.ps.ca
acknowledgment of the 100th anniversary of
the end of WWI, known as the war that was
supposed to end all wars. This fittingly runs
in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day,
October 23 to November 11 — a poignant day
to close the show. There will be several events
around this production including a pre-show
theatre talk on November 7 at noon by James
Reaney, long-time London Free Press arts
writer (now retired).
Another Ontario journalist, Ian
Brown (CBC, Globe and Mail), brings
us The Boy in the Moon, November
20 to December 1. It is based on a
true story of a family that includes a
severely disabled son, Walker.
The Grand season wraps up with
the feel-good musical, Mamma Mia!
April 23 to May 11, 2019. The music of
Abba, and a complicated love/family
story will take us into the summer on
a high note!
A “world curious” production with a
national slant is The Wars by Timothy Findley.
Adapted and directed by Garnhum, it is his
JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to Eatdrink.
She is also Manager, Communications & Media Relations,
at King’s University College in London.
50 | September/October 2018
2018/1
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
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From London, England’s National Theatre
Barber Shop
Chronicles
The global smash-hit musical
The Donnellys return in this pulsing rock musical
Vigilante
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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 51
Music
Change of Season
Upcoming Highlights on the Music Scene
By GERRY BLACKWELL
Photo by Rachelle Richard-Léger
The season has begun. That’s what
they used to call it, when all the
cultural and social events in a city
started again in the fall: the season.
London this year has an exciting jam-packed
music season, with something for everyone.
Roxanne Potvin
Kick it off with Montreal-based Junonominated
singer-songwriter Roxanne Potvin
at London Music Club Friday, September
14. Potvin is touring a new five-song EP, a
follow-up to her 2016 album, For Dreaming.
Know her name, but can’t place Potvin’s music?
Check it out here: goo.gl/Zwnk7A.
Also on September 14, Stratford’s Revival
House (revival.house) presents Gypsy Kumbia
Orchestra from Montreal, a potent mix of
Afro-Colombian music and dance, with the
brass and violin melodies of Eastern Europe,
combining live music, choreographed dance,
circus, theatrical staging and dynamic audience
interaction. Taking over dance floors wherever
they go, the 16-piece Juno-nominated group
Gypsy Kumbia
Orchestra
formed three years ago and has won numerous
awards. They will also participate in the TD
Sunfest World Music & Jazz Series with
an appearance at Aeolian Hall on Saturday,
October 13, where they received an enthusiastic
reception back in May. sunfest.on.ca
Then on Saturday, September 15, London
Symphonia, the surviving core of the old
Orchestra London, kicks off its season
at Metropolitan United Church with
“Revolutionary Tales.” The program features
rising star Kerson Leong in Sergei Prokofiev’s
Violin Concerto No. 1 and Hector Berlioz’s
great Symphonie Fantastique. CBC Radio host
Tom Allen emcees the evening.
London’s venerable Jazz for the People
series keeps trucking along. The fall season
opens Wednesday, September 19 at Wolf
Performance Hall with a show featuring
vocalist Rick Kish and The Ken Foster
Quartet. It’s always free, always fun.
Magisterra
Soloists
Classical music seems to be undergoing a
renaissance in London. Magisterra Soloists
is a relatively new chamber music ensemble
in town — based here but touring widely. The
musicians kick off their season at Museum
London on Thursday, September 20 with
“Aimez-vous Brahms?” The concert features
guest soloists Kyoko Hasimoto, a Montrealbased
pianist, and world-renowned Dutch
Photo by Viara Mileva
52 | September/October 2018
violist and composer Vladimir Mendelssohn.
The program includes Brahms’ iconic G-minor
piano quartet, and a less familiar work, the
powerful piano quintet by Louis Victor Jules
Vierne (1870-1937).
Dala
Aeolian Hall has a great season this fall.
Dala, an award-winning folk duo with
heavenly harmonies, is in Friday, September
28. Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine
have been singing together since high school,
and writing insightful folk songs for almost
as long. They always turn in a polished,
entertaining performance.
If folk is your flavour, the Cuckoo’s Nest
Folk Club is the (other) place to be. The longrunning
series is on at Chaucer’s Pub for
another season. On Monday, October 1, direct
from Scotland, it’s North Sea Gas! Don’t know
the Gas? Check ‘em out here: goo.gl/a18hzm.
Hint: it’s three Scottish blokes playing spirited
Celtic folk music. You really can’t go wrong.
Speaking of Celtic, Jimmy Rankin of the
Rankin Family is at Aeolian Hall on Wednesday,
October 3. Rankin recently moved back to Nova
Scotia from Nashville and is touring a new
album, aptly named Moving East. It’s billed as a
Cape Breton kitchen party on disc and features
his trademark east-coast folk-rock sound. “I
was trying
to distill
the fabric
of Maritime
culture into
a musical
collection
replete with
life’s highs
and lows,”
Rankin
says of the
album.
The music
performance
Jimmy Rankin
schedule
at Western
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
U’s Music Faculty gets into high gear when
renowned American concert pianist Sara
Davis Buechner appears Friday, October 5.
She plays at the Paul Davenport Theatre in
Talbot College. Buechner appears as part of the
Parsons and Poole Legacy Concert series, created
to honour pioneering Music Faculty members
Margaret Parsons and Clifford Poole. For
more about Western Music: goo.gl/YUs1vo.
Yet another memorial concert series, the
Jeffery Concerts, is bringing in internationally
praised Canadian concert violinist James
Ehnes. The Guardian newspaper called Ehnes,
“effusively lyrical … hair-raisingly virtuosic.”
He appears with pianist and frequent recording
and performing partner Andrew Armstrong.
They’re at Wolf Performance Hall on
Wednesday, October 10. The program includes
works by Beethoven, Ravel, Brahms and 20th
century American composer John Corigliano.
James Ehnes
You see what we mean about a renaissance
of classical music. But if classical isn’t your cup
of tea, how about good ol’ Jann Arden. The
much-loved Canadian singer-songwriter —
and broadcaster, speaker, actor and author —
is at Budweiser Gardens, also on Wednesday,
October 10. Arden has a new album, These Are
The Days. The London date kicks off a national
tour for the disc.
The TD Sunfest World Music & Jazz Series
2018-19 is bringing multi-award-winning
British folk trio The Young’uns to the
The Young’uns
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club (Chaucer’s Pub) on
Monday, October 15. The Young’uns, a capella
specialists, sing traditional English and modern
folk songs, including their own compositions.
They have a new-ish album, 2017’s Strangers.
Check out their music here: goo.gl/uFk2PH.
Down the road in Chatham
that same Wednesday, October
15, it’s another multi-awardwinner,
big-voiced home-grown
indie-rock star Serena Ryder.
She’s at the Capitol Theatre (238
King St. W.) Ryder scarcely needs
an introduction. She’s been
wowing audiences at home in
Canada and abroad for 20 years.
She now has 10 albums to her
credit, including last year’s twodisc
Utopia. Big star, big show.
London Symphonia is back
on Tuesday, October 16, this time
at Talbot Street Church, and with
just the LS Winds. They’re playing
an interesting program of works by modern
composers with a London connection — Western
U grad Jeff Smallman, former Music Faculty
member Kenneth Bray and London-based jazz
September/October 2018 | 53
guitarist (and former UWO English prof) Oliver
Whitehead. They’re also playing works by a couple
of other guys called Brahms and Mozart.
Prog-rock pioneers The Strawbs are at
Aeolian Hall, also on Tuesday, October 16.
They’re billing it as their farewell electric tour,
the last time featuring the
full band. The lineup includes
original members Dave
Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas
Cronk and Tony Fernandez,
who were all there for the
band’s classic 1970s albums.
The group started over 50 years
ago, double-billing early on
with another up-and-coming
band, The Rolling Stones.
They played bluegrass at first,
then folk-rock, then evolved
to a more layered, melotronic
Serena Ryder
sound. Half a century on, the
Strawbs still draw raves.
It’s a busy week of music in
the city. There’s another Jazz for the People
at Wolf Performance Hall on Wednesday,
October 17, this time featuring The Four
Trombones. We’re guessing it’s not the 1950s
DIGGIN’
DUNDAS
SHARE THE LOVE & WIN
#DigginDundas
54 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
combo featuring Kai Winding, but it should
still be fun if it really does feature four bones.
Then it’s Australian roots music guitar prodigy
Daniel Champagne at the London Music Club
on Thursday, October 18. “He coaxes sounds
and melodies out of his instrument that
literally drop jaws,” says The Calgary Herald.
ing new students into professional music studio
mmunity
lifelong gift of music
Jill Barber
s
, encouraging, understanding
It gets even better on the weekend at
Aeolian Hall. First, it’s two dates with jazz
sweetheart Jill Barber — she of the smoky
voice and retro arrangements — first on
Friday, October 19, then again Saturday,
October 20. Barber’s latest album, Metaphora,
dropped in June. Legendary Canadian concert
Develop skills & a love for music
PIANO LESSONS
pianist André Laplante is in the next night,
Sunday, October 21. Laplante has played all
over Canada and around the world with great
orchestras, and records prolifically. A rare
opportunity to see a master play.
The next Parsons & Poole Legacy Concert
goes Friday, October 27, 11 a.m. at the Paul
Davenport Theatre in Talbot College. It
features award-winning young Canadian
concert pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin
— who was a student of Laplante’s, and also
records on the Quebec-based Analekta label
where Laplante has long been a mainstay.
Remember Centennial Hall? It still gets
the occasional name act, sometimes great big
ones. On Friday, November 2, former Great
Big Sea front man Alan Doyle and his band,
along with special guest Whitney Rose, are
in to play some Newfoundland Celtic rock.
They’re also at the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia
the next night, part of the summer leg of
Doyle’s #ComeOutWithMe tour. Should be a
rollicking good time.
The Jeffery Concerts has Quartetto di
Cremona at Wolf Performance Hall on Friday,
November 9. Founded in Cremona, Italy, the
group plays historic instruments, including
Stradivari, performs all over the world,
records on the Audite label and routinely
draws rave reviews. The all-Italian program
includes works by Boccherini, Verdi, Puccini
and Respighi. jefferyconcerts.com
Liona Boyd
Experienced Piano/Theory Teacher
now accepting new students
Individual Instruction for All Ages
Compassionate, Caring, Encouraging
Home-based Professional Music Studio
Royal Conservatory Exam Preparation
University Piano Proficiency Preparation
Beth Hickey, BA (MUS)
North London
bhickey57@hotmail.com 519-432-4022
Best for last? Liona Boyd is at Aeolian Hall
on Tuesday, November 13. Boyd, a legendary
cross-over figure in the classical world, has
played everywhere and everything since her
debut in 1975. She used to open for Gordon
Lightfoot, and has performed with Chet
Atkins, Eric Clapton and Yo Yo Ma, to name a
few. Don’t miss an intimate evening with the
first lady of guitar.
GERRY BLACKWELL is a London-based freelance
writer.
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
September/October 2018 | 55
Recipes
From Farm to Table to Page
Forest City Cookbook
By Alieska Robles
Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN
If you’re not paying attention, London
might seem a little ... beige (as I once
heard it described by comedian Billy
Connolly). Fortunately, Alieska Robles
has experience finding the heart of a place.
She was raised in Caracas, Venezuela and
spent several years in Buenos Aires, Argentina
before relocating to London. Once here,
she went looking for the vibrant network of
people that make up the local food movement
in London. The result of this labour of love
of nearly two years is Forest City Cookbook
(Alieska Robles; self-published; 2018).
The best cookbooks, to me, are stories of
people and their traditions, our memories of the
past and our connections to our communities.
Forest City Cookbook focuses on local producers,
artisans and chefs in the London region. It’s
organized not by courses but by producers,
and offers recipes from local chefs using the
highlighted ingredients. I love this approach as it
allows you to choose a recipe based on what you
have on hand. It’s easy to forget but traditionally
cooking is ingredient driven. If you have
peaches, you make something with peaches.
There’s a guide to seasonal produce in the back
of the book to help you plan for that.
The author’s well-travelled
parents exposed her to many
different cultures, leaving
her with a love of antiques,
collectibles and cookbooks.
This is reflected in her
wonderful photography, which
is unusually dark (but very
effective) for a cookbook. The
refreshing approach gives you
the feeling of an old-fashioned,
slower way of life while
highlighting modern food.
Forest City Cookbook has
more than a few surprises. I
had no idea
that we had
local producers
of wild
boar but
Perth Pork
Products
offers it
among
its selection
of
heritage
breed
meats.
David
Bistro’s chef
Elvis Drennan’s recipe for
Honey & Rosemary Glazed Wild Boar combines
this delicious meat with a tart cherry
compote. A potato rosti with sauerkraut adds
a beautiful touch of crispy and tangy. Served
with fresh green beans, it’s the kind of dish
that, without being too technically difficult,
makes you look like a genius in the kitchen.
I love fruit crisps because they are easy
to prepare and adjust to whatever fruit you
have on hand. Juliana Guy Wesseling won the
Eatdrink/Forest City Cookbook
original recipe contest using
all local ingredients. Her
Apple Crisp recipe takes
this humble dessert to new
heights. Generous portions
of fruit and crumble topping
are pushed over the top with
a candied bacon caramel
sauce and Gunn’s Hill 5
Brothers Reserve Cheese.
This dish ticks all the yummy
boxes, and then some.
Author/photographer Alieska Robles
56 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Forest City Cookbook is focused on
community. There’s a special mention of Urban
Roots, a non-profit dedicated to utilizing
underused city space to grow fresh food. Its
goal is to reduce food insecurity by facilitating
the placement of urban farm plots throughout
London. Eatdrink’s Food Editor Bryan Lavery
contributed the cookbook’s foreword and a
summary of local culinary history. His recipe
for Roasted Vegetable Terrine is an ideal way
to bring a variety of these vegetables together
while keeping their flavours and textures
intact. Infinitely variable, it can be served as an
appetizer or main course and tastes as amazing
as it looks.
Alieska Robles’s Forest City Cookbook
connects the dots between all the players in
the local farm-to-table community. It’s the
story of our city and some of the people who
work so hard to make it a special place to be:
producers, educators, suppliers, chefs and
artists. Robles looks at London with fresh
eyes and shows us what we may have missed
in our complacency. Sometimes it takes a new
perspective to make you appreciate how good
we have it.
TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer
in London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com
Recipes excerpted from Forest City Cookbook
reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher.
All rights reserved.
Apple Crisp
with Candied Bacon, Bacon Caramel Sauce & Aged Cheese
by JULIANNA GUY WESSELING
Prep: 35 Minutes • Cook: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Serves 8
Apples • Dessert • Easy
Apple crumble and apple pie
with cheddar have always
been top contenders on my
father’s favourite desserts
list. He would even ask for
them instead of birthday cake!
This recipe quickly became
my family’s “go-to” dessert
but needed a little “extra
something” to be a contestwinning
recipe for submitting
to the Eatdrink magazine
recipe contest. Combining
sweet and peppery bacon with
creamy, salty caramel, and
sharp aged cheese is a twist
on a classic that is sure to
impress!
CRUMB TOPPING
¾ cup flour
1 cup quick oats
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
⅔ cup butter, frozen, grated
love
In a large bowl, mix flour, oats,
brown sugar, white sugar and salt.
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Using your hands or a pastry blender, cut the butter into
the flour (the butter should hold its shape when pressed).
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the apple
filling is ready.
FILLING (makes 6 cups)
⅓ cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 medium Royal Gala apples, peeled, medium
diced
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
love
In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add
nutmeg, cinnamon and apples. Drizzle with vinegar and
toss until the apples are evenly coated.
APPLE CRISP
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the apple filling into a 9x9
baking dish. Evenly cover the apples with crumb topping,
making sure to fill all the little nooks and crannies around
the sides. Bake for 45–55 minutes or until golden brown
and bubbling.
CHEF NOTE: Don’t worry, the mound of apples will cook
down!
CANDIED BACON
500 g double smoked bacon, thinly sliced
½ cup brown sugar
freshly cracked black pepper
love
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Evenly
distribute the bacon and generously cover each strip with
brown sugar. Evenly sprinkle the black pepper and bake
for 15-20 minutes until glazed and crispy. Rotate halfway
through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Try not to
eat it all!
CANDIED BACON CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp water
¼ cup candied bacon, crumbled
¼ cup butter, cubed
¾ cup 35% cream
love
In a medium pot, bring sugar and water to a boil over
medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes
without stirring, occasionally swirling the pot until the
caramel reaches a medium amber colour. Add the candied
bacon to the caramel and remove from heat. Add butter
and cream and whisk until well combined. Transfer to a
glass jar and allow to cool until ready to use.
FINISH
200 g Gunn’s Hill Five Brothers Reserve Cheese
In a deep plate, scoop a portion of the apple crisp, drizzle
with caramel sauce, add a few pieces of Five Brother’s
Cheese and top with a strip of candied bacon. Enjoy!
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58 | September/October 2018
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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
Honey & Rosemary Glazed Wild Boar
with Cherry Compote, Green Beans & Sauerkraut Roti
by ELVIS DRENNAN
Prep: 20 Minutes • Cook: 40 Minutes
Serves 2
Pork & Wild Boar • Main • Easy
Boar is an underused meat, not commonly seen
in many restaurants. This recipe comes from
an eagerness to experiment with it, challenging
myself to create an unconventional meal
with an unusual and particularly interesting
combination of flavours.
HONEY & ROSEMARY GLAZE
4 Tbsp honey
2 sprigs of rosemary, stems removed, minced
In a small pot, slightly warm the honey. Remove from heat
and add rosemary. Set aside until ready to use.
CHERRY COMPOTE
1 Tbsp olive oil
⅛ Tbsp onion, minced
⅛ Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sugar
12 local cherries, pitted, halved
½ cup red wine
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
In a small pan, heat the olive oil and sauté
onions and garlic until soft. Add remaining
ingredients and bring to a simmer, allow the
liquid to reduce until thickened. Set aside until
ready to use.
SAUERKRAUT ROTI
1 large Yukon gold potato
¼ cup sauerkraut, drained
¼ cup flour
1 large egg
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
Place the potato in a large pot and cover with
water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and
simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from
the heat and leave the potato in the water for
5-10 additional minutes. Strain and rinse the
potato in cold water. Shred with the skin on.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a stand
mixer, combine shredded potato, sauerkraut,
flour and egg. Mix well until a moist dough
forms and shape into 2 patties. Adjust
consistency with water or flour if needed.
In a large ovenproof pan, heat the olive
oil over high heat. Sear one side of the potato
patties until golden brown. Season with salt,
turn over and place in the oven for 10 minutes
or until thoroughly cooked.
September/October 2018 | 59
GREEN BEANS
1 cup green beans
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch the green
beans for 2 minutes until crisp and bright green. Strain
and shock in an ice water bath. Lightly sauté in the same
pan used for the sauerkraut roti.
BOAR TENDERLOIN
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large wild boar tenderloins
salt and pepper
In a separate ovenproof pan, heat the olive oil over high
heat. Add boar tenderloins and sear until golden brown,
turn over and place in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until
desired doneness.
CHEF NOTES: Ideally, the boar should still have some
pink colour for best results.
Remove from oven and brush thoroughly with
rosemary glaze. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to
rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with sauerkraut roti and green beans. Top with
cherry compote.
60 | September/October 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Books
The Great Immigrant Road Trip
Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef ’s Journey to Discover
America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine
by Edward Lee
Review by DARIN COOK
Fusion is not new in the restaurant
world. Even though Chef Edward
Lee fears it has become a culinary
gimmick, he knows the concept
had profound meaning when it originated
in a restaurant in Florida under the gaze of
one of his heroes, Norman Van Aken. Real
fusion is attuned to the everyday cooking
of families who set roots in a new country
and harmonize immigrant traditions with
local cuisine. These are the types of recipes,
restaurants, chefs and families that Lee
searched for from the nationalities sprawled
across American cities when writing his book
Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef ’s Journey to Discover
America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine (Thomas
Allen & Son, 2018). Whenever Lee has
clam pizza in Connecticut he contemplates
“the slow and gradual interconnection of
two cultures, in this case, Italian and New
England.” He further writes, “When you look
at the evolution of American cuisine, you
always find this tension between tradition and
innovation, a tension that produces the foods
we crave most. It is in the intersection of the
home we leave and the home we adopt that we
find a dish that defines who we really are.”
Lee himself was raised in Brooklyn with his
Korean family
before he
moved to Kentucky
to refine
his own cooking
style. He
identifies as
a Southern
chef, influenced
not
only by all
other American styles,
but immigrant ones, as well. Through
his writing, he implores us to be “fascinated
by other unlikely couplings that make up the
narrative of life in America” because he knows
that people project the food of their culture
onto the fabric of their whole identity.
Immigrants he met along the way
revealed how they missed the ways of
eating in their homeland. A Moroccan
immigrant in Connecticut reminisces about
Marrakesh by telling Lee: “Every day, you
gather with families and friends for meals.
You stroll through the markets and smell
spices … You drink mint tea in cafes and
talk all day till the sun goes down. Meals
are celebrations, enjoyed in large groups.”
Keeping food traditions alive in
her transplanted home helps as
she teaches Lee to prepare smen,
a traditional Moroccan butter. He
had been searching for someone
to show him how to make it all his
life. Lee himself pontificates about
being a resident of America: “Maybe
part of being American is releasing
the anchor that we have to our
Author Edward Lee
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
heritage so we can drift directionless into
the unknown waters of identity.”
All parts of his cross-country journey are
entertaining and enlightening with French
beignets in New Orleans, Cambodian cuisine
in Massachusetts, Cuban food in Florida
(where he learned to taste food in new ways
by learning the nuances of smoking cigars),
German schnitzel in Wisconsin, Lebanese
kibbeh in Mississippi, and Swedish pancakes
in Seattle. The oddest segment was Lee
deciding to fast during Ramadan in a Muslim
community in Michigan. It was paradoxical
not only because he is a chef who builds his life
around food, but he was also on a food-writing
odyssey. All he could think was: “Conventional
wisdom says that food writing should steer
clear of politics and religion, but how do I do
this in a place that is defined by its religion and
cultural isolation?” So he fasted as the Muslims
did and it provided new insight to food.
Daytime fasting heightened the taste of food
when the fast was broken at sundown each
night. He writes, “After a day’s fast, the flavors
and fats cling to your bones like medicine and
heal you from the inside out.”
September/October 2018 | 61
Throughout the book, Lee engages in
another type of experimentation by making
food fusion personal. He suggests taking a
recipe that you like, that may already be a
food imported from another culture, and
fusing it with your own preferences, even
changing one ingredient to make it your
own personal recipe. This is how the recipes
at the end of each chapter were born, as Lee
riffs on unique global delicacies, like Coffee-
Glazed Bacon with Pickled Watermelon and
Fried Peanuts. He writes: “I never understood
why the Asian identity and the American
identity had to be compartmentalized, the
way my Salisbury steak and apple pie were
separated in my Swanson’s dinner. I wanted
them all in one bite.” All the bites he took
across America while writing Buttermilk
Graffiti prove that each bite of food can lead to
cultural outpourings about families, recipes,
traditions, and memories.
DARIN COOK is a regular Eatdrink contributor who
lives and works in Chatham-Kent.
WHERE TASTE REIGNS SUPREME
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Stratford
10 George St. W.
519-271-3271
Kitchener
725 Belmont Ave. W.
519-208-2811
rajaindiancuisine.ca
62 | September/October 2018
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The Lighter Side
Pescatarian Tales
By REBECCA ST. PIERRE
Meat was a constant part of my diet
when I was growing up in rural
Southwestern Ontario. Pot roast,
chicken wings and my mother’s
signature headcheese took turns stealing
prominent places of distinction on my dinner
plate. At Christmas a large platter of honeyglazed
ham was proudly displayed in the
middle of the dining table, forcing all other
lesser dishes of food to fight for the remaining
space, and at Thanksgiving a beautifully
browned turkey encouraged sibling rivalry
over the wishbone. I didn’t question whether I
should or shouldn’t eat meat.
Time passed and I moved
away from home, and after
careful deliberation decided
to stop eating meat — at least
land animals. I continue to eat
aquatic creatures like fish and
seafood. For the past 20 years I
thought I was a vegetarian because I
was raised on the belief that fish flesh
was not meat. Unknowingly I have been lying
to family, friends, and myself for nearly two
decades. The Vegetarian Society defines a
vegetarian as someone who does not eat the
flesh of any animal, including the critters
residing in our lakes, streams and coastal
oceans. For the sake of simplicity, I often
continue to refer to myself as a vegetarian.
“I’m a pescatarian” elicits quizzical looks, head
tilting and raised eyebrows.
Over the years I’ve mastered the skill of
discreetly removing pepperoni from slices
of pizza at social events and avoiding bacon
bits in Caesar salads. I suspect many people
assume I’m a picky eater with a small appetite.
With only two or three meatless dishes at
most group gatherings, my plate often looks
desolate. A hefty helping of large salad greens
usually solves the problem. If a host should
discover I’m a pescatarian, he or she is always
accommodating and generous.
Sometimes my choice of diet defies a way
of life that someone has identified with
since childhood. My husband eats meat and
probably always will. Chicken legs, pork
sausage and beef burgers are a regularly
included in his diet. We visited his friends
in Alberta shortly after we started dating,
where Chinook winds, frigid temperatures
and meaty meals are as common as breathing,
walking and sleeping. I wonder to this
day if his friends initially considered an
intervention when they heard his girlfriend
did not eat beef. But the seafood chowder
they prepared for lunch was absolutely divine.
A pescatarian diet can be a conversation
starter, stimulating interesting discussions.
New acquaintances have asked, “Do you miss
eating chicken?” and “If you don’t
eat red meat, what do you eat?”
— queries similar to those I
asked myself in the first couple of
years of saying goodbye to most types
of meat dishes. Soon after answering
their questions, we are sharing stories of what
influences our food choices, which usually
launches a delectable chat on a buffet of topics.
Having an atypical diet can also cause
confusion, as perfectly portrayed in one of
my favourite scenes from the movie My Big
Fat Greek Wedding. When the bride’s aunt,
played by Andrea Martin, discovers the groom
is a vegetarian, she exclaims to a room filled
with guests, “What do you mean he don’t eat
no meat!” All conversation suddenly ceases.
A glass crashes to the floor. After a pregnant
pause, she calmly says, “Oh, that’s okay, that’s
okay, I make lamb, come.”
A baked, meaty portobello mushroom is
beginning to look as appetizing as a seared
fillet of rainbow trout. Perhaps I will be a
vegetarian by the end of the year, but until
then, please pass the fish.
REBECCA ST. PIERRE is a London-based freelance
writer and photographer. She has been writing for
publications, non-profits and small businesses since 2008.
For more of her work, visit www.WordFlightAndLight.com.
eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine
barrel
trail
The Home of Canadian Whisky
& 11 Craft Breweries
September/October 2018 | 63
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