Eatdrink #73 September/October 2018

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

www.eatdrink.ca

THE BACON AND ALE TRAIL

IS A WELL ROUNDED MEAL

IF YOU COUNT BARLEY

AS A VEGETABLE

Bacon and ale are a combination made in heaven,

includes 5 tastes for just $30.

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The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine

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Publisher

Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca

Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca

Food Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca

Copy Editor Kym Wolfe

Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca

Advertising Sales Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca

Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca

Stacey McDonald – stacey@eatdrink.ca

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Finances

Ann Cormier – finance@eatdrink.ca

Graphics

Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy

Writers

Jane Antoniak, Gerry Blackwell,

Darin Cook, Andrew Coppolino,

Gary Killops, Bryan Lavery,

George Macke, Chris McDonell,

Tracy Turlin

Photographers Steve Grimes, Nick Lavery,

Brogan McNabb

Telephone & Fax 519-434-8349

Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6

Website

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Printing

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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

Spoelstra.

Photo by Alieska Robles

(alieskarobles.com)

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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


The Chef/Owner of Eddington’s of Exeter

By BRYAN LAVERY

8

A Genuine Taste of Place


By BRYAN LAVERY

12

Road Trips

Hammer Time!

Hamilton: A Heaven for Food Lovers

By AMANDA STANCATI

18

Wine



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



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

eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine

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6 | September/October 2018

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag

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,


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



Restaurants


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



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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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


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


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,



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


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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global tapas with local ingredients

fresh cocktails

Perfect for dinner before or snacks after the show

Wednesday–Sunday from 5pm

85 Downie St, Stratford

(next to Avon Theatre)

519.305.8585

85Downie.com

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with over 50 choices of fresh,

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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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lexusof london.com

^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

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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


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



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.





Wine


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



Taste the elements.

1709 Front Road, St. Williams, Norfolk County, ON

Tastings, Tours & Events

burningkilnwinery.ca 519.586.9858

@burningkilnwine


Alton Farms

EST A TE WINERY

New look

...same great wines!

WINE TASTINGS, EVENTS,

TOURS, OUTDOOR

PATIO, WOOD-FIRED

PIZZA OVEN

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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.



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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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


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



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



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


Beer

Seasonal Sensations

Ciders and Sours, for Autumn

by GEORGE MACKE


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!


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


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


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



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


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


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.


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


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


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


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



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


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


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

Available for Private Parties

46 Blackfriars Street, London | 519-667-4930

blackfriarsbistro.com

Far Out ...

but we like it that way!


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

London

International

Airport

Crumlin Rd

Oxford St

½ Price

Bottle of Wine Wednesdays

$5

| 16-oz Pints Thursdays |

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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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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


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


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.

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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


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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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

The Best Ingredients

Deserve the Best Tools

National

Houseware

Retailer of

the Year


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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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


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.


2018/1


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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


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


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


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


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

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DUNDAS

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#DigginDundas



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.



Recipes



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



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.


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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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.


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.



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


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.”


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

FINE INDIAN CUISINE

Stratford

10 George St. W.

519-271-3271

Kitchener

725 Belmont Ave. W.

519-208-2811

rajaindiancuisine.ca



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.


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Eatdrink #73 September/October 2018

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