Eatdrink #80 November/December 2019 - The Holiday Issue

Issue #80 | The Holiday Issue | November/December 2019 

eatdrink 

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 

Gift 

OUR ANNUAL 

Guide 

page 7 

Amazing 

GRACE 

Conscious Cuisine 

in Downtown London 

FEATURING 

Small Town Treasures 

Craft Beers Worth a Road Trip 

Set for the Holidays 

New Recipes from Anna Olsen 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! 

Mary Poppins at The Grand 

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007 

www.eatdrink.ca

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIL 

NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 20 

Capture þe spirit of giving and þe joy of checking 

off þat list. We’ve made it easy to kick off your 

holiday shopping wiþ The Christmas Trail – six 

gifts for just $30 plus HST. 

visitstratford.ca 

You can purchase your trail at Stratford Tourism, 

47 Downie Street; in St. Marys at Village Craft and 

Candle; in Shakespeare at The British Touch.

eatdrink 

 


eatdrinkmagazine 

@eatdrinkmag 

eatdrinkmag 

eatdrink.ca 

Think Global. Read Local. 

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 

Terry-Lynn “TL” Sim – TL@eatdrink.ca 

Finances 

Ann Cormier – finance@eatdrink.ca 

Graphics 

Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy 

Writers 

Jane Antoniak, Darin Cook, 

Mark Kearney, Gary Killops, 

Bryan Lavery, George Macke, 

Tracy Turlin 

Photographers Steve Grimes, Alieska Robles 

Telephone & Fax 519-434-8349 

Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6 

Website 

City Media, Cecilia Buy 

Social Media Mind Your Own Business 

Printing 

Sportswood Printing 

OUR COVER 

London’s new restaurant 

Grace opened earlier this 

year in Downtown London. 

Read Bryan Lavery’s 

inspiring story on page 16. 

© 2019 Eatdrink Inc. and the writers. 

All rights reserved. 

Reproduction or duplication of any material published in Eatdrink 

or on Eatdrink.ca is strictly prohibited without the written permission 

of the Publisher. Eatdrink has a printed circulation of 20,000 

issues published six times annually in each of two markets, for a total 

of 240,000 copies in print. The views or opinions expressed in the 

information, content and/or advertisements published in Eatdrink 

or online are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily 

represent those of the Publisher. The Publisher welcomes submissions 

but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material. 

Serving up 

Great 

partnerships 

commercial | digital | wide format | design 

Let us help with your next project... 

519.866.5558 | ben@sportswood.on.ca 

www.sportswood.on.ca

Contents 

Issue #80 | November/December 2019 

The Holiday Issue 

Publisher’s Notes 

Eatdrink and Be Very Merry 

Holiday Issue Highlights 

By CHRIS McDONELL 

6 

Culinary Retail 

Our Annual Holiday Gift Guide 

Ideas from the Experts 

Compiled by The Editors 

7 

Restaurants 

Amazing Grace 

Conscious Canadian Cuisine 

By BRYAN LAVERY 

16 

Gift 

Guide 

OUR ANNUAL 

7 

53 

The BUZZ 

Culinary Community Notes 

New and Notable 

41 

Theatre 

Supercalifragilistic! 

Mary Poppins at the Grand Theatre 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

53 

Books 

A Gourmet Life 

Save Me the Plums 

By Ruth Reichl 

Review by DARIN COOK 

56 

Road Trips 

A Southwest Ontario Journey 

Our Local Flavour Guide Expansion 


22 

Beer 


12 Small Craft Breweries 

Worth a Road Trip 

By GEORGE MACKE 

34 

16 

56 

Recipes 


with Anna Olsen 

by Anna Olson 

Review & Recipe Selections 

by TRACY TURLIN 

58 

The Lighter Side 

A Child’s Christmas 

By MARK KEARNEY 

62 

Wine 

VQA Wines 

Embracing the Destination 

By GARY KILLOPS 

38 

38 

58

eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine 

November/December 2019 | 5 

Book Now for Our 

Christmas Day 

Buffet! 

Seatings at 11am, 2pm & 5pm 

JOIN US 

For Our Famous All-You-Can-Eat 

Dickens Lunch Buffet 

November 25 to December 20 

Monday to Friday 11:30am to 2pm 

Call for reservations 

519-430-6414 

And ask about our RESERVE A BIRD 

Take Out Turkey Dinner for up to 20 People! 

/Blakes2ndFloor 

¦

6 | November/December 2019 

Publisher’s Notes 

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag 

Eatdrink and Be Very Merry 

Holiday Issue Highlights 


I 

well remember a more youthful and 

innocent excitement about the holiday 

season, thumbing through the Sears 

Christmas catalogue for inspiration and 

details on the latest toys and games. When 

did the emphasis change from “getting” to 

“giving”? No doubt that was a process that 

unfolded over time, but that brought its own 

joys and excited feelings of anticipation. 

Instead of a list with just my name on it, 

the task was to figure out the best idea for 

Mom, Dad, and six siblings. It was a good 

day indeed when each was taken care of 

and stroked off the list. Even better was 

the moment of placing them, carefully 

gift-wrapped (maybe in a box to 

disguise any hint of the contents), 

under the family Christmas tree. 

There is a similar feeling putting 

out the Eatdrink Holiday Issue. 

We’ve been thinking about this 

for awhile. This is an important 

event on our calendar, and that 

really needs no explanation. 

Our advertisers are keen to get their message 

out, and readers are keen to hear it. For many 

businesses, this is the most critical time 

of year for revenue generation. For many 

consumers, there is a presumption that they 

will be spending more than usual. While that 

is undoubtedly a stress for some, we hope that 

expectation comes with an understanding 

that this can be — should be — a lifeaffirming 

activity that enhances warm 

feelings of family and community. We want 

to be making wise choices, mixed with letting 

loose with silly fun or indulgences that bring 

extra joy to life. Being a bridge between our 

advertisers and our readers is the rationale for 

the business side of our magazine’s existence. 

Doing that with integrity, creativity, and 

gratitude is what makes this work satisfying. 

I always enjoy assembling our annual 

gift guide. What an eclectic collection of 

ideas! There is literally something there for 

everyone, but dare I say that what I love most 

about this is the spur this gives me to be 

creative in my gift giving? Thank you to all of 

our contributors. 

London’s new restaurant Grace opened 

earlier this year amidst extensive construction 

in Downtown London. Executive Chef Angela 

Murphy and her talented team have handled 

this with ... you know ... grace. In fact, 

they’re overcoming more than roadwork 

barriers and inconveniences that won’t be 

fully over for another few weeks. Read 

Bryan Lavery’s story about how there is 

much more than meets the eye going 

on at Grace, but what is visible is 

equally inspiring. 

We’ve been almost overwhelmed 

with the positive reaction we got 

when we opened up Eatdrink’s 

annual Local Flavour Culinary 

Guide to most of Southwest 

Ontario. I’ve provided a sneak 

peek into what that’s going to 

be, and the journey this has been, as we look 

forward to the birth of our new publication 

in a few short weeks. We’re looking forward 

to distributing what will be more like a book 

than a magazine. 

Choosing to go another route than “holiday 

suggestions,” our beer and wine writers address 

an approach to imbibing choices more than 

specifics (although the latter are there too). In 

short: Buy local. Make VQA wines and local 

craft beers part of your seasonal celebrations! 

You’ll find plenty of other holiday ideas 

in the rest of the magazine, including an 

expanded BUZZ column full of exciting news 

and opportunities. We hope that everyone will 

connect with the holiday spirit we’re feeling 

here, and finish 2019 enjoying life’s blessings. 

Peace,


Culinary Retail 


Gift 

Guide 

OUR ANNUAL 

It really IS 

better to 

give than 

to receive 

—when you find 

the perfect gift that 

is warmly received, 

and you haven't felt 

caught up in shopping mall 

madness. To help you achieve this end, we've 

polled a fine range of independent retailers — 

the real shopping experts — for suggestions 

for the special people in your life. Whether 

you're looking for a big present for someone 

close to your heart, or a small gift for a 

hostess or your friend at work, here are some 

new as well as tried-and-true suggestions 

from the experts. Happy Shopping! 

Established in 1895, Bradshaws remains one of 

Canada’s great stores. The emphasis is on pieces 

that are design-driven “lifetime” purchases and 

unique and innovative products. Such as this 

Modern Sprout Ritual Live Well Gift Set. 

Grow, steep and sip. 

This set encourages 

you to take a moment 

s 

for yourself everyday. Chamomile is the 

perfect herbal pairing for this all-in-one 

ceramic tea steeper and mug. The Chamomile 

Bamboo Grow Kit comes with a complete 

passive hydroponic system, plus non-GMO 

chamomile seeds. The ceramic mug has a 

nested tea leaf strainer that is easily removed 

for a perfectly timed brew. The lid acts as a 

cover to keep tea warm during brewing and 

doubles as a coaster for the strainer. 

$66.95 Bradshaws • 129 Ontario St, Stratford • 

www.bradshawscanada.com • 519-271-6283 

The new CREW Winery & Gallery is now 

officially open 7 days a week, with a tasting 

bar, a new menu, and retail space that 

offers perfect gifts for the wine lovers on 

your list. Enjoy your favourite vintage and 

keep it at the perfect temperature for hours 

on end with the sleek and stylish Bevi 

Insulated Wine Tumbler. Made of plastic 

and high-grade stainless steel, in a variety 

of attractive colours, this double-walled and 

vacuum-sealed, shatterproof tumbler keeps 

any beverage cold for up to 9 hours, and hot 

drinks warm for up to 3 hours. $24.95 CREW 

Winery • 108 Essex County Road 50, Harrow ON • 

www.fb.com/crewinery • 519-738-9800


Nov 2 

Nov 3 

Nov 16 

Nov 17 

Nov 21 

Nov 27 

November/December Events & Highlights 

Harry Potter Trivia Night (v2.0) Adult Edition 

Harry Potter Trivia Night – Family Friendly Edition 

The Art of Cup Tossing: Reading the Tea Leaves 

(Level One Novice Course) 

The Art of Cup Tossing: Reading the Tea Leaves 

(Level Two Adavnced Course) 

Songwriter Showcase & Stove-Top Chai (3rd Thursday) 

Writing Workshop Series – with award-winning author 

Valerie Mills-Milde 

Nov 28–Dec 12 Healing Angels of the Energy Field Meditation 

Course (3 Thursday evenings) 

Dec 4 

Dec 15 

Writing Workshop Series – with award-winning author 

Valerie Mills-Milde 

Christmas Afternoon Tea Service 

268 Piccadilly Street (at Wellington) 

519-601-TEAS (8327) • tealoungelondon.com 

WED & THURS 11am-6pm • FRI & SAT 11am-9pm • SUN noon–5pm 

Award Winning 

Artisan Cheese 

Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar is a long-standing 

Stratford favourite, with two floors displaying 

an eclectic range of goods from around the 

world. You’ll find a fine selection of Dunoon’s 

Information and Knowledge Mugs that 

will educate and astound you with unusual 

facts and figures. With numerous themes, 

there is something for most fields of interest 

and trivia enthusiasts everywhere. Fine bone 

china, made in England. From $31 – $37 each. 

Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar • 84 Ontario Street, 

Stratford • watsonsofstratford.com • 519-273-1790 

Gift Baskets to meet 

any need and price range 

Come Experience Our World! 

Visit our cheese shop and sample our unique 

handmade cheeses. 

See and learn about how cheese is made. 

Enjoy the scenery on our 3-generation family farm. 

Group tours are available by reservation. 

Monday–Saturday 9-5 

Christmas Eve 9–2 

Closed Christmas 

& Boxing Day 

445172 Gunn's Hill Rd, Woodstock, ON 

519-424-4024 

www.gunnshillcheese.ca 

From the Meadow handcrafts a wide range of 

natural healing products at their “Farmacy” 

outside Belmont, including natural cosmetics, 

cleansers, toners, soaps and so much more. 

A great selection of items are also available 

at their booth at The Market at Western 

Fair, with special gift packages for the 

home, women, men, babies, Valentine’s Day, 

and the holiday season. The Candy Cane 

Christmas Gift Set includes candy cane 

soap, peppermint lip balm, and peppermint 

body butter. $20. From the Meadow • 3881 Avon 

Drive (Hwy 37), Belmont • fromthemeadow.com • 

519-269-3961


This year, The Pristine Olive owner Jamie 

Griffiths has created a variety of delicious gift 

ideas. The Pristine Olive’s Gift Packs can 

be fully customized for everyone on your list. 

Choose from over 65 flavours of fresh extra 

virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars, in a 

variety of sizes. travelling, or just heading 

out for dinner, this pack is your perfect 

travel companion, or a delicious gift idea for 

everyone on your list. $12 – $44 The Pristine 

Olive • 884 Adelaide Street North, London • 

www.thepristineolive.com • 519-433-4444 

An enticing range of pampering bath and 

beauty products might be expected at a 

lavender 

farm shop, 

but Steed & 

Company 

Lavender 

also offers a 

lovely Home 

Essentials 

collection — 

the Lavender 

Pillow Spray 

is literally 

dreamy! 

— and a 

number of 

delicious 

culinary 

items, including lavender-enhanced jams, 

syrups, honey and tea. Steed & Co. Gift 

Collections start at $16.95. Steed & Company 

Lavender • 47589 Sparta Line, RR#5 Aylmer • www. 

steedandcompany.com • 519-494-5525 

Visit our store or shop ONLINE at 

www.bradshawscanada.com

Buy Less. Choose Well. 

Assorted Chef’s 

Knife Rolls 

High quality, Canadian made 

leather goods and chef accessories 

159 King St. South, Unit 2, St. Marys 

or order online 

haversackleather.ca 

HOLIDAY CHEER 

IS HERE! 

Your Holiday 

FEAST HEADQUARTERS 

Holiday Seasonings • Gourmet Foods • Gifts They’ll Use! 

223 Colborne St., Port Stanley, Open Daily 

The Market at Western Fair, London, Sat & Sun 

519.782.7800 peppertreespice.com 


Sha Choix is a year-round favourite for unique 

gifts and accessories, and a highlight in the 

annual Wortley Village Shopping Event — this 

year on November 21. (Hint: Extended hours, 

one-night specials, 25% off at Sha Choix!) 

Expect to find stylish women’s apparel, 

including shoes, 

scarves, hats, and 

shawls for the season, 

and endless gift ideas, 

from handmade 

soap to men’s 

shavings supplies. 

A store specialty 

is their large everchanging 

selection 

of accessories and 

unique jewellery, 

from funky to chic, 

like these gorgeous Tibetan rings in a variety 

of colours and styles. From $48 – $60. Special 

Offer: Bring a copy of this Eatdrink magazine to 

receive 15% off! Sha Choix • 158 Wortley Road, 

London • www.fb.com/shachoix • 519-204-6336 

The civilized and restorative taking of Cream 

Tea, a form of British afternoon tea (a light 

meal), consists of 

tea enjoyed with 

a combination of 

scones, clotted 

cream, and jam. 

Show someone you 

care with The Village 

Teapot’s Cream 

Tea Gift Basket, 

including delicious 

tea, a jar of clotted cream, local jam, and fresh 

scones. $35.00, cello-wrapped with a ribbon. 

The Village Teapot • 13257 Ilderton Rd, Ilderton • 

www.thevillageteapot.ca • 519-298-8327 

Gerhard Metzger’s Christmas-themed 

salamis are available at Metzger Meats in 

Hensall or at The Village Meat Shop at The 

Market at Western 

Fair. These festive 

salamis are perfect 

for gift baskets and 

stocking stuffers 

for the meat-lovers 

on your list. $7.99– 

$9.99 Metzger Meat 

Products • 180 Brock 

Ave, Hensall • www. 

metzgermeat.com • 

519-262-3130


“A fun place to shop 

for housewares and gifts!” 

In the heart of 

Wortley Village, 

Impressions is 

an inspiring and 

chic boutique where 

fashion motivates creativity, with pieces from 

Canada, Europe and the US. You’ll find casual 

clothing, dresses, outfits, outerwear and 

accessories. Special items this season include 

the Rhodes Laptop Bag by Louenhide 

($119), a cozy alpaca scarf by Pokoloko 

($97.99), and a warm and toasty toque by 

Furlux (50% cashmere, 50% wool, $110). 

Red leather gloves ($49.99) always make a 

statement and are perfect with a black, red 

or winter white coat. Impressions • 148 Wortley 

Road, London • www.fb.com/Impressions-of- 

Wortley-Village-127585337648811 • 519-204-1975 

Somerset Fine Wines has established a 

strong reputation for “winemaking at its 

finest,” offering 

a wide variety of 

quality wine at an 

affordable price. 

Gift certificates for 

wine-making are 

available. They also 

have an extensive 

range of gifts for 

wine lovers, from 

festive holiday 

decorations, 

accessories and 

glasses, such as 

these Trudeau 

Oxygen Wine 

Glasses. The 

elegant embossing oxygenates as you pour 

or swirl your favourite wine, releasing its full 

aroma and taste. Starting at $19.99. 

Somerset Fine Wines • 150 Exeter Road, London • 

www.somersetfinewines.com • 519-652-3998 

“Winterberry” Pottery 

Encapsulating the true essence of 

December and festive gathering tableware. 

WATSON’S 

CHELSEA BAZAAR 

84 Ontario St. Stratford 

watsonsofstratford.com 

519-273-1790 

Awaken Your Tastebuds! 

Choose from over 50 of the freshest and 

finest extra virgin olive oils and aged 

balsamic vinegars ... 

Great Gift Ideas 

Gift Certificates 

21 York Street, Stratford 

519-508-1757 

oliveyourfavourites.com



Pepper Tree Spice Co. is well known for their huge selection of more than 

300 organic fine spices & artisan blends including a large selection of 

specialty gourmet foods, kitchenware, cookware and more. This season, 

you’ll find amazing gift ideas for every budget, including this 4-piece 

Natural Living Gold Tone Cheese Knife Gift 

Set, $26.95. Buy separately or pair with in-store 

local artisan cheeses and gourmet goodies to 

create the ultimate gift basket. Pepper Tree Spice 

Co. • Port Stanley, 223A Colborne St. (Daily); London 

Western Fair Market, 900 King St. (Weekends) • www. 

peppertreespice.com • 519-782-7800 

Owner Kate St Laurent and her hospitable 

Bake Shop Studio crew deliver everything one 

expects in a boutique bakery. They specialize 

in beautiful, made-from-scratch cakes 

and pastries, including wedding, birthday, 

bridal and shower cakes. The shop is just 

hard enough to find that a visit feels like 

discovering a secret treasure trove. Located 

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 

Open Sundays Until Christmas 

in Wortley Village, upstairs above the former 

Village Harvest Bakery, walk-ins will find an 

enticing array of cookies, cupcakes and French 

macarons. Perfect for holiday festivities or 

just a special treat, this Bake Shop Studio 

Cookie Box includes 16 gluten-free mini 

cookies, that will be gift wrapped with a 

bow. $30. Bake Shop Studio • 145 Wortley Road, 

London • bakeshopstudio.com • 519-319-6167 

Your sustainable studio who cares 

hair • colour • barber • skin • spa • makeup • 4 everyone 

140 Ann Street, Suite 106, London 

519 709 4247 

www.studioHartistgroup.com 

@studioHartistgroup


The Tea Lounge has 

established a loyal 

following as a relaxing 

place for a beverage 

and a nutritious bite, 

as well as for its classes 

exploring various aspects of “tea culture.” 

Now available are three new Performance 

Tea Therapeutic CBD + Adaptogen Teas. 

Each serving contains 20mg of high quality, 

full spectrum, hemp CBD for excellent 

anti-inflammatory and nervous system 

support. CBD + Adaptogen formulations are 

designed to support performance recovery, 

mobility & movement and sleep. They also 

have three formulations of Green Tea + 

Adaptogens that are excellent to support 

peak performance during the day. 

The Tea Lounge • 268 Piccadilly Street, London • 

tealoungelondon.com • 519-601-TEAS (8327) 

Heather Wenman, a National Ambassador 

for L’Oréal Professionnel Canada, is CEO of 

Studio H Artist Group — “London’s sustainable 

salon, barber & spa who cares” — leading 

a talented team that’s proudly conscientious 

of the environment 

while helping their 

clients look and be 

their best. Studio H 

uses ammonia-free 

and non-perfumed 

colour and styling 

products and is now 

offering 20% off the 

L’Oréal Naturality 

line LA SOURCE 

Essentielle for sustainable 

gifting this holiday season. The Shampoo + 

Conditioner Gift Pack is now $58 (regular 

$74). Varying formulas are available, with 

80–100% natural, high-quality ingredients. 

The eco-designed shampoo bottles are refillable 

in the salon, with an additional 20% off 

each refill for reducing plastics. Studio H Artist 

Group • 140 Ann Street, Suite 106, London • 

studioHartistgroup.com • 519-709-4247 

Natural Healing Products 

handcrafted with locally grown, pure, 

simple, wholesome ingredients 

We’ve assembled a large variety of 

Gift Packages & Holiday Singles 

at both of our great locations! 

519-269-3961 

fromthemeadow.com 

The Farmacy 

3881 Avon Drive (Hwy 37), Belmont 

MON–FRI 10–4, SAT 10–2 

OPEN HOUSE! 

DEC. 5, 3–8 

DEC. 7, 10–4 

The Market at Western Fair District 

SAT 8–3, SUN 10–2 

growers & creators of fine lavender products 

DISCOVER. 

INDULGE. 

ESCAPE. 

519-494-5525 

47589 Sparta Line, Sparta 

Wed–Sat 10-5; Sun 12–4 

Mother’s Day to Dec. 20 

steedandcompany.com 

Join us for our 

Christmas 

Open House 

November 

16 & 17



Jill’s Table offers a wide variety of specialty food items, kitchen gadgets, 

cookware, bakeware and fabulous cooking classes. As part of her store’s 

20th year of operation, owner Jill Wilcox has created a unique holiday 

idea. The Jill’s Table Anniversary Food Box is “a gift box for food 

lovers!” Each box offers a unique assortment of products from around 

the world, some that aren’t always available in the store. Jill has sourced 

items from their country of origin, often working with small, familyowned 

companies. The initial box will be available for pick-up 

in the store until December 24. You can also subscribe to Jill’s 

Food Subscription Series which includes three boxes. Pick up 

your first box by Christmas Eve. The other two boxes will be delivered 

in March and June 2020 directly to your home (Delivery is included 

Haversack 

Leather Goods 

proprietor 

Natalie 

Crittenden 

does a great 

deal of custom 

work but also 

makes a wide 

variety of 

extraordinary 

products available 

for purchase, 

including motorcycle 

accessories, leather 

purses, bags, wallets 

and more. Married 

to a chef, she has 

designed and created inspired products for anyone 

who loves to cook. Haversack Knife Rolls come 

in many colours and materials including canvas 

or waxed canvas, as well as luxurious and sturdy 

leathers. This is a great way to safely transport 

precious tools to the cottage, boat, vacation rental 

or a professional kitchen. Haversack goods are 

made in Canada and built to last. Prices start at $99. 

Haversack Leather Goods • 159 King Street South, St. 

Marys • www.haversackleather.ca 

In the Heart of Wortley Village 

and currently 

only available 

within London 

city limits. 

Quantities are 

limited. First Box is $89.99. Subscription 

for 3 boxes is $299.99. Jill’s Table • 115 King 

Street, London • jillstable.ca • 519-645-1335 

Toast the holiday season with Cowbell 

Brewing Co.’s Almanac 2019 Imperial 

Stout. Almanac is luscious and delicious, 

showing off notes of roasted malt, 

espresso, chocolate, molasses and a hint 

of fudge and 

dark fruit 

complexity, 

making it 

the perfect 

complement 

to any holiday 

gathering. 

Get 10% 

off purchases 

online using 

the discount code EatDrink10.(code 

valid until December 31, 2019). Cowbell 

Brewing Co. • 40035 Blyth Rd, Blyth • 

cowbellbrewing.com • 1-844-523-4724 

Sha 

Choix 

GIFTS & ACCESSORIES 

Handmade Jewellery 

Glam items 

Shoes, bags and clutches 

Unique Gifts 

Luxe Free Cappuccino Service 

158 Wortley Road, London 

519.204.6336 

shachoix.com 

facebook.com/shachoix 

Holiday 

Shopping 

Event! 

Nov. 21


Anderson Craft Ales is 

offering an incredibly 

soft crew neck sweater 

that became an instant 

favourite around the 

brewery. The blackon-black 

logo across 

the front of the high 

neck, cotton blend 

sweater is subtle but 

neatly identifies the 

wearer as an Anderson 

supporter. Package 

this with a special 

bottle or six pack for 

the craft beer fan on your list. Sweater $35 

Anderson Craft Ales • 1030 Elias Street, London • 

andersoncraftales.ca • 548-888-ALES (2537) 

A gift certificate from a unique store or a 

fabulous local restaurant can be a reflection 

of your good taste and the interests of the 

recipient. They 

are available from 

most businesses, in 

denominations that 

fit your budget. 

$100 Value 

Boutique Bakery 

Buttercream Cakes, 

Cookies and 

French Macarons 

gluten free and 

vegan options 

Wedding 

Consultations 

by Appointment 

145 Wortley Road, London 

Upstairs— above the former Village Harvest Bakery 

bakeshopstudio.com



Restaurants 

Amazing Grace 

Conscious Canadian Cuisine at Grace in Downtown London 

By BRYAN LAVERY | Photos by ALIESKA ROBLES 

It’s rare that a restaurant of this calibre 

comes along. It makes us rethink 

food and restaurant policies in fresh 

and meaningful ways. Those who 

have patronized downtown London’s Grace 

Restaurant will have insight into the 

obstacles of building a restaurant in 

a former fast food location in the 

middle of a construction zone. Grace 

is a cosmopolitan urban experience, 

an ambitious undertaking, and a 

dedicated affirmation of co-owner/ 

executive chef Angela Murphy’s 

expectation of the transformational 

effects of the new flex street known as Dundas 

Place. This revitalized streetscape is expected to 

encourage urban renewal and pedestrian traffic, 

and to provide enhanced economic and social 

opportunities and residential intensification. 

The promise of increased foot traffic, alfresco 

dining and a setting that showcases the 

heritage and character of the downtown are 

among the reasons that the team at Grace 

gravitated to the Dundas Place concept. 

Named for Grace Murphy, Angela’s 

grandmother, the 72-seat restaurant 

prioritizes quality, seasonality, 

locally-procured ingredients, 

industry fairness, community 

engagement, and social 

responsibility. Ingredients are used 

consciously and allow the flexibility to 

change menu items or rotate dishes. At 

last count, there were 65 different suppliers. 

The assurance at Grace is that the food 

and drink are crafted with artistry and 

uncompromising dedication to excellence and 

intention. The offering is billed as “Conscious


A minimalist dining room (opposite page) helps maintain 

a focus on the food at Grace. Relax in the lounge (above), 

or at the bar in front of the open kitchen. Comfortable 

banquettes (below) add warmth and help define the space. 

Merry Makers Fair 

Sunday, November 10, 11am–4pm 

Christmas Merry Makers Fair 

Sunday, December 15, 11am–4pm 

100% handmade events held in the heart of 

the Forest City. The Merry Makers Fair mission 

is simple: to inspire and encourage 

up-and-coming small, 100% handmade 

businesses and connect 

them with conscious consumers in 

London. You'll find some of the 

best handmade shopping around, 

from Art, Home Decor, Jewelry, 

Clothing, and Bath & Beauty 

products. Join us upstairs on 

the Mezzanine. Admission is 

free. Find everything you need to complete 

your Christmas list while supporting local at 

the same time! 

Whimsical Christmas Craft Show 

Saturday, November 23rd, 9am–5pm 

NEW to the Market this year! Join us 

upstairs on the Mezzanine. There 

will be plenty of things to 

see and purchase for the 

holiday season! Crafts, food and 

so much more! 

Photo courtesy of Bryan Lavery 

Enjoy half an hour Monday–Friday and 2 Hours 

FREE parking on Saturday and Sunday, upon validation. 

For more event info visit coventmarket.com 

or our Facebook page 

Canadian Cuisine,” draws on tradition, and 

is infused with regional influences and local 

flavours. Intention is a mandate at Grace, 

requiring focus, action and good energy to 

manifest. Even the minimalist backdrop 

co-created by Design House intentionally 

allows for the drama of the plating of the 

dishes to be a primary focus. 

Market Hours 

Monday to Saturday 

Mezzanine & Restaurant Hours Differ


At Grace, Executive Chef/C0-Owner Angela Murphy offers 

“Conscious Canadian Cuisine” — drawing on tradition 

infused with regional influences and local flavours. 

Murphy’s vision with sous chefs Cody 

Tanner-Slater and Kyle Newman is aspirational 

and modern with multi-cultural riffs and 

influences that are uniquely Canadian. 

We have sampled many of the dishes and 


especially loved the devilled Aylmer shrimp 

with smoked tomato, sweet potato, cured 

egg yolk, mustard greens and poppy seeds. 

Impeccable melt-in-your-mouth fresh Lake 

Erie pickerel was a seasonal special served with 

Hasselback potatoes, French beans, and dill 

and caper beurre blanc. Other favourites were 

the House Ricotta with toasted chilies, stone 

fruit, pistachios, sweet olive oil and toast. 

Pastry chef Roger Porcellato has a 

passion for baking artisanal bread and 

crafting pastries. There is a dedicated focus 

on creating all things in-house. Roger has 

worked at the former Church Restaurant in 

Stratford, the former Berlin in Kitchener, 

and Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn. An 

uncompromising perfectionist, Porcellato 

collaborates with Murphy on an evolving 

robust bread and pastry program. Like the 

rest of the culinary team, his subtleties 

and strengths reveal the qualities of the 

ingredients used in the restaurant. 

Lauren Fitzgerald has curated a charismatic, 

spirit-forward seasonal craft cocktail and beer 

program. Sommelier/partner Pete Annson 

has instituted an interesting and eclectic wine 

Photo courtesy of Grace Restaurant 

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Sous Chef Cody Slater 

selection that emphasizes the importance of 

small production vineyards. 

Murphy pursued academics out of high 

school and has a double major degree in 

Humanities and English Literature. She 

attended Stratford Chefs School, graduating 

in 2011. At the Windermere Café, Murphy 

Executive Chef Angela Murphy 

was mentored by Kristian Crossen (formerly 

of Braise and Langdon Hall, and now Food 

and Beverage Manager/Executive Chef for 

Great Hall Catering at Western). Murphy 

succeeded Crossen and took over the reins at 

Windermere Manor’s new Restaurant Ninety 

One, where she nurtured direct relationships 

In print. 

Online. 

SINCE 

2007 

Pick up your free copy wherever 

discerning readers are found, or 

conveniently read the whole 

issue on your computer, tablet 

or smartphone. 

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with farmers and suppliers before conceptualizing Grace. 

The staffing model challenges the traditional roles of the 

front and back-of-house, with the cooks often serving and 

engaging with tables. It is an open kitchen in the most real 

sense, approachable and transparent. Murphy knows that 

it is fiscally responsible to make an investment in training 

workers properly about the various positions within the 

restaurant. “We recognized in the beginning that we were 

going to have a high labour cost. We pay our employees a 

living wage. We are trying to make the best of the fact that 

the capitalist systems — paying workers less than a living 

wage — in the restaurant business are broken. We want the 

staff fully invested in the restaurant, so we have adopted a 

co-op model with no upper management salaries.” 

This type of innovation is so unusual and forwardthinking 

that it made headlines when the owners of Emma’s 

Country Kitchen on St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto 

proclaimed they would add a non-compulsory three percent 

surcharge on guest checks so full-time workers could have 

health benefits. Some patrons complained, other patrons 

and colleagues in the industry commended the move. There 

is a debate in the restaurant community about whether 

a surcharge is too contentious and whether it is the most 

sensible way to underwrite enhanced working conditions for 

restaurant employees. Some restaurants introducing health 

benefits for workers are sidestepping the surcharge and 

choosing instead to raise prices. 

Changing the patriarchal kitchen hierarchy and the 

dismantling of oppressive constructs are topics Murphy and 

I have discussed on several occasions. Historically there has 

been wage inequality and institutionalized segregation by 

gender and race in the restaurant business. There remains 

a profound connection between sexism and homophobia in 

the restaurant kitchen culture. Everyone is entitled to equal 

protection in the workplace. “The traditional hospitality 

industry is unfriendly to women, especially in the back of 

the house. We have known this for years — the long hours, 

the macho aggression, the harassment present in many 

kitchens. The point is that it’s not just women that suffer from 

these issues. Men don’t thrive in this environment, either. 

I have worked with men that have had problems balancing 

work and life because of the late nights, the stress, and the 

physical labour,” says Murphy wistfully. “Many men have been 

harassed, felt bullied and intimidated in a toxic atmosphere 

which allows only a narrow range of personalities to succeed. 

In the ideal kitchen, and I like to think we model our kitchen 

after that ideal, everyone feels supported, listened to and 

respected. I would even go so far as to say, utterly rebellious to 

the traditional chef mentality, that restaurants should be more 

accommodating to the personal lives of their staff. The kitchen 

Top: Soft boiled egg, brioche toast soldiers, duxelles, beet mayo, radishes, 

beer powder & celery root. 

Middle: Lake Erie pickerel, wild rice, black lentils & red cabbage consomme. 

Bottom: Maitake mushroom, Swiss chard rondelles, walnut & pickled 

celery.


Spirit-forward, seasonal craft 

cocktails by Lauren Fitzgerald 

is not a cult, and 

you shouldn’t 

have to forsake 

your family, your 

friends and your 

relationships to 

be successful. 

Ultimately, 

the kitchen is 

a meritocracy 

regardless of 

gender. That’s 

the best part. 

Even if you are at 

a disadvantage 

to start because 

you are a woman, 

or because you 

can’t afford the 

fanciest tools, or 

because you don’t 

speak English, or 

you have a mental illness, if you can cook, you 

get respect. If your plates look good, you get 

respect. If you clean up after yourself and help 

your team when they need you, if you work 

hard, it can’t go unnoticed, and you will earn 

your place.” 

If you’re looking for a modern dining and 

drinking experience, Grace is the ideal venue 

for a multi-course tasting menu with wine 

pairings. Relax at the bar in front of the open 

kitchen or in the lounge with a signature 

cocktail or choose from the carefully curated 

beer and wine list. Grace offers late-night 

snacks and drinks after your downtown 

concert or trip to the theatre. 

Grace Restaurant 

215 Dundas Street, London (at Clarence) 

226-667-4822 

gracelondon.ca 

dinner: wednesday–saturday from 5 pm 

sunday: 6–8 pm 

lunch: thursday–friday 11:30 am–2 pm 

brunch: sunday 11:30 am–2 pm 

BRYAN LAVERY, Eatdrink Food Editor and Writer at 

Large, brings years of professional experience in the 

restaurant and hospitality business as a chef, restaurateur 

and partner in the culinary experience and consulting 

business, Lavery Culinary Group. Always on the lookout 

for stories Eatdrink should be telling, he helps shape the 

magazine both under his byline and behind the scenes. 

at The Market at Western Fair 

on Weekends! 

ALIESKA ROBLES is a London photographer and 

producer of Forest City Cookbook. alieskarobles.com


SPONSORED BY 

Road Trips 


A Southwest Ontario Journey 

Our Local Flavour Guide Expansion 


CHATHAM-KENT • ELGIN • HALDIMAND • HURON • LONDON • MIDDLESEX • NORFOLK 

OXFORD • PERTH • SARNIA-LAMBTON • STRATFORD • WINDSOR-ESSEX 

Local Flavour 

SOUTHWEST ONTARIO 

CULINARY GUIDE 

Restaurants • Specialty Shops & Services • Farmers’ Markets 

Craft Beer & Local Wine • Agri-Tourism Attractions 

eatdrink 


localflavour.ca 

EXPANDED 

EDITION 

VOLUME 8 

Unlike most of the storiees readers are 

accustomed to seeing in this space, the 

following is not a journey that anyone can 

truly replcate. This is the story about how 

our soon-to-be-released Local Flavour guide came to 

be. I have sprinkled ads and photos from many of 

the businesses represented in the guide throughout 

this narrative. If it is not fully obvious, I will state 

explicitly that we 

are very excited 

about this project. 

This is an Eatdrink 

story at the 

moment, but the 

guide is the story of 

hundreds of hardworking 

creative 

people, in scores 

of businesses that 

make Southwest 

Ontario a vital 

and exciting place 

to live in. We’re 

thankful for the opportunity this has created to work with 

such an illustrious group. 

Change is never easy, nor without risk. After publishing 

London’s Local Flavour perennially for the better part of a 

decade, the Eatdrink 

Craft Farmacy, London 

team decided to 

explore an expansion 

of that popular 

culinary guide into 

a broader territory. 

There had been plenty 

of positive feedback 

from participants 

in this annual 

undertaking, who 

each shared a stake in 

putting a high quality 

guide together. Tens 

of thousands of hard 

copies were eagerly 

Garlic’s of London, London 

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picked up by interested consumers — a mix of 

tourists and locals — faster than ever in 2019, 

and thousands more are reading Local Flavour 

online. This joint effort was a success in every 

measurable way, and effectively showcased 

the culinary assets of the city of London. 

It struck us here at Eatdrink, however, that 

London could benefit even more by being part 

of a guide that would draw more attention 

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farm-to-table fine dining downtown 

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establishments were extremely positive. 

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Defining the Territory 

We understood that a broader guide would 

serve the interests of a public with a 

passionate hunger and thirst for quality local 

food and drink. Back in 2011, we’d published 

an award-winning culinary guide sponsored by 

the Ontario Ministry of Tourism for the thennewly-created 

Regional Tourism Organization 

One (RTO1), 

soon named the 

Southwestern 

Ontario Tourism 

Corporation 

(SWOTC). We 

analyzed that 

region’s diverse 

strengths, 

and identified 

those that 

were offering a 

genuinely local 

experience. 

The geographic 

parameters 

were somewhat 

disappointing 

to us because of 

Eatdrink’s strong 

The Windjammer Inn, 

Port Stanley


Sixthirtynine, Woodstock 


Available 

roots in Perth County (Stratford especially) 

and Huron County, but those counties 

were incorporated by the province into 

neighbouring RTO4. 

In more recent years, through publishing 

Eatdrink, and in particular running our 

popular “Road Trip” features, we’ve come to 

know firsthand the current strengths of this 

area. Our beer and wine columnists maintain 

Heeman’s, Thorndale 

Booking Now 

for the 

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& New Year’s Eve 

481 Richmond Street 

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NEW 

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a regional focus and we’ve been so excited to 

see the creative explosion of craft breweries 

(there was only one local craft brewery when 

we launched Eatdrink in 2007) and the growth 

in number and quality in our local wineries. 

Add to that new cideries and distilleries, 

and the almost universal embracing of local 

products by our better restaurants. The list of 

potential and worthy candidates for a regional 

guide is truly enormous. 

The parameters of “local” that have been 

defined for our guide stretches from Windsor 

through Chatham-Kent and Elgin County 

to Woodstock, up to Stratford and over to 

Goderich in Huron County. Would we find 

enough interested participants needed to 

make this work? We got our answer in very 

short order: a resounding YES! 

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Locally Sourced Ingredients 

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Freshly home-made in the heart of the community 

The 

Village 

Teapot 

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for the Holidays! 

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New Partners 

The small but mighty Eatdrink team fanned 

out and had many exciting meetings with old 

acquaintances and new. Participants signed on 

but our momentum really accelerated when we 

got a solid boost 

from SWOTC, who 

saw an opportunity 

to promote their 

region’s extensive 

culinary resources 

and multiply their 

own efforts by 

supporting our 

project. (If you are 

unfamiliar with 

SWOTC, especially 

as a tourismrelated 

business, 

I encourage you 

to visit swotc.ca 

post haste! The 

Anna Mae’s Bakery & 

good folks there 

Restaurant, Millbank 

offer tremendous 

marketing and research support.) Through our 

SWOTC connection, we solidified enhanced 

support from the local tourism offices as well as 

the Ontario Tourism Information Centres, who 

Breakfast 

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Sat & Sun 10–2 


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thevillageteapot.ca 

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The Red Rabbit, Stratford


will be helping promote the guide through 

their physical locations and online. This made 

it even easier for new businesses to see the 

benefits of participating. 

The gratifying response led to our fist 

unforeseen problem: So many new profiles 

to assemble that we couldn’t meet the initial 

deadline we had established. As far as problems 

go, this is one of the better ones to have, but 

the pressure to deliver a guide that merited a 

wait is intense. Needless to say, we have been 

busy, as we far exceeded our most optimistic 

targets for a first volume of this scope. 

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We also faced a more physical challenge. Can we actually fit 

everyone interested into one publication? Yes we can, but we had 

to change the binding to a “perfect bound” style — readers will 

love this — to accommodate twice the page count. The handy size 

is retained, but this guide will have far more heft. More important, 

in the end, we will not only have a bigger guide, but a better guide. 

I soon realized that we are creating a more diversified publication, 

built on the strengths of our previous guides, but a more accurate 

The Tin Fiddler & River Run Brew Co., 

Sarnia 

reflection of the culinary 

industry as a whole. That is 

satisfying on so many levels. 

Storm Stayed Brewing Co., 

London 

Great Expectations 

Our amazing restaurants 

continue to get their due 

in this guide, and we’re 

able to highlight so many 

of them here. Our biggest 

frustration with Eatdrink 

is the constraints on the 

number of stories we can tell 

in any one issue, which is not an issue here. Our greatest 

strength with Eatdrink is the quality of our writers. Even 

our BUZZ column, which could have been handled as a 

laundry list of events, is engagingly assembled. While 

a culinary guide is most definitely not a magazine, we 

have developed a format that marries the practical


functionality of a strong guide with good 

writing, in a way that invites exploration. 

Each profile is a small but powerful snapshot 

of a local independent business that will 

reward your interest with a unique and 

positive experience. We were selective in who 

was invited into this guide. 

I am particularly pleased with how we have 

grown our Craft 

Blue Elephant Craft Brew House, 

Simcoe 

Beer section 

of the guide. A 

dozen of our 

region’s best 

brewers are 

represented, 

from small 

family-run 

operations such 

as Shakespeare 

Brewing Co. in 

the small hamlet 

of Shakespeare, 

or Storm Stayed 

Brewing Co. 

in London, to 

the stunningly 

beautiful 

where art is 

Hey, Cupcake! a piece of cake 

The ORIGINAL 

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1305 Riverbend Road, Suite 110 

519-433-CAKE (2253) 

STORE HOURS: Mon–Fri 11–7 

Saturday 10–5 • Sunday 11–4 

Benmiller Inn & Spa 

gather with great friends and divine dining 

www.benmiller.ca | 519-524-2191 | 1-800-265-1711 

81175 Benmiller Line, Goderich, N7A 3Y1



Cowbell Brewing Co. operation in Blyth and Toboggan Brewing Co., 

smack-dab in Downtown London. 

The Lake Erie North Shore wine region is also well showcased 

with four of their best, and Alton Farms Estate Winery continues to 

represent the emerging Huron Shores wine region. Also especially 

satisfying to me is the inclusion of two craft distilleries: Wolfhead 

Distillery in Amherstburg and Junction 56 Distillery in Stratford. 

Add in the Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House in Thedford, and 

Munro Honey & Meadery in Alvinston, and the spectrum of 

artisanal beverage producers is here in force. 

I am also glad that we are including some of our best Agri- 

Tourism Attractions, helping to complete the actual farm-to-table 

ethos that we 

talk about so 

much. From 

Alton Farms Estate Winery, 

berry producers 

Plympton-Wyoming 

(and more!) such 

as Heeman’s in 

London to the 

pickle-makers at 

Sunshine Farms in Thamesville, this guide 

will truly offer an authentic taste of what 

Southwest Ontario has to offer. 

Local Flavour: Southwest Ontario Culinary 

Guide will be published in late November. 

Toboggan Brewing Co., London 

Copies will be widely available, and a list 

of pickup locations will be posted on the 

Book your 

Holiday Party & 

New Year’s Eve 

with us! 

Gift Certificates Available! 

At Revival House, a devotion to preserving the best of Stratford’s culinary 

and historic past blends with a forward-looking energy to make this 

the city’s ultimate venue for cuisine, entertainment, and memory-making.


localflavour.ca website. The entire publication 

will also be available to read online, on any 

device, in a handy flipbook version that will 

include online links to each establishment. 

Every profile will also be available as a 

separate “story” that can be easily shared on 

Facebook or with a Twitter or Instagram link. 

We proudly look forward to seeing people 

using this guide. 

CHRIS McDONELL is Publisher and the founder of 

Eatdrink. He can be reached at chris@eatdrink.ca 

Shakespeare Brewing Co., Shakespeare 

Something 


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www.themillstone.ca 

themillstoneON 

(519)273.5886


eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag


November/December 2019 | 33



Beer 


12 Small Craft Breweries Worth a Road Trip 

BY GEORGE MACKE 

Tiny breweries in small towns are 

beginning to dot the landscape of 

Southwestern Ontario, waiting to 

be discovered by craft beer explorers 

These are nano and microbreweries, labelled 

as such by the small batches or annual output 

they produce. Many sell their beer only from 

an on-site bottle shop, in labouriously filled 

500 mL bottles or 1.8 mL growlers. Some 

hire a portable canning line to package beer 

Caps Off Brewing Company 

168 Curtis Street, St. Thomas. Opened in 

2019, Caps Off was a hobby that’s become a 

business for couple Rick and Fran Dunseith. 

The low-key brewery on a downtown side 

street gives 

a tip of the 

hat with the 

beer names 

— Under the 

Brim Cream 

Ale, Drop of 

a Hat IPA, Straw Hat Saison, and Stove Pipe 

Stout. A sampler tray is called a Hat Trick, and 

it’s an excellent place to start. Caps Off was 

at the Truly Local Craft Beer Festival hosted 

by London Brewing in September, upping its 

local ingredient credibility. 

in tallboy cans. Some are farm-based, with a 

hops yard literally out back. 

They’re never mentioned in the same 

breath as Steam Whistle, Mill Street, or 

Muskoka and unless you live in or near the 

rural towns they call home, chances are you 

don’t know they exist. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but 

here are 12 spots to explore, worth a road trip 

of brewski discovery. 

Natterjack Brewing Company 

25929 Talbot Line, West Lorne. A family 

brewery inspired by son Matt Soos, Natterjack 

was opened in 2016 by a group of six family 

members with rural roots in west Elgin 

County. The beer 

to take home is 

Natterjack Toad, a 

Belgian-style blonde. 

The brewery has also 

brewed interesting 

seasonal or one-off 

beers such as Easy 

Breezy Blueberry 

Squeezy, which was featured at Truly Local. 

This dark ale incorporated fresh blueberries 

grown on two West Elgin farms. 

The New Heart of Downtown Sarnia 

Gift 

Certificates 

Available 

New 

Party Room 

for the 

Holidays! 

The Tin Fiddler Brew Pub 

& River Run Brew Co. 

146/148 Christina St. N, Sarnia 

226-784-2337 

TheTinFiddler


Rusty Wrench Brewing Company 

9 Front Street West, Strathroy. A brewery 

and pub, Rusty Wrench opened in 2017. Its core 

beers 

include 

Crappy 

Tire, a 

hefty 7.5% alcohol oatmeal stout with notes 

of dark chocolate and coffee. There’s also Left 

Handed Spanner, a West Coast-style fruity IPA. 

Stonepicker Brewing 

7143 Forest Road, Plympton-Wyoming. A 

farm-based brewery near Forest, Stonepicker 

is the creation of two farm couples with 

passions for agriculture and 

beer. Opened in 2017, 

Stonepicker’s slogan 

“Our beer rocks” fits 

nicely. Its beers carry 

farmer themes, and 

the places to start are 

the Crop Tour lager and 

the Farmer’s Tan blonde 

ale, Oops It Fell Out is also a lager 

and uses barley malted on site. Among the 

seasonals is Pail Ale, an earthy pale ale brewed 

with British hops. 

Widder Station Brewing 

8395 Decker Road, Thedford. A brewery, a 

pub, and a golf course. 

Pick your passion. 

Widder Station’s 

flagship beer is a lager 

crafted for the 19th 

hole. Train Wreck is 

a light 4.8 per cent 

alcohol lager served on 

tap. The rest of the board is filled with a wellcurated 

selection of craft beers from the likes 


of Sons of Kent in Chatham, Railway City in 

St. Thomas, and Stonepicker. 

River Road Brewing and Hops 

35449 Bayfield River Road, Bayfield. 

A family farm-based brewery, River Road 

captures the 

hearts of 

malty beer 

lovers with 

Up Your 

Kilt, a heavy 

Scottish style 

ale. It’s 6.8 per cent alcohol, making it as strong 

as a caber tosser. Intriguing seasonals include 

Survey Elixir, an IPA infused with spruce tips. 

Stone House Brewery 

76048 Parr Line, Varna. Hockey player Ryan 

O’Reilly made little Varna famous when he won 

the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues last 

spring. But before that there was Stone House, 

the original craft brewery in Huron County. 

Stone House’s newest beer is a Bavarian lager. 

But it started with and 

still highlights a Czechstyle 

pilsner brewed 

with Saaz hops. There’s 

a compact space to enjoy 

Stone House beers on 

site, but it’s best to take 

some bottles home from 

the shop. Stone House 

beers are also served at several top eateries in 

the region, including Hessenland on Highway 

21 near St. Joseph, Bentley’s in Stratford and 

Smackwater Jack’s in Grand Bend. 

Half Hours on Earth 

151 Main Street, Seaforth. Highly regarded 

in the craft beer world, Half Hours on Earth


brews a barrage of farmhouse sour-style beer 

recipes in small batches. Among them are some 

oak barrel-aged and flavour-infused beers such 

as Bees! (a sour with honey) and Attenborough 

(a mild entry-level farmhouse). Centigrade, also 

oak-aged, 

incorporates 

black 

currants and 

dandelion 

root. Things 

change so often, fans need to frequently check 

the Half Hours website to verify availability. Or, 

better still, just go with what they’ve got when 

you get there. 

Shakespeare Brewing Company 

2178 Line 34, Shakespeare. Located a short 

drive from Stratford, Shakespeare Brewing is 

owned by a husband-and-wife team. Reckless 

Rooster, 

a pale ale 

featuring 

Ontariogrown 

Shop online ingredients, 


is the star attraction and there’s no kidding 

with Grumpy Goat, the brewer’s bitter take on 

an India Pale Ale. It’s a milk stout that catches 

the eye as the weather turns cold. Classy Cow 

is full-bodied, smooth and finishes sweet. 

Bitte Schön Brauhaus 

68 Huron Street, New Hamburg. The 

name means “You’re Welcome” in German. 

Located in a renovated historic building, 

Bitte Schön brews gluten-free beers. Huron 

Street Hefeweisen is sold in cans at the LCBO. 

There are free 

tours Saturday 

afternoons 

and you can 

bring in food 

from nearby 

restaurants 

to eat while 

enjoying a beer inside the brewery. Owned 

by the same folks who run Descendants Beer 

& Beverage Co. in Kitchener, Bitte Schön has 

a special item for sale on the menu — the 

brewery itself. 

’til the COWBELLs come home! 

Receive 10% off ALL BEER PURCHASES online at store.cowbellbrewing.com 

with the promo code “EatDrink10” 

— Discount code is valid until December 31, 2019 — 

40035 BLYTH RD., BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0 1-844-523-4724 WWW.COWBELLBREWING.COM


Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm 

2970 Swimming Pool Road, La Salette. 

Peanuts with your beer? Ramblin’ Road traces 

its entrepreneurial food, family farming, 

and beverage lineage 

to Picard Peanuts. 

An early player in 

farm-based brewing, 

Ramblin’ Road has 

the perfect gift for 

the craft beer fan on 

your Christmas list 

— a “Quick Six” pack 

“grown” on the farm 

and featuring Pure 

Bred Red and Ramblin’ 

Road’s lager family, and its IPA. Piquing 

interest is Dakota Pearl Ale made with the 

same potatoes used to make Ramblin’ Road’s 

kettle chips. The pairing seems obvious. 

Dundas & Sons Brewing Company 

400 Adelaide Street North, London. Rob 

Dundas, the big bearded owner of Old East 

Village’s tiniest brewery will make you feel 

at home. Dundas & 

Sons, which famously 

uses hops grown on 

the owner’s porch, 

brews beer styles 

you’d expect, such 

as an American pale 

ale, and some you 

might not, such as 

a honey elderberry 

saison. The board changes frequently and 

the selection is supplemented by kegs from 

other brewers.. 

GEORGE MACKE is a craft beer fan living in London.



Wine 

VQA Wines 

Embracing the Destinations 

by GARY KILLOPS 

Winemaking in Ontario has been 

going on for well over 200 years 

but the wines did not always 

have a good reputation. 

Ontario wines were made from native vitis 

labrusca grapes like catawba and concord 

which became the backbone of Ontario wine 

in those early days. Concord grapes are now 

better known for being used in 

jellies, jams and grape juice. 

About 35 years ago a few 

Niagara vineyard owners planted 

European vitis vinifera vines and 

began changing the reputation 

of Ontario wine. Vinifera such 

as chardonnay, riesling, cabernet 

franc, merlot and pinot noir 

began to replace the “grapey” 

tasting wines made from 

labrusca grapes. 

As the quality of Ontario 

wines began to improve a group of Ontario 

wineries created the Vintners Quality Alliance 

(vqa) to set out geographic appellations and 

introduce strict production standards. This 

system is similar to the regulatory systems 

in France (aoc/aop), Spain (do), and Italy 

(doc/dop). 

The vqa logo on a bottle of Ontario indicates 

several things, but most importantly that 

100% of the grapes used to make the wine were 

grown in Ontario. This past October a new and 

updated Ontario vqa logo was 

introduced. 

The Wine Marketing 

Association of Ontario 

(wmao), in partnership with 

Ontario’s Wine Appellation 

Authority (vqao), revealed the 

modernized and striking “New 

and Next” Ontario vqa logo, 

the emblem used by Ontario 

vqa wineries as a mark of 

origin, quality and authenticity. 

The vqa logo guarantees that 

only Ontario-grown grapes go into every 

bottle of Ontario vqa wine. 

“We are thrilled about the new vqa


logo as it embraces Ontario’s wine growing 

region, climate and status as an exciting New 

World wine destination. It evokes a feeling 

of boldness and creativity, showcasing how 

Ontario winemakers have forged their own 

style. VQA Wines of Ontario are truly on the 

cutting edge of cool,” said Sylvia Augaitis, 

Executive Director of the Wine Marketing 

Association of Ontario. “Ontario’s time to 

shine is now and this new contemporary 

vqa logo communicates confidence, building 

on how Ontario vqa wines continue to 

win international respect and acclaim. The 

modernized vqa logo helps convey that story 

to consumers.” The new logo should soon start 

to appear on bottles of Ontario wine. 

The wine and grape sector contributes $515 

million to Ontario’s gdp and supports more 

than 9,000 direct jobs. Grape production 

from almost 500 Ontario growers is used to 

make vqa wines, which had $374 million in 

sales in 2018–19. 

For this issue I have selected wines from 

each of the three wine appellations of Ontario: 

Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, and 

Prince Edward County. 

Winemaking at Its Finest 

Merlot. Sauvignon Blanc. Carmenere. 

Gewurztraminer. Malbec. Moscato. 

Tempranillo. White Zinfandel. Grenache. 

Semillon. Nebbiolo. Viognier. 

Shiraz. Chardonnay. Pinot Noir. 

Just to name a few ... 

We have your flavour. 

Come make it. 

Alton Farms 

EST A TE WINERY 

HO HO HO 

Merlot 

POUR 

THE 

WINE TASTINGS, EVENTS, 

TOURS, OUTDOOR PATIO, 

WOOD-FIRED PIZZA OVEN 

SARNIA 

LAKE 

HURON 

7 

21 

Grand 

Bend 

Forest 

Aberarder Line 

21 

402 

London 

77 km 

5547 Aberarder Line, Plympton-Wyoming 

519-899-2479 • altonfarmsestatewinery.com 

SOMETHING 

BIG IS HERE! 

The new CREW Winery & Gallery is officially open! The tasting bar is 

open 7 days a week, and a new galley menu launches mid-November. 

Taste local wines, see original art, and take in our vineyard views. 

Premium quality handcrafted wine 

at an affordable price 

150 Exeter Road, London 519-652-3998 

somersetfinewines.com 

OPEN TUES–FRI 10am–7pm & SAT 9am–4pm 

Colchester Ridge Estate Winery 

108 Essex County Road 50, Harrow ON 

519-738-9800 

@crewinery


Niagara Peninsula 

Flat Rock Pink Twisted Rosé 2018 

vintages #39974, $17.95 

A blend of pinot noir, riesling and 

gewürztraminer. Slightly off dry. 

Juicy raspberry, red cherry and 

strawberry fruits, white flowers, 

spice and supported by intense 

acidity to make this a deliciously 

sippable rosé. Pair with a walnut 

raspberry or tossed salad and 

raspberry vinaigrette. 

Reif Estate Meritage 2015 

vintages #149005, $39.95 

Using “Meritage” on 

a bottle of Ontario 

wine is a protected 

VQA reserved term. Only VQA 

approved wines can use this term. 

Other protected terms include 

Icewine, Late Harvest Wine, and 

Estate Bottled. 

A blend of 60% cabernet 

sauvignon, 30% merlot and 

10% cab franc, aged in French, 

Hungarian and American oak 

for 24 months. This is a big, full 

bodied red wine. Ripe red fruit, 

blackberry, and cedar. This is a 

wine that is best served several 

hours after decanting. Pair with 

roast lamb and grilled vegetables. 

Prince Edward County 


Exultet Royal Road Recipe Pinot 

Noir 2017 

vintages #10755, $44.95 

Located in Ontario’s northernmost 

wine region, which has a shorter 

growing season, limiting the type 

of grapes that can be harvested. 

Pinot noir and chardonnay 

do well here and are excellent 

reflections of cool climate wines. 

“Royal Road Recipe” is named 

after the road Exultet winery 

is located on. This is an earthy 

pinot noir. Dried leaves, forest 

floor and turned soil and fresh 

herbs. Red cherry 

fruit. Medium body, 

lively acidity, a style that craves 

food! Pair with salmon, roasted 

chicken or beef bourguignon. 

Hillier Creek Gamay Noir 2017 

vintages #372839, $16.95 

Gamay has long been flying 

under the radar here in 

Ontario, and is another grape 

that excels in cooler climates. 

Hillier Creek’s gamay is fresh, 

lively finish with mouthwatering 

cherry and strawberry 

notes. Light bodied and off dry 

with 33 g/L. Pair with meat and 

cheese charcuterie plates. 

Lake Erie North Shore 

Cooper’s Hawk Reserve 

Cabernet/Merlot 2015 

lcbo #328013, $18.95 

A blend of cabernet sauvignon and 

merlot grapes from vineyards 

located in Canada’s most 

southern wine growing region. 

The warm 2015 summer 

provided the roadmap to full 

grape ripeness. Plum and red 

fruits, fine structure, tannins 

and acidity. Pair with tagliatelle 

pasta with Bolognese sauce. 

Cooper’s Hawk Cabernet Franc 

2017 

lcbo #585950, $19.95 

Without question cab franc is 

a grape that produces some of 

Ontario’s finest red wines. This 

one delivers. Ruby colour, red 

and black fruits, light spice notes, 

with a silky lingering finish. Pair 

with roasted pork, burgers or 

meatballs in tomato sauce. 

GARY KILLOPS is a CAPS Certified 

Sommelier who loves to talk, taste, and 

write about wine. He shares his tasting 

notes on EssexWineReview.com



The BUZZ 

Culinary Community Notes 

New and Notable 

London 

We are excited at Eatdrink to present an expanded 

Volume 8 of the Local Flavour Culinary Guide 

(available in late November). The guide is now a 

regional publication covering Southwest Ontario 

from Windsor to Woodstock, up to Stratford and 

over to Goderich. You can find it at many of the 

locations that carry Eatdrink, as well as at Tourism 

Information Centres throughout Ontario. As usual, 

this complimentary guide is also available online. 

As with all of our publications, it can be easily 

read on your cellphone, tablet or desktop. We are 

confident readers will be more pleased than ever 

with this more extensive guide. localflavour.ca 

Great things continue to unfold in London’s Old 

East Village. A sense of inclusive community 

is pervasive and has made the OEV a prime 

destination for entrepreneurial innovation. Just 

off the beaten path and in and around the walkable 

Dundas Street corridor, the area is a hotspot for 

culinary incubation and indie startups, is a magnet 

for arts and culture, and has a thriving music 

scene. Visitors are always looking for authentic 

experiences when they travel, to connect with 

their surroundings and live like the locals. Here 

are just a few of the dynamic culinary businesses 

in OEV: The Root Cellar Organic Café, 10 Eighteen 

Café, Backroads Coffeehouse & Cakery, Willie’s 

Café + Catering (at the Food Incubator), Momo’s 

at the Market (and at the Food Incubator), Unique 

Food Attitudes, Vietnam Restaurant, Spring 

(YouYiCum) Chinese Restaurant, Wisdom Teashop 

and Japanese Creperie, and Tony’s Pizza (a familyrun 

Italian restaurant since 1961). There are other 

fine food retailers such as The Hungary Butcher, 

So Inviting Chinese Bakery (homemade Chinese 

dumplings) and Artisan Bakery. There are craft 

brewers Anderson Ales, London Brewing Co-op, 

Powerhouse Brewery, Dundas & Son’s and the new 

distillery Union Ten. 

The Market at Western Fair District is a vibrant hub 

in the heart of Old East Village bringing together 

community, food artisans and startups. Two floors 

and over 100 vendors make up The Market. The 

Market operates on Saturday and Sundays and 

features fine retailers such as The Village Meat 

Shoppe, Loco Fields, The Butcher’s Wife, On the 

Move Organics, Monforte Cheese, Petojo Food 

& Catering (Indonesian cuisine), Harvest Pantry 

(ferments, preserves, salts and tools) and Downie 

Street Bakehouse. Food truck operators Bifana 

Boys and Goodah Gastrotruck have popular booths 

at The Market. themarketwfd.com 

Executive Chef Katherine Jones and Chef Ryan 

Wishak and their team at Growing Chefs! 

continue to work hard to challenge the perceived 

limitations of children and youth in the kitchen. 

Upcoming fall classes include Chef Maryam Yaro 

featuring the Food of Nigeria on November 27. 

growingchefsontario.ca 

Now Booking 

Christmas 

Parties! 

Monday–Thursday: 11:30am–9pm 

Friday: 11:30am–10pm 

Saturday: 4pm–10pm 

Sunday: 4pm–8pm 

Gift 

Certificates 

Available 

Reservations: 519-601-7799 

1140 Southdale Road West, London 

www.bocconcinilondon.ca 

Free Parking

100% Local — from Our Farmers to Your Table 

Hormone & Drug-Free 

Ontario Beef, Pork, Bison, Lamb & Chicken 

THE VILLAGE 

MEAT SHOP 

LOCAL - NATURAL - QUALITY 

Now Accepting 

Special Orders 

for the Holidays! 

WE ARE YOUR LONDON OUTLET FOR 

• Metzger Meat Products • Lena’s Lamb 

• Blanbrook Bison Farm • Little Sisters Chicken 

• Glengyle Farm Organics 

The Market at Western Fair District: SAT 8–3; SUN 10–2 

226-376-4120 • www.thevillagemeatshop.ca 


Christmas Tea at Eldon House, Saturday, December 

7, 12:00, 1:30, and 3:00 p.m. seatings. Get in the 

holiday spirit with live entertainment, tea and an 

abundant menu of savouries and sweets before 

touring Eldon House, which will be decorated for 

Victorian Christmas. To register, visit eldonhouse. 

ca/events or call 519-661-5169. 

Have you been to Annies Chocolates? This familyowned 

and operated business uses custom blends 

of Dutch chocolate. Annies also makes sugar-free 

chocolates, fudge, nuts, and offers London Ice 

Cream and gift baskets. 1700 Hyde Park Road 

(relocated from the Arva location) and 22425 

Jefferies Road in Kilworth annieschocolates.com 

One of our favourite food trailers is the organic 

Mexican-inspired Ivanopoblano in the parking lot 

of Lyn-Dys Health Food at 1016 Oxford St. E. Ivan 

Santana-Barnes has been serving some of London’s 

best Latin-inspired food for the last four years and 

is relocating to the new Ivanopoblano Restaurant at 

390 Wharncliffe Road this fall. ivanopoblano.com/ 

Each cookie, cupcake and custom cake is an original 

work of art at Hey, Cupcake! The family-run 

bakery, owned by Krista and Heath Trollope, caters 

to a clientele with a whimsical and clever sense of 

LOVE, 

LOVE IT! 

SO MANY 

SHOPS. 

THEMARKETWFD.COM 

HALINA A. 

GOOGLE REVIEW


taste and style and an appreciation of quality. Using 

only the freshest and finest ingredients, every order 

is baked from scratch and created with “a whole 

lotta lovin.” They’re relocating to a solar-powered 

shop in the new sustainable West 5 business and 

residential development. Ask about their ongoing 

campaign “Random Acts of Sweetness!” 1305 

Riverbend Road, Suite 110, at Oxford Street West. 

519-433-CAKE (2253), heycupcake.ca 

For over 25 years, Garlic’s of London has been 

a popular dining destination. Open seven days a 

week, they welcome you to join them for an intimate 

gathering, leisurely Sunday Brunch, business 

meeting or special celebration. Garlic’s exemplifies 

the transcendent synergy between authentic, chefdriven 

culinary craftsmanship and meticulously 

procured ingredients imbued with contemporary 

twists on time-honoured traditions. Head Chef 

Alex Martin has a thoughtful, respectful edge. 

Food is made from scratch with inspiration from 

local products, and elevated by freshly-harvested 

seasonal ingredients. 481 Richmond Street, 519- 

432-4092, garlicsoflondon.com 

Congratulations to Publican Mark Serré of The 

Morrissey House, who is celebrating a decade 

in business. 361 Dundas St, 519-204-9220, 

themorrisseyhouse.wordpress.com 

Congratulations to Nutritionist Julie Kortekaas and 

Chef Shayna Patterson of Rebel Remedy, who are 

celebrating the third anniversary of the business. 

Please support them during the construction of 

Dundas Place. 242 Dundas Street, 519-709-2782, 

rebelremedy.com 

Willie’s Café continues to grow and thrive in the 

London Food Incubator at 630 Dundas Street. 

Ian Kennard has expanded the seating with more 

tables, comfy chairs and a new cozy dining area. 

There is inexpensive municipal parking off Queens 

Ave., and customers are welcome to use the 

entrance accessible from the parking lot. Willie’s 

also provides catering services with a focus on 

office/corporate lunches. 630 Dundas Street, 519- 

433-9027, williescafeandcatering.com 

Located at King and Talbot Streets, Origins Co., 

with a Grab & Go smoothie bar, is close to Covent 

Garden Market and Budweiser Gardens. They offer 

smoothies and smoothie bowls to ensure that 

healthy ingredients fit into your busy lifestyle. 

Ingredients are ethically harvested, non-GMO, and 

organic where possible. They offer teas, espresso 

and Bulletproof coffee. Open Monday–Saturday 

8am–3pm, closed Sunday. 105 King Street, 519-601- 

5855, originsco.com 

From our farm to your table ... 

Award winning hand crafted 

alpine style cheese 

Monday to Friday 9am–5pm 

Saturday 9am–4pm 

Stonetown Artisan Cheese 

5021 Perth Line 8 

St. Marys ON 

Fresh Cheese Curds 

Cheese Tastings 

Gift Baskets & 

Gift Boxes 

Cheese Trays 

Fondue & Raclette 

519-229-6856 

info@stonetowncheese.com 

www.stonetowncheese.com 

Join us for Londonlicious! 

hand crafted sandwiches 

weekend brunch 

homestyle lunch & dinner 

craft beer, wine & cocktails 

731 Wellington Street 

between Oxford & Piccadilly 

519-860-9424 

wichiswich.ca

Traditional, Real Food. 

Real Good! 

Try our world famous Goulash Soup, Cabbage Rolls, 

Schnitzel, Chicken Paprikash, a Combination Platter, or 

many other mouthwatering Hungarian dishes. 

Gift 

Certificates 

Available 

519-652-9696 

aranka.ca 

aranka.csarda arankacsarda 

7447 Longwoods Road, London 

Our beautiful country setting is on Longwoods, the continuation of 

Wharncliffe Road, just outside Lambeth 

LUNCH Wed to Fri 11:30–2:30 

DINNER from 5pm daily 

432 Richmond Street 

at Carling • London 

ALWAYS 

a 3-course prix fixe 

menu option 

www.davidsbistro.ca 


The landmark Budapest Restaurant has been 

operating since 1956, and its current owners Eduard 

Nagy and Anita Tasonyi are 20-year veterans 

of the establishment. Protégés of the legendary 

restaurateur Marika Hayek, they continue to delight 

clients by offering authentic Hungarian specialties in 

this classic old-world setting. Confident, expansive 

cooking keeps traditional Hungarian flavours 

front and centre. Think classic offerings flavoured 

predominantly by woodsy, smoky Hungarian paprika 

— dishes that are precisely prepared and expertly 

flavoured. Located downtown in the hotel district, the 

restaurant is a short walk from the Delta Armouries, 

DoubleTree by Hilton and RBC Place London. 

Banquet room available. 348 Dundas Street, 519-439- 

3431, budapestrestaurant.net 

Richmond Row’s Bombay Bistro is a restaurant and 

a cultural hub offering “a culinary tour de force of 

India’s cuisine,” as well as pick-up tiffin service and 

meal plans. They take authentic flavours from their 

home country and push them beyond expectations 

in their own unique and intimate way. 346 Richmond 

St., 519-601-8850, bombaybistro.ca 

Locomotive Espresso, a locally-owned espresso 

bar, is growing the five-year-old business, with the 

addition of a location this coming Februrary at 350 

Ridout Street South (at Chester St.) in the Old South 

neighbourhood. Locomotive Espresso South will 

be brewing espresso-based beverages using Mod Bar/ 

La Marzocco equipment, an under-counter system 

with above counter taps. The modular formation 

will create an open bar look, and the design offers 

excellent interaction and engagement with customers. 

“Old South is a creative and passionate 

community where we can expand our brand and 

employment opportunities while offering a sense 

of a community place with exceptional products,” 

said owner Jill Wright. Staying super local and 

a business incubator has been a priority for 

Locomotive Espresso. They were one of the first 

retailers to offer such local brands as Booch, Nuts 

for Cheese, Bliss Bars, The New New Age, and Helm 

Baked. They support other established businesses 

like Willie’s Café, North Moore Catering, The 

Artisan Bakery, The Tea Haus and Momo’s At The 

Market. locomotiveespresso.com 

Alchemy Bake Shoppe creates fun and interesting 

pastries influenced by nostalgic treats and current 

baking trends. With a production facility in London, 

Alchemy offers breakfast pastries, cookies and 

squares, cakes and a variety of savoury baking 

including quiche and pies. Find them Saturdays 

at the Covent Garden Farmers’ Market and on 

Sundays at Stratford’s Slow Food Market (10


Downie St. indoor location). Follow them — 

instagram.com/alchemybakeshoppe — or on 

Facebook for events or to place an order directly. 

Jess Jazey-Spoelstra and Chef Andrew Wolwowicz’s 

stylish Craft Farmacy will celebrate a second 

anniversary in December and continue to “dispense 

deliciousness.” The owners are committed to 

sourcing and celebrating local Ontario food. The 

Feast ON-certified restaurant’s ever-changing 

menus focus on craft beer, craft cocktails, a large 

selection of fresh oysters, and inspired rustic farmto-table 

food. Be sure to check out the Sunday 

Brunch prix fixe menu. 449 Wharncliffe Rd, just 

north of Baseline, 519-914-2699, craftfarmacy.ca 

Reverie, the acclaimed and unique 12-seat tasting 

menu restaurant, continues to receive accolades. Chef 

features a modernist Canadian-focused five-course 

menu every night from Thursday to Sunday. Owners 

Jerrah Revilles and Chef Brian Sua-an recently 

celebrated Reverie’s second anniversary. They offer 

an intimate, immersive, innovative experience with a 

combination of exciting platings and vibrant flavours. 

Wine pairings are optional but highly recommended. 

Reservations required. 208 Piccadilly Street just west 

of Richmond, 519-914-6595, reverierestaurant.ca 

The Western Fair Association (WFA) has 

announced its future business strategy, which 

will bring hundreds of jobs, economic prosperity, 

innovation and growth to London and region. The 

new initiative, designated The Grove at Western 

Fair District (The Grove), will help to develop 

the next generation of Canadian agri-business 

entrepreneurs in London, Ontario. By repurposing 

buildings on the WFA site, The Grove will help 

new and existing agri-businesses to incubate, 

accelerate, educate and connect. The Grove will 

continue the legacy of the WFA’s deep agricultural 

roots while keeping innovative for future growth. 

www.TheGroveWFD.com 

The Middlesex London Food Policy Council 

(MLFPC) will make its new home at The Grove. The 

MLFPC is the organization tasked with identifying 

challenges and proposing innovative solutions 

to develop a healthy, sustainable, resilient and 

equitable local food system. mlfpc.ca 

The first major tenant of The Grove is LiveFit, 

a provider of prepared meals that are delivered 

directly to consumers. livefitfood.ca 

It’s sustainable, and it’s traceable right back to the 

farmers that grew it. London Brewing is proud to 

be the first Craft Malt Certified brewery in Canada. 

“This is really important to us but it’s as important 

to local farmers that we can raise the profile of 

what they are doing,” explains Aaron Lawrence, 

Make HAPPINESS 

a part of your day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featuring 

Creative Menus 

from Chefs 

Erryn Shephard 

& 

Ben Sandwith 

Seasonal Hours 

Reservations Recommended 

Always Available 

for Caterings! 

Book NOW for your 

Christmas Lunch or Dinner Party 

& Reserve for New Year’s Eve! 

519.238.6224 

42 Ontario St. S., Grand Bend 

www.finearestaurant.com

SUNDAY BRUNCH 

11am−2pm 

 

Heather's 

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Travel the slow roads to charming tidy towns, music-filled pubs, 

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Absorb the history, culture & countryside as we explore major cities 

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Explore the splendour of Lake Como, Undiscovered Umbria, Amazing 

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For any and all of your travel needs 

 

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Regional Office: 31 Nottinghill Gate, Suite 203, Oakville 

TICO#50013851 

Open 7 Days a Week 

Mon/Tues 11:30-10, Wed/Thurs 11:30-11, Fri/Sat 11:30-12, Sun 11-10 


head brewer and a founding worker-owner of the 

worker-owned and operated brewery. “The beer 

we are brewing really is an agricultural product 

and it’s the necessary trend of craft beer to use 

local ingredients if it is to be a truly local beer. 

londonbrewing.ca 

The Bun offers authentic Sichuan-style Chinese 

street food, rejecting improvised Canadian-Chinese 

food dishes. The menu is straightforward , you 

order at the counter, and waiters deliver food to 

the long communal tables. Start by trying the 

pulled pork sandwich or Sichuan-style wontons 

with special chili house sauce. There is a delicious 

sour and spicy Sichuan shredded potato dish and 

blistered tiger skin peppers (the name comes from 

the color of the peppers after they’ve been seared in 

a hot wok, which resembles a tiger’s coat). There is 

a variety of good noodle dishes. 196 Dundas Street, 

519-567-5741. 

Rain & Sunny Chinese Noodles, a Hunan-inspired 

noodle house has opened at 186 King St., northeast 

of Five Fortune House, in the premises of the 

former King’s Diner. 

Some of the most consistent dim sum is to be found 

at London Chinese Restaurant, located in the strip 

mall at Oxford and Wonderland. It is served all 

day. Wing’s Kitchen at Highbury near Cheapside 

also serves some of the best dim sum in the city. 

We recommend you go there from Thursday to 

Sunday for the finest experience. Golden Dragon in 

Byron is known for the best crisp, dark-golden skin 

Peking duck. Ordering the barbeque duck or Peking 

duck in advance is always recommended. The 

upscale Congee House is a favourite, reliably good 

and known for its Cantonese dishes and congee. 

Five Fortune Culture House located downtown at 

Richmond and King is well known for its Yunnanstyle 

home cooking with Sichuan and Guizhou 

influences. 

Thursday nights are now a Jazz Night at Michael’s 

On The Thames, with a different jazz ensemble 

featured each week. Join Michael’s for a glass of 

wine, appetizers or dinner BUT be sure to join them 

for the jazz on Thursdays! 1 York St, London, 519- 

672-0111, michaelsonthethames.com 

Wich is Wich has relocated to Wellington St., south 

of Oxford (once Willie’s Café), serving the same 

great food (global flavours, exotic ingredients, 

and textural contrasts). Still, they’re not just 

serving gourmet sandwiches. Chef Josh Sawyer 

calls it “homestyle,” and they’re taking comfort 

food to a whole new level. Locally-sourced 

whenever possible, meals are crafted from hearty


artisan bread, slow-roasted meats, garden-fresh 

vegetables, gourmet spreads and sauces. Wich 

is Wich’s weekend brunch (served both days), 

lunch, and dinner menus (Tuesday–Saturday) 

can be paired with great wines, local beers and 

cocktails. They also offer catering, grab-and-go. 731 

Wellington St., 519-860-9424, wichiswich.ca 

Stratford 

Nosh Mondays at The Red Rabbit are a way of 

celebrating each season, allowing each chef to let 

their talent and creativity shine. It is also a culinary 

adventure. Join them Mondays from November to 

April. Make your reservations early. 64 Wellington 

Street, Stratford, 519-305-6464, redrabbitresto.com 

We continue to hear great things about the new 

Braai House, which recently opened above 

Stratford’s iconic Keystone Alley. The menu, 

created by executive chef and owner Anthony 

Jordaan, highlights the amazing flavours that come 

off a South African-style braai, a wood-fired BBQ/ 

grill. 34 Brunswick St, Stratford, 519-271-5647, 

braaihouse.ca 

Find the unexpected and latest trends in home 

décor, culinary must-haves and gift giving in 

Stratford. Explore the Stratford Christmas Trail to 

capture the spirit of giving and the joy of checking 

items off the list. You’ll discover unique and 

individual gift ideas when you stroll the festive 

streets. It is easy to kick off your holiday shopping 

with six gifts for just $30(+HST) and a choice of 25 

stops. Purchase your pass at Stratford Tourism, 

Village Craft and Candle in St. Marys, or The British 

Touch in Shakespeare — before December 20. 

Visit the highly anticipated Christmas Open 

Houses at Rheo Thompson Candies (November 3), 

Bradshaws (November 8) and Wills & Prior “Deck 

the Halls” event (November 9) to discover the first 

of the holiday trends, flavours and gifts. Enjoy the 

holiday splendour at The Parlour Christmas Open 

House and artisan creations at Treasures (both 

November 24). The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop 

marks ten years in Stratford with tastings (Dec. 5). 

Sip wine and shop at the Start the Holidays Art 

Show and Sale, at Factory163 where the building’s 

heritage character complements the artisanal 

creativity (Dec. 7–8). 

Stratford Chefs School invites you to an array of 

culinary classes for the home cook. Learn to make 

an amazing home charcuterie board (November 18), 

cooking with cannabis (November 25), and much 

more. Stratford Chefs School Dinners, prepared by 

students, take place Tuesday through Saturday at 

the new Stratford Chefs School Kitchens. Student- 

Now Accepting 

Holiday Party 

Bookings! 

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menus extend 

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created menus as well as international inspirations 

are paired with wine and can be reserved online. 

stratfordchef.com 

Junction 56 Distillery’s spirited tours introduce 

you to the making of craft spirits, and provide and 

opportunity to taste and ask questions of the crafters 

while stocking the holiday bar. (Saturdays at 11 am) 

45 Cambria St., 519-305-5535, junction56.ca 

The Milky Whey Fine Cheese shop presents 

“Creating the Perfect Holiday Charcuterie Board 

Workshop”, including refreshments (Nov 14 & 27) 

and Pairing Quebec cheese and Cider (Nov. 16). 

Take a special friend to Afternoon Tea with Santa 

(Dec. 8) at The Bruce. Prepare for the season with 

Gingerbread House Decorating (Nov. 30 and Dec. 

6), a Holiday Baking class (Dec. 14) and Cookie 

Decorating (Dec. 22), all perfect for sharing the 

children’s wish lists. thebruce.ca 

A Very Victorian Christmas returns to Market 

Square (November 24), for a festive and vibrant 

outdoor market in the heart of Stratford’s heritage 

downtown that includes art, music, Santa, and 

children’s crafts. Don’t miss the magical carousel. 

Mini markets will be featured on Saturdays 

November 30, December 7 and 14, complete with a 

visit from Santa. 

Breakfast with Santa at The Parlour (December 8). 

Here’s a family favourite adding to the excitement 

and fun of the holidays and kids under ten eat free. 

Santa’s Parade of Lights, Sunday, November 

24 — one of Southern Ontario’s best Santa Claus 

parades. Leaving Lakeside Drive and making its way 

through uptown Stratford, bringing Santa to City 

Hall. There are prizes for the best illuminated and 

best decorated floats, free hot chocolate, hotdogs 

and donuts at City Hall, music and carol singing, 

the lighting of the City Hall Christmas Tree, and 

decorations by Santa. 

Home for the Holidays Hanukkah Party with the 

Stratford Chefs School, December 15. A holiday 

party that highlights the Jewish Festival of Lights, 

Hanukkah. Celebrate your family’s long-held 

traditions, or simply join the fun and learn more 

about this festival. Everyone is welcome. Hanukkah 

Sameach! $20/person (children 12 and under free). 

Congratulations to Madelyn’s Diner, which recently 

celebrated 34 years in business. Madelyn’s Diner 

would not be the business it is today without 

Madelyn, whose daughter reminds us “was a pioneer 

in Stratford, as a female business owner, providing 

good food, sourced-locally, long before that was a 

movement.” Madelyn’s mission statement reads:“It’s



not about making money … It’s about feeding the 

world, with good food, good service and good fun.” 

377 Huron Street, 519-273-5296, madelynsdiner.ca 

The Mill Stone Restaurant & Bar features Chef 

Jeremy Hayton’s seasonally-inspired lunch, 

dinner and late-night menus using many locally 

procured ingredients. Lao pop-up snack bar is now 

the last Saturday of every month. Serving up Laos 

cuisine and regionally-inspired cocktails until the 

wee hours. Followed up with Sunday Laos snack 

features on the regular lunch menu. 30 Ontario St., 

519-273-5886, themillstone.ca 

Revival House has seen some notable changes. It 

now offers an exciting new menu crafted by new 

Chef Andrew Tutt. With the colder weather, they’re 

also re-opening The Belfry, the perfect spot for cozy 

winter meals and drinks. 

A number of amazing musical acts will soon 

grace the Revival House stage: Nashville-based 

Canadian multi-instrumentalist and singersongwriter 

Linda McRae celebrates the release of 

her new record, Going To the Well, on November 

14. London, Ontario vocalist Megan Schroder 

brings her classic country Patsy Cline tribute 

on November 15. Award-winning vocalist and 

songwriter Michael Bell presents an all-star band 

with The Bowie Lives, a sensational Bowie tribute, 

on November 16. 

On Sunday, December 15, from 3–5 pm, Revival 

House hosts the Annual Rhéo Thompson Candies’ 

Scotch and Chocolate Pairing. Individually 

wonderful, brilliant when paired. Special guest 

certified whisky sommelier Steve Rae creates 

a whisky journey through Scotland, touching 

the different regions and flavour profiles. Rhéo 

Thompson Candies’ chocolatier Christine Chessell 

has selected a variety of chocolates to compliment 

the scotches. Enjoy this excellent combination of 

flavours for $60 per person (chocolate-only tickets 

are available for $25): rheothompson.com 

“Reasonably priced, fresh, well-executed 

Ethiopian cuisine ...” — Bryan Lavery, Eatdrink 

Book Your 

Holiday 

Parties Now! 

Gift 

Certificates 

Available 

More than just a Coffee Shop! 

Customized Gift Baskets 

Baking Orders 

(Keto & Gluten-free options) 


Gift Baskets 

The annual Bradshaw’s Holiday High Tea at 

Revival House is offering two seatings November 

24, featuring three stunning seasonal loose-leaf teas 

from Sloane Fine Tea. Enjoy a special selection of 

holiday treats created just for this event by Revival 

House, and beautiful classical holiday-themed music 

by the talented musicians of the Stratford Symphony 

Orchestra. It’s a perfect way to celebrate the holidays 

with friends and relatives! bradshaws.ca 

Approaching the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s 

death, the Stratford Symphony Orchestra presents 

• FAMILY FRIENDLY 

• Vegetarian & 

Vegan Options 

• Takeout 

• Catering 

ADDIS ABABA Restaurant 

Tuesday–Sunday 11am–10pm by reservation 

Closed Monday 

465 Dundas Street 519 433-4222 

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Christmas Baking 

Pour Over Coffee Bar Open 7 Days a Week 

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825 Southdale Rd W, London 

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Legend and Legacy with Sarah Pratt performing 

Violin Concerto in D (November 23). 

Share the tradition of the Messiah performed with 

orchestra and presented by Stratford Concert 

Choir, St. Joseph›s Church (December 7). Special 

guests The Blyth Festival Singers. 

Enjoy the intimacy of a Christmas Sing-Along 

(December 13), presented by Stratford Symphony 

Orchestra at the Falstaff Family Centre. 

Around the Region 

St. Marys Winterlights Display is on between 

November 15 and January 5. Hop aboard horsedrawn 

carriages to ride through the park and 

admire beautiful festive light displays. The display 

opens following the Santa Claus Parade and will be 

lit nightly for all to enjoy. 

Love chocolate? Indulge in exquisite chocolate from 

Woodstock’s Habitual Chocolate — a bean-tobar 

chocolate company. Cocoa beans are bought 

from small family farms all over the world, and 

flavourful dark chocolates are handcrafted in 

the store. Choose from an assortment of culinary 

chocolate, dark chocolates and custom chocolates 

crafted for special occasions. Soy-free, nut-free, 

gluten and vegan options are also available. 

389 Dundas Street, Woodstock, 519-535-1341, 

habitualchocolate.com 

Congratulations to Dave and Michelle Schonberger 

of Tree to Table by Ottercreek Woodworks who 

recently won Best Culinary Experience in Ontario. 

Within their first year of operation they also won 

2018 Ontario’s Southwest Innovative Experience 

of the Year. ottercreekwoodworks.myshopify.com/ 

products/from-tree-to-table-workshop 

Christmas Movie Trivia at Upper Thames Brewing 

Co. Test your knowledge of holiday classics while 

sipping on craft beer at the brewery on November 

27. upperthamesbrewing.ca 

Sollgood Holiday Social Market: Hit up downtown 

Ingersoll for a unique, curated artisan market of 

local goods, handmade products and tasty treats. 

sollgoodsocialmarket.com 

Brewed Exploration at Upper Thames Brewing Co.: 

Step behind the bar to learn about brewing from 

grain to glass and even bottle your own beer on 

December 7th. upperthamesbrewing.ca 

A Taste of Norwich Township: A food and drink 

event featuring the best of Norwich Township on 

November 31st. Call 519-476-6172 for tickets.


Enjoy an Old Fashion Christmas at Snyders Family 

Farm. Don’t miss out on the holiday farm fun at 

Snyders, including s’mores, fresh-cut trees, bakery 

treats, a Christmas hayride, meet n’ greet with 

Santa and more open weekends November 23– 

December 15th. snydersfamilyfarm.com 

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with The Beatles at The 

Elm Hurst Inn, with a Beatles tribute band and a 

delicious, festive buffet. ElmHurstInn.com 

Oxford County chocolatier Cindy Walker is a 

small-town shop owner, a certified tea sommelier, 

and “The Queen of Ganache.” As owner and head 

chocolatier of Ingersoll’s Chocolatea, Cindy crafts 

hand-cut chocolates with unique, creative flavours 

and sources a handpicked selection of teas. In her 

upcoming Truffle Camp workshops (November 16, 

December 7 & 18), participants take on the role of 

chocolatier and step behind the counter to craft 

a dozen of their own delicious, multi-flavoured 

truffles alongside Cindy. 38 King Street East, 

Ingersoll, 519-495-6020, chocolatea.ca 

The grand opening of the 55,000-square-foot 

Eataly Toronto, the first in Canada, is set to open in 

the Manulife Centre on November 13. The food hall 


and culinary emporium comprises three floors, 

and is introducing over 1,000 Italian products new 

to Canada while showcasing Italy’s 20 regions. 

Pasta-makers, pizza-makers using specialty-made 

ovens, a Macelleria (butcher shop), a seafood 

restaurant and an Enoteca where one can have 

an aperitivo are among the offerings. If that isn’t 

enough, there is a bakery, formaggi (cheese) and 

salumi counter with 400-plus varieties of Italian 

and local cheese, a gelato lab, a chocolate and 

pasticceria (pastry counter), an on-site brewery, a 

marketplace and a culinary classroom. An all-day 

Grand Café serving all types of Italian-style coffees 

and alcoholic beverages. 

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 

Submission deadline for the next issue: December 5 

Far Out ... 

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Theatre 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! 

Mary Poppins is at The Grand for the Holidays 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

Imagine a five-year-old boy taken by his 

grandmother to see his first live theatre 

performance. It’s a musical extravaganza 

at The Grand Theatre about the life of 

Barnum — of circus fame. The child sits in 

awe. His life in theatre has begun. 

Imagine a four-year-old girl taken by her 

mother to see her first live theatre performance 

in 2019. It’s a musical extravaganza at The 

Grand Theatre with her uncle as Bert, in Mary 

Poppins this holiday season. 

Her uncle was that five-year old boy. Mark 

Uhre’s theatre career comes full circle November 

26 to December 29 when he steps onto the 

stage to perform for the next generation of 

theatregoers, including his niece. 

“It’s a great feeling to return to the place 

where everything started. Growing up I always 

loved coming 

downtown during 

the holidays,” 

says Uhre in an 

interview with 

Eatdrink. “Mary 

Poppins will be 

my niece’s first 

show so we are all 

excited and pretty 

emotional, as it is a 

special story from 

our own childhood,” 

he adds. 

Uhre’s first role was at the Grand in 1992. He 

was 12 years old when he played in A Christmas 

Carol, which starred the legendary Canadian 

actor William Hutt. While studying at Beal 

Secondary School in London in 1998, Uhre 

starred as Tony in a High School Production of 

West Side Story. “That was it. I started focusing 

on theatre and music as a career, rather than 

visual art. The Grand has been a huge part of 

my development as an artist.” 

And what a career! Uhre made it to 

Broadway as Enjolras in Les Misérables in 

2016. He says he has been very fortunate to 

play major stages here in Canada, including 

Stratford and Shaw, as well as in the U.K. 

“When Broadway came along it was an 

amazing surprise and was a really special time. 

It also put a great deal into perspective for 

Mark Uhre stars as Bert 

in Mary Poppins, at The 

Grand Theatre. He’s also 

an artist; here he stands 

in front of one of his 

paintings (hanging in 

Revel Cafe in Stratford).



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May 19 to May 23 

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July 1 to July 18 

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May 26 to May 30 

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July 22 to August 15 

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June 3 to June 27 

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me artistically. Great artistic growth and 

experience can happen anywhere. My time 

on Broadway is equally matched artistically 

by every theatre I have worked in. They 

have all been equal in providing artistic 

growth,” says Uhre. 

Aside from acting, he is also an 

illustrator and a painter. He shared with 

us a photo of one of his paintings that 

hangs in Revel Coffee House in Stratford. 

Uhre says the words in the painting spell 

out “Use your Imagination” something he 

says we all need to do more of, no matter 

what age. 

So, it’s apt that Uhre returns home to 

London for the holidays and Mary Poppins, 

a story he and his family love. He says, of 

all the great stages he’s been honoured to 

play upon, that if he had to choose one 

favourite it would be the Grand. “It really 

is where it all started for me as a little kid. 

So, to return to London and create theatre 

with fellow artists on the stage where I 

saw my first professional show at five and 

then performed as a little kid is a pretty 

amazing thing.” 

Regional Theatre Holiday Round-up 

A Christmas Carol 

Theatre Sarnia, November 22–30 

a really Retro CROONER Christmas 

Created by Rick Kish 

Port Stanley Festival Theatre, December 14, 

2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

Huron Country Playhouse II, November 30, 

2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

Wonderful World of Christmas: Comeback 

Huron Country Playhouse, Saturday, December 

14, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

A Huron County Christmas Carol 

Adapted by Gil Garratt, songs by John Powers 

Blyth Festival Theatre, November 28–December 22 

A Country Supper is offered at the Blyth Legion on 

November 29, November 30, December 6, and 

December 13, hosted by a local church or Blyth 

Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary. 

JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to Eatdrink. She 

is also Manager, Communications & Media Relations, at King’s 

University College in London.



Books 

A Gourmet Life 

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir 

by Ruth Reichl 

Review by DARIN COOK 

Iwas working on the frontlines in a 

bookstore when in 2009 Gourmet 

magazine had its last stand. I had 

been searching for the latest issue, 

for a customer, when the staff member who 

stocked the magazines informed me that 

Gourmet was defunct — one month here, 

the next month not. I was surprised that an 

established magazine with staunch readership 

could fold simply because the internet had 

become a major player as a publishing option. 

A decade after that demise Ruth Reichl, the 

editor at the time, has published Save Me the 

Plums: My Gourmet Memoir (Random House, 

2019). It recounts her rise to fame in the 

magazine world, even as Gourmet was on the 

brink of its fall. 

There are perhaps only a handful of 

people who have had more of an impact 

on culinary writing than Reichl; the upper 

ranks managing high-end magazines under 

the Condé Nast umbrella were well aware of 

her literary reputation when they offered 

her the editor-in-chief position at the 

prestigious epicurean magazine. Reichl had 

adored Gourmet as a 

child and credits her 

love of food, in part, 

to early editions she 

had thumbed through 

in used-book stores in 

her youth. When she 

became a writer she 

desperately wanted to be 

a contributor. Although 

she never did — it 

became too prissy and 

stodgy for her — she 

somehow found herself 

being asked to take 

charge of it at a time 

when it was 

in need of 

revitalization. 

Reichl would 

be coming 

off her sixyear 

stint 

as The New 

York Times 

restaurant 

critic, 

and she 

justifies 

the change in 

profession by recognizing the time 

it would give her to have dinner with her 

husband and so — time she had lost eating 

at restaurants alone all those years. Adding 

the perks of a clothing allowance and an office 

with a private bathroom made it a hard offer 

to pass up. 

Save Me the Plums provides glimpses into 

her personal life, like those more-frequent, 

home-cooked meals that her son delighted 

in, but it mainly focuses on her professional 

relationships with 

publishers, editors, 

artists, writers, 

photographers, test 

kitchen cooks, and 

marketers, while at the 

helm of Gourmet. The 

history of what went 

on during her tenure is 

directly linked to how 

the corporate bigwigs 

moved staff around 

or let them go in a 

flurry, forcing Reichl to 

Author Ruth Reichl



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manage HR issues that were not her forte. 

Readers of the book will not be surprised 

by the story’s unfortunate conclusion, so 

Reichl presumably focuses on her colleagues 

(whether she liked working with them or 

not) to pay homage to their handiwork 

in regenerating an iconic magazine for a 

time. Even though she was dealing with the 

business of magazine editing more than 

tasting dishes or writing about them, there 

are still the requisite delicious descriptions 

she is known for from her previous books: 

taste testing a chocolate cake in the Gourmet 

test kitchen; sharing the Spicy Chinese Noodle 

recipe she makes for her son; describing bread 

from a neighbourhood bakery by writing it 

was “like tasting history, like savoring the 

first loaf of bread ever baked.” It is a Reichl 

memoir, after all, and she always comes back 

to the food. 

I enjoy memoirs that are narrower in 

scope, not sprawling narratives from cradle 

to grave. Reichl’s career as a writer has many 

layers and Save Me the Plums covers a decade 

of her life when Gourmet became one more 

notch in her literary belt. Her contributions to 

Gourmet were transformational: she embraced 

the changes surfacing in the restaurant 

scene, tackled the rise of celebrity chefs by 

putting them on the cover in rock star poses 

(photographed by Matthew Rolston who did 

Rolling Stone covers), and commissioned 

cutting-edge articles from authors like David 

Foster Wallace. Amid these successes, what 

is most heartbreaking about her story is how 

Condé Nast shut Gourmet down when the high 

times of the print magazine world crumbled 

under the pressure of the internet. Reichl 

had to live through it and she reveals how the 

extraction of something that had touched her 

personal life and shaped her career so much 

was devastating. For Reichl, “A world without 

Gourmet was unimaginable.” She could not 

move forward by publishing more issues, 

but only be inspired by her collection of back 

issues, in the same way they had stirred her as 

a child. 

DARIN COOK is a Chatham-based freelance writer 

who keeps himself well-read and well-fed by visiting the 

bookstores and restaurants of London.



Recipes 


Recipes to Bring Comfort andJoy 

by Anna Olson 

Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN 

Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson: 

Recipes to Bring Comfort and Joy: 

From Starters to Sweets, for the Festive 

Season and Almost Every Day (2018; 

Appetite by Random House) is a soothing 

trip through a beautiful world of confident 

entertaining, elegant décor, and food that’s 

almost too pretty to eat. 

Anna Olson is an award winning pastry 

chef, author, and television personality. Born 

in Atlanta, Georgia, she spent her childhood 

in Toronto and now calls the Niagara region 

her home. She’s become the sunny face of 

Canadian baking through her online and TV 

presence and her collection of cookbooks. 

Chef Olson’s ideas of entertaining at the 

holidays can be summed up by the word 

“sparkle” and she tells us that “you can’t have 

sparkle if you have stress.” 

Most of the dishes in Set for the Holidays 

are decidedly festive, but they’d work as well 

for any other celebration. There’s a Lemon 

Meringue Yule Log recipe that’s going to 

become Lemon Meringue Tracy’s Birthday 

Cake for at least a few years. 

Given Olson’s fame as a pastry chef, it’s no 

surprise that half of this book 

is devoted to the sweet side of 

the holidays. That still leaves 

half a book of savoury dishes 

that somehow manage to look 

as delicate and delicious as the 

sweets. There are multi-option 

menus for both Thanksgiving 

and Christmas, as well as 

sophisticated New Year’s Eve 

nibbles, and brunch for the 

whole family. 

Vegan and vegetarian 

options are clearly marked 

but my favourite icon was 

the “particularly gift-able” 

symbol that marks recipes 

that are perfect 

for creating 

homemade 

kitchen 

gifts. There’s 

nothing like 

wowing 

your guests 

with a great 

meal, then 

sending 

them 

home 

with a jar 

of the magical ingredient. 

I also appreciated the chapter on leftovers. 

Olson gives us recipes for comforting one-pot 

meals to transform your holiday leftovers and 

warm you through the rest of the cold season. 

I have nearly given up on serving turkey, 

making the easier choice of chicken or ham 

for my holiday feasts. I changed my mind 

when I saw Marinated Boneless Turkey 

Breast Roast with Panchetta Gravy. If that 

title alone wasn’t enough to sway me, the 

author suggests a gluten-free option that 

substitutes Caramelized 

Onion Cream for the gravy. 

You need to follow two other 

(easy) recipes to get this 

exact sauce, but I will tell you 

that it combines two cups 

of caramelized onions, one 

cup of whipping cream, and 

one ounce of brandy. Holiday 

decadence in the most 

elegant way. 

Since turkey dinner isn’t 

complete without dressing, 

there are Sausage Dressing 

Squares. Basically these are 

Anna Olson



Thanksgiving dinner in a finger food. With or 

without the bacon they are a perfect appetizer, 

or a dangerously addictive television snack. 

An Anna Olson book review wouldn’t be 

complete without a pastry and the Kouign 

Amann might be the best pastry I had never 

heard of. Olson describes it as resembling “a 

croissant that is a little more like puff pastry, 

with a caramelized sugar crust and soft sweet 

interior.” It fits all my preconceived notions 

of French pastry: it’s fussy, requires a lot of 

patience and is best eaten fresh from the oven. 

I will probably drive my family crazy trying to 

master this dish. 

Set for the Holidays makes you feel like you 

can have all this sparkle without any stress. 

That’s something to celebrate all year long. 

TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer 

in London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com 

Excerpted from Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson by 

Anna Olson. Copyright © 2019 Anna Olson. Photography 

by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random 

House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada 

Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. 

All rights reserved. 

Marinated Boneless Turkey Breast Roast 

with pancetta gravy 

Serves 6 to 8 (with enough for leftovers) 

Prep: 20 minutes, plus marinating 

Cook: 105 minutes. 

This marinated turkey recipe, which I call my 

turketta, strays from the traditional whole 

turkey (page 93). It’s a nice option 

if you have a small kitchen or if 

your family insists on turkey for 

Thanksgiving and Christmas, but you’d 

rather not serve the same menu twice. 

Porchetta is a boneless herb-rubbed 

pork loin that is roasted until the skin 

crisps up. Here I use similar flavours 

but with turkey. For a fully gluten-free 

option, substitute Caramelized Onion 

Cream (page 120) for the gravy. 

MAKE AHEAD 

You should start marinating the turkey at least 

3 hours (up to a maximum of 24 hours) before it 

is to go in the oven. Any cooked leftovers (hello, 

turkey sandwich!) will keep, well wrapped, for 

up to 4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in 

the freezer. Thaw in the fridge before using. 

TURKEY 

¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil 

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 

3 cloves garlic, chopped 

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 

8 large fresh sage leaves 

2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh thyme leaves 

2 tsp salt, plus extra for the turkey 

1 tsp chili flakes 

½ tsp black pepper, plus extra for the 

turkey 

2 turkey breasts, each about 2¼ lb/1 

kg 

3 Tbsp (45 g) butter 

GRAVY 

1 cup (125 g) uncooked diced pancetta 

3 Tbsp (45 g) combined pancetta fat and butter 

¼ cup (35 g) all-purpose flour 

2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium or no-salt-added 

chicken or turkey stock


1 It’s best to prepare the marinade right before using it. 

Purée the oil, onion, garlic, lemon zest, sage, thyme, 

salt, chili flakes and pepper in a food processor or 

blender until evenly combined. 

2 Remove and discard any bones from the turkey breasts. 

Place the turkey, skin side down, in a casserole dish or 

other pan. Set aside ¼ cup (60 mL) of the marinade for 

the sauce and pour the rest over the turkey. Cover the 

dish with plastic wrap and let the turkey marinate in 

the fridge for at least 3 hours, or up to a maximum of 

24 hours. 

3 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Using butcher’s 

twine, tie the turkey breasts together, skin sides facing 

out, leaving as much of the marinade between them as 

possible. Pat the outside of the breasts with paper towels 

and transfer to a roasting pan. Rub the turkey skin with 

butter and season lightly with salt and pepper. 

4 Roast the turkey, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Reduce 

the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and roast for 60 

to 70 minutes more, basting the turkey with the juices 

often, until the centre of each breast registers 170°F 

(77°C) on a meat thermometer. Transfer the turkey to a 

cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest 

while you prepare the gravy. 


5 For the gravy, use the roasting pan if it has toasted 

bits that aren’t burnt, otherwise heat a clean medium 

saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and 

cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. 

Spoon the cooked pancetta onto a plate and drain the 

fat into a measuring cup. 

6 Measure 3 Tbsp (45 mL) of the fat back into the pan, 

supplementing with butter if needed. Add the flour, 

and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until 

the roux becomes the colour of peanut butter, about 7 

minutes. 

7 Add the reserved ¼ cup (60 mL) of marinade, stirring 

well, and then whisk in 1 cup (250 mL) of the stock, 

waiting until it begins to bubble before whisking in the 

remaining 1 cup (250 mL). Bring the gravy to a simmer, 

add the cooked pancetta and season to taste with salt 

and pepper. 

8 To serve, untie the turkey, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) slices 

and serve with the gravy. 

HELPFUL HINT 

Traditional porchetta seasoning also includes rosemary 

and fennel, but I find these flavours can be overwhelming 

and not always family-friendly, which is why I don’t use 

them in this turketta. 

Kouign Amann 

Makes 12 Pastries 

Prep: 30 Minutes 

Cook: 35 Minutes 

I fell in love with these pastries a few 

years back on a visit to Montreal, a 

city that is pastry heaven! This layered, 

buttery sweet pastry was created in 

Brittany, a region of France famous 

for its butter (kouign amann means 

“cake butter” in Breton). Imagine a 

croissant that is a little more like puff 

pastry, with a caramelized sugar crust 

and a soft sweet interior . . . Now get 

ready to bake! Like many classic French 

pastries, kouign amann take patience 

and adherence to timing—they’re the 

boss, not you, but you get to take all of 

the credit when friends and family rave 

about them. 

MAKE AHEAD 

I don’t recommend baking these ahead of time, 

since they are best enjoyed the day they are baked. 

They are tastiest once cool, when the caramelized 

sugar on the surface has had time to set and 

become crunchy. Timing is key when rolling, 

folding and letting your kouign amann rise. If you 

do want to make these ahead of time to freeze and 

bake later, make the dough, do the first 2 folds


and then freeze, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw the 

dough overnight in the fridge before continuing with the folds 

that use sugar. (If you were to freeze the assembled kouign 

amann, the sugar would liquefy once thawed and you would 

end up with sticky pastries that are difficult to handle.) 

DOUGH 

2 ½ cups (375 g) all-purpose flour 

2 Tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar 

1 pkg (2¼ tsp/8 g) instant dry yeast 

1 tsp fine sea salt 

1 cup (250 mL) cool water 

2 Tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil 

BUTTER AND ASSEMBLY 

1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room 

temperature 

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, divided 

1 For the dough, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt 

in a large mixing bowl, if mixing by hand, or in a stand 

mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the water 

and oil and stir together on low speed until combined. 

Increase the speed 1 level and mix until the dough 

feels smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. (If mixing 

by hand, stir the dough with a wooden spoon until it 

becomes too difficult, and then turn it out onto a work 

surface once combined and knead until elastic, about 

6 minutes. The dough should come off the bottom and 

sides of the bowl but will be relatively soft.) 

2 Place the dough in an ungreased bowl, cover the bowl 

with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled 

in size. Punch the dough down, shape it into a 10-inch 

(25 cm) square (dust your hands with flour to prevent 

sticking), wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour, or 

up to 8 hours. 

3 For the butter, beat the butter and 2 Tbsp (25 g) of 

the sugar together. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 × 

5-inch (2 L) loaf pan with plastic wrap and press the 

butter into the bottom in an even layer. Wrap well and 

chill for at least 1 hour. 

4 If preparing the dough and butter more than 1 hour 

ahead, pull both out from the fridge 30 minutes before 

rolling. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured 

surface. Place the rectangle of butter on top of the 

dough and fold the dough over so the sheet of butter is 

hidden. Press out any air pockets and pinch the dough, 

just a little, to enclose the butter. 

5 Roll out the dough to a rectangle 12 × 18 inches (30 × 45 

cm), just under ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Bring the short sides 

together so that they meet in the centre and then fold the 

dough in half like a book. Rotate the dough 90 degrees 

and repeat, this time folding the dough into thirds. Wrap 

the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. 

6 Lightly dust a work surface with ¼ cup (50 g) of the 

sugar and roll out the dough to a rectangle 12 × 18 

inches (30 × 45 cm), just under ½ inch (1 cm) thick. 

Sprinkle the top of the dough with the remaining 2 

Tbsp (25 g) of sugar and fold it in thirds. 

7 Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and 

folding (but not adding more sugar at this point). Wrap 

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and chill the dough for exactly 20 minutes (any longer, 

the sugar will dissolve). 

8 Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside. Unwrap the 

dough and roll it (no additional flour or sugar will be 

needed) into a rectangle 16 × 12 inches (40 × 30 cm) and 

just over ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick. 

9 Trim away any rough edges and cut the dough into 

twelve 4-inch (10 cm) squares. 

10 Bring the corners of each square into the centre, pinch 

them together and press down gently. Press each 

pastry into a muffin cup and cover the pan with a tea 

towel, letting the dough rise for 1 hour. 

11 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the muffin pan 

on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 30 to 

35 minutes, until the kouign amann are a rich golden 

brown. Carefully turn them out of the pan (they will be 

sticky and hot) onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

HELPFUL HINTS 

When you are rolling and folding the kouign amann in 

sugar for the final time, you need to work quickly — the 

more you handle the dough, the more it will warm up and 

then liquefy the sugar. Once you get the pastries into the 

pan, the pressure is off. 

There are times when investing in top-quality butter 

really counts, and this is one of them (shortbread cookies 

are another). Most butter in Canada has a fat content of 

80%, but premium butter has 82% (check the label). That 

extra 2% makes a big difference in a pastry where butter is 

important for flavour and texture. 

, 

Christmas Goodies!


The Lighter Side 

A Child’s Christmas 

By MARK KEARNEY 


The art of being good at Christmas, 

as I came to understand it as a child, 

included helping Mom with the 

upcoming feast. 

It was always turkey, and it called for 

dressing. (Some others called it “stuffing” 

but it was “dressing” in our house.) My sister 

and I would sit in the kitchen, a loaf or two of 

bread and a large bowl facing us, and tear the 

future dressing into small bits, 

occasionally popping a stray piece 

or two into our mouths. At that 

point it was just bread, but we 

knew come Christmas that with 

the addition of onion, pepper and 

perhaps other herbs with which 

we had no familiarity, it would 

taste tantalizing when scooped 

from inside the roasted bird. 

A few days later on Christmas 

afternoon, with the turkey 

ensconced in the oven, we would 

spill onto our street in the village 

eager to share stories of our lovely loot, 

which now lay opened and scattered under 

the exhausted tree. Chatting with friends, we 

would get a taste of how everyone’s Christmas 

had been so far, and how eagerly we were all 

looking forward to the evening feast. 

After one more inspection of our presents 

before dinner, we gathered at the table. Bring 

out the roasted turkey, the mashed potatoes, 

the peas, the corn, the dressing, tomato juice, 

wine for the adults, and the gravy — most 

of all the glorious gravy. What is better as a 

child than pouring the brown elixir that is 

gravy onto the white meat, the dark meat, the 

potatoes — oh, yes, smother the potatoes with 

it — and watching it flow river-like through the 

vegetables into a pool on the only tiny spot on 

my plate that isn’t heaped with food? 

We didn’t just eat the Christmas bird, we 

attacked it as if it were the last we would ever 

have. I’d tuck away my second helping before 

my stomach had even acknowledged the first. 

Yes, there would be sighs and groans later as 

our bloated bellies rebelled, but it was always 

worth it. For dessert there was no traditional 

flaming pudding in our household, but instead 

… birthday cake. December 25 was the date 

of my brother’s birthday, so out came the 

candled cake, always chocolate, and he’d make 

a wish. (No doubt he craved any other day for 

his birthday so that his gifts could be spread 

out longer than 24 hours.) 

The clock’s hands have moved relentlessly 

forward since those early years, 

and each Christmas blends into 

the next and the next. Some gifts 

more memorable than others, 

some feasts better than previous 

ones. Christmas Eve’s midnight 

mass has long been replaced 

by other rituals — traditional 

tourtière for dinner and glasses 

of wine followed by screenings 

of A Christmas Carol or It’s A 

Wonderful Life. 

On those perfect occasions 

with the drape of winter 

darkness descended and the snow drowsily 

dropping outside the window, I’m taken 

back to those decades-ago days. Dry voices 

from the past, as if carried in by a gentle 

gust, whisper in my weary ears their tales 

of Christmases past. Half-heartedly fighting 

sleep, I recall snatches of long-ago village 

gossip, a half-sung carol wafting over the 

churchyard, delightful screams from a nearby 

hill as children hurtle downward on the 

toboggan ride of their lives, or the barely 

stifled laughter of a rosy-cheeked boyhood 

chum nestled beside me in a snow fort 

plotting our next brave move. 

And now, wrapped in the warm embrace 

of midnight and memories of bygone times, 

I slip softly to sleep, the promise of another 

Christmas meal mere hours away. 

MARK KEARNEY has been a journalist for more than 

35 years and has been published in nearly 80 publications 

in North America. He teaches writing and journalism at 

Western University.

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Eatdrink #80 November/December 2019 - The Holiday Issue

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