abruzzi - eatdrink Magazine

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Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
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RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
ABRUZZI
FEATURES
Michael’s on the Thames
in London
A Taste of Real Italy,
with a Local Flavour
Pazzo Ristorante Bar & Pizzeria
in Stratford
Railway City Brewery
in St. Thomas
On the Front Restaurant & Lounge
in Sarnia
Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro
in Bayfield
Issue  • October/November 
ALSO
Keeping It Fresh Since 
Arva Flour Mills
Ahhh . . . Stratford in October
Meander country lanes on foot, bicycle or car framed with shimmering
golds and bronzes or spend Saturdays with the Amish and discover their
eco-culture. Stock the larder with fresh foods from farm gate markets.
Soak up a Heritage Weekend on October 17th – 18th with a fine antiques
fair, tours of stately homes, churches and haunted Stratford as well as
talks on house and furniture restoration and lots more. Plan to stay
at one of our heritage B&Bs.
Stimulating and thought provoking international documentaries
are featured at DocFest from October 22 to 25. And don’t forget
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival is in performance until
November 8th. Stratford is set to welcome you with stimulating
ideas, brilliant colours and charming company.
Come enjoy our crisp fresh air, visit
www.fallforstratford.com
CONTENTS
6
20
30
39
OC TOBER/NOVEMBER 
ISSUE 
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
6
The Pastoral Kitchen of Abruzzi, in London
12
Michael’s On the Thames, in London
15
Pazzo Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria, in Stratford
20
BY BRYAN LAVERY
RESTAURANTS
BY MELANIE NORTH
BY CECILIA BUY
Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro, in Bayfield
BY JANE ANTONIAK
30
On the Front Restaurant & Lounge, in Sarnia
34
The Staff of Life: The Arva Flour Mills
56
Railway City Brewery, in St. Thomas
36
 Bargain Bites in Chicago
39
Cooking in the Moment: David Rocco’s Dolce Vita
BY MELANIE NORTH
SPOTLIGHT
BY SUE MOORE
BY DEBRA BAGSHAW
TRAVEL
BY AL DOYLE
COOKBOOKS
BY JENNIFER GAGEL
44
54
59
BOOKS
42
The Sushi Economy
44
Harvesting New Tastes: Think Global, Eat Local
48
The BUZZ
54
Salmon and Pinot Noir: A Perfect Combo
59
Cheese and Beer: A Natural Flavour Affinity
62
Too Many Cooks Do Not Always Spoil the Broth
BY DARIN COOK
COOKING WITH THE SEASONS
BY BRYAN LAVERY
NEW & NOTABLE
COMPILED BY MELANIE NORTH
WINE
BY RICK VANSICKLE
BEER
BY THE MALK MONK
THE LIGHTER SIDE
BY BRYAN LAVERY
eatdrink
™
lie’s CafeRESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
H
www.eatdrink.ca
ne A Virtual Magnet for All Things Culinary
pt 24,Read
2009
an Interactive Magazine Online, Find Restaurants, Read Reviews and More!
Publisher
Chris McDonell — chris@eatdrink.ca
Managing Editor
Melanie North — mnorth@eatdrink.ca
Contributing Editor
Bryan Lavery
Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Jane Antoniak
Rick VanSickle
Sue Moore
Melanie North
Jennifer Gagel
Debra Bagshaw
Chris McDonell
Cecilia Buy
Darin Cook
D.R. Hammond
Finances
Sande Marcus — smarcus@citywoman.ca
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Chris McDonald
Cathy Rehberg
Advertising Sales Director
Diane Diachina — ddiachina@eatdrink.ca
Copy Editor
Jodie Renner — www.PolishedProofreading.com
Advertising Sales Representatives
Jane Antoniak — jantoniak@eatdrink.ca
Sue Laur — slaur@eatdrink.ca
Rick Huxley — rhuxley@eatdrink.ca
Graphic Design & Layout
Hawkline Graphics
Joanne Grogan
Telephone & Fax
 -
Mailing Address
London Magazine Group
525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6
Website
Milan Kovar/KOVNET
Printing
Impressions Printing
Copyright © 2009 eatdrink™, Hawkline Graphics 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 circulation of
12,000 issues published monthly. The views or opinions expressed
LUNCH
Monday to Saturday
11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
DINNER
Last Friday of the month
CATERING
www.williescafe.on.ca
in the information, content and/or advertisements published in
eatdrink™ 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.
Willie’s
731 Wellington Street
(Just South of Oxford)
London ON
--
any:
ize:
e #:
Rep:
ate:
October/november 2009
issue no. 19
www.eatdrink.ca 5
RESTAURANTS
NOTE
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Thank You and You’re Welcome
THE LITTLE INN
By Chris McDonell
I
HP t can be difficult, at the pell mell pace
19 I always seem to be running at these
Janedays, to be mindful of giving proper
thanks. Maybe that’s why there is a
Sept
25,dedicated
2009 to the activity? Too often,
holiday
I find myself feeling gratitude for someone
or something well after the proper time to
acknowledge that thankfulness has passed.
Still, the opportunity remains available,
so as I avail myself of this, my hope is that
you too may take a reckoning and similarly
thank some of those who may wonder if
they have been taken just a little for granted.
First, my partner in life, Sue Gordon, has
been a consistently supportive mate. Her
enthusiasm for my endeavours occasionally
gets tested but thank you Sue for keeping
the faith and rallying behind me at all the
important junctures of my life.
My business colleagues, especially Diane
Diachina and Melanie North, help me to be
my best and most creative. Thanks for sharing the risks and rewards. Our writers fill our
pages with strong content and thus deliver
readers to our advertisers. Thank you for your
commitment to quality work. In particular, we
are overdue in acknowledging Bryan Lavery
as a Contributing Editor. I’d also like to thank
Christine Scheer, who has been a consistent
force for eatdrink since our inception but is
now writing only for our sister publication
CityWoman (www.citywoman.ca). Thanks,
Christine, for all of the fabulous recipes.
Last, thanks to our readers. Starting with
this issue, our print run is now 12,000 copies, due to popular demand. We like you too!
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6
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
October/November 2009
RESTAURANTS
A Taste of Real Italy
The Pastoral Kitchen of Abruzzi, in London
By Bryan Lavery
Photos by Yvonne Long
T
here’s a new Italian-inspired restau
rant in town, and it’s the genuine
article. Abruzzi, London’s latest addition to King Street’s restaurant row, is
a contemporary gourmet Italian hotspot serving traditional regional Italian specialties. The
offerings may be simple, but they are classic,
prepared with local and traditional upscale
ingredients and executed with finesse and
polished presentation. These are the very
early days and there are still a few things to
iron out, but first impressions in restaurants
are important and the word of mouth on the
street is good — actually, very good.
Karen Brown (whose resume includes The
Verandah, Blue Ginger, The Church, Custom
Cuisine Catering and On The Fork) was offered the opportunity to create a new restaurant from scratch in the previous premises
of the recently departed Mint Restobar. The
renovation is superb, chic with an elegant
white marble bar, with six comfortable bar
Abruzzi’s Karen Brown with Chef Josie Pontarelli
stools located inside the front entrance. The
space is practically unrecognizable from its
previous incarnations, warmly and comfortRuth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy, who beably appointed. The kitchen has also had a
came a significant influence in Pontarelli’s
considerable equipment upgrade with the
early career. Her obvious talents and credeninstallation of a pasta cooker, pizza oven and
tials aside, Pontarelli has formidable Abruza spiffy line-fridge featuring an enviable wide zo-Molise connections by way of marriage.
marble plating counter. Service, lighting, mu- Her Italian in-laws are serious food people
sic and ambience have been well thought out from Molise that have been instrumental in
by the detail-oriented Brown, who stresses
nurturing her passion for regional Italian
simplicity and freshness as cornerstones of
cuisine and her in-depth knowledge of Italthe Abruzzi restaurant philosophy. Brown
ian culinary techniques.
strives to avoid the “special occasion” resMolise is a little known south-central Italtaurant moniker, and has built Abruzzi to be
ian region. Until 1963 it was part of the commore accessible and convivial, a place that
bined region of Abruzzo-Molise. Both regions
will also appeal to John Labatt Centre crowds. have two distinct culinary personalities: the
coastal one based on the fish and seafood of
The chef is Josie Pontarelli a Stratford
the Adriatic, and the mountainous pastoral
Chefs School alumna who worked with
one based on the pork and lamb cuisine of
Brown at On the Fork for three years. Prior
to that, Pontarelli managed the Green Room shepherds and of the contadino (the small
at Stratford’s Festival Theatre. There she was farmer). Unlike many parts of tourist-trodden
Italy, additional subsets of cuisines remain
mentored by renowned chef/cheese maker,
issue no. 19
www.eatdrink.ca 7
both strongly regional and localized. The food fact she is now an expert pizzelle maker.
at Abruzzi restaurant is influenced by the
In the middle of the afternoon, the
pastoral mountainous cuisine.
warm aromas emanating from the Abruzzi
Growing up in Timmins, Pontarelli’s upkitchen are deeply comforting, and the
bringing by her own admission was strictly
distinctive essence of sourdough bread fills
white bread and
the dining room. I
nothing exotic.
am seated at the bar
When she first tasted
and a sample of the
a roasted red pepper,
bread fresh from the
Pontarelli confides
oven is presented
that she had naively
on a cedar plank
assumed it must be
and accompanied
seafood or possibly
with a small pool
an anchovy. When
of dark green extra
she was seventeen
virgin olive oil. Chef
and dating her husdiscusses the sharp
band, his family
taste of the oil (an
gave her a pizzelle
eminently fresh Italiron for her first
ian flavour) and the
Fresh Bread accompanied by dark extra-virgin olive oil
Christmas gift. The
sourdough starter
iron is used for making traditional waffle-like (known as bigas in Italy) that is used both
cookies that are made from flour, sugar, eggs
for the bread and for the pizza dough. The
and butter and are typically flavoured with
bread has rustic qualities: a hearty crumb
anise or fennel. Pontarelli, who exudes a
and delicious earthy crustiness; the pizza
genuine graciousness and generosity, offered dough has been a bit more temperamental.
me pizzelle to sample and I can attest to the
Remembering that Rome was not built in
8
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
customers will appreciate their commitment
a day, Chef is busy rethinking and refining
to these details and principles. Price of course
the perfect pizza crust.
ny: ADDIS
is a consideration — organic milk comes at
The milk
in my caffe latte is organic, and
ABABA
a premium — but this is a detail that distinright away I am asking myself, is this is an
guishes the restaurant from any
affectation or do these people
other in the city.
really want to put their money
Chef goes on to explain that
where our mouths are. But
ze: HP
Hcuisine with an ethical
they make their ricotta cheese
this is
#: 19
in-house from the organic milk of
sensibility, a conscientious
Harmony’s contented cows. The
menu that tells us that Abruzzi
ep: Jane
ricotta is also turned into a trarestaurant
uses
100
D.O.P.
te: Sept. 24, 2009
ditional cheesecake with raisins,
(Denominazione di Origine
currants and candied orange peel.
Protetta, meaning Protected
And, because we are speaking of
Designation of Origin, a halldessert, Chef describes her olive
mark equivalent to the French
oil and rosemary pound cake that
AOC or Controlled Origin of
is oven-toasted and served with
Appellation) San Marzano
mascarpone cheese and wine
tomatoes, local organic eggs,
local freshly milled flour (Arva
Waffle-like cookies known as poached apricots.
Pontarelli leads a culinary team
Flour Mills) and organic meat.
pizelles, typically flavoured
of four career chefs, hand-picked
The organic dairy products
with anise or fennel
for their positive, up-beat disposiserved in the restaurant are
tions and work ethic. “There are no in-house
sourced from Harmony Dairy via Field Gate
prima donnas.” And Pontarelli’s philosophy,
Organics. Harmony Dairy is a cooperative of
“If the chefs aren’t happy, you can taste it in
local farmers dedicated to sustainable agrithe food,” is a mandate echoed by Brown,
culture and organic principles. Chef hopes
#PPLOPXGPSZPVS$ISJTUNBT1BSUJFT
Best
issue no. 19
who is determined to nurture a tension-free
atmosphere even when the pressure to perform is red hot.
The kitchen uses only quality ingredients
combined with fresh, simple seasonal ideas
that are executed with
Italian methods and
domestic traditions.
Pontarelli’s goal is to
produce most everything in house. One of
the exceptions is the
artisanal cured meats
for antipasti and appetizers, which are
the province of the
Pingue family from
Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu
Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Pingues, who coincidentally hail originally from Sulmona in Abruzzo, source the
best pork on the market using only certified
organic or
“naturally” raised
products. Their
Friend
Designated
Drivers
hams are from free-range animals that are
grown 8 to 10 months of age (double the
age of market hogs), fed only non-GMO
feeds, given no animal by-products and are
1/4 V
19
Diane
Sept 28
www.eatdrink.ca 9
humanely raised and harvested. The larger
Ontario hogs they purchase yield world class
hams in size, flavour profile, colour and
aroma. When the product comes into the
Pingue hands, it is air-cured and salted for
a variety of different
traditional old-world
charcuterie. Most of
the herbs and spices
they use for their
well-seasoned cured
specialties are grown
on the Pingue farm.
The Pingue family
supplies the Abruzzi
kitchen with a selection of cured meats
that sound like a mini
tutorial on charcuterie. The offerings include: capicollo (boned and aged rolled pork
shoulder), pancetta (cured pork belly similar
to bacon), cacciatore (a small dried salami
made from lean and fat pork meat ground to
the size of grains of rice), soppressata (pork
meat from the shoulder mixed with fatty
minced pancetta with a soft consistency
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and a delicate smoky flavour),
bresaola (the heavenly but sharp
raw filet of beef tenderloin that
is sliced like carpaccio), guaniaciale (a super tender type of pancetta made from cured jowls)
and Pingue’s beloved mouthwatering proscuitto.
The bresoala is a stand-out,
served on a bed of arugula with
baby spinach, extra virgin olive
oil, capers, and thinly shaved
Pecorino Romano (a strong piquant D.O.P. cheese made from
ewe’s milk). The cheese selection features two other D.O.P.
products: Taleggio (buttery soft
with a washed rind, anaromatic
flavour and a reddish crust)
and Pecorino Romano Fontina
Val d’Aosta (intense flavour
melts in your mouth). Pontarelli
is sourcing some interesting
sheep and goat cheeses from
Fifth Town Artisan Cheese in
Prince Edward County and she
is also a fan of George Taylor’s
C’est Bon goat cheese from St
Marys, which she uses alongside green olive tapenade and
sautéed mushrooms on a panini
featured on the lunch menu.
Abruzzi purchases some meat
from Field Gate Organics in the
Covent Garden Market and other
specialty items like smoked
salmon and grain-fed, free-range
organic chicken slaughtered
to order from La Ferme, Black
River Game Farm in Pefferlaw.
Pontarelli’s team serves a housemade sausage with spinach, red
pepper flakes and pork, scented
with fennel and served on a bed
of olive-oil scented lentils. This
delicious sausage is used in a
homemade spaghetti dish as
well as a panini with sweet and
hot peppers, onions, fontina and
eggplant compote at lunch.
The restaurant is a neighbour
of Jill’s Table, one of London’s
paramount purveyors of fine
foods and all things culinary,
where customer service and
product knowledge is the foun-
issue no. 19
Italy’s Undiscovered Jewel
A Cook’s Tour of Abruzzo
By Bryan Lavery
The cuisines of the Abruzzesi are typified by simply prepared fresh local
ingredients. Ten years ago
I had the good fortune to
discover the Italian region
of Abruzzo while on a
culinary quest with my
good friend and chef colleague Fernanda Cerone.
At the end of our trip, we returned to her birthplace in
Celano. Celano is situated in the middle of the Abruzzo region, close to the recently earthquake-ravaged
city of L’Aquila, and rises on top of a hill high against
the Appenine mountains. It faces the valley of Fucino, once filled by the large Fucine Lake, which was
drained during the nineteenth century for some of
Italy’s most fertile farmland. The Abruzzesi Appenines
curtain most of this region from mainstream Italy,
creating a series of unique cuisines reflecting the unspoiled and pastoral environments.
On that original trip, we ate very well and were feted
at every turn by Cerone’s relatives. Meals were always
sumptuous and comprised of many small courses. That
spring, a variety of indigenous truffled, primordial-flavoured pasta dishes were the centrepiece of most of our
dining experiences. These Abruzzesi use this delicate,
curious fungus as a matter of course when in season.
On a more recent trip to Abruzzo with friends, we
stayed in the hillside town of Pratola-Peligna. The
ancient town of Pratola-Peligna lies in the Peligna
Valley, surrounded by spectacular mountains and
parks. Fridays are market days in Pratola-Peligna. We
awoke early to the rumble of sellers’ trucks arriving
on the narrow hill streets. The vendors drive quickly
along the worn, arched cobblestones to set up their
culinary specialties of smoked, air-cured and salted
charcuterie, fresh fish from the Adriatic, local cheeses,
wild fungi, olives and seasonal fruits and vegetables in
portable stalls on the neighbouring streets.
It is no wonder that the Abruzzesi are renowned
for their hospitality and gastronomy, and for producing some of the most talented professional cooks
working in Europe. Abruzzo has long since become
a preferred destination when visiting Italy. If you are
travelling to Abruzzo and want to experience life far
from the madding crowds, check out these websites
for accommodations: www.aplaceinabruzzo.com
and abruzzoholidayretreat.com. 
dation of their excellence. “Jill Wilcox is an
amazing resource – supportive, knowledgeable and a big part of promoting the local
culinary community,” says Pontarelli. “Jill
can be counted on to offer honest, solid
constructive criticism and hers is an opinion
that I greatly value. She has been instrumental in sourcing many authentic difficult-tofind products.”
Women supporting women is a theme
that resonates with both Pontarelli and
Brown. A former colleague insists that the
restaurant industry has always been notorious for keeping the artistry of women chefs
on the back burner, so to speak. But it would
seem that London’s culianary community
has become more supportive and collaborative and rallied around Pontarelli and Brown
in the first weeks since the restaurant quietly
opened its doors for business.
Pontarelli concludes our last interview
with praise for Brown. “Karen does an amazing job of running the front of the house. She
is warm and sincere and people respond to
her.” Even though lunch hour is looming,
she is self-possessed enough to dictate to me
her method for making gnocchi. 
www.eatdrink.ca 11
WWW.TOPCHEFSCHOOL.COM
JOIN CHEFS IN THEIR KITCHEN
Participate in a cooking demonstration class
where you will watch techniques, learn new
ingredients and taste a menu that you can
reproduce at home. Ask questions, volunteer
or just savour the experience and watch as the
menu takes shape. Tickets include culinary
class, tasting menu and study package.
TASTE OF THAILAND - OCTOBER 10
TASTE OF MEXICO - OCTOBER 17
TASTE OF ITALY - OCTOBER 24
TASTE OF MOROCCO - OCTOBER 31
TASTE OF FRANCE - NOVEMBER 7
JOIN CHEFS ON THEIR TRAVELS
IN FRANCE, ITALY & GREECE
The chic Abruzzi renovation includes an elegant white
marble bar with six comfortable bar stools located inside
the front entrance .
Abruzzi
119 King Street, London
519-675-9995
www.abruzzi.ca
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known local chef, culinary
instructor and former restaurateur.He is both a Contributing Editor and “Food Writer at Large” for eatdrink, and he
shares his thoughts and opinions on a wide spectrum of
the culinary beat.
Imagine staying at a traditional family
estate … an opportunity to relax, take in
the sights, enjoy the food and culture.
Visit local markets, vineyards and farms
exploring classic elements of local cuisine
and finishing each day with an offering
of the fare collected that day. Let chefs
Jonathan & Cynthia Collins share their
passion for food, travel and life.
Escape on a Culinary Adventure
Vacation to France, Italy or Greece.
Limited spaces available... details online
Booking for November/December 2009
WWW.TOPCHEFSCHOOL.COM
12
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
RESTAURANTS
For Your Dining Pleasure
Timeless Classics at Michael’s On the Thames, in London
By Melanie North
I
t was a meeting of like minds
when the two forces that ultimately created one of London’s longest-lasting finedining establishments first got
together. Restaurant owner, Brian
Stewart, and General Manager,
Maître d’Extraordinaire, Jack Di
Carlo, first sat down to share their
vision and philosophy for fine
dining in London. Twenty-six
years later, that vision is still rock
solid and the philosophy is still
a winner: mix together excellent
service and superb quality food,
add a dash of tableside cooking
for flare, and maintain that consistency over
time. Stewart says, “We don’t want to lose
what a lot of people come here for. We will
always update the menu in keeping with the
times, but without losing the classics.” And
classic is a good word for this establishment:
think a warm welcome when you arrive,
European-style service, baby grand piano,
Caesar salad or Chateaubriand for two made
right at your table, a song or two if you are
in celebration mode. It’s called Michael’s on
the Thames.
The moment you step inside the doors,
there is a sense of being taken care of, and
you can relax with confidence, knowing that
the meal, the service and the entertainment
will be worthy.
Driving by Michael’s on the Thames, the
signage always catches your eye — who is
getting engaged this week, who is retiring,
whose birthday is being celebrated. It’s a little
slice of small-town life right in the city. Di
Carlo says, “People come here every year to
celebrate. Being a traditional classic establishment, we have a marriage between young
and old people. It’s really unique. In the dining room we see the very old and the young
as well. On average, we have two engagements per week.” Di Carlo adds that on Valentine’s Day, he will have between five and
six engagement rings stuffed into his various
Maître d’Extraordinaire Jack Di Carlo, who has entertained
and cared for customers for over  years, carefully maintains the heart and soul of Michael’s on the Thames.
suit pockets, waiting for the dessert portion
of the meal, when the aspiring groom will
pop the question. Jack happily obliges; after
all, he understands matters of the heart. “I
coach them to bend down on their knees and
I bring the ring with dessert. Just last week we
had a patron who composed a song for his
girlfriend. I had to arrange to get him to come
to the piano, and then persuade his girlfriend
to go up to the piano to listen. She wasn’t
willing at first, but she finally did, and he sang
The Michael’s on the Thames sign offers solid evidence
that this is the site of hundreds of celebrations every year.
issue no. 19
his song to her, and
she was in tears.”
Generations
of customers
Restaurant
Equipment & Supply CO
have enjoyed the
fine dining that
Michael’s offers.
They are the only
/4 H restaurant in
London to offer
9
Diane tableside cooking.
staffSept
is divided
Sept 28,The
REV
29
into teams headed
by a captain with
a food server and
a wine server. The
captain will prepare your tableside
meal: Brome Lake
duckling, split, deboned, crisply roasted
and flambéed with orange liqueur; Steak
Diane, a classic tenderloin with shallots,
mushrooms, red wine, flambéed with
brandy and fresh cream; English Dover sole,
pan fried with white wine. And of course
the desserts — even the names roll lightly
off the tongue: Cherries Jubilee; Strawberries Alla Marco (sautéed in brown cane
sugar, brandy, orange liqueur, strawberry
liqueur and Amaretto, served on strawberry
ice cream); and Donatello Romantico for
two, with peaches and bananas sautéed in
liqueurs and served on ice cream. Prepare
your appetite before you leave home for a
very satisfying meal.
Chef Denis Clavette prepares an extensive
menu. There are various pasta selections,
including a vegetarian one; Michael’s house
steaks: Prime Rib, Filet Mignon, Rib Eye,
and Bison Striploin; fish dishes including
Canadian Sea Scallops “Carbonara” and Thai
3&45"63"/5
&26*1.&/5
4611-:$0
TFSWJOHUIFJOEVTUSZTJODF
www.eatdrink.ca 13
Classic service, including tableside cooking (ABOVE)
and the drama of a flambée, is integral to the
Michael’s on the Thames experience.
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14
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
heirloom tomatoes are
a good example, and
Chef creates a nightly
special, usually locally
sourced. This night it was
“Supreme of Pheasant”
stuffed with chevres,
artichokes and olives and
wrapped with prosciutto.
For wine with your
meal, Michael’s offers
Owner Brian Stewart
an extensive list of inter(LEFT) is less visible
national wines. There
than General Manager
are the European classic
Jack Di Carlo, but he is
reds like Montepulclosely involved with
ciano d’Abruzzo and
the restaurant on a
Cantina Negra Amarone
daily basis.
(Italy), Mommessin
Chateauneuf–du-Pape and Pisse-Dru Beaujolais (France), and Darien Crianza (Spain),
while classic whites include Louis Bernard
Cotes du Rhone (France) and Trebbiano
d’Abruzzo “Doc” (Italy). Add to the list wines
selected from Ontario, B.C., California and
South America, and there is something for
every palate and pairing.
Stewart and Di Carlo both agree that their
The decor and ambiance are comfortable but elegant, part
of the formula for creating consistent dining experiences. goal is to make a lasting positive impression
on diners. Di Carlo credits his staff in large
part. “You can be the best maître d’ in the
world, but you need back staff to be successful.” Add to that his passion for people,
romance and fine service, and that’s what
makes Di Carlo “extraordinaire.” For his
part, Stewart says, “It’s great to hear from
customers about how they love the staff, the
food service and the atmosphere, and how
it’s all consistently great.” From the moment
you come in the door, you see the difference
— everyone at Michael’s on the Thames
is working hard to make sure your dining
experience is memorable. 
Seafood Paella, to name only a few. Other
delicious entrées include Ontario Pork Tenderloin “Waldorf,” which is lightly breaded
and pan seared, then finished with maple
walnut butter and apple sultana chutney;
Escalope of Veal “Oscar”; “The” Rack of
Lamb; and Chicken “Asiago,” stuffed with
asparagus, Asiago cheese and fresh basil,
with a pimento cream sauce. The restaurant is increasingly trying to source local
product and, this year especially, has done
a lot more “100-mile” purchasing. Local,
Michael’s on the Thames
1 York Street, London
519-672-0111
www.michaelsonthethames.com
hours of operation
monday to friday: 11:30am to 11pm
saturday: 5pm to 11pm
sunday: 5 pm to 9pm
MELANIE NORTH is the Managing Editor of eatdrink and the Editor of CityWoman magazine. She can’t
cook, but loves to eat!
issue no. 19
www.eatdrink.ca 15
RESTAURANTS
Crazy? ... Like a Fox
Interpreting the Art and Business of the Restaurant at Pazzo, in Stratford
By Cecilia Buy
F
irst off, to explain that title: Pazzo
translates from the Italian most often
as “crazy,” but also connotes many
of the synonyms we use in English,
terms that range from derogatory to amusing.
Owners Jeff Leney and Larry McCabe
accepted the name suggestion from one of
their original partners in the business, and
as McCabe remarks, “Anybody who’s ever
started a restaurant would think it’s appropriate…You have to be crazy to do it.”
But this establishment was developed on
some very solid and sane foundations. The
two were partners from the beginning, and
both brought related experience to their
enterprise. “Jeff and I were always involved
with restaurants… Jeff did quite a bit more
on the kitchen end of things; I was always
front of house.” says McCabe. When the
opportunity arose to take over the basement
area of the building, “we had a plan for a pizzeria. We did a lot of research. We did a very
comprehensive business plan.”
Even metaphor lends itself to the concept
of a solid foundation: one of the basement
walls is an artifact from Stratford’s history.
The exposed stones belonged to one of
the town’s earliest buildings, and the wall
remains as an integral, and necessary, part
of the existing structure.
It was eleven years ago that the partners
opened Pazzo Pizzeria, below-stairs from
an existing restaurant that was under different ownership. About a year later, when
the upstairs space became available, Leney
and McCabe moved in, and presented
Pazzo Ristorante.
The pizzeria and the restaurant present
very different faces, but share some complementary aspects. Both up and down have
dedicated kitchens, each with its own head
chef. There is a degree of travel between the
kitchens that allows the staff to expand their
skills and experience. (Each of the kitchen
staff is either a graduate of or enrolled in the
Chef School.) Both kitchens offer menus that
Larry McCabe describes as “modern Italian,
heavily focused on really good ingredients.
We have long-term relationships with local
people who provide seasonal ingredients.”
Chef Greg Kuepfer, who presides over the
Pizzeria kitchen, began his culinary career
Pazzo Ristorante (shown here) shares a name and an ethos
with Pazzo Pizzeria downstairs. Both emphasize "modern
Italian," although the more sophisticated upstairs space
features a menu appropriate to the room.
16
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
friendly and professional service that is a
in his hometown
hallmark of Pazzo.
of Stratford, and
Upstairs, in the restaurant, the atmosphere
after chef school
is distinctly less casual and more upscale. The
spent time at the
décor and design were created by Ron Nuhn
Hillebrand Winery
Restaurant, to com- (the interior designer who has been responsible for the styling of some other Stratford
plete his training.
Hillebrand empha- restaurants, as well as Toronto’s Cowbell,
and Globe Bistro). The overall look is lots of
sizes both local
terroir and foods in white and silver, but this is a warm and classic
elegance, and the chromatics are alleviated
its restaurant, and
by the bank of large windows on the west side
Keupfer’s training
of the room and by the brown and gold wall
harmonizes with
Pazzo Ristorante Chef Sean Col- the Pazzo credo.
covering on the east.
lins (ABOVE) runs the upstairs
This kitchen is the purview of Sean ColDon’t be misled
restaurant kitchen, while Chef by the name “pizlins. He, too, embraces the Pazzo philosophy
Greg Kuepfer presides over the zeria.” From the
of using interesting and good-quality ingrePazzo Pizzeria downstairs.
terra-cotta coloured dients, and sourcing locally wherever and
whenever possible. (Like many other chefs,
open kitchen issue
Collins acknowledges the challenges of
a variety of dishes, from primi through pasti
sharing a small number of suppliers among
to secondi, and, of course, pizza. The menu
a large number of local area restaurants.)
mentions “simple Italian food.” but there’s
Larry McCabe summarizes the restaurant
more than a hint of sophistication in many of
the items, such as the appetizer “Arugula and menu thus: “We try to mix it up between standard dishes (there is a chicken and a beef on
shaved white mushroom salad with lemon,
olive oil and parmesan,” or the Italian Stallion the menu), and things that highlight flavour
pizza, with prosciutto, Italian sausage, Italian profiles that are not generally seen.” An exambacon, spicy calabrese, bocconcini, roasted garlic and
fresh herbs.
The Pizzeria provides two
main rooms. The first, which
you enter from the stairway, has a welcoming bar,
and booths with warm red
wood tabletops. Because the
building is on a grade, there Fresh local ingredients are hallis also an attractive view
marks of both kitchens.
from the windows on one
ple of this would be Braised Rabbit with lentils,
side. The second room is the one that offers
baby carrots and caramelized onion broth.
the lively show from the open kitchen.
Stratford Pilsner is featured in the Pizzeria, Rabbit seems to be appearing more frequently
on menus in our region. (The appetizer menu
but of course wines are also available, from
offers Rabbit Terrine with local greens and
Pazzo’s extensive and well-considered list.
plum chutney.) Pazzo sources its rabbits from
“The Pizzeria has a large local following,”
a farm in Arthur. Another item on the recently
says McCabe. “It’s more consistent, and it’s
introduced fall menu is slow-cooked veal
busier, especially in the wintertime when
cheeks with sautéed mushrooms, parsnips
we’re closed up[stairs].”
and Israeli couscous. This is proving to be
The downstairs area boasts a special little
extremely popular with patrons.
component. The wine cellar can seat up to
Larry McCabe is justifiably proud of the
seven for private dining. Seated at a round
table, surrounded by beautiful wines, with a wine list, which is substantial and wide rangfloor-to-ceiling glass wall and doors, you are ing, with offerings from around the globe.
separated from the hustle and bustle but not The emphasis, though, is on France, Italy,
California, and of course, Ontario. (There are
from the atmosphere of the lively bar and
general dining area. And you enjoy the same currently about 30 Ontario wines available
1/4 Vert
19 October/November 2009
Jane
Pazzo.)
Sept at
18,
2009This season, Pazzo has featured
a number of 2007 Ontario whites, among
them the Cave Spring Chardonnay Musqué
(intense spice and orange flavours) and their
Riesling Dolomite (available only direct-torestaurant). McCabe is looking forward to
receiving some very good Ontario 2007 reds
for next season, particularly some from Le
Clos Jordanne, whose pinot noir has been
getting excellent advance billing.
A number of wines are available by the
glass. Changes to the list are frequent,
depending on vintage changes and new
discoveries. A downloadable listing can be
found on their website, should you wish to
indulge in some pleasurable anticipation.
Service, that most fundamental of elements,
is taken very seriously at Pazzo. Ignorance
on the part of wait staff of details of the food
and wine does not translate into bliss for
the dining patrons. McCabe emphasizes
that the floor staff are well-prepared for
their work. “[We do] extensive wine training, we do seminars, four or five during the
year.” Staff also have the opportunity to visit
Ontario wineries to acquire a more immediate and in-depth education. And the staff is
also thoroughly trained on the food: “They
have the opportunity to see everything that
is coming out [of the kitchen], to critique it
… to learn the ingredients of every dish.”
Pazzo’s patio will be open as long as the
weather is accommodating, but the Ristorante will be closing at the end of October.
Try to visit before the closing, to appreciate
the experience offered by a cast and crew
that are truly professionals in their fields. If
you’re too late for the dining room, enjoy
the same standards, with a different atmosphere, in the Pizzeria. There’s nothing crazy
about having a good time!
www.eatdrink.ca 17
Harvest Festival Weekends
& Great Canadian Pumpkin Toss
10 am to 3 pm
Oct. 10 - 11 Apple Fest & Grandparents weekend
Oct. 17 Agility Dogs perform
Oct. 18 Warming up to Winter
(meet Alpacas, spinning & knitting demonstrations/workshops)
Oct. 24 - 25 Pumpkin Carving Contests,
Final Days to bid on Scarecrow Auction for Charity
Enter A Scarecrow Yourself
Or With A Group
For Charity Silent Auction
Wagon Rides through sugar bush to see Fall Colours,
Corn Maze, Farm Animals, Pumpkin Pick-out,
Live Music, Concession of our Local Meats
Cost: $6, children 2 & under Free, Family 4 or more $20
Pazzo Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria
70 Ontario Street, Stratford
519-273-6666 or 1-877-440-9666
www.pazzo.ca
hours of operation:
pizzeria: tuesday to sunday, 11:30am–12am
ristorante: tuesday to sunday
lunch, 11:30 am–2 pm
dinner, 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
closed mondays
CECILIA BUY is a writer and designer based in London, and is a regular contributor to eatdrink.
WWW.FOSTERSINN.COM
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HP Horizontal
19
Jane
Sept. 19, 2009, REV Sept. 23
“I made a delicious discovery: Stratford has a culinary
obsession. And, for me, finding what I call a ‘food town’ is a
rare and magnificent thing ... You’ve got a place that feeds all
the senses.”
— Marion Kane, Food Writer
www.marionkane.com
Executive Loft Suites
5 1 9 - 271 - 1 1 2 1
1 - 8 0 0 - 361 - 5 3 2 2
99 Ontario Street
downtown Stratford
A fabulous place
to spend the night!
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20
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
RESTAURANTS
Good Dog!
Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro, in Bayfield
By Jane Antoniak
F
irst things first: yes, there actually is
a black dog. His name is Danny Boy
and he is owned by a spirited redhead from Ireland named Kathleen
Sloan-McIntosh, whose father was a prizefighter. You might think it’s natural for an
Irish woman who loves to cook to own and
operate a pub. You may even expect a place
named after a dog to be homey, folksy and a
bit of a beer parlour. That’s where the Black
Dog Village Pub & Bistro in Bayfield delivers
a surprise. Inside it is delightfully sophisticated without losing any of its pub charm.
The food and beverage list puts it into the
gastro pub category — and then some. And
its setting in a former 1850s general store,
with lots of atmosphere from the floorboards
to the stamped ceiling, makes for a great
escape while travelling in Huron County.
Part of Black Dog’s success comes from
the culinary direction of Kathleen SloanMcIntosh. As the author of eight cookbooks,
she knows her way around a kitchen. It was
while writing Simply the Best: Ontario’s
Finest Inns that she and her husband, Ted
McIntosh, stumbled across the former
Admiral bar in Bayfield. They were in the
village touring The Little Inn for the cookbook when they took a walk up Main Street
Bayfield and peered into the dusty windows
of the then-closed Admiral. They had considered buying a B&B until they both felt
an instant calling to take a sudden U-turn
in their lives and become first-time pub
owners. Ted was a wine sales representative
with Henry of Pelham in Niagara, and with
his background knowledge of the beverage industry (combined with years working
at Allen’s on the Danforth in Toronto), the
couple decided he would provide the pub
experience while Kathleen would supervise
the menu.
“It was a huge life change,” says Kathleen,
looking back on their decision to open the
Black Dog in 2005. “Until you do it, you have
Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh and Ted McIntosh welcome
guests with “the” black dog, Danny Boy (TOP) to their gastro
pub in Bayfield.
issue no. 19
no idea what it means. It was all amazing,
day in and day out. We now have a fantastic
staff that know we have a passion for food
and drink. At our year-end party recently,
they said, ‘Thank you for your inspiration.’
That made me cry.”
The walls of the pub are lined with bottle
casings for single malt whiskies. Kathleen
brings a strong knowledge of whisky to the
establishment, and they have offered whisky
nosing nights in the past. However, it is
Ted’s interest in beer that makes a trip to
Black Dog special for those who are thirsty
and tired after an afternoon on the road.
He offers eleven drafts on tap, each with its
own glassware. Staff is taught the two-step
draft pour method, paying special attention
to the amount of head, or collar, on each
variety of beer. For those who can’t decide
which beer to choose, you can’t go wrong
with the Black Dog Beer Flight — a selection
of six glasses (4 oz each) served on a long
wooden tray and identified with a colourful
coaster for each one. He’s the only publican
in Huron County with some of these beers
on tap — notably the Fruli strawberry wheat
beer from Belgium, which contains 30 real
strawberries and is excellent, paired with a
salad or appetizer. It’s actually marketed as
being low in calories and high in vitamin B,
if anyone needs further justification to try it!
Black Dog also pours Erdinger Weissbier
from Bavaria — the world’s # 1 wheat beer,
which is excellent from the tap. The owner
of the company, Michael Schauerte, is so
impressed by his sales at the Black Dog that
he is coming to Bayfield on October 30th for
a beer dinner. “A good beer is my passion,”
says Ted. “I’ve been in the industry since
1974, and I like to promote the fact that beer
belongs on the dining room table. All our
beers are food beers and I encourage people
to pair their beers with food from the same
regions as the beer.”
Of course, Black Dog also serves wine and
is noted for its support of VQA (Vintners
Quality Alliance) Ontario wines. They believe
in showcasing family-run Ontario wineries,
and in doing so have been recognized with
three VQA Gold awards from the industry for
supporting Ontario agriculture. On our night,
we tried the Henry of Pelham Sibling Rivalry
Red, which is a reasonably priced blend of
cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot that Ted paired with the lamb sirloin steak,
creating a higher-end pub experience.
www.eatdrink.ca 21
Black Dog’s menu offers twelve first
courses, including a range of items from
hand-cut chips, hummus and salads to plentiful escargot-stuffed Portobello and succulent Spanish tapas shrimp. Kathleen sources
local products, including Weth mushrooms
from Goderich, Metzger Meats from Hensall
and fish from Out of the Blue in Bayfield.
The pub offers a large selection of Seconds, great for lunches or smaller meals,
ranging from sandwiches such as meatloaf,
Co-owner Ted McIntosh shows off a Black Dog Beer Flight
(ABOVE), six different -oz. glasses. Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh supervises the menu, which includes local pan-seared
whitefish with Moroccan–spiced butter, suatéed seasonal
vegetables and couscous (BELOW) and lamb sirloin steak
with garlic-mint butter, roasted mini red potatoes and
sautéed seasonal vegetables (BOTTOM).
22
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
The Black Dog interior offers all the charm one could wish
for, with an appealing mix of rusticity and comfort.
chicken club, pulled pork and shawarma to
burgers and fish & chips — that seemed to
be a popular choice the night we dined.
After 5 p.m., more sophisticated fare is
offered, including local whitefish, which is
pan-seared in Moroccan-spiced butter, and
the lamb, which is tender and juicy thanks to
a garlic-mint butter, offering both traditional
seasonings in one dish! The Black Dog cordon
bleu would be a hit with kids, as it reminds
one of a very large chicken finger, crispy and
lip smacking, stuffed with Metzger ham and
applewood smoked cheddar (which is also for
sale in the pantry store adjacent to the pub,
along with a wide variety of cheeses).
Kathleen often makes the desserts herself,
including, on occasion, a very moist twolayer carrot cake with cream cheese icing.
Ted’s son, Andrew McIntosh, is chef now.
He is a graduate of the George Brown hotel
management program and has been cooking alongside his father and step-mother for
many years. “We told him if you like to eat,
you’d better learn to cook — and he did!”
laughs Ted.
The pub stays open late in the summer
and on select evenings off-season for jam
sessions with live entertainment, organized
by Peter Meades, who is also maître d’ for
the bistro.
Give the Black Dog Pub a try — but leave
the dog at home!
Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro
5 Main Street North, Bayfield
519-565-2326
www.blackdogpubbistro.ca
JANE ANTONIAK is a journalist and owner of Antoniak Communications. She also loves dogs — but hers is
small and white!
The following two recipes are from  Best Italian
Recipes by Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh of the Black
Dog Village Pub, published by Robert Rose.
 In a food processor,
combine olives, parsley,
bread crumbs, butter,
lemon zest, lemon juice
and olive oil; blend until a
smooth paste forms. (Alternatively, with a sharp chef’s
knife, finely chop olives,
parsley, bread crumbs and
lemon zest; transfer to a bowl
and blend in butter, lemon
juice and olive oil.)
Olivada (Black Olive Spread)
You can vary this recipe by adding a few sun-dried
tomatoes, roasted red peppers, grilled eggplant
or one or two dried chilies. A jar of this makes a
wonderful gift for olive lovers.
 cup ( mL) pitted black olives, preferably
oil-cured
 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
 tbsp ( mL) fresh bread crumbs
 tbsp ( mL) butter
½ tsp ( mL) grated lemon zest
 tbsp ( mL) lemon juice
 tbsp ( mL) extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
 slices rustic country-style bread
 Season to taste with salt and pepper.
 Brush bread slices with a little olive oil. Grill or
toast until golden, turning once. Spread each
slice with about  tbsp ( mL) of the olivada.
Serve immediately.
Serves .
Ragu Bolognese
This recipe produces a rich, meaty, almost dry
preparation with colourful flecks of carrot and a
flavour that can only result from good red wine and
a lengthy cooking time. Although some versions of
this dish call for the addition of tomatoes, I prefer
to use a small amount of good tomato paste. If
you have a real aversion to chicken livers, you may
omit, but they do provide a depth of flavour to the
finished dish — not at all “liver-y.” Serve this fabulous sauce with tagliatelle, maccheroni, fettucine,
rigatoni or long-cut ziti, as the Italians do!
¼ cup ( mL) extra-virgin olive oil
 cloves garlic, finely chopped
 cooking onion, finely diced
 large carrot, finely diced
 stalks celery, finely diced
 oz ( g) extra-lean ground beef
 oz ( g) pork loin, finely chopped, or lean
ground pork
 oz ( g) pancetta, finely chopped
 plump fresh chicken livers, washed, trimmed
and finely chopped
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
 cup ( mL) dry red wine
 tbsp ( mL) tomato paste
½ tsp ( mL) salt
¼ tsp ( mL) freshly ground black pepper
 tsp ( mL) coarse salt
 lb ( g) pasta (as suggested)
 cup ( mL) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high
heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for  minutes or until softened. Stir in carrot and celery,
cook, stirring occasionally, for  minutes or until
vegetables are softened.
 Add beef, pork, pancetta, chicken livers and
nutmeg; cook, stirring to break up meat, for 
minutes or until meat is browned.
 Stir in red wine. Bring to a boil; cook for  minutes.
 Stir together tomato paste and ½ cup ( mL)
warm water; stir into meat mixture. Return to a
boil, reduce heat to low and stir in salt and pepper.
Cover and cook for ½ to  hours, stirring occasionally, or until meat is very tender. If ragu appears too
dry as it cooks, add a little more water or wine.
 When ragu is almost finished, bring a large pot
of water to a boil. Stir in coarse salt. Cook pasta
until tender but firm; drain and transfer to a
warmed serving bowl. Pour ragu over pasta;
toss to coat. Serve immediately, sprinkled with
Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Serves .
Plan Now For Your Private
Holiday Parties And New Year’s Eve
Exceptional Dining Service and Value with
New Dinner Packages Available
Goderich, Ontario
For reservations please call:
519.524.2191
www.benmiller.on.ca
24
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
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Town Of Goderich
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19
Jane
Sept 24, 2009
REV Sept
26 D
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With historic Courthouse Square and a
beautiful park and county courthouse at its
centre, Goderich radiates with all the
features that make it Canada’s Prettiest Town.
From our three beaches to the inns,
shops, fine dining, museums, heritage
architecture, fishing and amazing
sunsets, Goderich is certain to pique
the interest of your whole family.
Visit us soon.
Sept 23, 2009, REV Sept 26, REV Sept 28
www.eatdrink.ca 25
issue no. 19
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)BNJMUPO4USFFU(PEFSJDI0OUBSJP ] ] XXXUIZNFPODPN
26
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
Shop • Stay • Play
•
e
n
Di
er’s Farm
Enjoy Ontario’s West Coast
"6OJRVF)BWFO
Gourmet Fine Dining
Christmas Party Bookings
& New Years
Book Now To Avoid The Rush
1
the Red
Pump
Bayfield ON
(519) 565-2576
-VYVSZ(VFTU4VJUFTr(Jğ)PNF%ÊDPS#PVUJRVF
www.theredpumpinn.ca
Gobble up the goodness,
the festive season is coming!
/RDER9OUR&RESH4URKEY
OR2OASTFOR4HE(OLIDAYS
i0OUIFXBZUPUIFMBLFw)JHIXBZ%BTIXPPE3PBE
-$#0"HFODZ#&&34503&3FUBJM1BSUOFS
XXXIBZUFSTGBSNDPN
issue no. 19
Order your new
Linda Lundström
coat now!
The Bayfield General Store
25 Main St N., Bayfield
Across from The Little Inn
Open daily 519-565-2210
2EGIONAL(OMEGROWN0RODUCTSÝ
&RESH-EATSAND#HEESES
0REPARED-EALS
ÓFROZENORREADYFORTHE""1
#ATERING3ERVICES
.BJO4U4)XZ
#BZmFME0/
GPSBHFSGPPET!HNBJMDPN
XXXGPSBHFSGPPETDB
www.eatdrink.ca 27
28
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
Explore
Ontario’s West Coast
Bringing Comfort and Joy to the Table
Our Best Seller The Ultimate Garlic Mashed Potato Seasonings
Now available in 3 flavours Garlic & Horseradish, Garlic & Blue Cheese,
and Garlic Mashed.
Made with local Ontario garlic in every can
Available At Speciality Food Shops Across Canada
(519) 262 2470
Located on Highway 4, Hensall
www.thegarlicbox.com
Dine
•
Shop
•
Stay
•
Play
PS 1/4 23,
V 2009
ept.
Jane
Sept. 18, 2009
www.eatdrink.ca 29
issue no. 19
F.I.N.E.
A Restaurant
erguson Aparies
Serving
luncH & dinner
...
4H
9
ane
ept 28
reservations
recommended
...
Seasonal Hours,
Book Your
Chiristmas Party
Early
...
Always closed
Monday
519-238-6224
42 ontario Street S., Grand Bend
www.finearestaurant.com
")BSWFTUPG1FBDF5SBORVJMJUZ
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$PSQPSBUF'BNJMZ
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.BOZNPSFTQFDJBMUZQSPEVDUTJODMVEJOHIPOFZCVUUFST
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30
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
RESTAURANTS
A Room With a View
On the Front Restaurant & Lounge, in Sarnia
By Cecilia Buy
S
ome people seem to have been born
with a gene that destines them for
the hospitality business. Whether
they work in a hostelry, in a kitchen,
as a server, behind a bar, or in a manager’s
office; whether they consciously chose their
path, or simply found themselves upon it
and unwilling to turn at a crossroad, these
people often experience (in spite of the
inherent hurdles and hardships) a sense of
fulfillment in their fields, and a passion for
their careers, that eludes many of us.
Others, however, have the hospitality
business thrust upon them. Such was the
case for Deborah (Debbie) Renaud-McDermott of Sarnia and her husband Les McDermott. Eleven years ago they took a step into
unfamiliar waters. The couple, both from
business backgrounds but inexperienced
in the particular and often peculiar restaurant business, became silent partners in a
new venture: On the Front Restaurant and
Lounge, on Front Street in Sarnia.
A few years after the former office space
had been repurposed and the restaurant
was up and running, the other two mem-
The Round Room (ABOVE) is only one of several beautiful dining spaces. It sets up beautifully for larger private functions (BELOW) and
can be booked for any day, including Sundays.
bers of the group (who did have restaurant
experience) opted to leave the association.
Renaud-McDermott realized that she and
her husband had “two choices — we lose
our investment, or we forge ahead.”
On the Front is situated on the top floor
of a building (now called First Sarnia Place),
which once housed the offices of a Chemical Valley corporation. The corporate crowd
still frequents the space, particularly when
hosting out-of-town clients or partners, but
now with a better mix of business and pleasure. After exiting the elevator at the 14th
floor, one ascends a curved and cantilevered
wooden staircase to the restaurant. There is
no wheelchair access at present.
The reception area is not brightly lit, but
this is made up for as you are led into the
restaurant proper. Banks of plate glass,
wall-to-wall on two sides of the large room,
provide a bright and airy ambience. When
you step up to the windows, you are rewarded with stunning views of the vibrantly
coloured waters of the St. Clair River, the
Blue Water Bridge, the cityscape on the
American shore, and the busy flow of life on
a river that serves
both commercial
and recreational
traffic. A patio allows patrons to enjoy this all al fresco,
weather permitting,
and even in winter
months the patio
remains open.
There are plenty of
1/4 V
Diane
days when this provides a perfect spot for an
Sept 22,
2009
after-meal coffee or for just a quick peek and
a little air.
The floor has been separated into wellfunctioning areas. Central is the lounge,
furnished with small café-type tables and
banquettes. Patrons can also choose to dine
here. Left of the lounge, behind a curved
wall, is the former corporate boardroom,
now used for private events, business meetings, or for dining-room overflow on busy
nights. This room also enjoys large windows
and attractive views. Tables can be variously
arranged to accommodate up to forty people. “We say our part-time job is furniture
moving,” laughs Renaud-McDermott.
Continuing through the lounge, you enter
the carpeted dining room. Seating is a mixture of booths and tables. Whichever you
choose, you will have a view into the open
kitchen. If that doesn’t hold your attention,
and you can wrest your eyes from the window view, you can admire the art displayed
throughout the restaurant and lounge. Currently installed are a number of lively acrylic
paintings by local artist Judy Brady.
There’s something for everyone in the
menu offerings at On the Front. Starters
include Caesar salad, baby spinach salad,
and (“by far the most favourite appetizer”)
bacon-wrapped scallops.
Main courses include rack of lamb
(available as a full or half rack), Chicken
Supreme, bouillabaisse (with ingredients
sourced from Purdy’s, a local and wellknown purveyor of fish and seafood), venison medallions and a “pan-seared organic
farmed Norwegian salmon.”
Beef gets its own menu page, as the steaks
rival the lamb as a house specialty. A special
house-made Texas rub is available for those
who enjoy a little spice, but the emphasis
is on cooking to order. The menu contains
a handy guide to grilling standards, which
provides the definitions of “well done” and
“rare” so that patrons and the kitchen are on
the same page.
The lunch menu is slightly less elaborate, more “geared to the masses,” with a
soup and sandwich always on the menu for
those looking for quick and less expensive
choices. With greater competition for the
lunch trade, Renaud-McDermott ensures
the menu keeps On the Front in the mix. Yet
options such as a bison burger or cheese
steak sandwich with a surprising goat
www.eatdrink.ca 31
Holiday Gift Certificates Available
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER & M ON-SAT – LUNCH & DINNER
Now Taking Reservations For Holiday Parties
FOR RESERVATIONS: 519-652-7659 • HWY 401 & 4
SUNDAY BRUNCH
“Modern, delicious, comfort food.
Join us on the patio or
in our beautiful new pub.”
�� Richmond Street, London
(across from the Grand Theatre)
��
www.thechurchkey.ca
Open � days a week, ��–��
(’til �� Friday & Saturday)
32
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
The On the Front lounge
(LEFT and RIGHT) is furnished
with small café-type tables
and banquettes. It offers a
comfortable and stylish spot
for a drink but patrons can
choose to dine here too.
cheese and beef jus sauce topped with arugula are there for those looking for something
a little more sophisticated.
The inclusion of Maytag blue cheese in the
spinach salad might arouse your curiosity.
Don’t feel bad: I had to go to Wikipedia, which
informed me that “Maytag is a blue cheese
produced on the Maytag Dairy Farms outside
of Newton, Iowa [the home of the Maytag Corporation]. In 1938, Iowa State University developed a new process for making blue cheese
from homogenized milk [instead of traditional
sheep’s milk].” Maytag Dairy Farms’ website
further advises that this cheese is produced by
“a time-consuming method of hand-making
cheese in small batches, using fresh sweet milk
from Iowa dairy farms.”
The wine list is neither overlong nor overambitious. Like those in many restaurants,
it was “initially started by someone from the
LCBO,” says Renaud-McDermott, “but we’ve
made some changes.” The list consists of a
number of familiar names, many European
and North American, and changes from
time to time based on availability and recommendations.
Of working in the restaurant business, says
Renaud-McDermott, “It’s interesting, it’s fun,
it’s definitely hard work. You can say goodbye to a social life.” Acknowledging that service is a vital part of running a restaurant, she
credits her staff: “One of the things I’m very
proud of is the staff in the front of house, very
loyal and hardworking.” Other facets of her
Now, for something a little unexpected.
Come in and check out Shelly’s all new
(and surprisingly affordable) menu and lounge.
Meet me at Shelly’s.
The Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Road
www.shellystapandgrill.com
Sept 22, 2009, REV Sept 26
Sarnia
www.eatdrink.ca 33
issue no. 19
and Lambton County
Discover
Blue Water
Country
One of Southwestern Ontario’s
Hidden gems!
Fishing the waters of
Lake Huron SINCE 1900
UÊFARMER’S MARKET
IN SARNIA]Ê
££äÊ*ÀVÌÀÊ-ÌÀiiÌ
We Specialize in the freshest fish,
the finest seafood, specialty foods
and Novelty gift ideas.
UÊGRAND BENDÊ
iÃìÊÌiÊÀ>`Êi`Ê9>VÌÊ
ÕL]
xÊ,ÛiÀÊ,>`]Ê519-238-8044
UÊPOINT EDWARDÊ
-ÕÌÊvÊÌiÊ
>Ã]
£Ê,ÛiÀvÀÌÊ,>`]Ê519-344-3732
*Grand Bend location only open from May Long Weekend until Thanksgiving
www.purdyfisheries.com
job also provide satisfaction. On the Front
sponsored the Starbright Summer Festival
this past summer. “It was a pleasure to do,”
she enthuses, adding that it was also “a good
thing” for the business.
Deborah Renaud-McDermott is living
proof that you don’t need that mysterious
hospitality gene to keep a restaurant running. You need determination, a solid understanding of the business, an eye on the
bottom line, and the will to make it all work.
And it helps to have a room with a view. 
On the Front Restaurant & Lounge
201 Front Street North, Sarnia
519 332-4455
www.onthefront.com
hours of operation
monday to friday: open at 11:30 am,
serving lunch and dinner
saturday: open at 4:00 pm
closed sunday
CECILIA BUY is a London-based writer and diner,
and a regular contributor to eatdrink.
34
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
SPOTLIGHT
The Staff of Life
Arva Flour Mills Has Been Keeping It Fresh Since 
By Sue Moore
A
s Internet and cell-phone technologies constantly ramp up an
appetite for more functionality
— faster — and our family commitments ratchet up seemingly without our
permission (how did we get tired kids with
wet hair eating out of a fast food bag as they
are chauffeured from swimming straight to
soccer?), a lot of people are reassessing their
current, on-your-mark-get-set pace of life. As
with most things, tiny steps can make a huge
difference: using a slow cooker, allotting the
time it takes to prepare real macaroni and
cheese, prepping and mincing our own meals
for babies, and buying food for our families
that is either organic, locally cultivated or as
close to its original form as possible. Whatever you decide, there’s a newfound urgency
to do something differently.
When you begin the quest, the teachers
will appear.
Ready to address at least some of these
challenges is Mike Matthews, the pleasant
and highly likable owner/operator of Arva
Flour Mills, located just north of London.
Although it’s but a short drive past Masonville
Mall to get there, as your tires bite down on
the crunching gravel lane that winds down to
the mill’s entrance, the symbolism resonates
— slowing down is necessary and it’s clear
that you’re about to enter another time.
Matthews
is the fourth
generation of
his family to
be involved
with the
business (his
father passed
away in 2005,
but Mike has
been at the
helm since
1999), and
this year marks the mill’s 190th anniversary.
Much of the historical information pertaining to the property — including actual dates
— was lost during a major fire that swept
through the Arva Town Hall many years ago,
but Matthews laughs that he can definitely
vouch that the current technology is “state of
the art — at the turn of the last century.”
Part of this “technology” refers to a series
of vintage machines that are still responsible
for grinding the grain into flour via massive
rollers. The first roller mills built in Canada,
they replaced the previous “millstone”
method of grinding prior to 1903. This can be
a temperamental exercise, but fortunately
Arva’s miller of many years is so in synch
with the sounds of the process that he can
diagnose problems just by listening. As a
result, the yield at Arva is about
1200 pounds of flour an hour.
Not bad for the smallest mill in
North America.
From 1907 to 1985, Matthews
reports that they were milling 18
hours a day, seven days a week,
365 days a year. Impressive as
this may be — and it is — a modern mill with more sophisticated
equipment can yield about 9.5
metric tons of flour per hour,
nearly twenty times Arva’s output. So what is the difference and
why should we care?
issue no. 19
Matthews acknowledges that there has
indeed been a public resurgence in “getting back to basics.” The slower method of
milling generates much less heat — which
is crucial to preserving the integrity of the
product and also to maintaining optimum
nutritional value. Nothing is added except
for vitamins. The wheat milled here is also
local as can be — most is obtained no further than ten miles away. Interestingly, as
a result of being “unbleached,” the flour
appears characteristically creamy in colour,
almost slightly yellow. As with bright,
unblemished produce, today’s savvy consumers recognize that uniform colour does
not always herald a superior product. As a
practical example, and one that will resonate
with bakers, Matthews offers the following suggestion: “Find the oldest recipe you
can — the older the better — and try it with
this flour, You can recreate your grandma’s
favourite recipe sometimes for the first time
because what you’ll be using is basically an
identical product, from years ago.”
The mill offers a variety of flours, hard and
soft — some organic — and the opportunity to buy in large quantities. Many other
related products such as cream of wheat,
cracked wheat, grains, cereals, and the
highly nutritious spelt are also available, as
well as many other items not produced on
site such as jams and various dried goods.
Recently, Matthews also dedicated a corner of the store to “On The Move Organics”
(www.onthemoveorganics.ca), which boasts
an excellent array of good-looking organic
produce for sale, making a trip to the mill
even more appealing. Finally, a virtuous
one-stop shop!
www.eatdrink.ca 35
The location of the Mill itself on
the banks of the Medway River is
as tranquil and idyllic as a Constable painting. Geese and ducks
glide silently along the millpond
in rows, many of them advanced
in years — Matthews comments
that some were raised in his bedroom as tiny goslings over 25 years
ago. He also admits that having
such a picturesque setting for his
place of employment can be difficult during the good weather —
the sheer beauty of the place can
be both seductive and distracting.
Somehow this doesn’t seem like a
bad thing. 
Arva Flour Mills Ltd.
2042 Elgin (off Richmond), Arva
www.arvaflourmills.com
519-660-0199
SUE MOORE lives and writes in London. She is also an
online music editor and works in the London Public Library.
36
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
TRAVEL
 Bargain Bites in the Windy City
Eating Well — and Cheaply — in Chicago
By Al Doyle
S
ince there are countless places and
ways to spend large sums of cash in
Chicago, the budget-minded traveller
might think a trip to the city is an impossible dream. For the gastronome, the fine
dining rivals that of any American city, but
the prices can be as high as Everest (a premier French restaurant located on the 40th
floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange).
Fear not, frugal diners. The Chicago restaurant scene also provides a pleasant break
from financial stress. Intense competition
combined with an incredible mix of ethnic
eateries makes the city an ideal place to
sample first-rate food without going broke.
Finding tasty, affordable meals isn’t the
problem. Narrowing the large number of
worthy choices down to the very best is the
real challenge. Here are ten of Chicago’s
top spots for memorable, low-cost food. All
prices are in U.S. dollars

and Sunday. The Jolly Inn is located 9 kilometres east of O’Hare Airport.

Czerwone Jabluszko (the Red Apple,
3121 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 773588-5781) offers a
similar format of
under-$10 Polish
babusha (grandmother) cooking.
The hearty food
isn’t just filling — every bite
provides a treat to the taste buds. This wellknown tightwad haven is a short walk from
the Belmont station on the Chicago Transit
Authority’s (CTA) Blue Line subway from
O’Hare.

Switching from Polish to Mexican, La
Fiesta (4248 S. Archer Ave., 773-254-4678)
may have all the ambience of a day labour
office, but it dishes out monster burritos that
are downright addictive.
Whether it’s steak, chicken, ground beef
or carnitas (roast
pork), the 600gram (as verified
on a postage
scale) burritos
are heavy on
perfectly cooked
and seasoned
meat and light on
fillers. At just $3.50, they are also among the
best food values in America. Open 24 hours,
this small storefront is located 3 km northeast of Midway Airport on the city’s south
side. Chicago has hundreds of other Mexican restaurants that dish out spicy cuisine
for $4 to $9 a plate.
With more than 500,000 residents who
speak Polish as a first or second language,
Chicago is the world’s largest Polish community outside Europe, so even those who
don’t rozumie popolsku can enjoy one of the
world’s underrated cuisines for blue-collar
prices.
The Jolly Inn (6501 W. Irving Park Rd.,
Chicago, 773-736-7606) may sound American, but the vast majority of customers happily converse in Polish. Made-from-scratch
Polish dishes
such as pierogi
(stuffed dumplings), cheese
blintzes, potato
pancakes and
sausages, as well
as roast meats
and a colourful salad bar, are all consistently
fresh and flavourful.
More than 1,000 Chicago-area eateries
sell all-beef Vienna hot dogs, but no one
This rare combination of high quality and
all-you-can eat quantity comes at a low price prepares them better than Gene’s & Jude’s,
— $7.95 on weekdays and $9.95 on Saturday located 5 km southeast of O’Hare at 2720 N.

River Rd. in River
Grove (708-4527634). Their menu
is limited to hot
dogs, double
dogs, fresh-cut
fries and tamales,
but such a minimal selection means lightning-fast service
— a necessity at a place where long lines
form shortly after the doors open at 10:30
a.m. A mouth-watering double dog (two
franks in a single bun) topped with a large
mound of fries at just $2.55 is a stout meal.
Ketchup isn’t regarded as a hot dog condiment in Chicago, and Gene & Jude’s doesn’t
even offer the red stuff for fries. Open until
1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 2 a.m.
Friday and Saturday.

In addition to Viennas, Italian beef
sandwiches and deep-dish pizza are
considered to be signature Chicago dishes.
Mr. Beef (666 N. Orleans St. just north of the
Loop, the city’s downtown district, and at
3917 N. Harlem
near O’Hare)
ranks among
the best of
the sandwich
shops. Most hot
dog places also
offer Italian beef, Italian sausage and Polish
sausage sandwiches, and you’ll never be
more than a kilometre or so away from one
of these independently owned businesses.

www.eatdrink.ca 37
issue no. 19
Unless you go to a national chain, it’s
just about impossible to get a bad pizza
in Chicago. Giordano’s is a local institution
with more than 30 restaurants in the city
and suburbs.
This is the place
for stuffed pizza.
Giordano’s version combines
mounds of
cheese, crushed
and seasoned
fresh tomatoes and the toppings of your
choice (try the spinach). You’ll be talking about this pie for weeks. At $12 to $16,
a “small” stuffed pizza will easily feed a
couple. Allow at least 30 minutes to bake this
thick, rich treat.

Why spend $10 for breakfast when the
Cozy Corner Diner (2294 N. Milwaukee
Ave., 773-276-2215) offers eight different
tasty morning
specials for just
$3.49 each? The
Cozy Corner also
serves lunch and
dinner and is a
quick walk from
the Blue Line
California train station.

Poultry lovers will want to drive to the
southwest suburbs for a meal at Dell
Rhea Chicken Basket (645 Joliet Rd., Willowbrook, 630325-0780). This
nostalgic-looking
restaurant has
been in business
since the 1920s.
Although other
items are on the
menu, go with
the never-frozen fried or roast chicken, real
“An oasis for food lovers”
David’s
bistro
432 Richmond St. at Carling • London
LUNCH Wed to Fri :-:
DINNER from pm daily
  
www.davidsbistro.ca
FREE PARKING
After 6 pm
off Queens Ave.
38
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19

Margie’s Candies (1960 N. Western,
773-384-1035) has been a neighbourhood fixture since 1921. The place looks so
genuinely retro
that you’d expect
to bump into
Jimmy Cagney
at the counter.
Speaking of retro,
Al Capone was a
regular customer,
and the Beatles
dropped in after a Chicago concert.
Wisconsin-made ice cream (try the banana) and made-on-the-premises chocolates are the big draws at Margie’s. There are
dozens of different sundaes and treats on the
menu, and the servings are big enough for a
whole meal. Open 9 a.m. to midnight, Margie’s is three blocks south of the Cozy Corner
Diner via Milwaukee Ave., and a block from
the Western Ave. Blue Line station. 
mashed potatoes and made-from-scratch
chicken soup. The $8.99 weekday lunch buffet is a superb value. Take Interstate 55 12 km
konos
Restaurant
south
of the Chicago city limits and exit at
Route 83. Closed Mondays.

How about a first-rate lunch and dessert
in an unpretentious storefront? Freddy’s
H (1600
S. 61st. Ave., Cicero, 708-863-1289) may
look like a 1940s corner grocery store, but it’s
ne a foodie haven.
pt 25 This is the place for savoury Italian food
made by a real Italian — owner Giuseppe
“Joe” Quercia is a Naples native. It gets even
better after lunch, as Quercia makes his
own gelato and
fruit-rich Italian
ice. The intense
flavours of the
lemon and hazelnut gelato won’t
be soon forgotten.
Open 10 a.m. to 7
p.m., closed Sunday. Freddy’s is 2 km southwest of the Austin
Ave. exit on the Eisenhower Expressway.
“A sacred place
where we
celebrate life
and each
other with
joy, warmth,
good food
and drink.”
www.mykonosrestaurant.ca
AL DOYLE writes about budget dining and travel,
baseball, personal finance, and other topics.
mykonos
restaurant and takeout
Garden Patio
Open Daily
al
e Origin
Home of th
Bringing
GREECE to
London for Over
Years
35
We Host ParUJFTtFrom 8 to 80 tWe Know How!
English s
 adelaide street, london
p
i
h
C
--
&
Fish
Monday-Saturday:ĊĊBNĊĉQNt4unday: 11am-9pm
issue no. 19
www.eatdrink.ca 39
COOKBOOKS
Cooking in the Moment
David Rocco’s Dolce Vita
Review and Recipe Selections By Jennifer Gagel
“T
o me, dolce vita [is] about being
present in those moments in life
that bring you joy,” says the author
of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2008, $39.95). “It’s
a sip of perfect espresso in the morning. It’s
the patina of a rugged old kitchen table that
has seen a thousand family dinners. It’s a
nod hello to a stranger as you struggle down
the street in the morning to catch the bus.
“Dolce vita is linked to food, cooking and
family.”
If Rocco’s authenticity and passion for
food don’t carry you into the kitchen, then
Francesco Lastrucci’s pictures definitely will.
Every photo is a full page or more; most are of
the final results, as well as some shots of key
processes or ingredients. And the double-page
spreads of everyday Italy — nothing touristy —
will sweep you from kitchen to travel agent.
Central to Rocco’s cooking style is the
concept quanto basta. When Rocco would
hang out with the nonne, the grandmothers in their Italian kitchens, he would ask
how much of an ingredient they would use
and the response was invariably, “Quanto
basta,” which loosely means as much as you
need or as much as you prefer.
Rocco enlightens us. “Quanto basta is a
philosophy that should empower you to embrace inspiration and inventiveness through
the alchemy of cooking, knowing that this
magical transformation will happen if you
let it. When you stop worrying about the outcome, you’ll be swept away by the magic in
the food and the process. And allowing that
will give you joy and feed your soul.
“My hope is that this book inspires you to
find freedom and confidence — both in the
kitchen and in your life.”
The Tiramisù al Limone whips up in 15
minutes or less, especially if you have a
helping hand, but people’s faces light up as
though you’d spent hours. The lemon tang
is offset by just enough sugar, and the airy
texture melts along the tongue like little
spoonfuls of heaven. I was a bit nervous
about using
limoncello,
but a quick
dip of
the ladyfingers
imparts
only flavour, no taste of
alcohol. And a little leftover limoncello and
club soda makes for an adult Italian soda.
For soft and delicate tiramisù, whip it up
before you start cooking the main course. By
the time everyone has eaten and cleared the
dishes, the ladyfingers will have absorbed just
enough moisture for the texture to perfectly
mimic cake and not be a tad soggy. In fact, it
retains its perfectly light texture even several
hours later. This is a very forgiving dish that
opens up a world of tiramisù possibilities.
The Involtini di Bresaola is a testament
to the ease and flexibility of these recipes.
Bresaola is an Italian cured beef, but any
cured meat sliced very thin will do. It also
works well as an instant carpaccio, spread in
layers on a plate and topped with a squeeze
of lemon juice. Regular ricotta mixed with
goat cheese is a wonderful substitute for
sheep’s milk ricotta, but you could easily
adapt the filling in any number of ways. If
wrapped tightly, you can pop them under
the broiler until the meat sizzles and shrinks
slightly around the filling, adding a crispy
component to these little packages.
Gnudi, or naked ravioli, has already become
a regular event at my house, served along with
crusty Italian bread for sopping up the sauce,
or over quality pasta. Honestly, you can do just
about anything to this recipe and it will turn
out great. Substitute arugula or herbs for the
spinach, use a meat sauce or throw in a bit of
diced prosciutto ends (Rocco’s tip for finding
savings at the butcher); the possibilities are as
easy and attainable as using up what is in the
fridge or seeing what is on sale.
These recipes were so much fun to make.
Maybe it was the fact that the gnudi is shaped
with your hands (and the subsequent “nudie”
40
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
jokes), or something about dunking ladyfingers, but this felt more like playing than
cooking.
Rocco’s approach is completely livable.
He wastes nothing and makes magic with
easy recipes that flow into one another. Dinner from one day morphs into soup for the
next. A batch of sauce stretches two weekend dinners with half the work. And fast.
For someone who loves cooking as much as
Rocco obviously does, I suspect he spends
surprisingly little time in the kitchen.
With this book, you’re sure to glean treasured kitchen wisdom from generations of
Italian cooks, using simple ingredients and
techniques. Rocco makes it easy and fun
to achieve great results. You’ll find yourself
turning to this book more and more to bring
a little quanto basta into your life and live la
dolce vita. 
JENNIFER GAGEL is a freelance writer specializing
in food and books. She can be reached at jennagagel@
gmail.com. The following recipes are courtesy of David
Rocco’s Dolce Vita, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Involtini di Bresaola
When I serve this as an antipasto, I sometimes finish with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
For an antipasto for four, get about  slices of
bresaola and about ½ lb ( g) fresh sheep’s
ricotta. Mix the ricotta with a couple of tablespoons ( mL) of good extra-virgin olive oil
and some freshly ground pepper. Get yourself
a bunch of fresh arugula and wash it and spin it
dry. Lay a slice of bresaola on your work surface,
drop a large spoonful of the ricotta mixture in the
centre, add a few arugula leaves and roll the whole
thing up.
Gnudi — Naked Ravioli
per  persone
lb ( g) fresh ricotta cheese, preferably
sheep’s milk, drained
 large bunch raw spinach, chopped
 tbsp ( mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
for smearing hands
 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt, QB (quanto basta)
 tbsp ( mL) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
All-purpose flour
 cherry tomatoes, halved
 to  fresh
basil leaves,
chopped
 Place your
drained ricotta
in a mixing
bowl. Chop
your spinach
and sauté it
with some
olive oil and
garlic. Let it cool
down, then add
to the ricotta.
Add  pinches
of salt, a good handful of Parmigiano and mix it up.
Feel free to adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
If you like more Parmigiano, or more spinach, by all
means add more! You can taste the mixture at this
point to make sure it’s just right for you. If the texture seems a bit too liquid to you, add a pinch of
flour, but not too much. You just want to bind the
mixture. The texture should be fluffy and delicate,
not heavy.
 Now comes the fun part. Pour a bit of olive oil
on your hands and rub them together. This will
prevent the gnudi mixture from sticking to your
hands, and the bonus is that your hands get a
nice spa treatment at the same time. Now, take
a bit of the mixture and roll it in your hands to
make little balls about the size of golf balls. Keep
going until you’ve used up all the ricotta mixture.
 For the tomato sauce, you can use [a previously
prepared] tomato sauce, or make this sauce: Cut
up some cherry tomatoes. Heat some olive oil
and garlic in a pan, throw in the tomatoes along
with some salt and cook for a few minutes until
they get soft.
The
 Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a baking
dish. Lay the gnudi on top, then spoon some
more of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with some
Parmigiano on top of each gnudi ball. Toss the
basil
on top. Bake the whole thing in a °F to
Village
Pantry
°F (°C to °C) oven for  to  minutes
or until golden. For a nice presentation, you can
also bake these in individual dishes.
/4 H *
9
Diane
Sept 24
www.eatdrink.ca 41
issue no. 19
Un’ altra idea: Rather than rolling the ricotta
mixture into balls, you can use your gnudi to fill
ravioli, cannelloni or any other shell pasta. Cook
your favorite type of dried pasta shells in boiling
water for a minute or so, just enough to soften
slightly. Drain them, run under cold water so you
can handle them easily, and fill them with the
gnudi mixture. Lay the filled shells in a baking
dish and pour some tomato sauce and ½ cup
( mL) water over them. Sprinkle some grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano over top and bake in a
°F (°C) oven for about  minutes.
Tiramisù al Limone – Lemon Tiramisu
 egg yolks
½ cup ( mL) sugar, plus extra if desired
Juice of half a lemon
 cups ( mL) mascarpone
Zest of  lemon, plus extra for sprinkling
 cups ( mL) whipping cream ()
 cup ( mL) limoncello, plus an extra splash
¹/₃ to ½ cup ( to  mL) water
 Italian savoiardi (ladyfingers)
White chocolate, shaved, for topping (or lemon zest)
 Whisk together the egg yolks,  tbsp ( mL)
of the sugar and the lemon juice until uniform.
Add the mascarpone and lemon zest and keep
whisking until they are well incorporated. Taste
it. At this point, it’s so delicious you’ll have to
restrain yourself from eating the whole bowl!
But it only gets better.
 In another bowl, combine the whipping cream,
remaining sugar and a splash of the limoncello
and whip it until stiff peaks form. Add it to the
mascarpone mixture, gently folding it together.
 At this point, in a traditional tiramisu, you’d pour
coffee into a bowl and dip the cookies in it. But since
we’re using limoncello, you may want to go a bit
easy. So pour the rest of the limoncello into a bowl.
I recommend adding a splash of water, ⁄ to ½ cup
( to  mL), depending on your taste.
LEBRATIN
G
CE
30 Years
1979-2009
 One at a time,
dip — don’t
soak — both
sides of the
ladyfingers in
the limoncello
mixture. The
exterior should
be wet, but the
interior should
remain dry.
As you finish
dipping each
ladyfinger, put it
in the bottom of
a cake pan. Pack
them in tightly.
Once you’ve
completed
that layer, spread half of the cream mixture
evenly over the cookies, making sure they’re
completely covered. Then make a second layer
of dipped ladyfingers and evenly spread the
remaining cream mixture on top. Sprinkle the
tiramisu with lemon zest and white chocolate.
Ideally, let it rest in the fridge for a few hours to
let the flavours settle. But in a pinch, you can
serve it immediately. 
h Open 7 Days a Week h Home Cooked Meals
h Breakfast & Lunch Everyday
h Daily Lunch Specials starting at $6.95
h Dinner Served Tuesday To Saturday
h Catering h Licensed LCBO
h On Site Banquet Room 10 to 65 People
Serving You With Pride Since 1979
519-652-7008
2473 Main Street, Lambeth
42
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
BOOKS
The Sushi Economy
Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy
By Darin Cook
R
aw fish. I often wonder how it became such a trendy meal. We can
thank the Japanese for sharing their
taste for uncooked seafood and
making it is easy for diners anywhere in the
world to get their fix on glistening slivers
of silky smooth fish pressed over rice and
adorned with wasabi and pickled ginger. We
can also thank Sasha Issenberg for writing
about the ultimate local versus global food
debate in The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy
(Gotham Books, 2007) and revealing sushi’s
rise to fame as a world-wide commodity.
Sushi started out in the 1800s as Japanese
street food sold from shacks by ambitious
chefs with dreams of earning enough money
to open a real restaurant. In modern times, it
has attained the status
of both a fast food at
all-you-can-eat sushi
bar conveyor belts
and a high-end delicacy at star-studded
restaurants such as
New York’s Nobu.
With knife work
harkening back to
samurai swordsmanship, sushi chefs are
born from Japanese tradition with such
a rigid hierarchical structure and training
regimen that it could be years before an apprentice even touches a fish, let alone slices
it for customers. Sushi chefs become masters of their craft, creating each miniature
meal as a work of art fashioned with sharp
knives and deft hands. But Issenberg tells us
that “the sushi chef is merely a charismatic
front man for an invisible world. Behind him
is a web of buyers and sellers, producers and
distributors, agents, brokers, and dealers
that extends from everywhere there is a net
that needs to be emptied to anyplace there is
a plate that can be filled.”
While diners enjoy the fruits of a chef’s
labour, restaurateurs are in the thick of fish
markets and fresh food auctions to get the
best fish at the best price, all the while keeping their eyes on the changing patterns of
supply and demand. Market pricing in this
business is not something to be taken lightly
because “no commodity in the world loses
as much value as quickly as high-quality
sushi-destined tuna.” Changes in value have
increased the average price of bluefin tuna
by 10,000 percent since it was first introduced to the fluctuations of economic markets three decades ago.
In an industry that relies on the freshest
fish with a limited shelf life, it is remarkable
that there are over 10,000 sushi restaurants
in the United States alone, many of them
nowhere near an ocean, and Issenberg details developments in transportation and
refrigeration technology which allowed, by
the mid-1970s, for tuna caught in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday to be served still fresh
for lunch in Tokyo on Wednesday.
With freshness and cargo concerns addressed earlier on, the industry faces the
more modern issue of the world’s fish supply
dwindling at a rapid rate. Our first hope, of
course, is that fish are able to replenish themselves in the wild at a rate faster than they
are caught. There is also additional support
in the advancement of farming bluefin tuna,
which takes away some of the risks of seafood
gathering that have always been present,
such as the changing of seasons, inclement
weather, migratory patterns, and potentially
fading natural resources. Whether ranched
in Australia or hauled in from a catch off
Canadian shores, whether sliced by a chef in
Texas or Tokyo, Issenberg tells us that: “More
than any other food, possibly more than any
other commodity, to eat sushi is to display
an access to advanced trade networks, of full
engagement in world commerce.” 
DARIN COOK keeps himself well-read and well-fed
by visiting the bookstores and restaurants of London.
#SJOHZPVSGSJFOET
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44
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
COOKING WITH THE SEASONS
Harvesting New Tastes
Think Global, Eat Local
By Bryan Lavery
Chicken and QuinceTagine
translucent and the quinces begin to turn a
reddish colour. (Most varieties of quince are too
hard, astringent and sour to eat uncooked.)
 Add the fresh ginger, garlic, nutmeg, cumin,
ground ginger, paprika, turmeric,  tsp ( mL) of
salt and the saffron, stirring to combine. Season
Yvonne Long / www.photographybyyvonne.com
One  lb (approx.  kg) free-range chicken, or
the equivalent of bone-in chicken parts
 tbsp ( mL) good-quality olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper to season
 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
 medium quinces, peeled, cored and cut into
thick slices
 tbsp ( mL) finely grated fresh ginger
 local garlic clove, minced
 tsp ( mL) freshly ground nutmeg
 tsp ( mL) ground cumin
 tsp ( mL) ground ginger
 tsp ( mL) paprika
 tsp ( mL) turmeric
½ tsp ( mL) saffron threads
 cups ( mL) strong chicken stock
½ cup ( mL) coriander leaves, coarsely
chopped
 Preheat the oven to ºF (ºC).
 Cut the chicken into  pieces, pat dry, and then
season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over mediumhigh heat, brown the chicken pieces on the skin
side and sear lightly on the other side. Transfer
the chicken to a paper-towel-lined platter.
 Add the onions and quince to the skillet and
sauté, stirring, until the onions become
Tagine
, meaning “stew,” is a type of dish fundamental in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco
and Tunisia, and is named after the heavy earthenware vessel in which it is cooked and served in. But
there are also decorative tagines with ornamental
painting and glazing used for serving. I was first
introduced to the versatility of the tagine by Chef
Zakia Haskouri at her former restaurant, Casbah,
and again at several of her superb cooking classes
on North African cuisines. The traditional tagine pot
is formed entirely of heavy clay. The tagine consists
of two parts: the base, which is flat and circular with
low sides; and the lid, shaped like a pointed hat. The
lid allows the steam to circulate above and around
the contents while slowly cooking, thus infusing
the dish with flavour and tenderness.
The photograph (ABOVE) is of an Emile Henry flame-top
tagine made with new ceramic technology for cooking on
the stove or in the oven. This tagine is available at Jill’s
Table (www.jillstable.ca) in London, --.
www.eatdrink.ca 45
issue no. 19
with black pepper and then add the chicken
stock. Bring to a boil and deglaze the skillet by
scraping the browned bits from the bottom, then
gently boil for an additional  minutes.
 Place the chicken pieces, onion, quinces and
chicken stock mixture in a - x -inch ( x 
cm) baking dish, cover with foil and bake for
approximately  hour or until the chicken is
cooked and the quinces are tender. The sauce
will thicken on its own, as quince contain plenty
of natural pectin.
 Garnish the chicken with the chopped fresh
coriander and serve over couscous or jeweled
basmati rice.
Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke)
This root vegetable is not truly an artichoke but a
variety of sunflower (compositae), a hairy, tuberbearing perennial native of North America. It is
known by a variety of names, including sunroot,
sunchoke, earth apple or topinambur.
Similar in appearance to the sunflower, it lacks
the brownish centre of those sunflowers that produce edible seeds. The tubers, which vary in color
from pale brown to white, red or purple, are gnarly
and uneven, typically . to  cm long and  to 
cm thick, and resemble ginger root, with a crisp
Farmer’s
Market
texture
when raw. They were cultivated by the First
Nations of North America as a raw or cooked vegetable. Their recorded history dates back to Champlain in . Contrary to what the name implies,
1/4 Vthis vegetable has nothing to do with Jerusalem.
artichoke part of the Jerusalem artichoke’s
19 The
name comes from the taste of its edible tuber.
Diane The following is an excellent fall dish, featuring
Sept the
23,sunchoke
2009 and other harvest vegetables, sautéed and roasted.
roasted garlic, celeriac, parsnip, jerusalem artichoke and baby new potatoes
 cups ( mL) peeled celeriac
 lb ( g) parsnips, peeled
 lb ( g) Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes),
peeled
 lb ( g) baby new potatoes
 whole cloves local garlic, peeled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
 tsp ( mL) chopped fresh thyme
 tbsp ( mL) unsalted butter
 tbsp ( mL) good quality olive oil
 Preheat oven to ºF (ºC).
 Cut celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips and
potatoes into -inch (-cm) pieces. Mix in a bowl
with whole garlic cloves and coat with olive oil
and thyme. Season vegetable mixture with salt
and pepper.
 Heat butter in a heavy skillet on medium heat.
Add vegetables in batches and sauté until lightly
coloured, about  to  minutes. Remove to ovenproof baking dish. Cover dish with foil.
 Roast vegetables for  minutes. Remove foil
and cook  minutes longer or until tender and
golden.
Serves 
Amazing Ethnic Food
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Second Floor, A Must to Explore!
Located at the Western Fair
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Saturdays 8am - 3pm
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Fanshawe Park Rd at Richmond St
Fridays 8am - 2pm
519-639-4963
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46
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
Spiced Candied Apples
At this time of year, candy apples are a classic treat.
This seasonal recipe was given to us by Pastry Chef
Robert Howland of Braise Food and Wine.
 Combine the Spiced Tea ingredients in a saucepot and boil for several minutes, then set aside
to steep for half an hour at least. Once steeped,
pour the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth (don’t squeeze the water out – just let it
run through) to remove any bits of the spices
(these could cause the sugar to crystallize).
THINGS YOU WILL NEED
Candy thermometer
Waxed or parchment paper
Pastry brush
A dish of warm water for the pastry brush and
candy thermometer
Sink full of cold water
A dish of ice water large enough to dip your
hand in
 nicely trimmed apple tree twigs (about the
size of popsicle sticks) or popsicle sticks
A large very clean pot and a slightly smaller pot
A batch of spiced tea (recipe below)
 dozen nice small pink lady apples*
 cups ( oz,  mL) light corn syrup
 cups ( g) granulated sugar
 Wash the apples and stick the sticks in where
the stem is, then put them in the refrigerator.
SPICED TEA
 cups ( oz,  L) water
 cinnamon sticks
 tsp ( mL) hot pepper flakes
 tsp ( mL) black peppercorns, cracked
 tbsp ( mL) whole star anise
 tsp (mL) salt
 When it starts to thicken, place your candy thermometer (it should be in the same warm water
bath as the pastry brush) in the mixture, attaching
it to the side of the pot. You need the thick syrup
mixture to be between °F (°C) and °F
(°C). Once the mixture reaches °F, remove
it from the heat and plunge the pot into the cold
water in the sink, holding it there for a minute.
This will stop the syrup from cooking. (Be careful –
this will cause the water in the sink to steam, and
the syrup is still very hot!) You will want to work
quickly. You may also want to tilt the pot of syrup
slightly to ensure that you can dip the entire apple
in the candy. Hold the apple over the pot to allow
some of the excess candy to drip off before you set
it down on the waxed paper. If the candy gets too
thick, you can gently heat it to thin it out.
 Prepare an area in your kitchen where you can
have a hot pot of syrup,  apples and a waxed
paper receiving area for the candy-dipped apples.
I set it up so the undipped apples are on the right,
the pot of sugar in the middle, and the waxed paper on the left. Also, have the ice water nearby so
that if you accidentally dip a finger you can shock
the hot syrup before it burns you too badly.
 Combine the corn syrup, granulated sugar and
 cups ( oz.,  mL) of Spiced Tea in a large
pot over medium-high heat, washing down the
sides of the pot with the pastry brush and warm
water. Let mixture cook, stirring.
 Let the candied apples set for ten minutes or
more – now they are ready to eat! These make a
nice gift if wrapped in cellophane and tied with
a ribbon. (They will keep for two days at room
temperature.) Makes .
* Known by the trademark name Pink Lady, this variety of apple was
originally bred by John Cripps at the Western Australia Department of
Agriculture by crossing the Australian apple Lady Williams with a Golden
Delicious in order to combine the best features of both apples. Other
recommended apple varieties grown locally include Cortland, Ambrosia,
Fuji, Golden Russet, Honeycrisp, Ida Red, Jerseymac, Jonagold, Spartan,
Crispin (Mutsu), Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Northern Spy,
Paulared and Red Delicious.
www.eatdrink.ca 47
issue no. 19
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
great seasonal cheesecake with warm fall spices
ElegantAand
Catering
a hint of chestnut.
ATTN: Joan
CHESTNUT CRUST
½ cup ( mL) melted unsalted butter
½ cups ( mL) finely ground gingersnap or
graham cracker crumbs
 tbsp ( mL) light or dark brown sugar
⁄ cup ( mL) roasted chestnuts, finely chopped
/4 H
9
Diane
Sept. 25,
2009, REV Sept 29
FILLING
 tbsp ( mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cups ( mL) cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup ( mL) packed light or dark brown sugar
½ cups ( mL) puréed cooked pumpkin, fresh
or canned
 large eggs
 large egg yolks
 cup ( mL) sour cream
 tbsp ( mL) all-purpose flour
 tsp ( mL) vanilla
 tsp ( mL) ground cinnamon
 tsp ( mL) ground nutmeg
 tsp ( mL) ground ginger
 tbsp ( mL) lemon zest
 tbsp ( mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
½ cup ( mL)  whipping cream
 tsp ( mL) sugar
Candied chestnuts
 Preheat oven to °F (°C).
 Line sides of a -inch (.-L) springform pan with
parchment paper and then brush sides of parchment with  tbsp ( mL) melted butter.
 Stir together ginger snap crumbs, sugar, chestnuts and remaining melted butter. Mix together
and pat into bottom and sides of prepared pan.
Chill crust in refrigerator while preparing filling.
 Make sure your eggs are cold and have all the
other ingredients at room temperature.
 In a large bowl or a food processor, cream butter
and cream cheese together. Scrape down sides,
add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape
sides again and beat in pumpkin.
 Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Beat in sour cream,
flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, lemon
zest and juice.
 Pour filling into chilled base. Bake cake in centre
of oven for  hour. Leave oven door ajar, turn off
heat, and let cake sit in oven for an additional
hour to cool. (Cooling in the oven will prevent
the cake from cracking.) Let cake cool slowly
and completely before unmoulding. Chill in the
refrigerator for at least  hours, but ideally you
should let a cheesecake settle for  hours in the
pan before unmoulding.
 Whip cream until soft peaks form, then beat
in sugar. Pipe or dollop  rosettes of whipped
cream around the top edge of the cheesecake.
Top each rosette with a candied chestnut. 
Bryan Lavery is eatdrink’s Contributing Editor and a wellknown local chef and culinary instructor.
elite catering
BY DESIGN
Now Booking Christmas and New Years Parties
(226) 289-2899
www.elitecateringbydesign.ca
48
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
NEW AND NOTABLE
The BUZZ
ttle Creek Inn
TN: Jean
/ Troy
Compiled by Melanie North
Stratford Chefs School is beginning another Stratford. Located on the corner of Downie
Horizontal
ne
pt.
year of training and that means great opportunities to demonstrate their skills at dinners open to the public beginning October
18,
26.2009
Dinners are created and served by SCS
students at The Old Prune Monday through
Friday beginning at 6:30 pm. Each course
is paired with an aperitif or wine selected
to compliment the dish. Information about
membership and reservations are available
at www.stratfordchef.com.
Many Stratford restaurants are proud to
support the local farmers and artisan food
craftspeople and love the creative challenge
in making dishes and menus that feature the
best local produce and meats from within 75
kms. Gastronomic memories are made when
paired with limited edition Ontario VQA
wines. Starting September 25 until the end
of October, From Field to Chef Menus are
a celebration by premier chefs to select inseason local foods and create special 3 course
menus. Visit www.fallforstratford.com to see
participating restaurants and menus.
At the same website, there’s more foodie
info. Epicurean Treks to local producers
and food shops continue through the fall
in Stratford and Perth County. This is the
perfect time to meet the growers and stock
up on the bounty of the harvest. Pack your
cooler and head to the country. Maps and
locations are available on-line.
Pan Tapas and Grill has just opened in
and George Streets in Stratford, the Avon
Theatre is directly across the street. A beautiful taupe interior with lots of natural light,
tin ceiling and wall water feature create a
welcoming atmosphere. Several wines are
available by the glass using a special system
to keep the wine at its optimum taste and
temperature and can be paired with individual dishes with a greek flair. Open for lunch,
dinner and late night hunger attacks.
Canada’s Tea Sommelier, Karen Hartwick,
presents two opportunities to learn about
tea in October. An exotic tea tasting seminar takes place Friday, October 16th from
7:30–9:00 p.m. A Hands-on tea and herbal
blending workshop is planned for Saturday,
October 24th from 10 am–12 noon. Learn
from the best at Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar,
433 Erie Street, Stratford. Preregistrations are
required. Details are available at www.stratfordtealeaves.com
Take a drive into Perth County, just north of
Stratford, Saturday afternoons in October
to discover the eco-culture of the Amish
community. Several farms will open their
doors to the public from 12 noon–4:00 pm on
Saturdays only, including a goat farm, horse
and buggy ride, dry goods, quilts and cedar
chests, buggy and chair building. There will
be opportunities to purchase fresh made preserves, honey and farm gate produce along
the way. Watch for the Black and White signs
“A Port Stanley Jewel”
Come For Lunch, Dinner
Or Pub Fare
Stay A Night Or Two
Always Open
519•782•3388
www.kettlecreekinn.com
1/4 V
Jane
to identify the participating farms. Be sure to
Sept 23,
2009
ask permission before taking photographs as
you explore the countryside and the Amish
culture. Maps and a list of the stops is located
at www.fallforstratford.com
McCully’s Hill Farm, just outside St. Marys,
is celebrating the harvest with a variety of
activities. Enjoy the smattering of fall colours
as you take a horsedrawn wagon through
the sugar bush in the crisp autumn air. Pick
a pumpkin (for sale) from the pumpkin crop
circle as the wagon stops on its way back
to the barn. Bet your toonies on The Great
Canadian Pumpkin Toss, run by local notfor-profit groups, as they sail through the air
and smash down to be gobbled up by the
sheep. Warm up with hot apple cider as you
enjoy a variety of family activities down by
the market. Listen to live music while eating
maple sausage on a bun.
On Saturday, October 17 the amazing
Agility Dogs are coming. Watch these pro
dogs go every 1½ hours. On Sunday, October
18, Warming Up To Winter will give you a
chance to check out our Alpaca friends, as
well as learn to knit & weave.
October 24/25 is Pumpkins & Scarecrows
Weekend. On Saturday, enter a pumpkin into
our Pumpkin Carving Contest (bring from
home or carve on site). Donate a scarecrow to
our silent auction, as all donations go to charity. Sunday will be the final auction day and
pumpkin judging. These events take place
from 10 – 3 pm. The cost is $6/person, $5 each
family 4 or more, and children 2 & under are
free. For more info, check out www.mccullys.
ca or call 1-866-622-8559.
Hessenland Country Inn along with Flat
Rock Cellars & Premium Brands present
Rare Fare 2009, a wine tasting dinner &
Parkinson Society Ontario fundraiser, on
Halloween, Saturday, October 31. Live entertainment will feature the popular Cuban
pianist Pedro Quintana, who now resides in
Grand Bend. The attire theme is: “Fashions
of 1984.” Pull out the leather ties, shoulder
pads and hair spray!
Flat Rock Cellars is located in the heart
of Niagara’s wine country, and was founded
by Ed Madronich in 1999. Premier Brands
Ltd. specializes in importing and distributing
premium European beers. Hors d’oeuvres,
wine & beer selections will be served in and
around the Inn from 4:00–6:00 pm. The Silent
Auction will be open 4:00–8:30 pm.
www.eatdrink.ca 49
“One of the Lake Erie shore’
shore’s most exceptional
bed and breakfasts.... a tour de
forc of tempting choices.”
force
A WEEK
5UntilDAYSChristmas!
Join Us for Lunch
— Janette Higgins,
TThe
he Best Plac
Places
es to B&B in Ontario
Vicci & Jon Coughlin
205 Main Street, Port Stanley ON
519-782-3006
www.telegraphhouse.com
ONTARIO’S
INNS
member
50
www.eatdrink.ca
Dinner will be served in the Garden Room
at 6:00 pm. The Bill of Fare includes an amuse
bouche, Hayter’s Turkey Consommé with
squash, pickled ginger and veal ravioli, Lake
Huron Pickerel, purple potato, turnip, kohlrabi
and pumpkin risotto and a red beet reduction. A palette revitalization will be followed
by Metzger’s Glazed Beef Short Ribs, Ontario
garlic & yukon gold croquettes and root vegetables. Dessert is Pumpkin Pie, and the cost
is $100 per person (taxes and gratuities not
included). Call 519-236-7707 for reservations or
for more info go to www.hessenland.com.
The Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro’s 2nd
annual Beer Dinner is set for Friday October 30th , 6:30pm 5 Main street, Bayfield.
Hosted and toasted by owner Ted McIntosh and Guy McClelland of McClelland
Premium Imports along with special guest
Michael Schauerte of the Erdinger Weissbrau from Bavaria. Live music and a five
course menu of roasted pumpkin ginger
soup with smoked applewood cheddar crostini, celeriac apple cabbage slaw, pan-seared
Lake Huron whitefish on german-style
potato salad, smoked local ham hock with
spaetzle and baked spiced apple in puff pastry. Each course served with an accompanying beer. Cost is $69.95 and call 519-565-2326
for reservations.
The next wine and dine event at The Little
Inn of Bayfield (www.littleinn.ca) is scheduled for Oct. 17 when Richie Roberts of
Fielding Estate will host a 5 course/5 wines
dinner. Reservations are required.
3HOP.OW&OR
#HRISTMAS'IFT#ERTIFICATES
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Railway City Brewing Company in
St.Thomas has launched a new beer featuring the story of Jumbo and his untimely
death 124 years ago. They have just started
their beer of the month whereby they brew
something unique each month and September saw the launching of Dead Elephant Ale
(DEA), with a hefty 7 alcohol content. See
the “SPOTLIGHT” story on page 56 of this
issue for more information.
FINE, A Restaurant in Grand Bend has restarted its popular monthly theme dinners
for the fall and winter. Every month on the
third Friday night FINE has a set price theme
dinner at with one seating. For October the
theme is Octoberfest and for November it is
a visit to Italy. For full details and reservations (a must) call ahead 519-238-6224 or
www.finerestaurant.com
Top Chef Culinary School is offering an
opportunity to work with professional chefs.
Cooking demonstration classes are with
Chefs Jonathan and Cynthia Collins (you
may recall Jonathan is the local chef who
cooked for U.S. President Barack Obama
in Ottawa). Watch techniques, learn new
ingredients and taste a menu that you can
reproduce at home. Classes will focus on a
different region every week, including Thailand, Mexico, Italy, Morocco and France.
The Collins chefs are also leading culinary
travel groups this fall. Visit local markets,
vineyards and farms, exploring classic elements of local cuisine and finishing each
day with an offering of the fare collected
that day. Escape on a Culinary Adventure
Vacation to France, Italy or Greece. Go to
www.topchefschool.com for details. Limited
spaces are available.
Aroma Mediterranean Restaurant is
featuring their “2009 Fall Harvest Series”,
a unique dining experience Thursday evenings ending on November 13, 2009. Each
night will feature prominent food and wine
destinations from around the world. For
example, Oct. 16 is Argentina Harvest Night
with Argentinian wines, cuisine and tango.
Each special evening includes five dishes,
five wines and live entertainment. Go to
www.aromarestaurant.ca for details.
Aroma’s Adega Lounge Wine Cellar,
an authentic European 18th-century space
described by many as the “best kept secret
for wine lovers,” features wines from around
the world. Guests can experience the tastes
of each country and learn about the cultures
and sounds of these regions.
Come stroll in our gardens and
experience the wonders of lavender
Mother’s Day through Christmas.
Our gift boutique offers unique
handcrafted gifts & gourmet foods
created from our harvested lavender.
Open Wed-Sat 10-5; Sun 12-4
47589 Sparta Line
(3km E of Sparta)
519-494-5525
www.lavenderblue.ca
$PDLUBJM1BSUJFT
$IFGBU)PNF
8FEEJOHT
$PSQPSBUF'VODUJPOT
#VTJOFTT-VODIFT
Garlic’s of London, keeping with their mandate to offer unique, local ingredients, is celebrating Executive Chef Wade Fitzgerald’s
collaboration with a local bee-keeper to produce honey exclusively for Garlic’s. In June
2009, Chris Hiemstra of Aylmer’s Clovermead Apiaries installed a hive of 30-40,000
bees on the Garlic’s of London roof. On September 23, he harvested the honey from the
roof-top hive for use in Garlic’s kitchen.
The London & Thames Valley Chapter of
Osteoporosis Canada are hosting a Fashion
& Tea event on November 8, from 2:00 to
4:00 p.m. Held at the elegant Windermere
Manor (200 Collip Circle, London), tickets
are $30.00 in advance or $35.00 at the door.
For reservations call 519-457-0624.
XXXCSBZXJDLCJTUSPDB
52
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
Open Daily
for Lunch,
Dinner &
Takeout
Travelling to Stratford? Enjoy our
sister restaurant, steps from the
Avon Theatre at 10 George St W.
519-271-3271
Now offering London what discriminating diners in Stratford
have come to love: delicious food and an impressive selection
of fine wines, martinis & cocktails with superior table service.
The 7th annual Lobsterfest, presented by
the Optimist Club of Middlesex-London is
set for Saturday November 14th. Fresh live
lobsters are flown in from the East Coast for
the event that also includes roast beef, vegetables and pie. Live music by the Back Alley
Orchestra of Toronto, this year featuring a
PEI fiddler added to the group. Tables of 8
or individual tickets via jantoniak@eatdrink.
ca $55 for the lobster/beef dinner
The venerable Marienbad Restaurant and
Chaucer’s Pub are celebrating their 35th
anniversary at the end of the month. Con-
(between Queens & Dundas)
519-601-7252
www .rajafinedining.ca
gratulations on reaching this rare milestone.
Braise Food and Wine Executive Chef Kristian Crossen welcomes Pastry Chef Robert
Howland. He attended the Culinary Institute
of Canada in Charlottetown, Prince Edward
Island, and upon graduation from the Pastry
Arts program he worked for various luxury
resorts on the island followed by a stint
onboard the ocean liner The Queen Elizabeth 2 and eventually moved to Ontario and
accepted a position at Langdon Hall in 2005.
During Howland’s four years at Langdon
Hall, the restaurant acquired numerous
B�envenue!
Lunch • Afternoon Tea • Dinner
428 Clarence Street, London
• 5 Unique Dining Rooms
inspired by cities in France
• Enclosed Year-Round Veranda
• Two Fireplaces
• Affordable Wine List
& Reserve Cellar Wines
- King St. • London
• Traditional French Food
--
• Free Parking
Mon-Sat from : am
Reservations Recommended
www.aubergerestaurant.ca
issue no. 19
awards. Howland demonstrated his passion
for learning and interest in local food and
the slow food community with his decision
to make his own butter for use in Langdon
Hall’s dining room and in the pastries and
desserts he and his staff created. He was also
involved in tapping the trees on the property
and making maple syrup. He will continue to
integrate local ingredients in his baking and
desserts for Braise, as often as possible.
Dinner Revolution has teamed up with
GRAPEBRANDS for a special evening sampling appetizers and wine. Wine tastings
will be navigated by London’s own Christie Pollard. Christie represents GRAPEBRANDS wine and spirits, a boutique Italian
wine import company. The kitchen will
feature appetizers created for the upcoming
holiday season, pairing each with a unique
Italian wine. The tour takes place at Dinner
Revolution, 1900 Hyde Park Road, at 7:00
pm, Friday, October 23 or Friday November
6, and the cost is $30. Bring a partner, bring
a friend, bring your spouse. RSVP to Patty@
dinnerrevolution.com or 519-963-1068
www.eatdrink.ca 53
immediately, as space is limited.
Starting Friday October 9 and likely to run
a couple of weeks, the movie FOOD Inc.
is playing at the Hyland Theatre (www.
hylandcinema.com) in London. (A special
screening on Thursday, October 15th will be
hosted by Slowfood & GreenDrinks London.) Food Inc. exposes the industrialized
food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers’ rights.
Filmmaker Robert Kenner exposes the
highly mechanized underbelly that has been
hidden from consumers with the consent of
government regulatory agencies. He argues
that our food supply is now controlled by a
handful of corporations that often put profit
ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of
farmers, the safety of workers and our environment.
Does your business or organization have
news to share? Don’t forget to be part of creating The BUZZ. Inclusion is free! Email your
interesting local culinary news to :
mnorth@eatdrink.ca 
GENUINE
Appetizers Soups Salsas
Chilies
Salads
Bean Dips
Desserts
Soybean
Snacks
Available at:
REMARK FRESH MARKET
1180 Oxford St W @ Hyde Park Rd
HAVARIS PRODUCE
Covent Garden Market, 130 King St
UNGER FARM MARKET
1010 Gainsborough Rd
ARVA FLOUR MILL
2042 Elgin (off Richmond)
ANGELO’S
519-657-0887 (North & South) Wonderland Rd
Traditional Collectible Practical
100% Lead-Free and Made in USA since 1861
679-685 York Street, London
519-432-8323
www.londonglassandmirror.com
54
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
WINE
Salmon and Pinot Noir
A Surprisingly Perfect Combo
By Rick VanSickle
A
s a bona fide salmon snob, I spend
a great deal of time searching
for good fish. I crave wild Pacific
salmon, the kind that actually lives
and swims freely in the oceans and streams,
which makes the hunt very difficult, especially living in Ontario where it is extremely
hard to find a fishmonger who keeps a
steady supply of this ever-dwindling fish.
You’ll seldom find wild salmon of any
kind at your favourite grocer any more.
Occasionally Loblaw’s and Superstore will
have it in stock. But generally, it’s all Atlantic
salmon, farmed from crowded ocean pens.
And farmed salmon is markedly inferior to
the mighty wild salmon of the Pacific that
swims thousands of kilometres from the
river where it was born to reach the feeding
grounds in the ocean and then returns to
spawn in its original birthplace.
This, plus a healthful and natural diet of
shrimp, makes the fish lean and healthy,
with a nice reddish-orange flesh that cooks
up beautifully and tastes sublime.
Farmed salmon, on the other hand, raised
in ocean cages and fed a steady supply of
fish pellets, grow fat and lazy from lack of
exercise. Because farmed salmon eat pellets
instead of fresh shrimp, they need to be artificially coloured. The end result is a blandtasting fish when compared to the real thing.
A filet of fresh wild Pacific salmon is like a
cut of prime AAA beef ... stick it on the barbeque with a little sea salt and freshly ground
pepper, and you’re good to
go. The flavours are extraordinary. Add a bottle of pinot
noir from your favourite
wine region, and you have a
match made in heaven.
We recently entertained
guests and wanted to serve
salmon with a few different
bottles of pinot noir. After
searching in vain for wild
salmon, we settled for the
best filet of farmed Atlantic salmon that we could
find. Because it lacked the
desired taste, we made a
delicious hoisin mustard
glaze and barbecued the filet on a smoky
cedar plank. It was just the right touch.
We served the fish with three very different pinot noirs from around the world:
Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir 2007 ($17,
LCBO) is a delicate and pretty pinot from
Niagara with bright cherry and savoury notes
on the nose. It’s silky smooth in the mouth
with cherry and red currant fruit. It was a nice
complement to the savoury salmon glaze.
Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune Villages 2006 ($20, LCBO) was the best match
with the salmon from a textural standpoint.
Both the fish and this French burgundy are
subtle, and the smooth nature of the pinot,
with light cherry-raspberry flavours, worked
perfectly with the fish.
Ad Size: 1/4 V
Issue #: 19
October/November
2009
Sales
Rep: Jane
Date: Sept 28, 2009
Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir
2008 ($20, Vintages), a New Zealand pinot, is
all about upfront cherry and strawberry fruit
in a New World style that is more in-your-face
than the other two wines.
14 years in London
More Recommendations
Some other wines to enjoy this
fall include:
JJ McWilliam Chardonnay 2008
($10, LCBO) — An Australian sipper that won’t break the bank, with
oaky tropical fruits on the nose
followed by toasted pear fruit.
Barefoot Bubbly Pinot
Grigio ($13, LCBO) — Barefoot is nice non-vintage
California brand that keeps
expanding its popular portfolio. This is a tasty sparkler
with apple-citrus notes on
the nose and plenty of zesty
Michael’s On The Thames
citrus in a slightly off-dry
style. Try it with a splash
of pomegranate juice and,
wow, what a funky and
1/4 V
enticing elixir.
Sumac Ridge Tribute
19
($30, Vintages) — This is a
Diane
classy
bubbly made in the Okanagan Valley
Sept 24,
2009
as a “tribute” to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Sumac Ridge is an expert maker of
Champagne-style bubbly. Vanilla
toast and lemon-citrus on the
nose, followed by apple, citrus
and a steady bead of bubbles on
the palate.
Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($17, LCBO)
— This is a big Aussie red with
a concentrated nose of cassis,
black cherry, mocha spice and
earth notes. It’s dense and forward on the palate with black
fruits, licorice, oak structure
and a long finish.
Enjoy! 
Still Time
To Make Wine For The
Holiday Season!
519-679-WINE (9463)
270 Piccadilly St at Wellington
www.winexpert.com
Affordable Fine Dining
A rrelaxing
elaxing atmospher
atmospheree overlooking the Thames
River and Golden Plate A
Award-winning
maitre d’extraor
maitr
’extraordinair
aordinaire
dinaire JJack DiCarlo and staff
have made M
Michael’’s on the Thames one of the
finest dining rooms in London. With tableside
cooking, flambéed desserts and coffees, the rrestaurrant
ant specializes in continental cuisine.
Group-set Menus to Suit Any Budget
Affordable Lunches Monday to Friday
Open for Dinner Ever
Every Day
1Y
York Street
(Just West of Ridout)
RICK VANSICKLE is an avid
wine collector and he writes
regularly about wine in the Calgary,
Ottawa and Toronto Suns. If you
have questions, he can be reached at
rickwine@hotmail.com. You can also
follow him on Twitter: Rickwine.
26
Years of
EXCELLENT
Service
519-672-0111
www.michaelsonthethames.com
www
Pianist Tuesday
T
to Sunday Evenings
Plenty of FREE Parking
Reservations Now Being
Accepted for the Holiday Season
56
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
SPOTLIGHT
Homage to the Dead Elephant
Railway City is Brewing Success in St. Thomas
By Debra Bagshaw
L
ong live the dead elephant!
We’rereferring to the magnificent
Jumbo, who died well over a century ago in St. Thomas. Railway City
Brewing Company has just launched its first
“beer of the month,” Dead Elephant Ale. The
name is a reflection of the brewery’s localthemed branding, and the launch is a signal
that, having worked hard during the past
year, the folks at RCBC are now ready to have
a little fun — in this case, Jumbo-sized fun.
Railway City Brewery opened in spring
2008, offering Iron Spike Blonde Ale,
followed by Iron Spike Copper,
Amber and Light. The brewery’s
name and brand give a nod to
the past and the importance of
St. Thomas’s railway heritage.
From the outset, the brewery
founders, Al Goulding and
Paul Corriveau, set out to feature
the local connection and to create
great beers — all-natural, craft-brewed in
small batches, and using quality ingredients
with no artificial adjuncts or preservatives.
The brewery, located at 168 Curtis Street in
downtown St. Thomas, features a 10-hectolitre system comprised of a kettle, mash
tun, hot liquor tank, five fermentors and a
brite tank. The small-batch kitchen on site
enables them to custom-brew small batches
and create new unique brands as they grow.
Having established their presence with
the Blond, Copper and Amber Ale lineup,
Railway City was ready to take it to the next
level and hired brewer Barbara Ziola in
October of 2008. When approached to come
to RCBC, Barbara was working as a paralegal
in London, but her passion was for brewing.
She had been a brewer at Creemore Springs
for ten years and jumped at the chance to
come to Railway City Brewing. The past year
has been a busy one.
In May 2009, Railway City Brewing’s
Amber Ale was picked the favourite in the
“Malty Dark Lager or Ale” category at a com-
petition to become one of the “official beers”
of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly. Tasters
cast ballots for their favourites in seven categories, from 59 beers offered by 17 Ontario
Craft Breweries. This summer, Iron Spike
Blonde became available at local LCBO
stores. Production increased from one brew
per week to the brewery’s capacity of three
brews per week during the summer.
When Ziola started, each of the three
beers had developed loyal fans. Sometimes,
though, she heard craft-beer critics comment that the beers weren’t “crafty”
enough. She notes, “Often, craftbeer lovers are looking for something more distinctively ‘hoppy’
or ‘malty’.” However, the
brewery’s initial approach was
to produce “bridging beers,”
something the average beer
drinker would try as an introduction
to craft beers. Her challenge was to
build on that approach.
She concentrated first on tweaking brewing procedures and the character of the
existing brands. Changes were made to the
Amber early in 2009, and it went on to win
the Queen’s Park award. Next, the Copper
was adjusted, using a new yeast. Processes
were tightened up with written procedures,
increased standardization and maintenance
of detailed “brew sheets,” which are indispensible to ensuring quality.
With a keen eye for detail and having put
in some long hours over the summer, Ziola
has nailed down the processes, tweaked the
inaugural brews and built a great foundation
for the future. This fall, her brewer’s creativity
is kicking into second gear, and a number of
ideas fuel her enthusiasm.
Ziola emphasizes the importance of local
small vendors and how the success of one
can be good for everyone. She notes that in
Creemore, waiters at local eateries had fun
promoting the local beer (e.g., with quips
about homes in Creemore having running
#PPLB4FTTJPO
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$SFBUJWF$ISJTUNBT1BDLBHF
#PPLTFTTJPOCFGPSF/PWBOE
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.JOJ4FTTJPOXJUI:WPOOF
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$ISJTUNBT$BSET
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$VTUPN1IPUPCBH
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FZCMPOH!SPHFSTDPNU
58
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
hot, cold and Creemore taps). In turn, the
presence of the brewery brought people to
nearby restaurants and other retail outlets.
She is hopeful that this will happen with
Railway City Brewery and St. Thomas.
Ziola is also energized by working with
other brew enthusiasts. Tom Anguish came
on board early with
Railway City. “He
absolutely loves
the brewing aspect
of production, and
brews 90 percent
of our beer,” says
Ziola. Nick Posloski,
a university student,
approached her in
May, interested in
learning about making beer. His delight
overseeing his first
brew quickly convinced her that he had the necessary brewer’s
passion. Posloski worked at Railway City over
the summer and plans to attend the Brew
Institute in Berlin in January. Ziola herself
always tries to step a little out of her comfort
Welcome to Windermere’s Café,
where our unique character, charm and
distinctive natural setting are sure to
captivate you!
Reservations encouraged...
 Collip Circle
@ The Research Park
The UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO
(Windermere at Western Road) • London
zone, a quality she mentors in others, and as
a result has built a well-trained team skilled
at all aspects of the brew process.
Ziola’s passion for beer and its creative
possibilities, and the brewery’s success
means it’s time to have some fun. Railway
City Brewing is bringing forward some treats
for the critics who want
something “more,”
manifested in the beer
of the month.
The first offering, Dead Elephant
Ale (DEA), was just
launched on September 15, the 124th anniversary of the death
of Jumbo, the worldfamous elephant
that died when hit
in St. Thomas by an
unscheduled freight
train. Although Barbara believes balance
(e.g., of malt/hops, sweet/bitter) is key in
any beer, she also wanted to create a beer
befitting a Jumbo commemoration. She was
inspired to create a beer that said “big” —
one with higher alcohol content, greater hop
profile and more intense aroma. The original
plan was to produce a half-batch of each
beer of the month, but DEA has received
such rave reviews that another full batch is
in the works.
Ziola offers a sneak peek at some of the
possible upcoming beer specials: for autumn,
spiced ale, probably on the lighter side to
allow flavours of nutmeg and lemon to come
through; a black Porter in November, and for
Christmas, a cranberry ale. The brewery is
now well set to offer something for everyone
— the familiar tastes of the inaugural brews, a
new unique offering each month, plus a good
measure of the fun that the crew at RCBC
insists just goes naturally with beer. 
RAILWAY CITY BREWING COMPANY is a
member of the Ontario Craft Brewers Association. Iron Spike
Blonde Ale is currently available in local LCBO stores and on
tap at many local establishments. Other varieties are available
at the brewery location. For more information, call - or visit www.railwaycitybrewing.com.
DEBRA BAGSHAW is the editor of Relish Elgin, a
print and web magazine (www.relishelgin.ca) featuring
topics related to food, home, culture and recreation in
Elgin County.
issue no. 19
www.eatdrink.ca 59
BEER
Cheese and Beer
A Natural Flavour Affinity
By The Malt Monk
H
arvest festival season approaches!
Time to stock up on some great
fall seasonal beers for your guests.
Currently, there is a variety of
domestic and imported crafted festbiers,
pumpkin ales and harvest amber ales to
warm up autumn get-togethers. Consider
hosting a beer and cheese tasting — pairing
beers to the cheeses and snack foods you
serve.
What! Beer and cheese? It may seem hard
for many to believe, but beer and cheese
are a natural gastronomic union, not an
odd couple. Decades of promotion by the
dining and beverage industry media have
convinced us that wine and cheese are the
natural pairing. The fact is, wine and cheese
pairings can be risky, as finding a good
match is hard. Broadly speaking, wine has a
domineering, often harsh acidity to it, that
usually subdues delicate or subtle cheeses,
or that can clash most disastrously with the
acids in stronger-flavoured cheese. I can
see my in-box bursting with flaming emails
from outraged oenophiles, but just try a beercheese pairing before you question my sanity.
Beer and cheese have an extensive history as natural gastronomic siblings. Historically, beer and cheese were born in the
farmhouse. Both were common farmstead
products concocted to utilise and preserve
surplus milk and grain. In the Middle Ages,
the monastic culture refined the production
of both cheese and beer making to fine art
forms. Beer and cheese were staple dietary
items for much of rural Europe as well as
monastic orders, consumed together daily
for generations. Also, both beer and cheese
share a common base ingredient: grass; and
a common process: fermentation. Because
of these common elements, beer and cheese
share some similar chemistry, which produces an affinity in the flavours of the finished products.
Setting up a beer and cheese tasting isn’t
as hard or technically complex as you may
think. Unlike a wine pairing, it’s really hard
Katafnéa
Ka
Lunch  to  ( days a week)
Dinner  to  (Wed to Sun)
Breakfast  to  (Sat & Sun)
“A little out of
the way,
A lot out of
the ordinary!”
--
 Blair Rd, London
Diamond Flight Centre
60
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
to screw up a cheese-beer pairing because
the two foods have such wide affinity.
The general rule of thumb is to pair light,
ici dry, spicy, hoppy, fruity beers with subtle
creamy, soft, relatively mild cheeses; and
TN: darker, more complex strong-tasting beers
with older or stronger, more intense cheeses.
Beer flavours usually either combine with,
H
contrast with,
or complement
cheese. It’s all a
ne
matter of which
pt 22, 2009
of these three
pairing conditions you wish
to achieve.
Don’t be afraid
to experiment
— some great
beer-cheese
pairings have
come from off-the-wall matches. Personally,
I don’t presume to know what others’ taste
preferences are, so I just lay out and label the
cheese and beers, offer some rough recommendations, then let the guests sample the
pairings until they find matches they like.
I usually put out eight to ten different beers
with five or more cheeses. I also have
a tray of grapes, pears, nuts, breads,
biscuits, cured meats and devilled eggs,
so they can build their own ad hoc hors
d’oeuvres. Recently I had friends over
and put out an impromptu cheese and
beer tasting. Here are the pairings that
seemed to please the most:

Balderson Heritage (60 month)
Aged Cheddar paired well with
Westmalle Triple (lcbo 676577)
and Anchor Steam Beer (lcbo 79962).
The cheese’s fully matured sharpness and
flavour, with its rich, crumbly texture and
light saltiness, created a pleasant contrast to
the spicy Trappist ale with its musty-spicyhoney-apricot-cider-like character. The
Steam beer provided a nice complement
with its bright hopping toastiness and apple
esters, and the peppery sparkle in the finish
cleaned the palate of dairy oils.

Woolwich Goat Brie paired well with
Black Oak Pale Ale (lcbo 547430 )
and Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
(lcbo 75291). This cheese’s buttery, creamy,
earthy, mushroomy flavours were complemented by the pale ale’s peppery
pear cider-like character. Similarly, the clove spiciness and succulent fruit tones of the Weissbier
added both contrast and complement. The dry effervescence of
these beers cut through the brie’s
lipid texture.

Agropur Classic Oka paired
well with Samuel Smith’s
Nut Brown Ale (lcbo 407973) and True
North Copper Altbier (Beer Store). Oka’s
butter-nutty character and semi-creamy
texture melded with the toffee-hazelnut
character of the brown ale – a natural
affinity most would appreciate. Similarly,
the Albier’s caramel body and spicy hopping contrasted with and framed this
cheese’s earthy-nutty quality.

Imported gourmet extra-aged
gouda (brand unknown) paired
well with Aecht Schlenkerla
Rauchbier Märzen (lcbo 409110) and
Höss Doppel-Hirsch Amber Bockbier
'REAT&OOD&INE7INE'OOD4IMES
Authentic Italian Cuisine
www.amicieatery.com
Monday–Saturday: 11–2 & 5–10; Sunday: 5–10
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Available
Book Your Christmas Party Now 519-439-8983
350 Dundas Street, London (at Waterloo)
e:
#:
p:
e:
2009
1/4 October/November
V
19 (lcbo 106237). This gouda was crumbly
and chewy, with a pronounced earthyJane
smoky-sweet-tangy
Sept.
21, 2009, REVcomplexity.
Sept 26 This truly
unique cheese, when paired with a smoked
Oktoberfest lager, proved a surprising hit.
Schlenkerla’s smoked Märzen is almost
overpowering on its own, but was tamed
and blended with this elegant cheese on the
palate — making the pairing a unique complexity of mild and strong flavours. I also had
an amber Doppel Bock that I pulled from
cold storage, which added pungent toasted
raisin-bread tones and herbal hop bite to
highlight the cheese’s salty-sweet character.
www.eatdrink.ca 61
NOW AT THE LCBO!
Fresh, all natural beers - craft brewed
AD
in small batches using only the finest ELDE
EPHANT
natural ingredients with no artificial
ALE
additives or preservatives.
NOW AVAILABL
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
Rosenborg Classic Danish Blue paired
well with Fuller’s Vintage Ale (lcbo
676213) and Chimay Première [‘Red’]
(lcbo 198069). The blue cheese was creamy,
sharp, piquant and slightly salty with bite. A
big bold cheese needs a strong robust beer
to counteract and complement it. Tasters
gravitated to the two strong complex beers
put out to pair with this sharp strong blue: a
2007 Fuller’s Vintage Ale and my three-year
cellared magnum bottle of Chimay Première.
Roasty-toffee malts, dark fruits and spicy
hopping from these substantial ales seemed
to tame the sharpness in the cheese and
complement its creamy dairy tastes.
Taste of the Month
At long last, the award-winning U.S. microbrewed Victory Prima Pils (lcbo 123281) is
available in this market. This
is a world-class Pilsner,
with plenty of soft biscuity German Pilsner
malts in this brew; but
the surprise is the big
rush of herbal hop
bite from whole-cone
Czech Saaz hops. It’s
lightly hazed, pale gold
with a large puffy white
head — wonderfully
approachable but with
aromatic floral nose, soft biscuity maltiness, herbal bite and
a quenching dry finish. I’ve been sipping this
brew all summer with grilled Brats. Hard to
find a classier quencher. 
THE MALT MONK is the alter ego of D.R. Hammond,
a passionate supporter of craft beer culture.
OPEN 7
DAYS A WEEK
TOURS
AVAILABLE
www.railwaycitybrewing.com
168 Curtis St., St. Thomas 519-631-1881
62
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 19
THE LIGHTER SIDE
Too Many Cooks Do Not Always Spoil the Broth
By Bryan Lavery
O
ur North American regard for food
has flourished into an interesting
film genre. Julie and Julia, Tampopo,
Babette’s Feast and Big Night are examples of films where food and the culinary arts are
the true stars. Julie and Julia depicts renowned
chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary
career, allowing the audience to savour the
remarkable nature of Julia Child’s achievements. The film contrasts Child’s life to
food blogger Julie Powell, who aspires to
recreate all 524 recipes from Child’s collaborative cookbook, Mastering the Art
of French Cooking, in 365 days. Already
warmly embraced. Julie and Julia will
no doubt achieve cult status among
food enthusiasts in years to come.
Big Night is the film that comes
closest in approximating many of
my own experiences in the restaurant business. It is the story of two
brothers operating an Italian restaurant, serving authentic Italian fare in the 1950s,
when “Americanized” spaghetti and meatballs
normally defined Italian cuisine.
The plot revolves around the planning and
preparation of an elaborate eight-course feast.
But the story also deals with balancing culinary
arts with paying the bills. At the heart of the movie
lurks the unquestionable truth that genuine
gastronomic pursuits are always labours of love.
I have been inspired enough to recreate this
meal on three separate occasions, most notably as a fundraiser for our local Slow Food convivium a couple of years ago. The meal was the
collective effort of several collaborative chefs.
Our vision was not only to recreate the movie
feast, but to promote a sense of community
among local chefs and restaurants.
The evening commenced when guests arrived
wearing vintage 1950s evening dress, setting the
stage for an evening of camaraderie, great food
and exceptional wine. A long table laden with
antipasti was presented, and pre-dinner aperitifs
were served. The chefs mingled with the patrons
and showed little indication the pressure was on.
Guests were seated. The kitchen was
immediately transformed into a hub of activity and conviviality. In a flash, we dispelled
the assumption that too many chefs spoil the
broth, as we served out steaming hot vessels of
delicate consommé enhanced with freshly dug
carrots, Italian parsley and homemade pasta.
Following a spectacular juggling act of
pans that paid homage to prop-based circus
skills, we produced in unison a trio of delicate,
creamy risotti. One was flavoured with fresh
spinach and basil, another with Roma tomatoes and fresh shellfish, and the third with goat
cheese, two fresh sheep’s milk cheeses, and
Parmigiano-Reggiano. These were ladled onto
large platters to simulate the three equal vertical bands of the Italian flag. Like the film, we
poured our souls into each course, lavishing
care and attention on the cooking.
The next course was timpano,
the film’s penultimate dish. Meticulously assembled in advance, it
required additional baking. Timing
was paramount, given the constraints
of only two ovens. When carefully
unmoulded intact, the timpano was
visually stunning. Kindred to the lasagna, but far more dramatic in scale,
timpano is a signature special-occasion
dish from Calabria. In our version, the
timpano’s sturdy, drum-shaped crust
is filled with multiple layers of regional
specialties that include spicy penne,
homemade sausage, provolone, meatballs, marinated artichokes, olives, roasted red peppers,
pesto and grated hard-boiled eggs.
In the film you only catch a glimpse of the
next course, so improvisation and the constant
refocusing of one’s attention were required.
We presented two baked and stuffed whole
Atlantic salmons infused with fennel, skewered
with black tiger shrimp and sauced with lemon
aioli. Then we followed with oven-roasted
capons stuffed with apple, pear and quince
and glazed with a pomegranate butter sauce.
After a brief interlude, two whole-roasted,
boned, crispy pigs emerged from the ovens
and, once dressed, they were paraded around
the dining room to great fanfare.
The evening’s decadence was topped off
by platters of baked fresh fig and raspberry
crostada, cantucci (a type of biscotti), seasonal
fruit, nuts and traditional amaretti cookies.
It was well past midnight before the reverent
guests settled into cups of espresso and glasses
of grappa and lemoncello.
Our interpretations of the Big Night meal
were such epicurean triumphs that I have
often discussed creating the entire meal from
Babette’s Feast. However, it occurred to me that
to achieve such gastronomic accuracy to the
food’s role in that film, one would indeed have
to win the lottery and be as self-sacrificing as
the protagonist in that film. 
BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Contributing Editor.
DRY STREAK
issue no. 19
www.eatdrink.ca 63
By Leeann Minogue, Directed by Rona Waddington
OCTOBER 20-NOVEMBER 7
THE WIZARD
OF OZ
By L. Frank Baum with Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen
and E.Y. Harburg, Directed by Susan Ferley,
Musical Director - Mike Lerner, Choreographer - Kerry Gage
NOVEMBER 25-JANUARY 3
THE LAST
FIVE YEARS
Written and Composed by Jason Robert Brown, Directed by Eda Holmes
Musical Director - Ryan De Souza, Background Music by Herbert Stothart
JANUARY 19-FEBRUARY 6
WINGFIELD LOST
AND FOUND
Written by Dan Needles, Directed by Doug Beattie
FEBRUARY 9-28
PRIDE AND
PREJUDICE
By Jane Austen, Original Adaptation by James Maxwell,
Revised by Alan Stanford, Directed by Susan Ferley
MARCH 10-APRIL 3
LEGENDS
Conceived, Written and Directed by Alex Mustakas,
Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Robert Foster,
Choreographer - Gino Berti
APRIL 20-MAY 22
DINNER
AND A PLAY
Affordable. Flexible. Convenient.
The Grand Theatre’s Dinner and a Play package
offers you an easy way to have a great night out!
Enjoy a fabulous night at The Grand, along with
dinner at one of London’s finest restaurants.
TICKETS
519.672.8800
grandtheatre.com
MAKES A WONDERFUL GIFT. Packages just $80* per person,
book yours today!
*40 theatre ticket does not include $2 per ticket Capital Improvement Fund or GST. Offer is valid Tuesday to Thursday evening
performances. The $40 restaurant gift certificate has no cash value.
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abruzzi - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

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