Restaurants - 3 recent discoveries

With dear friends Josette et Jacques, at their suggestion.
« Bu » in Montréal http://www.bu-mtl.com/Bar_a_Vins

It’s a wine bar, in the European tradition, on St-Laurent, passed St-Joseph. Slick decor. They serve smart Italian cuisine. But you go to enjoy the wine. We started with a 2007 Viognier from Stags Leap in Napa, a favourite of Cynthia, and quite deserving! With the risotto of the day, I chose a Chardonnay, a 2005 Alto Adige, from Alois Lageder, a winery nested in the “contreforts” of the Italian Alps, which turned out to be spectacular – very fresh and crisp à la Bourgogne, but also rich in flavour, and no trace of oak!


“Treadwell” at Port Dalhousie, in the peninsula of the Niagara http://www.treadwellcuisine.com/

Brunch (a de facto annual event now?) with dear friends Ed and Lorraine; and Laurence who flew in from Portland, Oregon, the night before to spend a couple of days with us in Toronto. Neat place, on the water (a canal - part of the great Welland locks system that links Lake Erie to Lake Ontario). Ate on the patio.

Operated by British-born chef-owner Stephen Treadwell; long-time established in the peninsula, but opened his own restaurant only recently, in 2006. “Farm-to-Table” concept...which I read to mean fresh food from the well-endowed region of Niagara.

Had a superb meal, as brunches go. Truffled cauliflower soup (with lemon-crusted sea scallop)to start with; and to follow, a pan-seared whitefish with scrambled eggs (and buttered spinach and dill boiled potatoes). We had our meal with a couple of bottles of a 2007Sauvignon Blanc from the Peninsula Ridge winery, very “mineral” as it should, a good recommendation from son James who runs the wine side of the business.

After the meal, we pushed to the Falls – Laurence had never seen them!


“The Dining Room at Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa”, in Cambridge, Ontario http://www.langdonhall.ca/dining.htm

On the way back from Stratford... Country estate built a century ago by an American, Langdon, in the American southern style of the day (“Federal Revival” as it is known). Bought from the family and restored as a hotel in the late 1980’s. Surrounded by some 40 acres of land and forest. Magnificent retreat. One of the few “Relais & Châteaux” in Canada.

Dining Room gives on garden and terrace at the back.

Celebrating 13 years of being together (certainly worth 2 glasses of Taittinger Brut to mark the occasion!)

Cynthia had the Langdon Lettuce Soup (Celeriac Brandade, Breakfast Radish, Hudson Bay Caviar, Bronze Fennel) paired with a Vouvray. Her main course was the Everspring Farm Guinea Hen “Poche-Grille” (Ravioli, Braised Leg, Smoked Paprika Marmalade, Baby Leek, Jus Gras) paired with a glass of Corbières

As an appetizer I had the Ice Wine Pickerel “Ceviche” (Foie Gras Parfait, Grape & Walnut Vinaigrette, Salted Orange, Pickled Cape Gooseberries) - remarkable, paired with a glass of rosé, followed by the Olive Oil Poached Black Cod (BBQ Sugar, Fine Beans, Chanterelles, Globe Artichokes Bergamot) with a well-paired glass of Pinot Noir from the Niagara Peninsula.

No deserts, just two (very good) cappuccinos. Quite a delight!

The Chef, Jonathan Gushue, is originally from Newfoundland we’re told, a young man with a rather prestigious pedigree so far (having been the executive chef at the Four Seasons’ Truffles restaurant in Toronto amongst other places). Sommelier Kathleen Moore did the wine pairing for us.


P.S. The sommelier was kind enough to get us the details of the wines we had. Very kind of her.

Good Day,

The wines you had with your meal were the following

* Rose (it might have been a Cabernet Blanc from the peninsula)

2008 Niagara Peninsula, White Cabernet, Daniel Lenko available through the winery it is a blend of Cabernets Sauvignon & Franc

* Vouvray

2006 Vouvray Chateau Gaudrelle Available through Hobbs & CO. wine agency. Made with Chenin Blanc

* Pinot Noir (from Niagara-on-the-lake)

2007 Niagara Peninsula Pinot Noir 20th Anniversary Tawse house blend made for us to celebrate our 20th anniversary. May be available at the winery.

* Corbières

2004 Corbieres Peyriac de Mer From Curries wine agency. 30%Syrah 70% Mouvedre

I am glad you enjoyed the pairings. If you have any other questions please let me know.



Katy Moore

Sommelier & Beverage Manager

Stratford + 5

Last opening series at Stratford Shakespeare Festival – 5 altogether


The Trespassers, written and directed by prolific Canadian playwright Morris Panych. Family drama in the orchards of the Okanagan valley! Original work, world première at the Festival. Dying left-leaning grandpa, teaching life lessons (poker and sex!) to his bi-polar grandson, against the wish of single, frustrated mother, with the help of clichéd sympathetic whore. Harsh theme, well-structured drama, streamlined set...Part of the modern theatre experience...


Midsummer Night’s Dream. A great reminder of Shakespeare’s extraordinarily diverse talent! Macbeth, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, yes, all great tragedies. But then this allegory of love, such a romantic piece in fairyland, where magic in the end sets every love right – what a delight! This is a great production by British director David Grindley at his debut at Stratford. Tom Rooney, as Puck, Oberon’s jester, and Geraint Wyn Davies, as turned-into-an-ass Bottom, steal the show! The set, with its hydraulically manipulated collapsing platform, is also quite fitting for the dancing and jumping punkish fairies, clad in tight leather and chains! (The clothing transposition did not bother me that much in this case, at least for the fairies – the 1950’s outfits of the rest of the cast is another story...)

Don’t think that any production of Dream could ever compare for me to the first one I saw (and the first Shakespeare play I recall seeing), Peter Brook’s production of the play with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I saw it in 1971 at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End – a young man then on summer holiday discovering the world! So acrobatic, so light, almost “diaphane”! I read somewhere that Brook’s Dream stands as one of the most influential theatrical productions of the 20th century! I would have loved to see Robert Lepage’s rendering of Dream, which he put together in 1992 with the Royal National Theatre in London, the first North-American to direct a Shakespeare play at the RNT, I seem to recall the headlines then.


Rice Boy, a play by Indian-Canadian playwright Sunil Kuruvilla (he lives in Waterloo), directed by Guillermo Verdecchia, a Canadian director and writer who is at his first in Stratford but has written and directed many other plays elsewhere in Canada. A mix of nostalgia of not so good a life in India (Kerala) by a father and son immigrants to Canada; the father can’t adjust – he yearns for a return; the son did not want to leave and now certainly does not want to go back. It’s about men who have lost their women, physically (grandpa and father) or otherwise (uncle); it’s about women who can’t find happiness in their current state (auntie who has lost hope; servant girl who will eventually too) or fleeing their unpromising future (crippled cousin Tina who escapes marriage to an ugly man). You get the picture; not a happy one! A glimpse at domestic miseries, life with its family drama not very different than those elsewhere than India but played out in a very Indian style reflecting their own cultural antecedents. Cynthia found a woman drying up her tears in the W.C., clearly very affected by the outcome. We walked out of there pretty dry-eyed...

P.S. got an additional perspective hearing Kuruvilla at one of the sessions the Festival puts up for members of the Playwright Circle Sunday morning, this one about play development. The Festival has now made it its mission to promote and feature at least 3 Canadian playwrights as part of its annual playlist. This year, it is The Trespassers, Rice Boy and Zastrozzi. We learned how much the process of creation is an on-going one, where the play itself evolves from production to production, a novelty for me, although we gathered that this was also going on in Shakespeare’s time, where multitude versions of some of the better-known plays exist. Rice Boy has been considerably modified for this production, with the contribution of actors as well as the “dramaturge” and the artistic director. Recomforting to hear the playwright to say at the end that he came back to the original ideas that inspired him!


Phèdre de Jean Racine, directed here by San Francisco American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) artistic director Carey Perloff, using a translation cum adaptation by contemporary playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker. Extraordinary Phaedra by veteran Stratford actor Seana McKenna; the moment she walks in, you sense the inescapable and fatal drama that haunts this doomed woman. And McKenna sustains this throughout the tormented and painful path to the bitter end. Hippolytus, Theseus, Oenone are all excellent but she dominates (as it should). It called for comparison with the rendering by the Royal National Theatre we just saw last June broadcasted live (well, almost - 6 hour deferment) from London at a Cineplex: wonderful but I prefer McKenna’s Phaedra to that of Helen Mirren’s (http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/phedre). This is a performance I will remember.
Of course I hated the clothing transposition from antic Greece, where it belongs, to some 17th century fashion, burdening Phaedra and Theseus in heavy clothing unnecessarily. Serves absolutely no purpose in this case and only creates a distraction. A disappointment at the very first scene when Hippolytus comes in dressed like a “mousquetaire” without all his regalia – was that intended as a tribute to Racine!?! Who knows – I wish I could have met the director at the reception afterwards to ask her – but I will get over it!


Zastrozzi. A play from the 70’s by Canadian George F. Walker. This is apparently a seminal work. Walker wrote many other plays since. Iconoclast, allegoric! Weird for sure at the time. Have to be seen in its context – a wanted break from tradition even from what nationalistic inspiration that motivated alternative theatre at the time – but has not aged that badly. Enjoyed in the moment. Again part of the Canadian theatre discovery experience...

Stratford, August 23, 2009

Prince Edward County – the restaurants

Did not set to check them out but in the end was able to sample a few.
Remarkably, and that is from comments I heard, PEC has a very high density of high-end, “haute cuisine” restaurants. That is a reflection of a number of things, in part because of the bent towards the quality of local produces, the winery factor, the fact that well-known chefs have come here, from Toronto or elsewhere, and most of all the affluence of those who visit, or more to the point, who have moved here, mostly from Toronto

First great (and only as it turned out) meal was at Blumen Garden Bistro. The chef and owner is Swiss. The place is packed and has been like that for weeks, one of the (only three) servers tells me – they did not even bother answering the phone when I called twice a few hours before, or for that matter checked the messages I had left asking for a reservation! I saw why – too busy and short staffed! Large garden seating, but I decided to move in...the mosquitoes coming out just before it gets darker...

I had as an appetizer their shrimp and lobster ravioli – excellent but it could have been warmer – with a glass of Baco Noir (a varietal that you find in cooler growing areas of North America – I think it is “banned” in France or Europe for some reason...), which was delicious (from the Sandbanks Estate Winery.) The main course, a local pickerel served on a bed of spinach coulis, with a filo filled of sautéed vegetables, was divine; mismatched it though with a local Pinot Gris (the Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery)that was way too light to sustain this very flavour fish – a Chardonnay, may be, but they did not serve it by the glass (I remarked this to the staff). Nice conversation with the couple sitting beside me: probably typical of the new “immigrants” – retiring professionals (?), selling the house in Toronto, coming to a nice area to enjoy the pleasing surroundings, the food, the wine, the good restaurants, the culture – there is apparently a lot; studios for residing and visiting artists and artisans, glass blowing, music festivals, etc. – and to live nearby friends and associates that have already moved in here; not too far from the city (and in their case equidistant to Montreal and Ottawa where they have children)...probably traveling abroad some, and spending the winter in the south under warmer latitudes. Life is good!

Cynthia and I had gone first at The Inn-Lake on the Mountain Resort. Very busy again. Sat outside and we stayed there. Located in an old vintage house, the restaurant is operated by French Canadian Gilles Chrétien and his wife. The place is sitting by that local curiosity, the Mountain Lake, which is at some 50 metres above the neighbouring, in sight, Lake Ontario or one of its adjoining waters, seemingly hanging there. (Dispute as to why; almost lost the argument, until it was recognized that lakes just don’t sit there: the water comes in from somewhere – inner sources as it turns out in this case – and goes out somehow, and yes, there was an outlet for the water flowing from the upper lake to the lower one – it used to be falls, now it is piped...)

Food wise, we thought ordinary, nothing exceptional. The Chrétien tourtière could have been more “assaisonnée” believed Cynthia (probably better used to her father’s spicier recipe!), and my supreme of chicken was good but nothing memorable. I enjoyed the very hearty tomato soup though. The wine, a bottle of Bergeron Pinot Noir, too light but promising...http://www.lakeonthemountain.com/

Had a last dinner, while in the County, at Portabella. Full. Went again for the pickerel, the special of the day, but I should have stuck to pasta, their known specialty. Not that the dish was bad, but it was served with a cream sauce (vodka and lemon) that was too rich for my stomach, aside from the fact that the fish was several notches below the wonderful version of the pickerel I had the night before at Blumen. Their soup of the day (puree of tomato and eggplant) was very tasty though. Savoured a Pinot Noir with it (the Grange winery) – light and spicy; very rusty in colour. Not so lucky with the white to go with my fish: same mistake as last night and went for the Pinot Gris by default (Grange, again). Was discouraged from having the Chardonnay (oaky I was told) but that was wrong as I discovered from the taster the manager (or owner?) brought me (after the meal): not oaky at all, but fruitier than one would expect (lots of apple traces) and would have been decidedly an improvement over the Pinot Gris. Well, it would be for another time...

P.S. ever heard of a “honeysuckle” varietal? One was on the offering by the Waupoos winery. It’s a white and apparently a blend of some kind; currently very “trendy” in the County I am told...


Here is the list of what is known as the “Fine Dining” places in the County (http://www.pec.travel/)


Claramount Inn & Spa
97 Bridge St.
Picton
innreception@claramountinn.com
(613) 476-2709
Toll Free: 1 (800) 679-7756 Overlooking picturesque Picton Bay, Claramount welcomes guests to a gracious 1906 Colonial Revival home.


Merrill Inn Restaurant
343 Main Street
Picton Ontario
merrillinn@bellnet.ca
(613) 476-7451
Toll Free: 1-866-567-5969 Intimate fine dining. Seasonal patio. Creative culinary specialties featuring local produce crafted by renowned chef Michael Sullivan.
Toronto Life ***, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.


The Devonshire Inn on the Lake and Restaurant
24 Wharf St.
Wellington ON, K0K 3L0
(613) 399-1851
Toll Free: 1 (800) 544-9937 Enjoy simple yet elegant cuisine on the shore of a great lake.
Savour fresh county fare prepared by chef Colin Willams.

Waring House Restaurant, Inn, Conference Centre & Cookery School
Hwy# 33 and County Road #1
Box 20024, R.R. #1
Picton, Bloomfield
613-476-7492
Toll Free: 1 (800) 621-4956 A taste of old Ontario in the heart of Beautiful Prince Edward County.

The Inn at Lake on the Mountain Resort
264 Cty. Rd. 7, R.R#9
Picton
(613) 476-1321 Picturesque Lake on the Mountain, subject of legends, is located 200 feet above the Bay of Quinte. Enjoy the exquisite views, fresh water swimming and fishing, cottage life and delightful meals at our restaurant The Inn.
Open daily from April - November


Restaurant on the Knoll
at Isaiah Tubbs
1642 County Road 12, RR#1
West Lake , K0K 2T0
itr@isaiahtubbs.com
To contact The Restaurant directly call (613) 393-2063
Toll Free: 1 (800) 724-2393
The perfect dining location for quiet dinners for two or large parties and groups.
View our menu items and specials on our website.
Lakeside dining on our screened verandah, casual dining room, Sandbar Lounge and on our large patio!


Milford Bistro
3048 County Road 10
Milford
reservations@milfordbistro.com
(613) 476-0004
Toll Free: 1-866-576-0004 10 minutes from Picton in a picturesque location by the Mill Pond and the Black River, you'll find our charming 19th century Bistro.
We serve genuine County Cuisine, sourcing ingredients from farms within walking distance. A wide selection of local wines available.
Reservations recommended.


Bloomfield Carriage House Restaurant
located on Corey St, at the back of the marshmallow room bakery
260 Main St.
Bloomfield
info@bloomfieldcarriagehouse.com
(613) 393-1087

Award winning cuisine by chef Scott Kapitan featuring organic and local produce.
Sample local and international wines by the glass.
Reservations recommended, seasonal hours.


Angeline's Restaurant
433 Main St.
Loyalist Parkway
Bloomfield
angelines@angelinesinn-spa.com
For room or dinner reservations:
Phone/Fax: 613-393-3301
Toll Free: 1-877-391-3301 Innovative award-winning cuisine in a charming historical setting. Seasonal, local produce, and decadent, mouth-watering desserts. The ambiance is elegant and intimate.
• screened-in patio
• recommended by `Where to Eat in Canada`
• newly-decorated 9-room inn
• art exhibits and workshops


Currahs Cafe
& Restaurant
252 Main Street
Picton
(613) 476-6374 Fresh seafood, gourmet coffee and Ontario VQA wines are our specialty. Open early and closing late, we are only steps away from the Regent Theatre and downtown shops.
Lunch, dinner and catering.

Blumen Garden Bistro
647 Hwy 49
Picton Ontario, K0K 2T0
613-476-6841
Modern Homestyle Cuisine
by Andreas Feller.
Seasonally inspired menu.

Portabella
265 Main Street
Picton
613-476-7057 Lunch and dinner.
Voted favourite overall dining,
readers choice award.


Harvest
106 Bridge Street
Picton
cuisine@harvestrestaurant.ca
(613) 476-6763 Local gastronomic delights.
Seasonally inspired food.

Prince Edward County - add wine to its various attractions!

Vacationing in Prince Edward County. 6 days, 2 with Cynthia. Unique. Almost an island, right off the mainland, giving on one of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario. Some 150 kilometres east of Toronto. The Saint-Lawrence River starts a few kilometres upstream (actually 28 nautical miles we're told!), about where Kingston is. One of the earliest settlements in Ontario. Known as Loyalist country, peopled by those who left the American colonies, faithful to the British Crown, after their independence, end of the 18th century. Second wave of inhabitants came after the Second WW: farmers from the Netherlands in search of a new life in a new adopted land. Also, over the last twenty or thirty years, the "refuge" of those who have had enough of the city life (the case of our B&B owners and our sailing tour operators, all “refugees” who escaped Toronto in the 70s and 80s!) and now “terre de prédilection” for newly retirees.

Known for its agriculture; rich soil; "the food basket of Toronto". Family farms that have now regain popularity for their organic practices. Started with wheat in 19th century, then barley, and dairy and canning crops; lots of butter and cheese plants, as well as canning operations, virtually all gone now. Agricultural revival though going on, supported by all sorts of local initiatives, promoting local food produces – check www.harvestin.ca. Most intriguing is the Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company, brand new – hi-tech mixed with recipes and methods from immemorial times – goat and sheep milk cheese factory (www.fifthtown.ca) – Had some of their Cape Vessey (hard), and Operetta and Lost Lake (soft)for lunch later on in the week. One year plus in operations. The “greenest” dairy that you could ever find – you should read their “green dairy self-guided tour”! Built according to worldwide “Platinum LEED” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, it has a wind turbine and solar panels on site, generating mind you less than 10% of their energy needs (but it’s better than anywhere else!); its goat and sheep milk supplier farms, all locals, must adhere to some green plan; construction materials all according to LEED standards; water efficiency and waste management conscious; ages its cheeses in underground caves to save on power; etc. Quite impressive!

Wine country since the 80s – the literature talks of some 20 wineries now (I could only count 14!), up from 3 in the beginnings. With some 700 acres of vines, it is the second largest viticulture area of Ontario (after the renowned Niagara-on-the-Lake region). Has its own appellation: VQA Prince Edward County. Good variety of soils: from thick gravelly to clay soils; plus limestone, the secret to cool-climate viticulture, I am told. Focussed on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay varieties; can also find some Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Gris. Something unique that I had never encountered before: because the winters are colder than in the Niagara region, and in spite of the proximity of Lake Ontario, they bury their grapevines every fall – must be awfully labour-intensive! Have a yearly festival of county wines early in the season to taste their new spring releases (Victoria Day weekend); best way to experience their wines – we should check it out next year. (www.thecountywines.ca). Another reference site: http://www.winesofcanada.com/ontario_pec.html `

Becoming or is very much a tourist destination. Population of the county triples in the summer, from 20,000 to 60,000. They call it Ontario’s Riviera – primarily I suppose for the beaches at the provincial park – Sandbanks with sand dunes as high as 80 metres, “the largest freshwater sand dune system in the world”! The geography of the county lends itself to it as well – more than 800 kilometres of shoreline, full of bays and peninsulas. Lots of chalets – more like second, all-year around homes – you get to see when you paddle along the shore. The true Canadian summer-holiday dream: chalet by the water, enjoying the sun and the cool breeze by the lake or the river – for most sitting on the deck, barbecuing or sipping a beer or wine, looking at the sun going down. July or August at its best (September if you are lucky but fall sometimes comes very early!)

Staying at a great B&B, “Bed & Beyond” (http://www.bbcanada.com/10833.html) at one of the extremities of the county, giving on the Adolphus Reach. Barb and Don are gems of hosts. New to the business, the spacious house is no more than two years old. Great rooms – ours with a full view of the water – giving on a small marina they operate (first picture above). I’d say about 20-25 kilometres further up from Picton, the major town in the county. The road at the back of the B&B provides a great running track – crushed stone on a layer of tar, 2.5km to the end of the peninsula, and return, a perfect 5km!

Sailed while Cynthia is with me. Peter and Paulette Jamieson operate a sailing cruise, along with their B&B (Bayside B&B - http://www.bbcanada.com/baysidebb). Perfect weather – sunny, cool, with a 15-knot wind. Could not have asked for better; and very lucky at that considering the unsettled weather so far this summer. Boarded their 32 footer at Waupoos Marina, with both of them. Peter is a pro – almost born sailor, he has crossed the Atlantic – very meticulous. Born in Toronto, he saw the light early on and moved here in the 80’s. Paulette has learned the trade years ago with Peter. We feel we are in good hands! Sailed off Smiths Bay, going by Waupoos Island, where flocks of sheep are kept grazing – we ran into a whole flock of them on our way to the marina crossing the road, having been brought ashore on a large barge from the island; they had just been sheered. Spent most of the time cruising in the large Prince Edward Bay, just off Lake Ontario. Moored at Little Bluff for lunch and a dip in the water – cool but so refreshing. Spent the rest of the afternoon getting back slowly to the marina. Delightful!

Great weather all week actually. Spent leisurely, reading, writing, some running and swimming. We should be back, if only for wine (in the spring) or food (in the fall) tasting.

August 7, 2009