Eatdrink #62 November/December 2016

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007 

№ 62 • November/December 2016 

www.eatdrink.ca 

THE HOLIDAY ISSUE 

FREE 

Blessings & 

Offerings at 

Revival 

House 

in Stratford 

ANNUAL 

eatdrink 

Gift Guide 

INSIDE 

FEATURING 

The Big Bad Wolfes 

The Wolfe of Wortley 

Perth County Adventures 

An Inspiring Culinary Tour 

Historic Destinations 

Toronto’s Distillery District 

FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Dark Beers | Sparkling Wines | Craft Cocktails | Music | Theatre | Recipes

2 www.eatdrink.ca 

№ 62 | November/December 2016 

Savour STRATFORD 

this season 

Find exceptional gifts in our downtown shops draped in fresh 

cedar boughs and sparkling lights. Listen for strolling musicians 

and meet Santa and Comet in Stratford’s magical winter 

wonderland. Be sure to enter our SHOP! STRATFORD Christmas 

draw for a chance to win even more Christmas cheer. 

Renew your holiday spirit at our Christmas sing-a-long and 

Handel’s Messiah with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra. 

Savour the flavours of the season with friends at the Outdoor 

Christmas Market. Gather together at inspired dinners in cozy 

restaurants and Stratford Chefs School dinners and lunches. 

Come celebrate our festive season. 

Plan your escape at visitstratford.ca 

@SavourStratford 

@StratfordON 

StratfordON 

Stratford, 

Ontario 

VisitStratfordON

Celebrate the 

Holidays 

Our Festive Buffets and 

Brunches Have Returned! 

Grand Hall Festive Lunch Buffet 

December 5 th – 23 rd 

(Monday – Friday) 

Festive Sunday Brunch 

December 4 th , 11 th & 18 th (Sundays) 

Reservations required. 

Experience the 

Windermere Difference: 

exceptional banquet facilities 

for holiday gatherings 

stay the evening at our onsite 

spacious and welcoming 

guest suites 

enjoy our intimate and 

welcoming Restaurant 

Ninety one 

ample complimentary parking 

Windermere Manor & 

Restaurant Ninety One 

200 Collip Circle, London ON 

(at the Research Park) 

Please call our holiday line 

519-858-1391 x 20430 

or 1.800.997.4477 

windermeremanor.com

eatdrink 

 

inc. 

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 

eatdrinkmag 

@eatdrinkmag 

Think Global. 

Read Local. 

Publisher 

Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca 

Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca 

Food Editor 

Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Copy Editor 

Kym Wolfe 

Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Advertising Sales Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca 

Stacey McDonald – stacey@eatdrink.ca 

Finances 

Ann Cormier – finance@eatdrink.ca 

Graphics 

Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy 

Writers 

Jane Antoniak, Gerry Blackwell, Darin Cook, 

Gary Killops, Nicole Laidler, Bryan Lavery, 

Wayne Newton, Darcy S. O’Neil, 

Sue Sutherland Wood, Tracy Turlin. 

Photographers Steve Grimes, Nick Lavery 

Telephone & Fax 519-434-8349 

Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6 

Website 

City Media 

Printing 

Sportswood Printing 

© 2016 eatdrink inc. and the writers. All rights reserved. 

Reproduction or duplication of any material published in 

eatdrink or on eatdrink.ca is strictly prohibited without the 

written permis sion of the Publisher. eatdrink has a printed 

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of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the 

Publisher. The Publisher welcomes submissions but accepts no 

responsibility for unsolicited material. 

eatdrink.ca 

Read every issue online, 

no matter which device you prefer. 

Every Page • Current Issue • Back Issues 

Plus! 

New Stories Only Online 

Plus! 

OUR COVER 

Stratford’s Revival House owners 

Candice and Rob Wigan proudly 

show off the restaurant’s main 

dining room. 

Photo by Nick Lavery of Take 5 Digital 

(www.t5digital.com) 

focused on using only the freshest, local, and seasonal ingredients 

A boutique, farm-to-table, custom, everything-from-scratch (even the ketchup) Caterer 

serving London & Area with different and unique ideas Corporate 

Catering 

www.heirloomcateringlondon.com 519-719-9030 Specialists

Join Downtown London for the annual 

Winter Light Christmas Walk 

November 18-19, 2016 

GIVE LOVED ONES 

THE GIFT OF A 

DELICIOUS MEAL 

162 Wortley Road, London ON N6C 3P7 

info@plantmatterkitchen.com 

519.660.3663 

#PLANTMATTERKITCHEN 

GOOD FOOD & GOOD TIDINGS! 

ALL SEASON LONG 

FROM EVERYONE AT PMK 

BRUNCH, LUNCH, DINNER, DRINKS 

plantmatterkitchen.com

contents ISSUE № 62 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 

10 

16 

20 

24 

50 

58 

65 

FOOD WRITER AT LARGE 

10 Perth County Adventures: An Inspiring Culinary Tour 

By BRYAN LAVERY 

RESTAURANTS 

16 Blessings and Offerings at Revival House, in Stratford 


20 The Big Bad Wolfes: The Wolfe of Wortley, in London 


ROAD TRIPS 

24 Historic Destinations: Food, Fun & Shopping in Toronto 

By WAYNE NEWTON 

CULINARY RETAIL 

30 The EATDRINK Gift Guide 

NEW & NOTABLE 

38 The BUZZ 

ANNUAL 

eatdrink 

Gift Guide 

BEER MATTERS 

45 Try Something New: Ontario Craft Dark Beer! 


30 

WINE 

48 Four Sparkling Recommendations for the Holiday Season 

By GARY KILLOPS 

SPIRITS 

50 Pleased as Punch! 

By DARCY S. O’NEIL 

52 Craft Cocktails 

Compiled by BRYAN LAVERY 

THE CLASSICAL BEAT 

55 Sounds of the Season 

By NICOLE LAIDLER 

38 

THE BUZZ 

VARIOUS MUSICAL NOTES 

58 Award-Winning Musicians at a Venue near You 

By GERRY BLACKWELL 

THEATRE 

60 The Magic of Holiday Theatre 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

BOOKS 

63 Chicken in a Mango Tree 

by Jeffrey Alford 

Review by DARIN COOK 

COOKBOOKS 

65 The Baker in Me 

by Daphna Rabinovitch 

Review & Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN 

THE LIGHTER SIDE 

70 Wrapping Up the Holidays 

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD 

45 

63

a step closer to Italy... 

Family-owned & operated, siblingsTina and Len 

are celebrating 10 years of bringing a genuine 

taste of Italy to Chatham. In homage to their 

mother Maria, they insist upon from-scratch 

cooking using the best of local ingrendients. 

The restaurant is sophisticated yet approachable. 

A beautiful patio overlooks the Thames River. 

Catering and two well-appointed 

private function rooms are available. 

231 King Street West, Chatham 

519-360-1600 

Open for Dinner Daily / Lunch Monday-Saturday 

www.mammamariasristorante.ca 

HOLIDAY 

PARTY 

SPECIALISTS 

BOOK YOUR 

PARTY TODAY! 

Frendz is run by the creative team of Brenda 

Boismier and Chef Marc King. The warm, cozy 

Resto/Lounge is designed for friends to gather for 

good food and good times. Weekend entertainment 

features local talent. The upscale yet affordable 

menu features international cuisine, prepared from 

scratch, from Spanish tapas to steak and seafood. 

Craft beer and an extensive drink menu is on offer. 

216 King Street West, Chatham 

519-436-1313 

Open Tuesday–Saturday for Lunch & Dinner 

www.frendzlounge.com 

a step closer to 

Please 

home... 

join us!



notes from the publisher 

Top 10 Tips for the Wine & Food Show 

By CHRIS McDONELL 

I 

am always excited to present the 

Holiday Issue. Parties, gifts, and time 

with family are all on the agenda and 

our writers have done their best to 

help guide you to success in every aspect of 

this festive time. On behalf of everyone here, 

I wish you all the very best of the season. 

It’s not too early to think about the London 

Wine and Food Show running January 19–21. 

This event, in its 12th year, has grown so popular 

that it is prudent to make your plan early, 

before we distribute our first issue of 2017. 

The show promises another enticing 

mix of local chefs, restaurateurs, 

wineries, brewers and distillers, 

tasting seminars, stage presentations, 

industry experts and entertainment. 

To help you make the most of 

it, we present our Top 10 Tips. 

Pick the right day to attend. Thursday 

1 is generally much less crowded, offering 

the best opportunity to chat with and learn 

from the exhibitors. Friday and Saturday 

bring a more intense party atmosphere — it’s 

fun! — but busier. Friday is also Ladies Night, 

with some unique presentations. 

Get enough sample tickets. Start with at 

2 least 20 tickets, 30 for a couple. (You can 

share some samples.) You can buy more later. 

Save money on Thursday. New, the 

admission price will be lower on Day One. 

3 

4 

Don’t arrive at peak times. Attendance 

levels are constantly monitored for 

safety reasons, and line-ups frequently occur 

on Friday and Saturday between 5–8pm. 

Dress warmly. Despite your best effort, 

5 outside line-ups can occur. There is a 

complimentary coat check in the front lobby. 

Do not bring children. No one under 

age 19 can enter, including babies. 

6 

7 

Have a plan to get home safely. 

There are non-alcoholic options, 

but if you might over-indulge, bring 

a DD, use Diamondz Designated 

Drivers (the show’s official 

service), or plan to take a cab. 

8 

Buy your tickets early. 

Tickets are available in 

advance and online. They 

guarantee admission and speedier 

entry. www.londonwineandfoodshow.com 

Attend a Tasting Seminar. Register for 

9 these free events one hour prior to their 

time slot. Spots go quickly! 

10 

Plan ahead. Visit the website to 

see the lists of exhibitors, stage 

presentations and tasting seminars. Make 

the most of your time, and enjoy! 

Stunning Views 

Excellent Food 

Ambiance Galore 

Now Booking Christmas 

Parties at Both Locations 

TUES, WED, FRI, SAT, SUN 11am–5pm 

THURS 11–9 • Closed MON 

Available for Private Events for up to 60 

rhinolounge.ca | 519.850.5111 

at 

MUSEUM 

LONDON 

421 ridout st. 

HOLIDAY SPECIAL 

Pick Up & Reheat 

Turkey Dinners $24pp 

TUESDAY to FRIDAY, 11–4 

SUNDAY Brunch, 11–4 

Available Evenings for Private Events 

theriverroom.ca | 519.850.2287

Gift Certificates + 

Seasonal Gift Baskets 

Available! 

Trust... 

Taste... 

Roasts and 

Hams for the 

Holidays 

Comfort 

Food 

Specialties 

Quality... 

Christmas 

Themed 

Salamis 

Merry Makers Fair 

Sunday, November 13, 11am–3pm 

Upstairs on the Mezzanine, you’ll find some of 

the best handmade shopping around, from art, 

home decor, jewelry, clothing, bath & beauty 

products. Get a jump start on your Christmas 

list, and support local at the same time! 

Fibre Art Festival & Sale 

Friday, November 18, 10am–5pm; 

Saturday, November 19, 8:30am-5pm; 

Sunday, November 20, 11am-3pm 

Art for the Individual and the Home! Shop for 

locally made fibre creations on the Mezzanine. 

The Festival of Trees 

November 23–27 

Our annual fun 

family-friendly 

event includes 

specially decorated 

trees and wreaths 

that can be 

taken home by 

lucky winners 

in support of the 

Ontario Lung 

Association, Breakfast and photos with Santa, 

Santa’s Secret Shoppe and more. Please check 

our website for more details about this event. 

Open six days a week. 

Hensall, Ontario 

Just off Hwy 4, 45 minutes north of London. 

Available in London at 

The Village Meat Shop 

at Western Fair Farmers’ Market 

on Saturdays! 

www.metzgermeats.com 

519-262-3130 

Local Beef • Pork • Lamb • Poultry 

Specialty European Meat Products



food writer at large 

Perth County Adventures with 

Stratford Tourism Alliance & Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance 


Recently I participated in a tour of 

Perth County with Cathy Rehberg 

from Stratford Tourism Alliance 

(STA) and Agatha Podgorski from the 

Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA). 

They know how to set the benchmark of 

industry best practice for culinary tourism. 

The initial segment included stops at 

Kandy Cosstick’s Kandy Cakes and lunch at 

Monforte on Wellington, the down-to-earth 

Stratford osteria which features seasonal 

house specialties inspired by cheeses from 

the Monforte Dairy repertoire. 

We toured the new home of the Stratford 

Chefs School on Ontario Street while it was 

still under construction. Double 

storefront units are being 

repurposed into teaching 

kitchens and a 50-seat restaurant 

with a great street presence. 

The new facility allows 

the school to merge its teaching 

operations into one campus, 

and makes it feasible to 

add an additional semester 

in the summer months. Stratford 

Chef School is not only 

known for producing great 

chefs but also entrepreneurs. 

The next leg of the tour 

included stops and tastings at 

the Black Swan Brewing Company 

on Downie Street, operated 

by former local teachers 

Bruce Pepper and Ryan Stokes. 

We moved on to Downie Street 

Burgers where we sampled the 

signature poutine with bacon 

and tomato jam and St. Albert 

cheese curds covered in gravy. 

Here we also quaffed a pint of 

Black Swan’s Berliner Weisse. 

Next on the itinerary 

was Mike Heisz’s distillery, 

Junction 56, located in the former Pounder 

Brothers Building beside the Cambria Street 

railway tracks. We toured the distillery and 

tasted Heisz’s award-wining vodka, gin, and 

signature moonshine. You can stop by for a 

taste and a tour Saturdays at 11 am and while 

you are there you can purchase some locally 

crafted spirits for the holiday season. 

Since one of the region’s main fortes is 

accommodating visitors to the Stratford 

Festival in season, the area has a robust 

culinary culture dedicated to serving 

them. Only recently has it been feasible for 

many of the restaurants to operate year-round. 

Every Stratford restaurant worth its salt 

has owners and chefs 

dedicated to a balance of 

principles and procedures 

in an effort to offer a 

memorable and hospitable 

dining experience. 

Some restaurants and 

accommodators do this 

much better than others. 

Mercer Kitchen + Beer Hall 

+ Hotel is one. Chef Ryan 

O’Donnell’s menus feature 

items that are meant to be 

shared communally and 

reflect Mercer’s passions for 

the craft beer movement, 

and for building community. 

Chef prepared a multicourse 

tasting for our party 

showcasing his gastronomic 

oeuvre. The menu itself 

is an education on Perth 

County food procurement 

and is designed to appeal 

to the local community as 

well as visitors. The way we 

Sampling at Black Swan 

Brewing Company

№ 62 | November/December 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 11 

Mercer Kitchen + 

Beer Hall + Hotel, 

offers a memorable 

and hospitable 

experience 

Station building in St. Thomas, Ontario. 

The next part of our trip was through 

gently rolling landscape dotted with farms 

on the outskirts of the historic stone town 

of St. Marys. Here lies the pastoral 50-acre 

Transvaal Farm. Cindy Taylor and husband 

Scott McLauchlan are the epitome of 

hospitality and provide an informative 

agritourism experience. Besides meeting “the 

girls,” a bevy of Rhode Island Reds, the main 

elements of this adventure are a tour of the 

farm property by Scott McLaughlan, a lavish 

eat has become 

multicultural 

which is 

evidenced by O’Donnell’s selection of 

enticing ethnic-inspired menu items. 

We began our second day at Anne 

Campion’s Revel located in a former feed 

store off Stratford’s Market Square. Its tagline 

is “independent coffee for a revolution”. This 

community hub includes a custom-made 

communal table where we assembled for 

coffee and samples of delicious in-house 

baking. Campion explains that Las Chicas 

del Café coffee beans originate on a 100- 

acre plantation in the Nicaraguan rainforest 

that has been in the sisters’, Maria Fiallos’ 

and Valeria Fiallos-Soliman’s, family 

for generations. Campion bypasses the 

usual fair trade purveyors which require 

a multipart system of red tape. Instead, 

Campion buys her beans by direct trade 

which allows for a committed personal 

relationship with the growers. The sisters 

roast and package these beans at their 

facility in the historic (CASO) Railway 

A Locally Sourced Restaurant. 

Run by workers. Owned by workers. 

Shared by the Community. 

NOSH MONDAY Returns! 

{ } 

Beer Dinner and Supper Club 

events return for the winter season! 

See our Facebook page for details. 

@redrabbitresto 

64 Wellington St, Stratford 

www.redrabbitresto.com 

519.305.6464 

Closed TUES & WED

Calling All 

Soup Addicts! 


CHEF 

Owned & 

Operated 

40+ recipes in rotation, serving hot soup daily 

for lunch and frozen in take-home containers 

Fresh, Local & In-Season Ingredients 

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes 

No Added Preservatives or MSG 

Bringing Quality & Comfort Home 

98 Wellington Street, Stratford 

519.497.5167 

www.soupsurreal.com 

Full flavour descriptions on our website & 

follow us on FB & Twitter for daily menus 

TUES-FRI 11-6; SAT 11-4; SUN Slow Food Market 10-2 

Enjoy a hospitable 

agritourism experience 

at Transvaal Farm, just 

outside St. Marys, and 

meet “the girls,” a bevy 

of Rhode Island Reds. 

farm-to-table breakfast prepared by Cindy at 

the guest house, and a tour of the small-scale 

artisan goat cheese plant operated by Cindy’s 

brother, owner and cheesemaker of C’estbon 

Cheese Limited, George Taylor. 

Operations at C’estbon began as a 

retirement project for Taylor 16 years ago 

when he swapped a flock of sheep for a herd 

of Toggenburg and La Mancha goats. George 

began crafting small-batch cheese using 

only the milk from his own herd to create 

his proprietary C’estbon chèvre. In time, 

George relocated his goats to a neighbouring 

farm. The goat milk is now delivered from 

a local producer, Hewitt’s Dairy. True 

artisanal cheese can’t be mass-produced 

and is limited in quantity with specific 

characteristics deemed to be specialty in 

nature. Not a single item leaves C’estbon 

without George’s thumbprint on it. 

Stonetown Cheese on Perth County Line 8 

(Kirkton Road) was our next stop. Stonetown 

is a purveyor of Swiss mountain-style cheeses, 

hand-crafted by master cheesemaker Ramon 

Eberle. Using unpasteurized milk from 

farmers Hans and Jolanda Weber’s herd 

of Holsteins, Eberle creates three types of 

cheese. We are given a tour through the stateof-the-art 

milk receiving area, where the milk 

is brought to be processed and is heat-treated 

to 65° Celsius. The goal of using raw milk is to 

keep the cheese as natural as possible, so that 

it ripens nicely and the flavours improve with 

maturation. In another area the cheese curds 

are stirred, separated from the whey and 

pressed into wheels before they are brined. 

There are three very large and impressive 

maturation rooms for the aging of the cheese. 

The trio of stunning cheeses and other local


products are available to buy on-site at the 

farm store. I highly recommend a visit for 

cheese lovers. 

Next we had a casual pub lunch at downto-earth 

Little Red’s in downtown St. Marys. 

There were additional stops at McCully’s Hill 

Farm and Market for a tour of the bush in a 

horse-drawn wagon and an overview of the 

maple syrup processing facilities, and at The 

Best Little Pork Shoppe in Shakespeare. 

It is certainly invigorating to explore the 

bucolic countryside in and around Perth 

County. Drop by the Stratford Tourism 

Alliance for culinary tours of another kind. 

Self-guided Bacon & Ale Trail and Chocolate 

Trail tours are available all year round and 

tickets are available at the Stratford Tourism 

Alliance. There is also a seasonal Maple Trail 

to look forward to in March and April. 

It is always inspiring and heartwarming 

to see dedicated culinary entrepreneurs 

and artisans in this area who embrace the 

benefits of building community engagement 

through food. 

30 ONTARIO ST. 

Stratford, 

Ontario 

BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor and Writer at Large. 

dining + weddings + receptions 

concerts + dinner shows 

For parties tour of groups 2 or 200, + private in three functions 

gorgeous rooms 

REVIVAL … our inspired dining + events venue 

BELFRY … a chill upstairs gastrolounge 

CONFESSION … Stratford’s VIP hideaway 

BOOK YOUR 

HOLIDAY 

PARTY 

WITH US 

Whether you are planning a 

party for the office or for 

family & friends, we would 

love to host! 

With custom menus from 

both kitchen and bar, we will 

work together to create the 

perfect atmosphere for 

anything from a 

casual cocktail party to a 

formal seated dinner. 

70 Brunswick St. 

Stratford 

519.273.3424 

celebrate@revival.house 

For reservations, sample menus 

or more information, please call 

519-273-5886 

www.themillstone.ca 

inquiries@themillstone.ca

PRESENTED BY 



#LdnWineFood 

@WesternFair 

WesternFairDistrict


A GIFT 

FOR YOUR 

TASTE BUDS 

JANUARY 19-21 

THU 5PM–10:30PM | FRI 3PM–10:30PM | SAT NOON–10:30PM 

NEW hours 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW 

westernfairdistrict.com 

SAMPLING OF THE FINEST CUISINE, 

WINES, BEERS, SPIRITS & ENTERTAINMENT.



restaurants 

Blessings and Offerings 

at Revival House in Stratford 

By BRYAN LAVERY | Photography by NICK LAVERY 

The once-celebrated Church 

Restaurant, previously Mackenzie 

Memorial Gospel Church, is now 

Revival House. The inspired and 

ambitious revitalization of the former Grand 

Dame of Stratford’s culinary scene took 

restaurateurs Rob and Candice Wigan just over 

seven months to complete. 

The location and the building’s architectural 

features and spacious interior inspired 

its original transformation. The property 

remains one of Ontario’s finest instances of 

the conversion of a historic property into a 

hospitality venue done with integrity and 

respect for the cultural heritage. 

Revival House is the Wigans’ second 

restaurant rejuvenation in Stratford. The 

couple purchased Molly Bloom’s Irish Pub in 

2008 and put their own unique stamp on every 

aspect of that business. 

The beautifully restored Revival House is 

decorated in a mix of wood, exposed brick, 

light walls, gold railings, and ecclesiastical 

purple accents and banquettes. 

Ornamenting the bright interior are original 

light fixtures and stained glass windows. The 

dark-wood organ pipes provide a striking 

backdrop for the stunning curved bar that is 

crowned with a theatrical copper chandelier 

that was built by former Stratford Festival 

prop maker Frank Holt. The main room, 

known as Sanctuary, has the elegance and 

simple beauty that comes with restrained 

taste. The room’s former elevated altar can 

easily be transformed into a stage or dining 

area because of the modular furnishings. 

In contrast the upstairs gastro-lounge 

The Belfry, a 65-seat venue, delivers an 

ambience that has been described as “exotic 

modern” with peacock blues, a vaulted 

Owners Candice and Rob Wigan


TOP: The beautifully restored main dining room at 

Revival House, viewed from the bar, and below, from 

one of the raised seating areas 

ceiling and a working copper fireplace 

that draws inspiration from the downstairs 

chandelier. The Belfry is welcoming and 

chic. Snuggled in the former organ loft 

overlooking the Sanctuary, Confession is the 

most intimate of the trio of spaces. 

The backstory of the Church Restaurant 

involves former Stratford Festival artistic 

director Robin Phillips. He was hired in 

1975 and spent six years directing many 

productions, cultivating fresh talent and 

reinvigorating the Festival. Phillips’ first 

season coincided with the opening of 

what would become the landmark Church 

Restaurant, by his partner, restaurateur 

Joe Mandel. Of note also is the fact that 

The Stratford Chefs School started in the 

kitchens back in 1983. The restaurant would 

later be sold to and operated by Mark Craft. 

I worked at The Church Restaurant when 

it was in its prime, in the mid-1980s. During 

those years Maggie Smith and her husband 

playwright Beverly Cross, like many wellknown 

thespians and celebrities, dined at 

The Church. They were among the crowd



Chefs Andrew McLean, 

Loreena Miller, Amy Balfour, 

Zachary Voros 

Photo: Lafs Photography, Stratford 

of late night habitués who frequented The 

Belfry, which was The Church’s upstairs 

room and a popular pre- and post-theatre 

destination. The Belfry was the bastion of 

hospitality and completed many a visitor’s 

Stratford theatre experience. 

The Wigans met and recently befriended 

Joe Mandel, who provided historical context 

to The Church’s early days, which in turn has 

reinforced their vision. Candice explains that 

they have revived some of the traditions that 

made The Church such a popular hotspot in its 

heyday. Unlike its seasonal predecessor, The 

Belfry remains open for the winter months, 

offering a menu expressing the depth of Perth 

County’s food culture. Since opening, its 

menus have revealed a passion for using local 

and sustainable 

ingredients, 

showcasing noseto-tail 

cuisine and 

the best of what 

Ontario has to 

offer. 

This winter, 

chef Loreena 

Miller and her 

culinary team 

will bring back 

French country 

cuisine to The 

Belfry. Chef Miller 

explains that she 

shares a love for maple, 

duck fat and everything 

delicious and sinful 

that underpins French 

country cooking 

with Candice, whose 

maternal heritage 

originates in Quebec. 

Miller worked 

alongside previous 

chefs at Revival House, 

and her progression to head chef is the 

natural evolution. Joining Miller in the 

kitchen is Andrew McLean, known for his 

tenure at Rundles as sommelier and head 

waiter. 

Chef told me she recently invited some 

colleagues to help break down a pig. The 

restaurant is known for its charcuterie, 

which I have tasted on several occasions. 

On one visit the charcuterie board included 

house-cured lamb ham, duck prosciutto, 

wild boar rillettes, smoked trout rillettes, 

speck (smoked pork leg) and lonza (cured 

pork loin). Recently we sampled Miller’s 

potted chicken liver, a hearty mousse with 

pickled rhubarb and black pepper jam. 

There was a seminal gazpacho of tomato 

The menus at Revival 

House offer the best 

of Perth County’s 

producers and 

purveyors, served with 

a modern sensibility.


The Wigans in The Belfry, which 

overlooks the main dining area 

“A fun place to shop!” 

embellished with tomato gel, aioli and 

smoked paprika, and a delicate seared 

whitefish on warm greens with grilled 

polenta which made a perfect repast. 

The latest menu in The Belfry will revive 

French-styled cuisine, with an added 

modern sensibility. Expect to find dishes 

such as fresh oysters, Lyonnaise salad 

frisée, lardon, soft egg and pumpkin seed 

vinaigrette; bone marrow with parsley 

salad; poutine with Quebec cheese curds, 

gravy and rosemary fries; Croque Monsieur 

with sourdough, ham, gruyere cheese and 

béchamel; and salmon with braised fennel, 

celeriac, vichyssoise and dill. There is a 

well-chosen selection of VQA wines and an 

inspired cocktail list. 

Revival House is a sought-after venue for 

celebrations, conferences and weddings. 

Music continues to be an essential part of 

the programs and Revival House is home to 

the Stratford Summer Music’s cabaret and 

opera series. The staff hosted 22 weddings 

this year and events manager Alysha Ford 

has 23 weddings booked for next year. There 

is a stunning 48-seat garden terrace beside 

the Brunswick Street entrance. High Tea 

and Sunday Brunch add yet another layer of 

temptation to the offerings. 

A fifth-generation family 

business offering an eclectic 

range of items from the unusual to the useful. 

Thousands of items on two floors! 

WATSON’S CHELSEA BAZAAR 

84 Ontario Street, Stratford 

519-273-1790 www.watsonsofstratford.com 

118 Ontario St., Stratford 

519-814-9439 

themilkywhey.ca 

Revival House 

70 Brunswick Street, Stratford 

519-273-3424 

www.revival.house 

tues–thurs 11am–9pm; fri & sat 11am–1am; 

sun 11am–8pm; closed mondays 

reservations recommended 

BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor and Writer at Large. 

Beautiful made-to-order gift baskets 

are available for the foodies on your list!



restaurants 

The Big Bad Wolfes 

Wolfe of Wortley hits the mark in London’s Wortley Village 


Justin and Gregg Wolfe upped the ante 

when they opened Wolfe of Wortley 

earlier this summer. The brothers, 

who initially found sustenance in 

music careers, are also the proprietors of 

downtown London’s red-hot retro diner 

The Early Bird, and its adjacent sibling, the 

piñata-themed Rock Au Taco. 

“The Bird,” as it is warmly referred to, 

has an idiosyncratic charisma. It features 

a menu of updated diner classics and new 

generation comfort foods. These are soulful 

dishes that include a king-sized “turducken 

club” made with smoked turkey breast, 

panko-fried chicken and duck bacon. Try 

the melt-in-your-mouth potato and cheddar 

perogies, or the Montreal smoked brisket 

which is brined on site and which helped 

cement the entrepreneurial brothers’ savvy 

culinary reputation. 

Gregg and Justin Wolfe 

The Wolfes brought authentic, affordable 

street-food-style tacos and tequila to 

downtown London. Rock Au Taco’s menu 

features cachette (beef cheek), lengua (beef 

tongue), carnita (pork shoulder), pescado 

(fish), and papas (potato) and frijoles 

(re-fried beans) fillings. They’re topped with 

freshly made salsas, pickled onions 

and other garnishes. There is a tequila 

list and a selection of ice-cold cervezas. 

Many progressive chefs use research 

and staging as an inherent part of their 

culinary development. (Staging is an 

unremunerated internship; a cook or a 

chef works temporarily in another chef’s 

kitchen to be exposed to new methods, 

techniques and cuisines.) Chef Justin 

Wolfe staged in Chicago at Graham 

Elliot, where he spent nearly seven 

months apprenticing and studying at 

the Michelin-starred restaurant. Then he 

was off to master butchery at Chicago’s 

Publican Quality Meats. 

Justin has worked as an event chef 

alongside Executive Chef Liaison Jamie 

FRONT: Jennifer Wolfe (Service Manager), 

Justin Wolfe (Owner/Executive Chef), Gregg 

Wolfe (Owner/Mixologist/Bartender) 

BACK: Josh Ward (Sous Chef), Kyle Rose (Chef 

de Cuisine)


Simpson at The Culinary Vegetable Institute/ 

Chef’s Garden in Milan, Ohio. He has 

participated in events with chef de cuisine 

Eli Kaimeth of Thomas Keller’s renowned 

Per Se in New York, and worked with 

Cortney Burns of the celebrated Bar Tartine 

(featuring some of San Francisco’s most 

experimental cuisine), and with Gunnar 

Gislason, the chef/restaurateur behind New 

Nordic cuisine at DILL in Reykjavík. And 

then there was a stint with chef and culinary 

scientist Kyle Connaughton formerly of 

the Fat Duck and now the groundbreaking 

Single Thread Farms Restaurant in 

Healdsburg, California. 

Every year Justin pitches in with other 

chefs, including Michael Smith, for Village 

Feast, a non-profit children’s charity based in 

Souris, Prince Edward Island, that supports 

initiatives to improve the lives of children. 

The brothers have been the talk of the 

city with their compact 24-seat restaurant in 

Wortley Village, which is complemented by a 

14-seat patio. This is casual but sophisticated 

noshing focusing on curing, pickling, 

fermenting and preserving, and featuring 

craft cocktails. 

The menu includes oysters: raw, coldsmoked, 

and grilled with Creole butter 

and parmesan. We ordered a half dozen 

shucked, cold-smoked, plump, meaty 

Malpeques bathed in 12-year old scotch 

and served under a dome with juicy orange 

segments and house-marinated cherries. 

When the lid was lifted the oysters appeared 

under a cloud of billowing smoke for 

dramatic effect. 

Chef du cuisine Kyle Rose excels at 

the craft of salting, smoking and curing 

primarily pork products to make salumi, 

which we know as charcuterie. The 

downstairs kitchen has a small temperatureand 

humidity-controlled meat chamber for 

the house-made salumi. There it develops 

the rounded savoury taste that comes from 

slow curing and ripening. The chamber 

features a “meat window” to showcase a 

diversity of hanging salumi. Justin gives Rose 

and sous chef Jason Ward lots of credit for 

embracing and delivering the restaurant 

concept that the Wolfes developed. 

We ordered the charcuterie board which 

was underpinned by technique and skill and 

the salumi had lots of deep flavours and good 

fat content. There is also culotello (the king 

of salumi — dry-cured ham) and very tasty 

TOP: Honeynut squash/ pumpkin spice/ pistachio/ sage 

MIDDLE: Chocolate/ orange/ passionfruit 

BOTTOM: Charcuterie (house cured): coppa, culatello, 

lonza



LEFT: Charcuterie/ pickles/ 

mustards 

BOTTOM LEFT: Foraged 

mushrooms and toast 

BOTTOM RIGHT: Tongue in cheek/ 

nappakraut/ pumpernickel/ 

smaltznaise 

coppa (salt-cured from the pig’s neck) on offer. 

Snacks might include a creamy chicken 

liver brûlée, “pickled things”, bone marrow, 

clams and chicken fried oysters. We loved 

the “tongue in cheek” which was comprised 

of beef tongue wrapped in guanciale (cured 

pork jowl) served with “Nappakraut,” 

pumpernickel and shmaltznaise. (The 

origin of shmaltznaise is unclear. The term 

“schmaltz” is derived is from Yiddish, 

meaning «rendered animal fat», and the 

“naise” must stem from mayonnaise.) 

Nevertheless it was the perfect aioli-like 

accompaniment. 

House-made pastas include bucatini, 

served with smoked oyster, bacon, egg yolk 

and parmesan, and cheese gnocchi with 

beer mushrooms and mustard. The chicken 

fried oysters are served with dill, cucumber 

and hot sauce. Proteins have included 

steelhead trout, bison ribs and octopus. A 

colleague of mine talks up the octopus like 

it is the second coming. There is also whole 

chicken for two and sometimes a 17oz. rib 

eye. Menus change weekly. 

“Cocktail-wise Gregg likes to riff on the 

classics, taking something familiar, tried 

and tested and elevating it,” says, Justin. The 

cocktail menu was masterminded by Gregg, 

who started making his 

homemade infusions 

of bitters and syrups 

months in advance of the 

restaurant’s opening. The 

cocktail list features craft 

cocktails that are prepared 

with fresh ingredients, 

homemade mixers and 

premium liquors. Gregg 

is a bourbon devotee. His 

signature drink is a potent 

smoked Manhattan made 

with Bulleit Bourbon, 

Antica Formula (red 

vermouth), Angostura 

bitters and cherry vanilla bitters served in 

a cinnamon smoke-filled glass. Besides 

six signature cocktails there are interesting 

seasonal features, quality spirits, and flights of 

bourbon. 

There is a respectable bubbly on offer 

from winemaker Moray Tawse’s Redstone 

Winery in Beamsville, Ontario, and a great 

off-dry riesling from Redstone with lots of 

citrus notes. There is also a cabernet franc 

and pinot noir blend from Tawse. These are 

the Ontario offerings on a compact list. 

We were so enamoured by the food we 

finished the evening with pork belly for 

dessert. 

The takeaway? You won’t find more 

up-to-the-minute culinary savviness than 

at the Early Bird, Rock Au Taco and now the 

upscale Wolfe of Wortley. 

Wolfe of Wortley 

147 Wortley Road 

519-854-6004 

www.wolfeofwortley.com 

open tuesday–sunday from 5:00 pm 

BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor and Writer at Large.

Welcome 

to 

Wortley Village 

“One of Canada’s 

Coolest Neighbourhoods” 

The Heart of Old South 

FA S HIONS & A C C E SSORI E S 

Opening in December 2016 

Pure Ingredients 

Chef-Prepared Take-Home Meals 

House-Made Sauces and Preserves 

Gourmet Kitchen Items 

Baked Goods 

141 Wortley Road, London 

purebon.ca 

“Come see our newly expanded store. We’re excited 

to offer our neighbours more selection, with the same 

friendly service we take pride in.” — Dave Tuckey 

Tuckey 

136 Wortley Road, London 

519-432-7683 

Mon–Fri 8 am – 8 pm 

Saturday 8:30 am – 6 pm 

Sunday 10 am – 5 pm



road trips 

A Holiday Trip with Some History 

Shop, Drink and Eat in Toronto 

Article and Photography by WAYNE NEWTON 

SPONSORED BY 

Another era’s whisky and bricks have given way 

to two of my favourite and free foodie and 

family destinations in Toronto. 

The first is the Distillery Historic District. In 

its heyday the area was home to Gooderham and Worts 

Limited, one of the leading whiskey distilleries in the 

Commonwealth which in its last days produced such 

well-known brands as Little Brown Jug. After years of 

inactivity, the industrial property two kilometres east of 

Union Station has been reborn as a mecca of noteworthy 

restaurants, craft beer, unique shops, gourmet chocolate, 

and family-focused special events including the 

German-themed Toronto Christmas Market, which on 

November 18 opens for its seventh year. 

The centrepiece of the Distillery District (designated 

a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988) is the original 

Mill Street Brew Pub, an iconic stop for Ontario craft 

beer fans (even though ownership has now passed to 

Labatt). When it opened in 2002 at the dawn of Ontario’s 

craft beer explosion this pub was east 

Toronto’s first microbrewery in 100 

years. Mill Street’s beers — from the 

gateway craft Organic Lager to small 

batch seasonals such as Vanilla Porter 

— are well known, but the pub is also 

a go-to spot for food, including the 

shepherd’s lamb and lager pie. 

Nearby is SOMA Chocolatemaker, 

located in a former whisky aging 

room, where a chocolate factory 

includes a viewing area and where a 

lab churns fresh gelato daily. 

Among the 25 fashion and lifestyle 

retail shops not to be missed are John 

The Distillery District is a series of buildings 

once used to produce Gooderham and Worts 

spirits. 

MIDDLE: Love locks spell it out along one of the 

laneways in the Distillery District. 

RIGHT: Eyes are wide as the Christmas angel 

appears before children during the Toronto 

Christmas Festival.


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LEFT: Canadian shoe designer John Fluevog 

features art deco-inspired styles at his Distillery 

District shop. 

BELOW: Reclaimed knobs pull the shopper’s 

eye at Blackbird Vintage Finds in the Distillery 

District. 

Fluevog Shoes in the district’s west end. On 

the east side, Blackbird Vintage Finds offers 

a treasure trove of antique, early Canadiana, 

and repurposed merchandise. 

The Toronto Christmas Market is free 

through the week, but an admission is 

charged on weekends. The market brings 

an influx of 30 additional vendors, who set 

up on the Distillery District’s cobblestone 

streets, and a long list of musical and dance 

performances ranging from carollers and elf 

singalongs to holiday jazz and world music. 

If you’re in Toronto without a car, getting 

to Evergreen Brick Works can be an epic 

undertaking, taking 45 minutes from 

downtown via TTC bus. So if time is an issue 

it’s best to grab a cab or summon Uber and 

get there in 15 minutes. Either way, it’s worth 

the excursion. 

The site, visible from the Don Valley 

Expressway, was where Toronto’s iconic 

red clay bricks were produced, used in the 

construction of many historic downtown 

buildings, including Massey Hall, and a 

number of stately homes. When the Don 

Valley Brick Works closed in 1984 after a 

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UPCOMING EVENTS 

Evergreen Brick Works 

Festive 

Holiday Tea 

December 17, 2016 

2:00pm - 4:00pm 

Featuring vocalist Denise Pelley and 

Stephen Holowitz on the piano. 

$60 

per person 

At Evergreen 

Brick Works, a 

mural (left) pays 

homage to a 

real life former 

brick works 

employee. Below, 

a large map 

greets visitors, 

tracing the rivers 

of the Toronto 

watershed 

leading to Lake 

Ontario. 

New Year’s Dinner & Show 

December 31st, 2016 

Ring in the New Year with a Gourmet 

Dinner & Live Jazz! Featuring vocalist 

Sonja Gustafson, Pianist Charlie Rallo 

& Bassist Darryl Stacy. 

Dinner Only In our 

Dining Room 

5:30pm & 8:00pm 

$75 

per person 

New Year’s Dinner & 

Show In our Wine Cellar 

Cocktails - 7:30pm 

Dinner & Show - 8:00pm 

$125 

per person 

RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED 

519.432.5554 ~ idlewyldinn.com 

36 Grand Avenue, London



At the Brick Works farmers’ market not all 

the interesting food items are obvious at a 

glance — here are some pickled milkweed 

pods and spruce tips. 

century of blasting and digging clay, shale, 

and sand with steam shovels, the mined-out 

quarry and 16 industrial buildings became 

derelict. During the 1990s the site attracted 

such less-than-official events as raves, and 

both local and international graffiti artists 

who saw the large walls as blank canvasses. 

Evergreen, a national not-for-profit, took 

the reins and after years of planning opened 

what is now a wide-ranging environmental 

centre in 2010, and home to 

Toronto’s largest outdoor farmers’ 

market. 

The raves are history, but the 

extensive graffiti remains as part 

of the story of the site and now 

includes murals of some of the 

actual people who worked making 

bricks. The large industrial ovens 

also remain. 

The Weston Foundation helped 

fund restoration of the former pit 

into a naturalized area and a network of 

hiking trails extends up the side of the Don 

Valley. 

Inside the industrial buildings there’s a 

partially covered ice skating rink with skate 

rentals, and an extensive area for children’s 

environmental programming designed to 

reconnect urban children to nature. 

The on site farm-to-fork restaurant, Cafe 

Belong, is owned by chef Brad Long, the 

longtime co-host of Restaurant Makeover on 

the Food Network. After 5 p.m. Cafe Belong 

serves communal or family-style meals. The 

lunch and dinner menus change seasonally, 

with the mainstay St. Lawrence salad 

frequently raved about by reviewers. 

Most of the year there’s an outdoor 

weekend farmers market. In mid-November 

the market moves indoors for the winter and 

operates on Saturdays only. It’s where some 

unusual Ontario food items such a sheep 

cheese and milkweed buds can be sourced. 

The Distillery Historic District 

Mill Street between Parliament and Cherry 

streets, Toronto 

www.thedistillerydistrict.com 

www.torontochristmasmarket.com 

Evergreen Brick Works 

550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto 

Accessible by car off the Don Valley Parkway, 

or by TTC buses 65 or 75. The Brick Works 

shuttle departs from a parkette north of 

the Broadview subway station. 

www.evergreen.ca 

A dusting of snow covers the children’s programming 

area at Evergreen Brick Works and the former clay pit. 

WAYNE NEWTON is a freelance journalist based in 

London. wayne.newton@bell.net


growers & creators of fine lavender products 

DISCOVER 

Steed & Company Lavender, part of a 

45-acre horse farm just outside of Sparta 

INDULGE 

in our unique handcrafted lavender products 

ESCAPE 

in the wonderful scent and 

calming powers of lavender 

519-494-5525 

47589 Sparta Line, Sparta 

buds@steedandcompany.com 

Open Wed–Sat 10-5; Sun 12–4 

Mother’s Day through Christmas 

www.steedandcompany.com 

Join us for our 

Christmas 

Open House 

November 

26 & 27 

ELGIN COUNTY 

Eat, Drink, 

Shop & explore 

Good food 

brings 

good 

company 

Book your christmas party 

226 658 0999 soloportstanley.com



culinary retail 

ANNUAL 

eatdrink 

Gift Guide 

It really IS better to 

give than to receive 

—when you find 

the perfect gift that is 

warmly received, and you haven't 

felt caught up in shopping mall madness. 

To help you achieve this end, we've polled 

a fine range of independent retailers — the 

real shopping experts — for suggestions 

for the special people in your life. Whether 

you're looking for a big present for someone 

close to your heart, or a small gift for a 

hostess or your friend at work, here are some 

new as well as tried-and-true suggestions 

from the experts. Happy Shopping! 

You like to dine in style, and so do the birds! 

This tiny Pottery Chickadee Feeder is 

handmade in Ontario. Each unique rakustyle 

pattern is made with feathers. Just 

fill with some of Featherfields’ exclusive 

non-GMO birdseed to attract small birds 

like chickadees, finches, and nuthatches. 

This would make a lovely addition to any 

garden as an introduction to bird feeding, 

or an artistic addition for dedicated feeders. 

Bring nature home for the holidays! $38.00 at 

Featherfields • 1570 Hyde Park Rd #5, London 

www.featherfields.com • 519-474-1165 

Perfect for the coffee lover, but also ideal for any on-the-go 

beverage, the KeepCup is both an eco-friendly and elegant 

solution compared to the waste of disposable cups. The 

glass mug is fitted with either a silicone or cork ring and 

a secure lid with a handy spout for sipping. Available 

in different sizes and a multitude of colours. Made in 

Australia. From $13–$32 at Locomotive Espresso • 408 Pall Mall St, 

London • www.locomotiveespresso.com • 519-601-3896


Here’s a great gift for your beer (or kombucha 

or cider or coffee or hot chocolate) lover! 

By SS Growler, these are the original, stainless 

steel, threadless flip-top growlers and 

come in both 1L ($50 inc. tax) and 2L ($60 inc. 

tax) versions. Double-walled and vacuumsealed, 

these will keep your beer cold and 

carbonated (or your hot cocoa hot) for many 

hours. Perfect for outdoor adventuring and 

gift-giving! Anderson Craft Ales • 1030 Elias St, 

London • www.andersoncraftales.ca • 506-253-9440 

Hey Cupcake! 

where art is a piece of cake 

With a whimsical and clever sense of taste and style, 

Hey Cupcake is a small, family-run business, creating 

the freshest and finest cookies, cupcakes and 

custom cakes, made in house, 

with tender loving 

care, just for you! 

Visit us online at: 

www.heycupcake.ca 

OR at our bakery located at: 

275 Wharncliffe Rd. North, London 

519-433-CAKE (2253) 

STORE HOURS: Mon–Fri 11–7 

Saturday 10–5 • Sunday 11–4 

ASK US 

ABOUT OUR 

NEW CAMPAIGN 

“RANDOM 

ACTS OF 

SWEETNESS!” 

Patrick’s Beans is consistently high quality 

organic coffee blends that are roasted locally 

and sourced ethically. Beans are individually 

roasted in small batches and then blended 

together to build something that is greater 

than the sum of its parts, attaining tailormade 

tastes and complexities that cannot 

be found in single varietal selections. A 

number of popular blends are available, as 

are custom blends for the true afficianado. 

Patrick’s Facebook page has a list of 

locations where Patrick’s Beans are sold and 

served. From $15 for a 1 pound bag. Patrick’s Beans • 

www.patricksbeans.com • 226-378-5100 

SWEET 

DREAMS 

ARE 

MADE 

OF 

THIS 

20-50% 

OFF! 

START CREATING 

A LIFETIME OF 

MEMORIES WITH 

LE CREUSET THIS 

HOLIDAY SEASON 

Mon–Wed & Fri–Sat: 10–5:30 | Thu: 10–6:30 | Sun: Noon–5 

551 Richmond Street, London 

519-850-5477 ○ www.kissthecookonline.com



Mortier Pilon — a 

Canadian company — 

is all about bringing the fun back to the process of 

making kombucha, kimchi, pickles and sauerkraut. 

Mortier Pilon crocks provide a specialized, 

anaerobic fermenting environment because of their 

unique water seal and porcelain weight. The clever, 

stylishly designed durable glass fermentation 

crocks come with a booklet of user-friendly 

thoroughly tested recipes & instructions to get you 

started. A great gift idea for the foodie/health nut. 

Fermenting … like you’ve never DIY’d before! Prices 

range from $9.95 to $59.95 at Bradshaws • 129 Ontario St, 

Stratford • www.bradshawscanada.com • 519-271-6283 

Consumable gifts are always 

appreciated, especially when they 

satisfy a sweet tooth! Chocolate 

Barr’s offers a customized Stackable 

Gift Basket — items can be 

substituted or more can be added. A 

popular choice includes their renowned ½-pound Assorted Chocolates, 

a ½-pound of mixed milk and dark chocolate Minties, a ½-Pound of 

Almond Butter Crunch, and a bag of milk chocolate Foiled Santas. $39.99 

as shown, at Chocolate Barr’s Candies • 

55 George St W, Stratford 

• www.chocolatebarrs.com 

• 519-272-2828 

The Milky Whey has an extensive 

selection of cheese from around 

the world as well as artisanal 

and small batch cheeses made 

in Canada. What better way to 

explore new flavours than with 

a Cheese Tasting Event? Tickets 

to one of these popular sessions 

would make an excellent gift. For example, on Saturday, January 14, “Blues & 

Booze” is all about Blue Cheese. Taste several blue cheeses and pair them with 

a dark beer, a red wine and a fortified wine. Moldy goodness! $37.00 plus HST. 

The Milky Whey • 118 Ontario Street, Stratford • www.themilkywhey.ca • 519-814-9439

The heart of 

Downtown 

Strathroy 

Now Accepting 

Holiday Party 

Bookings! 

Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar is a long-standing 

Stratford institution, with two floors 

displaying an eclectic range of goods from 

around the world. You will find quality 

items such as Fiesta Dinnerware. Originally 

designed in 1936 in the Art Deco era, the 

bold and bright colours, updated in more 

recent years, complement a variety of 

decors. There are over 50 items in the mixand-match 

line and they are both highly 

collectable and practical. Pieces start at $9. 

Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar • 84 Ontario Street, Stratford 

• watsonsofstratford.com • 

519-273-1790 

Looking 

for a new 

idea for a 

Hostess 

gift? With 

frozen 

soup from 

Soup Surreal, 

the host/ess will 

be able to pamper 

themselves another 

evening with a nutritious, healthy, delicious, 

gourmet soup. Food Gifts are the Best 

Gifts! An outstanding range of flavours — 

including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan 

recipes — are available. Frozen 850 mL units 

(enough for 3 light lunch portions or 2 dinner size 

portions) are $8.00 at Soup Surreal • 98 Wellington 

St, Stratford • 519-497-5167 • www.soupsurreal.com 

12 DAYS 

of 

CHRISTMAS 

Giveaways! 

Chef/Owner Mark Graham’s 

fresh, creative, locallysourced 

menus extend 

to full-service catering 

to Strathroy, London & 

area. Call for a quote! 

Proud recipients of a 

second 2016 ACO Award! 

Thursday Night Trivia 

All You Can Eat 

Pasta Sundays 

Historic Post Office & Customs Building 

71 Frank St, Strathroy • 519-205-1500 

www.clocktower-inn.com


Whether you are buying for friends, family 

or a gift for yourself, accessories are a fun 

and popular idea! At Impressions you’ll 

find items that you’ll love to give as well as 

receive, including unique jewellery, bags, 

hats, handwarmers, legwarmers, wraps 

and scarves. Various prices. Impressions of 

Wortley Village • 148 Wortley Road, London • 

www.impressionsfashions.ca • 519-432-0317 

The Pristine Olive Tasting Bar 

has come up with a charming 

way to help customers try their 

products (over 60 flavours of oils 

and balsamics!). Owner Jamie 

Griffiths has created six unique 

Sample Pack Combinations, 

containing many of his most 

popular items. Each sample 

pack holds six individually 

labeled, 60ml bottles, enclosed 

in a custom-designed gift box. 

Perfect for people who wish to 

try a little bit of everything! $30 

(Gourmet Pack $34) at The Pristine 

Olive Tasting Bar • 462 Cheapside St, 

London • www.thepristineolive.com • 

519-433-4444 

These petite Le 

Creuset Espresso 

Mugs will inject a pop of 

colour into any kitchen. They are versatile 

too; perfect for espresso, they also work beautifully 

for individual desserts. The durable enamelled 

surface resists staining, chipping and cracking, 

and is easy to clean. Providing a totally 

hygienic surface, it will not 

absorb odours or flavours. 

Microwave, freezer and 

dishwasher safe. The set 

of six is even on promo for 

Christmas. $59.99 (regularly $120) 

at Kiss the Cook • 551 Richmond St, 

London • www.kissthecookonline.com 

• 519-850-5477 

Help your favourite vegan (or non-vegan!) celebrate 

the holidays in style with vegan-friendly swag from 

Plant Matter Kitchen. Featuring offbeat food-focused 

slogans, PMK’s Canadian-made t-shirt line features an 

organic bamboo-rayon-cotton blend. Top your t-shirt 

order off with PMK glassware or a trucker hat, 

and don’t forget a gift certificate! 

With vegan menu items 

sourced from organic, 

local, and plant-based i 

ngredients, a gift 

from Plant Matter 

Kitchen is both 

delicious and 

stylish! Plant Matter 

Kitchen • 162 Wortley Rd, 

London • 519-660-3663 • 

plantmatterkitchen.com

Artisanal Market & Bistro 

Unger’s Market has been serving London 

for over 30 years. Roots of a family-run farm 

stand are still in evidence, with fresh meat, 

eggs, produce and a bakery providing great 

quality at fair prices. But the store not only 

developed into a fully-fledged market and 

deli with a tea room, it has also grown to 

include unique collections of home decor, 

gifts, and Women’s Fashion. Style is the 

operative word, with ever-changing displays 

of today’s looks inspiring frequent visits. 

Unger’s Market • 1010 Gainsborough Road, London • 

www.ungers.ca • 519-472-8126 

Handcrafted Artisan 

Truffles & Chocolates 

Using the Finest Belgian Chocolate 

• Unique & Traditional Flavours • 

$100 Value 

Gift Certificates are 

sometimes regarded as a cop-out, yet 

they can be a wonderfully thoughtful way to 

express your sentiments. Gift card displays 

from large chain stores, now ubiquitous 

in grocery and drug stores, can smack of 

mindless consumerism, yet a gift certificate 

or card from a unique and interesting 

store or a fabulous local restaurant can 

be a reflection of your good taste and the 

interests of the recipient. They are available 

fom most every business, in denominations 

that fit your budget. 

Local Artisans 

Dessert Bistro 

Italian Gelato 

Gift Baskets 

OPEN DAILY 

51 Front Street West, Strathroy 

Downtown corner of Front & Frank 

226-236-1980 

windellschocolates.com



Railway City Brewing has the perfect gift for only $13.95! This 

Holiday Gift Pack features 473mL cans of Ontario silvermedal-winning 

Dead Elephant Ale, Canadian 

gold-medal-winning Black Coal Stout, 

specialty seasonal Cranberry Festive Lager, 

and a 16oz Railway City Brewing glass, all 

attractively packaged in a holiday gift box. 

Get yours today at LCBO outlets, select 

grocery stores, and Railway City’s retail store. 

Railway City Brewing Co. • 130 Edward St, St. Thomas • 

www.railwaycitybrewing.com • 519-631-1881 

A Culinary Gift Set from Steed & Company 

Lavender makes the perfect gift for 

any foodie. Let them try the Lavender 

Chamomile Spearmint Tea, Culinary 

Lavender, and your choice of one of a rich 

collection of preserves — like a Lavender 

Raspberry Strawberry Jam with Chocolate 

Liqueur or Lavender Infused Honey. 

Wrapped in a beautiful box, this gift set looks 

as great as it tastes! $30.25–$32.50 at Steed & 

Company Lavender • 47589 Sparta L ine, RR#5 Aylmer 

• www.steedandcompany.com • 519-494-5525 

Celebrate the holiday season with 

Dark Horse Estate Winery. Deep 

in the heart of Huron County, right 

next to the iconic Huron Country 

Playhouse, you’ll find the first 

fully functioning estate winery 

in Ontario’s newest winegrowing 

region. The folks at Dark Horse are 

more than happy to help you select a 

wine to pair with your holiday feast. 

Or design a custom gift basket. Gift 

cards are available for wine tours 

too. Baskets are priced at $50, $100, or can 

be custom ordered. 

Dark Horse Estate Winery • 70665 B Line, 

Grand Bend • www.darkhorseestatewinery.com • 519-709-1532


Windells Chocolates is Strathroy’s go-to 

chocolate shop and more. Owner May 

Windell brings her artisanal approach to 

crafting truffles 

and chocolates, 

using the finest 

Belgian 

chocolate, but 

she has also 

attracted other 

artisans to 

her beautiful 

space. For a 

special holiday 

treat, she suggests 

her Butter Pecan 

Toffee — hand-crafted old-fashioned butter 

toffee dipped in Belgian chocolate and rolled 

in freshly crushed pecans. $10-$15 Windells 

Chocolates • 51 Front Street West, Strathroy • www. 

windellschocolates.com • 226-236-1980 

Celebrating 20 Years! 

Birdfeeding Experts 

All non-GMO Birdseed 

Garden Gifts 

Holiday Decor 

E&D_LocomotiveED_Nov2014_ART.pdf 1 201 

HOME • GARDEN • GIFTS 

Pepper Tree Spice Co. operates out of a 

charming shop in Port Stanley, offering a 

sophisticated presentation of the world’s 

best spices. You’ll find nearly everything 

you need to share the warmth of the holiday 

season with their Home for the Holidays 

Spice Collection including Garlic Mashed 

Blend, and a Signature Mulling Spice. With 

over 300 spices and artisan blends made 

daily on-site, gourmet foods, kitchenware 

and custom gift baskets, you’ll find the gift 

that keeps giving for the foodie in your life. 

Gift packages start at $26.95 

Pepper Tree Spice Co. • 223 Colborne St, Port Stanley • 

www.peppertreespice.com • 519-782-7800



The BUZZ ... new and notable 

Every November over the past four years, 

Abruzzi has donated a percentage of sales to 

support Prostate Cancer research at the London 

Health Sciences Centre. So far, with your 

help, a total of $12,052.53 has been raised for this important 

cause. To help make this year even more successful, all you 

have to do is enjoy dinner at Abruzzi anytime during this 

month. Supporting Movember has never been easier, nor 

tasted so good! www.abruzzi.ca 

Rob’s Wicked Chicken and Wedges has opened on 

Hamilton Road (at Maitland Street) on the site of the former 

Mary Brown’s Chicken. The menu will go beyond chicken 

and wedges, offering a selection of sandwiches, including 

pulled pork and fish, plus a new feature item—Korean 

Yang-Nyum chicken made with an in-house sweet but spicy 

barbecue sauce. 

Lawrence Burden is celebrating 16 years as a purveyor 

of fine kitchen and dining supplies at his store, Kiss the 

Cook, on Richmond Row. He’s offering a range of products 

at special prices, for a limited time. And don’t forget that 

resident chef Chris Squire hosts cooking classes here. Keep 

that in mind for the foodie friends on your gift list — or 

treat yourself! www.kissthecookonline.com 

Jill Wilcox, food columnist, owner of Jill’s Table in London, 

and cookbook author, has just released her latest cookbook, 

Soups, Stews & Breads. With her own recipes and a section 

on breads from chef Josie Pontarelli, this makes the perfect 

addition to any cookbook collection for chefs and home 

cooks of all skill levels. Five dollars of the proceeds from each 

cookbook will go to the Jill Wilcox Foundation, which 

helps better the lives of women and children through food 

related initiatives in the London community. 

Ian Kennard, who operated Willie’s Café since 1996, has 

closed the café side of his business. The catering side of 

the business will continue. Willie’s has built a reputation 

as a caterer, and fresh healthy fare can be delivered to your 

office at an affordable price. Chef Gail Rains has been the 

chef since 1996. Kennard advised eatdrink that the Willie’s 

building has been sold and leased. www.williescafe.on.ca 

Talbot Street Whisky House recently closed. Revive 

Kitchen has also shut down after a brief run. 

FRESH gift ideas yule love 

Select from over 60 flavours of oils and balsamics. 

Sample the freshest oils from across the globe, paired with savoury 

white & dark balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy. 

Personally bottled to suit your individual taste. 

Gift 

Cards 

Custom 

Gift Baskets 

Sample 

Packs 

Corporate 

Gifts 

Stocking 

Stuffers 

The 

Pristine 

live 

Tasting Bar 

462 Cheapside Street @ Maitland | London | 519-433-4444 

www.thepristineolive.ca


Although Rico’s Pizzeria Downtown at 71 King Street in 

the Renaissance Towers (across from Budweiser Gardens) 

is becoming known for their vegan and gluten-free pizzas 

since opening last month, this shouldn’t scare away the 

carnivores. Made with Fieldgate Organic meats, the 

Farmer’s sausage Pizza and the new prosciutto-filled 

Hawaiian “Magnum Pi” are captivating the taste buds 

of locals. As the business grows, so will the menu and 

concepts, such as the thin crust Double Decker ‘Za, which 

consists of two whole wheat thin crusts that sandwich extra 

cheese and extra sauce option, for those who want more. 

For those of you who are health conscious be sure to try 

Jocelyn Morwood’s coconut bacon pizza. 

London’s Fresh Booth at 201 Queens Avenue has rebranded 

— meet Hopscotch — the new restaurant that has 

upgraded the original location to reflect the food it provides 

with natural décor and cheeky references to ingredients. 

Brothers Aiden and Wyatt Booth use fresh ingredients that 

have been grown and raised responsibly by local partners and 

farmers. The menu is chef-driven, offers healthy and exciting 

takes on traditional salads in addition to other original 

recipes. All sauces (more than 10) are made in-house daily. 

The business uses eco-friendly and biodegradable containers 

(bowls compost in 180 days) and potato-based forks. 

The London Brewing Co-operative is relocating to 

Burbrook Place in the Old East Village this fall and expanding 

operations to keep up with increasing demand for its truly 

local beers. The new home of this worker-owned brewery 

will include a taproom, retail space, and a larger brewing 

system. The brewery will be housed inside an innovative 

space shared with On The Move Organics, a local organic 

delivery company. The change will also create opportunities 

for visitors to better understand the value of local 

ingredients and to taste the benefits that they bring to the 

beer and other products. 

Restaurant Ninety-One at Windermere Manor has 

launched new fall/winter and fall seasonal menus. 

Afternoon Tea is now served on Saturday afternoons, in 

conjunction with The Tea Haus at Covent Garden Market. 

Afternoon Tea features a full selection of house-made 

pastries and dainty sandwiches. Chef Angela Murphy is 

offering tasting menus and wine tastings for groups of 8 

to 10 as part of the chef’s table dining experience. Chef is 

also organizing special menu nights focusing on chefs who 

have inspired and have specifically impacted the cuisine at 

Restaurant Ninety-One including David McMillan, Martin 

Picard, Susur Lee, Alice Waters, Lucy Waverman and others. 

It’s been a busy year for veteran London chef Ricardo 

Cavaco. The owner of Bifana Boys launched his food 

truck last summer and most recently revamped an old 

family recipe into a new line of versatile Portuguese sauces. 

Cavaco recently opened a satellite location of Bifana Boys, 

specializing in Portuguese fare, at the Farmers and Artisans 

Market at The Western Fair. Offerings at the Market include a 

LUNCH Wed to Fri 11:30–2:30 

DINNER from 5pm daily 

432 Richmond Street 

at Carling • London 

Seasonal Hours 

Reservations Recommended 

ALWAYS 

a 3-course prix fixe 

menu option 

www.davidsbistro.ca 

Book NOW for your 

Christmas Lunch or Dinner Party 

& Reserve for New Year’s Eve! 

519.238.6224 

42 Ontario St. S., Grand Bend 

www.finearestaurant.com

A Taste of Europe since 1974 

MURDER MYSTERIES 

November 25 & 

Dec. 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18 

& New Year’s Eve Special Show 

122 Carling Street (at Talbot, around the corner from Budweiser Gardens) 

519-679-9940 

Open Daily for Dinner 

www.marienbad.ca 

Lunch Monday–Saturday 

Your love of all things Italian begins at 

Book Now for Your Holiday Party! 

Gift Cards 

Available 

Book Your 

Holiday Party! 

Private Rooms Available 

Free Room Rental 

(Year Round!) 

519-652-7659 • HWY 401 & 4 • pastosgrill.com 


variety of dishes, such as piripiri chicken, Angry Fries and his 

signature Bifana Sandwich—marinated pork slices in a bun. 

Don’t be fooled by its simplicity, this well-made sandwich 

will zap you with a lightning bolt of flavours. 

This year’s VegFest London will take place in the Progress 

Building at the Western Fair District on Saturday, November 

12th. VegFest celebrates the plant-based lifestyle and 

promotes compassionate, sustainable and healthy living with 

over 100 vegan food and product vendors, health and wellness 

vendors and animal sanctuaries and rescue/liberation 

organizations, such as The Boombox Bakeshop, Rescue 

Dogs vegan hot dog cart, Sweet Teeth Vegan Food Truck 

and more. Speakers include author Dreena Burton, Dr. Linda 

Plowright, Jenna Goodhand of Saving Lives with Forks and 

Knives, Jo-Anne McArthur and Keri Cronin from the Unbound 

Project and emcee Rose Corra Perry. There will be cooking and 

food demos by Chef Doug McNish and Emily Von Euw of This 

Rawesome Vegan Life. Other offerings include Purdy Natural 

Photo Booth, Plant Matter Kitchen Dining Area and 

Booch Organic Kombucha Lounge. Admission is free. 

The 20 Under 40 Awards Program recognizes accomplished 

industry leaders in London who are younger than 40, and 

who also give back to their community. The awards are given 

by Business London magazine and sponsored by Harrison 

Pensa, Lovers At Work, BlueStone Properties, Western 

University, Nothers Signs and Recognition, London Chamber 

of Commerce, Blackfriars Catering & Bistro, 20 Under 40 

Foundation and XInfused Events Inc. Three of our favourite 

colleagues from the culinary world will be recognized at a 

reception at London Music Hall on Nov. 19th. They are: Yoda 

Olinyk, executive chef and co-owner, Glassroots; Kris Hunt, 

owner, The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro and Dave Strano, 

owner, Burrito Boyz London. 

Downtown London’s Winter Light Christmas Walk will 

be held November 18th and 19th. Dozens of downtown 

businesses will be hosting sales, open houses, music, and 

holiday activities on Friday and Saturday. The Winter Light 

guide will be released in November 

Watch for plant-based espresso drinks, smoothies and healthy 

fare at The Ground Up! in the space formerly occupied by 

Aroma Café on Richmond Row. As the name suggests, the café 

will be organic, plant-based and eco-conscious. 

About every six weeks, Youth Opportunities Unlimited 

partners with a different local London chef or restaurateur 

to host a dinner as part of Cornerstone Cuisine Dinner 

program at the YOU Made It Cafe. An exciting evening 

and customized dinner menu are created and a specific 

cultural cuisine is celebrated. If you are a local chef and 

interested in partnering, get in touch! Plans for the 2017 

Youth Opportunities Unlimited Cornerstone Cuisine Dinner 

program are underway. 

Garlic’s of London has a great supply of jarred, local, natural 

honey from their former rooftop hives, that were relocated to


a farm just outside of the city. The honey is now available for 

sale at the restaurant. www.garlicsoflondon.com 

Marienbad’s annual Schnitzelfest runs from Nov. 4th 

until Nov. 19th. Marienbad’s Murder Mystery series (late 

November) features an office gathering that turns into a 

variation of “Survival” as workers use jungle warfare to keep 

their jobs. A special New Year’s Eve show will includes a fourcourse 

meal for $69.95 per person. 

Michael’s on the Thames recently launched a new dinner 

menu, for the first time in 3 years. The wine list has been 

undated to include red and white wines from countries and 

varietals all around the world. 

There’s a spectacular new venue in town called 449. It is 

operated by the folks who brought you North Moore Catering, 

The River Room and the Rhino Lounge and Bakery. Perfect for 

private holiday parties, New Year’s Eve parties, showers, dinner 

meetings, smaller weddings and birthdays You can even BYOB 

with an SOP! 519.850.5111 x 1 or email info@northmoore.ca 

Locomotive Espresso remains loyal to Pilot Coffee 

Roasters. Through direct trade, Pilot ensures the premium 

prices they pay go straight into their grower’s hands. 

Locomotive’s tradition of Friday Croissant Day has 

returned. Chef Rob Chick leads the B. Davison Secondary 

Culinary Program. As well as learning about delivery and 

merchandising in the cafe, the culinary students bake the 

finest croissant, almond croissant and chocolate brioche. 

Coffee themed gift baskets will be available at Locomotive 

Espresso from December 1. 

The London Wine and Food Show returns in 

January with more food, wine and entertainment than 

ever before. In its 12th year the show promises to bring 

Londoners an enticing mix of local restaurants, wineries, 

craft beers, and spirits. There will be tasting seminars, stage 

presentations and entertainment. Sip, sample and savour at 

London’s Wine & Food Show! 

Stratford 

Stratford’s Soup’s On will beheld on Saturday January 14. This 

popular annual Perth County event showcases over 30 local 

vendors serving soup to warm you up at the Stratford Rotary 

Complex. All proceeds support the Alzheimer Society of Perth 

County. In 2015, Soup Surreal won the People’s Choice Award 

for a second time with Gouda, Beer and Onion soup, which 

also took the judge’s prize in the Creamy Professional category. 

Speaking of Soup Surreal, they are offering a weekly 

rotation of chili both hot and frozen in store through the 

winter: Vegetarian Chili, and Chili with Revel Coffee, Black 

Swan Porter and McIntosh Farms Beef Chili. The Beef Chili 

became a huge favourite after they adjusted the recipe for 

the Heart and Stroke event Heartburn Day. soupsurreal.com 

“A place you 

can depend on 

and delight in” 

— eatdrink 

Brilliant 

Holiday Celebrations! 

46 Blackfriars Street, London 

519-667-4930 

www.blackfriarsbistro.com 

EXPRESS LUNCHES 

INTIMATE DINNERS 

EXTRAORDINARY 

CATERING 

DIETARY NEEDS 

ACCOMMODATED 

AMPLE FREE PARKING


The String Bone Presents “Live at Revival House Dinner/ 

Concert” series boasts a winter concert lineup worthy of praise. 

Juno-nominated, award-winning artists such as Great Big 

Sea’s Sean McCann (Nov. 5), Fred Eaglesmith (Nov. 18), 

Samantha Martin& Delta Sugar (Jan. 27) and Alysha Brilla 

(Feb. 24). Revival House also highlights local performances 

giving support to such local indie acts as Upside of Maybe with 

Dayna Manning (Nov. 11) The Neil Young’uns (Nov. 19) and Ali 

Mathews’ Annual Christmas Concert (Dec. 3). 

Let members of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra 

serenade you with music to lift your soul in the 

reinvented Revival House. “Classical Symphony Brunch” 

142 fullarton at richmond 


concerts through the winter months will happen Sundays 

November 20, February 19 and May 21. 

Scotch and Chocolate… individually wonderful, brilliant 

when paired. Certified Whisky Sommelier Steve Rae has 

created a Whisky journey through Scotland touching the 

different regions and flavour spectrums. Rheo Thompson 

Candies chocolatier, Christine Chessell has selected a variety 

of Rheo’s chocolates to compliment the scotches. Or do the 

scotches compliment the chocolates? Find out for yourself. 

This wonderful combination of two passionate flavours 

happens at Revival House December 17, 3pm. Tickets 

available at www.visitstratford.ca 

The Red Rabbit’s winter hours begin In November — the 

restaurant will be closed Tuesday and Wednesdays. Nosh 

Monday returns November 7th and every Monday through 

to April. It is $42 per person for a culinary adventure and 

reservations are strongly recommended. Beer Dinner and 

Supper Club events return for the winter season. Dates and 

themes are released on The Red Rabbit’s Facebook page. 

Rundles Morris House has launched the first ever 

fractional vacation home ownership opportunity in 

Stratford. As the beginning phase in the re-development 

of Rundles Restaurant, starting in the 2017 season of the 

Stratford Festival, Rundles Morris House will be offered for 

sale in one-week segments. www.rundlesrestaurant.com 

Join The Local Community Food Centre for The Hunters 

and Foragers Dinner on November 25. The multi-course 

dinner celebrates wild game and ethically-foraged food 

products. www.thelocalcfc.org 

There are some exciting changes at the Stratford Chefs 

School. A new teaching kitchen and classrooms will greet 

the 2016-17 school students. 

Want to be a food critic? Stratford Chefs School aspiring 

chefs are preparing inspired variations on over 30 years of 

SCS menus, executed with great skill and passion, and invite 

you to join them. The classic 4- to 6-course Dinner Series 

meals are served at 136 Ontario Street, Tuesdays through 

Saturdays, while 3-course lunches take place Fridays and 

Saturdays. At lunch, wines are available by the glass or $5 

Thank You!


corkage. Menus change daily. Share your feedback following 

your meal. www.stratfordchef.com 

On Sunday, November 20, 10 am–2:00 pm, visit Stratford’s 

historic downtown for the Outdoor Christmas Market. 

Enjoy the music of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and 

meet Santa inside the Avon Theatre. Shop vendor stalls for 

holiday foods, crafts and gifts. Sip hot cocoa while listening 

to costumed carolers singing seasonal tunes and embracing 

the character and charm of a Victorian Christmas. 

Slow Food Perth County Sunday Market moves indoors 

to The Falstaff Family Centre, Stratford, 35 Waterloo Street, 

Stratford. The market you know and love is open Sundays from 

10 am–2 pm all year round. www.slowfoodperthcounty.com 

Stratford Farmers’ Market is a year round market 

operating since 1855, featuring fresh produce, crafts, 

meat and cheese. Stratford Rotary Complex-Agriplex, 353 

McCarthy Rd., Stratford. Saturdays 7:00 am–12:00 pm. 

Bradshaws Christmas Open House on November 4 makes 

for a fun night out, but of course their great assortment of 

holiday giftware, kitchenware and entertaining items is 

available right through this holiday season. Bradshaws is also 

holding a Christmas-themed High Tea at Revival House 

featuring a guided seasonal tea tasting from Sloane Fine 

Tea, holiday treats from Revival House’s pastry chef and 

music by Stratford Symphony Orchestra. This perfect way 

London’s Destination 

for Culinary Excellence 

33 

Years of 

Extraordinary 

Service 

519.432.4092 

481 Richmond St., London | www.garlics.com 

100% Local — from Our Farmers to Your Table 

Hormone & Drug-Free 

Ontario Beef, Pork, Bison, Lamb & Chicken 

THE VILLAGE 

MEAT SHOP 

LOCAL - NATURAL - QUALITY 

with a 

king. 

offees, 

event. 

Reserve Your 

Christmas Party 

in one of our 

Private Rooms 

Lunch Monday to Friday 

Dinner 7 Nights a Week 

Sunday Brunch 11am–2pm 

1 York Street 

519-672-0111 Free On-Site Parking 

Visit www.michaelsonthethames.com 

to make your reservation online 

LIVE JAZZ 

Fridays & Saturdays 

from 6pm 

Gift Certificates 

Make the 

Perfect Gift 

Now Accepting 

Special Orders 

for the Holidays! 

WE ARE YOUR LONDON OUTLET FOR 

Metzger Meat Products • Blanbrook Bison Farm 

• Lena’s Lamb • Little Sisters Chicken 

Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market: Saturdays, 8am–3pm 

226-376-6328 • www.thevillagemeatshop.ca


EXCLUSIVE 

TOUR 

Sicilian Splendour 

October 2017 • 11 Nights Land 

Escorted Tour. Welcome to a fabulous journey 

exploring the food, wine and local traditions 

that set Sicily apart from the rest of Italy. 

Highlights include local wine tasting on the 

slopes of Mt. Etna, a visit to Taormina’s Greek 

theatre, the circa 500 BC architectural ruins of 

Siracusa and tours of Palermo, Taormina & 

Monreale. 4 nights in Palermo, 3 nights in 

Siracusa, 4 nights in Taormina. 

For more information on this exciting tour, and others, 

contact: 

Carlson Wagonlit Travel 

224 Central Avenue, London ON 519-679-8520 

london@carlsonwagonlit.com 

www.cwtvacations.ca/london 

450 Columbia St. W. Unit 6, Waterloo ON 1-800-267-9269 

waterloo@carlsonwagonlit.com TICO Registration 50020877 

www.cwtvacations.ca/waterloo 

to celebrate the holidays takes place Sunday, November 27, 

11am–1pm. $45/person. www.bradshawscanada.com 

Around Our Region 

Living Alive Granola, located in St. Thomas, focuses on 

using local maple syrup (Palmer’s beautiful dark maple 

syrup from Port Stanley), honey (Clovermead’s Summer 

Blossom Honey) and oats, and bakes only with fresh 

ingredients. Local musician Stephanie Brown and former 

MP Joe Preston base their product on a family recipe. 

Both partners are advocates for helping local mental health 

programs, and they donate ten cents from every bag sold 

to make a difference in this important area. Living Alive 

Granola is available at markets, and from a growing number 

of local retailers (including Remark, and some No Frills 

and Foodland stores). Also available online for delivery 

anywhere in Canada. livingalivegranola.ca 

Change up your Friday night! Telegraph House in Port Stanley 

has started up Pizza Night, offering new and exciting pizzas. 

One was recently discovered by proprietors Jon and Vicci 

Coughlin in NYC, featuring toasted butternut on a garlic and 

goat cheese base, with arugula and balsamic vinegar glaze 

topping. The Coughlins will also be making Jon’s special — the 

Diavola Supreme that includes house tomato sauce, pepperoni, 

capocolla, salami, shallots, black olives, bacon, proscuitto, 

mozzarella and parmesan. Pizza dinners are actually three 

course dinners, including soup or salad, and pie for dessert. The 

“Winter Series” has also begun, with dinners on Saturday nights. 

Bring your own wine for $5 corkage. www.telegraphhouse.com 

Six Thirty Nine in Woodstock recently received an 

award from the South Central Ontario Region Economic 

Development Corporation as a Local Food Champion. 

Over in Vineland, visit Featherstone Winery and Vineyard’s 

Holiday Open House on December 3 and 4 and celebrate 

the season with neighbours Malivore Wine Company, 

Vineland Estates Winery, GreenLane Estate Winery, and 

Ridgepoint Winery. Each winery will have their own special 

events on all weekend — back vintage tastings, food pairings, 

cocktail ideas, or sleigh rides. And each winery will try to fill a 

wine barrel with donations of non-perishable food items. There 

will be lots of holiday entertaining ideas on offer, as well as 

unique tastings. Ticket fees will be donated to a local charity. 

www.featherstonewinery.ca 

Air Canada’s in-flight magazine, enRoute, has announced its 

annual top 10 list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2016, as 

well as the winner of the People’s Choice Award — Backhouse, 

in Niagara-on-the-Lake. enroute.aircanada.com 

Do you have culinary news or upcoming events that 

you’d like us to share? Every issue, eatdrink reaches 

more than 50,000 readers across Southwestern 

Ontario in print, and thousands more online. 

Get in touch with us at editor@eatdrink.ca and/or 

connect directly with our Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery 

at bryan@eatdrink.ca


BEER MATTERS 

beer matters 

Try Something New this Season 

Ontario Craft Dark Beer! 


One of the most satisfyingly 

flavourful and trendiest ways 

to end a holiday meal is with 

an Ontario craft dark beer. 

Fortunately for those living in southwestern 

Ontario there are at least five stellar choices 

that will satisfy the palate and stimulate 

conversation about the exceptional local 

breweries that created them. 

To find some samples, it’s as simple as 

a trip to your local LCBO, Beer Store, or 

beer-selling grocery store. Or it can mean 

a journey to the brewery itself, where you 

typically will be able to sample before 

buying. Your quest is for stouts — the 

name is derived from being the stoutest or 

strongest of the porters. The glassware you 

need are snifters, often available at craft 

brewery retail stores. 

While alcohol content is well understood 

by beer drinkers, IBU (International 

Bittering Units) may be less so. It’s an 

important number to note, if brewers make 

it available, to match your taste to the right 

beer. The higher the IBU, the more bitter, or 

hoppy, the beer is likely to be. 

Here are five local, 

guest-pleasing dark 

beers: 

Railway City Black 

Coal Stout: One of 

several beers named 

with a railway theme 

and brewed by St. 

Thomas’s Railway City 

Brewing Company, 

Black Coal Stout lives 

up to its name in 

terms of colour. A 

2016 Canadian Brewing 

Awards winner, the taste is of 

bittersweet chocolate, roasted coffee beans, 

and rye bread. The alcohol content is 6 per 

cent, with a 46 

IBU. Available 

at the brewery, 

130 Edward 

Street, St. 

Thomas, and at 

the LCBO. 

Forked River 

Blackbeerd 

and Wicked 

Wench: 

Blackbeerd is the London 

brewery’s tasty stout. Wicked 

Wench is the value-added version, aged in 

bourbon barrels for about a year. Wicked 

Wench is 5.7 per cent alcohol, 30 IBU, 

Blackbeerd a little less (5.5 abv, 30 IBU. 

They’re not on the shelf at the same time 

of year. Available at the brewery store, 45 

Pacific Court, in Forked River’s signature 

500 mL bottles. That means you can do 

small pours for skeptical newbies who need 

to be convinced, sip by sip, that they will like 

good stouts. 

Blackfriars Vanilla Stout: This gem from 

Tobaggan, the jewel of Richmond Row, 

has been available on tap at the London 

brewpub and 

is set to debut 

in tallboy 

cans at the 

brewery 

store, in time 

to impress 

Christmas 

guests. 

Brewmaster 

Tom Schmidt 

has taken 

Toboggan’s 

regular (if I 

may use that



word) slightly sweet stout, and infused it 

with Madagascar vanilla beans. The result 

is wonderful and a perfect starting point for 

people who think they don’t like stouts. 

It is 6 per cent alcohol and 35 IBU. 

Toboggan is at 585 Richmond Street, 

London. 

Black Swan Porter: This requires a 

little expedition and a willingness to 

serve guests from a 64-oz growler. Black 

Swan brewpub of Stratford is gaining trac- 

Come. Sit. Stay. 

Enjoy the Dawghouse Pub & Eatery’s genuine 

pub atmosphere with great food, live bands, 

karaoke, interactive games ... and there’s always 

a game on our large screen TVs! 

trivia, games 

& live events 

Daily 

Food & Drink 

Specials 

Catering Available. Kitchen Open Late! 

699 Wilkins Street, London 

519-685-0640 dawghouse.ca 

SUN–TUES 11am–1am; WED–SAT 11am–2am 

tion and 

its porter 

is worthy 

of bringing 

home. The 

porter uses 

Chinook hops and eight types of malt. The 

alcohol is 5.3 

per cent and 

IBU 45. Black 

Swan is at 144 

Downie Street, 

Stratford. 

Half Hours on 

Earth: No one 

said getting a 

fine stout on 

your table was 

going to be 

easy. Brand new 

and already 

highly regarded, 

Half Hours on 

Earth keeps 

you looking at 

its website to 

check avail- 

Selected in 

TOP 10 

Beer Bars 

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ability and urges you to order online to 

ensure you get the beer you want before 

making the drive to Seaforth. Half Hours has 

offered porters in the past with such names 

as Moonless, a farmhouse porter, and Space 

Oddity, a berry brett porter. Both were out 

of stock as of this writing. You can take it on 

faith that when Half Hours has a dark beer 

on its available list, it will be good. Order 

through the Half Hours website, halfhoursonearth.com, 

or visit the store, Saturday 

afternoons only, at 151 Main Street South, 

Seaforth. 

This holiday season, impress your guests 

with the refinement holding a glass of craft 

stout brings and feel blessed such a bevy of 

flavourful beer options are waiting in your 

backyard. Cheers! 

WAYNE NEWTON is a freelance journalist in London who 

enjoys writing about beer and travel. 

ASK for ANDERSON 

Our tap room is open for business 

— including for your holiday 

functions and private parties. 

Give us a call today! 

1030 Elias Street, London 

519-803-1350 

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wine 

Only if You’re Thirsty 

Four Sparkling Recommendations for the Holiday Season 

By GARY KILLOPS 

“I 

drink it when I’m happy and 

when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink 

it when I’m alone. When I have 

company I consider it obligatory. 

I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink 

it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it— 

unless I’m thirsty.” 

I can relate to this famous quote by Lilly 

Bollinger who at one time ran the famous 

Champagne house in France. 

Only sparkling wine from the Champagne 

region of France can be called Champagne. 

However sparkling wines are produced in 

many other global wine regions including 

here in Ontario. Wine Country Ontario 

reports that approximately 26 wineries in the 

province are now making sparkling wines, 

and many of them rival the best that France 

has to offer. 

Grapes commonly used to make sparkling 

wine in Ontario include chardonnay, riesling, 

pinot noir, gamay and vidal. 

As the holiday season approaches, glasses 

around our house tend to be filled with sparkling 

wine and more often than not, these 

glasses of bubbly tend to be Ontario-made. 

Here are my Ontario sparkling wine recommendations 

for the holiday season. Buy 

some to give as gifts and keep some to open 

when you are happy, sad, hungry or thirsty. 

Origin Aromatic Sparkling Wine 

(LCBO # 470047, $17.95) 

Sparkling wine in a can? 

Really?! Why not? 

When I first heard about 

this I didn’t believe it. I had 

never heard of sparkling wine 

in a can, or indeed of any 

wine being packaged this way. 

Unbeknownst to me, a few 

wineries in the United States 

and one in British Columbia 

were already doing this. 

Beer is sold in cans, so why not wine? I 

was interested but not convinced that this 

was a good idea so I visited Between The 

Lines winery in Niagara, where a sparkling 

wine called Origin was being made and 

packaged in a can. 

Origin Aromatic Sparkling Wine is made 

from 100 percent vidal grapes. A small dosage 

of vidal ice wine is added, resulting is a 

sweet finish to this sparkling wine. Initially 

sold in four-can packs at the winery, it is 

now available at the LCBO in a gift box containing 

three 250 mL cans. 

Sparkling wine goes flat if the bottle is not 

consumed within 24 hours, so these small 

cans are ideal when you just want one glass 

of bubbly. 

Origin presents lemon citrus notes. It is 

sweet and loaded with acidity to balance. An 

exclusive gift for those hard to buy for wine 

drinkers. They will love the uniqueness. 

Lighthall Progression Sparkling Wine 2014 

(LCBO #468090, $20) 

Another bottle of bubbly made from 

vidal grapes by Glenn Symons at his 

small family-run winery in Prince 

Edward County. This wine offers 

crisp and refreshing citrus and 

green notes. 

You will notice the Lighthall bottle 

is capped with a crown, or bottle 

cap, rather than the traditional 

cork found on most bottles. 

Most sparkling wines, including 

Champagne, start out in bottles 

sealed with crown caps during 

secondary fermentation. 

Crown caps are an economical 

alternative to the more 

common mushroom cork, but 

they do require a bottle opener 

to open.


Flat Rock Cellars Riddled Sparkling 2009 

(LCBO #38315, $29.95) 

Another Ontario sparkling wine 

sealed with a crown cap. In fact 

Niagara’s Flat Rock Cellars was the 

first winery in Ontario to use this 

cap on their VQA sparkling wine. 

They had to petition the VQA 

board for approval, arguing that 

it eliminates cork taint, keeps 

more bubbles in the bottle and 

is safer then corks, which can 

become projectiles if not handled 

carefully when opening. 

Riddled is made from chardonnay 

and pinot noir in the 

same traditional method as 

champagne. It’s a very complex 

bubbly with baked apple, 

stone fruit, white flower, and 

baked bread notes. A gracefully 

aged wine that will impress your guest this 

holiday season. This wine will pair well with 

everything at the dinner table on Christmas 

Day. And I have to believe that Madame Bollinger 

would have been impressed with this 

sparkling wine! 

Peller Estates Ice Cuvée Rosé 

(LCBO #113035, $35.35) 

This off-dry sparkling rosé from 

Niagara’s Peller Estates Winery 

is made from a blend of pinot 

noir, chardonnay and gamay 

noir grapes. A small dosages of 

cab franc and vidal ice wines are 

added for sweetness. 

There is no other Ontario 

sparkling wine quite like this 

one. Fresh and lively with 

juicy raspberry, cranberry 

and peach notes. This bubbly 

could replace Christmas 

morning mimosas. 

Four unique and 

interesting Ontario VQA 

sparkling wines that I highly 

recommended this holiday season, and 

all are available at the LCBO. 

Happy shopping! 

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GARY KILLOPS is a certified wine geek who loves to talk, 

taste and write about wine. He shares his wine tasting notes on 

EssexWineReview.com 

519.667.2000 

www.bourbonstreetlondon.ca 

587 Oxford Street, London



spirits 

Pleased as Punch! 

What’s Old Is New Again 

By DARCY S. O’NEIL 

As the holiday season gets 

underway and the seemingly 

endless parties take over the 

month of December, everyone 

wants an easy-to-serve festive drink option. 

Wine and beer are the standards, and wellsuited 

for small events or dining out, but 

if you want to impress at home, give some 

thought to making a punch. 

Punch has a long history of being the 

centrepiece of celebrations and marking 

festive occasions. It is rare to find a punch 

served outside of the home as the logistics 

of serving it in bars and restaurants make 

it difficult. This presents an excellent 

opportunity to impress guests. A punch bowl 

offers a sophisticated presence on any dining 

room table and, aside from preparation 

hours before the event, it requires no 

effort to serve, freeing everyone up to 

mingle and enjoy the party. 

When properly prepared a good 

punch is a merrymaker. However 

excess sweetness can make it more 

of a dessert drink than the pleasant 

aperitif it should be. Punch should be 

of a sweetness similar to a mediumdry 

wine, which works better with 

food and slows down alcohol 

consumption. Responsible drinking is 

the new holiday tradition. 

Nutmeg and cinnamon are traditionally 

added to a glass of punch, and being 

Christmas spices, they will work well for the 

festive season. You can use a mixture of the 

two spices in a salt shaker, or you can use 

whole spices and place a grater next to the 

punch bowl. 

The Frost Punch is a recipe from the 

1940s that uses green tea to give the drink a 

unique flavour, but you can substitute any 

variety of tea to give it your personal touch. 

This punch is pleasantly complex. 

Frost Punch 

1 cup, strong green tea* 

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 

Rinds of 2 lemons, thinly sliced 

½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and thinly 

sliced 

1 cup demerara or turbinado sugar 

1 cup brandy 

¾ cup orange liqueur (Cointreau or Triple Sec) 

½ cup dark rum 

2 cups club soda 

750ml bottle of Champagne, chilled 

Large ice block # 

1 Put the lemon rinds in a mixing bowl. Add the 

lemon juice, sliced pineapple, brandy, orange 

liqueur, rum and chilled green tea. Stir well. 

2 Transfer the bowl the refrigerator and chill the 

mixture for at least two hours. 

3 To serve, remove the bowl from the fridge 

just before guest arrive and slowly pour the 

mixture into a decorative punch bowl that has 

a large block of ice. Gently stir in the seltzer and 

Champagne. Avoid stirring vigorously as the 

carbonation in the seltzer and Champagne will 

dissipate too quickly. 

4 Grate or dash a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon 

over the drink.


* A strong tea would typically be three times the 

normal amount of tea. 

# 

Large ice blocks melt slowly and help to prevent 

diluting the punch. You can make them in your 

freezer a day or two before the event. 

The holiday season is a time for socializing 

and relaxing, not hectically preparing drinks 

for guests. A good bowl of Punch will make 

for a joyous event. 

DARCY O’NEIL is a London-based bartender who writes 

about cocktail culture and other drink-related topics on his 

popular website ArtofDrink.com 

If you are having a small, casual gathering, 

or even just a quiet night away from the 

parties, consider making a Rum Milk 

Punch, which can be prepared in individual 

servings. This punch is similar to eggnog, the 

Christmas standard, but easier to make and 

just as good. 

Rum Milk Punch 

2 oz amber or dark rum 

1 tsp superfine sugar 

4 to 6 ounces whole milk 

2 drops vanilla extract 

Dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon 

1 Combine the rum, sugar, vanilla and milk in a 

cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 15 seconds. 

2 Strain into a glass and grate or dash some 

nutmeg and cinnamon over the top of the drink. 

Spice Up 

Your Holidays! 

223 Colborne St. Port Stanley ON 

Mon. to Sat. 10-5, Sun. 11-4 

(519) 782-7800 www.peppertreespice.com



spirits 

Craft Cocktails 

Compiled by BRYAN LAVERY 

T 

he modern cocktail revival 

has spawned the craft cocktail 

movement. Hand-crafted libations 

with pre-prohibition cocktail 

cred are the craze right now. The essential 

components of the contemporary craft 

cocktail comprise the use of artisanal 

ingredients, seasonal syrups, shrubs and 

infusions, premium liquors, good ice and 

proper garnishes. Small batch ingredients 

add flavour, complexity, and personality 

to culinary-driven craft creations and 

classic cocktails alike. If you really want 

to do your Holiday cocktail a favour, use 

festive garnishes that lend texture, style and 

a personal flavour accent to your drink. 

Here are a couple of festive cocktails for the 

Holiday season. 

Courtesy of Revival House, Stratford 

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria 

Yields one pitcher. Perfect for entertaining over the holidays. 

1 bottle of Pinot Grigio (your choice) 

1 bottle of Champagne (or Secco of your 

choice) 

3 crisp apples, diced (ie. honey crisp, 

royal gala, pink lady) 

2 cups Welsey apple cider (or any good 

quality cider) 

½ cup ginger-infused Brandy* (made the 

day before or earlier) 

½ cup spiced cordial # 

3 cinnamon sticks & extra for garnishing 

each glass 

thumb-size piece of ginger 

1 In a pitcher combine Pinot Grigio, diced 

apples, Welsey Apple cider, ginger 

Brandy, spiced cordial and 3 cinnamon 

sticks. If pieces of ginger end up in the 

pitcher, there is no need to worry. It will only add 

more flavour to the sangria. 

2 Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. 

After refrigeration, add half of the bottle of 

champagne to the pitcher before serving. 

Waiting to add the champagne will keep those 

lovely bubbles popping longer. 

3 You’re ready! Pour the sangria into glasses 

filled with ice (we prefer wine glasses). Add a 

cinnamon stick for garnish and top each glass 

with extra champagne. Enjoy! 

*GINGER-INFUSED BRANDY 

We like E & J Brandy VSOP. It has lovely caramel 

notes that compliment this winter cocktail 

beautifully. 

Grate a thumb-size piece of ginger and add it 

to the bottle, the day before or earlier. The longer 

the ginger is given to infuse the Brandy, the more 

intense the flavour, adding warmth and subtle 

spice to this cocktail.


# 

SPICED CORDIAL 

½ cup sugar 

½ cup water 

1 cinnamon stick 

5 cloves 

1 star anise 

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring 

to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let cool. Strain cordial and 

transfer to a sealable container. Store in the fridge. 

Yields 1 cup. Keeps indefinitely. 

give + share 

with a 

Revival House Martini 

1 oz Chambord 

½ oz Limoncello 

½ oz Bombay Sapphire 

1 drop rose water 

Champagne 

Dried rose petal for garnish 

1 In a martini shaker filled with ice combine 

Bombay sapphire, Chambord, limoncello 

2 Shake hard and strain into a chilled martini glass. 

3 Add 1 drop of rose water and top with 

champagne. 

4 Garnish with a dried rose petal. Enjoy! 

Recipe from Wolfe of Wortley next page! 

GIFT CARD 

977 Wellington Road S. 

226 663 5100 

WALK-IN GUESTS 

ALWAYS WELCOME 

chop.ca


Courtesy of Wolfe of Wortley, London 

Fall Fashioned 

1½ oz Four Roses small batch bourbon 

½ oz Glenlivet 12 year old scotch 

½ oz Fig/Cinnamon Shrub* 

dash of angostura bitters 

5 drops house-made cumin & maple walnut bitters 

pickled apple ball 

red wine poached pear 

SUNDAY BRUNCH 

11am−2pm 


1 Muddle the Fig/Cinnamon Shrub with the bitters 

in a short round glass. Rotate the glass so that it 

is lined. 

2 Add a large ice cube, then the bourbon and 

scotch. 

3 A tall cinnamon stick makes a good stir stick. 

Garnish with the apple ball and poached pear. 

on a spear. Enjoy! 

*FIG/CINNAMON SHRUB 

12 fresh purple figs 

2 cups apple cider vinegar 

2 cups raw sugar 

4 sticks of cinnamon 

Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3 days. 

Work though a fine strainer into a fresh bowl. 

Discard left over pulp and cinnamon sticks. 

Put the sugar into a large jar with a lid. Add the 

juice. Put the lid on and shake until well mixed. 

Leave in a cool dark place for two weeks, shaking 

the jar every couple of days. 

Flavour. Quality. Consistency. 

Organic Fair Trade Coffee 

Check our Facebook page 

for a list of retail locations 

or order direct 

Sun–Tues 11am–11pm, Wed/Thurs 11am–midnight, Fri/Sat 11am–1am 

patrick@patricksbeans.com 

226-378-5100


the classical beat 

Sounds of the Season 

By NICOLE LAIDLER 

The musicians of #WePlayOn are in 

the process of naming, branding 

and launching a new musical 

ensemble for London, thanks to 

funding received from the London Arts 

Council. A $20,000 grant, made available 

through this year’s Community Arts 

Investment Program, has allowed the 

organization to hire Toronto strategist and 

arts administrator Patricia McKinna to 

develop a five-year business plan. Once 

approved by LAC, the plan will unlock a 

further $100,000 in funding for concerts and 

community development. 

In the meantime, #WePlayOn recently 

announced a modest three-concert season 

leading up to the New Year. 

Conductor Scott Good and guests Ian 

Raeburn, Hillary Watson and Chelsea 

Van Pelt join the musicians for ‘London 

Remembers’, November 11 at Metropolitan 

United Church. Featuring Gorecki’s 

Symphony No. 3, McKinna says the program 

“will be meaningful for generations who 

remember the war experience, as well as 

young people.” 

London’s Sonja Gustafson joins 

#WePlayOn and conductor Brian Jackson 

Western University Opera 

Sonja Gustafson 

December 2 at Metropolitan United Church 

for ‘Comfort and Joy’, an evening of seasonal 

favourites. The same program will be 

performed in Chatham the following day. 

On December 7, #WePlayOn’s artistic 

advisor Kevin Mallon leads the ensemble 

in the ‘Dublin’ Messiah, a re-creation of 

the very first performance of this perennial 

holiday favourite, this time at First St 

Andrews United Church. 

“We want to do a few things really well 

and build on that,” says McKinna. “And we 

hope to start 2017 with a new name and a 

new identity.” www.musiciansorchestralondon. 

wordpress.com 

Opera lovers are in for a treat when Western 

University Opera Workshop presents 

Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, both 

by Puccini, November 18 to 20 at the Paul 

Davenport Theatre. The two one-act operas 

will move audience members from sorrow 

to laughter, promises stage manager and 

Western DMA student Adam Iannetta. “These 

shows are complete opposites,” he says. 

Suor Angelica is a sentimental tragedy. 

“Unless you have a heart made of stone 

you will be reduced to tears. But the second 

opera is just a riot. It’s a non-stop comedy 

from start to finish.” 

Working with conductor Simone Luti and


director Tom Diamond 

gives the student 

performers a real taste 

of what it’s like to take 

part in a professional 

production, says Iannetta. 

“It’s a thrill, and an 

extremely humbling 

process, to have the 

opportunity to work with 

people who have such a 

deep understanding of 

the business as well as the 

craft of opera.” 

www.wuoperaworkshop.ca 

The Karen Schuessler 

Singers launch their 24th season on 

November 19 at Wesley-Knox United 

Church. The ‘Sublime Genius’ concert 

features a performance of Haydn’s Lord 

Nelson Mass, featuring 

soprano Katy Clark and bassbaritone 

Chad Louwerse, as 

well as a full orchestra. 

“It’s been years since 

we’ve performed the Lord 

Nelson, and we just love it,” 

comments KSS director, Karen 

Schuessler. “Many people 

consider it the finest choralorchestral 

work of the entire 

classical period.” 

The masterpiece will 

be paired with Mozart’s 

Regina Coeli, K. 276, which 

Schuessler describes as “a seven-minute 

sunny sparkler.” Contemporary works by 

Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo, Arvo Pärt and 

Eric Whitacre round out the program. 

www.kssingers.com 

Chorus London kicks 

off its 48th season 

on November 26, 

with the annual 

performance of 

Handel’s Messiah at 

Dundas Street Centre 

United Church. 

“This will be my 

third Messiah with 

Chorus London,” says 

conductor and artistic 

director David Holler. 

“The challenge is to 


make it new every year.” 

This will be a traditional 

performance, he notes, 

with the 50-voice 

choir joined by four 

soloists and a 20-piece 

orchestra. 

The concert also marks 

the debut of Joseph 

Lanza as concert master 

of the Concert Players 

Orchestra. “We are 

delighted to have him 

joining us,” says Holler. 

www.choruslondon.com 

Those looking for a lighthearted 

evening of seasonal music are in for 

a treat when Ensemble Vivant’s holiday tour 

makes a stop in London, December 18 at 

Dundas Centre United Church. 

The December tour takes 

the acclaimed chamber 

group to ten communities 

right across the province, 

including Orillia, Guelph, 

Brantford, Kingston, 

Mississauga, and Ottawa. 

A local youth choir from 

each community will 

join the program for each 

performance. In London, 

that honour goes to the 

Junior Amabile Singers. 

The program includes 

original renditions of 

traditional Christmas carols and selections 

from Ensemble Vivant’s popular recording, 

Christmas Tidings. www.ensemblevivant.com 

London Community 

Orchestra welcomes 

December with 

their own annual 

tradition, the ‘Young 

Soloists Concert’. 

Held December 11 

at Dundas Street 

Centre United 

Church, the 

showcase of local 

young talent is 

always a highlyanticipated 

event, 

says LCO manager, 

Kristin Hoffmann.

4022 


This year’s concert features three soloists: 

Joshua Lee performing Saint-Saëns Violin 

Concerto no. 3, Matthew Zhou performing 

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Piano Concerto in 

C-sharp, and Patrick Smithers performing 

Arutiunian’s Concerto for Trumpet and 

Orchestra. 

Performing with a full orchestra, rather 

than just piano accompaniment, allows the 

young musicians to become more intimately 

acquainted with the music, explains 

Hoffmann. “They can experience how the 

soloist’s part fits with all the other parts of 

the orchestra,” she says. “It allows them to 

fine-tune their performance skills, and, for 

students considering careers as musicians, 

it can give them a sense of what that could 

involve, and some helpful experience.” 

www.lco-on.ca 

NICOLE LAIDLER is a former classical musician who has 

been writing about London’s cultural scene for more than a 

decade. To see what else she’s been up to visit www.spilledink.ca 

Develop skills & a love for music 

PIANO LESSONS 

Experienced Piano/Theory Teacher 

now accepting new students 

Individual Instruction for All Ages 

Compassionate, Caring, Encouraging 

Home-based Professional Music Studio 

Royal Conservatory Exam Preparation 

University Piano Proficiency Preparation 

Beth Hickey, BA (MUS) 

North London 

bhickey57@hotmail.com 519-432-4022 

Ensemble Vivant 

CHRISTMAS TIDINGS 

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” 

Performing some of the world’s most beloved seasonal music, Ensemble Vivant, with 

special guests the Junior Amabile Singers, will present a concert in celebration of love, 

caring, and sharing with family and friends at this most wonderful time of the year. 

“No matter the genre, there is magic 

in Ensemble Vivant’s music making.” 

Rick Wilkins, O.C. 

Special Guests: Junior Amabile Singers 

directed by Wendy Landon & Jackie Norman 

p hoto by Denise Gr an t 

Sun. December 18, 2:00 pm 

Dundas Street United Church 

482 Dundas Street, London 

Box Office: Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St. / 519-672-8800 

www.grandtheatre.com



various musical notes 

Award-Winning Musicians 

at a Venue near You 

By GERRY BLACKWELL 

The Fab Four have been undergoing 

a mini-revival here in London. 

September saw the first downtown 

Beatles Festival, and it was a big hit. 

If you missed it — shame on you — Aeolian 

Hall Performing Arts Centre is offering a 

second chance at two of the acts that rocked 

the festival. 

Beatlemania Revisited will be in on 

Saturday, November 19, with its “note-fornote” 

renditions of Beatles classics and 

vintage costumes and instruments. Then 

on December 10, The McCartney Years, 

another top tribute band, with front man 

(and local musician) Yuri Pool, plays 

“Lennon and McCartney,” a show featuring 

the later solo hits. 

Moptoppery not your thing? The Aeolian 

has a terrific line-up of other music too, 

including some big names in Canadian 

jazz, an intriguing world music event, and 

perennial favourites Great Lake Swimmers. 

On Friday, November 18, Toronto-based 

Jazz flautist and saxophonist Jane Bunnet, 

famous for her collaborations with Afro- 

Cuban jazz veterans, is here with Maqueque, 

an all-woman ensemble of young Cuban 

stars. Bunnet, a multiple Juno winner, 

Grammy nominee and Officer of the Order 

of Canada, has released over a dozen albums 

since the 1980s, including this year’s Oddara 

with Maqueque. 

Jane Bunnet 

Alex Pangman 

Then on Sunday, November 27, it’s a 

completely different style of jazz, as Juno 

nominee Alex Pangman and Her Alleycats 

take the stage for a Christmas Extravaganza. 

Pangman’s sweet spot is classic, danceable 

jazz of the 1920s through 1950s — authentic 

but with a swagger and drive that make it 

sound nothing like your great-grandma’s old 

78 rpm records. And that voice! Sassy. 

Speaking of jazz, local fans should know 

there is great free and almost-free jazz to 

be had in London. The long-running Jazz 

for the People series (free) is back at the 

Wolf Performance Hall (Central Library 

downtown). Two concerts of note coming 

up: local multi-instrumentalist and arranger 

Peter Hysen (bass, trombone, tuba) brings 

his Septet on Wednesday, November 23. 

On Wednesday, December 14, it’s Sandy 

MacKay’s Holiday Special, featuring the 

drummer, bandleader and JFTP mainstay. 

(Come early for the best seats.) 

The London Jazz Society also runs a 

series of bargain-priced Sunday afternoon 

concerts at the Mocha Shrine Centre on 

Colborne St. London sax man Chris Murphy 

is there with his band on November 6, and 

then it’s the Mark Henning Jazz Quartet on 

December 4, featuring guitarist/vocalist 

Henning and pianist Don Di Carlo. 

Back to the Aeolian. Flamenco, the soulful 

music of southern Spain’s Roma people, is 

a genre not well understood or appreciated


on this side of the Atlantic. The Jorge Miguel 

Flamenco Ensemble, coming to the Hall 

Saturday, November 12, could change that. 

Miguel, a Spanish-Canadian trained in 

Spain, put his ensemble together for just 

that purpose. The show includes his virtuoso 

guitar, as well as dance and song, the three 

pillars of the flamenco form. Expect an 

intense, exciting performance. 

Great Lake Swimmers bring their 

decidedly more laid-back folk-rock sounds 

to Aeolian Hall on Friday, December 2. Tony 

Dekker and his Toronto-based band are 

currently touring their fifth studio album, 

Forest of Arms, released earlier this year. 

It’s a typically melodic, mostly acoustic set. 

You’ll leave humming. 

Fred Eaglesmith 

www.sunfest.on.ca 

JORGE MIGUEL 

FLAMENCO ENSEMBLE 

Saturday, November 12 

AN OLD SCHOOL YULE: 

A MATT DUSK CHRISTMAS 

Tuesday, December 6 

World Music 

& Jazz Series 

2016 - 17 

Series Sponsor 

JANE BUNNETT 

& MAQUEQUE 

Friday, November 18 

NEXT GENERATION LEAHY 

Wednesday, December 7 

London Music Hall, 185 Queens Ave 

A JAZZY CHRISTMAS w. THE WOODHOUSE & BARBRA LICA - Thurs. Dec. 15 

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO - Thurs. February 16 

(at London Music Hall, 185 Queens Avenue) 

All Concerts ~ Doors at 7:00 pm ~ Concert at 8:00 pm 

Unless otherwise indicated, all concerts are at Aeolian 

Hall , 795 Dundas St ., London 

Tickets available at Aeolian Box Office (519-672-7950), Centennial Hall Box Office (519-672-1967), 

The Village Idiot (Wortley Village), and online at sunfest.on.ca, aeolianhall.ca, or ticketscene.ca 

Legendary singer-songwriter Fred 

Eaglesmith, probably the hardest-working 

musician in the country — his Traveling 

Steam Show tours constantly — plays two 

dates in the area this fall. On November 10 

he’s at the London Music Club. If you miss 

him there, he’s at Revival Hall (the old Church 

Restaurant) in Stratford on November 18. 

London Music Hall (note: Hall, not Club) 

has some great acts coming this fall. Steve 

Earle & the Dukes, grizzled veterans of 

the roots music scene, are in on Thursday 

November 17. Anyone who watched the great 

but under-appreciated HBO series Treme, 

about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 

the Big Easy, will remember Earle’s regular 

turn as street musician Harley Watt. 

Basia Bulat, whose fourth album Good 

Advice came out earlier this year and was 

shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, brings 

her melodic alt-pop sounds to LMH on 

Friday November 25. In a similar vein, the 

good young folk-pop outfit Half Moon Run 

is in on Monday, December 5. On Friday, 

December 9, it’s hard-rockers the Trews, 

from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The Trews are 

also playing Sarnia’s Station Music Hall on 

December 2. 

Simple Plan, the Quebec-based punk-pop 

outfit, is at the Bud on Thursday, November 

17. They’re touring their latest album, Taking 

One for the Team. (It features a very cool 

cover shot.) 

Best for last? The legendary, the venerable 

Gordon Lightfoot is at the Capitol Theatre in 

Chatham on Wednesday, November 16. How 

come we didn’t get him in London? Never 

mind, Chatham is only an hour or so down 

the 401: worth the drive. If you can still get 

tickets. 

Basia Bulat 

GERRY BLACKWELL is a London-based freelance writer.



theatre 

The Magic of Holiday Theatre 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

There’s something magical about 

theatre at Christmas. It gives 

busy families a chance to slow 

down and enjoy an outing that 

doesn’t involve the usual busy activities of 

the season. And Christmas theatre shows 

usually come with a bit of pixie dust, song 

and dance, and merriment: the perfect 

ingredients for an escape during the rush of 

the holidays. 

The season kicks off at Budweiser Gardens 

in downtown London on November 9th with 

Elf The Broadway Musical (for one evening 

only) as part of the Broadway series. This 

is a live version of the 2003 hit film, Elf. It 

is the charming story of an orphan, Buddy, To catch this classic show, follow the 

who ends up at the North Pole helping yellow brick road down to The Grand from 

make Christmas happen. The production November 22nd to December 31st. Book 

will feature direction 

early because a 

by Sam Scalamoni 

Christmas trip to 

and choreography by 

The Grand is a longstanding 

tradition 

Connor Gallagher. 

The Grand Theatre 

for many people 

in London is the go-to 

from across the 

place for a special 

region. 

holiday show. This 

In Port Stanley, 

year, reminding us 

country music fans 

that “there’s no place 

will want to catch 

like home”, The Grand 

Johnny Cash a 

presents The Wizard 

Country Christmas 

of Oz by L. Frank 

at the Port Stanley 

Baum with music and 

Festival Theatre, with 

lyrics by Harold Arlen 

Jim Yorfido as the man in black two performances 

and E. Y. Harburg. 

on November 26th. 

“Dorothy and her 

Billed as “interactive 

friends take us on a journey along the yellow theatre” it stars Johnny Cash impersonator 

brick road as never experienced before!” Jim Yorfido and the Memphis Cats band. 

Walk the line over to Port Stanley for some 

foot stompin’ fun! C 

For theatrical entertainment of a different 

type, sports enthusiasts and ballet lovers can 

team up and attend Christmas Extravaganza 

on Ice on December 10th at Budweiser 

Gardens. This combination of world-class 

figure skating, presented by the Russian 

company Igor Bobrin Theatre, is billed as a


combination of ice dancing, free skate and 

ballet. It features gold medalists Natalia 

Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin, from the 

Calgary Olympics. “The production begins 

with one-act ballet, 

Cinderella, followed 

by solo numbers in 

the second half of the 

program.” 

Cinderella in 

another form is on 

stage in St. Jacobs 

at the Playhouse 

November 15th to 

December 24th. 

Cinderella the Panto 

is a family-friendly 

musical, “a clever and 

contemporary makeover in this glittering 

stage production”. 

The Imperial Theatre in downtown Sarnia 

is presenting several holiday-themed shows 

over the season: Elvis: A Christmas Special 

on November 24th; Nightingale Chorus, the 

Spirit of Christmas December 7th to 10th; 

and Rock n Roll Christmas presented by local 

musicians December 16th and 17th. Located 

near the fabulous Lola’s Lounge, any one of 

these would make a fun date-night dinner 

and show combination. 

But not all on the 

stages in November 

and December is 

jingle bells and good 

cheer. Those looking 

for other options 

might consider 

checking out The 

Arts Project in 

downtown London. 

The winter season 

kicks off with Q1 

Hamlet, presented 

by Theatre Studies 

and the Department of English and Writing 

Studies at Western University. 

Billed as “Shakespeare’s Hamlet as you’ve 

never seen it before” Q1 is the First Quarto 

of The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, from 

the earliest printed version of Shakespeare’s 

most famous tragedy. The production 

features live original music and includes a 

BY L. Frank Baum 

WITH MUSIC AND LYRICS BY 

Harold Arlen & E. Y. Harburg 

BACKGROUND MUSIC BY 

Herbert Stothart 

Season Sponsor 

Title Sponsor 

TICKETS 519.672.8800 

GRANDTHEATRE.COM


bonus short Tudor Interlude, John Rastell’s 

“Four Elements.” Q1 runs from November 

9th to 12th. 

The London Community Players and the 

Palace Theatre in Old East Village present 

two internationally-themed productions in 

November. Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me 

by Frank McGuiness is situated in Beirut. 

The story is told by three men being held 

captive by terrorists. “Each comes to know 

himself through listening to the stories, 

sorrows and joys of the others.” It runs 

November 6th to 12th and 16th to 19th, with a 

matinee on November 13th. 


Q1 Hamlet, at The Arts Project in London 

The Palace then takes us to Russia for the 

love story of Anton Chekhov and his wife. 

I Take Your Hand In Mine is based on love 

letters between the two. It runs November 

20th to 26th at 8 pm and there is a matinee at 

2 pm on November 27th. 

JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to eatdrink 

magazine. She is also Manager, Communications & Media 

Relations, at King’s University College in London. 

Elvis: A Christmas Special at Sarnia’s Imperial Theatre 

THE DONNELLYS RETURN 

TO TELL THEIR SIDE OF THINGS 

MAINSTAGE 

FEB 7-11 20 

17 

A CATALYST THEATRE 

PRODUCTION 

WRITTEN, COMPOSED, AND DIRECTED BY 

Jonathan Christenson 

TICKETS 519.672.8800 

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books 

Chicken in the Mango Tree 

Food and Life in a Thai-Khmer Village 

by Jeffrey Alford 

Review by DARIN COOK 

Many people travel to eat exotic 

food directly from the source. 

Those who are even more 

adventurous stay for extended 

periods to not only enjoy the food, but also 

to learn to prepare it and to understand how 

it defines culture. Food writer Jeffrey Alford 

is one of those adventurous eaters. Chicken 

in the Mango Tree (Douglas & McIntyre, 

2015, $26.95) provides a glimpse into an 

agricultural year in the Thai village of Kravan 

that he has called home for over four years. 

Kravan is near the Thailand-Cambodia 

border, and Alford describes the food as 

being in a culinary niche that is uniquely 

Khmer, a derivative of Thai cuisine that 

strays from the characteristic pad Thai of 

Bangkok noodle shops. 

Alford himself is a North American 

hybrid — born in Wyoming, with childhood 

memories of the United States, and living a 

good portion of his adult life in Toronto. He 

has co-authored a number of well-known 

cookbooks, including Hot Sour Salty Sweet 

and Flatbreads and Flavors, which have both 

won the James Beard Award for Cookbook 

of the Year. This year he has his sights on 

Pea’s family preparing food in the outdoor kitchen 

further 

recognition. 

Chicken in 

the Mango 

Tree is on 

the 2016 

shortlist for 

Taste Canada’s Culinary 

Narrative award. Going beyond a 

traditional cookbook, Alford beautifully 

blends a memoir-like narrative to bring 

Author Jeffrey Alford 

cultural context to 30 Khmer-Thai recipes 

that he has gleaned from observing his 

partner, Pea, who is a skilled farmer, forager, 

gardener, and home cook. 

About Pea, he surmises “that 90 percent 

of the time, she’s either thinking about the 

farm, the back garden, cooking or eating.” In 

the village, food is not something that can be 

picked up at a drive-thru window and eaten 

on the fly. The approach to food in their 

household is integral to the entire structure 

of one’s day — collecting ingredients, planting 

and harvesting rice, communal eating. 

Alford often wakes up to the sound of Pea 

grinding sauces and pastes with the mortar 

and pestle for the day’s meals. Even with 

years of experience researching his own


cookbooks, he believes that his cooking does 

not compare to Pea’s. Scaling and filleting 

fresh fish from the backyard pond for Grilled 

Salted Tilapia does not come as naturally to 

him as it does to Pea, who has spent a lifetime 

preparing food in Thailand. One dish 

Alford does contribute to the village is popcorn. 

It is something the locals have never 

seen before and they quickly learn to add 

Sriracha sauce to make it even better. 

Few people in the Western world fully 

appreciate the “free food” that Alford 

experiences at every meal. Obtaining free 

food requires the agility to catch fish in 

streams and grasshoppers in fields with 

your bare hands, which Pea does with great 

proficiency. The variety of foods available in 

modern supermarkets pales in comparison 

to the variety that foraging offers, not only 

with plants, leaves, flowers, and vegetables 

from their neighbourhood, but also with 

a range of critters from frogs and shrimp 

to crickets and scorpions. Their diet is 

vegetable heavy; platters called pak are filled 

with whatever vegetation is in season, on 

the farm or in the wild, to become the core 

of most meals. The recipes Alford offers 

include simple instructions and short lists 

of ingredients; even though he includes 

the regional items to make the dishes 

authentically flavourful, he does provide 

substitutions for more accessible ingredients 

from North American market 

Ingredients that have no substitute are 

the crickets and grasshoppers used as a 

main source of protein in the Khmer diet. 

Alford proposes that Canadians could 

possibly purchase crickets from farms, 

similar to that of a friend of his in Grey 

County, Ontario where they are raised as 


Fresh eggplants and herbs 

live snacks for exotic pets. The topic of using 

insects as a food source is piquing some 

interest in North America and Alford writes, 

“the problem is not getting people to like 

eating crickets; it’s a problem of getting the 

approval of government food inspectors.” He 

also likes a salad made with the eggs of red 

ants, which he equates to Thai caviar. In his 

mind, this dish is the ultimate payback. The 

ants are known for biting humans without 

any harmful effects, except for annoyance, 

and Alford eats the ant eggs with vengeful 

thoughts, knowing the adult ants have been 

responsible for ravaging his body with bites 

over the years. 

The photos in this book provide further 

reason that Alford’s work is award-worthy. 

Baskets of food sold in open-air markets; 

Pea’s family harvesting in the rice fields; 

cooking over an open fire in the outdoor 

kitchen — all images that paint the backdrop 

to village life. The photos also beautifully 

illustrate the food that is found in this part 

of the world, which Alford has discovered 

is hard to break away from. He may not 

be coming home any time soon, but with 

this book he has found a way to share the 

flavours and stories of Kravan. 

The Taste Canada Awards are in the 19th year 

of honouring Canadian culinary writing. 

The Gold and Silver winners in all categories, 

including Culinary Narratives (that Jeffrey 

Alford is nomiated for), will be announced at 

an awards gala on November 14th. 

DARIN COOK is a freelance writer based out of Chatham. 

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

bookstores and restaurants of London. 

Food vendors in an open-air market


cookbooks 

The Baker In Me 

By Daphna Rabinovitch 

Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN 

As our family has grown older we’ve 

begun to pick and choose which 

Christmas traditions we keep 

and which we let go. I still love 

the holiday but am likely to skip “decking 

the halls with boughs of holly” in favour of 

a glass of wine and a movie marathon with 

my husband, dog and cat all curled up on 

the couch. But one activity we’ve never given 

up is the baking. My mom and I continue to 

share new recipes, recreate old favorites and 

indulge in our perverse love of fruitcake at 

Christmas. My favourite part of the holidays 

has always been the anticipation and 

preparation. December may be the month of 

parties but November is the month of baking. 

This year we were delighted to be able to 

use a few recipes from The Baker In Me by 

Daphna Rabinovitch. Most familiar to us as 

director of the Canadian Living test kitchen 

and co-host of “Canadian Living Cooks” for 

many years, Rabinovitch is now a culinary 

consultant based in Toronto. She describes 

herself as a trained pastry chef with the 

heart of a home baker and this is apparent 

in her cookbook. She impresses upon us the 

importance of the science behind baking 

while maintaining the warmth of a favourite 

aunt lovingly passing down secret family 

recipes. Anyone who can write three pages 

on the joy of baking brownies is someone I’d 

want to have coffee with. 

When I bake goodies I 

tend to stick with my tried 

and true recipes but at 

Christmas all bets are off. 

No recipe is too involved or 

has too many ingredients. 

It’s only in a fit of holiday 

enthusiasm that I would 

attempt making a seven 

layer anything, but Rabinovitch’s 

Seven-Layer Bars 

with Marshmallows and 

Dried Cranberries are as 

easy to 

make as 

they are 

delicious. 

It’s an 

unexpected 

combination 

but the contrast of sweet/tangy 

and chewy/gooey is sublime. 

My family members are all aware 

of my long-time obsession with the 

perfect shortbread cookie, so none will be 

surprised to see Hazelnut Shortbread Batons 

on offer this year. What they won’t know is 

how much it pains me to add baking powder 

to the recipe. But I trusted Daphna and she 

was right, of course. It adds that extra bit of 

lift needed to accommodate the chopped 

hazelnuts in the dough. The additional dip in 

chocolate and hazelnuts turned these from 

family treats to gift ideas in a moment. 

Each year I like to try making something 

different from my regular round of recipes. 

No one will ever forget the year I tried to 

revolutionize hot chocolate by adding 

homemade Irish Cream marshmallows. 

This year I made the author’s My Favourite 

Rugelach recipe — because it’s fun to say and 

because they are often served at Hanukkah. 

These are messy and amazing and seem 

exotically different from 

the usual drop cookies. 

They are also addictive 

and endlessly variable. 

You will find yourself 

searching through 

your baking cupboard 

trying to invent new 

filling combinations. 

I recommend making 

several batches of dough 

and inviting as many 

Author Daphna Rabinovitch


friends as will comfortably fit in your kitchen 

to fill, bake and eat these wonderful treats. 

The Baker in Me is a fantastic book for 

the Christmas season but it’s a valuable 

addition to the bookshelf of any baker at any 

time of year. I figure that by the time I get 

through the bars, cookies, cakes and breads 


this winter, it will be just about time to start 

thinking about fruit tarts. Now that is a gift 

that keeps on giving. 

TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer in 

London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com 

Recipes and photos excerpted from The Baker in Me, by Daphna Rabinovitch. Reprinted with permission of Whitecap Books, 2016 

My Favourite Rugelach 

Makes 4 dozen rugelach 

What I’d really like to know is why I didn’t grow up with rugelach. Perhaps my mom 

thought that what was available wasn’t good enough to serve or maybe there just 

weren’t any around. I’ll never really know. In any case, once I did discover rugelach and 

how easy they were to make, I just kept on making them. 

Rugelach dough is extremely simple to make. While some rugelach doughs are yeast 

based, I have chosen to go with the simpler non-yeasted version. This is the one I 

make at home all the time. 

Some rugelach doughs 

contain an egg or even 

include some sour cream 

for extra richness. I’ve 

added a little sweetener 

and some lemon zest for 

flavour. The zest tickles 

the tang inherent in the 

cream cheese, bringing it 

to the forefront. It’s better 

to use the brick-style 

cream cheese for making 

rugelach and to make sure 

it’s at room temperature. If 

it’s too cold, it simply won’t 

combine well with the 

butter. 

There are no rules or hard 

and fast formulas when it 

comes to the filling. The 

jam or spread is meant to 

act as a glue for the nuts 

or chips, so you’re free 

to choose whatever you 

want. Same goes for the 

combination of nuts and 

other goodies. The two 

necessary ingredients are 

some sugar and cinnamon 

to fully qualify for rugelach 

status. 

You may find that as you 

roll each triangle into 

a crescent, some of the 

inclusions fall out. There’s 

no need to panic. Simply 

tuck them into the folds


in the pastry. This is one place where you definitely 

want to use parchment, otherwise jam can ooze 

out of the dough, making the crescents stick to the 

pan. Just remember to transfer the rugelach to a 

separate wire rack while they’re still warm, or else 

they will stick to the parchment. 

1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, softened (8 

oz/250 g) 

8 oz (250 g) cream cheese, softened 

3 Tbsp (45 mL) icing sugar 

2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lemon zest 

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour 

Pinch of salt 

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature 

3 Tbsp (45 mL) coarse sugar (optional) 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle 

attachment, or using a hand-held mixer, beat the 

butter with the cream cheese for 3 minutes or until 

light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar; beat for another 2 

minutes. Beat in the lemon zest. 

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour and salt 

and mix just until combined and a dough is formed. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface 

and knead very lightly into a ball. Cut the ball 

into quarters; shape each quarter into a ball and 

flatten into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap; 

refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days. 

Let the dough stand at room temperature for 20 

minutes before rolling. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 cookie 

sheets with parchment paper; set aside. 

FILLING 

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients of your 

chosen filling, except for the jam or peanut butter. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the discs 

to a 10-inch (25 cm) or 11-inch (28 cm) circle. Spread 

3 Tbsp (45 mL) jam or peanut butter evenly over 

the surface. Sprinkle with one-quarter of the filling. 

Cut the dough into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Starting 

from the wide end, roll up each wedge to form a 

crescent shape. Transfer to the prepared cookie 

sheets, spacing each rugelach about 2 inches (5 cm) 

apart. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

Brush egg over 1 tray of rugelach. Sprinkle with 

coarse sugar, if desired. One sheet at a time, bake 

in the centre of the preheated oven until golden 

brown, 20–25 minutes. Cool the cookie sheet on 

a wire rack for a while. Transfer the cookies to the 

wire rack to cool completely. 

Repeat with remaining trays of rugelach, cooling 

the pans slightly before adding unbaked crescents 

to them. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight 

container at room temperature for up to 5 days.) 

Alternate Fillings from Daphna Rabinovitch 

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Hazelnut Shortbread Batons 

Makes about 2 dozen cookies 


I will never tire of the magical combination of hazelnuts and chocolate. They work so hard to 

bring out the best in each other. The addition of baking powder to the shortbread (heavens! 

Is that what you might call blasphemy!?!) lightens the dough for an exceptional texture. 

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 

½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped toasted hazelnuts 

½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder 

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt 

½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, softened (4 oz/125 g) 

½ cup (125 mL) granulated or superfine sugar 

½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla 

GARNISH 

6 oz (175 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 

½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped toasted hazelnuts 

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. 

Whisk together the flour, hazelnuts, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand-held 

mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute. Beat in the sugar for 2 minutes. Scrape down the 

dough. Beat in the vanilla. Remove the bowl from the stand. 

Using a wooden spoon, stir half of 

the flour into the butter mixture. 

Stir in the remaining flour just 

until incorporated. 

Using tablespoonfuls, roll the 

dough into 3-inch (8 cm) logs on 

your work surface. Spacing the 

cookies about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, 

transfer them to the prepared 

cookie sheets. 

One sheet at a time, bake in the 

centre of the preheated oven until 

the cookies start to turn golden 

around the edges, about 20 

minutes. Cool the cookie sheet on 

a wire rack for 2 minutes. Transfer 

the cookies to the wire rack to 

cool completely. Repeat with the 

remaining cookie dough, cooling, 

the pans slightly before adding 

unbaked cookie dough to them. 

GARNISH 

Melt the chocolate in the top of 

a double boiler set over hot, not 

boiling water. Cool slightly. Dip 

one end of each cookie into the 

melted chocolate, lightly shaking 

off any excess. Dip the chocolate 

end into the chopped hazelnuts 

until coated. Transfer to a wire rack 

until the chocolate is set. (Cookies 

can be stored in an airtight 

container at room temperature for 

up to 3 days.)


Seven-Layer Bars with Marshmallows and Dried Cranberries 

Makes about 2½ dozen bars 

These bars have been around 

forever, and are sometimes 

called magic bars, Hello Dolly 

bars or seven-layer bars. This 

particular variation sports 

marshmallows—which melt 

into a gooey, sticky crater—as 

well as tart dried cranberries 

and coconut. It’s an 

extravaganza in your mouth. 

What is even more 

impressive is that they’re 

incredibly quick to assemble 

and bake. These are the reason 

I always have sweetened 

condensed milk in my pantry. 

2½ cups (625 mL) graham 

wafer crumbs 

¾ cup (180 mL) unsalted 

butter, melted (6 oz/175 

g) 

1 can (300 mL) sweetened 

condensed milk 

1 cup (250 mL) mini 

marshmallows 

1 cup (250 mL) coarsely 

chopped pecans 

1 cup (250 mL) dried 

cranberries 

¾ cup (180 mL) semisweet 

chocolate chips 

¾ cup (180 mL) shredded 

sweetened coconut 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease 

the sides and bottom of a 13- × 9-inch (33 × 23 cm) 

metal cake pan. Line with parchment paper so that 

’S 2015 

the bottom is covered and there is a 2-inch (5 cm) 

L FLAVOUR 

overhang on the 2 long sides. 

Place the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl. Pour 

the melted butter over the crumbs, stirring with a 

fork until thoroughly combined. Pat the moistened 

crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the 

prepared cake pan. 

LONDON’S 

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LOCAL FLAVOUR 

Pick up your copy or read it online at eatdrink.ca 

Drizzle one-third of the sweetened condensed 

milk over the base. Then sprinkle with the 

marshmallows, pecans, cranberries, chocolate chips 

and coconut, in that order. Drizzle the remainder of 

the sweetened condensed milk over top. 

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven until 

lightly browned, about 25–30 minutes. Let the bars 

cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. 

Cut into bars (or cut what you need, cover the pan 

with plastic wrap and store at room temperature 

for up to 5 days). 

LONDON’S 

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w 

eatdrink The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 

Volume 

5



the lighter side 

Wrapping Up the Holidays 

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD 

I 

don’t think anyone would call me a 

grinch for observing that a great deal 

of the true holiday spirit has been 

hijacked. It’s becoming increasingly 

difficult not to feel resentful, when trudging 

zombie-like through the malls (especially 

right after work), after battling through a 

parking lot full of angry drivers and then, 

finally inside, overheated, overwhelmed 

and over-sprayed by the perfume sampler, 

discovering the stores to be full of the Same. 

Stuff. Everywhere. “Bits of old tat,” my 

mother might intone darkly. And certainly 

not suitable for the people we love. 

And yet, in desperation, we 

sometimes buy anyway, quietly 

shunning the thought that perhaps 

a slim box of wafer-thin chocolates 

might have been a better office gift 

after all, rather than that red-nosed 

reindeer that defecates candy. 

These are the kind of mistakes 

that one can make strung out on too 

much coffee and not enough food. 

Speaking of food, I am often reminded 

during the holiday season of that wonderful 

actor/philanthropist Paul Newman, whose 

revered salad dressings were, in part, a 

reaction to this very issue. One of Newman’s 

passions was cooking, and he took to giving 

homemade treats as presents, decanting 

his salad dressings into wine bottles with 

a humble label attached, to the absolute 

delight of every recipient. We all know the 

rest of the story, since the products eventually 

went commercial and 100% of the after-tax 

profit from those salad dressings still goes to 

charity. Now this is in the spirit of the season! 

That said, I am not suggesting that those 

Angry Shoppers in the first paragraph go 

home and start creating garlicky emulsions 

of their own, when there is already barely 

enough time to turn around. But the gift 

of food — in any form — can be one of the 

presents that people often appreciate most. 

Newly away-from-home students love 

electronics and gift certificates, but a pallet 

of KD, Red-Bull or instant oatmeal will also 

be well-received, and enjoyed in the long 

(and possibly impoverished) dark days of 

winter ahead. I have given “pie vouchers” to 

my sons for a few Christmases now. They are 

laminated pie-shaped cards drawn badly by 

myself, which can be cashed in for tourtière, 

fruit or chicken curry pies. (Some conditions 

may apply…) The promise, or indeed, the 

mention of pie has never produced the kind 

of stilted, polite “Well! Thank-you-verymuch!” 

reaction that foretells a return trip 

to the dreaded mall in order to get the right 

colour/model/issue/size. 

With only a little forethought, 

unique jams made in season (by 

you, or someone else!) can be put 

into a small basket bursting with 

the remembrance of warmer days, 

and ready to be spread on expensive 

crackers or paired with artisanal 

cheeses tucked alongside. Merchants 

abound to help with splendid olive oils, 

homemade tomato sauces, bags of gourmet 

rice, local anything, all readily available. 

And what new parent (or heck, any 

parent!) would not appreciate a gift card for 

a spot that offers ready-made meals — or 

a restaurant voucher with free babysitting 

thrown in? 

Of course, if you have the time or inclination, 

absolutely why not make something 

yourself; tea loaves come together in minutes, 

and there are many fruit cake recipes (the kind 

that young people actually like). Make three or 

four at a time. Use organic everything you can, 

and say so on the label. 

Food is all about love, after all. You can 

never get the wrong colour. And it always 

fits. 

SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD is a freelance writer and 

regular contributor to eatdrink. Read more of Sue’s work on her 

blog www.speranzanow.com

№ 62 | November/December 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 71



Grab your skates and head downtown 

to the Covent Garden Market 

Rotary Rink 

Skating rink is open everyday 

(skating only) 

Monday to Friday: 

11am — 7pm 

Saturday: 10am — 7pm 

Sunday: 11am — 6pm 

Weather permitting 

coventmarket.com 

/coventgardenmarket 

Market Hours 

Monday to Thursday: 8am — 6pm 

Friday: 8am — 7:30pm 

Saturday: 8am — 6pm 

Sunday: 11am — 4pm

Eatdrink #62 November/December 2016

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