Eatdrink #68 November/December 2017 "The Holiday Issue"

Issue #68 | November/December 2017 

eatdrink 

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 

FREE 

The 

Holiday 

Issue 

ANNUAL 

eatdrink 

Gift Guide 

page 20 

FEATURING 

Blake’s Bistro & Bar 

One of London’s Best Kept Secrets 

Cowbell Brewing Co. 

Blyth’s Destination Brewery 

On the Road to K-W 

A Culinary Round-Up 

Cooking with the Wolfman 

Indigenous Fusion Recipes 

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007 

www.eatdrink.ca

2 | November/December 2017 

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIL 

CAPTURES THE SPIRIT 

OF GIVING AND 

THE JOY OF CHECKING 

OFF THAT LIST 

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag 

You’ll discover unique and individual 

gift ideas when you stroll our festive 

streets. We’ve made it easy to kick 

off your holiday shopping with 

The Christmas Trail – six gifts 

for just $30*. And because it’s 

Stratford, be on the lookout 

for seven swans a swimming. 

Purchase your pass 

at Stratford Tourism, 

47 Downie Street. 

visitstratford.ca 

*plus HST

UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE IDLEWYLD 

Spa Open House 

Wednesday, November 15th, 2017 | 5:00pm - 8:00pm 

Save the date for this year’s Spa Open House, featuring 

complementary refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, treatment 

demonstrations and product promotions. Treat yourself, or start 

your holiday shopping early! 

$110 

Inclusive 

Scotch Tasting at the Idlewyld 

Friday, November 17th, 2017 | 7:00pm 

Join Simon Hooper with Wirtz Beverages reserve spirit consultant 

and world class ambassador for an Informative Scotch Tasting 

evening, featuring blends and single malts served with food 

pairings by Chef Trevor Stephens 

New Year’s Eve at the Idlewyld 

Sunday, December 31st, 2017 

Ring in the New Year with a Gourmet Dinner & Live Jazz! Featuring 

vocalist Sonja Gustafson, Pianist Charlie Rallo & Bassist Darryl Stacy. 

New Year’s Dinner Only 

$75.00pp 

New Year’s Dinner & Show 

$125.00pp 

Saturday Afternoon Tea 

November 18th, 2017 

Enjoy a traditional high tea, featuring an 

assortment of loose leaf teas, homemade 

scones, Devon cream and preserves, 

cucumber sandwiches, savory mini quiches, 

and mouth watering treats and sweets! 

Festive Christmas Afternoon Tea 

December 16th, 2017 

Enjoy all of the delicacies that are featured 

in our regular afternoon tea surrounded 

by beautiful holiday decor. As a Holiday 

gift each of our guests will receive an 

Idlewyld branded glass. 

$40 per person $60 per person 

36 Grand Ave London, Ontario N6C 1K8 | ph 519.432.5554 | www.idlewyldinn.com

eatdrink 

 

inc. 

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 

eatdrinkmag 

@eatdrinkmag 

www.eatdrink.ca 

Think Global. Read Local. 

Publisher 

Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca 

Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca 

Food Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Copy Editor Kym Wolfe 

Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Advertising Sales Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca 

Stacey McDonald – stacey@eatdrink.ca 

Finances 

Ann Cormier – finance@eatdrink.ca 

Graphics 

Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy 

Writers 

Jane Antoniak, Gerry Blackwell, 

Aaron Brown, Darin Cook, 

Bryan Lavery, Tracy Turlin, 

Sue Sutherland Wood 

Photographers Steve Grimes 

Telephone & Fax 519-434-8349 

Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6 

Website 

City Media 

Printing 

Sportswood Printing 

We want your 

BUZZ! 

Do you have culinary news or upcoming 

events that you’d like us to share? Every 

issue, Eatdrink reaches more than 50,000 

readers across Southwestern Ontario in print, 

and thousands more online. 

Get in touch with us at editor@eatdrink.ca 

and/or connect directly with our 

Social Media Editor 

Bryan Lavery at bryan@eatdrink.ca 

© 2017 Eatdrink Inc. and the writers. All rights reserved. 

Reproduction or duplication of any material published in Eatdrink 

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

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

issues published six times annually. The views or opinions expressed 

in the information, content and/or advertisements published in 

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

necessarily represent those of the Publisher. The Publisher welcomes 

submissions but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material.

Book Now for 

London's Best 

New Year’s Eve 

Party! 

JOIN US 

For Our Famous All-You-Can-Eat 

Dickens Lunch Buffet 

November 27 to December 22 

Monday to Friday 11:30am to 2pm 

Call for reservations 

519-430-6414 

/Blakes2ndFloor 

¦

Contents 

Issue #68 | November/December 2017 

The Holiday Issue 

Publisher’s Notes 

It’s the Most Wonderful 

Time of the Year. Really! 

By CHRIS MCDONELL 

8 

49 

Spirits 

What’s Hot? 

Cocktail Spheres 

By BRYAN LAVERY 

49 

Restaurants 


at the DoubleTree by Hilton 


10 

10 

Various Musical Notes 

Seasonal Sounds 

Upcoming Highlights on the Music Scene 

By GERRY BLACKWELL 

50 


A Unique Destination in the 

Heart of Huron County 


16 

Culinary Retail 

Our Annual Gift Guide 

20 

Road Trips 




28 

The BUZZ 

Culinary Community Notes 

34 

Beer 

Porter’s Rest 

A Beer for Winter 

By AARON BROWN 

46 

ANNUAL 

eatdrink 

16 

Gift Guide 

20 

56 

54 

Theatre 

Bah, Humbug? I Think Not! 

On the Seasonal Stage 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

54 

Books 

True Confessions from the Ninth 

Concession 

by Dan Needles 

Reviews by DARIN COOK 

56 

Recipes 


by David Wolfman and Marlene Finn 

Review & Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN 

58 

The Lighter Side 

Sugar Plums Optional 

By SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD 

62 

58

GREAT FOOD IN THE HEART OF WORTLEY VILLAGE 

GOOD FOOD FIRST 

ORGANIC • VEGAN • LOCAL 

BREAKFAST. BRUNCH. LUNCH. DINNER. DRINKS. 

162 Wortley Rd., London, ON N6C 3P7 

plantmatterkitchen.com 519.660.3663 

A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE IN DOWNTOWN LONDON 

FINE FOOD FIRST 

ORGANIC • VEGAN • LOCAL 

LUNCH. DINNER. DRINKS. 

244 Dundas St., London, ON N6A 1H3 

plantmatterbistro.com 519.432.3663


Publisher’s Notes 


It’s the Most Wonderful Time 

of the Year. Really! 

By CHRIS McDONELL 

This can be the most wonderful time 

of the year, and we have done our 

best to help make it so. Our annual 

Holiday Issue always gets us thinking 

about the season a little prematurely because 

of our production schedule, but the reward 

is similar to that good feeling one gets after 

wrapping the last present on your gift-giving 

list. The work is done and now we can really 

enjoy ourselves and jump into the festivities 

with both feet. 

Our Gift Guide will provide plenty 

of inspiration. Getting our favourite 

retailers to highlight just one item 

each is a challenge they take on 

willingly, but it really isn’t fair. 

There are sure to be hits for 

you there, but a visit to the 

shop and talking to the experts 

will ensure you find a perfect fit 

— sometimes quite literally. Our 

culinary focus at Eatdrink also leads 

us to know that people who like to 

eat and drink well also enjoy every other facet 

of “the good life” ... and express their zest for 

living with the clothes they wear, the home 

they keep, the culture they enjoy, and what 

they do with their leisure time. 

Party season is kicking into high gear, 

and you’ll see that the quality restaurants 

advertising in Eatdrink are keen to help take 

care of the particulars for you, whether you’re a 

table of four or you need to book out the whole 

space for the bash of the year. The holiday 

season is a time to be with people, so why not 

let professionals take some of the load off your 

shoulders so you can enjoy yourself? 

Of course, hosting in your own home can 

be a great experience too, and we’ve got 

plenty of help for that in this issue. Wow your 

guests with a “spherical cocktail” that you 

will find the secret to in our Spirits column. 

The magical ingredients are surprisingly 

affordable and you don’t need to be David 

Copperfield to pull this off. 

’Tis also the season for more robust beers, 

and you’ll know their history and have 

some leads on porters and stouts after you 

read beer columnist Aaron Brown’s first 

contribution to Eatdrink. For more solid 

sustenance, you’ll find some intriguing recipes 

and “indigenous fusion” ideas — and reviewer 

Tracy Turlin has kept the holidays in mind 

with her suggestions — as we look at the 

popular Cooking with the Wolfman cookbook 

that combines rustic indigenous traditions 

with fine dining. 

Bryan Lavery hit the road for 

a few days for us this issue. He 

surveyed some of the key culinary 

highlights — and there are 

many — in the Kitchener- 

Waterloo region. He also 

made the envious trek to 

Blyth and visited the exciting 

Cowbell Brewing Co., which is an 

outstanding brewery, restaurant 

and so much more. It’s a great story 

about an inspiring business, and don’t we all 

love seeing a bold group of people embracing 

a grand vision that taps into so many ideals, 

and pulling it off. Kudos! 

Closer to home, Bryan also shares the story 

of the transformation of London’s Hilton into 

something new, and specifically the Blake’s 

Bistro & Bar on the second floor. Will Blake’s 

still be “a London secret” after this? I doubt it. 

Let’s really celebrate the season with 

gusto, but also ensure that we remember the 

less fortunate members of our community. 

There is no shortage of worthy organizations 

looking for support and I encourage you to 

find one or two that have meaning for you 

and give to them generously. While I often 

say “we reap what we sow,” I know that good 

fortune is often not earned, and misfortune is 

too often out of one’s control. 

Peace,

Holidays 

Celebrate the 

Our Festive Buffets and 

Brunches Have Returned! 

Grand Hall Festive Lunch Buffet 

November 30 th – December 20 th 

(Monday – Friday) 

Festive Sunday Brunch 

December 3 rd , 10 th & 17 th 

Reservations required. 

Experience the 

Windermere Difference: 

exceptional banquet facilities 

for holiday gatherings 

stay the evening at our onsite 

hotel, with spacious and 

welcoming guest suites 

enjoy our warm and intimate 

Restaurant Ninety One 

Direct Reservations: 519-858-5866 

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


Restaurants 


One of London’s Best Kept Secrets 

Blake’s Bistro & Bar at Double Tree by Hilton 


The 22-storey Hilton high-rise 

relaunched as a DoubleTree by 

Hilton property in 2015, after an 

extensive floor-by-floor $10-million 

renovation. The renovation included an overhaul 

of the 323-room property with fresh décor and 

upgrades throughout the hotel. It’s the first 

significant refurbishment since the property 

began operating under the Hilton brand in 1999, 

according to general manager Joe Drummond. 

Whether it is front desk staff or those 

behind the scenes it is important that 

a hotel’s touch-points ensure a positive 

guest experience. Consistent management 

overseeing the detailed day-to-day 

choreography of hotel operations and service 

is paramount. For a hotel to stand the test 

of time it must have an enduring appeal. The 

DoubleTree property has been managed by 

the stalwart and affable Drummond since it 

became part of the Hilton group 18 years ago. 

Hoteliers are always looking for new 

ways to improve and personalize the guest 

experience in more innovative ways. As part 

of an updated strategy the property was 

rebranded after operating as a Hilton for 15 

years. “The new look and feel is chic, with a 

more modern open concept,” said Drummond. 

The fresh design offers more natural light, 

open spaces, an integrated lobby with access 

to computers for guests, and more expansive 

sightlines. The former escalator to the second 

floor was replaced by a stunning black granite 

King Street entrance to the hotel 

staircase with glass railings that is a focal 

point of the lobby and serves as an invitation 

to Blake’s Bistro & Bar on the second floor. 

Elevators are also nearby. 

Originally built as part of the City Centre 

complex, the hotel operated under the 

Radisson and Westin banners after originally 

launching as a Holiday Inn. The hotel was 

built in 1975 on the property that once housed 

the former Hotel London (the city’s premier 

hotel until the 1970’s). The original downtown 

Holiday Inn was situated directly across King 

Street, (fronting on York Street,) where the 

Convention Centre now stands. That Holiday 

Inn then operated as both a hotel and the


company’s international head office for a brief 

period of time. 

The DoubleTree by Hilton is southwestern 

Ontario’s largest convention hotel and is 

connected to London Convention Centre 

by a heated second-floor elevated walkway. 

The large ballroom has an 18-foot ceiling and 

can accommodate upwards to 850 people. 

Drummond notes that they host one of 

London’s biggest and best New Year’s Eve 

parties in the ballroom every year, for 600 

guests, featuring a live telecast of New York’s 

Times Square countdown on two large screens. 

Hotel restaurants have had an unfair reputation 

for being overpriced, and underwhelming 

visitors. As part of the refurbishment, 

all-day dining is offered in the relaxed and 

stylish Blake’s Bistro & Bar. (Visitors and 

guests can start their day with a beverage 

from the hotel’s main floor Starbucks). Blake’s 

is a blend of two former concepts, the elegant 

dining of London Grill and the more casual 

aspects of JJ’s Keys Lounge and Market Café. 

It is different from the ubiquitous cookiecutter 

hotel dining rooms of the past. The 

atmosphere is contemporary and welcoming 

and there are large windows providing natural 

light. The 

dining room 

has a bright 

contemporary 

look, 

updated features, 

walls 

From left of 

opposite page, 

Crab Stuffed 

Mushroom 

Caps Tapas; a 

Buffet spread; 

Jumbo Scallops; 

Clubhouse 

Sandwich; and 

lamb Chops. 

Merry Makers Fair 

Sunday, November 12, 11am–4pm 

Upstairs on the mezzanine, check out the 

London crafters and makers offering handmade 

jewellery, bath & body products, apparel 

and accessories to infant & children's items, 

perfume, home decor, and so much more! 

Christmas Merry Makers Fair 

Sunday, December 14, 11am–4pm) 

Presented by The Lung Association 

4th Annual Festival of Trees 

November 23–26 

View beautifully decorated artificial Christmas 

trees, wreaths, and other donated items and 

purchase raffle tickets to win a beautiful holiday 

gift. Enjoy seasonal entertainment, do a little 

holiday shopping, and check out the children’s 

activities. www.on.lung.ca/festivaloftreesLondon 

Soupendous Lunch 

Friday, November 24, 11:30am–2pm) 

Local Market vendors will compete for the Best 

Soup. Event goers will have the opportunity to 

taste competing soups prepared by local 

chefs, help judges pick winners, and enjoy 

entertainment and other fun for $5. 

Breakfast with Santa 

Saturday, November 26, 9:30am–12:30pm) 

Enjoy a hot breakfast with Santa and his elves 

in the food court. Tickets are only $5 each and 

include a pancake breakfast and a special gift 

from Santa. After breakfast, the families can 

join Santa to view the trees and participate in 

the other activities.



Blake’s showcases the redesign plan: 

more natural light, open spaces, and 

more expansive sightlines. 

adorned with colourful abstracts and an eclectic 

à la carte menu catering to a wider range of 

tastes and with varying price points. “One of 

the biggest challenges at Blake’s is raising its 

profile and getting people to the second floor 

because the restaurant is not at street level for 

passers-by to see,” food and beverage manager 

The new look and feel is 

“ chic, with a more modern 

open concept. 

— Joe Drummond” 

Andrew McMurdo said in a recent interview. 

Drummond hired executive chef Todd 

Pylypiw (who had been employed at The 

London Hunt & Country Club for 12 years). 

For the past 15 years Pylypiw has been at 

the helm of The Meal, an annual fundraising 

event for the Canadian Diabetics Association. 

Pylypiw has now been working at the hotel 

for 16 years. Chef’s emphasis is on quality 

ingredients, seasonality, and exceeding 

expectations, with a similar commitment to 

customer service. Drummond, Pylypiw and 

McMurdo are adamant 

about delivering value and 

quality in the restaurant. 

Informality is more 

than just the question 

of ambience or décor. It 

extends to the cuisine and 

an overall attitude, and 

an intermingling of more 

refined and market-driven 

cuisine with comfort food staples like AAA 

steaks alongside a well-made burger. Blake’s 

offers an array of some of the best hand-cut 

steaks in town. They include grain-fed AAA 

Sterling Silver Beef Tenderloin, Top Sirloin and 

New York Striploin that are aged 21 to 28 days. 

Ontario Lamb is grilled to perfection. Seasonal 

menus might include the award-winning 

Conrad Burger, Grilled Cornish Hen with hoisin 

and ginger, Black Cod on saffron risotto and 

other favourites like Salmon Niçoise Salad, 

Pulled Pork and Fish Tacos. Pylypiw is focused 

on locally grown produce. Drummond adds, 

“Chef is currently looking into providing a 

cheese program featuring locally produced 

specialty cheeses.” 

The guest experience has been 

enhanced throughout the hotel

The Holiday Issue November/December 2017 | 13 

Bartender extraordinaire Rebecca Wright 

An increasing number of food service 

workers, particularly in cities that have a 

shortage of well-trained professional staff, 

are in the industry for the long run. They 

help maintain a standard. Many Londoners 

and visitors will remember long-time servers 

Anna Tovey and Terry Divers. They developed 

warm and lasting relationships with guests 

for nearly four decades until recent years. For 

many years the service at the hotel has had 

the reputation of being professional, friendly 

and anticipatory. Bartender extraordinaire 

Rebecca Wright still rocks the lounge, relying 

on old-school customer service skills such 

as making eye contact, remembering your 

name and your drink, and engaging you 

Serving up 

Great 

partnerships 

in conversation to make you feel welcome. 

Locals, tourists and business travellers 

dining solo or having a nightcap in the bar 

get the VIP treatment. Wright, who recently 

celebrated a 30-year anniversary, continues to 

be one of London’s best ambassadors. 

There is a curated whisky selection, and 

a good wine list which includes VQA and 

imported labels. Drummond has built a solid 

relationship with Pelee Island Winery. Blake’s 

features Pelee Island Vidal and Cabernet as 

house wines. There is draught on tap and 

local craft beers like Anderson Craft Ales and 

Forked River. 

As the holiday season approaches, treat 

yourself to the Dickens Luncheon Buffet 

at Blake’s that runs from November 27 to 

December 22. And don’t forget about the 

Doubletree’s New Year’s Eve festivities. Plans 

are already well underway. 

DoubleTree by Hilton has become one of 

the fastest growing hotel brands over the last 

decade. A hugely popular signature gesture 

helps set the tone. Guests staying at the hotel 

are welcomed with a warm chocolate chip 

cookie (baked-daily) at check-in. Attention to 

detail pays dividends. 


Double Tree by Hilton, 

300 King Street, London 

519-430-6414 

www.fb.com/blakes2ndfloor/ 

open daily 6am–11pm 

Eatdrink Food Editor and Writer at Large BRYAN 

LAVERY brings years of experience in the restaurant 

and hospitality industry, as a chef, restaurateur and 

consultant. Always on the lookout for the stories that 

Eatdrink should be telling, he helps shape the magazine 

both under his byline and behind the scenes. 

commercial | digital | wide format | design 

Let us help with your next project... 

519.866.5558 | ben@sportswood.on.ca 

www.sportswood.on.ca

Stratford is 

more than 

great theatre 

visitstratford.ca

WATSON’S CHELSEA BAZAAR 

A fun place to Holiday shop! 

Smeg small appliances ... A perfect fusion of practicality, technology and beauty! 

84 Ontario St Stratford watsonsofstratford.com 519-273-1790 

mimosa brunch 

beer dinners 

reserve now! 

64 Wellington Street, Stratford 

Phone 519.305.6464, Email info@redrabbitresto.com 

Thursday to Monday Year Round 

www.redrabbitresto.com 

Sunday 

Dimsum! 

Starting November 5th 

Seatings available 

6pm-8pm 

85 Downie Street, Stratford 

Phone 519.305.8585, Email info@okazusnackbar.com 

Thursday to Sunday, 6pm - 2am 

www.okazusnackbar.com 

String Bone Presents! 

70 Brunswick St., Stratford 

One of the best live music venues in Southwestern Ontario! 

2017/2018 Live @ Revival House 

NOV 8 Hawksley Workman (SOLD OUT) 

NOV 17 Jully Black (UNPLUGGED) 

FEB 2 

APR 6 

MAY 4 

A Tribute to Willie P Bennett 

Irish Mythen + Harrow Fair 

Oh Suzanna + Sunparlour Players 

JUNE 1 Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar 

www.stringbonepresents.com 

www.revival.house


Restaurants 


A Unique Destination 

in the Heart of Huron County 

Cowbell Brewing Company in Blyth 


Blyth’s founding in 1877 is commemorated 

on a historic plaque on the 

town’s main street. The plaque’s text 

states “By 1851 Lucius McConnell 

and Kenneth McBain, two of the earliest 

settlers in the area, had located here in 

Morris Township. Four years later, Donald 

McDonald laid out a village plot on the border 

between Wawanosh and Morris Townships 

and in July 1856 a post-office was established. 

The village developed slowly but within 

two years contained a sawmill owned by 

McBain, a Presbyterian church, a tavern and 

store. Originally known as Drummond after 

an enterprising early family, the village, a 

market town for the surrounding agricultural 

region, was renamed Blyth after an absentee 

landowner. In January, 1876 a station on 

the London, Huron and Bruce Railway was 

opened and a year later the village was 

incorporated with a population of about 800.” 

Blyth is a theatre town. According to The 

Blyth Centre for the Arts’ website, “the Blyth 

Festival was founded in 1975 to showcase 

professional repertory theatre that reflects 

the culture and concerns of the people of 

southwestern Ontario and beyond.” For years 

the Blyth Festival has been a main draw to 

this community, attracting around 20,000 

visitors annually. The theatre has always 

been worth a trip to Blyth, as has the Old 

Mill (featuring Canada’s largest selection of 

leather goods) and 

restaurants like 

Queens Bakery for 

lighter fare, and 

Part II Bistro for 

casual fine dining. 

Now there is 

another great 

reason to make 

the drive to Blyth. 

Cowbell Brewing 

Co. is located just 

The Cowbell Brewing 

Co. is a multi-faceted 

operation built on 

111-acres with 26,000 

square feet of interior 

space. Guests can enjoy 

tours, tastings, a retail 

store, a full-service 

bar, restaurant, indoor/ 

outdoor seating, and 

entertainment/event 

space. Plans include a 

restaurant garden and 

working farm in 2018.


south of Blyth at the corner of Highway 4 (London 

Road) and County Road 25, in Huron County’s 

fertile farming area historically referred to as “The 

Empire’s Breadbasket.” In homage to many historic 

Huron County farms, the building’s architectural 

features appear as though they were built at 

different times, giving the impression of a centuryold 

family farm evolving organically over time. 

The destination craft brewery is a 26,000 squarefoot 

venue featuring a 50-hectolitre capacity stateof-the-art 

brewhouse, restaurant and taproom, 

with indoor and outdoor seating for 300 as well 

as several unique event and private dining rooms. 

It opened to critical acclaim in August. The 120- 

seat farm-to-table inspired restaurant is situated 

in the centre of the expansive stone and wood 

barn-style facility that features 45-foot ceilings. 

Other elements include an open kitchen, a stone 

fireplace, and an enormous screen for special 

events. Adjacent to the kitchen is an 8-seat chef’s 

table that is available by reservation only. 

Guests in Doc’s Bar are positioned directly in front 

of the elevated Cowbell brewhouse — an outstanding 

vantage point. Doc’s Bar showcases a quantity of 

taps, including 25 Cowbell beers and one rotating tap 

dedicated to other Huron County brewers. Cowbell’s 

products are on sale in a small retail space on site, 

including beer in cans, growlers and kegs, as well 

as various types of branded merchandise such as 

T-shirts, maple syrup and coffee. 

In preparation for the opening the Sparling 

family, owners of Cowbell, actively engaged and 

strengthened relationships with both local and 

regional businesses and community members. The 

project required years of research, education and 

advance planning. 

Cowbell’s 23-acre working farm will grow barley 

and hops for the beers. There will also be an 

orchard and a vegetable garden which will provide 

produce for the restaurant. In addition, there are 

plans to construct a natural outdoor amphitheatre 

with a 15,000-person capacity. It will host music, 

cultural and athletic events. 

Renowned London chef Kim Sutherland got 

the ball rolling by forming relationships with a 

network of local farmers, producers, bakers and 

meat purveyors. Picking up from there, Executive 

Chef Alexandre Lussier, who has a passion for 

authentic farm-to-table experiences, took the 

project to the next level, completing the culinary 

team by hiring two pastry chefs. Lussier has 

staged in Italy and in France at three Michelinstarred 

restaurants. Chef sources products that 

From the top, Cowbell Executive Chef Alexandre Lussier; the 

Ploughman’s Platter, and the Lamb Burger.


are inspired by his farm-to-table ethos and the 

surrounding terroir. Suppliers include Metzger 

Meat Products, Little Sisters Chicken and Red 

Cat Farm Bakery. 

Before lunch we took a self-guided tour of 

the building. From almost every vantage point 

there were unobstructed views of the operations 

including a purpose-built catwalk from which 

visitors can see the entire production process in 

the brewery part of the facility. 

On our first visit we ordered the lamb burger. 

It was moist and perfectly cooked with a rich 

savoury flavour underscored by olive tapenade, 

creamy goat cheese and crisp arugula. 

Metzger’s savoury pork products with their rich 

flavour mix are featured on the Ploughman’s 

Platter, accompanied by beer-infused cheese, 

grilled bread, locally produced farm preserves, 

crunchy pickled vegetables and house-smoked 

BBQ mustard. Friends raved about the moist, 

flavourful, well-seasoned classic burger with 

a topping of shaved pickle, aged cheddar, 

lettuce and tomato. The Grant is two seasoned 

6-ounce beef patties, Metzger’s thick cut bacon, 

aged cheddar cheese and rosemary on a soft 

brioche bun. Fresh sourdough crostini are 

served with creamed feta cheese, fresh diced 

tomato and organic basil. Local oversized ribs 

are braised in Cowbell beer BBQ sauce, served 

with your choice of side. Wood-fired pizza is a 

house speciality. Mushroom n’ Cheese pizza is 

comprised of a beer cheese sauce, matchstick 

potatoes, mushrooms and mozzarella, and 

finished with rosemary and sea salt. For dessert 

there is a decadent signature dark chocolate 

and custard pie that has a pretzel and graham 

cracker crust, with Fly Girl Nitro Oatmeal stout 

and creamy dark chocolate custard, topped 

with roasted marshmallow meringue. If food 

allergies are a concern, there are dairy-free, 

nut-free and gluten-free options available. The 

menu changes seasonally. 

One of the main goals at Cowbell is to be 

sustainable. It is North America’s first carbon 

neutral brewery and the world’s first closedloop 

brewery. A closed-loop brewery is one 

that sources the brewing water from an on-site 

well, with the excess water being returned 

through its own wastewater plant. The brewery 

treats all wastewater and releases it back into 

From the top, with 25 Cowbell beers on tap, Paige serves 

a large number of the popular tasting flights. Middle 

photo shows the brewery’s “Founders’ Series” — named 

for colourful and remarkable characters from Blyth’s past. 

Below are some of the retail products available.


Become a Local for the Day! 

A balcony view reveals the soaring 45-foot ceilings and 

Doc’s Bar, facing the Cowbell Brewhouse. 

the groundwater table on the property. This 

reduces the water demand and means that 

there is no impact on the municipal system or 

the environment. 

The Greener Pastures Community Fund 

is one of the ways the Sparling family and 

Cowbell are giving back. In December 2016 

Cowbell launched a long-term relationship 

supporting Ontario’s four children’s hospitals. 

Cowbell donates five cents from every can and 

pint sold, to be invested annually in specific 

initiatives at each of the children’s hospitals. 

Cowbell also supports the foundations 

through event participation and by raising 

awareness of the life-changing work by 

remarkable people in these world-class 

hospitals. Funds raised also support the Grant 

and Mildred Sparling Centre at The Canadian 

Centre for Rural Creativity, which will break 

ground in Blyth in 2018. 

Cowbell checks all the boxes as a key agritourism 

attraction and a major economic 

driver in the region. It is well worth the drive 

to Blyth to experience Canada’s first designbuild 

destination brewery. 


40035 Blyth Road, Blyth ON 

Restaurant Reservations: 1-226-909-0066 

www.cowbellbrewing.com 

Beer, Wine & Cider 

Tours out of London, 

St. Thomas, Sarnia 

& Grand Bend area. 

Explore Lambton, 

Huron & Perth Counties. 

NEW! 

London 

Brew Tour 

tourtheshoreinquir.wixsite.com/tourtheshore 

or contact 

bradley.oke@gmail.com 

and celebrate! 

Tour Stops include 

about 15 Breweries, 

3 Wineries, a Distillery 

and a Cidery. 

For more info and to 

book your tour, go to: 

’Tis the Season ... 

Book Your Christmas Party! 

Λ 

Eat & Drink at the Water’s Edge 

Smackwater Jacks Taphouse is a front row seat to 

one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. 

BRYAN LAVERY is Eatdrink Food Editor and Writer at 

Large. 

www.smackwaterjacks.ca


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! 

The Pristine Olive has come up 

with many delicious ways to help 

customers stuff their Christmas 

stockings (with over 60 flavours of oils 

and balsamics). Owner Jamie Griffiths 

has created several unique Sample 

Pack Combinations, containing 

many of his most popular items. Each 

sample pack holds two, four, or six 

individually labeled, 60 ml bottles, 

all enclosed in a custom-designed 

gift box, making some truly delicious 

gift giving options for everyone on 

your list. Ranging from $11–$33.00, 

available at The Pristine Olive • 884 

Adelaide Street N., London • www. 

thepristineolive.com • 519-433-4444 

Perfect for fall and winter, discover the Steed & 

Company Apple Pie in a Jar with crisp apples 

and delicate floral 

lavender. Serve as an 

apple compote with s 

pork or simply as a 

side with cheddar 

cheese. Great with 

cream cheese on 

a toasted bagel or 

used as filling in 

tarts. $6.90 at Steed 

& Company Lavender 

• 47589 Sparta Line, 

RR#5 Aylmer • www. 

steedandcompany. 

com • 519-494-5525 

Gerhard Metzger’s Christmas-themed salamis 

are available at Metzger 

Meats in Hensall or at The 

Village Meat Shop at The 

Market at Western Fair. 

These festive salamis are 

a real seasonal treat and 

perfect for gift baskets and 

stocking stuffers for the 

meat-lovers on your list. 

$7.99–$9.99 Metzger Meat 

Products • 180 Brock Ave, 

Hensall • www.metzgermeat. 

com • 519-262-3130


This ensemble is an 

example of the carefully 

curated collection 

of ladies wear, 

accessories, jewelry, 

baby wear, greeting 

cards, home décor 

and bath and body 

products — with a 

focus on Canadian 

designers and 

goods — that 

Curiosities has 

delivered for over 

20 years. Scarf from 

Sanibel (Montreal) 

$35.99, Tonia DeBellis 

Haylee jacket (Toronto) 

$199.00, Karen Wilson 

hand bag (Toronto) $299.00, black Lisette 

pants (Montreal) $118.00. Complementary gift 

wrapping. Curiosities • 174½ Wortley Road, London 

• fb.com/pg/CuriositiesGiftShop • 519-432-0434 

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 

from most every business, in denominations 

that fit your budget. 

$100 Value 

Birdfeeding Experts — All non-GMO Birdseed 

Garden Gifts & Holiday Decor 

The Bird and Garden Store 

HOME • GARDEN • GIFTS 

Destination for the food lover 

Featuring specialty foods, 

kitchenwares, tablewares, 

cooking classes and gift baskets. 

Patrick’s Beans offers consistently high 

quality organic coffee blends. Ethically-sourced 

beans are roasted in small batches, then 

blended together to attain tailor-made tastes 

and complexities not found in single varietal 

selections. A number of popular blends are 

available, with custom blends for the true 

aficionado. Check Patrick’s Facebook page for 

locations. From $15 for a 1 pound bag. Patrick’s 

Beans • www.patricksbeans.com • 226-378-5100 

115 King St., London Ontario 

jillstable.ca 519-645-1335



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

Gift Pack features 473 mL cans of Ontario silver-medal-winning 

Dead Elephant Ale, Canadian gold-medal-winning Black 

Coal Stout, specialty seasonal Cranberry Festive Lager, 

and a 16 oz 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 

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. $42.99 as shown, at Chocolate Barr’s 

Candies • 55 George St W, Stratford • www.chocolatebarrs.com 

• 519-272-2828 

You’ll find nearly everything you need 

to enhance the warmth of the holiday 

season from the Pepper Tree Spice Co. 

The Home for the Holidays Spice 

Collection includes their best-selling 

Garlic Mashed Blend and 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 $34 .95 Pepper Tree Spice Co. • 223 Colborne St, 

Port Stanley • www.peppertreespice.com • 519-782-7800 

All desserts deserve to be put on a pedestal, 

especially on this striking Mosser Glass footed 

cake stand. Their vibrant colour and timeless 

design, inspired by vintage glass holds, adds a 

touch of sophistication to any table setting. Serve 

cakes, cupcakes, cookies, fruit pies, mincemeat 

tarts, madeleines or macarons on cake stands 

available in several sizes and heights to create a 

truly striking dessert table or to display various 

heights of candles. Mosser Glass cake stands are 

handmade in Cambridge, Ohio in a family-owned 

factory that has been crafting glass for over 47 

years. Available in 4 sizes: 6” $44.95, 9” $59.95, 10” 

$79.95 and 12” $95 in 4 colours — red, jadeite, milk 

and marble. Bradshaws • 129 Ontario St, Stratford • 

www.bradshawscanada.com • 519-271-6283


Certified tea sommelier and nutritionist 

Michelle Pierce Hamilton and her business 

partner Yixing Tang opened The Tea Lounge 

in a small and charming house on Piccadilly 

Street east of Richmond Row a year ago. The 

pair offers a premium tea service experience, 

serving ethically-sourced single-origin teas 

and tisanes from around the world, as well 

as retailing striking teaware. For the holiday 

season, charming cat/dog tea sets (a 

teapot with 2 mugs) are priced around $50. 

The Tea Lounge • 268 Picadilly St., London • www. 

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

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 

Est. 2012 

884 Adelaide Street N. | London | 519-433-4444 

www.thepristineolive.ca



Watson’s Chelsea Bazaar is a long-standing Stratford 

favourite, with two floors displaying an eclectic range of goods 

from around the world. You will find quality items such as 

Emma Bridgewater Pottery 

from England. A fun new 

addition to this line is the mini 

radio. Listen to your favourite 

holiday tunes in retro style 

with modern sound. Mini 

Radio $109.00. Watson’s Chelsea 

Bazaar • 84 Ontario Street, 

Stratford • watsonsofstratford. 

com • 519-273-1790 

An all-local producer gift 

basket makes a statement 

and is sure to please every foodie on your list. This sample 

includes items from Living Alive Granola (St. Thomas), Jensen 

Cheese (Simcoe), Aunt Lena’s Preserves (Aylmer), Mennomex 

Salsa (Aylmer), Luke’s Tortilla Chips (Aylmer), Wanda’s Spicy 

Connection (St. Thomas), Las Chicas Del Cafe Coffee (St. 

Looking for a one-of-a-kind Thomas), Crocker Honey (St. Thomas) and more. Custom gift 

gift for the food-lover on 

baskets start at $30. Briwood Farm Market • 1030 Talbot Street, St. 

your list? Check out the 

Thomas • briwoodfarmmarket.com • 519-633-9691 

exclusive Jill’s Table Bowl 

made by Emile Henry in 

France. This 12-inch diameter 

3-quart bowl is made from 

Burgundian clay and is oven 

safe. It even fits into some 

toaster ovens. The high 

resistant glaze is durable to 

ensure years of enjoyment. 

Jill uses this bowl for salads, 

stews, risotto, baked pasta dishes and so much more. Watch for “The Red Bowl” cooking classes 

in the Winter cooking class season at Jill’s Table. Participants will receive a bowl! Available only 

in red for $54.99. Jill’s Table • 115 King Street, London • jillstable.ca • 519-645-1335 

Drink Up! A drink with dinner is essential for birds 

in winter. A heated birdbath provides a reliable 

water source for drinking, as well as a place to 

bathe to keep their feathers in prime condition 

for proper 

insulation. 

Featherfields 

carries a great 

selection 

of heated 

birdbaths, 

each with an 

automatic 

thermostat. 

Just plug in! 

A perfect gift idea for the nature lover in your life! 

$138–$216. Find memorable gifts for the holidays at 

Featherfields • 1570 Hyde Park Rd #5, London • www. 

featherfields.com • 519-474-1165 

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 fliptop 

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

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 home...



St. Thomas & 

ELGIN COUNTY 

Eat, Drink, 

Shop & explore 

Spice Up the Holidays! 

Christmas Open House 

UP TO 

30% OFF 

peppertreespice.com 

519-782-7800 

Nov. 17–19 

Limited Edition 

Emile Henry 

Holiday Spice Collections 

In Store Specials & More! 

7 Days a Week • 223A Colborne St., Port Stanley 

Saturdays • Western Fair Farmers’ Market, 

900 King St., London 

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 

25 & 26

Quality & Freshness Since 1991 

Ontario Produce Year Round 

Organic Produce 

Local Meats, Cheeses & Eggs 

Bulk Foods & Pet Food 

Fresh Local 

Turkeys to Order 

by Oegema’s 

Christmas Trees 

Holiday Décor 

Seasonal Baked Goods 

Custom Gift Baskets 

All of Your 

Holiday Dinner Needs! 

Open Daily 

8am–6pm 

1030 Talbot St., St. Thomas 519-633-9691 briwoodfarmmarket.com 

elgincounty 

Check out our website for unique Elgin County shopping ideas. 

1-877-GO-ELGIN x168 - elgintourist.com/shopping


SPONSORED BY 

Road Trips 





I 

have been a fan of road trips since I was 

a child, as they provide great opportunities 

to explore the places you’re driving 

through. We always tried to visit that 

out-of-the-way museum or gallery, unique 

restaurant, farmgate or farmers’ market. 

Recently on a road trip to Kitchener-Waterloo 

(K-W) we stopped in the beautiful stone town 

of St. Marys for coffee at Barista’s, and to see 

Jon Ogryzlo’s exhibition of food photographs 

at the quaint and quirky St. Marys Station 

Gallery. On the way home we stopped in New 

Hamburg, where the Nith River winds through 

the historic town and flows through the downtown 

core. We discovered the charming, openconcept 

Imperial Market & Eatery in the newly 

renovated, historic Imperial building. 

On other trips to K-W we’ve made the 

short trek to nearby Langdon Hall, for lunch 

and to tour the gardens. Another time we took 

a drive to The Arlington in Paris, Ontario. 

The boutique hotel is owned by The Other 

Bird group, which will soon be opening a 

restaurant (Hunter & Co.) in downtown 

London. On our latest trip to K-W area our 

first stop was the iconic St. Jacobs Farmers’ 

Market, a tourist mecca. We arrived on a 

beautiful fall day when there were still row 

after row of farmers set up outdoors. The 

first floor at the Market is dedicated to food, 

and features many of the local Mennonite 

products for which the area is renowned. 

The Berlin 

I am particularly interested in the vibrant 

restaurant scene in K-W. It benefits from the 

thriving tech community, global think tanks, 

new condo developments, the revitalized 

downtown and Kitchener’s pedestrianfriendly 

vibe. In a few months the light rail 

transit line is expected to transform the area 

by linking Kitchener to Waterloo. Several 

initiatives have been launched by the City 

of Kitchener to galvanize the downtown 

core. New lighting was added to the streets, 

sidewalks were enlarged, and curbs were 

lowered. Anchored by Kitchener Market, 

this district is known to have the city’s most 

conspicuous cluster of culturally diverse 

restaurants and shops. Venture along King 

and Queen streets to explore dozens of 

indie cafés, pubs and great locally-owned 

restaurants like Gilt Restaurant Bar and 

Lounge, B at the Museum and The Berlin. 

St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market interior


*Some restrictions apply. See Lexus of London for details.



Langdon Hall, Toronto’s Canoe and Auberge 

du Pommier, and Kitchener’s former Marisol. 

Chef gave me an interesting tutorial about 

the elevator, the dining concept and future 

plans for the venue. The menu at TWH Social 

is touted as “local ingredients done well, with 

a thoughtfully sourced menu focused on 

sustainability and diversity”. 

A lengthy telephone conversation about the 

culinary scene with Minto Schneider, CEO of 

Waterloo Region Tourism, directed me to the 

charming Belmont Village. This area, nestled 

mid-town between downtown Kitchener 

and uptown Waterloo, has been a longtime 

culinary destination with restaurant 

landmarks like the 40-year-old Café Rugantino 

and the 32-year-old Janet Lynn’s Bistro. The 

The Berlin, now two years old, is a partnership 

between Chef Johnathon Gushue and 

restaurateur Ryan Lloyd-Craig. The partners 

share an ethical and sustainable culinary 

philosophy, attentively caring about the 

provenance of their food and the way it is grown 

or raised. The constantly evolving menu is based 

on the availability of the best fresh and local 

ingredients from small, innovative farms and 

top-quality food producers in the surrounding 

area. Gushue shapes a formative, seasonbased 

and from scratch, farm-to-table dining 

experience that is both accessible and fresh. 

Kitchener’s grand dame Walper Hotel was 

built in 1893 and recently received a multimillion 

dollar makeover. I have distinct 

memories of meeting my grandmother at the 

Baroque Room in the Walper in the 1980’s 

when the cuisine was old fashioned, hearty 

and Mittel-European — it was a stunning 

white-linen and beaux-arts inspired dining 

room with arched windows and elaborate 

cornice work. Today the Walper is a unique, 

modern boutique experience combining 

contemporary building technology with the 

best of the hotel’s heritage features. There is 

a striking piano bar and lounge called Lokal 

located on the second floor. We enjoyed 

sipping craft cocktails and conversing with 

the friendly and upbeat staff in TWH Social, 

the subterranean bar/bistro. While exploring 

the venue I bumped into Chef Jeff Ward 

— his business card identifies him as Chief 

Cook and Bottle Washer despite a culinary 

pedigree that includes Stratford Chefs School,


Cobb Salad at The Belmont 

area is now making its mark as a happening 

culinary hub with venues like The Culinary 

Studio for cooking classes and Arabella Park 

Beer Bar, which opened near Union Boulevard 

at the north end of the village. Arabella Park’s 

kitchen team combines innovation with 

classic and modern ideas to create playful 

and shareable cuisine that pairs well with 

beer. We had a terrific lunch at The Belmont 

Bistro (formerly Village Creperie) next door 

to the relatively new gourmet coffeehouse 

Berlin Bicycle Café. At The Belmont Bistro 

Chef Brandon Gries, a Stratford Chef School 

alumnus, creates dishes from scratch, taking 

no short-cuts and changing the menu 

seasonally. We had an exceptional experience 

and the Cobb salad with griddle chicken, 

bacon, fresh corn, avocado, boiled eggs, 

candied walnuts, pickled onions, greens and 

shallot vinaigrette. 

Abe Erb Brewing Co.’s brewhouse in the 

Tannery building, in downtown Kitchener near 

the corner of King and Victoria streets, boasts 

a full production facility on site, including a 

canning line, big brewing vats and tanks for 

storage. Part of the appeal of Abe Erb is pairing 

both brewing and restaurant experiences. 

The tongue-in-cheek mission statement reads 

“Our trifecta is the combination of beer, 

food and live entertainment. We take your 

patronage as seriously as we take our beards 

and moustaches”. 

Waterloo, home to thousands of Canadian 

tech innovations, is also where tech titan 

Google is currently headquartered and the 

hometown of BlackBerry. Grin and Grind 

Holdings, the team that developed Abe Erb, has 

created Settlement Co. in uptown Waterloo. 

The urban café blends old-world, traditional 

craft with modern Scandinavian elements. It is 

part café, coffee roaster, social hub and cocktail 

lounge, featuring contemporary café cuisine 

and offering a toast and waffle bar. 

A must-visit is the 87-year-old Harmony 

Lunch in uptown Waterloo. The landmark has 

been revitalised by The Fat Sparrow Group 

which also operates the ever-popular Taco 

Farm, as well as the 1870s livery-stable-turnedrestaurant 

Marbles, and Nick & Nat’s Uptown 

21 (now an event venue). Ethel’s Lounge 

is the go-to-place for jazz and blues. 

Recommended by almost every local, 

restaurateur and waiter I spoke with were 

the nightly specials, standouts being 

Ethel’s burgers and meatloaf. 

In advance of this latest road trip and 

for the purpose of this story I consulted 

colleagues and, of course, CBC K-W’s 

food columnist Andrew Coppolino’s 

seminal Waterloo Region Eats website. 

waterlooregioneats.com 

The Walper Hotel 

BRYAN LAVERY is Eatdrink Food Editor and 

Writer at Large.



845 Florence St., London ON 

#LdnWineFood 

WesternFairDistrict 

@WesternFair


A GIFT YOURTASTE FOR 

BUDS 

JANUARY 18-20 

SAMPLING OF THE FINEST CUISINE, 

WINES, BEERS, SPIRITS & ENTERTAINMENT. 

CONNOISSEUR THURSDAY 

THE TASTIEST DAY OF THE SHOW, CRAFTED SPECIFICALLY 

FOR THOSE PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD & WINE. 

PRESENTED BY 

NEW hours 

THU 5PM–10:30PM | FRI 3PM–10:30PM | SAT NOON–4:30PM | SAT 6PM–10:30PM 

WESTERNFAIRDISTRICT.COM



The BUZZ 

Culinary Community Notes 

London 

The London Wine and Food Show, presented by 

White Oaks Mall, returns with more food, wine and 

entertainment than ever before. The show brings 

Londoners an enticing mix of local restaurants, 

wineries, craft beers, and spirits and pairs them 

with tasting seminars, stage presentations and 

entertainment. Come sip, sample and savour at 

London’s Wine & Food Show at Metroland Media 

Agriplex. January 18-20, 2018: Thursday 5–10:30; 

Friday 3–10:30; Saturday afternoon 12 noon–4:30; 

and Saturday evening 6–10:30. 

Western Fair District is a not-for-profit agricultural 

association that has deep roots in London, evolving 

over a century-and-a-half from an agricultural fall 

fair to a multi-faceted event centre. The Association 

is committed to providing entertaining experiences 

that enrich the community. As part of its notfor-profit 

status it reinvests surplus revenue into 

Helping Create Kitchens to Inspire Chefs! 

upgrading the facilities and products to meet the 

needs of the community. The Association recently 

purchased the 11-year-old Western Fair Farmers’ 

& Artisans’ Market from Dave Cook, who had 

previously acquired it from founder Wim Overbeek. 

In response to the Forest City Cookbook’s 

crowdfunding campaign, London developer Joe 

Carapella is pitching in to help. Carapella’s Tricar 

Group has pre-ordered 200 books to help fund 

the production and printing of London Ontario’s 

community cookbook. This donation pushed Forest 

City Cookbook past its minimum goal of 1000 books 

pre-ordered. If you don’t have a copy reserved 

yet, be sure to place your order by December! 

forestcitycookbook.com 

Join your community in recognizing the Red Scarf 

symbol of HIV/AIDS Awareness from November 24 

to December 1. Go to redscarf.ca 

OPENING SOON 

Open 

to the 

Public 

www.haymach.ca 

2889 Dundas Street, London 

519-659-4644 • 1-844-HAYMACH 

www.haymach.ca 

New Name Brand Equipment 

Large Showroom & Inventory, Including Smallwares 

Monthly Auctions with www.haymach.ca 

Quality Used Equipment 

Knowledgable Staff to Help You Maximize Efficiency & Profitability 

We Buy, Sell, Trade, Consign, Auction & Appraise! 

twelve seats 

five course tasting menu 

Contemporary Canadian Cuisine 

208 Piccadilly Street, London 

reverierestaurant.ca 

By Reservation Only


The 2018 London Hospitality Awards are 

presented by the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and 

Motel Association’s London Region. Nominate 

and vote for your Regional Hospitality Stars. 

londonhospitalityawards.com 

Gavin Anderson, President of Anderson Craft 

Ales, Will Heeman, Chief Daymaker at Heeman’s, 

and Christina St. Clair, Owner and Appraiser 

at Haymach Canada Inc. are among this year’s 

recipients of London Inc.’s 20 Under 40 awards. 

David Chapman of David’s Bistro is expected to 

re-open the restaurant in mid to late November, 

after an extensive renovation due to a fire in the 

neighbouring building. davidsbistro.ca 

Emma Pratt, a respected and long-time member 

of the Garlic’s of London management team, 

recently decided to change careers. Leading 

a well-coordinated team of polished service 

professionals, Pratt has always been the 

personification of the restaurant professional: 

hospitable, knowledgeable, detail-oriented and 

gracious. In fact, it was Pratt who originally hired 

Edin Pehilj nearly twenty years ago, before he 

became owner of Garlic’s. She is among the top tier 

hospitality professionals who set the benchmark 

Remarkable Dining 

CORELICIOUS MENU 

Apps 

Caesar Salad 

Smoked bacon, shaved asiago, 

baguette crisp 

OR 

Vegetarian Caesar Salad 

OR 

Now Booking Holiday Parties 

La Sopa Del Dia 

private Daily dining soup areas inspiration, • customizable fresh ingredients menus 

award-winning OR service 

Escargot 

Pernod and fennel cream, julienne vegetables, 

pastry triangle 

OR 

Creamy Polenta 

Sundried Tomato, mesclun greens, 

wild mushroom & marsala sauce sauce 

OR 

Seafood cakes 

Variety of seafood, soya ginger aioli, asian slaw 

WHOLESALE 

HAND ROASTED 

COFFEE BEANS 

FROM MY BUSINESS 

TO YOUR BUSINESS 

Quality, 

Consistency, 

and Value 

... in the roasting, 

in the delivery, 

and in the price. 

Blu Duby Downtown 

Ring in the 

New Year 

at Blu Duby 

New Menus! 

Blu Duby North 

TM 

Blu Duby Downtown 

32 Covent Market Place 

Inside Hotel Metro, steps 

from Budweiser Gardens 

& Covent Garden Market 

519-433-1414 

www.bluduby.com 

Blu Duby North 

745 Fanshawe Park Rd W 

Close to North London’s 

shopping destinations 

with ample free parking 

519-472-1414


for outstanding service and authentic hospitality in 

London. All of us at eatdrink Magazine wish Emma 

the best in her future endeavours. 

Restaurateur/caterer Jess Jazey-Spoelstra and 

Chef Andrew Wolwowicz’s exciting new restaurant 

Craft Farmacy will focus on craft beer and fresh 

oysters with rustic food and feature great wines, 

lots of sharing plates and fabulous house cocktails. 

After several unanticipated delays the restaurant 

is slated to open in mid-to-late November. 449 

Wharncliffe Road, 519-914-2699 

SUNDAY BRUNCH 

11am−2pm 

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


Windermere Manor’s Restaurant Ninety One’s 

new fall menus pays homage to Modern Canadian 

cuisine with interesting local ingredients on the 

menu like Chantecler chickens and Ontario oat rice 

and quinoa. Chef Angela Murphy also released a 

new seasonal tasting menu, with the option of wine 

pairings. The wine list has been edited, and includes 

some new wines from North 42 Degrees Winery. 

restaurantninetyone.ca 

Reverie, an intimate 14-seat “tasting menu” 

restaurant on Piccadilly Street just west of 

Richmond, showcases a Canadian-focused fivecourse 

menu every night from Wednesday to 

Sunday. Owner chef Brian Sua-an says “Simplicity 

with quality comes first. Everything else is 

secondary.” Sua-an briefly staged at René Redzepi’s 

NOMA and its sister establishment 108 Restaurant. 

The restaurant is expected to open mid-November. 

reverierestaurant.ca 

Black Trumpet has not only launched new 

menus but also a new website. Get over to www. 

blacktrumpet.ca to check it out. Make reservations 

directly through the website and very soon you will 

be able to buy gift cards there as well. 

Restaurateur Erin Dunham and chef/partner Matt 

Kershaw of The Other Bird restaurant group in 

Hamilton have taken the former Kantina Restaurant 

space on Talbot Street for their latest project. 

Hunter & Co. will offer a unique and refined dining 

experience in the heart of downtown London. 

With small plates of delectable fare by executive 

chef Matt Kershaw, freshly shucked oysters, and 

cocktails crafted by bartenders who love cocktails, 

they want to offer you a night out that you’ll be 

talking about for weeks. The partners plan to open 

in mid to late November. 

Plant Matter Kitchen has expanded operations to 

London’s downtown core, with a second location 

across from Central Library. Open for lunch and 

“Pure 

Chinese” 

Cuisine 

—Eatdrink 

Monday to Sunday 

11:30am to 8pm 

Five Fortune 

Culture 

RESTAURANT 

366 Richmond Street at King 

www.fivefortuneculture.com 

226 667 9873 

Menu changes FRI–SUN


dinner, the stylish Plant Matter Bistro offers 

dishes inspired by global cuisines. The folks at 

Plant Matter Bistro are serving up empanadas, 

cauliflower pots-au-feu, burgers, ravioli, bibimbap, 

gnocchi, enchiladas, superfood salad and more. 

plantmatterkitchen.com 

Union Ten Distilling Co., at 656 Dundas Street in 

Old East Village, is under construction and getting 

ready to begin production. The distillery will 

produce whisky, rye, rum and vodka. 

Noteworthy restaurants can be found in the most 

unexpected places. TG’s Addis Ababa Restaurant 

is a humble gem tucked inauspiciously in a row of 

buildings between Burwell and Maitland on Dundas 

Street. Owners T.G. and Sam guide the uninitiated 

to select from a menu of outstanding and perfectly 

prepared Ethiopian specialties that are elaborately 

spiced. Vegetarians and expats flock here. 465 

Dundas Street (at Maitland) 519-433-4222 

Los Lobos is the latest creation of Justin, Greg, 

Olivia, and Jennifer Wolfe, proprietors of The 

Early Bird and Wolfe of Wortley. Think modern 

Mexican flavours with innovative riffs, and lots of 

cool Mexican imagery and local references. Platos 

pequeños (small plates) predominate on a menu 

Join Downtown London for the annual 

Winter Light Christmas Walk 

November 17-18, 2017 | downtownlondon.ca


of gourmet Mexican-inspired fare with a modern 

twist. Los Lobos has a fun, funky and eclectic vibe 

that appeals. There is a no reservation policy. 

fb.com/LosLobosLondon 

Get ready for an evening of culinary camaraderie, 

excellent nosh, and more than a couple of 

food puns. Join The Root Cellar for a cooking 

demonstration in its beautiful second-floor event 

space, Taproot. Chef Paul Harding demonstrates 

how to cook four expertly-paired seasonal courses. 

Join a class, or book a private session for your 

an experience to savour ... 

• casual fine dining • stunning architecture 

• world-inspired cuisine enhanced by 

local and seasonal ingredients 

• private dining rooms for lunch & dinner 

Reserve Your 

HOLIDAY 

PARTY or 

Event NOW! 

Open Mon–Sat 

lunch & dinner 

523 Richmond St. London www.blacktrumpet.ca 

RESERVATIONS: 519-850-1500 | info@blacktrumpet.ca 


team. Guests receive a copy of each recipe and a 

serving of each dish. A drink of choice is included. 

rootcellarorganic.ca 

Co-owner and Chef Dave Lamers tells us Abruzzi 

has hired a new pastry chef. Chandany Chen has 

introduced a new dessert menu featuring items 

such as a Deconstructed Carrot Cake with cinnamon 

cream cheese icing, brown butter fluid gel, candied 

nuts and house-made caramel gelato. abruzzi.ca 

Carmen Mihaltan and Simelia Moga’s new Cameli’s 

Pastry and Café will be located at 119 Dundas St. 

Fouzan Beg and Manisay Visouvath are the 

proprietors of Thaifoon, downtown London’s 

upmarket 38-seat Thai restaurant that combines 

a soothing ambience and décor with pleasing Thai 

iconography. The secret to their success is sticking 

to the basics of good, authentic Thai cooking and 

offering spicy, sweet and salty but also rich coconut 

flavours mixed with fresh herbs like kaffir, lime 

leaves and lemongrass. 120 Dundas Street (east of 

Talbot) thaifoonrestaurant.com 

Visit Blake’s Bistro & Bar upstairs at the 

DoubleTree by Hilton for the annual Dickens 

Luncheon Buffet. November 27–December 22 

from 11:30–2. Reservations 519-430-6414. 

Gusto Food and Wine Bar has been sold. The new 

owners, Mario Jozic and Laura Del Maestro, strive 

to make quality wine approachable while creating a 

relaxed and hospitable atmosphere. They currently 

operate the Parisian-inspired The Wine Bar in 

downtown London. The restaurant will be closed for 

a couple of weeks while they put their own stamp 

on the place, and is expected to reopen around mid- 

November. 

Willie’s Café has added some new items, 

collaborating with other vendors in the London 

Food Incubator on Dundas St East. The Kickstart 

Breakfast Sandwich with Fire Roasted Espresso


Mayonnaise and the 630 Pork Sandwich with 

Glen Farms Spicy Orange Red Pepper Jelly join 

old favourites like the Cranberry Turkey Wrap, 

Jerk Chicken Burrito and Club Willie. Willie’s also 

offers gluten-free bread from Urban Oven and 

Vegenaise from Naturally Vegan. There is takeout, 

and plenty of eat-in seating. Extended hours from 

11:00 AM to 2:30 PM Monday to Friday. Park on 

Dundas Street until construction of the municipal 

lot is completed behind 630 Dundas off Queens Ave. 

williescafeandcatering.com 

Spring is a mom-and-pop business operated by 

Jiang Quam Liu and Yue Hao Yang. Yue has been 

cooking professionally for over 30 years. (Don’t 

confuse Spring, half a block west of the Palace 

Theatre in Old East Village, with The Springs on 

Springbank Drive.) The Chinese menu is inspired 

by Mandarin and Cantonese cookery. 768 Dundas 

Street East. 

Young men are needed for a research study at Western 

University, to explore what they think about food 

preparation and how they would like to learn. If you 

are interested, and agree to participate, the study 

involves one 45-minute interview. To thank you for 

your time, you will receive a $25 gift card. To be 

eligible, you must be male, between the ages of 18 and 

30. Food and Nutrition students are not eligible for this 

study. For more information, or to volunteer for this 

study, please contact Matthew at mnguye96@uwo.ca 

SO INVITING, the Chinese bakery across from the 

Market at Western Fair, lives up to its name. Hospitable 

owners Yamei Min and Youjin Wang offer a variety of 

savoury hand-made dumplings (pot stickers) that 

include beef, chicken, pork and vegetable. There are 

three types of sauces on offer. Recently they’ve added 

chicken fried rice to the repertoire. The mooncakes 

with savoury bean paste cookies are a big hit. The 

minimalist bakery is take-away only. The interior is 

exceedingly tiny and the prices more than reasonable. 

876 Dundas Street East, 226-781-0788 

Patrick’s Beans has grown to serve customers 

across Southwestern Ontario and continues 

to provide consistently great tasting coffee to 

its customers. Serving individual customers, 

restaurants, businesses, and retailers Patrick’s 

Beans has expanded the custom roast business and 

provides favourite blends such as Velvet Hammer 

and Super F’N Dark. With incorporation this 

October, Adam Simpson became a partner, in the 

role of Creative Director. The beans you are getting 

are still Patrick’s but Adam makes them look better. 

patricksbeans.com 

Designed and Built for You! 

Call Now 

for 

Your Free 

Consultation 

Design Centre 

2200 Wharncliffe Road S, London 

519-652-0013 

www.allensbuiltins.ca


Located near Highbury and Cheapside, Alex and 

Wing Ip’s Wing’s Kitchen (Đô’ng Khánh Seafood 

Restaurant) is located in the same plaza as the 

24-hour drive-through Globally Local. The 

15-month old Wing’s Kitchen offers one the best 

selections of dim sum in the city, as well as standard 

Cantonese dishes and a few Thai selections. 1141 

Highbury Avenue N. 519-659-8888 

Congee Chan offers a large menu of Cantonese 

specialties prepared with fresh high-quality 

ingredients. This is traditional Chinese regional 

cooking combined with Canadian-Chinese cuisine 

www.peleeisland.com 


and Americanized versions of modern Asian 

specialties like the deep-fried, sweet and piquant 

General Tao chicken. The shrimp dishes are a notch 

above most Asian-inspired restaurants in London. 

735 Wonderland Road North (in the strip mall 

behind Costco North, across from Angelo’s Bakery). 

congeechanrestaurant.com 

Dimitris Korakianitis from Kosmo’s Eatery is 

opening a second location a few doors north of 

the current Richmond Street location (next to the 

Barrakat expansion) called Dimi’s Greek House. It’s 

a combined effort between him and his brother. The 

new place will be licensed, 50 seats, with 28 added 

on the patio. They are working with a designer to 

design the new space. 

For well over a decade the family-run Quynh Nhi 

has garnered a loyal patronage and prospered 

because of its responsive service, consistency and 

traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The signature 

Crispy Spring Roll is offered with chicken, pork, 

or in a vegetarian version served with fresh mint, 

lettuce and a chili-lime fish sauce. 55 Wharncliffe 

Road N. quynhnhi.ca 

Che, at 225 Dundas and Clarence Street, is a bigticket 

entry into downtown London’s dining scene. 

Marvin Rivas has relaunched the restaurant 

and started a pop-up “Lucha Lunch,” a quick, 

affordable cantina-style lunch from 11:30–4. Grab 

and go, or order a cerveza and sit in. Cubanos, 

ceviches, tacos, salads, empanadas, arepas 

and more! Rivas and sidekick Robbin Azzopardi 

deliver a luxe restobar experience at dinner with a 

Latin-inspired menu and a selection of innovative 

cocktails. cherestobar.ca 

Established in 1996, Thuân Kiêu is family-owned 

and operated, and has developed an ardent and 

devoted fan base over the years for Chen’s (or Chu’s 

— he goes by both) hands-on approach and his 

ability to remember his regulars by name, as well 

29 RESTAURANTS. 

$50,000 RAISED. 

Thank you for supporting those 

living with, a ected by, and at-risk for HIV/AIDS. 

RETURNING APRIL 25, 2018 

Join your community in recognizing the 

Red Scarf symbol of HIV/AIDS Awareness 

from November 24th to December 1st. 

Go to www.redscarf.ca


as his traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The appetizer 

to order is the Bo La Lop — the parcels of grilled 

lemongrass-infused beef wrapped in grape leaf are 

exceptional. 1275 Highbury Ave N. thuankieu.ca 

London Tequila Expo Show is a chance to explore 

the world of agave-based spirits, tequila and 

mezcal all in one place. Visit Budweiser Gardens on 

Saturday November 18 for the finest tequilas, live 

mariachi music, cocktails, beer, tacos, and more 

surprises. Tickets are on sale for $20 in advance. 

Admission includes two drink tickets (valid at 

the beer and cocktail tents only) and a souvenir 

sampling glass. The expo runs from 3:00 PM to 

midnight and is a 19+ event. 

Kenzo Ramen (Japanese noodle house) has opened 

in the space previously occupied by Mas Cafe at 

192 Dundas Street. Kenzo Ramen is a popular chain 

known for its thin noodles freshly made in-house. 

Blu Duby Downtown and Blu Duby North are a 

pair of unpretentious restaurants that celebrate 

honest food and wine, a sophisticated atmosphere, 

friendly service and hospitality. The restaurant has 

created a loyal clientele due to it welcoming and 

friendly ambience. Chefs Dani Murphy and Graham 

Stewart have recently launched new menus in both 

locations. Patrons can come and enjoy a glass of 

wine or a cocktail at the bar, a couple of appetizers 

or a full dining experience. Ring in the New Year 

at the Blu Duby with a three-course menu. Early 

seating is 5:00-7:30 PM arrival, departure by 9:30 

PM, $55 per person plus taxes and grats. Later 

seating is 9:00 PM or after, $78 per person plus 

taxes and gratuities, includes party favours, live DJ 

Dan Bullard, and shuttle ride home. bluduby.com 

Five Fortune Culture Restaurant offers a “Pure 

Chinese” menu, authentic Yunnan with Sichuan 

and Guizhou influences typified by bold flavours 

Meat commonly plays a supporting role as a mere 

seasoning to the vegetables. 368 Richmond Street 

at King, 226-667-9873 

King’s University College is proud to receive a Fair 

Trade campus designation in recognition of its efforts 

to serve 100% Fairtrade coffee alongside an offering 

of Fairtrade teas and chocolate. King’s is the latest 

campus to earn the Fair Trade Campus Designation 

from the Canadian Fair Trade Network (CFTN). 

Stratford 

Bradshaws Christmas Open House is Friday, 

November 3, 5:00 PM–8:00 PM for a first look at 

Bradshaws in all its Christmas glory. There will be 

delicious food samplings, hot new product demos, 

holiday giftware, kitchenware and entertaining 

items. Free gift with purchase and enter to win door 

FEATURING OUR 

FRESH NEW MENU, BOLD FLAVOURS AND 

HAND-CRAFTED COCKTAILS. 

NEW! 

NOW 

SERVING 

NOW OPEN 

11:30am-4pm 

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY 

WITH US TODAY! 

225 DUNDAS ST, LONDON 

cherestobar.ca 

(519) 601-7999 

TUESDAYS-SATURDAYS 11:30AM-CLOSE 

"Classical Preparation with a Modern Twist" 

Catering by The In Home Chef 

www.theinhomechef.ca 

731 Wellington St. (at Piccadilly), London 

519 434-9797 

www.spruceonwellington.com

Your love of all things Italian begins at 

Book Now for Your Holiday Party! 

Gift Cards 

Available 

Opening 

Late November! 

449 Wharncliffe Road South 

London 

519.914.2699 

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


prizes including $500 in gift cards. Need expert 

suggestions for the foodies and hard-to-buy-for on 

your list? This is the place! bradshawscanada.com 

Beginning November 5, and every Sunday 

throughout the winter season, Okazu will be taking 

reservations for “dimsumday.” Siu Mai, Bao, Gyoza, 

Fresh Rolls and much more. Seatings available 

from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. okazusnackbar.com 

String Bone Presents LIVE at Revival House: 

The 2017/18 winter dinner concert series boasts 

a great kick-off to the season. Canada’s queen of 

soul/R&B Jully Black graces the Revival House 

stage with an unplugged performance Nov 17. 

After a winter hiatus, AHI, Rick Taylor, String Bone, 

Allison Brown, Deni Gauthier and more Tribute to 

Willie P Bennett on Feb 2. March 2 will see Sarah 

MacDougall + Megan Bonnell on a double bill. 

stringbonepresents.com 

Hops and Heels Stratford will be hosting the latest 

Ladies Craft Beer Night — this time at Revival 

House. Your $40 ticket gets you tons of stuff: a free 

glass to take home, drink tickets, appetizers and 

entertainment by the talented pianist Jenie Thai. 

Cider will also be offered, with a cash bar and raffle 

prize table with swag from local shops and services. 

All proceeds will go to the YMCA of Stratford Perth 

Strong Kids Campaign. Breweries include Black 

Swan Brewing (Stratford), Cowbell Brewing (Blyth), 

Railway City Brewing (St Thomas), Mill Street 

Brewing (Toronto), Shakespeare Brewing Company 

(Shakespeare) and Nickel Brook Brewing Co. 

(Burlington). revival.house/Events_Calendar/ 

Join Revival House for a Christmas-themed High 

Tea on Sunday, November 26. Tea service will 

be accompanied by a guided tea tasting. Enjoy 

a special selection of treats created just for this 

event by Chef Loreena Miller. You’ll get in the spirit 

with beautiful classical music by talented local 

musicians. Guests will receive a free gift of Sloane 

Fine Tea from Bradshaws. revival.house 

Join Revival House for a Scotch and Chocolate 

Tutored Tasting from 3–5 PM on Sunday December 

17. Christine Chessell of Rheo Thompson Candies 

and certified whisky sommelier Steve Rae will guide 

you through a whisky journey through Scotland. 

Rheo Thompson has selected a variety of chocolates 

to complement the scotches. Or do the scotches 

complement the chocolates? visitstratford.ca 

A Victorian Christmas in Downtown Stratford and 

Outdoor Christmas Market — Sunday, November 

19 from 10–3. Across the street at the Avon Theatre 

enjoy the music of the Stratford Symphony 

Orchestra, local art show and crafts for kids, and


meet Santa. Shop vendor stalls for holiday foods, 

crafts and gifts. Sip hot cocoa while listening to 

costumed carolers, and embrace the character and 

charm of a Victorian Christmas in Stratford on a 

horse-drawn carriage ride. visitstratford.ca 

Nosh Mondays — family-style small plates —return 

to The Red Rabbit November 6. redrabbitresto.com 

Roll up your sleeves and tie on an apron at 

the Stratford Chefs School for Open Kitchen: 

hands-on classes for the dedicated home cook. 

Classes are held in the state-of-the-art Stratford 

Chefs School Kitchens at 136 Ontario St. and cost 

$40–$75. Explore the best wines for your holiday 

event; learn new recipes to revamp your holiday 

menu; discover new techniques to help take the 

stress out of holiday entertaining. Classes run 

Sundays, 1–4 (some may vary). www.stratfordchef. 

com/open-kitchen 

Stratford’s most cherished culinary secret is 

the Stratford Chefs School’s Dinner Series. On 

Saturday, November 18 the School will host a 

special Order of Good Cheer dinner inspired by the 

feast and entertainment organized by Samuel de 

Champlain at Port-Royal, Nova Scotia in November, 

1606. Dinners often sell out, so reserve your seat 

Hey Cupcake! 

www.heycupcake.ca 

275 Wharncliffe Rd. North 

519-433-CAKE (2253) 

STORE HOURS: Mon–Fri 11–7 

Saturday 10–5 • Sunday 11–4 

where art is 

a piece of cake 

The ORIGINAL 

LONDON CAKERY & 

GOURMET CUPCAKE 

BAKERY 

ASK US Custom Bakery • Walk-In Orders Available 

ABOUT OUR 

“RANDOM 

ACTS OF 

SWEETNESS!” 

CAMPAIGN 

REOPENING LATE NOVEMBER 

LUNCH Wed to Fri 11:30–2:30 

DINNER from 5pm daily 

ALWAYS 

a 3-course prix fixe 

menu option 

142 fullarton at richmond 

432 Richmond Street 

at Carling • London 

www.davidsbistro.ca

“A place you can 

depend on and 

delight in” — Eatdrink 

“One of London’s 

best restaurants” 

— Huffington Post 

Reserve Now for Your 

Holiday & New Year’s 

Eve Celebrations! 

46 Blackfriars Street, London 

519-667-4930 

www.blackfriarsbistro.com 

EXPRESS LUNCHES 

INTIMATE DINNERS 

EXTRAORDINARY 

CATERING 

DIETARY NEEDS 

ACCOMMODATED 

AMPLE FREE PARKING 


today. The Series breaks for holidays December 18– 

January 9. And if looking for a unique gift idea for 

a friend or loved one, why not a a gift certificate to 

a Stratford Chefs School dinner or an Open Kitchen 

cooking class? Call 519-271-1414 or book online. 

www.stratfordchef.com 

Both Stratford’s Monforte on Wellington and 

Rundles (after a remarkable and long run) closed 

for good at the end of the summer season. 

The Stratford Christmas Trail is now running 

until December 20. Get a map to 27 shops offering 

unique and individual gift ideas, from the funky 

to the eclectic to the fashionable. Each shop will 

present a fabulous stocking stuffer and your $30 

ticket (+HST) lets you choose six of them as gifts. 

visitstratford.ca/ChristmasTrail 

Around the Region 

North 42 Degrees Estate Winery in Harrow received 

gold medals for four of its wines at the InterVin 

International Wine Awards. Five of its wines received 

high ratings from New York wine critic John Gilman, 

and three wines received high ratings from Wine 

Enthusiast magazine. The ratings and awards come 

as North 42° Estate Winery nears the completion of 

construction on a new building to house retail wine 

col·lab·o·ra·tion 

noun. the action of working with someone 

to produce or create something. 

Working in collaboration to create 

London’s first-ever community cookbook. 

Available by pre-order ONLY until December 2017. 

Get yours today! 

www.mhdbonline.com 

www.forestcitycookbook.com


sales, the Serenity Lavender Farm store, and Bistro 

42 with Executive Chef Steve Meehan. The new 

building will be opening later this year. 

Drinky.ca will pivot to become a directory of alcohol 

producers starting early in 2018. Producers will be 

able to “claim” their listing for free and use the site 

to promote events and collect reviews. Users will 

be able to find products based on different criteria, 

including local or independent production, vegan/ 

vegetarian, organic and more. 

w 

ARTIES 

Come Home for the Holidays to La Casa! 

A 

London 

Landmark 

for 

23 

Years! 

We want your BUZZ! 

Do you have culinary news or upcoming events 

that you’d like us to share? Every issue, Eatdrink 

reaches more than 50,000 readers across 

Southwestern Ontario in print, and thousands 

more online. 

Get in touch with us at 

editor@eatdrink.ca and/or connect directly with 

our Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery 

at bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Deadline for submissions for the Jan/Feb Issue is December 15. 

Tradition 

& 

Passion 

117 King Street 

across from Budweiser Gardens 

519-434-2272 (CASA) 

www.lacasaristorante.com 

“Enjoy consistently 

outstanding Italian and 

International cuisine 

enhanced by local and 

seasonal ingredients.” 

Reserve NOW for Your 

Holiday Party or Event! 

Extensive 

Scotch Bar 

Open Mon–Sat 

Lunch & Dinner 

Loose Leaf Teas & Tisanes 

• 

Contemporary & Traditional Teaware 

• 

Light & Healthy Menu 

• 

Afternoon Tea: November 26 

Vegan 

Dim SumDay! 

November 19 

268 Piccadilly Street (beside Oxford Book Store) 

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

TUES-THURS 11am-6pm • FRI & SAT 11am-9pm • SUN 11am-5pm 

Stunning Views 

Excellent Food 

Ambiance Galore 

Now Booking Christmas 

Parties at Both Locations 

TUES–WED, FRI–SUN 11–4:30 

THURS 11–8:30 • 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


Beer 

Porter’s Rest 

A Beer for Winter 


by AARON BROWN 

When it comes to wintertime 

beer recommendations, I think 

you have two options. One is 

to pretend that you are in a 

warmer time, and attempt to evoke 

some kind of cottage nostalgia. Grab 

a beer you tend to love during the 

hot weather and just pretend, right? 

My preferred choice is the other 

option: accept the situation and 

settle into a beer that is rich, 

warming, and that would do well 

alongside a good book. Porters and 

stouts go great with a wintertime 

read. They improve as they warm 

up and can be sipped slowly over long 

periods of time. (A porter and book pairing 

is especially great if your topic is 

history.) 

You might need two or three beers 

to properly dig into the words “porter” 

and “stout.” You’ll be going a long way back, 

ending up in the time of Defoe, Swift, and 

Hogarth. The era of Charles Dickens is still a 

century ahead and, compared to the eighteenthcentury 

world, will look like the Jetsons. 

Early History 

It was a brutal and physically grinding 

time, and the porters were an important 

piece of the sweat-driven economy. 

Porters were people tasked with 

unloading and delivering the cargo of 

the Thames River docks trade. Special 

rests designed for porters to drop their 

loads were installed across the city. A 

load temporarily at rest in front of a pub 

populated with refuelling porters was a 

common sight. Eventually their drink of 

choice bore the name of their trade. 

Today only a single porter’s rest 

remains preserved in London. The word 

“porter” is practically all that is left of this tribe 

today. Even the beer with their name is not 

something their taste buds would recognize 

today. They might not have exactly recognized 

it even a generation later. Over time, 

the words stout and porter have stuck 

while the methods and ingredients 

that brewers use have shifted 

constantly, driven by customs, 

politics, and technological change. 

The terms have somewhat 

converged, but in the mid-1700s 

porter was a beer that was made 

with brown malt (a standard 

ingredient of the day) while the term 

stout was more of an adjective than a 

defined style name. Stout applied to higher 

strength beer — even pale beers. A 

“stout porter” was a strong porter. 

These days it seems to me that 

the word porter is increasingly out of 

fashion and has effectively been replaced by 

the nomenclature of stout. 

The brown malt of the time meant that 

porter was a dark brown colour. It was a 

relatively low quality and inefficient malt. 

Malt kilns were dangerous and prone to 

Drinking stout on cask in Manchester (2008)


British brewing records from 

the early 1800s at the London 

Metropolitan Archives 

burning down. 

When kilning 

technology 

improved, 

brewers could 

deploy paler malts 

that gave them 

more flavour to 

extract at a lower 

cost and the taste 

of porter was 

changed forever. 

Black malt, 

invented in 1817, 

allowed brewers 

to have a dark and 

roasty beer made 

from a base of 

pale ingredients. 

The beer that 

we think of as 

fundamentally black was brown until this 

time. The roasted unmalted barley famously 

part of the Guinness recipe wouldn’t come 

into use until the 1880s. 

What that beer tasted like throughout 

these shifts is impossible to know for sure. 

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 

andersoncraftales.ca


In addition to changes in malt, a variety 

of maturation and ageing techniques were 

employed throughout different eras, making 

the precise flavours a matter of some 

speculation. In various eras porter was sold 

both when it was young and fresh, and also 

after it had been matured in vats for an 

extended period. Sometimes pubs would 

blend these beers together if a customer had a 

taste for a “half-and-half.” 

We have a much better sense of what the 

post-1820 era of porter tasted like. Porter had 

become a global style by this time. 

Times Are A-Changing 

Porter waned in popularity in the late 

nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with 

the rise of pale ales and lagers. All beers in 

the UK were radically weakened in strength 

Award-Winning Porters 

Prodromus, Omnipollo — 

Omnipollo is a mind-bending 

brewery with roots in Sweden. 

Prodromus stout is full of 

things that you didn’t think 

could be in a beer. It’s 

crammed full of vanilla, cocoa 

nibs, and deep-fried cookie dough. It is very 

sweet, with a thick chewy body, and 12% abv. 

Dark N Sour, Blood Brothers Brewing — 

Toronto’s Blood Brothers is well known for 

its take on combinations of 

fruit and sour flavours. One 

seasonal beer that takes a 

bit of a different turn is the 

sour stout, which plays sour 

and acidic notes off of the 

signature roast flavours of 

a stout or porter. 

Pêché Mortel, Dieu du Ciel — 

This beer is a Canadian classic 

and a benchmark 

for coffee-infused 

beer. It isn’t just a 

taste or a flavour 

but a full-blown sensory 

experience. 

Local Examples of the Style 

Anderson Craft Ales, London — Stout (6% 

abv) 

Black Swan Brewing Co., Stratford — 

Porter (5.3% abv) 


under the resource constraints of World War 

II. The style didn’t rebound even after wartime 

rationing and taxation eased off. The public 

had more or less moved on and porter had 

definitively become an old man’s beer. 

It wouldn’t be until today’s craft beer boom 

that porter would regain some cachet. While 

the inspiration for brewing a porter might come 

from a curiosity about the past, today’s brewers 

are only constrained by their imagination. 

Almost every generation that drank porter was 

drinking something a bit different than their 

parents — perhaps even radically so. 

Today we see an incredible variety and 

creativity in porters and stouts. The words 

have been stretched by time and have 

branched off in incredible ways. I’m sure it 

would make a time travelling porter’s head 

spin if they could drink these beers today. 

Cowbell Brewing Co., Blyth — #011 

Molasses Vanilla Porter 

Forked River Brewing Co., London — 

Full City Coffee Porter (5.5% abv) and 

Wicked Wench Bourbon Barrel-Aged 

Stout (5.7% abv) 

London Brewing Co-op, London — 

Tolpuddle Porter (5.5% abv) 

Railway City Brewing Co., St. Thomas — 

Black Coal Stout (6% abv) 

Toboggan Brewing Co., London — Stout 

(6% abv), Vanilla Stout (6% abv) and 

Brexit Porter (seasonal) 

Upper Thames Brewing Co., Woodstock — 

Come to the Dark Side Chocolate Stout 

and Dusk to Dawn White Stout 

For more detailed information on the history 

of English beer styles (including porter) I 

recommend Martyn Cornell’s book Amber, 

Gold and Black, which I have relied on here. 

I also recommend Ron Pattinson’s website, 

where you can find extensive original 

research, including a reproduction of a 

letter describing a visit in 1839 to the largest 

brewery in the world at that time — the 

porter brewer Barclay Perkins. 

AARON BROWN is a 10-year-plus veteran of the beer 

industry and the founder of Forest City Beer Fest and 

Appleseed Cider Festivals. You can find him at his local 

pub or www.forestcitybeerfest.com


Spirits 

What’s Hot? 

Spherical Cocktails Are Having a Moment 


Forget the party-pleasing Jell-O shot. 

Molecular mixology brings science 

to the cocktail shaker with spherical 

cocktails, creating new flavour combinations, 

interesting textures and novel presentations. 

Spherical cocktails are blends of 

spirits, botanicals, bitters and juices that are 

suspended inside a partly-frozen drained ice 

sphere. The orb is put into a previously mixed 

cocktail, or placed in a rocks glass and more 

alcohol is poured on top. It can be cracked, or 

left to melt and morph into the rest of your 

cocktail. As it melts, the cocktail transforms 

from boozy to appropriately balanced. Chef 

Brian Sua-an of the new Reverie Restaurant 

provided us with his take on the Mojito. 

Spherical Mojito 

Cocktail 

20 mint leaves 

250 g water 

350 g white rum 

350 g lime juice 

160 g sugar 

10 g calcium lactate gluconate* 

1000 g water 

5 g sodium alginate* 

Silicon spherical mold tray 

*Easily ordered online at sites such as 

www.modernistpantry.com 

PREPARATION OF MOJITO SPHERES 

1 Begin by making the sodium alginate bath. Mix 

the water and sodium alginate in a blender or 

food processor until evenly dispersed. 

2 Transfer to a 

bowl, ideally 

one with a flat 

bottom. 

3 In a separate 

vessel muddle 

mint leaves 

and lime juice 

together. Add 

sugar, water, 

and rum. Mix 

thoroughly 

until sugar is 

dissolved. 

4 Strain the 

mixture 

through a 

sieve. 

5 Blend 350 g 

of the mixture 

and 10 g 

of calcium 

lactate gluconate in a food processor until completely 

dissolved. 

6 Pour mixture into the mold tray, cover with cling film, 

and place in the freezer until the individual spheres are 

completely frozen. 

FINISHING 

Bowl with 200 ml clean water 

Mint leaves 

1 Unmold the mojito spheres, one sphere at a time, and 

carefully immerse into the sodium alginate bath. 

2 Leave in the bath for 3.5 minutes, stirring gently with a 

spoon. 

3 Remove the sphere from the bath and put into the clean 

water for 10 seconds to rinse off the alginate. 

4 Remove the sphere and decorate with a mint leaf. Place 

into a pre-made cocktail or serve in a rocks glass. 

Reverie Restaurant 

1-208 Piccadilly Street, London 

www.reverierestaurant.ca 

BRYAN LAVERY is Eatdrink’s Writer at Large and Food 

and Social Media Editor.


Various Musical Notes 

Seasonal Sounds 

Upcoming Highlights on the Music Scene 


By GERRY BLACKWELL 

The season of cheer is nigh, friends. 

You can tell by the premature jingle 

of Yule muzak everywhere. May we 

suggest an antidote? Music played 

by actual humans, in the flesh, right in front 

of you. There’s plenty of it about. 

Hawksley Workman, Juno-winning 

singer-songwriter and all-round Renaissance 

man, kicks it off at Revival House in Stratford 

on November 8 (8 pm, $35). The show isn’t 

officially part of Workman’s Almost A Full Moon 

tour, featuring songs from his beloved 2002 

Christmas album. But we’re betting he’ll play 

some. Definitely not muzak. (goo.gl/B5sYiD) 

Sass Jordan 

Hawksley 

Workman 

The sass is back. Canadian rock diva Sass 

Jordan brings her Racine Revisited tour 

to Aeolian Hall on November 15 (7/8 pm, 

$35/$40). Racine was the 1992 album that 

made Jordan’s career, producing hits like Make 

You A Believer. This is Sass playing the old 

songs in new ways. A must for Jordan fans. 

It’s a busy few days of music hereabouts. 

The following two nights, Aeolian has folk 

troubadour Murray McLauchlan (6:30/7:30 

pm, $47.50). The man has 40 years, 18 albums, 

11 Junos and an Order of Canada under his 

belt. He’s penned classics — Whispering Rain, 

The Farmer’s Song — and he’s still adding to 

his oeuvre. A warm, engaging performer, 

McLauchlan never disappoints. 

Something completely different? Opera 

at Western presents Bizet’s Carmen at the 

Paul Davenport Theatre (Talbot College). It 

runs November 16–18 (8 pm), and November 

19 (2 pm, $30/$20). One of the best-loved and 

most accessible of romantic operas, Carmen 

is filled with ravishing melodies and rousing 

choruses. In French (with English surtitles), 

featuring students of Western’s highlyregarded 

Opera program. 

Murray McLauchlan

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Steve Strongman 

Canadian blues guitar hero Steve 

Strongman is at the London Music Club 

on November 16 (7:30/8:30 pm, $25/$30). A 

multiple Maple Blues winner, Strongman is a 

scintillating guitarist and powerful vocalist. 

He raises the bar on the club’s Thursday Night 

Blues series. Don’t miss. 

Then it’s off to Stratford on November 

17 for Canada’s Queen of R&B and Soul, 

Jully Black. Black is playing an acoustic 

set at Revival House (8 pm, $35). Known for 

powerhouse vocals — she’s one of the 25 

greatest Canadian singers ever, according 

to CBC Music — and slick, choreographed 

videos, Black unplugged is intriguing. Our 

guess: she’ll rock. (goo.gl/uhTZgm) 

Free is good, right? Western University’s 

Jazz Ensemble is at the Wolf Performance Hall 

(Central Library) on November 21 (7:30 pm, free) 

with a program of stage band favourites. Might 

be the odd Christmas number. Just guessing. 

Don’t expect festive ditties, but Hamiltonbased 

alt-rockers The Trews are at London 

Music Hall on November 24 (7 pm, $40) — 

reason in itself to celebrate. Go for the great 


music (goo.gl/47nz6k), and be aware this is a Red 

Scarf Benefit Concert supporting Regional HIV/ 

AIDS Connection. Good for The Trews and LMH. 

The Jeffery Concerts (goo.gl/xrUjgk) 

brings exciting Canadian violinist Andréa 

Tyniec and pianist Arthur Rowe to Wolf 

Performance Hall on November 25 (8 pm, 

$40, students $15). Event title: The Strad 

Sings, a program of Beethoven and Schumann 

sonatas, with Ms. Tyniec playing the 

‘Baumgartner’ Stradivarius violin. Special. 

The Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club has rootsy 

singer-songwriter Jenny Whiteley at 

Chaucer’s Pub on November 26 (7:30 pm, 

$25/$20). Whiteley has been compared to 

Emmy Lou Harris and Lucinda Williams — 

high praise indeed — and her first two albums 

(2000, 2002) won Junos. Why don’t we know 

her better? Here’s our chance. (goo.gl/gwbnde) 

The Trews 

Hallelujah! Remember Orchestra London? 

They live on as London Symphonia, and 

they’re doing Handel’s Messiah at First St. 

Andrew’s Church on Wednesday, November 

29 (7:30 pm, $15-$55), along with London Pro 

Musica Choir and a great cast of soloists 

including local soprano Leslie Fagan. All we, 

like sheep, must go. 

World music fusionists Sultans of String 

kick off Christmas month at Aeolian on 

Jully Black 

Sultans of String


Serena 

Ryder 

December 

3 (7/8 pm, 

$30/$25). 

Expect a dizzying 

variety 

of styles, from 

ska to gypsy 

jazz, applied 

to seasonal 

favourites. The 

Sultans are 

touring their 

new album, 

Christmas 

Caravan. (For 

a preview: goo. 

gl/LHnYTS.) 

Alt-country 

singer-songwriter 

Serena Ryder, she of the five-octave 

vocal range, hits town December 12, playing 

London Music Hall (7 pm, $40). Another multiple 

Juno winner, Ryder is touring her latest 

album, Utopia, out earlier this year. She doesn’t 

get to London often, so take advantage. 

Then it’s a full-on seasonal celebration with 

angelic-voiced folk trio The Good Lovelies 

at Aeolian on December 13 and 14 (7/8 pm, 

$35/$40). This is the Lovelies’ annual Christmas 

show, promising “classic holiday and winter 

The Good Lovelies 

selections ... polished to a warm and welcoming 

glow.” Sounds pretty good to us. If you’re 

lucky, you might even get a wee preview of the 

upcoming new album, Shapeshifters. 

Centennial Hall offers another holiday 

classic with Ballet Jörgen’s production of The 

Nutcracker — one performance only, December 

23 (3 pm, $43-$97). Set in Canada’s near north 

in the early 20th century, this is not your 

grandmother’s Nutcracker. I don’t remember 

racoons in the original. The great thing about 

Juno Award Winner 2016 

Allison Au Jazz 

Quartet 

Thursday, November 23 

BBC Radio 2 Folk Group of the Year 

Thursday, November 30 

Jack Richardson Ballroom 

London Music Hall of Fame, 182 Dundas St 

Tickets at sunfest.on.ca & londonmusichall.com 

Supporting Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan (CASS) 

Denise 

Pelley 

A Jazzy 

Christmas 

Saturday, December 16 

World Music 

& 

Jazz Series 

2017–18 

www.sunfest.on.ca 

A Show for All Ages 

The Young’uns Next Generation Leahy 

A Family Christmas 

London Music Hall 

Wednesday, December 13 

Salsa Dance Party 

featuring Cafe Cubano 

London Music Hall 

Saturday, 

January 27 

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

Unless otherwise indicated, all concerts are at AeolianHall, 795DundasSt., London 

Tickets at Aeolian Box Office (519-672-7950), Centennial Hall, Long & McQuade North, 

Village Idiot (WortleyVillage), and online at sunfest.on.ca or aeolianhall.ca 

this production: it always showcases local 

young dance talent along with Jörgen’s pros. 

Whew! Holiday over. Time for more 

contemplative fare. The Jeffery Concerts 

has just the ticket: Love Triangle, featuring 

Canada’s great Gryphon Trio at the Wolf 

Performance Hall, January 13 (8 pm, $40, 

students $15). The program includes Haydn 

and Beethoven (Archduke Trio) staples, 

but also Canadian-based, Sri Lankan-born 

composer Dinuk Wijeratne’s piano quartet 

rhapsody Love Triangle. Very cool. (Preview 

here: bit.ly/2fX0Ing.) 

GERRY BLACKWELL is a London-based freelance 

writer. 

Gryphon Trio


Theatre 


Bah, Humbug? I Think Not! 

The Holidays on Stage 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

Looking for an experience gift this 

season? Local theatre has plenty of 

holiday offerings which make a good 

gift — especially for yourself. Before 

the holidays get too busy, take a look at the 

special productions being staged in our area 

which are perfect for a gift, or for a break! 

The Grand Theatre, London 

Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum makes his 

directorial debut by reviving Scrooge in all his 

grumpiness. Sure, all of us have times during 

the holidays when we start thinking bah and 

humbug towards it all. However this classic tale 

of a curmudgeon’s transformation draws back 

audiences year after year, to stages around the 

world. It will be interesting to see what Benedict 

Campbell, of Stratford Festival acclaim, does 

with the famous role. Also from Stratford in the 

show are Sean Arbuckle and Alexis Gordon. Both 

wowed audiences this past season at Stratford 

in Guys and Dolls. Gordon is a graduate of the 

Original Kids Theatre Company in London. 

Arbuckle plays Bob Cratchit. 

A Christmas Carol, written by Charles 

Dickens and adapted by Garnhum, runs from 

November 28 to December 30 at The Grand. 

Most years the holiday show of choice sells 

out quickly, and the run is often extended. 

There are post-show artist talks every Tuesday 

in December. As well, there is a pre-show talk 

with James Reaney on December 6 at noon. 

Reaney is the recently retired entertainment 

writer for the London Free Press. 

Productions of Anne 

of Green Gables: 

The Musical will 

be performed in 

London and Petrolia 

The Nutcracker 

Centennial Hall, London 

For some, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas 

without a production of The Nutcracker. 

Canada’s Ballet Jörgen presents this classic for 

one show only on December 23. Perfect timing 

to pack up the children and send them out with 

the grandparents for some holiday tradition! 

The Palace Theatre, London 

Another family favourite, Anne of Green 

Gables: The Musical, is on stage at the Palace 

Theatre in Old East Village, London from 

November 30 to December 10. This is Don 

Harron’s musical adaptation of the worldwide 

bestselling book authored by Lucy Maud 

Montgomery. 

Petrolia Community Theatre 

Anne of Green Gables: The Musical will also 

be performed in Petrolia at the Victoria 

Playhouse. It runs from November 15 to 19. 

Theatre Sarnia 

The lovely Imperial Theatre in Sarnia is 

the stage for some humorous Christmas 

entertainment. This year it’s a look back at 

Christmas in the 1940s with a production of 

The Christmas Story: The Musical. “Don’t shoot 

your eye out” and other one-liners from the 

Hollywood film version come to life on stage 

December 15, 16, 17 and 23. 

JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to Eatdrink. 

She is also Manager, Communications & Media Relations, 

at King’s University College in London.


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Nov. 28 to Dec. 30 

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Books 


Down on the Farm 

True Confessions from the Ninth Concession 

by Dan Needles 

Review by DARIN COOK 

Surrounded by fields in Southwestern 

Ontario, it is easy to appreciate the 

integral role that farms 

play in the food system 

of any community. When that 

community includes Larkspur 

Farms, a little further north near 

Collingwood, the contributions 

tend to be literary as well as 

culinary. Canadian writer Dan 

Needles moved there to raise 

his family among pastures 

and barns, instead of parking 

lots and high-rises, and in his 

latest book, True Confessions 

from the Ninth Concession 

(Douglas & McIntyre, 

2017, $22.95), he recollects 

hilarious episodes on the 

farm from 1997 to 2016. 

Having been raised a city kid, Needles 

recognizes that country living has given his 

family a new sense of purpose in relation 

to the animals that share their living space 

and the fresh food right outside their door. 

He writes, “We wake up in the morning 

surrounded by things that must be done 

and move through the day with no clear line 

separating work from the rest of our lives.” 

His plot of land provides for his family of 

six, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy life 

since “there always seems to be some hiccup 

between the barn and the kitchen table.” 

Those hiccups have become the anecdotes 

that have given Needles the distinction of 

being known as “Canada’s funniest farmer” 

and being appointed to the Order of Canada 

for his work celebrating rural Canada. 

His intention was to keep the farm small, 

even as neighbours combined their acres 

for mega-crop production, and Needles 

writes about how hobby farmers face the 

same issues to keep the farm chugging 

along (protecting livestock from predators 

and crops from weeds), especially when the 

extended family is counting on fresh food for 

holiday meals. Food preparation 

throughout the seasons 

shows how the farm 

provides the essentials 

to support his family. 

The biggest operation 

takes place in the fall, with 

canning and pickling to 

stock up for winter. His wife 

and mother-in-law do not 

stop “until they have filled 

four freezers and forty feet of 

basement shelves with every 

fruit or vegetable that can be 

put through a blender” — so 

much that he feels compelled to 

remind them that stores do still 

stock groceries in the winter. 

It is the communion with nature and daily 

interaction with creatures other than humans 

that make a farm such a special experience. 

His four children fully participate on the 

farm. His youngest daughter has helped with 

the chicken and duck populations each spring; 

one year she took in a baby turkey that ended 

up eating with them at Thanksgiving rather 

than being eaten by them. He writes, “I 

suppose it is a risk to give name and character 

to a potential Sunday dinner entrée” but all 

the goats, cows, lambs, and chickens earn 

names from his children, including the Spice 

Goats, each with a name resembling those of 

the British girl band members. 

He cannot vouch for being truly organic 

or sustainable, but he is up-to-date on 

modern farming practices and experimented 

in 1998 with techniques touted by Joel 

Salatin, who has since become a major voice 

in sustainable farming. Needles conducted 

“symbiotic livestock management and

The 57 | Holiday November/December Issue 2017 

November/December 2017 | 57 

compost production” by having pigs and 

cows mingle together. He describes it as “a 

natural cycle that would repeat itself again 

and again. Moments like these come as close 

to perfection as any that 

can be found in a place as 

chaotic as a farm. In this little 

circle there is economy, not 

much work, bacon, beef and 

compost. There seems to be 

something in it for everybody, 

even the pigs, if I may 

presume to speak for them. 

They enjoy a lifestyle that is 

not available to the average 

bacon hog these days, and 

they have only one bad day.” 

Even on vacation, Needles 

is the consummate farmer, 

reaching a compromise with 

his wife about holidays — she sunbathing on 

Cuban beaches, he out with the locals in their 

banana, yam, mango, and corn fields. Another 

ongoing marital debate is whether to breed 

chickens that produce white eggs or brown. 

Needles spends plenty of time looking for the 

right shade of white that will appease his wife. 

Another disagreement that crops up with his 

son is how Ontario is only like southern France 

two weeks out of the year and not conducive 

for growing grapes, but he eventually warms 

to the idea of experimenting 

Dan Needles 

with wine production. 

Amid his memories of the 

simple life and working hard 

on the farm are observations 

about activities that keep 

the rural community 

bonded: livestock auctions, 

rural schoolhouses, 4-H 

club events, and church 

Christmas concerts. What 

Stuart McLean did fictionally 

for small-town record stores 

with the Vinyl Café, so has 

Dan Needles done, in the 

same hilarious and heartwarming 

style, for Canadian agrarian life with 

his real-life Larkspur Farms. 

DARIN COOK is a freelance writer residing in Chatham- 

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

the bookstores and restaurants of London. 

WIN A LEXUS FOR A WEEKEND! 

Plus get your own car cleaned and detailed! 

eatdrink & 

Presented by 

Enter at www.facebook.com/eatdrinkmag 

Contest ends December 28, 2017. Complete details online. 

Congratulations Valerie Wald, 

winner of our September/October Draw!


Recipes 



Indigenous Fusion 

By Chef David Wolfman and Marlene Finn 

Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN 

D 

avid Wolfman grew up 

far from his mother’s 

roots on the Xaxli’p 

First Nation in BC’s 

southern interior. In the kitchen 

of their Toronto home she 

taught him their history, along 

with her cooking techniques. 

He became a certified chef at 

George Brown College and 

later became a teacher there. 

Volunteering to help with 

the food at an indigenous 

event in the 1990’s led him 

to a successful career in catering. 

It was then that Wolfman began to develop 

what he later called Indigenous Fusion, mixing 

the traditions of his mother’s family with 

techniques and ingredients learned as a chef. 

And he gave back to the people of his city, 

operating a soup kitchen fuelled with the extra 

food from his catering business. 

Wolfman is the producer and host of 

Cooking with the Wolfman which originally 

aired on the Aboriginal Peoples Television 

Network in Canada and is now available in the 

US on Nativeflix and FNX. Together with his 

wife and business partner, aboriginal education 

consultant Marlene Finn, he has 

curated the best of those recipes 

into Cooking with the Wolfman; 

Indigenous Fusion (David 

Wolfman and Marlene Finn; 

Douglas & McIntyre; Oct 2017; 

$29.95). 

The recipes in Cooking with the 

Wolfman are a delicious mix of 

fine dining and backyard BBQ but 

they all have a common thread. 

They all illustrate the passion 

that Wolfman and Finn have for 

sharing their respective Xaxli’p 

and Métis cultures. 

Indigenous cuisine is 

as modern and varied as 

European food and depends 

on location, season and 

available ingredients. 

You don’t need to hunt 

or forage to find those 

ingredients; most can be 

purchased at a good market. 

A quick internet search will 

turn up a surprising number 

of suppliers of game meat in 

our region. 

With the holiday season fast 

approaching, I chose the 

following recipes because they seemed 

appropriate for a celebration. Chestnut and 

Prune Turkey Roulade with Saskatoon Berry 

Compote is a modern version of turkey and 

stuffing that doesn’t take days of preparation 

or leave you with a fridge full of leftovers. The 

chestnut dressing is rich and keeps the turkey 

meat from drying out. I never developed a taste 

for berry sauce with turkey but I’m looking 

forward to trying the Saskatoon Berry Compote 

with a pork roast. 

I’m not sure why the Maple Pumpkin Cake 

with Cream Cheese Icing 

seemed like a holiday recipe 

to me, except that it’s rich and 

sweetly spicy and just struck 

me as being very festive. I 

plan on testing this theory by 

serving this cake at celebrations 

throughout the year such as 

Christmas, Thanksgiving and 

random Tuesdays. 

The longer I do this gig, the 

Marlene Finn and David Wolfman. 

Cover and author photos by Michael Kohn.


more I realize that food is food, no matter where 

you go. It’s steamed, fried, baked, and roasted 

and sometimes there are ingredients you aren’t 

familiar with. The bottom line is that people in 

every culture are simply looking for the best food 

they can make to share with friends and family. 

That thread runs through every cookbook I’ve 

read and every recipe I’ve tried. It was brought 

home to me particularly with Cooking with the 

Wolfman. When I opened its pages I had been 

unsure of what I would find. What I did find was 

the work of two people who have shared their 

peoples’ cultural past in order to preserve it for 

the future. 

100% Local — from Our Farmers to Your Table 

Hormone & Drug-Free 

Ontario Beef, Pork, Bison, Lamb & Chicken 

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for the Holidays! 

TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer in 

London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com 

Recipes are from the book Cooking with the Wolfman: 

Indigenous Fusion, by Chef David Wolfman and Marlene 

Finn, © 2017. Published by Douglas & McIntyre. Reprinted 

with permission of the publisher. 

Chestnut and Prune 

Turkey Roulade 

with Saskatoon Berry Compote 

WE ARE YOUR LONDON OUTLET FOR 

• Metzger Meat Products • Lena’s Lamb 

• Blanbrook Bison Farm • Little Sisters Chicken 

• Glengyle Farm Organics 

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

226-376-6328 • www.thevillagemeatshop.ca 

Makes 8 servings 

Do you want stuffed turkey without the hassle of roasting 

a whole bird and having to deal with trussing it, stuffing it, 

carving it and then deboning it for leftovers? Then turkey 

roulade will do the job. For the roulade (so named because 

it’s shaped like a roll), you start with a turkey breast that 

you slice open and pound flat for stuffing and then you roll 

it up and roast it. Once it’s done, you serve it in slices. Each 

serving includes both turkey and stuffing. Brilliant. 

Indigenous chestnut trees and wild plum bushes used 

to be plentiful across the United States but they aren’t 

anymore; still you can buy the ingredients for this stuffing 

recipe using the newer varieties of chestnuts and prunes 

commonly found in stores today. Here turkey is teamed up 

with a berry compote. 

If you want to break this recipe into two stages, prepare 

the stuffing and compote a day ahead. They can be 

refrigerated overnight. 

STUFFING 

12 cups large-diced sandwich bread (2.8 L; 

approximately 15 slices) 

¼ cup (60 mL) medium-diced dried prunes 

¼ cup (60 mL) pure olive oil 

½ lb (225 g) pork sausage (or diced breakfast 

sausage), casings removed 

2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter 

¾ cup (180 mL) small-diced celery 

¾ cup (180 mL) small-diced onion 

½ tsp (2.5 mL) kosher salt (or sea salt), plus more 

as needed 

½ tsp (2.5 mL) ground black pepper, plus more 

as needed 

2 cups (475 mL) White Stock (see recipe, page 39) 

or store-bought unsalted chicken stock 

⅓ cup (80 mL) finely chopped roasted chestnuts 

TURKEY 

1 whole boneless turkey breast (2½ lb/1 kg), with 

skin on 

1 tsp (5 mL) dried marjoram 

½ tsp (2.5 mL) kosher salt (or sea salt) 

¼ tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper 

1 To make the stuffing, spread the bread over a baking 

sheet and leave in the open air overnight so that they 

dry out thoroughly, or dry them in a 250°F (120°C) oven 

for 15 minutes. Set aside. 

2 Place prunes in a cup or small bowl and cover with 

water. Heat in the microwave on high for one minute. 

Let the prunes soak in the warm water for five minutes; 

drain. 

3 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Cook sausage meat, uncovered, breaking it up with a 

spoon, until it loses its pink colour (about three to five 

minutes). Drain off excess oil and reserve.


4 Turn the heat to medium-low and add butter, celery, 

onion and salt to the meat. Cook for five minutes, 

stirring frequently. Add pepper and stir. 

5 Heat stock in a small saucepan or in the microwave to 

the boiling point. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup (250 

mL) of the stock, plus the bread, prunes and chestnuts, 

to the sausage mixture, and stir to combine well. 

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. 

6 Deglaze the pan by adding some of the remaining stock 

and scraping up the brown bits stuck to the pan. (Normally 

stuffing is made on the dry side because it will absorb fat 

from the roasting bird, but this mixture should be fairly 

dense, moist and heavy when it goes into the oven, as 

there is no fat to absorb from a turkey breast.) 

7 Add the rest of the stock to the pan and stir. Pour over 

the stuffing and combine well. Adjust the taste of the 

stuffing with more salt and pepper as needed. Set 

stuffing aside to cool. 

8 Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). 

9 Remove the skin from the turkey breast and reserve. 

Butterfly the turkey breast [Instructions are included 

in the book, or look online through YouTube]. 

10 Shape the butterflied breast meat into a rectangle. 

Season both sides with marjoram, salt and pepper. 

11 Carefully spoon the stuffing in an even row along one of 

the longer edges of the meat, leaving about 2 inches (5 

cm) of space along this edge. 

12 Keep the stuffing together as much as possible as you 

roll the meat into a tight roll, starting from the side 


with the stuffing. Once the roll is completely formed, 

wrap it up in the reserved turkey skin. 

13 Tie butcher twine around the roll, tying it every inch 

(2.5 cm) or so for the full length of the roll to keep it 

firmly together. Place the roulade on a parchment 

paper–lined baking pan. Brush roulade with the 

reserved oil using a pastry brush, and season the 

roulade with more salt and pepper on the outside. 

14 Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered, and then turn down heat 

and bake at 350°F (175°C) for another 30 minutes, or until 

meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C). 

Baste the roulade from time to time using the reserved oil. 

15 Let the roulade rest, loosely covered by foil, on a 

cutting board for about 15 minutes before serving. 

16 Remove string and slice. Serve with Saskatoon Berry 

Compote or with Brown Sauce if you prefer (see the 

Roasted Goose with Hazelnut Stuffing and Giblet Sauce 

recipe, page 206). 

Saskatoon Berry Compote 

Makes 2½ cups (600 ml 

Did you know that the city of Saskatoon got its name from 

the saskatoon berry, which got its name from the Cree, 

who call it mi-sask-wa-too-mina? The saskatoon berry 

is also called Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, 

western June berry, chuckley pear, sugar pear, Indian 

pear, shadberry or just “saskatoon.” Regardless of the 

name, this berry was a traditional staple for the Cree and 

Blackfoot on the prairies, since it was good, 

fresh or dried, in meat or in soups, and the 

bush’s bark was carved into tools. 

Blueberries are a decent substitute for 

saskatoon berries, but they are not the same. 

Saskatoon berries have a taste that is a little 

earthier, and they make a nutty-tasting 

compote that goes well with poultry or game 

birds of any kind. Maple sugar is dehydrated 

maple syrup; look for it in fine food shops or 

health food stores, or use brown sugar instead. 

2 cups (475 mL) saskatoon berries, 

fresh or frozen 

¼ cup (60 mL) maple sugar (or brown 

sugar) 

¼ cup (60 mL) water 

2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice 

Pinch ground cloves 

1 Place all the ingredients in a small 

saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 

for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, 

stirring frequently. If the mixture is not 

thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 

simmer it for five to seven minutes more, 

stirring frequently. 

2 Remove compote from the stove and 

pour into a server. Chill compote for 

10 minutes before serving. Chilled, this 

compote will last for up to two weeks. 

Photo by David Wolfman and Marlene Finn.


Photo by Anna Comfort O’Keeffe 

Maple Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing 

Makes 12 servings 

Native Americans enjoyed pumpkins long before the 

Pilgrims arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, cooking 

pumpkins are hard to come by now. I’ve found it very 

difficult to get access to fresh pumpkins at any time other 

than October, and even then, stores usually carry just the 

decorative ones. So I keep canned pumpkin (pumpkin purée) 

in stock instead, and that is what’s used in this recipe. There 

is another pumpkin option: growing your own! 

I modified this recipe from our good neighbour Lauren 

Powers in Muskoka. Lauren and Marlene are both July 

babies so they used to share birthday celebrations. We 

really miss our times together with Lauren and Jamie 

Hassard, hanging out on the deck and jamming in their 

recording studio. It’s where I learned to play the drums! 

But I digress. Lauren used gluten-free flour when she 

made this originally but I switched to regular all-purpose 

flour here and it works just fine. I added the icing because 

who doesn’t like cream cheese icing? 

CAKE 

1 cup (250 mL) vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp (5 mL) for 

greasing pan 

3 cups (710 mL) all-purpose flour, plus 1 Tbsp (15 

mL) for dusting the pan 

4 eggs 

1 cup (250 mL) sugar 

½ cup (120 mL) maple syrup 

2 cups (475 mL) canned pumpkin purée 

½ cup (120 mL) applesauce 

½ cup (120 mL) chopped raw pepitas (shelled 

pumpkin seeds) or raisins 

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla 

3 tsp (15 mL) cinnamon 

2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda 

I tsp (5 mL) baking powder 

1 tsp (5 mL) table salt 

½ tsp (2.5 mL) ground ginger 

½ tsp (1 mL) ground cloves 

ICING 

¼ cup (60 mL) softened butter 

¼ cup (60 mL) softened cream cheese 

1 cup (250 mL) sifted icing sugar 

1½ Tbsp (22 mL) 5 percent cream, divided 

OPTIONAL GARNISH 

¼ cup (60 mL) toasted walnuts or edible flowers 

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10 to 

15 cup Bundt pan. 

2 Beat eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add 

maple syrup and combine. Add the pumpkin, 1 cup (250 

mL) oil, applesauce, pepitas and vanilla, and combine. 

3 In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups (710 mL) flour 

with the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, 

ginger and cloves. Add dry mixture bit by bit to the wet 

ingredients. Mix with a spoon until well combined. 

4 Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 

70 minutes. Test for doneness at 60 minutes. Let cool 

for 10 minutes with a clean dish towel on top before 

inverting onto a cooling rack. 

5 Allow the cake to cool completely before icing. 

6 To make the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese 

together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the 

mixture becomes light and fluffy (up to five minutes). 

7 Gradually beat in the icing sugar, mixing well to combine. 

8 Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the cream. Mix until 

combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Repeat 

this process until all the cream has been added and the 

icing is perfectly smooth. This will be a creamy icing. 

9 Slowly pour it onto the inverted cake, very gradually, 

allowing icing to slip over the edges and down the centre. 

10 Garnish cake with toasted walnuts if using. Chill before 

serving. Freeze extra slices in an airtight container.


The Lighter Side 

Sugar Plums Optional 


By SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD 

Charles Dickens knew what he was 

doing by stitching past, present 

and future together and then using 

that great marker of them all — 

Christmas — for a final jolt of existential 

oomph to really get Scrooge going. Today the 

Christmases that many aspire to seem firmly 

divided between two ideals that are getting 

more distant every year: the stately Victorian 

Christmas (bowls of punch, plum pudding) 

and the idyllic post-war Christmas (think 

Bing Crosby and scrubbed children 

whose expectations did not even warrant 

a wish list). It’s becoming a challenge 

to maintain tradition without it 

becoming meaningless. 

Indeed, Christmas stress 

is the easiest of all annual 

customs to perpetuate, and 

it’s not being Grinchy to say so. In Victorian 

times those who were having swanky, opulent 

dinners usually had at least some hired help, 

and when Bing was crooning most women 

were not working outside the home and nor 

were they miles from their extended families, 

so there were many hands. Nowadays the 

holiday expectation is ramped up high, 

yet both parents are working (if they are 

fortunate!) and are somehow still expected 

to cram shopping and wrapping into the day 

and ultimately, may also have to travel to join 

their families. Yes, it’s a wonderful life — but 

it’s not easy. 

I definitely don’t recall all the presents 

I received as a child, but I do remember 

carefully rotating the tiny handle on a wee nut 

grinder in order to dispense the finely flecked 

powder into a little bowl for marzipan. I was 

made to feel that my role was a vital one. I 

also recall coconutty “Coppers’ Hats” which 

my mother created using a buttered egg cup 

as her mould, expertly running her finger 

round to release them. There was also the 

dark smell of rum as it glugged into waiting 

mincemeat. There was a “Money Bag” cake too 

— one year with a golden cord, a pound note 

symbol piped neatly on the side, and a ruched 

opening at the top, housing golden-wrapped 

chocolate coins. (Interestingly, this cake only 

ever appeared once but I have never forgotten 

its elegance). 

The very best traditions sometimes 

evolve on their own. One Christmas Eve, 

desperately sad and exhausted, 

I went against history and 

took my sons out for Chinese 

food. We were the only ones in 

the restaurant and shy, smiling staff 

made us feel especially welcome. 

We ate steaming dumplings greedily 

and enjoyed heartfelt conversation and 

laughter, our chins sticky with sauce. That was 

ten years ago and we’ve done it many times 

since, (minus the sadness and exhaustion) 

with great enthusiasm. 

As families absorb new members (some of 

whom may have dietary preferences) menu 

plans have to be modified. This can be rattling 

but the show must go on. The person that I 

love and live with (usually known as sane) was 

specifically dispatched last year to procure 

some last minute appetizers for vegan guests. 

Upon his return, I watched incredulously as 

he displayed on his forearm, not one, but 

three flats of cocktail sausages. 

“You bought three trays. Of sausages?” 

“Well yes!” he beamed. “They were on sale!” 

This same year, I had carefully made 

vegetarian stock for soup and a pie brimming 

with root vegetables only to find a veggie 

guest tucking into seconds of the roast 

potatoes. “So crispy!” she enthused. “How do 

you get them like this?” 

Sadly, the answer was duck fat — but 

since the deed was done, I just brayed with 

laughter and topped up my glass. It’s only 

once a year. 

SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD is a freelance writer and 

occasional contributor to Eatdrink. Read more of Sue’s 

work on her blog www.speranzanow.com


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Eatdrink #68 November/December 2017 "The Holiday Issue"

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