Eatdrink Waterloo & Wellington #2 August/September 2018

26 |August/September 2018
borrego, braised venison and avocado and a confit
of peaches, according to owner Bryan Steele (not
the Stratford Chefs School Bryan Steele). There’s
also a late-night menu, cocktails and tequila. And
check out the dessert menu: there’s a suggestion to
“Tip the Kitchen” with either Sol or Modelo beer. “I’ve
seen what the kitchen goes through,” says Steele, a
Humber culinary grad. “This is to show appreciation
for what they do.” lareina519.com/
Head over to Carden Street and you’ll find Tomme
Cheese Shop, which opened in late June with a goal
to fill a gap in the fine cheese market in the city.
They’re currently doing that with about 100 cheeses
in stock from local to international. “And we’re not
finished yet,” says owner Andrew Wheeler. He and
his wife Kim Wheeler came to Guelph and fell in
love with the city about eight years ago. “We love
food and asked what do we need here?” Cheese
was the answer. To go with it, there is just about
everything you need for charcuterie boards or a
stand-alone cheese feast. Tomme has partnered
with Guelph businesses Trotter’s Butcher Shop
and Charcuterie and Polestar Hearth Bakery. As
for the name, which denotes an Alpine cheese, “we
just liked the sound of the word,” says Wheeler.
facebook.com/tommecheeseshop/
We send congratulations to Western Burgers
and Steaks in downtown Guelph, who recently
celebrated their fifth anniversary. That’s makes the
traditional gift given wood, fitting for the modernday
saloon in the former Diplomat Hotel from the
19th century. facebook.com/WesternGuelph
The building on the northwest corner of London
and Woolwich roads, the former home of With the
Grain, is in the process of being refurbished by the
Neighbourhood Group of Companies (NGC). The
group behind Borealis in Kitchener and Guelph, The
Wooly Pub and Miijidaa Café & Bistro are set to open
a new restaurant. Going back to square one, Court
Desautels dove into the site’s history, right back to
the 1890s when it was known as Park Grocery. The
crowning achievement for the NGC is it receiving B
Corp Certification in the spring of 2016. The rigorous
process for qualification requires a company to
focus on its staff, the community and the physical
environment rather than solely chasing profits. NGC
is the largest restaurant group in the world to have
achieved B Corp certification.
The Townships & Beyond
For the first time since it opened in 1975, the St.
Jacobs Farmers’ Market was sold to new owners
in the spring. The Shantz family, which owns
Mercedes Corp. together with more than 40 independent
shareholders, sold the market, along with
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
several other businesses to the Schlegel family’s
Schlegel Urban Developments. The new Market
owners said it has been a smooth transition. Open
Thursday & Saturday all year around, and Tuesdays
during summer months too (Until August 28, 2018).
stjacobs.com
In honour of the 35th anniversary of Stratford
Chefs School, work is currently underway on Farm
to Table, a cookbook that pairs 25 Stratford Chefs
School alumni chefs with their favourite food
producers and farmers for a culinary adventure
through Perth and Huron Counties. This stunning
book will not only feature recipes from some of
the region’ s most celebrated graduates of the
Stratford Chefs School, but also includes fascinating
interviews with the chefs conducted by CBC food
columnist Andrew Coppolino and striking imagery
provided by photographer and SCS alumna Terry
Manzo. The book will be launched at the School’s
Season Opener in late October.
The Stratford Chefs School’s 2018 Long Table
Dinner is just around the corner, so don’t miss
your opportunity to join a fun and eclectic group
of people for an exceptional outdoor dining
experience set in the heart of Stratford’s heritage
district. Guests gather around one long beautifully
appointed table to enjoy a four-course dinner of
incredible local food complemented by VQA wines.
Participate in the unexpected. Sunday, September
9, 2018, Stratford Market Square, $125 per person
($50 tax receipt) stratfordchef.com
Plan to attend the 12th Annual Stratford Kiwanis
Garlic Festival on September 8 and 9 at the
Community Hall in The Stratford Rotary Complex.
Raising funds for local community projects and
supporting local garlic growers, The Kiwanis Club
of Stratford once again will deliver a fun family
weekend, complete with an Ontario Garlic & Artisan
Market, cooking demonstrations by professional
chefs, educational forums, live entertainment,
artisanal cheeses and exclusive wine/spirits/beer
pairings and tastings. stratfordgarlicfestival.com
The Appetite for Words Festival program is
a partnership between the Stratford Writers
Festival and the Stratford Chefs School and
features authors who have written about food, and
fiction writers who allow food to become a strong
component of scenes and/or the characters in
their novels. The best part is, chefs and students
from Stratford Chefs School develop and prepare
inspired menus, matching an author’s readings with
appropriate food at literary dinners and lunches,
so you can taste the words you’re hearing. Appetite
for Words revolves around storytelling and is