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DESIGNED + BUILT BY
YOUR NEW BUILD IS KNOCKING
This Summer at KWAG
Billy Gauthier: Sila 22 June - 20 October 2024
Supported by Power Corporation of Canada and the Musagetes Fund held at the Waterloo Region Community Foundation
FASTWÜRMS: #VOLCANO_LOV3R
25 May - 22 September 2024
Kathleen Daly: Northern Exposures 12 July - 10 November 2024
Upcoming this Fall
SOS: A Story of Survival, Part III: The Planet
9 November 2024 - 9 March 2025
cai@toque.ltd
& photography
chris@toque.ltd
We want to use this space to give a 'shout out' to all the fantastic advertising partners who have supported TOQUE through the years. These days, when it's tempting to dump an entire marketing budget into social channels and online ad spots, it takes a discerning mind (along with imagination and courage) to invest in the community-minded stories and images TOQUE offers. Like so many of you, we continue to believe in the unique tactility and compelling impact of the kind of print medium we strive to be. So to all of our incredible advertisers who continue to believe with us and in us: the love is mutual.
CAi SEPULIS, partner art director. design & illustration
CHRIS TIESSEN, partner editor. writing
Image: Billy Gauthier, Northern Voices (Owl / Human Transformation), 2008. Serpentine, anhydrite, grouse feathers, ptarmigan feathers. 22.9 x 21.6 x 12.7 cm. Collection of Chris Bredt and Jamie Cameron.
Photo courtesy of Spirit Wrestler Gallery.
Contributors: Dani Kuepfer, Christina Mann, Monica Mazun & Jessica Morris.
WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU TUBED DOWN THE GRAND RIVER FROM FERGUS TO ELORA? OR TOOK A BOAT OUT ON BELWOOD LAKE? OR CANOED FROM CAMBRIDGE TO PARIS? HAVE YOU EVER PADDLE-BOARDED PAST THE CLIFFS AT ROCKWOOD CONSERVATION AREA? OR SPENT THE DAY ON THE BEACH AT GUELPH LAKE? OR IN THE OUTDOOR POOL AT LYON PARK? THE WATER’S CALLING YOUR NAME.
HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU CYCLED ALONG THE THAMES VALLEY PARKWAY? OR SPED UP (AND BACK DOWN) THE RAIL TRAIL THAT JOINS HAMILTON TO BRANTFORD? HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN YOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE TO THE HYDROCUT IN KITCHENER? OR TORN UP THE GORBA TRAILS IN GUELPH? WHAT ABOUT THE WILDWOOD LOOP JUST OUTSIDE STRATFORD? HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE TRAVERSING THE G2G TRAILWAY FROM GUELPH TO GODERICH, AND THE ELORA CATARACT TRAILWAY FROM ELORA TO THE FORKS OF THE CREDIT? WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU CRUISED ALONG JONES BASELINE FROM FERGUS TOWARD GUELPH? THAT BIKE WON’T PEDAL ITSELF.
TELL ME THAT YOU’VE BEEN OUT TO WILLIBALD FOR A DRINK IN THE FIELD. AND PATIO-HOPPED ACROSS UPTOWN WATERLOO, AND ALONG THE MAIN DRAG IN ST JACOBS. AND SPENT A LAZY FRIDAY EVENING WITH FRIENDS AT ARABELLA PARK. AND A LAZY SATURDAY AFTERNOON PEOPLE-WATCHING FROM THE TERRACE AT THE FRENCH. HAVE YOU POLISHED OFF A ‘PURPLE’ ON THE WOOLY’S FRONT PORCH? HOW ABOUT AN IPA ON THE PATIO AT FAIRWEATHER OR GRAIN & GRIT? OR AN ESPRESSO ON THE COMFY CHAIRS OUT FRONT OF DOUBLE RAINBOW CAFÉ? OR A FLIGHT OF REDS IN THE ORCHARD AT COX CREEK? WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU MADE FRIENDS WITH THE CHICKENS AT GOODLOT? OR THE DOGS AT FIXED GEAR? PATIO SEASON WAITS FOR NO ONE.
IS THIS SUMMER GOING TO BE YOUR FIRST RIVERFEST? AND YOUR TWENTIETH HILLSIDE? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO SUNFEST? OR BLUESFEST? OR ROCK THE PARK? OR THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL? WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU CAUGHT A LIVE SHOW AT LONDON MUSIC HALL? OR THE AEOLIAN HALL? OR SILENCE IN GUELPH? WHICH RIVERFEST AFTERPARTIES ARE YOU GOING TO ATTEND? AND WHICH ONES WILL YOU BE REMINISCING ABOUT FOR YEARS TO COME? GRAB YOUR FAVOURITE BAND TEE AND LET’S GO.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT SUMMER IN OUR REGION? DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PARK YET? HAVE YOU EXPLORED THE SEEMINGLY-ENDLESS TRAIL SYSTEMS? CAN YOU LIST FIVE TREES TO RELAX UNDER WITH A GOOD BOOK? DID YOU MAKE IT TO ART ON THE STREET?
HOW ABOUT MEADOWSFEST? WHILE THE DAYS MIGHT ALREADY BE GETTING SHORTER, THEY’RE STILL LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE FUN HAPPEN. SO GET OUTSIDE – TO A LOCAL LAKE OR TRAIL OR PATIO. AND THEN GET INSIDE – TO A FAVOURITE BOUTIQUE OR RESTAURANT OR BOOKSTORE. HAVEN’T YOU HEARD THAT OUR OWN BACKYARD IS THE NEW ‘COTTAGE COUNTRY’.
WELCOME TO ‘THE HOT SUMMER ISSUE’. SUNSCREEN NOT INCLUDED. .
CONTENTS
9. EDITOR’S LETTER: THE HOT SUMMER ISSUE
14. THE WOOLY: GUELPH’S FRONT PORCH
20. DAYTRIPPIN’ WITH BRIAN KENNEDY & ALIX VOZ
24. #PHOTOSPREAD: MAIN CHARACTERS. SETTING YOUR STAGE IN DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE
34. GOOD TASTE IN HAMILTON: THE RESTAURANTS OF EQUAL PARTS HOSPITALITY
42. #PHOTOSPREAD: TIME TO GET AWAY!
46. GUELPH: A PLACE TO GATHER
50. #PHOTOESSAY: SOMETHING TASTY’S BREWING. MAPPED OUT SATIATION ALONG STARTFORD’S ‘BACON & ALE TRAIL’
56. #PHOTOSPREAD: SLICES OF SUMMER!
60. UNCOVERING WELLINGTON COUNTY: MAPLETON ACRES FLOWER FARM
62. HOW TO RIVERFEST!: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE
64. A FRIDAY GETAWAY: CYCLING FROM BREWERY TO BREWERY ALONG THE ELORA CATARACT TRAILWAY
70. #PHOTOSPREAD: FEEL THE FLOW!
76. #PHOTOESSAY: ROCK THE BELLS: A VISUAL GUIDE THROUGH OUR NATION’S CITY OF MUSIC
84. #PHOTOSPREAD: DOG DAY NECESSITIES!
88. CRAFTY LOVE IN DTK
94. #PHOTOESSAY: BUSINESS OUT EAST. JUDGING AT THE JUNOS IN HALIFAX
98. EXPERT OPINION – INVESTMENT: MONICA MAZUN
102. SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN JAKOBSTETTEL: THE VILLAGE BIERGARTEN
108. GETTING TO KNOW: ÅNDE
110. #PHOTOSHOOT: FAB FIVE. DIGGING IN TO UPTOWN WATERLOO’S PATIO MENUS
118. #PHOTOSPREAD: HOW WE ROLL!
120. RE-IMAGINING AN ICON: NOT YOUR FATHER'S STONE CROCK
128. COMIC: GOOSE
130. COCKTAIL HOUR WITH JESSICA MORRIS
illustration:
Cai Sepulis
@caisepulis
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
‘I’ll grab another ‘Purple’,’ I tell Kat when she moseys onto the covered front porch to check on us. ‘Me too,’ Cai pipes in, ‘and we’ll split an order of nachos.’ Good call. ‘With blackened chicken?’, Kat asks – noting an omission to our regular order. ‘You know us too well,’ I laugh – nodding at the suggestion. Indeed she does. After all, we’ve been posting up here – at The Wooly in downtown Guelph – since long before Kat came on board as General Manager of this fabled Royal City pub. And, at least in recent times, we’ve been ordering pretty much the same items when we’re here together: Willibald’s ‘Purple’ seltzers (which The Wooly has on tap – a huge win for the seltzer set) and The Wooly’s nachos (which are among the best in the region). Our go-to afternoon ‘TOQUE meeting’ necessities.
Once Kat heads back inside (after checking on the other folks also enjoying The Wooly’s front
porch) I lean back in my chair and soak in this June afternoon. From our perch – the large table at the very end of the portico – Cai and I have clear views out onto the busy intersection of Yarmouth, Suffolk, and Woolwich Streets. Perfect for people watching. Indeed, on any given afternoon this bit of downtown – framed by porch railings, pillars, and overhang – is a living tableau, a theatre of dog walkers, cyclists, and friendly meet-ups (many of which will end up here). On this particular afternoon a troupe of geese with their goslings parade across Woolwich St – stopping traffic along the way like they own the place.
And the theatre isn’t limited to the streets and sidewalks outside. Inside The Wooly you’re sure to find a rogues’ gallery of characters –either seated at the cozy bar (located in a small back room of the century-home-turned-pub),
or in one of three dining rooms (each featuring an original fireplace mantle or a bay window), on the back patio (an expansive all-season veranda), or on the front porch – with us.
Characters like acclaimed illustrator Jay Stephens, the creative genius behind The Wooly’s spectacular event posters. Or Josh Gabriel, a local musician with an acclaimed history in the beer industry, who hosts a holiday revue at The Wooly each year. Or ‘Steamwhistle Harry’ Fallon, a brewery rep (for, you guessed it, Steamwhistle) who – when he’s not visiting the Wooly in an official capacity – has been known to croon his way into people’s hearts during The Wooly's raucous live music nights. Or Mike Schreiner, Guelph’s Green Member of Provincial Parliament who counts on The Wooly as a stronghold of green support. Because, in many ways, The Wooly has played a central role in the ‘greening’ of Guelph.
From the pub’s solar hot water generation to its waste diversion and menu engineering
initiatives (that have seen individual diners’ waste reduced from 1.3 to 0.7 pounds), from its role as heavy-lifting fundraiser for Grand River Conservation Foundation watershed projects (resulting in well over one hundred thousand dollars raised) to the environmental initiatives of The Wooly’s parent company, The Neighbourhood Group (a certified B-Corporation that also owns Park Eatery, Miijidaa, and two Borealis locations), The Wooly continues to trailblaze sustainability in the restaurant industry. And its sustainabilityforward mission extends to the pub’s suppliers, deliberately chosen for their environmental stewardship efforts.
Suppliers like YU Ranch, an industry leader in sustainable agriculture that supplies The Wooly with grassfed longhorn cattle for its fantastic ‘Smokey BBQ Burger’ (double smoked bacon, aged cheddar, bbq sauce, shredded lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle), its ‘Beef Dip Sandwich’ (house roast beef, swiss cheese, horseradish aioli, au jus, baguette), and more.
And Vision Greens, a regenerative farm in Simcoe that supplies The Wooly with greens year round for its salads. And 3Gen Organics, an organic farm in Wallenstein that supplies the pub with pork. And Barrie’s Asparagus Farm, whose tortilla chips are staples of the ‘Whipped Feta Dip’ (whipped feta & summer squash dip, sundried tomato & parsley pesto, naan), and the ‘Nachos’ (three cheese blend, bell peppers, roasted corn, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, pico de gallo – and sometimes blackened chicken).
And speak of the devil – here they come. While Gordon Ramsey has been known to gauge the talents of a chef by their ability to make scrambled eggs, I have begun to assess the capacity of any pub by gauging the quality of its nachos. Too many toppings and things get soggy. Too little cheese and it’s a total disaster. The Wooly’s nachos are delightfully balanced and deliver fantastic taste without fail. Especially with the blackened chicken. (Chef’s kiss.) And they pair perfectly with our pints of ‘Purple’ – which remind me of grape freezies from my childhood while offering pops of cool nostalgic refreshment on this hot June afternoon.
But, truth be told, it's not seltzers but rather its selection of Ontario craft beers for which The Wooly is best known. After all, since the pub opened in 1990, it’s been serving Ontario craft on tap – long before there was even a ‘scene’. And Ontario cask, too, from taps that were designed, built, and still maintained by legendary Ontario brewer Charles Maclean. Today The Wooly’s extensive, rotating beer menus (listed on chalkboards throughout the place) feature about ninety percent Ontario beers: from Belwoods, Badlands, Godspeed, Cowbell, and Great Lakes, alongside local favourites like Wellington – which crafts a signature ‘Harvest Lager’ and ‘Harvest Ale’ for the pub. And we’re here for these brews. And have been known to frequent The Wooly’s tap-takeovers whenever they occur (which is, actually, quite often).
Today, though, it’s all about the ‘Purples’. And the nachos. And this front oasis at The Wooly – a most entertaining perch. Guelph’s front porch.
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DAYTRIPPIN’
A CHAMPION OF DOWNTOWN RENEWAL AND HIS BESTIE, A GALLERY DIRECTOR & CURATOR, SHARE WHAT THEY LOVE DOING MOST IN AND AROUND CAMBRIDGE ON ANY GIVEN SATURDAY.
BRIAN KENNEDY WITH ALIX VOZ
(EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE BIA)
(GALLERY DIRECTOR & CURATOR, CAMBRIDGE ART GALLERIES)
As Executive Director of the Downtown Cambridge BIA, Brian Kennedy has a keen sense of what’s good in his neck of the woods – and he’s always eager to share favourite Cambridge haunts. Come along as Brian and pal Alix Voz (of Cambridge Art Galleries fame) adventure in and around their picturesque corner of the Tri-Cities. There’s good stuff here.
RIVERSIDE PARK
49 KING ST W, CAMBRIDGE FACILITIES.CAMBRIDGE.CA
20
MONIGRAM COFFEE ROASTERS
16 AINSLIE ST S, CAMBRIDGE MONIGRAM.CA & AINSLIE STREET BOUTIQUES
AINSLIE ST, CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE ART GALLERIES
1 NORTH SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE IDEAEXCHANGE.ORG
1. Our Saturday begins in the vibrant Preston area of Cambridge, where the 102-hectare Riverside Park sets the stage for this day’s adventure. In the park we stroll along one of the picturesque pathways abutting the Grand River (a trail that, if followed far enough, will take you all the way to Four Fathers Brewing Co) before hitting the park’s tennis courts for a match. The morning sun shines down on us as we volley back and forth, enjoying the park's serenity and the game's camaraderie. We might get a bit competitive.
2. After working up a sweat, we head to Monigram Coffee Roasters for a caffeine fix and a bite. Located a short drive away in charming Galt (or downtown Cambridge), Monigram is a veritable hub of community – and always filled with studious architecture students, hip young professionals, longtime friends, and bustling artists. I order an Americano and breakfast cookie while Alix orders a latté and chia seed pudding with chai apple topping. Delicious. With energy restored, we embark on a shopping adventure along Ainslie Street. We begin at The Art of Home lifestyle boutique (located directly across the street from Monigram) where we take in their most recent iterations of beautiful items of clothing and elegant house accessories. Next we meander over to Witty & Co – a wonderfully-curated shop that focuses on entertaining of all sorts. Further down Ainslie we stroll over to Reids chocolate shop where Alix and I can’t resist indulging in chocolate-dipped cherry candies (for Alix) and salted caramels (for me). There’s nothing like hand-crafted sweets on a Saturday morning.
3. Next we make our way across the Grand River (via the iconic Main Street Bridge) to Queen's Square where the Cambridge Art Galleries are housed inside the main branch of Idea Exchange - Cambridge’s dynamic library system. We enter the gallery's exhibition space which features artwork from local and international artists, and take time to appreciate the pieces in silence. The gallery's podcast often adds context and behind-the-scenes insights about the exhibitions. When we leave we grab a free ‘Take-and-Make’ kit inspired by the exhibition's artist.
31 WATER ST S, CAMBRIDGE EVOKITCHEN.COM & SOUTHWORKS ANTIQUES
73 WATER ST N, CAMBRIDGE SOUTHWORKSANTIQUES.COM
CAMBRIDGE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY
2500 KOSSUTH RD, CAMBRIDGE CAMBRIDGEBUTTERFLY.COM
CAMBRIDGE MILL
36 WATER ST N, CAMBRIDGE FACILITIES.CAMBRIDGE.CA
MILL RACE PARK
36 WATER ST N, CAMBRIDGE FACILITIES.CAMBRIDGE.CA & THE GALTWAY
DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE THEGALTWAY.CA
WILKS’ BAR @ LANGDON HALL
1 LANGDON DR, CAMBRIDGE LANGDONHALL.CA
4. It’s midday and we’re ready for lunch. Our go-to: EVO Kitchen & Bar. This industrial-chic restaurant & event space, located just a few minutes' walk from the gallery back across the Grand, features two fantastic patios for summertime fun. We choose a table on the more intimate side patio and order drinks – a mango sangria for me and negroni for Alix. We share the ‘Golden Fried Halloumi Cheese’, ‘Fresh Rainbow Spring Rolls’, and a ‘Pesto Chicken Flatbread.’ Life is good. Once our bellies are filled, we stroll along Water Street to the Southworks Antique Mall – a fully-enclosed 35,000-sq ft mecca of vintage collectibles. Alix and I adore perusing the vendor booths – marvelling at the treasures of yesteryear. We especially love digging for unique, budget-friendly objects that can be repurposed as home décor accent pieces. Each new find carries with it a sense of nostalgia, beauty, and charm.
5. Feeling accomplished with our shopping haul, we hop in the car and make the short trip to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. Inside the glassenclosed space we witness butterflies' graceful fluttering amidst lush tropical gardens. The sound of trickling water provides a mid-afternoon sense of calm, and tea at the in-house café provides a welcome recharge for the hours ahead.
6. For dinner we return to downtown Cambridge, where we set our sights on The Cambridge Mill – an elevated food & wedding venue where Alix and I have been known to celebrate project launches and event completions. The meticulously-restored Mill has a much-deserved reputation for top-notch food and service (not to mention breathtaking views of the Grand through banks of floor-to-ceiling windows). We order a bottle of white, split house-made focaccia and beef tartar, dig into a couple of fantastic mains, and enjoy life as day turns to dusk. Pro tip: don’t sleep on the Mill’s Sunday brunch.
7. After dinner we head south down Water Street for a much-needed stroll. Following Mill Race Park, we inhale the views of the Grand River and the waterscape, which is sprinkled with heritage buildings and church steeples that have the most European-esque vibes. We eventually make our way to The Galtway, an outdoor community space in two conjoining alleyways off Water and Main Streets, where murals and rotational outdoor exhibits offer vibrant perspectives on the creative artists whose works adorn the space.
8. It’s time to close out the day at our favourite hidden gem: the Wilks' Bar at Langdon Hall – the internationally-renowned luxury hotel, spa, and restaurant located just a few minutes’ drive from downtown Cambridge. We find a spot in front of the bar’s woodburning fireplace, order cocktails, and reflect on our day – an adventure filled with art, nature, and the simple pleasures of life in the community we call home. Not wanting the night to end, we order coffees and play a game of pool in the neighbouring billiard room. As the day draws to a close, we start planning our next adventure; after all, we live in beautiful Cambridge and tomorrow offers almost-infinite opportunities.
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Downtown Cambridge BIA Executive Director Brian Kennedy (@downtowncambridge) jots down his thoughts on pen & paper from Phidon Pens (@phidonpens) while he reads the morning paper over a cappuccino and waffles at Flight Café (@flightcambridge)
MAIN CHARACTERS:
SETTING YOUR STAGE IN DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE
PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
IMAGINE YOURSELF SIPPING MORNING CAPPUCCINOS ON MAIN STREET WITH A DAILY PAPER. HUNTING FOR FASHIONABLE HOUSEWARE ITEMS AT THE MOST CHARMING LIFESTYLE BOUTIQUE. SHOPPING FOR BREEZY SUMMER DRESSES WHILE ENJOYING A GLASS (OR TWO) OF BUBBLY. SEARCHING OUT THE PERFECT BOUQUET AT THE CUTEST LOCAL FLORIST. CAPPING OFF THE DAY WITH FRESH OYSTERS AND A GLASS OF MUSCADET AT A LOVELY FOURSEATER OVERLOOKING THE MIGHTY GRAND.
IN DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE, IT’S EASY FOR YOU TO BECOME THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS MOST SUBLIME LIFE. IN THE MEANTIME, FOLLOW ALONG AS FIVE DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE PERSONALITIES, ACCESSORIZED WITH PRODUCT FROM FIVE DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE SHOPS, VISIT FIVE INDEPENDENT DOWNTOWN CAMBRIDGE BUSINESSES – ACTING OUT SCENES FROM YOUR SUMMER SCENARIO. GET READY – YOUR SHOW’S ABOUT TO START.
Jocelyn Kivell, head of events & marketing at Farm League Brewing (@farmleaguebrewing), sports a custom hat by Off The Block (@_offtheblock_) while shopping – and enjoying a cocktail – at Suave Boutique (@suave_boutique_ca).
Mano Duggal, owner of Phidon Pens (@phidonpens), arrayed in spectacular pearls from Taleen Jewellers (@taleen.jewellers), unwinds with oysters and a drink at Cambridge Mill (@cambridge_mill).
&
Content creator
photographer Em Rowsell (@em_rowsell) meanders through The Art of Home (@theartofhome) sporting a handbag from Erban Corner’s Cambridge location (@erbancorner).
Kayla Zawiski, owner and farmer at event venue Waterhill Farm (@waterhillfarm), cuts a striking figure in a top from BRAE by Gadsbys (@braebygadsbys) while setting out to assemble a bouquet at Riverside Florist (@riversideflorist).
WHAT’S ON AT RIVER RUN?
MOVEMENT: THE DANCE SERIES
Ballet Jörgen
Sleeping Beauty
Step Afrika!
World After Dark
GUELPHTODAY.COM
COMEDY SERIES
Girls Nite Out
Just For Laughs Road Show
Maria Bamford
The Umbilical Brothers
The Distraction
MAGIC MUSIC NOW
The Strumbellas
SLEEMAN-SPRING MILL MUSIC SERIES
54-40
Christmas with The Ennis Sisters
Finger Eleven
Flamingos
Glass Tiger
This Island Earth
Gowan
Holly Cole
Dark Moon Tour
Ladysmith
Black Mambazo
Mudmen
YAMATO Drummers
GOOD TASTE IN HAMILTON: THE RESTAURANTS OF EQUAL PARTS HOSPITALITY
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS
TIESSEN
‘So, is there something you enjoyed in particular?’, Chef John Forcier (Director of Culinary Operations at Equal Parts Hospitality) asks us once my TOQUE partner Cai and I have had a chance to sample everything spread out before us on a weighty table at the Aberdeen Tavern – a former-bank-turned-posh-eatery located at the foot of Hamilton Mountain. With little hesitation, I answer exuberantly: ‘It’s got to be the braised duck grilled cheese.’ Cai – still savouring a last bite of the decadent sandwich – nods in agreement. Braised duck. Cabernet cheddar. Red wine-onion jam. Arugula. Mustard mayo. Packed between two slices of perfectly-toasted marble rye. A standout among stand-outs. ‘I’m not surprised,’ Chef chuckles, ‘it’s actually become a staple at the Tavern. And it represents so much of what we strive to do across all our restaurants:
prepare food that is both expertly executed and elevated yet easy to appreciate, with an emphasis on quality local ingredients.’ And Chef does mean local.
Take the duck, for instance, which makes an appearance on at least a few dishes at the Tavern (as well as on the menus at the French – another Equal Parts culinary gem). ‘They’re actually brought in by our own Chef de Cuisine, Marco Battaglia,’ Chef John tells us, ‘who –when he’s not working in the kitchen – raises ducks on his Burlington property, Folia Farms.’ Very local, then. And the rye is from Hamilton’s Genuine Bakery. And the cheese is from the Udderway Artisan Cheese Co (in Hannon, ON). And the list goes on. ‘We use fifteen unique food suppliers in our restaurants,’ Chef John says as I pop the last morsel of grilled cheese
The dining room at Aberdeen Tavern
into my mouth. He adds: ‘We are constantly collaborating with local and regional food producers to ensure that our dishes are both fresh and flavourful.' Like the tender ‘10oz Pork Chop’ that features (alongside pickled grapes, crispy prosciutto, potato, radish, frisee) fresh asparagus from Welsh Bros in Scotland ON. Or the creamy ‘Corn Risotto’ that foregrounds sweet corn from this same Ontario producer – corn charred and accented with maitake, popcorn, and parmesan. But I digress.
It's a Tuesday, early afternoon, sometime in the first weeks of June, and Cai and I have driven into Hamilton at the invitation of Jerrett Young, Founder & CEO of Equal Parts Hospitality. Our objective: to enjoy quality time at three of Equal Parts’ fantastic culinary establishments, and (between meals) to rest our heads for the night at a rather unique hotel. The restaurants: The French – a hip bistro featuring an open kitchen, wraparound marble bar, and Parisian-inspired patio; The Diplomat – a globally-inspired restaurant and event space with open concept industrial vibes; and, of course, the aforementioned Aberdeen Tavern
– a classically-sophisticated destination that’s a sea of dark wood, button-tucked leather banquettes, and romantic tableside lighting. The distinctive alternative hotel, with its cheeky name, The Laundry Rooms, is a clean modern space whose forty handsome condominiumstyle suites (replete with full kitchens, multiple bedrooms, exposed concrete ceilings, and expansive balconies) combine the best aspects of Airbnb with more traditional accommodations.
It is a treat to begin this Steeltown adventure with lunch at the Aberdeen Tavern: a sumptuous affair. The place radiates old world charm. The wood finishes. Brass details. Classical columns. You could fill in other features of the evocative tableau: the rack of antlers hanging above a central fireplace, long curtains framing floor-to-ceiling windows, Frank Sinatra's voice an expressive aural backdrop. Even the place’s crest (enterprises this swanky don’t have mere ‘logos’) –imprinted on the front windows – hearkens back to a time when families had insignia.
Chef John Forcier
The kitchen at Aberdeen Tavern
Director of Operations Irene Stoukas
The ‘Braised Duck Grilled Cheese’ at Aberdeen Tavern
And yet, somehow, there’s nothing stuffy about the place. The staff are upbeat. The patrons are unpretentiously stylish. And the food – relentlessly tasty – is comfortable and warmly appealing. Like the grilled cheese. And burger Tuesdays. Even steakhouse Sundays are a laidback affair. As Equal Parts Director of Operations Irene Stoukas notes: ‘Sundays at the Tavern are congenial affairs – the staff are loose, the steaks come with sides [no six dollar baked potato add-ons], and the atmosphere is celebratory.’ My kind of party.
Once we’ve lavishly sampled most of what Chef Marco’s kitchen sends our way (keeping in mind that we have to save room for what’s to come throughout the rest of the day), Cai and I manage to roll our way to our accommodations: The Laundry Rooms. We use our online ‘passport’ to access our twentyfour-hour code that allows us into the swank multi-storey building at 18 Augusta Street. As we pass through the lobby, we take note of ‘Plank’ – a whimsically-appointed resto bar with access through the lobby – and remark on the sweet décor of the space. The arched entrance. Black-and-white-striped tile floors. Chromed clothespin-style light fixtures (a smart nod to the ‘laundry room’ theme).
Skateboard decks mounted to the walls as art pieces. We take the elevator to the third floor, find our suite, and are greeted by a brilliant abode: an airy, two-bedroom space with full kitchen, wonderfully-appointed living room (including slick Marshall Bluetooth speaker – a nice touch), floor-to-ceiling windows, and massive balcony. The perfect space to serve as ‘home base’ during our stay.
For the next couple hours, Cai and I lounge in our swanky digs. And then it’s off to our next stop on the day’s itinerary: The Diplomat for pre-dinner cocktails. We decide to walk from The Laundry Rooms to the restaurant and event space – a short jaunt along James St S that has us enjoying the sights and sounds of Steeltown. Within a few minutes we turn off James and onto the King William St strip (a sea of posh culinary establishments), pass by the foliaged patio outside The French (where we’ll enjoy dinner in a couple hours), and arrive at The Diplomat. The dissimilarity between this Equal Parts establishment and the Aberdeen Tavern is immediately evident. The Diplomat’s open concept space – with its soaring ceilings, exposed brick walls, and wide plank wood flooring – emanates a factory-chic energy. Whimsical pieces of art – including a
large portrait of a giraffe in Napolean-esque riding coat – dot the walls, while elegant gold chandeliers and light fixtures punctuate the interior landscape. A central bar – all glass and marble and gorgeous – breaks up the room. The whole place feels playful, lively, highspirited.
We’re greeted at the host desk by The Diplomat AGM Aaron who seats us at a table overlooking the hip space. Within a few minutes Aaron has us set up with a few cocktails to sample: a negroni with truffle oil and parmesan, a smoked old-fashioned, and a clarified cocktail in which milk is added to the ingredients (including fresh fruit), allowed to curdle, and then strained through a cheese cloth – resulting in the cleanest, most flavourful potion. ‘It’s potent,’ Aaron notes of the clarified drink, ‘so I suggest you take your time with it.’ Cai and I oblige, enjoying sips of each cocktail over time. It’s not long before Chef John (whom we've embraced as our
consummate host) joins us at our table and lets us know that while we are indeed at The Diplomat for pre-dinner drinks, he wants us also to enjoy just a little bit of food from the menu too.
‘The Diplomat is all about creative cocktails and shared plates,’ Chef tells us, adding: ‘The menu here is less formal than at our other restaurants, and puts an emphasis on global comfort food.’ Before long our table is laden with the most delectable dishes crafted by The Diplomat’s Chef de Cuisine Brandon Raab and his fantastic team: ‘Pepper-crusted Beef Carpaccio’ (parmesan mousse, pickled relish, sunchoke chips); ‘Greek Nachos’ (wonton chips, mozzarella, dill, kalamata, onion, feta, jalapeno, cucumber); ‘Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps’ (kimchi, siracha mayo, scallion); ‘Fried Halloumi’ (labneh, confit tomatoes, pistachios, za’atar spice); ‘Spiced Cauliflower’ (chickpea puree, cucumber, onion, pickled turnip, green tahini, sesame, coriander); and a ‘Roasted
An array of dishes at The Diplomat
Chef Brandon Raab
Salmon’ dish (herbed spatzle, aguachile, radish). Not just a little bit of food, then – and quite the international culinary adventure.
‘Save some room for dinner,’ I joke to Cai as she loads up another lettuce wrap and I clean off the last remnants of carpaccio. My favourites: the carpaccio, and halloumi, and salmon too. And the cocktails: spectacular. Although both of us know that we really should keep what’s left of our appetites for The French (where we’re due in just a few minutes), it’s hard not to keep eating the dishes here at The Diplomat. ‘But for real,’ Cai urges me, ‘I think we should take a bit of a moratorium on food before we settle into dinner.’ I oblige, and soon we bid Aaron and The Diplomat staff adieu and stroll the few dozen metres back down King William (towards James) for the main event at The French.
If you’ve never been to The French in Hamilton (which will welcome, later this summer, a sister
location at The Gaslight District in Cambridge) it should be on your list of regional foodie spots. From its lovely front patio (protected from the street by trim shrubs and appointed with wicker bistro chairs and smart marbletopped tables) to its posh interior (including exposed stone walls, a long wraparound bar, and open kitchen) the place feels both upscale and comfortable. As Cai and I are led to our seats – a sort of ‘chef’s counter’ that overlooks the action in the open kitchen – we spot none other than Chef John, in the kitchen, ready to lead the line alongside The French’s Chef de Cuisine, Chris Pyatt. And for the next three hours or so, we’re presented with the most fantastic meal.
Our first course features a ‘Mushroom Onion Tart’ (soubise, pickled ramp, arugula) and ‘Ontario Venison Tartar’ (evergreen cure, burnt shallot, cured egg yolk, mustard, pickled asparagus, potato chips). The complex flavours of the mushroom tart (rich, earthy, pungent
Dinner rush in the kitchen at The French
Chefs Chris Pyatt & John Forcier at The French
almost) are simply fantastic, but it's the venison that steals my heart. ‘It’s about as much of Ontario as we can fit on a plate,’ Chef John laughs as he sets the dish in front of us. The evergreen cure, crafted from pine and fir needles. The fresh asparagus – again, from Welsh Bros. The venison. We pair these dishes with a pint of Fairweather’s High Grade IPA (for Cai) and a negroni (for me).
Then we sample four exquisite mains: the ‘Ricotta Gnocchi’ (mushroom, truffle, parmesan, parsley, breadcrumb), ‘Steak-Frites’ (café de Paris, garlic aioli), ‘Roasted Scallops’ (saffron-white bean agnolotti, prosciutto, peas, tomato, parsley, garlic scape butter), and ‘Duck Breast’ (cauliflower puree, black garlic, potato croquette, braised leek, peas, cherry jus). ‘The gnocchi and steak,’ Chef John tells us, ‘have been staples here since the first day we opened almost a decade ago.’ And for good reason. They’re delectable. ‘And you might recognize the duck,’ Chef John continues: ‘It’s from Folia Farms.’ Like what we enjoyed at the Tavern, then. The dish is fantastic. Composed. Timeless. But for me, now, it’s the scallops that steal the show. Served on a bed of the most delicate saffron-white bean agnolotti, these jewels of the sea melt in my mouth. And will certainly have me coming back to The French again and again. Either here, in Hamilton, or at the restaurant’s soon-to-open Cambridge location.
For dessert, Cai and I share a ‘Deep-dish Lemon Tart’ with crisp meringue and blueberry, and each enjoy a strong espresso. And then it’s time for bed. We meander back along James St S to The Laundry Rooms, regaling each other with memories of the day’s extraordinary adventure. At Aberdeen Tavern. And The Diplomat. And The French too. When we arrive back at The Laundry Rooms it takes little effort for either of us to fall fast asleep – with dreams of duck and venison dancing in our heads.
The next morning we spend some time relaxing at The Laundry Rooms before leaving Hamilton for Guelph. But not before another meal at The French (for real), where we share the ‘Falafel’ (pickled turnip, cucumber-tomato relish, tahini, coriander) accompanied by (Cai) a ‘Bibb Lettuce Salad’ (fines herbes, pickled shallot, brown-butter crouton, radish, tarragon vinaigrette) and (me) the ‘Chicken Cobb Salad’ (greens, avocado, tomato, cucumber, egg, lardon, Krüger Blue, crouton, rouille vinaigrette). What can I say: we just can’t get enough.
FRIDAY JULY 19
Bab L’BLuz • Chris Pierce • Katie Tupper
MOONBEAN • Patrick Watson • Shauit
Stephen Lewis & The Big Band of Fun
Valérie Ékoumè • JamSchool Youth Showcase
SATURDAY JULY 20
Ashley MacIsaac • Aysanabee • Bry Webb
BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness)
Chris Brown & Kate Fenner with Tony Scherr
Christina Hutt • Dwayne Gretzky • Five Alarm Funk
Golden Feather • Kim Churchill • Kirk Diamond
Land of Talk • Leon Timbo • Meredith Moon
Medicine Singers with Yonatan Gat and Lee Ranaldo
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis
NOBRO • Rich Aucoin • Windborne
SUNDAY JULY 21
Altered by Mom • Aquakultre • Blue Moon Marquee
Beings (Zoh Amba / Steve Gunn / Shahzad Ismaily / Jim White) Bombino • Benin International Musical
Blackie & The Rodeo Kings with Daniel Lanois and Terra Lightfoot • Bronwen Olson • Dom Louis
Espanola • Geordie Gordon • Jaffa Road
Minuscule • MOONRiiVR • Moskitto Bar
Peter Dreams • Richard Thompson • SHEBAD
Sunday Gospel Session • Tragedy Ann
Tray Wellington Band • The Vaudevillian
Girls & Guitars Songwriting Students
(Artists may have a Session on a different day · Subject to change)
TICKETS
FIVE STAGES · ONE ISLAND MORE THAN MUSIC SPOKEN WORD · DRUM & DANCE
INDIGENOUS CIRCLE · ARTISAN MARKET BODY & MIND WORKSHOPS · FOOD BAZAAR CHILDREN’S SHOWS & CRAFTS
Time To Get Away!
WHEN ‘FRIENDS OF THE MAG’ RAISA AND JON GAVE THEIR WONDERFULLY-RUSTIC CABIN IN KEARNEY, NORTH MUSKOKA, A COMPLETE MAKEOVER, THEY TRANSFORMED IT INTO PAPER BIRCH CABIN – THE MOST SERENE (AND PHOTOGENIC) THREE-BEDROOM AIRBNB RENTAL COTTAGE IMAGINABLE. DOCK WITH REQUISITE MUSKOKA CHAIRS? CHECK. SCREENED IN PORCH WITH LAKE VIEWS? CHECK. EXPANSIVE WRAP-AROUND DECK? CHECK. MATURE FOREST CANOPY? CHECK. WHEN YOU’RE DREAMING OF GETTING AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS AND NIGHTS THIS SUMMER OR FALL, BE SURE TO SEARCH AIRBNB.CA FOR THIS SLICE OF HEAVEN .
PHOTOS BY DUSTIN SEABROOK (STILL CREATES | SOAK FILM)
GUELPH: A PLACE TO GATHER
It’s the last Friday evening in May and, as per usual, Guelph is alive with activity. On top of College Hill, at the University of Guelph’s 8,500-seat Alumni Stadium, the Toronto Argonauts are preparing to battle the Hamilton Ticats in CFL pre-season action. Closer to downtown, outside Double Rainbow Café, the Ward Night Market – featuring local vendors, live music, and treats – is getting underway. Next door to the Market, Standing Room Only – Canada’s smallest bar – is (not surprisingly) already at capacity. A few blocks away, in a shaded green space by the confluence of the Speed and Eramosa Rivers, organizers of the Guelph Potters Market are busy setting up for their fifty-plus potters' two-day event. All across the downtown core, sidewalk patios – facilitated through the ‘Seasonal Patio Program’ – are full with patrons eager for cold drinks, tasty food, and memorable times.
There’s always lots to see and do in Guelph. And yet there has never been a straightforward way to easily plot out a multi-day itinerary of things to do, spots to eat, and places to stay in the Royal City. Until now. For at the same time that the Argos are in the midst of routing the Ticats 25-14, the TOQUE team of Cai and me are attending a launch event at Spring Mill Distillery (John Sleeman’s stunning foray into the craft spirits world) for a new online portal designed to make doing, eating, and staying in Guelph a breeze.
We are here to celebrate the Royal City’s new rallying brand, ‘Gather In Guelph’, which, as the motto decrees, proclaims that ‘connection is at the centre of community'.
This evening’s Spring Mill launch is a single component of a larger three-day whirlwind press junket that
Destination Marketing Guelph (powered by the Chamber of Commerce), in collaboration with local business partners, has organized for out-of-town food writers and lifestyle bloggers. Further components of this promotional junket include a downtown tour led by Lynn Broughton of Taste Detours, visits to Cox Creek Cellars (for wine and cider tastings under a blue sky), the Guelph Farmers’ Market (for local produce, artisanal cheeses, and flash-fried Mennonite donuts), Royal City Brewing Co (for pints of the good stuff), The Boathouse (for ice cream and canoe rentals), and more. Cai and I, veterans of the Guelph scene who have regularly reported on these Royal City attractions, are focused on the Spring Mill event.
Beginning with a warm welcome by Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie (who manages to sneak away just in time to watch his beloved Ticats fall at the hands of the Argos), the evening includes a tour of the distillery by John Sleeman himself, who regales us all with tales of bootlegging escapades related to an early-twentieth century clandestine distillery that was very likely run by his family out of this very building. The night’s lavish four-course dinner – provided by The Seed (a non-profit project of the Guelph Community Health Centre), Chef Pi Reyes (of Pi-vate chef), The Neighbourhood Group (whose restaurants include The Wooly, Miijidaa, Park Eatery, and Borealis Grille), and Megan Ferraro of Cellar Bakery – includes, of course, glorious cocktails concocted by the Spring Mill team.
The real star of the evening, though, is the ‘Gather In Guelph’ online portal – a one-stop shop designed for locals and visitors alike to organize and ignite their next stay in the Royal City. Visit gatheringuelph.com to start planning your adventure.
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
SOMETHING TASTY’S BREWING:
MAPPED OUT SATIATION ALONG STRATFORD’S ‘BACON & ALE TRAIL’
PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
WHAT DO BROKEN RAIL BREWING (LOCATED IN THE ICONIC ST MARYS JUNCTION RAILWAY STATION ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ST MARYS), BRADSHAWS & KITCHEN DETAIL (AN IMPECCABLYCURATED RETAILER OF HIGH END KITCHEN PRODUCTS IN DOWNTOWN STRATFORD), BRCH & WYN (A VIBEY DAYTIME CAFÉ AND NIGHTTIME WINE BAR THAT’S SET IN STRATFORD’S HISTORIC MOONEY BISCUIT AND CANDY COMPANY BUILDING), AND SMALL-MART GENERAL MERCANTILE (STRATFORD’S CUTEST MECCA FOR NOVELTY GIFTS AND CURIOSITIES) HAVE IN COMMON? THEY’RE ALL (ALONG WITH A DOZEN OTHER PERTH COUNTY BUSINESSES) PARTICIPANTS IN DESTINATION STRATFORD’S SCRUMPTIOUS YEAR-ROUND ‘BACON & ALE TRAIL’, OF COURSE.*
IN LATE MAY THE TOQUE TEAM TOOK ON THE LAVISH TASK OF COMPLETING THE TRAIL IN A SINGLE DAY (OR TWO). DID WE SUCCEED? WAS IT TASTY? WHAT’S BACON POPCORN, ANYWAY? FOLLOW ALONG TO FIND OUT. AND THEN PLAN OUT YOUR ITINERARY AT VISITSTRATFORD.CA/BACONTRAIL
*Each Trail ticket purchase includes vouchers for five stops along the way. We may have gone a bit overboard.
TOQUE’s Cai Sepulis is delighted with her six-pack from Stratford’s Jobsite Brewing Co – a stop along the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’
12:02PM – It’s barely past noon when Cai and I make our first (quick) stop (for a flight) along the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’ – at Shakespeare Brewing Co, located just outside Stratford proper. If you blink you’ll miss this cute microbrewery. Soon we’re on our way to Stratford Country Club (our second stop) to sample the ultimate bacon-forward grilled cheese: packed with cheddar, provolone, a garlic/cheese spread, and (what else) bacon. We pair our sandwiches with pints of Cowbell Cencerro Cerveza and keep it moving.
1:47PM – For our third stop along the Trail, we visit our old pal Johnny at Brch & Wyn – his daytime café & nighttime wine bar – for Cubanos (roasted pork shoulder, smoked ham, homemade pickles, mustard, aioli, aged cheddar) & Fairweather Brewing Co’s ‘Garden Grave’ pale ale. Pro tip: If you’re looking for a hot desk, Johnny runs a beautiful co-working space right above the place.
3:56PM – We’re off to the town of St Marys for stops four and five along the Trail: Stone Home Creatives – a sweet country lifestyle store – for bacon & beer candles (yes, you read that right), and then Broken Rail Brewing Co – a cute craft brewery located in the iconic St Marys Junction Railway Station – for flights. Our fave beers at the brewery: ‘Tesla’s Revenge’ IPA, ‘Incandescent’ blonde, ‘Square Nail’ amber, and ‘Overnight Express’ milk stout. Pro tip: Stone Home Creatives, Broken Rail Brewing Co and other features of the St Marys landscape are utterly photogenic, so when you’re visiting be sure to bring your camera.
5:23PM – For our sixth stop along the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’, we park Cai’s car in Stratford (behind Mercer Hall, where we’re overnighting) and pop into Small-Mart General Mercantile where we grab some bacon candy. We peruse the aisles for whimsical ball caps, vintage-inspired coin purses, and retro puzzles before popping next door into a different environment altogether: Bradshaws & Kitchen Detail (our seventh stop) – a sophisticated retailer that features a seductive range of high-end kitchen products, large and small. While I scope out Bradshaws’ vast selection of Le Creuset, Cai collects malty & hoppy beer jellies for our loot bag. Pro tip: When you’re visiting Small-Mart and Bradshaws, be sure to stop in at Werk-Shop – our favourite little emporium for Herschel hats, Casio watches, and Swiss Army knives.
6:15PM – Our eighth stop is Boar’s Head Pub – a short walk from Small-Mart and Bradshaws. We’re served jalapeno poppers (wrapped in bacon, of course) which we pair with pints of smooth Kilkenny cream ales. It’s a blast.
7:42PM – By now we’re ready to walk off some of our bacon and ale. The solution: a jaunt from Boar’s Head Pub to Stratford’s Black Swan Brewing Co (our ninth stop) for a flight. While we’re at the brewery, a running club fills the space's comfortable front patio for post-run pints. We’ve been admirers of Black Swan brews ever since we first encountered them at The Jane Bond in Uptown Waterloo near the beginning of the craft beer craze. We remain big fans.
8:48PM – Our tenth – and last – stop on the day’s itinerary: Mercer Hall for plates of artisan bacon paired with just a little bit more ale. On the patio. Delicious. Pro tip: If you’re at Mercer in the late evening, don’t shy away from the late-night snacks. The ‘Crispy Fried Rice Balls’ (togarashi aioli, lemon teriyaki sauce, pickled red onions, jalapenos) and ‘Crispy Hamachi Sushi Roll’ (teriyaki, togarashi aioli, tobiko, wasabi, pickled ginger) hit the spot.
9:57PM – For night, Cai and I rest our heads in the hotel at Mercer Hall, a fourteen-room boutique inn located just above the action on Ontario Street. While we give some thought to checking out Starlight (Stratford’s new it-spot for late-night cocktails and fun) the day’s bacon and ale has us yearning for soft pillows and comfortable sheets. We make the right decision, head up to our respective suites, and, within minutes, are fast asleep. Pro tip: Be sure to check out the in-room snacks – including Mercer-branded brews, popcorn, candies, and more.
10:12AM (the next day) – On our journey home from Stratford to Guelph, Cai and I make a couple last stops: at Poppin’ Kettle Corn (in Stratford) for a bag of bacon cheddar popcorn, and at the Wild Hog Country Market for country market shopping. While it may not be on the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’, Wild Hog is a destination we visit every time we head into (or out of) Festival City. Until next time, Stratford.
Slices of Summer!
IF YOU HAVEN’T STOPPED BY WILLIBALD FARM DISTILLERY & BREWERY RECENTLY, YOU’RE OVERDUE FOR A VISIT. CHEF BRIAN MCCOURT’S NEW MENU – WHICH RELIES HEAVILY ON SEASONAL LOCAL INGREDIENTS – IS AMONG THE MOST DELICIOUS IN THE REGION. PORK AND BEEF (FOR THE PASTAS AND BURGERS) FROM AYRSYDE FARMS. FLOUR (FOR THE FIVE-DAY FERMENTED PIZZA DOUGH) FROM OAK MANOR ORGANIC. PRODUCE (FOR THE SUMMERY SALADS) FROM LITTLE GREEN FARMS AND ALEXANDRA’S FARM. AND, OF COURSE, CRAFT BEER AND SPIRITS FROM WILLIBALD’S OWN BREWERY AND DISTILLERY. OH, AND A TERRIFIC NEW OUTDOOR TERRACE, TOO. (BYE BYE BIG WHITE TENT.) VISIT DRINKWILLIBALD.COM
Chef Brian McCourt's 'Panzanella Salad w/ Burrata' plays centre stage in this most delicious spread
Chef Brian McCourt
Mushroom Pappardelle
Little Fields Farm Salad
“ I trust Will. He treats me respectfully while involving me in every decision.”
Susan
Financial leadership for your future.
UNCOVERING WELLINGTON COUNTY
MAPLETON ACRES FLOWER FARM
60
What’s better than receiving a bouquet of flowers (as a treat from yourself or from someone else)? Receiving a bouquet of flowers that are locally-grown and fresh-cut, of course. And on the regular, too. For the past four years Emily Harman (with help from husband Andy Harman) has been making this experience a reality by offering Flower Subscriptions – including Springtime Tulip Subscriptions and Harvest Subscriptions (available now) – for folks across Wellington County.
And subscriptions are only the beginning of what Emily works hard to accomplish on Mapleton Acres, her fifty-acre farm that boasts 1.5 acres of flower beds. She also hosts flower experiences – including flowery date nights in the field, opportunities to ‘cut-your-ownflowers’ (a first for Wellington County), adultand-littles experiences, and a myriad of in-thefield workshops. If you've ever wanted to learn how to create basic flower arrangements, how to press flowers, or how to craft dried floral wreaths, look no further than Mapleton Acres Flower Farm where you will find plots overflowing with dahlias, sunflowers, yarrow, tulips, and more.
‘This fall,’ Emily notes while she guides me
through a sea of mid-June emerging flowerbeds, ‘we’ll plant over sixteen thousand tulip bulbs, and will have more than sixteen fifty-foot rows of dahlias in bloom.' And that's just the beginning. When Emily and her small team aren't busy on the farm, she’s off-farm flowering for weddings and popping up with fresh-cut flowers at regional craft markets: like MktMkt, EtsyWR, Wonderfully Made, and others.
Oh, and Emily’s own cute Flower Farm Shop at Mapleton Acres is always stocked with blooms, and is open year-round on Mondays from 8am to 3pm, Thursdays & Fridays from 10am to 7pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 3pm.
Like so many other remarkable producers, farmers, and food businesses that dot Guelph and Wellington County, Mapleton Acres Flower Farm is a partner of Taste Real – a County of Wellington program that promotes local food and facilitates valuable connections among farmers, food businesses, consumers, and craftspeople alike. That includes flower growers like Emily, whose business is a model for regional entrepreneurship and beautification. Learn more at mapletonacres.com and tastereal.ca
ARTHUR
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
Emily Harman
WELLINGTON COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET TRAIL
Go on a local food adventure and explore Guelph and Wellington County’s vibrant farmers’ markets this summer. Each market showcases the unique tastes and flavours of its community and offers visitors a gateway to explore beautiful towns and rural destinations.
Pick up your FARMERS’ MARKET TRAIL PASSPORT and collect stamps each time you visit a market for a chance to win one of seven market prize packs. Contest details at wellington.ca/farmersmarket
Elora Farmers’ Market | elorafarmersmarket.ca
Saturdays | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
May 4 – October 12
127 East Mill Street, Elora (at Bissel Park)
Winter Market: October 19 – December 21 (Highland Rugby Club, Fergus)
Erin Farmers’ Market | erinfarmersmarket.ca
Thursdays | 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm
June 20 – September 26
184 Main Street, Erin (Erin Fairgrounds Agri-dome)
Second last Sunday of the Month: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Guelph Farmers’ Market | guelph.ca/farmersmarket
Saturdays | 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Year round
2 Gordon Street, Guelph Thursday CSA Farmshare Pick-ups: 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm (June – October)
Mapleton Farmers’ Market |mapleton.ca
First Monday of the month | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
June 3 – September 2
14 Main Street West, Drayton (Drayton Municipal Parking Lot)
FARMERS’ MARKET BOXES
Receive a curated selection of farmers’ markets goodies delivered to your doorstep this summer. A different Wellington County or Guelph market is featured every two weeks. For more information and to order your box(es) see wellington.ca/farmersmarket
Minto Farmers’ Market | mintofarmersmarket.ca
Saturdays | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
June 1 – September 28
164 William Street, Palmerston (Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum)
Rockwood Farmers’ Market | therockwoodfarmersmarket.ca
Wednesdays | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
June 12 - October 9
120 Rockmosa Drive, Rockwood (behind Rockmosa Community Centre)
Wellington North Farmers’ Market | simplyexplore.ca
Saturdays | 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
June 15 – September 28
320 King Street East, Mount Forest (Mount Forest Victory Church)
TASTE REAL LOCAL FOOD MAP
Pick up a copy of the newest Guelph-Wellington Local Food Map and explore local food this summer. Find participating locations at tastereal.ca
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Join us for the Fall Rural Romp on September 28 – a self-guided food and farm tour to farms, markets, and local food and drink destinations in southern Wellington County and Guelph. To learn more, visit wellington.ca/fallromp
How to Riverfest!
You’ve grabbed your tickets. Now it’s time to plan your weekend. Here are some Riverfest Elora essentials:
Don’t forget your appetite
join the boo radley project & toque for live karaoke on sunday at 5pm
BYO lawn chair or blanket
Keep hydrated – bring a refillable water bottle
Make sure to pack your sunscreen, shades & hat!
Grab some festival swag
AUGUST BISSELL 2024 16,17,18
FLEET FOXES JOSH ROSS
A FRIDAY GETAWAY:
CYCLING FROM BREWERY TO BREWERY ALONG THE ELORA CATARACT TRAILWAY
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
Friday afternoons in the summertime are made for getting out of town: for leaving work early, hitting the open road, and – several hours later – arriving at some idyllic slice of Canadiana for a weekend of great food, cold drinks and, perhaps most importantly, time in nature with loved ones. In theory, at least. The reality tends to go a bit differently. Taking hours to pack the car. The awful traffic heading north. A cottage property that seems to demand more in upkeep than it returns in fun. I won’t even get into the stop-and-go Sunday drive back home. (Even mentioning the number ‘four hundred’ to the cottage set is a surefire way to trigger some residue of PTSD.)
And yet it doesn’t have to be like that. Consider this case study:
It’s early-ish June. Lunchtime on a Friday. And while our small but mighty crew hasn’t skipped out on work early (because, technically, this story has us on the clock), we’ve left behind any vestiges of our respective ‘offices’ to meet up for our own interpretation of hitting the open road, with great food and drinks, and wonderful slices of Canadiana all along the way. Today’s adventure: a fifty-kilometre bike ride along the Elora Cataract Trailway – a former railroad turned-multiuse trail that joins the picturesque town of Elora to the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park some fifty-odd kilometres away. Our itinerary: lunch and pints at Elora Brewing Co, and then cycling the Elora Cataract all the way to GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co (located just a few
Our mighty steeds: can you pick out the e-bike?
Wings & things at Elora Brewing Co
kilometres from the other end of the rail trail) for dinner and pints. One promised land to the other. No Friday traffic.
Along for the ride: myself, of course, as well as my fiancée Liz (who manages The Friendly Society just a short stroll from Elora Brewing Co), my TOQUE Partner Cai, and our friend Lee (who’s an owner at Paramount Sports in Guelph). We all meet up on the patio at Elora Brewing for one o’clock to get this adventure underway. Let’s go there now.
‘I’ll grab a ‘Maxin’ Relaxin,’’ Cai lets our server, Rae (who happens to be Liz’s older sister), know when she pops by our table to see what we’re feeling. A session IPA. Lower ABV. A smart move – considering the ride ahead.
‘I’ll do the same,’ I tell Rae – mimicking Cai’s astute decision. ‘I’ll go for one of the guest taps,’ Lee pipes in, ‘the pilsner from Mascot Brewery.’ While Elora doesn’t usually feature product from other breweries (although it’s always got ciders, wines, and Willibald seltzers
for the gluten-averse), we just happen to be here for the launch of Pilsfest – Elora Brewing’s annual festival that celebrates pilsners from breweries across Ontario. Sawdust City. Storm Stayed. True History. Henderson. Flux. The aforementioned Mascot. And GoodLot, too –where we hope to be a few hours from now. ‘I’ll stick with water,’ Liz tells her sister – making arguably the smartest decision of all.
To complement the brew, and provide energy for the ride, we order food too. Two pounds of wings. A dish of olives. Loaded fries. And a brie and prosciutto flatbread that’s most divine. While we're enjoying our time on the patio (honestly, across the region there are very few better spots to be than Elora’s patio in the summer – if you can nab a table), brewery owner Jon Laurencic joins us to chat about the upcoming trek. ‘I wish I could come along,’ Jon remarks, ‘but Pilsfest calls.’ And we’d love to have him, too – although I’m sure that if Jon joined our little troupe, he and Lee (both seasoned cyclists) would put Liz, me, and even
Cai, Liz & Lee traversing the dam at Belwood Lake
Cai (who’s on a pedal-assisted carbon e-bike from Flow State Bike Co) to shame. But while he can’t join us, Jon still provides us with two cents. ‘Be sure to stop at the country store in Belwood for butter tarts,’ he proclaims. ‘It’s located at the perfect spot along the route –right when you’ll want a ‘pick-me-up’ – and the tarts are to die for.’ A great photo-op, too, I think to myself.
By two-o’clock we’ve bid the Elora patio adieu and within minutes we’re at the trailhead (less than two kilometres from the brewery), located behind Elora Public School. And so the trip begins. Past Groves Memorial Community Hospital. Then through Fergus (via Garafraxa to Gzowski and then back onto the trail). Over the Belwood Dam. (Pro tip: be sure to take a quick stop in the middle of the dam for stunning views of the Grand River valley – a flyfishing mecca – below.) And into the tiny hamlet of Belwood proper (just over the Grand River, across the South Broadway
Street bridge) for butter tarts. Two plain. Two Skor. One raisin. And one pecan. Fifteen bucks for six. A fantastic investment for the amount of joy these homemade morsels of heaven provide for each of us. ‘Just over thirty kilometres to go,’ Cai pronounces as we mount back up. While it’s only been an hour since I was enjoying a cold one at Elora, I’m already more than ready for another at GoodLot. Giddyup.
The second half of our ride unfolds in a series of painterly vignettes: through rolling farmland, under lush forest canopies, past historic barns. We even spot a couple of snapping turtles laying eggs along the trail – as well as a small group of conservationists carefully placing protective screens above each nest site.
Then things grind to a halt. Trail construction along the Elora Cataract from just before the rural community of Hillsburgh until the town of Erin, five-plus kilometres down the rail trail.
Vignettes from GoodLot Farm
We accept this diversion as a welcome change of pace and, once we've negotiated it, it’s smooth sailing for the remaining few kilometres of our adventure. The final leg: turning left off the rail trail onto Shaws Creek Road, which leads us straight to GoodLot.
If you’ve never been to GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co, I can assure you that you’ve been missing out. Indeed, this farm brewery might just provide the most glorious backdrop for enjoying fresh beer of any brewery I’ve been to. As we cycle into the gravel parking area, I’m struck by the distinctive panorama: rows of towering hop plants; clusters of communal tables set under bright canopies; free-range chickens darting here and there between groups of patrons; a corrugated silo-turned-bar. The whole place is evocative of some upscale bohemian retreat. At the far end of the outdoor seating area, a singer-songwriter perched on a small covered wooden stage performs for the growing Friday afternoon crowd.
To the stage’s left, a hand-painted sign points patrons toward a second bar and pop-up food stand. While Liz, Cai, and Lee settle at a large wooden table under the canopies (GoodLot ‘Philsner’ pilsners and ‘Yonder’ IPAs on their way), I beeline to the food and order for the table: three servings of pierogis, two kielbasas on buns, and a cabbage roll. (The menu here varies; we’ve ordered tasty jerk in the past.) We're pleased to embrace the homemade Polish fare, which pairs wonderfully with the GoodLot brew and offers satisfying nourishment and soothing comfort to our tired bodies and sore legs.
For the next hour or so we revel in a sort of post-ride bliss. We share food and drink and tell a few stories. Recollect. Laugh. Mostly we simply sit quietly together – letting the day’s adventure, and this blissful setting, soak in. Once we’re fully composed and ready to leave, we pack our rigs on the back of my truck’s fourbike rack (thanks Lee) that Cai and I dropped here much earlier and make the trek back to our respective lives at home – refreshed and grateful. No Friday traffic.
Feel The Flow!
THINKING ABOUT MAKING THE LEAP FROM PEDAL POWER TO E-ASSISTED PEDAL POWER (BUT DON’T WANT TO COMMIT BEFORE FIRST TESTING AN E-BIKE)? FLOW STATE BIKE CO IN ARKELL HAS A FLEET OF SANTA CRUZ HECKLER SL CARBON E-BIKES FOR RENT. AND WITH GORBA’S ARKELL TRAIL SYSTEM PRETTY MUCH NEXT DOOR TO THE SHOP, YOU CAN E-PEDAL ONE OF THESE BEAUTS TO LOCAL TRAILS WITHIN MINUTES. BUT DON’T RENT IF YOU’RE NOT PREPARED TO DROOL, BECAUSE YOU’LL WANT ONE OF THESE THE MINUTE YOU DROP THE HAMMER. VISIT FLOWSTATEBIKECO.COM
& stylish French bistro. www.thefrench.ca 37 King William St, Hamilton, ON (905) 528-3737
CRAFTING MEMORIES
ONE BITE AT A TIME
Embrace the flavours of your neighbourhood, celebrate a vibrant sense of community, and support local farmers and makers.
Photo provided by Tourism London
ROCK THE BELLS:
A VISUAL GUIDE THROUGH OUR NATION’S CITY OF MUSIC
PREAMBLE BY CHRIS TIESSEN; PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN & OTHERS
WANNA HAZARD A GUESS WHERE JOHNNY PROPOSED TO JUNE? OR WHERE KISS PLAYED THEIR FIRST INTERNATIONAL GIG? HOW ABOUT WHICH CITY IS HOME TO A HAUNTED TOWN-HALL-TURNED-CONCERTVENUE THAT’S HOSTED THE LIKES OF THE SADIES, JULLY BLACK, DAN MANGAN, HANNAH GEORGAS, AND OTHER LEGENDARY CANADIAN ACTS? OR WHERE YOU CAN RENT AN AIRBNB THAT SLEEPS TWELVE AND HAS A FULL RECORDING STUDIO? OR VISIT CANADA’S ONLY CITYSPECIFIC MUSIC HALL OF FAME? THE ANSWER TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS IS LONDON ONTARIO, OF COURSE – CANADA’S FIRST UNESCO CITY OF MUSIC. SEE FOR YOURSELF.
(1) Billy Talent performing at the London Music Hall, a fantastic downtown venue that’s showcased artists including The Arkells, Snoop Dogg, The Trews, Talk, Calvin Harris & more (londonmusichall.com). Photo provided by London Music Hall
(2) The recording studio at the Rock n’ Roll Airbnb, a music-themed accommodation that sleeps seventeen and is designed for musicians to lay down tracks (airbnb.ca)
(3) A busker performs for the noon-hour crowd near the music-themed picnic tables at Covent Garden Market (coventmarket.com)
(4) Moskitto Bar lights up the main stage at Sunfest 2022 (sunfest.on.ca). Photo provided by Tourism London
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(5) Artist Ken Ledo’s mural of Johnny Cash and June Carter, located on the north wall of Budweiser Gardens. The mural pays homage to the night Cash proposed to Carter on stage during a concert in 1968 at then-London Gardens (budweisergardens.com)
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(6) Among the trees at Sunfest, a four-day international arts & music festival featuring 200+ vendors and 50+ performers that takes place each year at Victoria Park (sunfest.on.ca). Photo provided by Tourism London
(7) Ben Caplan performs at Aeolian Hall back in 2017 (aeolianhall.ca). Photo provided by Tourism London
(8) The main theatre at Aeolian Hall, a nineteenth-century former town hall that has hosted the likes of Dan Mangan, Hannah Georgas, Corb Lund & more. The venue has also been featured in ghost-hunting shows, and has been listed as one of the Top 10 Live Music Clubs in Canada by CBC Radio 3 (aeolianhall.ca)
(9) A glass display of punk memorabilia at the London Music Hall of Fame – Canada’s only city-specific music hall of fame. Located next door to the London Music Hall, this Forest City gem honours outstanding musicians from London – including Garth Hudson, Tommy Hunter, Kittie & more (fclma.ca)
(10) A peek into the Holy Diver, a live music venue and bar that abuts The Early Bird (theearlybird.ca)
(11) The ‘Classic Bird Breakfast’ at The Early Bird, a rock-themed diner that serves a mean homefries and the most divine maple bacon (theearlybird.ca)
(12) Francisco, el Hombre rocking the Victoria Park bandshell at Sunfest back in 2022 (sunfest.on.ca). Photo provided by Whitney South
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Dog Day Necessities!
School’s out for summer – which means that the dog days are upon us. Perfect opportunities for reading on the dock, barbecuing on the deck, disc golf in the park, wine on the patio. Whether you’re looking for your next cottage read, a barbecue (or backyard baking) cookbook, a hiking guide, more discs for your golf bag, a cocktail, or a bottle of rose, The Bookshelf in Guelph is your one-stop (indie) shop. With Canadian cultural content galore. Free delivery in Guelph. And so much more. Visit bookshelf.ca
Chris Nuttall-Smith
Flower Finder: a guide to identification of Spring Wild Flowers and Flower Families by May Theilgaard Watts
Disc golf discs Latitude 64
Miss Valentine Rosé Les Valentines Mediterranee
Summer Sparklers: 60 Sunshine Cocktails for Spring and Summer by Jassy Davis and Sarah Ferone
Cook It Wild: Sensational Prep-Ahead Meals for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors by
BBQ Deck: 30 Recipes to Spice Up Your BBQ Game by Ray Lampe
40 Days & 40 Hikes: Loving The Bruce Trail One Loop At A Time by Nicola Ross
The Side Gardener: Recipes & Notes from My Garden by Rosie Daykin
Who By Fire (A Dame Polara Mystery) by Greg Rhyno
Beach Read by Emily Henry
CRAFTY LOVE IN DTK
A classic love story: boy meets girl, boy follows girl [to Japan], boy and girl fall madly in love – over the perfect dish. Ramen. In this story boy (Jared) and girl (Miki) dedicate themselves to learning the traditional craft of ramen from scratch and travel Japan for ‘research’ (read: more ramen). Miki and Jared spend much of their lives making homes around the world, both before and after their paths cross. One day they decide they are ready to settle in this region and open their own business: a ramen shop. Several ramen shops, actually.
The first Crafty Ramen – a cozy twentyseater that opened in 2017 in downtown Guelph (in the shadow of the Church of Our Lady) was all-consuming from the getgo (as startups tend to be): crafting broth from scratch, fashioning noodles in-house, folding endless batches of gyozas – and repeat. It was also a wild success. Indeed,
ask any Guelph aficionado for a list of their favourite Royal City food spots and Crafty will be right near the top. (Even a passing mention of Crafty’s marinaded eggs can start entire populations drooling.)
Bolstered by the success of the business’ Guelph location, in 2019 the Crafty team decided they were ready for a second location – this time in downtown Kitchener. (Today there’s even a third location, in Toronto, on Ossington Ave.) It’s at the DTK location where I find myself with TOQUE Partners Cai and Chris on a sunny June evening. We’re posted at a tall communal table and behind a glorious spread of pork gyozas dressed cheeseburger-style, szechuan mapo tofu baos, roasted brussels with chili jam, and, of course, ramen. My bowl of choice: the ‘Zinger’, a chilled noodle bowl with pickled cucumber, takana, pickled shiitake mushrooms, and grape tomato –served sans broth and instead drizzled with
WORDS BY DANI KUEPFER; PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
Dani admiring her crafty bowl
a chili miso vinaigrette. Sitting across from me, Cai takes her first taste of a ‘Gryphon’ bowl, featuring a savory chicken broth with pork chashu, buttered corn, chili green onion, sesame chili oil, ito togarashi and, of course, handmade noodles. To my left, Chris (who has put his camera down just long enough to eat) is basking in a ‘Meat Lover 2.0’ – a robust bowl chock full of miso maple pork belly, pork chashu, Korean fried chicken, egg, Naruto, pickled shiitake mushrooms, and green onion in a rich chicken broth with roasted garlic and sesame oil and house-made thick noodles.
The DTK shop is different than the Guelph location by design. It’s larger – and boasts an airy dining space with long communal tables to accommodate as many as eighty diners at a time. The open concept kitchen, a key feature, provides space for the cooking team to make everything in-house for this DTK joint – as well as preparing all the made-from-scratch ingredients for Crafty’s Guelph and Ossington locations.
Just when Jared and Miki believed they were fully getting into the swing of things in the DTK, life tossed them (all of us, actually) a curveball:
the COVID pandemic. And so, only four months after the Kitchener location opened its doors, the Crafty team was compelled to close both locations indefinitely. During this dark period of lockdowns and restrictions, Miki and Jared made a decision shared by so many other restauranteurs: to focus on take-out. In Crafty’s case, this ‘pivot’ proved a huge success. ‘We used our Instagram channel to promote our take-out menus,’ Jared tells me one day in early June when I manage to nail down the busy entrepreneur just long enough for a chat, ‘and we sold out of each re-stock in a matter of minutes.’ It was then that, buttressed by this unanticipated and invaluable show of community support, Miki and Jared and their team decided to transform their entire downtown Kitchener location into a full-blown production facility.
‘If we had played it safe and opened a smaller location in Kitchener,’ Jared opines, ‘we might never have had the capacity to offer take-out meals.’ Things evolved quickly and it was clear that take-out was just the beginning: working closely with local grocers, the Crafty team was able to respond to their customers’ feedback and move efficiently to develop a frozen ‘DIY’
product that would offer a high-quality ramen experience akin to the one diners get in the noodle shops. The frozen bowl, now available at hundreds of grocers across Canada, is still made from scratch, right here in KW. (You might recognize it from CBC’s Dragon’s Den.)
When Crafty Ramen’s Kitchener location finally re-opened for diners, the Crafty team embraced a serendipitous opportunity to move their production space to an empty Shopify office in Waterloo, where it continues to operate today. With an enduring relationship rooted in an acknowledgement of the value of reciprocity, this small-but-mighty venture continues to feed the community that supported it through the hardest of times. Crafty Ramen, which grew out of curiosity, enterprise, a yearning to offer distinctive and delicious food to people – and love – continues to provide thousands of nourishing bowls across the country. And dozens of jobs in our region. Classic love takes many forms. Kanpai.
CRAFTY RAMEN WILL BE ONE OF 45+ VENDORS PARTICIPATING IN THIS SUMMER’S ‘FAR EAST ASIAN NIGHT MARKET’, TO BE HELD AT THE KITCHENER MARKET ON AUGUST 18TH FROM 3 UNTIL 10PM. HERE’S A LIST OF A FEW OF THE WIDE RANGE OF VENDORS TO CHECK OUT AT THIS BOUNTIFUL CELEBRATION:
CRYWOLF CLOTHING
@CRYWOLFCLOTHING
This wonderful lil’ company has been keeping it cute since ’08, and stays busy screenprinting, illustrating, chainstitching & more.
KINKAKU IZAKAYA
@KINKAKUIZAKAYAJINZAKAYA
Don’t sleep on this well-received tapas-style all-you-can-eat Kitchener-based sushi restaurant, which will be reppin’ at the Night Market.
WU CERAMICS
@WUCERAMICS
Be sure to check out the beautiful, durable, one-of-a-kind ceramic housewares of Kitchener-based artist Mengchao Wu.
CHUNGCHUN RICE DOG
@CHUNGCHUN.CA
This Korean hot dog chain, opened in 2017, boasts over 200 locations across the world. Why not try one of their soft and chewy hotdogs baked in a glutinous rice batter.
NOT NOT STUFF
@NOTNOTSTUFF
Jenny ‘plays with dirt and draws kind of’. And they’ll be at the Night Market with ceramics and art and crafts (and stuff). Go see them.
TASTE OF SEOUL
@TASTEOFSEOUL_CATERING
From sushi to noodles to chicken wings, this purveyor of authentic Asian fusion cuisine is a staple in the KitchenerWaterloo foodie scene. #nomnom
CRAFTY RAMEN
276 KING ST W SUITE 5, KITCHENER craftyramen.com
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ‘NIGHT MARKET’, VISIT @DTKITCHENER OR SCAN THE QR CODE ON THEIR AD IN THIS ISSUE OF TOQUE.
BUSINESS OUT EAST:
JUDGING AT THE JUNOS IN HALIFAX
PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
IN LATE MARCH THE TOQUE TEAM TREKKED OUT EAST TO OUR FAVOURITE MARITIME PORT OF CALL, HALIFAX, FOR BUSINESS (AND, AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, SOME PLEASURE). TO BE PRECISE, WE TRAVELED TO NOVA SCOTIA TO ATTEND THIS YEAR’S JUNOS, WHICH TOOK PLACE AT SCOTIABANK CENTRE IN DOWNTOWN HALIFAX, AND WHERE TOQUE PARTNER CAI SEPULIS HAD BEEN INVITED TO SERVE AS A JUDGE FOR THE CATEGORY OF ‘ALBUM ARTWORK OF THE YEAR’.
IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE JUNOS WE MANAGED TO SNEAK AWAY TO A FEW OF OUR MOST LOVED HAUNTS - INCLUDING THE STILLWELL FREEHOUSE (FOR PINTS, ELEVATED PUB GRUB, AND THE COOLEST ATMOSPHERE), ARMVIEW RESTAURANT & LOUNGE (FOR BUTTERY LOBSTER ROLLS & TASTY MILKSHAKES), LAWRENCETOWN BEACH CAFÉ IN LAWRENCETOWN (FOR THE MOST SPECTACULAR OCEAN VIEWS), AND THE KNOT IN LUNENBURG (FOR THE MOST MEMORABLE FISH ‘N CHIPS). AND WE DISCOVERED NEW GEMS TOO – INCLUDING THE NARROWS PUBLIC HOUSE (FOR THE BEST PUB-Y VIBE ANYWHERE), TUSKET FALLS BEER PROJECT (FOR LATE-NIGHT PINTS), AND TWO CROWS BREWING CO’S OXFORD TAPROOM (WHERE WE WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE YEAH YEAHS PIZZA).
WE HAD A RIGHT GOOD TIME.
The Stillwell Freehouse, Halifax
The Knot, Lunenburg
Lawrencetown Surf Co, Lawrencetown
Yeah Yeahs Pizza, Halifax
The colourful landscape of Mahone Bay
Saltbox Brewing Co, Mahone Bay
Lawrencetown Beach Café, Lawrencetown
Hali Deli , Halifax
THREE REASONS TO STAY HOME THIS SUMMER
BY MONICA MAZUN
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words “fun in the sun”, my mind is automatically transported to a white sandy beach or a scenic European town –
money can also help reinforce the 50-30-20 rule: put 50% of your money towards needs, 30% towards wants, and 20% towards savings. When it comes to
SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN JAKOBSTETTEL:
THE VILLAGE BIERGARTEN
‘The last time I encountered a brew this large,’ I exclaim as I raise my one-litre Bavarian stein in the air, ‘I was at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich.’ A lifetime ago. Twenty-five years, actually. Another story for another day. Cheekily, my TOQUE partnerin-crime Cai raises her own stein and klinks mine. ‘Prost!,’ she laughs. We make eye contact (as folks are wont to do) and then each take a gulp, my lager and Cai's IPA brewed just down the street. Cold. Fresh. Heavenly.
All around us, various-sized groups of families and friends are scattered about the tiered front lawn at communal tables shaded by an impressive canopy of mature deciduous trees. Chatting. Laughing. Enjoying each other’s company. Behind
us, servers stream back and forth from a converted century home set at the top of the yard, carrying steins of beer and German-inspired dishes of schnitzel and bratwurst and oversized pretzels to patrons anticipating this distinctive German fare (as well as more common pub eatables like wings and nachos and burgers). In front of us, at the bottom of the lawn, the sound of hooves clip-clopping along King Street signals a couple horse-drawn buggies carrying Old Order Mennonite families home from Sunday service. The contrast between these folks’ god-fearing (and, indeed, god-loving) practices with my own more profane form of Sunday communion isn’t lost on me – especially since, whether they would believe it or not, we share the same common Anabaptist ancestors.
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
ST. JACOBS
Sacred spaces come in diverse shapes and sizes.
It’s Sunday, early June, just after noon, and Cai and I have journeyed from our home base in Guelph to the quaint village of St Jacobs to check out this fetching oasis: The Village Biergarten. As I take another swig from my oversized stein – a crisp lager from Block Three Brewing Co – I find it hard to believe that neither of us have ventured out here before. Especially since I’ve known for some time that respected culinary personality (and recent @champsforcharitykw boxing winner) Nick Benninger touted the place as his favourite patio in the region. And Nick’s words are gospel, as far as I’m concerned. Yet it’s taken the fact that our friend, Elora-based restauranteur Denis Fontana (owner of La Fontana – the most delightful riverside Italian eatery), recently purchased the Biergarten to get us out here. As I’m about to discover, the place’s menu (coupled with the striking Bavarian steins and pleasing ambiance) will have us coming back for more.
The spread that Chef Prince (who has worked in the kitchen at The Village Biergarten for several years now) sends out to our table is impressive. For starters: an order of ‘Fried Meatballs’ (four beef and cheese meatballs, breaded and fried, served with garlic marinara sauce); a plate of ‘Mac & Cheese Bites’ (four mac & cheese clusters, breaded and fried, served with spicy aioli); and, of course, a ‘Warm Pretzel’ (served with mustard aioli, honey mustard, and Block Three beer cheese sauce). I’m especially taken by the bites, which pair perfectly with the lager, while Cai is a fan of the meatballs. (Pretzels are pretzels, amiright?)
For mains (after all, we're here to sample as widely as we can), we split an order of ‘Fish Tacos’ (Block Three beer-battered cod fillet over three corn tortillas, sweet and sour slaw, garlic mayo, sliced radish, pineapple pico de gallo, and jalapeno crema), a ‘Biergarten
Cheeseburger’ (two patties, American cheddar, tomato, onions, lettuce, sweet pickles, garlic aioli, classic bun, served with fries), and the ‘Jakobstettel Schnitzel’ (classic breaded German-style pork schnitzel served with potato salad, sauerkraut, and mustard aioli). ‘When Denis purchased the Biergarten,’ Chef Prince tells us when he joins us for a chat, ‘our regulars made sure to let us know that we couldn’t take staple items like the schnitzel off the menu.’ And for good reason, too. The dish, with its discretely-breaded pork and tangy potato salad, comes close to convincing me that I’m back in Munich again. In the end, it's the cheeseburger, though, that has me swooning. ‘It’s the sweet pickles and aioli,’ I tell Cai. ‘I could eat this burger all day.’
And while I end up polishing off my portion of the burger in mere minutes, and we’ve both had our fill of food, Cai and I do not make any sudden moves to clear out of this space. Why would we? By now it’s mid-afternoon and a soft breeze is making its way through the trees and across our skin. While Cai and I continue to enjoy the generous contents of our steins, groups of diners come and go. I take note of a gaggle of cyclists parking their bikes in racks at the edge of the beer garden down by King Street and, amidst jostles and chuckles, making their way to the host station to secure a table. Behind them, a horse-drawn buggy chuffs swiftly up the street. I follow the archaic apparatus with my eyes until it passes out of sight. The whole scene is a gentle reminder of how special every corner of our region is. Its food. And drink. And sights. And customs. A tapestry (or, perhaps more appropriately, a quilt) of ever-inspired destinations.
I add The Village Biergarten in St Jacobs as one more thread to follow, one more piece to embrace.
THE VILLAGE BIERGARTEN
1381 KING ST N, ST. JACOBS thevillagebiergarten.ca
GETTING TO KNOW
26 Ontario St Stratford ON andethestore.com andethestore
FAVOURITE BRANDS THAT YOU CARRY?
Eliza Faulkner (Mtl), Shelter (BC), Baserange (Spain)
THE STORE’S INFLUENCE?
Mohawk General Store in California
WHY STRATFORD?
I love the community here – it’s endlessly supportive
BEST SPOT FOR AN AFTER-WORK DRINK?
Starlight, for sure
WHEN KIERSTEN HATANAKA DECIDED TO OPEN A WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE IN STRATFORD, SHE HAD A KEEN VISION IN MIND: TO CREATE A MINDFULLY-CURATED BOUTIQUE THAT SPECIALIZED IN SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS (CLOTHING, APOTHECARY, SKINCARE, HOMEWARE, AND ZINES TOO) SOURCED FROM ETHICAL, WOMEN-LED BRANDS. PRODUCED IN SMALL BATCHES. MADE TO ORDER. AND SIZE-INCLUSIVE
TOO. THIS SUMMER MARKS TWO YEARS SINCE KIERSTEN OPENED THE DOORS AT ÅNDE (WHICH MEANS ‘TO BREATHE’ IN DANISH) – HER FLOURISHING BOUTIQUE THAT REMAINS
TRUE TO ITS ORIGINAL MANDATE. A SOPHISTICATED SHOP THAT DOES THINGS DIFFERENTLY. LIKE ÅNDE’S BUY-BACK PROGRAM (THAT ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO ‘SELL’ PRODUCTS PURCHASED AT ÅNDE BACK TO THE STORE FOR CREDIT). AND ITS REPAIR PROGRAM (THAT ENSURES THAT WORN AND TORN CLOTHES PURCHASED AT ÅNDE ARE MENDED TO INCREASE THEIR LIFESPAN). A RADICAL VISION. A FANTASTIC BUSINESS. VISIT ANDETHESTORE.COM
Kiersten Hatanaka
FAB FIVE: DIGGING IN TO UPTOWN WATERLOO’S PATIO MENUS
PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
HERE’S A STATEMENT I'D BE PREPARED TO DEFEND: UPTOWN WATERLOO PATIOS JUST HIT DIFFERENT. THE EXPANSIVE RAISED DECK AT ETHEL’S LOUNGE. THE QUAINT, INTIMATE BACK TERRACE OF THE JANE BOND. THE SECOND-STOREY OASIS AT THE HUETHER HOTEL. THE SHADED VERANDA AT BEERTOWN. AND THERE ARE MORE. SO, IN LATE JUNE, THE TOQUE TEAM VENTURED UPTOWN TO ENJOY FIVE DIFFERENT DISHES (PAIRED WITH DRINKS) ON FIVE UNIQUE UPTOWN PATIOS. THE BAUER KITCHEN. RED HOUSE. PROHIBITION WAREHOUSE KITCHEN & BAR. SEVEN SHORES. AND THE RE-IMAGINED SOLÉ.
LOOKING TO SATIATE YOUR HUNGER EN PLEIN AIR? THERE ARE MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF REASONS WHY UPTOWN WATERLOO PATIOS SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR.
A ‘Spanish G&T’ (1.5oz malfy con rosa gin, fever tree tonic, rosewater, rose petal leaves, raspberries, dried grapefruit & rosemary) standing tall on the patio at Solé Uptown
RED HOUSE
‘Shrimp & Pineapple Curry’ (red onion, cherry tomato, bok choy, lemongrass-steeped basmati, yellow cocunut curry sauce). Enjoyed with a white peach & ginger sangria.
187 KING ST S #102 UPTOWN WATERLOO THEBAUERKITCHEN.CA
Paired with a ‘Dal
THE BAUER KITCHEN
‘Szechuan Seared Yellowfin Tuna Bowl’ (avocado, ripe mango, cucumber, pickled radish, carrot, sushi rice, cabbage, crispy shallot, cilantro, tamari ginger lime dressing) & ‘Pesto Primo’ pizza (soppressata calabrese, roasted garlic, red onion, blue cheese, mozzarella, basil pesto).
Giardino’ (1oz malfy gin con rosa, 0.25oz st. germain elderflower liqueur, 2oz xoxo sparkling wine, 2027 cellars egg whites, dried rose petals).
PROHIBITION WAREHOUSE KITCHEN & BAR
56 KING ST N UPTOWN WATERLOO PROHIBITIONWAREHOUSE.COM
‘Jalapeno Cheddar Burger’ (two 4oz beef patties, jalapeno rings, cheddar, crispy onions, bbq sauce, lettuce). Paired with a pint of Carlsberg.
SEVEN SHORES
‘Chipotle Beef and Cheddar Wrap’ (sliced beef, chipotle mayo, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, in a lightly grilled wrap). Enjoyed with a bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
SOLÉ UPTOWN
83 ERB ST W, BUILDING TWO UPTOWN WATERLOO SOLE.CA
‘Baked Salmon’ (corn, tomato, avocado & lime salad, creamed corn soubise). Looking good with a ‘Limoncello Fizz’ (1.5oz limoncello, 0.5oz absolut vanilla vodka, lemon juice, egg whites, dried lemon & thyme).
Thursday night Uptown Waterloo is the place to be!
the Uptown Night Market 7-10PM at Waterloo Public Library.
Salsa in the Square 7-11PM.
HOW WE ROLL!
PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
WHILE THE FINE FOLKS AT GUELPH’S PARAMOUNT SPORTS SPEND MUCH OF THEIR TIME IN THE SHOP HELPING CUSTOMERS FIND THE RIGHT GEAR TO HIT THE TRAILS (IN THE SUMMER) AND SLOPES (IN THE WINTER), THEY STILL MAKE SURE TO CARVE OUT TIME EACH WEEK TO SHRED THE GNAR AT AREA TRAILS – AND FINISH UP WITH NOMNOMS AND PINTS AT LOCAL WATERING HOLES. IN EARLY JUNE, THE TOQUE TEAM JOINED PARAMOUNT CO-OWNER LEE FERNEYHOUGH AND FORMER PARAMOUNT EMPLOYEE (AND CURRENT NORCO INSIDE SALES REP) STEPHANE GUENETTE FOR A FRIDAY MORNING SESH AT GUELPH LAKE’S PHENOMENAL GORBA TRAILS FOLLOWED UP BY A POST-RIDE LUNCH AND BREWS AT GUELPH’S BAKER STREET STATION. IT SURE DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS. VISIT PARAMOUNTSPORTS.CA FOR ALL OF YOUR RIDER NEEDS, AND BAKERSTREETSTATION.CA TO SUSS OUT ITS NEW SUMMER MENU.
Stephane Guenette snakes his Norco down GORBA’s ‘Fight Club’
Lee & Stephane playing ‘follow the leader’
Baker Street’s ‘Seared Tuna Salad’
Thule racks (from Paramount) making life easier
RE-IMAGINING AN ICON:
NOT YOUR FATHER’S STONE CROCK
When I was a kid growing up in KitchenerWaterloo, my dad would sometimes drive the two of us to St Jacobs to retrieve mail for the small publishing company that he and my mom owned and ran. For while my parents worked as professors (at Waterloo’s respective universities) during the daytime, they also ran – as a labour of love – a small publishing house and the business address for their company, Sand Hills Books, was situated along the main drag in the village. While I delighted in these trips ‘to the country’ for several reasons – spotting tractors working farmers’ fields, catching glimpses of Old Order Mennonite kids on their bicycles, smelling the fresh air as we left the city behind, and chatting with my pops about his own childhood growing up in the area – I loved them mostly because we would always stop at the Stone Crock for pies, or apple fritters, or potato salad before heading
back home. The definition of happiness: enjoying a Stone Crock fritter in the front seat – windows down – of our ’68 Camaro, or ’74 Mercury Marquis Brougham, or ’77 Lincoln Continental Mk V. (You could say my old man had a taste for legacy cars.)
Mention the words ‘Stone Crock’ to anyone with deep roots in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and their ears will perk up. Indeed, the joint has been an institution for decades –much like Herrle’s Market, or Vincenzo’s, or Charcoal Steakhouse. Founded in 1975, the place – or places, actually (as I’ll detail) – has done one thing consistently well since it opened: provide locals and tourists alike with delicious Mennonite-inspired country-style cooking. Pies. Donuts. Pastries. Salads. And while this foodie destination remains the spot if you’re looking for sizeable mouth-watering treats, today’s iteration sure isn’t your father’s
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
ST. JACOBS
(or childhood’s) Stone Crock. Now comprised of four distinct enterprises – the Bakery (for breads, desserts, and other baked goods), Jacob’s Grill (an expansive 150 seat countrystyle restaurant), The Market (a grocer and butcher that features everything from craft non-alc cocktails to house-made sausages), and The Pub (a moody tavern that pours Guiness on tap and spotlights dishes crafted with house-made breads, meats, pickled items, and more) – the Stone Crock is a sort of one-stop-spot for dining in or taking out, all the while embodying the spirit of this magical nostalgia-driven village.
On a Saturday in later June, my fiancé Liz and I decided to head into St Jacobs to get reacquainted with the Stone Crock – this icon of my youth. Specifically, we were keen to try out the Pub for lunch. I had heard great things about the menu of house-made dishes – and also about the spot’s new patio space. And so we made the trek from Liz’s place in Elora and, within half an hour, were turning onto the top of King Street and cruising into the village proper.
After securing a place to park, we made our way through a sea of tourists to our destination: an impressive stretch of buildings that comprise a good chunk of a village block. While there are several entrances into the expansive Stone Crock complex, we chose the glass doorway leading directly into the Market – a brightly-lit space appointed with wood ceiling, exposed ducts, large harvest tables (laden with artisanal fudges and house-made muffins, fresh-cut sunflowers and more), and wall-mounted shelving units showcasing all sorts of goodies. Preserves. Sauces. Wines. At the back of the space: a full butchery replete with massive sides of beef hanging behind glass in a refrigerated walk-in.
‘I’d love to grab a few items from here,’ Liz tells me – her eyes having landed on a line of dressings and sauces from Ontario-based celebrity Chef Matty Matheson. ‘We’ll definitely stop back in,’ I tell her, ‘but let’s have lunch first.’ To beat the Saturday crowds. And because I’m itching for a bite of something delicious.
It’s a short jaunt from the Market to the Pub. About five steps, actually – through an open doorway that joins the two spaces. (Indeed, all four components of the Stone Crock complex are joined by a maze of doorways and hallways.) But while the Market and the Pub are so close in proximity, they embody wildly unique design languages. While the Market is all light and bright, the Pub leans into darker ‘village tavern’ vibes: heavy support beams (that, according to my dad, were hand-hewn by a local Mennonite back in the seventies), cobblestone-style brick floors, subdued lighting, farmhouse chairs, and a large bar. ‘We’ve got a few regional craft beers on tap,’ our server, Jad, tells us once Liz and I have been seated on the Pub’s side patio. ‘There are a couple options from Elora Brewing Co,’ he goes on, ‘and another from Collective Arts. We also have Guinness on tap, and a house lager brewed for us by Schooner in Wellesley.’ With my lager and Liz's delicious white sangria, we settle into the terrific patio space shaded by large black umbrellas that help protect against the intense June sun and encircled by a trim black fence that’s topped with an impressive array of vibrant planters.
For food, the kitchen – aware of our presence – sends out a smattering of dishes for us to taste. Our first appetizer – the ‘Stone Crock Cold Plate’ – is a sort of ‘plowman’s lunch’ with generous helpings of Hungarian salami, summer sausage, cherry-wood smoked kielbasa, an assortment of cheeses, fresh bread, pickles, apple chutney, and grainy mustard. As a charcuterie addict, I am in love. As a mustard aficionado, Liz has her eye on the grainy stuff that complements the plate. ‘Besides the cheese, we make everything on the dish right next door at either the Bakery or the Market,’ Tara Peers, Manager of Jacob’s Grill and the Pub, tells us when she pops by to see how we’re doing. ‘And everything on the dish can be purchased on their own at the Bakery or at the Market, too.'
It's a common theme. The taco chips used in the ‘Baked Nachos’, for instance, which we enjoy as a second app, are made from scratch in the Stone Crock Bakery and sold under the
‘Taco Farm’ brand at the Bakery and Market. (If you haven’t tried these chips, do yourself a favour.) These chips also make an appearance on our third and final app, the ‘Warm Cheese Dip’ (three-cheese blend, parmesan crust, dill pickle), offered alongside soft pretzels made from scratch in the Bakery kitchen.
For mains, Liz and I share a ‘Pulled Pork Toastie’ (pulled pork, smokey bbq sauce, Texas toast, mozzarella, side fries), ‘BBQ Burger’ (paddy, onion rings, bbq sauce, cheddar, pickled jalapeno, burger bun, side fries), and ‘Bangers and Mashed’ (weekly-featured grilled market sausages, mashed potatoes, housemade maple bacon baked beans, side honey mustard). The meat from all three of these dishes is butchered at the Stone Crock Market, while both the Texas toast (of the toastie) and soft bun (of the burger) are made in the Bakery kitchen. You get the picture. And all three mains are worth coming back for.
As our meal winds down, the patio fills up. Eventually Liz and I make our way back through the Pub (now also full) and into the Market where Liz takes her time to peruse the goods. She ends up grabbing a couple bags
of Taco Farm chips (of course) as well as a jar of grainy mustard (featured on the ‘Cold Plate’) and a bottle of green olive dressing from Matheson Food Company. I choose a chub of summer sausage from the butcher, and we’re on our way. Almost. ‘Wait,’ Liz tells me as we begin to move in the direction of the front door, ‘Let's grab a couple treats from the Bakery for our drive home.’ Visions of fritters dance in my head. ‘I’m game,’ I tell her, and head from the Market through Jacob’s Grill into the Stone Crock Bakery, where we queue up (it's Saturday, after all) and wait our turn.
When we reach the front of the line, Liz orders two apple fritters – still warm and utterly delectable. By the time we reach my truck, the fritters have stained the paper bag they’re in – signalling to us that they’re ready to eat. We each take one, and – as I pull the Tacoma onto the main drag – I take my first bite. I am instantly flooded with memories. Open car windows. Tractors on farmers' fields. Memorable chats with my pops. And riding shotgun in a ’68 Camaro.
COCKTAIL HOUR
RECIPE BY MIIJIDAA CAFÉ & BISTRO BEVERAGE MANAGER JESSICA MORRIS
COTTAGE SEASON HAS ARRIVED. TO CELEBRATE THIS ANNUAL MILESTONE MIIJIDAA MIXOLOGIST JESSICA MORRIS HAS CREATED THE ‘SMOKING TREE SIPPER’, A FUN TAKE ON THE CLASSIC ‘OLD FASHIONED’ THAT INCORPORATES AMARETTO FOR DEPTH AND LEANS HEAVILY ON TWO OF COTTAGE COUNTRY’S UBIQUITOUS TREE SPECIES: THE MIGHTY BIRCH AND AROMATIC CEDAR. FIND A DOCK AND ENJOY.
SMOKING TREE SIPPER
Method: Stir, strain, top
Glass: Rocks glass
Garnish: Top Shelf Preserves’ maraschino cherry
2oz Gooderham + Worts rye
.25oz Elora Distilling Co amaretto
.25oz birch syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions: Pour all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir. Torch a cedar slab and smoke the glass. Once the glass is nice and smoky, strain the chilled ingredients over fresh ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Sunscreen not included.
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