Latest news with #localIngredients
CBC
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Take a tour of some of the best patios in Waterloo region and area: Jasmine Mangalaseril
Winter has finally released its icy grip, which means patio season is here in Waterloo region. "It's nice, after a long winter. This winter was really cold and long, and so it's beautiful to be outside," said Darko Zeljkovic while he sat on a downtown Kitchener patio. He's Bosnian and said outdoor culture is a regular part of European life. Colourful umbrellas, leafy trellises and cozy gazebos welcome diners with crafted cocktails, delicious wines and beers and a menu that celebrates the hot weather ahead. Most spots have accessible seating but call ahead to confirm if your furry friend can join you. Also, check socials and websites for restaurant's summer schedules of live performances and events. Whether you want a chili dog, an elevated dinner or something in between, many kitchens are focusing on locally grown and produced ingredients. You'll also find glasses and pitchers filled with sophisticated zero-proof or regular cocktails, beers or coffee drinks. Stylish sips and snacks In Cambridge, you can sip a Moment of Zen cocktail on The Blackshop's patio. They offer dishes like Nashville chicken sliders and sushi cubes from their social hour $8 bar bites menu. In Elora, enjoy the staff's favourite beef souvlaki under The Friendly Society's streetside zebra-striped umbrellas and have a Strawberry-Basil Smash. When Bardō Guelph's summer menu launches, they'll have produce from their Millgrove farm in dishes like the Mexican Street Corn pizza, and drinks like a Passionfruit Sour. Thanks to careful design, visitors won't feel crowded on the outdoor space at Waterloo's Bodega Rose. The kitchen is putting their final touches on the summer menu, but they offer a White Lotus and Rosé French 75, with new featured cocktails appearing every weekend. "We usually just base it off of what the weather is going to be, if there's events going on," explained Marshall Ward, Bodega Rose's front of house beverage manager. "For example, when Taylor Swift was in Toronto [last November] we did a whole week of Taylor Swift-themed cocktails." Where you can forget the city There's a garden-like patio tucked behind downtown Guelph's Miijidaa Café and Bistro. There, you can enjoy thin-crust pizzas or a venison burger as well as a Berries In Bloom cocktail. Still in Guelph, The Wooly will host Woolystock from June 20 to 22, to celebrate their 35th anniversary. You can enjoy the music and festivities from their porch, patio or biergarten. In Ayr, Willibald's patio overlooks the farm that inspires their menu. Some of their cocktails, like Rhubarb Rhubarb and the zero-proof Never-Grow Old, feature Ontario honey. At Fergus's Brewhouse on the Grand, you can get a table overlooking the river or hear it rush by from one of their new gazebos. It's an idyllic setting with an elderberry cocktail or a Thai Coconut Curry. Brewery patios With a new menu in the works, Guelph's Royal City Brewing will be adding mango and pineapple to their Berserker sour series, and a non-alcoholic citrus Radler. Kitchener's TWB's patio will reopen in mid-June and will continue hosting events and alternating food pop-ups by Kojo's Kitchen and Lord of the Tacos. They're launching a Pride beer and The Kultrun Raspberry Wheat this summer, and offering Willibald cocktails and Backed by Bees Mead. While it's not a brewery, uptown Waterloo's Hop House has dozens of beers to enjoy on their patio to go with their summery handhelds and options like blackened chicken with coconut rice. Someplace new The Stockyards Brew Hall Restaurant, across from the St. Jacobs Market has a 250-seat patio. Selections from K-W Craft Cider joins their house-made brews, to perfectly pair with the restaurant's upcoming barbecue-themed menu. Elora's Lobby Bar is preparing for their first patio, where you can enjoy their Asian-inspired small plate menu. Their cocktails include the Mark and Marty gin cocktail, named after Elora Distillery's co-owners. Looking out over Roos Island in Kitchener's Victoria Park, the Boathouse DTK's cantilevered patio's next phase is expected to be completed in July. "It will have an outdoor bar as well as a smoker and grill area," explained operations manager, Shawn Flanagan. "We're going to create a little bit of an event [when construction is over]—a little party kind of atmosphere to introduce ourselves," he said. It's a perfect sunny spot for an evolving menu that mashes up familiar park concession food, elevated local dishes and barbecue to go with cocktails that capture the season.
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Irish Times
Two classic shellfish dishes inspired by Donegal chefs at the top of their game
Today heralds the beginning of one of my favourite weekends of the working year. Since 2019 I have been travelling north to The Olde Glen Bar in the great county of Donegal to partner with former colleague and long time friend Ciaran Sweeney, who has been cooking some of the country's most delicious food for more than 15 years. Having trained in the UK and Dublin, he returned home in recent years to partner with Cormac Walsh and bring fine dining to one of the oldest and best pubs in the world. The combination of charming venue, affable host and hugely talented chef, twinned with stunning local ingredients, has put this area on the culinary map, it also helps that it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thankfully, the team still respond to my annual text to come up and cook for one weekend of the year. On Saturday night, we'll have a full house feasting on Mulroy Bay Scallops, Greencastle turbot, McBride crab, Ballyholey vegetables, the famous cabbage from Gortahork and Horn Head honey. Tomorrow evening, the same. It's also customary for the chefs to hydrate after service in the bar before rehydrating again the following morning in Sheephaven Bay. This is the weekend that reminds me why I love this work: cooking great ingredients for great people in a beautiful corner of this wonderful county. The Olde Glen Bar & Restaurant in Glen village, near Carrigart While we work away cooking for the crowds this weekend, I thought it appropriate to showcase some dishes from the area. First up is a very Irish dish using one of our greatest ingredients. Crab meat has to be the Atlantic's greatest export, tossed with a hint of mayonnaise and some herbs with plenty of salt and lemon juice – eating does not get any better. The McBride family have been fishing crab from Downings Pier for generations, and it's the best I've tasted. I've matched it with a take on potato bread that Ciaran has been cooking to great acclaim for years. It's a cross between a traditional potato farl and yeast white bread, with the comfort factor of a sour blini. It is delicious. He has never given me his actual recipe, but I think it's close. I can't imagine a better way to start a meal in the summer sunshine. READ MORE Crab mayo with charred potato bread. Photograph: Harry Weir I can imagine how to continue it, however. The Casey family have been running the acclaimed Rosapenna Hotel in Donegal for more than 50 years. Frank snr set standards that live true to this day, with the hotel now in the capable hands of sons John and Frank jnr. This is the sort of place that gets the important things right, every time. Hospitality, ingredients, service and warmth. Their lobster Thermidor is legendary; it only makes an appearance when local lobster is available and the price is right. It's cooked how Frank snr likes things: the classic way. The lobster is blanched and the meat cleaned out while retaining the shell. The sauce is made with cream, a dash of brandy, mustard and gratinated with a touch of cheese to stringy perfection. Served up in the grand diningroom overlooking the sunset and the sea, you're winning. Beat a path and make sure to request the Thermidor when you're booking. Recipe: Crab mayo with charred potato bread Recipe: Caseys' lobster Thermidor
Condé Nast Traveler
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Le Virunga — Restaurant Review
What's the big picture? A mural-sized image of the shape of Africa is prominently displayed on the back wall, setting a tone for the type of cuisine served at this dinner-only restaurant. Named after the famed national park in the Congo that is home to hundreds of wild mountain gorillas, Le Virunga's pan-African menu is unlike any other experience offered in Montreal, with game meat and native African vegetables. What's the crowd like? It was a relaxed crowd that evening, who arrived hoping for a different experience and ready to try new flavors. What should we be drinking? Wines are exclusively from South Africa, and the cocktails are inventive with edible flowers adding a touch of exoticism. Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. The mother-daughter team at Le Virunga may have been born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but their worldwide experiences have helped informed the larger regional cuisine of sub-Saharan Africa to give a taste of the African diaspora while blending in local ingredients. Take the mutton, sourced from a Quebec farm, that includes a side of attiéké, a cassava dish from the Ivory Coast. The sweet potato velouté is a memorable dish, thanks to its intense flavors and notable spiciness. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? Could have been faster. It seemed like the restaurant was down to one server, who doubled up as hostess, ambassador, bartender, and busser, and the pace slowed quite a bit. That said, when there was interaction, it was pleasant and each dish and drink were well explained. What's the real-real on why we're coming here? For someone who is tired of the usual cuisine and is open to a little adventure. The low lighting begets good conversation, making this a prime spot for a romantic date night.
