ETHICAL GOURMET / Remind me to Tell You About the Time I Looked in the Heart of an Artichoke

Culinary innovator and food entrepreneur Dave Cook continues to renovate the former Merv’s Variety at 874 Dundas Street. The revamped premises will be home to a restaurant, patio, craft beer pub and Fire Roasted Coffee offering. Cook is also establishing a food incubator in the 14,000-square-foot Somerville Building at 630 Dundas St. He is developing a shared space where culinary entrepreneurs can set up and grow, in much the same way vendors can get their start at his Farmer s’ & Artisans’ Market at Western Fair. In the first stage of this project Cook is creating space for small businesses incubation and food start-ups, a Fire Roasted Coffee café and roastery, and a grocery store. The grocery store is a joint initiative with ATN Access. This project was prompted by the need for a new roastery for Fire Roasted Coffee, which has outgrown its home at the Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market at Western Fair. The Somerville Building will have a large patio facing Dundas Street with fo...

BY BRYAN LAVERY A recent road trip consisting of a meandering but scenic drive through Oxford County, Punkeydoodles Corners, Kitchener-Waterloo and the towns and hamlets in and around the Grand River, would eventually bring us to Paris, Ontario, for a two day reunion with long-time friends from London, Toronto and Parkhill. We were looking for a new and top-notch culinary experience, and had been anticipating chef Jonathan Gushue`s return to the culinary scene. Our host/organizer made reservations at The Berlin in Kitchener, well in advance. The Berlin was already making a name for itself as a culinary destination. It was a given that we would be dining there. Jonathan Gushue is the Newfoundland-born chef who was instrumental in Cambridge`s Langdon Hall receiving a coveted Five Diamond Award, and also being named the 77 th  best restaurant in the world on the S. Pellegrino list several years ago. The Berlin, which opened in December 2015, is named...

        Down The Rabbit Hole at The Red Rabbit In Stratford BY BRYAN LAVERY               “A locally sourced restaurant, run by workers, owned by workers, shared by the community,” pretty much sums up the Red Rabbit’s ethos. C hef Sean Collins is a Stratford Chefs School graduate, instructor and previously head chef at Mercer Hall before its sale last year. Collins terms his cooking as “Flavour First, Ingredient Driven.” He also says, “We cook food we like to eat.” One of Stratford’s most anticipated openings last summer was  The Red Rabbit, which opened in mid-July. Stratford born Jessie Votary and Collins left  Mercer Hall  to build the community-shared restaurant on Wellington Street with partners/workers Johnathon Naiman (sous chef),  Adam Robinson  (front of house),  Tyson Everitt  (Doctor and resident soda jerk and fermenting spe...