The Week:

PLEASE NOTE:  THE BRANCH IS CLOSED FOR A PRIVATE FUNCTION THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, We apologize for any inconvenience...

If you haven't seen it yet... here is the link to our episode of You Gotta Eat Here!  Our segment starts at 14 minutes... there are some commercials, but the last third of the show is all us…

episode link

South of the border?  Try ‘Hola’ (google it, it works…) So, there you have it!  Watch out for the wild tofu!

Food:

Regular Menu:

Along with our signature items (listed here), our in-house menu includes specials that change weekly or even more often depending on seasonal availability...

Appetizers:

Soups of the Day are always made from scratch using fresh ingredients, cup, $2.99; bowl, $5.99
Green Salad: greens, shredded fresh veggies, seeds, choice of dressing: creamy ‘Branch’ or apple cider vinaigrette, small, $2.99; regular, $5.99, dinner sized $11.99
Caesar Salad: Romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, bacon, tomato-garlic Caesar dressing, croutons, $7.99
Brisket Sliders: bites of our famous brisket on toasted cornbread with BBQ sauce and slaw, $8.99
Chips & Dips: corn chips, with sour cream, housemade salsa & guacamole, $8.99
Taco Salad (dinner size only): choice of smoked beef brisket, house-roasted chicken, or smoked tofu, with greens, cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, beans, and corn chips; dinner sized only, $16.99

Entrees: all entrees come with cornbread and a choice of soup (Caesar salad, add $.99) or salad...

Texas BBQ Plate: all BBQ Plates come with housemade bbq sauce, potato salad (substitute roasted or mashed potatoes for $1.99), slaw, beans, onions & pickles $22.99; choose one of the following (add a second choice for $3.99):

• Beef Brisket: OUR SPECIALTY! Heaps of tender 100% local hardwood smoked and braised beef from the Wallace Beef Co-op.
• Smoked Tofu & Portobello: with peppers and onions.
• 1/2 Chicken: (or choose either 1 piece white meat or 2 pieces dark) from Lyon's Family Farm
• Spicy Sausage, local beef and pork, made in collaboration with the good folks at the B&H grocery-- house smoked!

Blackened Trout: locally farmed rainbow trout filets seared in cast iron with Cajun spices, served over veggie etouffée and rice with remoulade, $21.99
'Wild Tofu' Enchiladas: corn tortillas stuffed with peppers, smoked portobello mushrooms and tofu, smothered in chile-tomato ranchero sauce and cheese, served with beans, rice, salsa, guacamole and sour cream, $19.99
Steak Special: ask your server...
Branchburger: (does not include choice of soup or salad) 1/3 pound 100% local, naturally raised beef, thick & juicy, on a toasted bun with tomato-garlic mayo, grainy mustard, lettuce, onion, tomato; with roasted potato wedges, more aioli for dipping, and pickles, $13.99 ($10.99, with $.99 toppings Friday and Saturday, 5-7pm only) Add:
• cheese: $2.49
• guacamole: $1.50
• bacon: $1.99
• blue cheese: $2.99
• jalapenos: $.99
• fried egg: $1.99
• sautéed mushrooms or onions: $.99
• gluten-free Kaiser $.99

please note: our famous burgers are fresh ground locally, in a small facility; as such, we are comfortable serving them ‘medium’, a.k.a. ‘a little pink’. If you have another preference, please let us know and we will prepare it to your liking.
*Veggie version available on request, try our house-made vegan and gluten free black bean patty!

Desserts:

Sticky Toffee Cake: with caramel sauce and real whipped cream, $5.99
Nicole's Magic Mousse: super rich chocolate mousse cake with a cookie crust... how the heck is this thing vegan?!  Magic, of course... Nicole Magic. 6.99
Apple-Strawberry Crisp: local apples & strawberries, caramel sauce, real whipped cream $5.99
What’s the scoop? Add a single scoop of ice cream to any of the above (or enjoy it on its own), $1.49
*all our housemade desserts are 100% gluten free!

Wednesday & Thursday:

BBQ Bonanza!!  Come check out our NEW Wednesday and Thursday special! The meal includes a choice of our famous house-smoked beef brisket or a roast 1/2 chicken from Lyon’s Family Farm in Spencerville, mashed potatoes, cornbread, BBQ sauce and slaw… it is available every Wednesday and Thursday, from 5pm to 9:30pm, it is hot and ready when you are, and either plate is only $15.99.  That's right, just freakin' $15.99!

Friday & Saturday:

Burger Bonanza!! Join us this and every Friday and Saturday between 5 and 7pm for a Burg-o-rama! We chargrill a big pile of burgers over real hardwood on the Big Black Smoker, serve them (with all the usual fixings, including roasted potato wedges and housemade pickles, mustard and tomato-garlic aioli...) It's all for just $10.99, with any of our add-ons (cheese, bacon, blue cheese, onions, mushrooms, even a fried egg!) for just 99 cents each! Dine in or take it home, but remember, the special price is only on Fridays and Saturdays between 5 and 7pm… (as always, gluten free and vegetarian versions are also available…).

Wednesday-Saturday:

Family Takeout Dinner, $44.99: Designed to feed a family of four, our takeout dinner now comes with a roasted 1/2 chicken (from Lyon's Family Farm), 3/4 pound of our famous 100% hardwood smoked beef brisket, a side of seasonal veggies, a tub each of black beans, mashed potatoes and coleslaw, our own zippy BBQ sauce and cornbread… The full dinner is hot and ready for pickup between 4 and 6pm, Wednesday through Saturday, if you call before 3pm. Add some Mac n’ Cheese for the kiddos for just $4.99.

Music:
 

Friday 22 - Doug Hendry and LOTS of friends...

Saturday 23 - closed for a private function, we apologize for any inconvenience...

Sunday 24 ~ Rubber Boots Buffet, 2-8pm and Open Mic 3-6pm. THIS WEEK the open mic is hosted by Chef Bruce... For those who are new to the clan, the Sunday Open Mic/Rubber Boots Buffet is a family friendly, fun, community day that welcomes musicians of all skill levels. We mix up the music schedule a bit with guest hosts like Greg Kelly and the Ukulele Kemptville Experience (UKE), and occasional 'Birthday Tribute' events, where participants are encouraged to play songs by an artist whose birthday is on or near the Sunday in question; While all that happens, the Rubber Boots Buffet is being served... it is an all day, all you can eat comfort food extravaganza (other menus such as pub grub, kids and a dessert menu are also available) and the whole day is a place where you can meet your neighbours, come in for a beer or a pot of tea, stay for a bowl of homemade soup and a song or two and leave with, well, a whole new batch of friends. Everyone is welcome—and yes, that means you! We’d love to see you this Sunday…

That’s all for now, thanks for reading!

Bruce & Nicole

Sustainability Fair

For those of you that have been with us all along, it will come as no surprise that we are not only involved with the Sustainability Fair, we are on the organizing committee, that means giving up a bit of our rare and precious free time every week to make sure this important event is a big success… For the rest of you, since this is Earth Day, I hope you don’t mind if we take a moment to share with you a bit of heart and soul… The Branch, from day zero, has been committed to the philosophy of sustainable living, we used to say environmentalism, but ‘environmentalism’ alone, without a philosophy of community and cultural resilience is only survival, not building a future.  So now we say Sustainable Living.  In case you were wondering. What does that mean to us?  It means that we always choose local foods, services and products, whenever possible to reduce our carbon footprint; we use organic foods for most of our pantry staples and almost everything we buy from abroad; we use biodegradable cleaners, compostable and/or recycled and/or recyclable containers and paper goods every time; we buy only small farm meat products, raised humanely and naturally, usually from someone we know… We seek out new ways to save energy, water and we do other things like minimize packaging, composting, making things from scratch to insure that it is clean and free of environmental toxins… But Why?  That’s a whole other question…  Nicole and I met at an organic restaurant in San Francisco, both of us far away from our homes.  It may seem strange that an Ottawa girl and a Texan would have much in common, but as we got to know each other, we realized that we did… We were both that weird kid in both of our families that insisted on reusing Christmas packaging, on teaching our parents to recycle, on finding better, healthier and cleaner food for ourselves and for the people we cared about… We both felt sad that a planet (and many of its inhabitants, come to think of it,) which we both felt such a strong affinity for was in such a sorry state with pollution, abuse, ill health and neglect… And perhaps MOST importantly, to our very cores, we both believed (and still believe) that with a little work and a little faith, that people could, that WE could fix that.  It is that belief and that optimistic set of core values that has sustained us (as the Branch) through 7 years of hard work, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, successes and failures (good and bad, sickness and health…)

So I guess that what I’m saying is this: we love cooking, serving, being a part of this wonderful community, being a part of the culture through supporting music and the arts… But those things are all just WHAT we do.  Come out this Sunday to the Sustainability Fair if you’d like to find out more about WHY.    

Greenwashing...

I’ve always been a bit of a rebel—I question authority, I don’t take things at face value, I like to think that I live on the edge, battling the status quo. I don’t know where I picked up this attitude, maybe it has something to do with being a middle child—neither the firstborn nor the baby, struggling to earn my due—maybe it has something to do with genetics (my folks could be described as having the occasional quirk...), maybe it was just my group of childhood friends who set me on this path. One thing is for sure, though, at least over the last year or so, that sense of NOT being in the mainstream is almost certainly incorrect. Or is it?



From things like the election, in the U.S., of an (on paper) progressive president, to my own casual forays into the halls of local politics and even to the broad, casual acceptance of things that used to be my niche, my fringe philosophies; especially things like the local and organic foods movement, green energy, like solar panels and hybrid cars, railing against pollution and oil companies... Well, often, the fact is, I just don’t feel so alone out here anymore.



I seem to be surrounded by friends, big and small, friends I never expected to meet; let me elaborate: today, I saw a Coca-Cola truck with a ten foot high banner bragging that it was a hybrid-electric vehicle that was responsible for cleaning city air; last week I saw an article in which our new Wal-Mart claimed to be building its new local box store using ‘sustainable building’ practices; a new Canadian Tire, (across the street from the old one) will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Grocery stores claim to carry local and organic products; new restaurants advertise local foods. I’m surrounded by friends, everywhere I look, trying to help make the world a better place by going green, buying local, even cleaning the air with Coca-Cola.



Why do I smell a rat?



Last week I saw Food Inc., finally. If you haven’t seen it yet, please, really, go watch it. Now. Seriously, I’ll still be here when you get back....



OK, you’ve seen it? Good! Now, welcome back; where was I? Food, Inc. is a movie that seems to be a summary of a lot of the information I try to share with people on pretty much a daily basis (monthly, if you just read the newsletter...) It encompasses everything from the dangers and pitfalls of centralized agribusiness in the meat and commodity food industries to the intimate connection between what we eat and our (and our planet’s) health. One of the experts interviewed in the film was Gary Hirschberg, a C.E.-Yo (...his joke, not mine...), president, and one of the people instrumental in bringing Stonyfield Yogurt into millions of homes all over North America every year. Gary, it would seem, was kind of a late term hippie; the Stonyfield website describes him as ‘an environmental activist, a windmill maker, an author, and a noted entrepreneur’; a little more homework reveals that he was a member of The New Alchemy Institute, a think-tank and not-for-profit research group of sorts that experimented with green technologies and that sounds like a page out of any edition of the Whole Earth Catalogue. He evolved into one of socially responsible business’s most exhilarating (on the surface) success stories. He is a man who has taken his values to the street, and by ‘the street’ I mean Main Street, the place where you and I actually live. His brand is no longer merely the best-selling organic yogurt brand; it is the 3rd largest selling yogurt brand, period. He is no longer David, he is Goliath.



I have often repeated language of Gary Hirschberg, both consciously and unconsciously, when describing my vision for our restaurant... How it is important to reach a wider audience, how our business is our activism, how my dream includes the ability not only to help support organic farmers, but to simply, actually, support them. Stonyfield does these things; it supports hundreds of organic farmers and is responsible for tens of thousands of acres of pesticide and herbicide free farmland, an outstanding accomplishment for any company and, in my opinion, probably an excellent step towards saving the world. Hirschberg’s latest venture is encroaching even closer towards my own with a line of natural and organic fast food restaurants under the moniker ‘O’Naturals’, a franchise which he claims that he wants to ‘become McDonald’s’. He speaks of these things with the passion of an evangelist; he firmly believes in taking the socially responsible business model right into heat of the battle, the thick of the fight. He is fearless, smart, and probably, I hope, does more good than harm.



Stonyfield is a grand idea, but here’s the thing: it is an idea built (again, in my opinion,) on the same shaky ground that has created the calamitous state of food everywhere. Everything about Stonyfield, everything about big agribusiness in general, is that instead of, or, perhaps, in Stonyfield’s case, along with, being about good, better and best, it is about being big, bigger and biggest. It is the same bloated mentality that has led us to the edge of the cliff and the same mentality that will push us over.



I don’t doubt that Hirschberg means well and has done a world of good. But by this logic, Wal-Mart has also done a world of good and probably supported thousands of organic farms with a single purchase order. Hirschberg is at much less moral fault than Wal-Mart, who is in the business of organics and ‘sustainable building’ to look good and to sell more products rather than for any deep-seated activist rationale, but he, whether he likes it or not, is at the mercy of the same flawed system nonetheless.



In 2004, Stonyfield came under majority ownership of Danone Group, the folks who make Dannon yogurt, one of Stonyfield’s biggest conventional competitors. Like Ben and Jerry’s going to Unilever and Odwalla going to Coca Cola before it (to help clean city air, no doubt...), this was a big mash-up in the ‘socially responsible business’ marketplace. Under the terms of the sale, as long as Stonyfield is increasing profits, Hirschberg will remain in control; he has also obligated the company to continue a policy of donating 10% of profits to environmental causes for up 10 years after his departure. In return, he pays back all his investors, and also, incidentally, doesn’t really have to worry about cash flow around the Hirschberg home, anymore. Ever. It seems like a sweetheart deal, and the Danone group looks good with an organic jewel in its crown. And, like I said, there is no question that a big conglomerate can do more with a single purchase than a million of me will do in a lifetime of small potatoes organic purchasing. So, despite the sale, takeover, or whatever, it would seem that Hirschberg’s vision of an ecologically responsible giant agribusiness operation is still under his guidance. For now. Until it is no longer profitable, or even just no longer profitable enough. And yet, it is still flawed. Stonyfield, Danone, O’Naturals, Wal-Mart... these business are built on the same premise that got us into the mess we’re in, the philosophy of go big or go home.



Another guy in the film is Joel Salatin—now here’s a character I’d like to meet. He is a farmer who describes himself in Michael Pollan’s ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’ (you know the drill, go read it...



OK, welcome back...) as a ‘grass farmer’. By virtue of his success at this activity, he also manages to raise beef, vegetables, chicken and pigs on a farm in Virginia that can only be described as ‘beyond organic.’ His take, in the film, on the large scale farms of the world is clear, it won’t work. “The model,” he says, “is flawed.” What he means is that conventional and large scale agriculture ignores too many hidden costs to the environment—be it planetary or human health or even just the massive cost of inputs required to run a farm of scale. Most large chicken farmers make an average of $18,000 a year, and the cost of a single chicken house which is required for a contract with a large scale processor is about $500,000; now, think about that... This is only one example, a little homework reveals dozens more examples. The fact is that cheap food is not really cheap; it is a market, like subprime mortgages, which is designed to fail. Even Stonyfield, with all of its market share and brand loyalty will collapse when the rest of the system collapses. Cheap oil, as we’ve all seen recently, is also not so cheap when you have to start digging for it a mile below the surface of the ocean, and it is the very foundation of our so-called ‘cheap food’ economy. Corn, a commodity which the film shows to be in (if not the primary ingredient of) a vast percentage of the cheap foods we have come to take for granted, is only cheap because of massive subsidies put in place by the U.S. government. Monsanto, the world’s largest purveyor of genetically modified seeds, has managed, through bully tactics and effective lobbying, to all but shut down the time honored practice of seed saving—the only way small, localized farms will be able to survive in a world without cheap oil. “The system,” as Salatin says, “is flawed...” Understatement.



The film is amazingly informative and I highly recommend it, especially its central message about consumer responsibility. I wish a film could change the way we all behave, but that’s not really up to a film, it’s kind of up to us, isn’t it?



On the local front, we are hearing more and more about local and organic, about ‘Green and Growing’, about how these big, new, and likely unnecessary businesses (do we really need four grocery stores in a town of 8,000?) that are moving into our small town are now the ones who are going to help us save the world...



There’s a new word out there, ‘greenwashing,’ that’s used to describe this tactic—it’s the same type of advertising ploy used in recent history that made sugary breakfast cereals a ‘part of a healthy breakfast’ or like claiming that french fries and ketchup count as a serving of veggies and are somehow healthful foods. They can be healthy, in moderation, as can toxic waste (OK, in extreme moderation...) Nowadays, ‘health’, the buzz word of the last decade or so, has been replaced by ‘green’. And, with the careful application of a little green paint, suddenly everyone is green, like those healthy junk foods of yesteryear, whether they are actually green or not. Pesticide-heavy farms are good for us and good for the planet because they are ‘local’. Grocery store chains can sponsor organic events because .5 percent of their sales are of ‘organic’ products from China or South America, so they are suddenly ‘on our side’...



I thought I’d joined the mainstream, and it does make me smile to know that WalMart, apparently, wants to be like me. Gary Hirshberg had a similar epiphany which he described in an interview a few years back. He said that he had started his quest to change the world by comparing the good turnout he had received at a tradeshow to an outlandishly larger turnout received by Kraft; he had decided then and there to figure out how they had done what they had and to imitate it, but with organic foods. Large organic farms do something similar: they use ‘organically approved’ inputs like Bt in place of conventional pesticides, sewage sludge in place of chemical fertilizers, then they proceed to pile into giant combines and set out to remake the face of the earth in their own flat, unimaginative image. A few years later, Hirschberg, after following this path, found out that Kraft was seeking advice on green(wash)ing their company and realized that, in this battle he had ‘won.’ Somehow he missed the irony.



I hate to be cynical (I mean, obviously); slowly but surely, people are coming around—attitudes are changing, the fringe is becoming the mainstream. We’re still fighting the good fight, just on different fronts in a big, weird and complicated war. Hirschberg is a warrior, with good intentions leading his own crusade, and appears to be winning. He is also, thanks in no small part to his timely flying of the green flag, a multimillion- if not billionaire. And Joel Salatin, smart, humble and by no means burdened with such material wealth is on the other front, a clear and honest voice who is also winning his own share of hearts and minds. So am I just a rebel? I don’t crave poverty, but I would, as I think Salatin does, settle for moderate material success coupled with the satisfaction of a life well lived. But why am I unhappy and skeptical when I see the corporations, often the same corporations that got us into this polluted, illogical system we’re in, changing their stripes? Going down dirty and coming up green? Is it because I know, you know, we all know, that when it comes down to it, the only real ‘green’ out there for a big company, a really big company, is on the back of the U.S. dollar bill? Well, yeah. That probably is it.

The Week:

Tuesdays and Wednesdays in May, join us for our All You Can Eat Fajita Buffet! Heaps of grilled and seasoned beef and chicken, peppers, onions and our famous house-smoked portabello mushrooms, guacamole, cheese, beans, rice, salsa, sour cream & tortillas...heck, there's even salad and cornbread for only $14.99...it's every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5-8pm. Yeah, buddy!

Tuesday, May 22, Steve Parisien, 7pm, no cover. talented local instrumental Jazz guitarist Steve stops in a couple of times every year to show off his chops and let us in to his secret world--piano tuner by day, Steve lives in a world of tone and pitch--when the guitar is out, he brings you along for the ride!

Wednesday, May 16, 23 and 30 Josef Mieto, 7pm, free! Every Wednesday in May, local folkal Josef Mieto will be playing and singing tunes of his own as well as folksy classics by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. This residency concept is just a little something extra on us for your Wednesday night pleasure--Josef has mentioned that he'll probably bring around some of his talented friends and family to help him out throughout the month, (Amanda Giles, Joel and Bianca Mieto) but if you've heard him play, (as he did at our Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen birthday tributes from last year...) you'll already know that he's a pleasure to enjoy even just on his own.

Thursday, May 24, Levon Helm Birthday Tribute (The Band/Bob Dylan) 7pm, no cover. Well, it's technically Bob Dylan's birthday, but I put in a call to dear old Mr. Zimmerman, and he said that he would totally understand if we decided to celebrate Levon this year on his special day, given the circumstance; and anyway, Levon would have been 72 on May 26, which is really just a two day difference when you think about it...Bob just said no problem, man, as long you guys all sing I Shall Be Released as the big jam at the end. So,obviously, it's a go. Lots of local musicians have already signed up to celebrate, now it's your turn!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 25, 26 & 27, Dandelion Festival, Riverside Park--Join us there! The Branch will be closed for regular service as we participate in this Kemptville's annual celebration of weed! Not that kind, silly, the one with the yellow flowers...The Dandelion Festival is the area's premiere arts, culture and sports event featuring three days of live music, food, dancing, a kid's zone, a dunking booth, a craft fair, the kickoff of the Farmers' Market and, what is apparently the only nationally sanctioned Grand Prix bicycle race in Ontario...I hope the cyclists aren't allergic to dandelion pollen! We'll be at Riverside park for all three days, doling out our famous barbecue and soaking up the rays--come on out and see us there. We'll be in the beer tent. Obviously. Here's a link for more info: click here.

Thursday, May 31, Songwriter's Triangle...hosted by Chef Bruce and featuring locals Lisa Poushinsky and Josef Mieto, 7pm, no cover. This month's edition of the regular singin' songwritin' event that falls on the last Thursday of every month is a locals only version featuring the torchy jazz influenced tunes of Lisa Poushinksy and the dulcet crooning of weekly Wednesday night folk show host Josef Mieto--and me, of course, each of us strutting our original material for your perusal. It's artsy, but not fartsy--it's barbecue friendly art--like a velvet Elvis--like a sunset over the Rideau--like a jackelope with a banjo--a faded sign--the night sky--it's...well...it's good, and we'd love for you to come.

Well, that wraps up May--we look forward to having you all out real soon...and, (some of you know what I'm talking about,) Thanks.

--Chef Bruce

This Week--Maple Hill! Folk! Jazz! Blues! DRY RIVER CARAVAN!

Tuesday, April 17th Pat Moore & Maple Hill Bluegrass Jam, 8pm, no cover: Next Tuesday, please come to this monthly event at which the lovely Pat Moore and the talented fellas from Maple Hill invite you to come on up and play along! That’s right, pickers are welcome, heck, even encouraged to jump in at this one of a kind monthly jam—I even got dragged into it last month (tough work, I’m sure) and had a ball singing old time and Country with this fine crew. This is the real bluegrass deal we’ve all been waiting for, so help spread the word and enjoy!

Wednesday, April 18, Josef Mieto, 7pm, free! Every Wednesday in April, local folkal Josef Mieto will be playing and singing tunes of his own as well as folksy classics by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. This residency concept is just a little something extra on us for your Wednesday night pleasure--Josef has mentioned that he'll probably bring around some of his talented friends and family to help him out throughout the month, (Amanda Giles, Joel and Bianca Mieto) but if you've heard him play, (as he did at our Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen birthday tributes from last year...) you'll already know that he's a pleasure to enjoy even just on his own.

Thursday, April 19th, Smoky Undertones (Jazz), 8pm, $6: Next Thursday Linda Girard and her smoky, undertoney crew are back for the first time in a while to deliver the tones, the tunes, the vibes, the riffs and the hazy 3 martini glow that only a torchy night at the jazz lounge can provide...We’ll provide the olives and the gin, you bring the swank—Linda and the boys will take care of the rest!

Friday, April 20th, George Buys, 7pm, no cover: George Buys is back next Friday with the rhythm, the blues, the smile and the tunes to enhance your Friday dining experience as part of what is turning into a local performers showcase every Friday night this month—There is no such thing as a bad George Buys show, only varying degrees of good and better—from his original bluesy tunes to his broad selection of classic covers, George is a gentleman and a scholar—he always leaves us smiling, why not let him do the same for you!

Saturday, April 21, Dry River Caravan, 9pm, $10: Now here’s a show I can’t let you pass up—In fact, I must insist that you find your way to the Branch next Saturday for the local debut from this Ottawa Based alt-folk-gypsy-klezmerish-indie-pop-old time collective: Dry River Caravan sold me on first listen , and, I must admit, is one of the few acts that I have made an extra special effort to bring out for your listening pleasure—Take a minute and follow the link below to watch a video or listen to a tune or two; these folks are nearly perfect Branch music and I’d hate for you to miss out, so don’t—Plan now, reserve soon and tell your friends to come along—Ladies and Gents, we have ourselves a winner!

"At the core Dry River Caravan is a folk project. But one listen to their music and you can tell they go way beyond easily classifiable genre distinctions. In order for anything to not only survive but thrive, there must be variation, and there is no music tradition too foreign or unreachable for this group. They blend traditions from the Balkans and Eastern Europe, to Africa, India, and East Asia, just to name a few, and combine those with familiar Western popular music elements to create something exciting and new.

Dry River Caravan's live show is known far and wide as a raucous party and a great time. But now with the release of their debut album "Wake Up", taking home Dry River Caravan will be a completely different story. Their songs go beyond upbeat dance music, and take you across cinematic landscapes both stark and beautiful. They create a world that is difficult to place in time or geography, a world that simply is, Dry River Caravan."

(bio lifted from the internet...)





Sunday, April 22, Open Stage hosted by John and Terry Brewer, celebrating 10 years of open Stages Sundays at the Branch and Amanda’s Slip! That’s right, even though they are down to just having time for a couple of hosting gigs a year, John and Terry Brewer, the originators of the Open Stage concept in this room have actually been at at for a solid decade! I have a feeling this may get a little wild...might I recommend a pair of dancing rubber boots for this one? Open Stage and the Buffet start at 2!

The Week!

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, don't forget our All You Can Eat Fajita Buffet! Heaps of grilled and seasoned beef and chicken, peppers, onions and our famous housesmoked portabello mushrooms, guacamole, cheese, beans, rice, salsa, sour cream & tortillas...heck, there's even salad and cornbread for only $14.99...it's every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5-8pm. Yeah, buddy!

Wednesday, April 11, Josef Mieto, 7pm, free! Every Wednesday in April, local folkal Josef Mieto will be playing and singing tunes of his own as well as folksy classics by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. This residency concept is just a little something extra on us for your Wednesday night pleasure--Josef has mentioned that he'll probably bring around some of his talented friends and family to help him out throughout the month, (Amanda Giles, Joel and Bianca Mieto) but if you've heard him play, (as he did at our Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen birthday tributes from last year...) you'll already know that he's a pleasure to enjoy just on his own.



Thursday, April 12, Signe Miranda, 9pm, $5; Toronto indie-alt/folk: Toronto-based singer/songwriter Signe Miranda just released her sophomore album, “September Night” recorded with her band, 'Signe Miranda's Veranda' and embarked on a cross-Canada tour. The title track received "Honorable Mention" in the Song of The Year competition. The group is led by Signe Miranda and includes a revolving cast of talented musicians who blend together a sound that seamlessly brings you on a journey from post-break-up, alt-pop-punk title track, “September Night” to warm, spacious, alt-country gem, “Like It Was Yesterday”.

This follow-up to Signe's solo “Love Wins” EP, a five-song disc that explores themes of love lost and won in a sincere alt-folk-pop style. A bedroom recording, the album is built mostly upon acoustic guitar and vocals,‘Love Wins’ is charting on college radio stations across Canada and is being played on CBC Radio and on radio stations in the United States, Germany, Belarus, Macedonia, Colombia, Australia and New Zealand.

Originally from Belleville, Ontario, Signe began playing music at an early age and by fifteen was playing guitar and writing songs. Signe has performed for audiences in Canada, the UK and Norway.

“We really love your engaging style, it is emotive, minimalist, evocative and very subtle. The choice of material backed up with guitar is marvellous and gels together in a hauntingly beautiful sound that has you wanting more and our audiences most certainly will love your heartfelt songs…” Peter Merrett (Music Manager, PBS FM 106-7, Melbourne, Australia)

Friday, April 13, Doug Hendry (and friends...), 7pm, no cover: The Scottish ambassador to Kemptville will host this Friday's dinner music showcase playing his original songs, folk favourites, 12 string tunes and perhaps even a taste of Supertramp. Doug, the fearless leader of Kemptville's 'Maplewood Celeidh Band' as well as a contributing pitchfork and torch wielder in his other project,'The Heroic Mad Peasants' is sure to be joined by fellow folksy types on this Friday's musical adventure, so be prepared for anything except, perhaps, Bob Dylan.

Saturday, April 14, Al Wood and the Woodsmen, 9pm, $5: Blues! CD Release Show! Al Wood is a multi-talented performer and songwriter with a deep reverence for the blues and traditionally-based roots music. Born in Sault Ste. Marie (the Soo), Ontario, Al’s father first taught him how to pick out old country tunes on the harmonica. Now a virtuoso harmonica player, talented guitar stylist, and golden-throated singer, Al lives in Ottawa and Highway 17 is more than a song; it’s a road well-traveled.

On the new CD, Al Wood’s heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, harmonica-playing and guitar work create a powerful potion on stage and in the studio. Backed by the talented Woodsmen, the new and original Mood Swingin’ Blues is an emotional Ferris wheel ride where everything goes, everything grooves and even the “hurtin’ songs” make you feel good.

Thirteen full-band songs, all penned by Al Wood, span the highest and the lowest ranges of human emotion, weaving together diverse forms of blues and related styles with a unique originality that defies cliché and elevates the soul the way only music can. Also lyrically rich and full of imagery, Wood’s songs take us down shiny neon-lit streets, into a hot crowded jazz club, or on an enchanted jaunt through a fairytale countryside.



Sunday, April 15, BRUNCH! in support of the North Grenville Cooperative Pre-school and Learning Center from 10-2pm, Our regular Rubber Boots Buffet from 2-8pm and our ever popular Open Stage, hosted by Chef Bruce from 3-6pm. Let's get eggy with it!

The Week!

PLEASE NOTE: The Branch is Closed on Sunday, April 7 to celebrate the opening day of Egg Hunting Season. Have a wonderful Easter! (We apologize for any inconvenience...)


Tuesdays and Wednesdays, don't forget our All You Can Eat Fajita Buffet! Heaps of grilled and seasoned beef and chicken, peppers, onions and our famous housesmoked portabello mushrooms, guacamole, cheese, beans, rice, salsa, sour cream & tortillas...heck, there's even salad and cornbread for only $14.99...it's every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5-8pm. Yeah, buddy!

Wednesday, April 4, Josef Mieto, 7pm, free! Every Wednesday in April, local folkal Josef Mieto will be playing and singing tunes of his own as well as folksy classics by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. This residency concept is just a little something extra on us for your Wednesday night pleasure--Josef has mentioned that he'll probably bring around some of his talented friends and family to help him out throughout the month, (Amanda Giles, Joel and Bianca Mieto) but if you've heard him play, (as he did at our Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen birthday tributes from last year...) you'll already know that he's a pleasure to enjoy just on his own.



Thursday, April 5, The Avenues, 9pm, $6: Peterborough has sent a couple of interesting acts our way over the years, The County Boys, a young bluegrass inspired trio with a fantastic energy being one, Sean Conway, an exquisite and authentic old school country picker, who debuted at the Branch this year alongside our ever returning and popular troubadour Petunia being another; Well, this Thursday, be prepared for what can only be described as a Peterborough experience squared! The Avenues are a supergroup of sorts, apparently, featuring Sean Conway and members of the County Boys! That's right, 2 for one! Or more, even, or something!

Emerging from the sleepy river town of Peterborough, Ontario, The Avenues make real country music; not country music that requires the pre-fix "alt" or "new," but the pure, honest, and unadorned kind.

Forming in the winter of 2009, The Avenues sound the way Nashville might have without the glitz and glamour, as their banjo pickin' and guitar strummin' - augmented by the addition of bass and drums - echo the honky tonks and the heartaches of old country music.

On their self-titled first album, Chris Culgin (guitar and vocals) Benj Rowland (banjo, bass pedals and vocals), Sean Conway (electric guitar), and Josh Fewings (drums), tell stories from the frontiers of country music, wandering that liminal space just past what musicologists call tradition...strikingly familiar yet undoubtedly new, like hearing a new story from an old friend.

With stunning vocal harmonies and a high-spirited live show, The Avenues are one of Canada's best-kept secrets.

Well now, that sounds like a good time, doesn't it? Come on out! Friday is a day off anyway, this is where you'll want to be!

Friday, April 6, David Shanahan, 7pm, free! You had fun singing along with this local patriarch of the true Irish tradition on St. Patricks Day, didn't you? Well then come on out for a Good Friday evening with Dr. Shanahan, Historian, Scholar, entertainer, and our good friend...it starts at 7 and it's free!

Saturday, April 7, Terry McLeish, 9pm, $5: Stompin Tom fans, take note, Terry Mcleish is as close as we get these days to having a songwriter that has the wit, charm and ability to spin a yarn like old Tom is able to do...And I'm not even calling him second best, Terry is a fun, entertaining and engaging songwriter in his own right, and will keep you both guessing and chuckling with his country tinged story-songs this Saturday night. Ask anyone who was at the recent Songwriter's Circle last week here at the Branch where Terry was a guest, his memorable tunes may very well have stolen the show!

Singer-Songwriter Terry McLeish has been described as:
“a Canadian songwriter whose songs and music poignantly capture the lives of cowboys, loggers, misfits and as well, the trials, humor and pathos of everyday life.”
Raised in a military family, Terry has worked as a grocery boy, farm hand, golf course greens man, forest fire fighter, tree planter, clerk and forest technician.
Major influences in McLeish’s music and writing have been Steve Goodman, Ian Tyson, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Steve Earle. Bluegrass has also been a strong influence which can be heard in many of the songs on his self titled, début album, “Terry McLeish”. His music career has taken him from folk, rock and blues bands to folk/roots singer-songwriter and performer and his songs have been heard on CJOH television, CBC, CHCR radio, CHIP and Valley Heritage radio, CKCU radio, other artist’s albums and projects, compilation cd’s and a musical tour of the Upper Ottawa Valley’s Opeongo Line. Over the years, Terry has shared the stage with Colleen Peterson, Valdy, Long John Baldry, Reverend Ken and the Lost Followers, Jack De Keizer, Sneezy Waters, Ian Tamblyn, David Essig, Donnie Walsh of Downchild Blues Band, Paul Brandt, Ronnie Hawkins, Prairie Oyster, Leahy and many more. He has performed at festivals, clubs, kitchen parties, fairs and events of all kinds.
Recently, Terry was invited to act and perform in The Stone Fence Theatre’s current production of “The Opeongo Opera” which ran throughout the summer and into the fall of 2011. Three of his songs were chosen to be featured in this acclaimed two-act musical as well. In early 2012 McLeish hosted The Terry McLeish Show; an eight week live stage show featuring some of Canada’s best folk/roots, singer-songwriters.
McLeish has recently completed his self titled début studio album, produced by James Stephens, of fourteen original songs which was released in August of 2011. He went on to win runner up in the International Acoustic Music Awards and was a finalist in The Great American Song Contest and the 2011 International Song Writing Competition. He is performing on stages throughout eastern Ontario and western Quebec either as a solo act or with well known Ottawa bass player and long time friend and band mate, Grant Tomkinson. Terry currently lives on the Ottawa River in the Upper Ottawa Valley.

The Branch is Closed on Sunday, April 7 to celebrate the opening day of Egg Hunting Season. Have a wonderful Easter!