Alice Waters let me down this week. It’s not the first time, won’t be the last, I’m sure. I was listening to a riveting episode of a podcast called Freakonomics Radio entitled ‘Waiter, there’s a Physicist in My Soup!’ The podcast revolved around the no longer quite so new trend of ‘molecular gastronomy’ and the work of physicist/cookbook author Nathan Myhrvold, whose monstrous tome ‘Modernist Cuisine’ will be hitting the shelves sometime soon. Alice, it seems, was brought on to ‘balance’ the conversation but she, I must admit, left me wishing for more.
I first encountered ‘modernist cuisine’ while working in San Francisco, when I started to hear rumblings on the fringes of the culinary world about a Spanish chef, Ferran Adria, who was making waves, winning awards, changing the game. At first blush, I was enamoured, he seemed to represent a next logical step for folks like me, folks who wanted to push the creative boundaries of high end cuisine. Millennium, where I worked at the time, also relied heavily on unusual techniques to translate our vegan concepts for a mass audience. I read about Adria’s deconstructionist ideas and began to incorporate them into my own dishes—rethinking everything from tamales to bouillabaisse...I found myself asking “what is it about this dish that makes it specifically ‘this’ dish?” and in the answers, often, I found lots of room to play.
I also read about Heston Blumenthal, owner of Britain’s The Fat Duck, perennial ‘second best restaurant in the world’ (placing, for many of the last several years, just behind Adria’s ElBulli in the British magazine Restaurant’s prestigious annual poll) and another proponent of high concept technique. Other names appeared in connection with this movement, Herve Thís, Nicolas Kurti, José Andrés, and my personal favourite, Harold Mcgee, a food scientist who made a name for himself by debunking old wives tales (like the one about how searing the meat ‘seals in the juices’) with a combination of accessible writing and meticulous attention to detail as well as to the scientific method.
I liked these ideas about deconstruction, about re-imagining what was possible with food, even about pulling techniques from one discipline (like pastry or Asian) to another. Savoury ice creams and sorbets became common (at least in our world), foams and whips, intentionally broken emulsions, layering hot, cold, raw and cooked foods in new ways to achieve unusual and even incredible results. In many ways what we were doing was adding value to ingredients, providing a justification for our prices in the same way that our choice of plates, linens, décor and even our music helped to ease our patrons into a more ‘high dollar’ kind of mood.
In the next few years, I read about and was a witness to even more elaborate techniques; flash freezing with liquid nitrogen, sous-vide cooking (poaching foods for hours or days in a water bath inside vacuum sealed bags), dehydrators, vacuum infusions, using blowtorches and various chemical reactions with calcium chloride, sodium alginate and other pharmaceutical sounding ingredients to achieve new textures, new flavours, and new presentations. Edible printing on edible paper, smoking a chocolate cake in a pipe...The weirder the idea, the more likely it was that one of these molecular gastronomy types had tried it.
It was fun, but over time, I had to ask myself, “Is this real food? Is this important?” It certainly felt important, to be a part of the ‘new cuisine’, but the more closely I examined it, the less important it seemed. My chef, Eric Tucker, always kept a good head on his shoulders about that stuff. He liked to cook pretty close to the mark—he had a wild streak, for sure, that would come out at wine pairing dinners, for New Years Eve or for other special events; and he certainly indulged my whims and those of the rest of the kitchen staff, investing in foaming canisters and the like, things like agar gelatin and xanthum gum; but Eric was, at heart, a farmers’ market kind of guy. He liked the best produce around, the most unusual and fun ingredients, new varieties of basil or peppers, white asparagus from this guy, stinging nettles or wild cinnamon cap mushrooms from that. He favoured ethnic preparations, traditional dishes with a history of comfort. Where I found that I reveled in the possibilities of experimenting with various meat substitutes to replicate or expand on the meat dishes of fine cuisines, he seemed to seek out traditional recipes that had never had a meat component to begin with, or if it did, it was something we could easily replace with a minimum amount of distraction.
I also met a lot of farmers in this period, working with Eric, and as his sous chef, I found myself fielding several calls a day from various purveyors, farmers, producers, foragers, characters and even outlaws. Eric would have a line out on huitlacoche, an edible fungus that grows on ears of corn, and months later would receive a call and have to drive to a parking lot in the suburbs to trade brown paper bags of infected ears for wads of cash like some kind of mid level drug dealer. Shifty types would appear by the dumpster late at night with some weird variety of peach they had scaled a fence to secure. These farmers and foragers had no interest in molecular gastronomy, they were interested in botany, maybe a bit of biology; it was a science, to be sure, of a different sort.
I also discovered some other chefs who were adding value to their food through entirely different means. Technique, yes, but technique informed by a combination of traditional methods and the new science. Chefs like Alice Waters, Patrick O’Connell, Paul Bertolli and Thomas Keller. Chefs who added value the way Eric did, by shopping well, seeking out the best of the best, and also by honouring the generations of technicians who had gone before.
Molecular gastronomy is exciting and fun and is not going anywhere anytime soon; as long as there are people out there who are willing to pay for a value added experience, for flash and bang, for a bit of excitement. But my interest in its merits, over time, has certainly begun to fade. As it has, I feel, with the gastronomic community as a whole—this past year’s winner of Restaurant magazine’s prestigious best restaurant in the world award was a restaurant named Noma in Copenhagen that specializes in the ultra local and the pure. Noma’s Chef Rene Redzepi is an almost literal bridge between the two worlds I am attempting to describe; he has trained with both Ferran Adria and Thomas Keller. His award, in my mind, marks a fork (knife and spoon?) in the road of our collective culinary journey. His restaurant points to a path that doesn’t lead away from this new cuisine; it leads through it.
I believe that some of the techniques and approaches pioneered by molecular gastronomy will stick; some already have; food and cooking, after all, is science. In that regard, it’s just a new name for an old idea. Many of the grand techniques developed by great chefs over time were simply the best science they had to work with in their day or were the result of the same experimental techniques of trial and error (and/or happy accidents) that drive mainstream science today. Escoffier would have welcomed a physicist in his kitchen in much the same way as our top chefs do today. But I don’t think that molecular gastronomy will subvert, supplant or replace our existing cuisine as a whole, either.
So how did Alice Waters let me down? Alice, in a word, is a highly important symbol for the organic and local foods movement. Some would say that she has been the engine of change. Yet when she spoke on this show about her love of simplicity, of her annoyance with high concept technique, she honestly came across as a Luddite. And possibly even a little bit dotty. I, at first, blamed the edit—the hosts of the show have worked with Myhrvold in the past, and I can’t help but feel that this episode, while fascinating, was also a bit of a plug for his upcoming six volume widely acclaimed (even before being published) new encyclopedic treatise on all of the techniques developed so far in this new and fascinating world of high concept ‘modernist cuisine.’ Myhrvold was certainly the focus and Alice just didn’t read as well in this show. I felt annoyed that she didn’t ask (or didn’t get to ask...) what seemed to me like the most important questions, the ones that keep me up at night, the real reason that I don’t think molecular gastronomy will be changing the way we eat on the whole anytime soon. The questions that I would like to ask are these: “Is all this important? Does this really matter?”
Does tapioca starch infused seaweed caviar help to feed the hungry? Does smoking chocolate cake in a pipe help to clean up the environment? Does three-quarters of the world living on less than two dollars a day in any way benefit from seawater foam or bacon ice cream? I don’t know. Granted, those folks aren’t eating at Chez Panisse either (Alice Waters’ famous culinary Mecca), but at least some of the food science that I associate with the movement she has come to symbolize, the science of organic and sustainable farming, of biodiversity, of local foods, of clean, healthy and community building food sourcing, of finding harmony between our food choices and the things in which we believe; at least those ideals have a chance of changing something more than how exciting our expensive meal will be tonight. I guess that’s why I felt like she let me down. But that’s OK, because I can always just ask those questions myself, right?
You know what? So can you.
authentic texas specialties, amazing live music, incredible selection of local, microbrewed draft beers and locally sourced and organic foods...
Friday, February 4, 2011
February 2011
Hi Everybody!
Wow, what a great month! January has been hopping; I guess you folks must have missed us while we were gone... We have especially enjoyed sharing what we do with lots of new folks who heard about us from the Citizen’s very nice little article at the top of the month (...read it here!) as well as welcoming home lots of our regulars and dear old friends. We’ve had lots of great music; I know it’s unfair to choose, but my personal favourites had to be a tie between the lightning quick bluegrass of the Dusty Drifters and the unforgettable songs of the immortal Andy McGaw (a show for which I also happened to have the best seat in the house...) But we also had lots of other great nights with Jazz-fro-Cuban-Latin maestros Mango Upstart, the Unseen Strangers and their pals in Cab, and another close contender for the top spot, Tara Holloway, a new friend we will surely be seeing a lot more of in the future (don’t believe me? Stop by this Sunday!)
Coming up we have lots of new stuff; how about a movie night? How about two literary evenings featuring well known and interesting authors? How about an art show and vernissage featuring some of Ottawa’s hippest young musicians? To find out about all these things, and, of course Valentine’s Day, read on!
Valentine’s Day:
First of all: Yes, We Will Be Open Monday, February 14th for Valentine’s Day! And yes, for those of you more inclined to get in your V day celebrating on the weekend nights prior to that Monday (you know, so can ‘sleep in’ the next day...), we will also be offering our special 3 course menu of traditional aphrodisiac foods for not just Monday, but for Friday and Saturday (February 11th and 12th) as well. Here’s a preview of the Aphrodisiac Menu:
the introduction:
choice of:
oysters on the half shell; lime, chili, mixed greens and yuzu vinaigrette
or
truffled beet and mushroom ravioli; cream sauce, local goat chevre
the seduction:
choice of:
the striptease; red wine marinated 6-ounce o’brien farms striploin, chocolate-lovage ‘magic love butter’, mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies
or
the ménage a trois; lyon’s chicken prepared three ways: barbecued wings and drumlets, a parmesan and herb stuffed thigh roulade and a breast tender risotto
or
the love letter; a filet of local trout steamed en papillotte (in parchment) with rice noodles, sweet peppers, lime, ginger and coconut milk
or
hearts on fire; a whole steamed tender artichoke, chili-tomato hollandaise, olives, roasted peppers, white bean ragout
the petit mort:
chocolate fondue for 2; cake, meringue, cookies, fresh fruit, molten dark chocolate...
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Where you go next is entirely up to you, but prepared, these traditional aphrodisiac foods may cause unexpected and completely desirable outcomes...
February Art:
The following rundown of this month’s art show and this Sunday’s vernissage was provided by the artist:
Ottawa oil painter A. James Brummel brings his "head to head" show to Kemptville! That's right, we're hitting the road and heads are going to roll. Come and see what all the fuss has been about. And stay for the branch's bountiful buffet and LIVE music!
"head to head" is a collection of portraits depicting Ottawa musicians painted on used drum skins (or heads). The drummers (Edwards, Essoudry, Guerrero, Ouimet and Sheridan) were painted on skins from their own kits. The exhibition was originally shown at the Shanghai Restaurant in Chinatown. With many of the musicians performing, and generally getting intoxicated. One of whom had a heart attack the next day. But it wasn't the art or the alcohol--most likely hockey was to blame. The important thing was that his portrait sold. And that he's doing a show at Irene's in February.
Enter "head to head.2"...
There will be eight (8) bouts featuring 16 O-town heavy weights!
1) DAVE EDWARDS VS MIKE ESSOUDRY
2) KELLYLEE EVANS VS BILL GUERRERO
3) TARA HOLLOWAY VS MEREDITH LUCE (cat fight)
4) MATT KIDD VS MARK ALEXANDER MCINTYRE
5) ASHLEY NEWALL VS DAVE NORRIS (grudge match)
6) GLENN NUOTIO VS MATT OUIMET
7) AMANDA RHEAME VS BRAD SUCKS
8) BRIAN SIMMS VS MICHAEL SHERIDAN (mud wrestling)
http://www3.sympatico.ca/a moamasam/
http://www.facebook.com/pa ges/A-James-Brummel/777389 6423
Author Events:
http://www.bcachievement.com/nonfiction/finalist.php?id=25
Join Dr. John FizGerald, acclaimed British Columbian non-fiction author, for a reading at the branch on Thursday, February 17th at 7:30pm. Half of the proceeds from the evening’s dinner will be donated to the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation.
This event is hosted by the branch and Jamie Laidlaw, a local resident and a friend of Dr. FitzGerald who has this to say about his old friend:
James and I are lifelong friends who went to UCC together and more importantly to each other's birthday parties. Even then he was an astonishing writer with skills that were far beyond the reach of the rest of us. Luckily, he has chosen the difficult and rewarding path of historical reconstruction and personal reconciliation. His immense effort rewards the reader with insight into 20th century Toronto and the evolution of health care as well as his own bold inquiry into the makeup of his own psyche. This makes, "What Disturbs Our Blood" at least two books in one. It is a both a detective story and a personal journey. Each passage and page brings a new hard won insight and the reader's attention never flags. The rewards include the appreciation of a "lost" genius, a deeper knowing of a gifted father and the rescue of his own well being. In total, the redemption of the male line of the FitzGeralds of Drayton, Ontario and Balmoral Avenue, Toronto.
Count among James's fans the distinguished historian Michael Bliss (Sir William Osler), the author and doctor Gabor Mate (The Hungry Ghosts) and recent BC Achievement Foundation winner John Valliant (Golden Spruce, The Tiger) and Noah Richler one of this year's judges, (This Is My Country, What's Yours?).
Please join us for a unique experience as well as in support of a great cause.
--Jamie Laidlaw
And then, on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 7pm: A Kitchen Table Meeting with award-winning author Thomas Pawlick
Enjoy a kitchen table meeting with award winning author Thomas Pawlick. The event will be a casual and open discussion with Thomas, after an opening introduction by the author to set the stage. Our foodie friends will certainly recognize him as the author of the best selling The End of Food, a must read for folks interested in understanding our food choices...
Thomas will open the discussion at 7 PM - but come and enjoy the branch restaurant's famous Rubber Boots Buffet from any time after 2 PM.
About the Author: Thomas F. Pawlick has more than thirty-five years of experience as a journalist and editor, specializing in science, environmental, and agricultural reporting. He is a three-time winner of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association Award and received a National Magazine Award for his agricultural reporting. Pawlick holds a masters degree in farm journalism and is the author of ten books, including the best-selling The End of Food and War in the Country. He served six years as chief editor of Ceres magazine, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's flagship publication. He currently lives on a 150-acre farm in eastern Ontario.
Movie Night:
Food, Inc. Wednesday, February 16th, 6:45pm
The following news-bite was provided by the inimitable Mr. Douglas Hendry, esq.:
So there you sit, in front of your food...and you are about to take your next bite. But as you read this, you stop, look at the food on your plate and ask yourself some questions. What are you putting in your mouth? Where does this food come from? And what is in it, really?
The food industry is a very powerful one. It controls modern society in ways which most of us never think about. We have long ago given up the ability to feed ourselves, for the most part, and so we rely upon others to feed us but pay very little heed to either how our food is grown, how it is processed or how it gets to our table.
More and more people are beginning to ask these questions and to realize that perhaps we should be paying more attention. If you are one of them, Sustainable North Grenville invites you to a free screening of the movie Food Inc. to be held at the branch restaurant on February 16th at 7pm. This movie takes a look at how food is manufactured and what is good and bad about the process. After watching it, it's likely that you'll never look at your breakfast quite the same way again.
So come on out and savour this movie. Afterwards we'll have a free-range discussion [pun intended] while enjoying some snacks courtesy of our friends at the branch. For more information, please contact the links below:
Information about Food Inc
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
Sustainable North Grenville
http://www.sustainablenorthgrenville.ca/
February Music:
First, a note on our new ‘Listening Room Shows’
After four years of trying and sometimes succeeding (and sometimes, well, not so much...) with our grand project of being both a great venue for music and a great restaurant at the same time, we have finally decided to try something a little bit different. We will continue, of course, to do both things, but after to talking to artists, fans, and interested folks like you in order to figure out the best direction to go, we have decided that maybe it’s time to put a little space between the music and the food. Not a lot, mind you; the branch has always been and will always be a restaurant first and our commitment to local and organic foods will always be our primary mission.
But maybe it’s time to give some of the amazing artists who so regularly join us at the branch just a little more space to breathe. What does this mean? Well, first off, we will be pushing our start times back from between 7 and 8 to 9pm. Why? We’ve all come to the conclusion that dinner is a time for people to talk to each other, not necessarily to focus on the music. We feel that moving back the start time will provide a little break and allow folks to change gears between dinner and the music in order for both events to become a little more meaningful.
Second, we will be changing our policy of paying bands out of a percentage of sales and paying them, instead, with a door charge, also known as a cover. Again, why? This is for the benefit of the artist. Because we have such a small room, which, granted, is one of the things that makes a show here so special, we are also in a position of essentially paying all of our artists the same whether folks came out to see them, or to have dinner, to just have a drink, or whatever. A cover charge is a statement, on behalf of the music consumer, that “I have come to see this artist”; it is a token of respect, a chance to give directly.
Music in a small, acoustically wonderful room with stellar harmonics like ours can be magical, it can transport an audience well beyond what they are expecting from a night’s entertainment, and, for the artist, it can make playing at the branch almost like having an extra, secret band member. Unfortunately, that same room, can also have the unfortunate side effect of making our conversational speaking voices a real distraction, not only for all of the other paying customers, but also, even, for the musician we are all there to support.
Our hope is that by separating the dinner service from the music a bit, and by asking you to directly contribute to the artists, we can all benefit. Not only with better shows and better artists, but with evenings that might even change how you appreciate music for the rest of your life. There will be exceptions, of course, a blues band or a dance outfit doesn’t necessarily require or even want the same sense of decorum as a singer (well, some of them, anyway) sitting behind an acoustic guitar, but my guess is that we’ll know when it’s right, that if we’re all in this together, we’ll see by the looks on our neighbour’s faces. I guess that what we are asking, as of this month, is that when you see a show, like the one coming up this weekend and like the ones coming up throughout this and the next several months; the shows that are advertised with the later start time, with the cover charge, and with the name ‘listening room show’ attached is that we all come prepared to do just that. Listen. The benefits could change music in Kemptville for us all...Let’s just think of it as a next step in providing a venue for the next level of talent...and if that statement tweaks your interest, why don’t you stop by and ask us just exactly what it means...;-)
And now, are you ready to hear about our first ‘listening room show?’
Meredith Luce will be recorded live at the branch this Saturday (February 5th). Meredith Luce, accompanied by Eric Vieweg on lead guitar, will be performing a slew of new songs. The show will be recorded by Dean Watson of the Gallery Studio for use on Meredith's forthcoming album. Meredith has many new songs that she has written over the last couple of years, including a few co-writes with former Mandates band member David Gaudet. She is excited to showcase her new, edgier material on her next album, which she expects to release in the fall. (9pm, $5)
"These recordings will be a jumping off point, creating momentum and inspiration for the new album. I would love to include a few live tracks on the disc, or even release a bonus live CD, depending on what we get from this show! I can't wait to graduate in May and hit the ground running with this new project!"
And on to the rest of the month... I’m going to include Sunday’s (February 6th) vernissage in this section as well, for even though it is technically and art event, it is fairly likely that the Open Stage will be populated with a slightly, let’s just say, ‘above average’ talent pool. Fans of any of the folks featured on the wall for this month’s art show, might want to stop by and be a part of the fun... Coming up next weekend, (Saturday, February 12th) Ben and Heather Mullin will be performing a sweet love-song driven dinner music set to help get those Valentine’s Day juices flowing. And fans of the saccharine, the sweet and possibly the sarcastic are also welcome to join us for a Love Song Themed Open Stage that Sunday (February 13). Mark Beach, our long lost little brother, will be making the long trip down from Montreal that Monday for a special Valentine’s day show. This Creeep knows his way around more than one sexy song; in fact, I’m afraid he just might be the most powerful aphrodisiac offered on that night’s aphrodisiac themed menu—this show will be his first in the area for quite some time—I’d recommend wrangling your significant other and booking this date. I mean, unless you just don’t like things that are really, really good. Just sayin’.
Trevor Alguire will be back in town on Saturday, February 19th for our second listening room show (9pm, $10). It would be tough to pick a more listenable, amiable and likeable guy—tickets for this event are already starting to move, so let us know and soon! That Sunday (Feb 20th) is my Loose and Juicy acoustic jam for this month, so dust off yer singin’ shoes and come give me a holler!
The next Friday, February 25th, is, you guessed it, another special event; the George Harrison Birthday Tribute. George was often called the silent Beatle, but there is nothing silent about the treasure trove of songs this mild mannered, underappreciated genius left behind. When I ask a Beatle fan who their favourite Beatle was, it is invariably Paul or John; when I ask a musician, it is almost always George... If you don’t believe me, you should have seen how quickly folks signed up to be a part of this birthday tribute. We’ve got over a dozen folks from all over the area who want to perform, including Lisa Poushinsky, Christo Graham, Ray Harris, Greg Kelly, Doug Hendry, Katie Nolan, Shawn Yakimovitch, David Boschaart, David Shanahan, Jon-Laurie Beaumont and Dave Scully; the evening will be hosted by Ben Mullin and me, with a rhythm section comprised of Jay Williams on bass and Mark Ettinger on drums. Fans of the Dark Horse, of the Wilbury, of the Beatle should rejoice, here comes the sun! Or something...(p.s.,if anyone knows a sitar player, we'd love to have them along for the ride!!)
Brock Zeman will be performing that Saturday night (February 26th); this will be a fun chance to see this raucous country rocker, Carleton Place’s answer to Steve Earle, blastin out his crazy good originals for our third listening show. I recommend an extra pair of boots for this one, in case you wear out the first! (9pm, $5)
Saturday 5: live recording with Meredith Luce and Eric Vieweg--9pm $5.00 cover *listening room show
Sunday 6: vernissage for "Head to Head" featuring the art of A. James Brummels and special guests??!! 2-8pm
Saturday 12: Ben and Heather Mullin--Love Songs and Valentines...8pm
Sunday 13: Love Song Open Stage--3-6pm
Monday 14: Special Aphrodisiac Valentines Menu with the sexy music of Mark Beach....8pm
Saturday 19: Trevor Alguire; alt-country singer songwriter...special listening show starts at 9 pm; $10.00 cover *listening room show
Sunday 20: Chef Bruce's Loose and Juicy Acoustic Jam~ 3-6pm
Friday 25: George Harrison birthday tribute hosted by Ben Mullin and Chef Bruce --sign up at the restaurant if you'd like to sing a tune or 2--or talk to Ben or Bruce...starts at 8pm, ends when we say "Here Comes the Sun"
Saturday 26: Brock Zeman alt country rocker--Ottawa's most entertaining country rock original--special listening show starts at 9pm: $5.00 cover-----------
Sunday 27: Open Stage--it's open, come on in! *listening room show
Wow, what a great month! January has been hopping; I guess you folks must have missed us while we were gone... We have especially enjoyed sharing what we do with lots of new folks who heard about us from the Citizen’s very nice little article at the top of the month (...read it here!) as well as welcoming home lots of our regulars and dear old friends. We’ve had lots of great music; I know it’s unfair to choose, but my personal favourites had to be a tie between the lightning quick bluegrass of the Dusty Drifters and the unforgettable songs of the immortal Andy McGaw (a show for which I also happened to have the best seat in the house...) But we also had lots of other great nights with Jazz-fro-Cuban-Latin maestros Mango Upstart, the Unseen Strangers and their pals in Cab, and another close contender for the top spot, Tara Holloway, a new friend we will surely be seeing a lot more of in the future (don’t believe me? Stop by this Sunday!)
Coming up we have lots of new stuff; how about a movie night? How about two literary evenings featuring well known and interesting authors? How about an art show and vernissage featuring some of Ottawa’s hippest young musicians? To find out about all these things, and, of course Valentine’s Day, read on!
Valentine’s Day:
First of all: Yes, We Will Be Open Monday, February 14th for Valentine’s Day! And yes, for those of you more inclined to get in your V day celebrating on the weekend nights prior to that Monday (you know, so can ‘sleep in’ the next day...), we will also be offering our special 3 course menu of traditional aphrodisiac foods for not just Monday, but for Friday and Saturday (February 11th and 12th) as well. Here’s a preview of the Aphrodisiac Menu:
the introduction:
choice of:
oysters on the half shell; lime, chili, mixed greens and yuzu vinaigrette
or
truffled beet and mushroom ravioli; cream sauce, local goat chevre
the seduction:
choice of:
the striptease; red wine marinated 6-ounce o’brien farms striploin, chocolate-lovage ‘magic love butter’, mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies
or
the ménage a trois; lyon’s chicken prepared three ways: barbecued wings and drumlets, a parmesan and herb stuffed thigh roulade and a breast tender risotto
or
the love letter; a filet of local trout steamed en papillotte (in parchment) with rice noodles, sweet peppers, lime, ginger and coconut milk
or
hearts on fire; a whole steamed tender artichoke, chili-tomato hollandaise, olives, roasted peppers, white bean ragout
the petit mort:
chocolate fondue for 2; cake, meringue, cookies, fresh fruit, molten dark chocolate...
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Where you go next is entirely up to you, but prepared, these traditional aphrodisiac foods may cause unexpected and completely desirable outcomes...
February Art:
The following rundown of this month’s art show and this Sunday’s vernissage was provided by the artist:
Ottawa oil painter A. James Brummel brings his "head to head" show to Kemptville! That's right, we're hitting the road and heads are going to roll. Come and see what all the fuss has been about. And stay for the branch's bountiful buffet and LIVE music!
"head to head" is a collection of portraits depicting Ottawa musicians painted on used drum skins (or heads). The drummers (Edwards, Essoudry, Guerrero, Ouimet and Sheridan) were painted on skins from their own kits. The exhibition was originally shown at the Shanghai Restaurant in Chinatown. With many of the musicians performing, and generally getting intoxicated. One of whom had a heart attack the next day. But it wasn't the art or the alcohol--most likely hockey was to blame. The important thing was that his portrait sold. And that he's doing a show at Irene's in February.
Enter "head to head.2"...
There will be eight (8) bouts featuring 16 O-town heavy weights!
1) DAVE EDWARDS VS MIKE ESSOUDRY
2) KELLYLEE EVANS VS BILL GUERRERO
3) TARA HOLLOWAY VS MEREDITH LUCE (cat fight)
4) MATT KIDD VS MARK ALEXANDER MCINTYRE
5) ASHLEY NEWALL VS DAVE NORRIS (grudge match)
6) GLENN NUOTIO VS MATT OUIMET
7) AMANDA RHEAME VS BRAD SUCKS
8) BRIAN SIMMS VS MICHAEL SHERIDAN (mud wrestling)
http://www3.sympatico.ca/a moamasam/
http://www.facebook.com/pa ges/A-James-Brummel/777389 6423
Author Events:
http://www.bcachievement.com/nonfiction/finalist.php?id=25
Join Dr. John FizGerald, acclaimed British Columbian non-fiction author, for a reading at the branch on Thursday, February 17th at 7:30pm. Half of the proceeds from the evening’s dinner will be donated to the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation.
This event is hosted by the branch and Jamie Laidlaw, a local resident and a friend of Dr. FitzGerald who has this to say about his old friend:
James and I are lifelong friends who went to UCC together and more importantly to each other's birthday parties. Even then he was an astonishing writer with skills that were far beyond the reach of the rest of us. Luckily, he has chosen the difficult and rewarding path of historical reconstruction and personal reconciliation. His immense effort rewards the reader with insight into 20th century Toronto and the evolution of health care as well as his own bold inquiry into the makeup of his own psyche. This makes, "What Disturbs Our Blood" at least two books in one. It is a both a detective story and a personal journey. Each passage and page brings a new hard won insight and the reader's attention never flags. The rewards include the appreciation of a "lost" genius, a deeper knowing of a gifted father and the rescue of his own well being. In total, the redemption of the male line of the FitzGeralds of Drayton, Ontario and Balmoral Avenue, Toronto.
Count among James's fans the distinguished historian Michael Bliss (Sir William Osler), the author and doctor Gabor Mate (The Hungry Ghosts) and recent BC Achievement Foundation winner John Valliant (Golden Spruce, The Tiger) and Noah Richler one of this year's judges, (This Is My Country, What's Yours?).
Please join us for a unique experience as well as in support of a great cause.
--Jamie Laidlaw
And then, on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 7pm: A Kitchen Table Meeting with award-winning author Thomas Pawlick
Enjoy a kitchen table meeting with award winning author Thomas Pawlick. The event will be a casual and open discussion with Thomas, after an opening introduction by the author to set the stage. Our foodie friends will certainly recognize him as the author of the best selling The End of Food, a must read for folks interested in understanding our food choices...
Thomas will open the discussion at 7 PM - but come and enjoy the branch restaurant's famous Rubber Boots Buffet from any time after 2 PM.
About the Author: Thomas F. Pawlick has more than thirty-five years of experience as a journalist and editor, specializing in science, environmental, and agricultural reporting. He is a three-time winner of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association Award and received a National Magazine Award for his agricultural reporting. Pawlick holds a masters degree in farm journalism and is the author of ten books, including the best-selling The End of Food and War in the Country. He served six years as chief editor of Ceres magazine, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's flagship publication. He currently lives on a 150-acre farm in eastern Ontario.
Movie Night:
Food, Inc. Wednesday, February 16th, 6:45pm
The following news-bite was provided by the inimitable Mr. Douglas Hendry, esq.:
So there you sit, in front of your food...and you are about to take your next bite. But as you read this, you stop, look at the food on your plate and ask yourself some questions. What are you putting in your mouth? Where does this food come from? And what is in it, really?
The food industry is a very powerful one. It controls modern society in ways which most of us never think about. We have long ago given up the ability to feed ourselves, for the most part, and so we rely upon others to feed us but pay very little heed to either how our food is grown, how it is processed or how it gets to our table.
More and more people are beginning to ask these questions and to realize that perhaps we should be paying more attention. If you are one of them, Sustainable North Grenville invites you to a free screening of the movie Food Inc. to be held at the branch restaurant on February 16th at 7pm. This movie takes a look at how food is manufactured and what is good and bad about the process. After watching it, it's likely that you'll never look at your breakfast quite the same way again.
So come on out and savour this movie. Afterwards we'll have a free-range discussion [pun intended] while enjoying some snacks courtesy of our friends at the branch. For more information, please contact the links below:
Information about Food Inc
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
Sustainable North Grenville
http://www.sustainablenorthgrenville.ca/
February Music:
First, a note on our new ‘Listening Room Shows’
After four years of trying and sometimes succeeding (and sometimes, well, not so much...) with our grand project of being both a great venue for music and a great restaurant at the same time, we have finally decided to try something a little bit different. We will continue, of course, to do both things, but after to talking to artists, fans, and interested folks like you in order to figure out the best direction to go, we have decided that maybe it’s time to put a little space between the music and the food. Not a lot, mind you; the branch has always been and will always be a restaurant first and our commitment to local and organic foods will always be our primary mission.
But maybe it’s time to give some of the amazing artists who so regularly join us at the branch just a little more space to breathe. What does this mean? Well, first off, we will be pushing our start times back from between 7 and 8 to 9pm. Why? We’ve all come to the conclusion that dinner is a time for people to talk to each other, not necessarily to focus on the music. We feel that moving back the start time will provide a little break and allow folks to change gears between dinner and the music in order for both events to become a little more meaningful.
Second, we will be changing our policy of paying bands out of a percentage of sales and paying them, instead, with a door charge, also known as a cover. Again, why? This is for the benefit of the artist. Because we have such a small room, which, granted, is one of the things that makes a show here so special, we are also in a position of essentially paying all of our artists the same whether folks came out to see them, or to have dinner, to just have a drink, or whatever. A cover charge is a statement, on behalf of the music consumer, that “I have come to see this artist”; it is a token of respect, a chance to give directly.
Music in a small, acoustically wonderful room with stellar harmonics like ours can be magical, it can transport an audience well beyond what they are expecting from a night’s entertainment, and, for the artist, it can make playing at the branch almost like having an extra, secret band member. Unfortunately, that same room, can also have the unfortunate side effect of making our conversational speaking voices a real distraction, not only for all of the other paying customers, but also, even, for the musician we are all there to support.
Our hope is that by separating the dinner service from the music a bit, and by asking you to directly contribute to the artists, we can all benefit. Not only with better shows and better artists, but with evenings that might even change how you appreciate music for the rest of your life. There will be exceptions, of course, a blues band or a dance outfit doesn’t necessarily require or even want the same sense of decorum as a singer (well, some of them, anyway) sitting behind an acoustic guitar, but my guess is that we’ll know when it’s right, that if we’re all in this together, we’ll see by the looks on our neighbour’s faces. I guess that what we are asking, as of this month, is that when you see a show, like the one coming up this weekend and like the ones coming up throughout this and the next several months; the shows that are advertised with the later start time, with the cover charge, and with the name ‘listening room show’ attached is that we all come prepared to do just that. Listen. The benefits could change music in Kemptville for us all...Let’s just think of it as a next step in providing a venue for the next level of talent...and if that statement tweaks your interest, why don’t you stop by and ask us just exactly what it means...;-)
And now, are you ready to hear about our first ‘listening room show?’
Meredith Luce will be recorded live at the branch this Saturday (February 5th). Meredith Luce, accompanied by Eric Vieweg on lead guitar, will be performing a slew of new songs. The show will be recorded by Dean Watson of the Gallery Studio for use on Meredith's forthcoming album. Meredith has many new songs that she has written over the last couple of years, including a few co-writes with former Mandates band member David Gaudet. She is excited to showcase her new, edgier material on her next album, which she expects to release in the fall. (9pm, $5)
"These recordings will be a jumping off point, creating momentum and inspiration for the new album. I would love to include a few live tracks on the disc, or even release a bonus live CD, depending on what we get from this show! I can't wait to graduate in May and hit the ground running with this new project!"
And on to the rest of the month... I’m going to include Sunday’s (February 6th) vernissage in this section as well, for even though it is technically and art event, it is fairly likely that the Open Stage will be populated with a slightly, let’s just say, ‘above average’ talent pool. Fans of any of the folks featured on the wall for this month’s art show, might want to stop by and be a part of the fun... Coming up next weekend, (Saturday, February 12th) Ben and Heather Mullin will be performing a sweet love-song driven dinner music set to help get those Valentine’s Day juices flowing. And fans of the saccharine, the sweet and possibly the sarcastic are also welcome to join us for a Love Song Themed Open Stage that Sunday (February 13). Mark Beach, our long lost little brother, will be making the long trip down from Montreal that Monday for a special Valentine’s day show. This Creeep knows his way around more than one sexy song; in fact, I’m afraid he just might be the most powerful aphrodisiac offered on that night’s aphrodisiac themed menu—this show will be his first in the area for quite some time—I’d recommend wrangling your significant other and booking this date. I mean, unless you just don’t like things that are really, really good. Just sayin’.
Trevor Alguire will be back in town on Saturday, February 19th for our second listening room show (9pm, $10). It would be tough to pick a more listenable, amiable and likeable guy—tickets for this event are already starting to move, so let us know and soon! That Sunday (Feb 20th) is my Loose and Juicy acoustic jam for this month, so dust off yer singin’ shoes and come give me a holler!
The next Friday, February 25th, is, you guessed it, another special event; the George Harrison Birthday Tribute. George was often called the silent Beatle, but there is nothing silent about the treasure trove of songs this mild mannered, underappreciated genius left behind. When I ask a Beatle fan who their favourite Beatle was, it is invariably Paul or John; when I ask a musician, it is almost always George... If you don’t believe me, you should have seen how quickly folks signed up to be a part of this birthday tribute. We’ve got over a dozen folks from all over the area who want to perform, including Lisa Poushinsky, Christo Graham, Ray Harris, Greg Kelly, Doug Hendry, Katie Nolan, Shawn Yakimovitch, David Boschaart, David Shanahan, Jon-Laurie Beaumont and Dave Scully; the evening will be hosted by Ben Mullin and me, with a rhythm section comprised of Jay Williams on bass and Mark Ettinger on drums. Fans of the Dark Horse, of the Wilbury, of the Beatle should rejoice, here comes the sun! Or something...(p.s.,if anyone knows a sitar player, we'd love to have them along for the ride!!)
Brock Zeman will be performing that Saturday night (February 26th); this will be a fun chance to see this raucous country rocker, Carleton Place’s answer to Steve Earle, blastin out his crazy good originals for our third listening show. I recommend an extra pair of boots for this one, in case you wear out the first! (9pm, $5)
Saturday 5: live recording with Meredith Luce and Eric Vieweg--9pm $5.00 cover *listening room show
Sunday 6: vernissage for "Head to Head" featuring the art of A. James Brummels and special guests??!! 2-8pm
Saturday 12: Ben and Heather Mullin--Love Songs and Valentines...8pm
Sunday 13: Love Song Open Stage--3-6pm
Monday 14: Special Aphrodisiac Valentines Menu with the sexy music of Mark Beach....8pm
Saturday 19: Trevor Alguire; alt-country singer songwriter...special listening show starts at 9 pm; $10.00 cover *listening room show
Sunday 20: Chef Bruce's Loose and Juicy Acoustic Jam~ 3-6pm
Friday 25: George Harrison birthday tribute hosted by Ben Mullin and Chef Bruce --sign up at the restaurant if you'd like to sing a tune or 2--or talk to Ben or Bruce...starts at 8pm, ends when we say "Here Comes the Sun"
Saturday 26: Brock Zeman alt country rocker--Ottawa's most entertaining country rock original--special listening show starts at 9pm: $5.00 cover-----------
Sunday 27: Open Stage--it's open, come on in! *listening room show
January 2011
Howdy Folks!
Well, We’re back...
And this is just a quickie to let you know. Really, it is. Seriously. All we've got is a couple of (small) bits of news and a music schedule and then we’ll step aside, yet again. Don't worry, we'll bring you a full fledged newsletter for February, which, honestly, is coming soon enough...
New Winter Hours:
We'll be adjusting the schedule slightly for the next couple of months so, please, plan accordingly...
LUNCH: TUESDAY-SATURDAY 11:30-2pm (*no change...)
DINNER: THURSDAY-SATURDAY 5-9:30pm (***now closed on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings)
SUNDAY: Rubber Boots Buffet 2-8pm, Open Stage 3-6pm (*no change)
CLOSED MONDAYS. (*no change)
Thanks, Citizen!
In case you missed it, we had a sweet, quick mention in the Ottawa Citizen’s Travel Section last Saturday, we were first choice out of five in a story about things to do in the area that were worth the drive, it was an honour, and a surprise, you can read it here!
January Music:
Come see the Ottawa Valley's answer to John Prine and Bob Dylan, Andy McGaw, at the branch this Saturday (January 15th) trading songs with his old pal, our own Chef Bruce (yeah, that's me...). Some harmonies, some good stories, some protest songs and some decent food are all sure to make an appearance! Paul Roberto and Gilles LeClerc will bring their Dusty, Driftin ways to the branch on Friday the 22nd, folks who have seen their weekly show at Irene's report that this is, in fact, the real deal! (In recent news, some other Drifters may also be making an appearance...) Mango Upstart is back that Saturday (the 22nd) This is a 7 piece (!!) Afro-Cuban-Salsa-Marimba-Calypso rhythm and booty shakin jazz experience...highly recomended for the musically jaded, this is guaranteed to restore your faith in the power of sweet music to help create a good time... I am definitely looking forward to the Unseen Strangers (Friday, Jan. 28th), a name which will be apt on this visit to the branch, as it is thier first--however, if the live performance is anywhere near as good as the sweet pickin and harmonies on their recorded efforts (check them out, this Toronto via the East Coast, young and energetic 'new-style' bluegrass band is definitely worth a listen) that name may not be nearly as apt in the future... Tara Holloway (Jan. 29th) last appeared for an Open Stage on my birthday last year with a few friends from Texas, about three seconds into her first song, everyone shut up and listened, yeah, she's got one of those voices. Don't, don't (OK, I just wanted one more excuse to italicize...) miss this one...
Saturday 15: Andy McGaw and Chef Bruce--protest songs, original folk, country croonin' and stories about life and love~ 8pm
Sunday 16: Chef Bruce's Loose and Juicy Acoustic Jam~ 3-6pm
Friday 21: "Dusty and the Drifter" bluegrass with Paul Roberto and Gilles LeClerc ~7pm
Saturday 22: Mango Upstart! (Samba, Afro-Cuban, Carribbean, Salsa...) ~ 8pm Sunday 23: Open Stage--all are welcome, so, well, come! 3-6pm
Friday 28: The Unseen Strangers; Toronto Bluegrass ~ 8pm-
Saturday 29: Tara Holloway; rocky folk--edgy Ottawa singer-songstress with some blues, some folk, some punk, and some soulful tough girl singin--8pm---
Sunday 30: Open Stage, put on yer singin shoes! 3-6pm
So anyway, that's all! Hope to see you soon and thanks for readin!
--Chef Bruce
Well, We’re back...
And this is just a quickie to let you know. Really, it is. Seriously. All we've got is a couple of (small) bits of news and a music schedule and then we’ll step aside, yet again. Don't worry, we'll bring you a full fledged newsletter for February, which, honestly, is coming soon enough...
New Winter Hours:
We'll be adjusting the schedule slightly for the next couple of months so, please, plan accordingly...
LUNCH: TUESDAY-SATURDAY 11:30-2pm (*no change...)
DINNER: THURSDAY-SATURDAY 5-9:30pm (***now closed on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings)
SUNDAY: Rubber Boots Buffet 2-8pm, Open Stage 3-6pm (*no change)
CLOSED MONDAYS. (*no change)
Thanks, Citizen!
In case you missed it, we had a sweet, quick mention in the Ottawa Citizen’s Travel Section last Saturday, we were first choice out of five in a story about things to do in the area that were worth the drive, it was an honour, and a surprise, you can read it here!
January Music:
Come see the Ottawa Valley's answer to John Prine and Bob Dylan, Andy McGaw, at the branch this Saturday (January 15th) trading songs with his old pal, our own Chef Bruce (yeah, that's me...). Some harmonies, some good stories, some protest songs and some decent food are all sure to make an appearance! Paul Roberto and Gilles LeClerc will bring their Dusty, Driftin ways to the branch on Friday the 22nd, folks who have seen their weekly show at Irene's report that this is, in fact, the real deal! (In recent news, some other Drifters may also be making an appearance...) Mango Upstart is back that Saturday (the 22nd) This is a 7 piece (!!) Afro-Cuban-Salsa-Marimba-Calypso rhythm and booty shakin jazz experience...highly recomended for the musically jaded, this is guaranteed to restore your faith in the power of sweet music to help create a good time... I am definitely looking forward to the Unseen Strangers (Friday, Jan. 28th), a name which will be apt on this visit to the branch, as it is thier first--however, if the live performance is anywhere near as good as the sweet pickin and harmonies on their recorded efforts (check them out, this Toronto via the East Coast, young and energetic 'new-style' bluegrass band is definitely worth a listen) that name may not be nearly as apt in the future... Tara Holloway (Jan. 29th) last appeared for an Open Stage on my birthday last year with a few friends from Texas, about three seconds into her first song, everyone shut up and listened, yeah, she's got one of those voices. Don't, don't (OK, I just wanted one more excuse to italicize...) miss this one...
Saturday 15: Andy McGaw and Chef Bruce--protest songs, original folk, country croonin' and stories about life and love~ 8pm
Sunday 16: Chef Bruce's Loose and Juicy Acoustic Jam~ 3-6pm
Friday 21: "Dusty and the Drifter" bluegrass with Paul Roberto and Gilles LeClerc ~7pm
Saturday 22: Mango Upstart! (Samba, Afro-Cuban, Carribbean, Salsa...) ~ 8pm Sunday 23: Open Stage--all are welcome, so, well, come! 3-6pm
Friday 28: The Unseen Strangers; Toronto Bluegrass ~ 8pm-
Saturday 29: Tara Holloway; rocky folk--edgy Ottawa singer-songstress with some blues, some folk, some punk, and some soulful tough girl singin--8pm---
Sunday 30: Open Stage, put on yer singin shoes! 3-6pm
So anyway, that's all! Hope to see you soon and thanks for readin!
--Chef Bruce
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