Cooking up memories
New restaurant in Morell helps P.E.I. man stay close to home and be with family
MORELL, P.E.I. – It was a busy Sunday morning on April 21 at Dreadnaught Eatery as Derek Perry and his wife, Natasha, worked together in the kitchen of their newly opened restaurant, getting everything ready for the opening at 11 a.m.
Their seven-year-old daughter, Madelyn, was there with them, helping out. Madelyn says she loves spending her weekends with her parents at their new restaurant. She’s been playing restaurant with her toys since she was little, and now that dream has come true.
“She’s one of our best employees,” Natasha said of her daughter with a laugh.
For Derek, being with his family in P.E.I. is something he has wanted for a long time.
After more than a decade working in the oil industry out West, he's finally back home, running the restaurant with his wife and daughter.
“It’s just keeping me home,” he told Saltwire in an interview April 21. “It's a long-time dream of us. Just sort of happened to do it last summer. This trailer became available for sale, and we decided it was now or never. I've worked away in Alberta and B.C. for many, many years. So it was time to spend some time at home.”
HAPPY BECAUSE DAD’S HOME
Dreadnaught Eatery had its official launch on April 20 after the family eventually purchased the trailer back in December to transform it into part of their business.
While it might look like a food truck, Derek aims for it to resemble more of an outdoor restaurant, complete with a patio seating area.
Madelyn said she enjoys helping her parents with tasks like cleaning tables, running around grabbing items for her parents or just simply chatting with the customers.
“Ecstatic,” she said when asked how she felt about her parents opening the business.
“Are you happy because daddy gets to stay home?” Natasha turned to her daughter.
“Yes.”
The seven-year-old said she’s also happy because every day she gets to try the delicious food her parents make at Dreadnaught Eatery.
BACK TO BUSINESS
Derek, drawing from his years of culinary experience dating back to the late 1990s, crafts the menu for Dreadnaught Eatery with a focus on fresh ingredients and freshly made dishes.
He is committed to sourcing ingredients locally and seasonally, so the menu changes frequently to reflect the flavours of the season. And it doesn't specialize in any particular type of cuisine, he said.
“We're not really focused on seafood or burgers. We’re shooting for a variety, something for everyone.”
On their opening day, certain burger options quickly gained popularity among customers, Derek said. The "Naughty" burger, featuring ground beef from Steerman’s with balsamic onion jam, smoked cheddar, arugula and bacon aioli, was particularly well-received.
Another standout was the "Dirty Bird" burger which consists of crispy fried chicken breast drizzled with maple syrup, topped with corn and purple cabbage slaw and citrus aioli.
So far, the feedback from customers in the first few days has been very positive and encouraging, he said.
“It is always scary for myself being out of the restaurant business for 12 years now. It’s a bit scary, like, to have to know what people want,” he said. “But by and large, it’s like riding a bike. You just hop back on and settle in.”
‘WE DID THIS’
Natasha said over the past few months, she has been teasing the restaurant's opening on social media, and the community in Morell showed tremendous support.
“The community is amazing. When we went around to talk to all the neighbours about getting a liquor licence and stuff, they said they can't wait to come and relax on the deck and have some food. We’re not originally from Morell, so it's really nice to be so welcomed in,” said Natasha, who is from the Bay Fortune area.
She looks forward to applying for a liquor licence soon in order to extend the restaurant's hours into the evening.
Natasha remembers the week leading up to the restaurant’s opening when she and her husband would playfully count down all the steps they needed to take to launch the restaurant, much like what Madelyn likes to do when she plays restaurant with her toys. And the day before the grand opening, on April 19, Natasha recalls how her husband turned to her daughter.
“Derek told Madelyn, ‘Well, there's no steps left. We're here. We did this. We're playing restaurant.’ It was the cutest moment. Everybody got a little teary but pretty happy to be finally here.”