THYME TO VISIT
Fresh bread, elegant pastries and hearty bistro fare offer a taste of France in south Burlington
“He is definitely the smartest person I know!” says Alexandra Kinsman of her husband Phil who, she stresses, is the equal partner in Saving Thyme Catering and Patisserie.
The Kinsmans make a good team and are the only bakers in a kitchen with tremendous output.
As a youngster, Phil began cooking alongside his mother and became a self-taught whiz in the kitchen. Along the way, he became an engineer. (This is the second engineer-turned-restaurateur I have encountered in just a few weeks!)
Thinking it’s a giant leap from engineer to cook/baker overlooks the fact that there is a ton of science going on in kitchens. Enough to keep any kid — or grown-up — spellbound. After culinary education and time at Quatrefoil in Dundas, Alexandra embraced entrepreneurship. Both from Hamilton, Alex and Phil use their south Burlington business to celebrate Paris — the city they love but have yet to visit.
Saving Thyme is a strip mall gem almost hidden between a hair salon and a frozen food outlet. Open since 2015, they recently expanded. In three short years, they went from home catering to a wee crowded bistro, to doubling the space this past September — while raising a toddler!
They do take-away and continue to offer catering for groups of varying size. The catering menu, which includes full-course meals that rotate with the seasons along with 16 elegant canapé selections, is especially creative.
The decor of the light-filled space is minimalist bistro dominated by white, with grey and pastel accents. Banquettes line the wall, and in the new space you have a view of the pastry counter and people coming in for takeaway.
Couples and ladies lunching are noticeable midweek, with a more varied clientele — including families — for breakfast and brunch. I enjoyed a leisurely lunch with my first editor. We were in a bit of a bubble catching up but could not completely ignore the midday hustle and bustle that likely contributed to missteps of an otherwise friendly and helpful server — for example, we were given the wrong bill, twice.
What we ate. French Onion Soup. The toast, heavy with melted Gruyère, was delicious and served on the side, making the soup look rather “naked,” but the broth was rich, possibly a bit too salty for some.
To keep us nibbling while waiting we had Frites with Aioli, which did not disappoint. It is noteworthy that in addition to Parisian-style pastries, they make their own bread daily, and that was the base of the toast and the sandwich I had.
Croque Monsieur on Sourdough was made with a good portion of ham and Jarlsberg cheese which, after a quick egg bath, was cooked up like French toast. This was just as you’d expect, in a portion that was quite filling with half coming home for a
late night snack.
The Chicken Confit Leg was moist with rich flavour, though again judged to be a bit too salty. The chicken was served with frites and seasonal vegetables, which on this day was Brussels sprouts — bright green, slightly caramelized and cooked “al dente.” Both mains were served with some greens dressed with the house vinaigrette which is so popular, it is sold in jars.
At a patisserie, one must leave room for dessert. At Saving Thyme you can expect a wide range of treats including, but not limited to, croissants, éclairs and kouign amann. Their profiteroles entice with cute little caramelized sugar caps, St. Honoré style.
On the day we visited, the colourful macarons were gone. Sad but true — running out of product is a sign of a good bakery. We took a pass on the tempting Chocolate Entremet. Instead, we shared the Key Lime Tart — light, fresh and moderately tart, crowned with nicely browned peaks of meringue. The Currant Brioche was moist and filled with delicious vanilla pastry cream, smothered in orange glaze. All of this is served with Pilot coffee.
My dining partner bought goodies to take home and raved about their Éclair with Butter Tart Filling (need I say more?) and their Wild Rice and Onion Bread.
You can view their breakfast and brunch menus online. “Patisserie” does not translate to dainty. They serve Hamburgers and Chicken Pot Pie. There are vegan options, but the patisserie focus makes it challenging to meet gluten-free needs. They are licensed, offering wines from Niagara and France, along with creative cocktails.
Keep in mind that they are closed on Mondays and do not take reservations. Alex hinted they had news to share, and since my visit has announced that they have begun to serve dinner, Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
Saving Thyme is community-minded, supporting various charities, especially Carpenter’s Hospice. Go there for a quick meal or a “slow thyme” with treasured family and friends.