Swine and Vine is simply divine
At the end of one of those Wednesdays that may as well have been a Monday, there’s something to be said when the day’s annoyances can be washed away by a beaming smile and a chirpy “We’ve been waiting for you.”
It was a fitting start to supper at Kitchener’s Swine and Vine.
New to the local dining scene, the cosy charcuterie restaurant opened in early January. Its softly lit room features large chalkboards on pallid walls as Frank Ocean wafts through. Mismatched chairs surround painted tables set with tea towel napkins and flickering tea lights. At 7 p.m., a handful of 30- and 40-somethings are finishing their meals or lingering over drinks.
A flutter of pages lists food and drink; craft beers and ciders (all made within a couple hours’ drive) are on a chalkboard. The thoughtful and approachable wine list offers a good mix from Old World and New World vineyards: not all 30 labels are available by the glass, and not every wine is found at the LCBO. Cocktails offer twists on old favourites.
Dining at Swine and Vine is a social experience. Food isn’t territorialized and snarfed by one. Boards are repositioned, arms reach, and forks spear quarry on the common plate. It’s food to be shared with those you want at your table.
For the most part, shared plates expand on meat, seafood and vegetable charcuterie options; a couple offer something altogether different. Our starters arrived as my friend sipped a glass of Ant Moore Sauvignon Blanc ($14) and I found The Lush Life ($14) a cocktail of favourites: gin, elderflower liqueur, topped off with bubbly.
A steaming bowl of Lemongrass Curry Mussels ($15) arrived with vivid coral flesh in jet-black shells. Their faintly musky sweetness was not lost to the Thai-inspired mild anise-y curry cream sauce. Drizzled with demi-glace and set on frizzled and fresh thyme sprigs, The Bone Marrow ($16) was unctuously savoury in all the right ways. A keener eye may have kept the buttery marrow from melting (which later dribbled onto the table). Both shareables came with slices of Elora Bread Trading Co.’s Seeded sourdough.
Being “Melting Pot Wednesday,” we harpooned cubes of Elora’s County sourdough into the Feature Fondue (spinach, artichoke, mozzarella, and Asiago; $17). Burnished and bubbling, it was a hot version of the popular dip.
Swine and Vine’s draw is its charcuterie boards — combinations of meats, cheeses, and condiments served with bread. Using locally sourced ingredients and artisanal foods when possible, the kitchen makes much of its charcuterie — pates, cured sausages, terrines and the like — from meats such as chicken, duck, pork and venison; seafood and vegetable options are also available. There’s good variety in cheeses, condiments and other accompaniments.
The house charcuterie boards were tempting, but we built our own. My friend confessed to feeling a tad overwhelmed by the three dozen or so options: if on her own, she would have liked a guide to building a board that balanced taste and texture. That said, we’re confident the cheerful staff would have come to the rescue.
Our beautifully arranged Small Board (three meats, two accompaniments; $26) featured herby meat terrine (a prosciutto-wrapped soft mix of pork, lamb, apricot and nuts), clove-scented dense venison sausage, rich porkbelly batons, sharp and snappy pickled vegetables (pink onions, green beans, zucchini slices), sweet bourbon bacon jam, and thick slabs of County boule. It was all very good, but we would have welcomed contrasting breads — crackers, thin crostini, something nubbly and seedy.
The satisfaction of cracking the Grand Marnier Creme Brulee’s ($6) thick coppery caramel and diving into marshmallowy custard cannot be understated. A lusciously light Lemon Soufflé ($7), with puffy golden tops, was baked in two hollowed lemons. Both were fitting ends to our meal.
We left Swine and Vine happy and full. Its bright staff, talented kitchen and welcoming charm make it a gem of a spot.
Assessing food, atmosphere, service and prices, Dining Out restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits to the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Jasmine Mangalaseril can be reached via Twitter: @cardamomaddict