Festival for the palate
Stratford has tasty choices to rival the on-stage menu
To quote William Shakespeare, “Eat and drink as friends.” That line from The Taming of
the Shrew might sum up the before and after theatre atmosphere in Stratford where the highly regarded culinary scene has been joined by drinks as diverse as moonshine and English-style craft beer.
Throughout the height of the theatre season in the city, known primarily for the Stratford Festival, local restaurants are jammed and pre-play reservations are a must. But the fall (many plays continue until the end of October) is a more relaxed time to explore the impressive culinary and libations scene.
Stratford’s moonshine is the biggest surprise. It’s brewed at Junction 56, a craft distillery opened by Mike Heisz, a former tech worker at BlackBerry in Waterloo.
The original idea was to make whisky, but since that takes years, other spirits were needed to keep the cash flowing. Enter gin, vodka and un-aged whisky, a.k.a. moonshine.
Available in a maple syrup flavour called Sugarshack and a cinnamon herbal tea blend called Fireshine, the moonshine has put Junction 56 on the craft distilling map and was the first listed by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. General manager James Donnelly, who also left BlackBerry to make moonshine, said it’s now in 130 of the province’s liquor stores and various restaurants.
It will be another two years before Junction 56’s first whisky is ready.
If a moonshine operation in Stratford surprises you, the presence of craft beer should not.
Mercer Kitchen and Beer Hall, the long and narrow eatery and boutique hotel on Ontario Street, has more than 100 Ontario craft beers and ciders, but there’s nothing like going direct.
That’s accomplished on Downie Street, where two local teachers have opened Black Swan Brewing Co. to school the city in good-tasting beer.
Ryan Stokes, one of the owners, likes to introduce Black Swan to visitors with a flight of five: Black Swan English Pale Ale, Galaxy Awakens American Pale Ale, the obligatory IPA, a porter and a Berliner weisse called Wild Child. It’s the Black Swan EPA that is the brewery’s bestseller and the one most frequently found in local restaurants.
Visitors also may spot mead on menus. Tallgrass Mead is a small farm-based winery 30 minutes from Stratford which uses fermented honey to produce drinks such as Honey Pop, an alternative to cider, and All Day Rose.
Not every toast involves alcohol, some even involve ethics and religion.
Order a cup of joe at Revel on Market Place near the Avon Theatre and you’ll be getting a bit of both. Owner Anne Campion is a former Mennonite minister who lives her sense of world fairness by serving direct trade coffee.
Also on the menu at Revel is cold-pressed juice from the Farm Juice Co., a one-person operation located in the back of a Stratford martial arts studio.
Alex O’Shea creates juice with the likes of kale, spinach and apples. A former Food Network personality, O’Shea and martial arts husband Ryan relocated to Stratford from Toronto after falling in love with the city and its food scene.
Diners have a plethora of choices in downtown Stratford, but reservations before a play are recommended.
At the main intersection of Ontario and Erie streets, Pazzo Taverna specializes in handmade pasta and sustainable seafood from Ocean Wise.
Revival House started life as the McKenzie Memorial Gospel Church before becoming the Church Restaurant. Two years ago, under the new ownership of Rob and Candice Wigan, it became Revival House featuring French-style cuisine.
Further from downtown but still walkable to the Festival Theatre, the Bruce Hotel (named for the owner’s father) is home to arguably Stratford’s finest restaurant. The chef is Arron Carley, winner of Chopped Canada. The menu is Canadiana — elk tartare, Prince Edward Island rock crab, Quebec venison — with foraged fare.
One of the tiniest restaurants is also among the most popular. The Bijou, with room for maybe 80 diners, has entrances off both Wellington and Erie streets. Among its offerings are late-night food flights after 8 p.m. Meant to be shared by groups, the flights change daily.
Add it up, and it’s clear. Dining and drinking in Stratford is a hard act to beat.