Rundles Sophisto-Bistro

Rundles Restaurant You are going to want to go here. Maybe you have a first date coming up with a cool boy… maybe you are married to a cool boy (or girl) and your anniversary is coming up. Maybe your best girlfriend is getting married and she needs a heart to heart before the big day over a really nice meal (and a big glass of wine!). Maybe its your dad’s birthday and you want to stroll down the river Avon, look at some swans and then have a really nice meal. Whatever the reason, you are going to want to make that next date with your most favourite person at Rundles Sophisto-Bistro in Stratford. Table and Masks – Garden Room The first thing you are going to notice is the details. This place is so cool, it’s Danish meets Tribal, meets nineteen-sixty meets nineteen-eighty, meets now. I loved all the little trinkets, the modern masks on the wall, the ethereal mobiles hanging from the ceiling and the outdoor garden. It’s such an amazing place, even the wooden bread box squeals with character – make sure you take a look at it! Freshly Baked Baguette   Homemade Butter We sat down and our host for the evening – Andrew came over to spoil us. I let him know I was interested in where all of the food came from and he was happy to guide me through the menu and all of its hidden treasures. First off, he brought us over a freshly baked baguette that is made in-house along with the homemade butter which they turn on site, in the kitchen from locally produced cream. If you look closely in this photo you can see that there are little pieces of course salt set atop of this glorious little cylinder of butter. It tastes very French, but it is very Ontario. Local Organic Baby Arugula and Spinach Salad with Oyster Mushrooms Although I would have been quite happy to sit for the entire evening with just the butter and baguette, there was much more to come. The menu at Sophisto-Bistro is a fixed menu. You pay a set price and you can choose from about four different items in each category for an appetizer, a main and a dessert. The kitchen is run by Neil Baxter who is also head of the acclaimed Stratford Chef School. I caught a glimpse of him coming out of the kitchen at one moment, but I resisted my urged to run up to him and beg him for a cooking class. For my appetizer I chose the local organic baby arugula and spinach salad with oyster mushrooms. The salad is served with finely sliced red cabbage, and grilled oyster mushrooms and garnished with chopped egg and fried sourdough breadcrumbs. The greens, cabbage and the eggs are from Anthony John’s farm at Soiled Reputation out of Sebringville Ontario. The mushrooms were unlike any I have ever tasted, they were like slivers of tender, juicy and nutty flavoured steak! The sourdough bread crumbs are of course homemade. You can see in this photo the colour and the presentation are sublime. The taste combination here is so delicious, it was perfection in a salad. PAN-FRIED PORK TENDERLOIN PICCATA   HOT-SMOKED, KOLAPORE SPRINGS TROUT SALAD grilled chiles poblanos, carrot and red onion escabeche (Mexican pickle) For our mains, Sean chose the Pan Fried Pork Tenderloin Picatta that sat atop a mixture of local vegetables including brussel sprouts, celeriac and devilled sauce – christened with capers, it was delicious (yes, he did let me taste test!). The pork is the elusive Berkshire variety – Rundles is bringing in locally from Perth Pork Products. For my main I chose the smoked trout that they smoke in-house, back in the kitchen. The trout comes from Kolapore Springs Trout Farm which is located near Collingwood. I have heard of Kolapore Springs and I remember it was a very interesting place where they do things differently than most fish farms. Sustainability is key in their business and they feed the trout a special fresh water shrimp that actually enhances the flavour, the nutrional value as well as the pink colour of the trout. It was a sweet tasting trout with a delicate smokiness to it that is quite unlike any I have ever had. Farm raised trout is one of the most sustainable fish for us to choose in Canada and it is very safe to raise trout in a farmed environment (unlike salmon). To make the dish even more adventurous it is served with grilled chiles poblanos, carrot and red onion escabeche (mexican pickle). Sounds exotic, but Chef Neil Baxter is replicating and at the same time reinventing a traditional dish here with local ingredients. The colour in this dish is terrific – various hues of pink, green and orange shine back at you as you take in all the flavours and the wonderful smokey and sweet scent. Table Charm This is one of the many little charms that reside in Sophisto-Bistro. A charming little moveable statue to keep you amused while you await your next course and next surprise. CANADIAN, UNPASTEURIZED MILK CHEESES For my dessert, I chose the cheese plate. It is a wonderful selection of (mostly) local cheese. All but one of these lovelies is from Ontario and believe me, you will not mind the one traveller in the group. The Sophisto-Bistro cheese plate is a selection of four unpasteurized milk cheeses. The blue cheese was called Tiger Blue and is from British Columbia, so even though it travelled a little further , it is still a welcome fellow Canadian. It was so creamy and delicious that I could have been finished there – but no, there were three more to sample. The next cheese was called Solaire from MonForte (Stratford), the next was Orati (near Ottawa) and the last was another MonForte Cheese called Paradiso which was a sheep’s milk cheese. The cheese plate is accompanied with a side of homemade walnut raisin bread and an in-house flax seed cracker that is a treat in itself. It was almost like a cookie and was so good it had me ohhing and awing. All of this comes with one more sidekick, a homemade apple and raisin chutney with a killer cinnamon bang with every bite – delicious! Rundles Rosehall Run Wine Wine, wine and more wine. Rundles and Sophisto-Bistro has a huge selection of wine to accompany any meal that you choose. I let Andrew our host pick my wine for the evening. He chose the house wine which is made for Rundles at Rosehall Run Winery which is a boutique winery that resides in Prince Edward County, Ontario. They make the private label for Rundles and it was a delicious choice that carried me right through from appetizer to dessert. This meal was surely one for the memory books. Sean and I felt like a King and Queen as we dined in such a unique environment with such amazing service and food that is truly exceptional. We will not forget it, in fact I am already planning my next day trip to Stratford so that I can stop in and try some of the other items on this menu. Anyone want to join me? Rundles Spohisto-Bistro 9 Cobourg Street Stratford, ON N5A 3E4 (519) 271-6442 www.rundlesrestaurant.com Twitter @Rundles Blog: rundlesrestaurant.wordpress.com  Read More

Sustainable Local Fish – The Great Lakes

This post is going out to Danika – who asked me to try and fish out some tips on how to eat sustainable seafood in Southern Ontario. She was right, it is hard to find information, but with a little web surfing I think I have found some terrific nuggets of information that will help her and any of you out there that are looking to make wiser choices when it comes to visiting the fishmonger. In London we are surrounded by the Great Lakes. This means that we can technically welcome Alewife, Atlantic Salmon, Black & White Crappie, Bloater, Bowfin, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Burbot, Carp, Channel Catfish,Chinook Salmon,Coho Salmon, Freshwater Drum, Lake Herring, Lake Sturgeon, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Longnose Sucker, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Pink Salmon, Pumpkin Seed, Rainbow Smelt, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Round Goby, Round Whitefish, Ruffe, Sea Lamprey, Small Mouth Bass, Splake, Walleye (Pickerel), White Bass, White Perch, White Sucker and Yellow Perch to our table. Phew! But do we really want to welcome all these fish to our table? The answer is no. First of all, the list of fish is daunting and that is just the Great Lakes! But don”t worry, I will help you “wade” through these waters. Now I am aware that you don”t want to know what kind of fish is available, you want to know how to go about choosing the right fish. Right off the bat we can eliminate a lot of these fish simply because you would not want to eat them, they are just not tasty. After that you should start asking some heavier questions about each of these fish. For instance, is the fish locally caught? Is it a threatened or endangered fish? Is it a red-listed species, such as farmed salmon? In case you have not read up on this yet – farmed salmon is red-listed ( that is a big no-no!) because waste feed and fecal matter from farmed salmon lead to nutrient pollution and a decrease in biodiversity around salmon cages. Farmed salmon also transfer diseases and parasites to wild fish leading to wild fish population decreases. Pan fried walleye (pickerel) and rosemary roasted potatoes. I picked up this fish at theSt. Mary”s Farmers Market. So just how do you go about knowing where your fish comes from? Well, first of all you can fish yourself and eat your own catch, this means you will know what species you have caught, you know where you caught it and you are assured it is wild. Make sure you have a valid fishing license or Outdoors card – found here: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_165326.html Next choice, you buy it from a seafood seller or a fishmonger. The other day in Loblaw I noticed that they have started labeling all of the fresh seafood with easy to navigate statements such as ”farmed”, ”freshwater”,” or wild”, along with which country, province or state it was caught in. I do not like to toot Lobaw”s horn for them, as they are guilty of many food crimes, but they did make a statement promising that “all seafood sold in its retail locations will be from sustainable sources by the end of 2013.” This commitment covers all canned, frozen, fresh, wild and farmed seafood products, in all categories. (http://wwf.ca/newsroom/?3680) Finally, the narrowing of species comes next. You need to make wise choices and if it is Great Lakes fish you are after than the following is the best advice I could find out there f or you. The below information was taken directly from the Shedd Aquarium web site. http://www.sheddaquarium.org/ Best ChoicesËœLake whitefish (trap net) — Despite declining populations of their preferred prey, lake whitefish populations remain large because of effective population management. In addition, the lake whitefish trap-net fishery is generally benign and poses no threat to the ecosystem. ËœYellow perch (Lake Erie) — Eighty-five percent of the yellow perch in the U.S. market comes from Lake Erie. Despite a serious decline in the 1990s, populations have increased thanks to an effective management plan and the natural resilience to environmental change for which yellow perch are known. Good AlternativesËœLake herring — Lake herring never fully recovered from a steep population decline in the mid-20th century due to habitat loss, overfishing and competition with non-native species such as rainbow smelt. Comprehensive management plans for lake herring stocks are growing as this species is recognized as a key player in the reestablishment of native predator-prey communities in the Great Lakes. ËœLake trout (Lake Superior) — Lake Superior was the only one of the Great Lakes to avoid the major lake trout population crash in the mid-20th century because an invasive predator, the sea lamprey, was not successful in these waters. As a result, Lake Superior is currently the only lake to have a wild-caught lake trout commercial fishery. Although this population is currently stable, it will be important to minimize the threats of overfishing and habitat loss to ensure that healthy populations continue to thrive. ËœLake whitefish (gill net) — Despite declining populations of their preferred prey, lake whitefish populations remain large because of effective management. Concerns remain about accidental catch and high mortality in whitefish gill nets, making trap-caught whitefish a better choice. ËœRainbow smelt — Rainbow smelt were introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1930s. Unfortunately, this non-native species has flourished — to the point of being considered invasive — and aggressively competes with native species like lake herring for habitat and other resources. Removing invasive species, such as rainbow smelt, can be an effective management strategy for restoring native species. The smelt fishery helps to support native foraging fish by removing this invasive species. ËœRound whitefish — This fish is not a primary target for commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes so its availability depends on market demand. Round whitefish is caught primarily by tribe-licensed fisheries and currently no harvest limits are set for this fish. More information is needed about the population status to determine which management strategies will be most effective. ËœWalleye — Walleye is a naturally resilient species, which has helped it recover from past population declines. Populations underwent a major decline in the 1990s and are still recovering today. A better understanding of the specific needs for successful walleye populations is needed to create an effective management plan. AvoidËœLake trout (Lake Michigan and Lake Huron) — Lake trout populations crashed in the mid-20th century due to habitat loss, overfishing and predation by the invasive sea lamprey, and they have not been able to recover on their own.The lake trout found in the lakes today are the result of an artificial fisheries management strategy known as “stocking.” Restoration of natural lake trout populations is an important goal for fisheries managers in the Great Lakes region. Read morehttp://www.sheddaquarium.org/Right_Bite_in_the_Great_Lakes.html#ixzz0OjkZWtlGINTERNATIONAL SEAFOODNow, if you want to eat International seafood you are on your own – there is just too much information for an amateur like me to sift through. I would highly recommend the following websites for trying to figure out the international oceans. SeaChoiceSeaChoice is a comprehensive seafood markets program with the primary goal of realizing sustainable fisheries in Canada and abroad.http://www.seachoice.org/Canada”s Seafood Guide can be downloaded on the Seachoice web site here:http://seachoice.org/files/pdf/SEACHOICE_alertcard09.pdf State of the CatchWelcome to State of the Catch, a David Suzuki Foundation publication designed to help food professionals make informed seafood purchasing decisions. If you’re a chef, a commercial fish buyer, a restaurant manager or a concerned consumer, this guidebook is for you.http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/Oceans/StateoftheCatch.pdf Ocean Wise (Vancouver Aqaurium)The Vancouver Aquarium is a self-supporting, non-profit association dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, education, research, and direct action. Ocean Wise is a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafoodhttp://www.vanaqua.org/oceanwise/ Seafood WatchA program of Monterey Bay Aquarium designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. We recommend which seafood to buy or avoid, helping consumers to become advocates for environmentally friendly seafood. We”re also partners of the Seafood Choices Alliance where, along with other seafood awareness campaigns, we provide seafood purveyors with recommendations on seafood choices.http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_whatsnew.aspx I have their iphone app which can be downloaded free here:http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_iPhone.aspx  Read More