Borealis, not so far from home...

A fabulous thing happened recently. On a visit to Guelph to visit my Mom for Mother's day last weekend, she suggested we all go to Borealis. She was sure that I would absolutely love it, and as it seems, mother really does know best.

Borealis is a fantastic new restaurant, which specializes in making local foods. I am hoping that it will be the first of an earth-friendly trend. I could tell you all about the things they are doing to make a difference, but I'd encourage you to check out their website for more information: http://www.borealisgrille.ca

During my visit last Sunday, I started with the Roasted Ignatius Onion Soup. It was a tasty, local version of a French onion soup, topped with a smoked cheddar (that I regularly have on hand at home) and a crostini. A tasty, tasty start. Borealis also carries a list of Flatbreads (or as my Mother put it "Oh, it's a pizza?"). I decided on the True North flatbread, consisting of ground bison, caramelized onion, field mushrooms and a Monforte Baumanís smoked cheese. Yes, it was truly as finger-licking as it actually sounds. The flavours were a perfect blend, and the smoked cheese was a good tie in with the soup. Lastly, I split the Chudley's apple crisp with my Mom, even if we were nearly bursting at the seams. Still, I ended up going home with a third of a flatbread, which made an excellent late night snack ;)

We went back again yesterday. Oh yes, I think this may turn into a favourite new haunt, even if we do need to drive to another city to get there.

Last night we started the meal with the Borealis Tusks. Somehow the description they give, just doesn't do it justice. The menu describes it as "Ground Bison, Tomatoes, Herbs and Mozzarella fried in a Whole Wheat Wrap with Spicy Dipping Sauce". What it was, was 8 pieces of fried heaven. We split this between four people and there was plenty to go around. I could have even passed on the sauce completely, since the Tusks themselves had an excellent flavour. What isn't mentioned above was the addition of green onions.

They also had a draught special, 2-for-1 pints of Amsterdam Two Fisted Stout (Toronto). It was the first time I've had that stout, and if you're a Guiness lover, you'll really appreciate it. No preservatives, great full-bodied taste, distinct taste of barley & malt with hints of a creamy espresso flavour. If you normally find stout to be a bit to strong for you, consider trying this.

Finally, all four of us enjoyed the Prime Rib together. When I say enjoyed, I suppose I should say "drooled on, gobbled up and talked about it for two days." Although I didn't have a chance to ask them about whether their beef is wet or dry aged (or a combination of both) or for how long, it was seriously a fantastic prime rib dinner. The website doesn't do it justice, they only mention that it is "slow cooked". It is actually smoked for hours, and then slow cooked. It was the first time I'd had a smoked prime rib. It is like someone took a great prime rib and asked themselves how they could make it better, and it completely worked. They offer it in two sizes (8oz was more than enough for me), and only on weekends. I'll definitely be going back for it again. To accompany the prime rib (as if it needed more than the smoke?) was a tasty thyme gravy, horseradish, as well as carrots and ramps (spring leeks). I ate enough horseradish to get a high-five from the waitress, although I'll point out that I didn't diminish the taste of the prime rib. For any hot horseradish fans, it was tasty, but not all that hot.

Not sure what the dessert we took home was (it was a special) but it was fabulous.

One fun note for duck lovers: I did notice was that their website advertises a poutine with a duck confit, but the menu gives ground bison or pulled pork as options for that dish. When I asked the waitress about it, she said that they do also offer it with duck confit if you ask.

Yes, Borealis is absolutely my favorite new restaurant find. Thanks Mom!

Adventures in Pancetta

Not as local or organic as I might usually enjoy, but a fabulous meal none the less.

Stuffed Pasta Shells w/ Pancetta & Spinach

At a local European deli I purchased two slices of Pancetta, and asked them to put the meat slicer on the thickest setting possible. At home I cut the pieces up into cubes which I sautéed with onions (note: oil wasn't required because of the fat in the pancetta).

Also prepared a mixture of blanched spinach, which was a local/organic variety I'd frozen last fall. Mix with ricotta cheese. Add the pancetta/onion mixture and season to taste. Fresh parsley can't hurt at this point.

Pre-boiled the extra large pasta shells, but left them very al dente. Not only did it make handling them easier, but they'll cook longer in the oven. Let the shells cool, take your fabulous new ricotta/pancetta/spinach mixture and spoon them into the shells. Don't forget to lick both your fingers and the bowl when done.

Place the filled shells into a casserole dish. I topped mine with homemade herbed local/organic stewed tomatoes, freshed grated mozzerella cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Season to taste.

Baked in the oven around 350*F until the cheese is melted, but before you drool too much from the fabulous smells. I highly recommend eating some of the fried pancetta just on it's own as a reward for your hard work.

The results:



So good.... slightly sinful, but who cares?

I'm back...

After some time of personal illness, not to mention some introspection, I've decided to get back to this blog again. It feels as though I had just barely begun before, and with local growing seasons upon us, I have the inspiration to continue journaling my food adventures.

I'll take some time to chronicle a few of our recent food-related exploits, and look forward to a full, exciting summer of local foods.

Are you in, or near the K-W area? Do you have a great place you get local/all natural foods from? Or even a fabulous restaurant? Let me know! I'm always looking for new places to try, and new foods to eat.

Happy eating.