As featured in the October 20, 2011 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record. (photo credit: The Record)
The locavore in me explodes at this time of year. Fall’s bountiful harvest matures into a feast for the senses, drawing my gastronomic compass to everything local, fresh and at the peak of flavour. Recently, it lured me 3 km north of Waterloo to downtown St. Jacobs’ newest hotspot: Jacob’s Grill.
Formerly Vidalia’s, Jacob’s Grill opened in April under the same Stone Crock ownership but with a new bistro-pub concept and menu. Executive chef, Erin Helwig, is passionate about local food and has participated in events like Foodlink’s Taste Local! Taste Fresh! for years.
Erin showcases the fertile soil of our 100-mile backyard through the Jacob’s Grill menu, consisting of appetizers, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, mains, desserts and specialty coffees. Its location is prime, adjoined to Stone Crock’s restaurant, bakery and deli.
Location is everything. And being this close to an in-house bakery, deli, eco-rich farm country, and Canada’s largest year-round farmers’ market influences the menu, which is peppered with ‘JG’ symbols highlighting local ingredients. All are sold at the Stone Crock Bakery or Meats & Cheese shop.
Committed to lunching local, my husband and I started with two savoury appetizers: cedar plank-baked brie (the restaurant uses local Harmony Organics or a Toronto cheese producer), which oozed onto a bed of bakery-fresh parmesan crisps and rosemary focaccia. This sweet and salty dish, topped with homemade mango chutney ($11.99), had just the right hit of heat.
Then came the hushpuppies ($8.99). And these are no A & W variety. Piping hot and packed with whipped Woolwich goat cheese, these jalapeno-speckled cornbread poppers tasted even better dunked into the charred Niagara-tomato coulis.
When it came to mains, we were tempted by the obvious choice: the ‘local eats’ ($9.99) featuring Noah Martin summer sausage, Pine River havarti, maple dijon (using West Montrose syrup) on a Stone Crock viking roll. Instead I opted for the curried turkey salad panini ($10.99) made with Bright’s cheddar, sliced apples from Martin’s Family Fruit Farm and homemade cranberry-mango chutney smeared on grilled naan. Confession: I did not see a tandoor oven at the Stone Crock Bakery. However, even my best efforts to eat local are occasionally trumped by my Punjabi roots. (Who can resist naan?)
While these flavour combinations danced Bollywood on my palate, a couple pieces of the turkey felt tough in my mouth, putting me off a bit. But the accompanying salad of St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market seasonal vegetables, glistening with white balsamic vinaigrette, redeemed it.
The blue burger ($12.99) was made with Norwich Packers beef and prepared thick and small like my husband’s mother used to make on the farm. By the time you added the blue cheese, red onion marmalade and homemade bun, it was so thick that he wasn’t sure whether to squish it or use cutlery (he squished). A tomato-based beef and cabbage soup – another salute to fall – rounded out his meal with a comforting hint of sweetness.
Did I mention the Niagara-on-the-Lake Reif Estates chardonnay ($6.85 a glass)? Just doing my part to go local.
The fresh berry almond meringue ($4.99) was sprinkled with seasonal fruits, fragrant mint and drizzled with Bauman Apiaries honey from Millbank. Delicious. The chocolate grand marquis ($4.99) was a “frozen chocolate bar,” which I didn’t quite understand or particularly enjoy, but I savoured its glorious Stone Crock cherry preserve. The half-dozen desserts listed on the menu are all prepared and sold at the bakery next door.
As our observant and friendly server cleared our plates, my husband sipped on the hot cinnamon specialty coffee (Goldschlager and Wellesley hot apple cider) and I marveled at the patio doors that opened onto the quaint streetscape of fieldstone buildings. How this 80-seat restaurant was half-full on a non-market Tuesday afternoon in October baffled me. But clearly, the word is out.
Great service + warm atmosphere + a fresh and localicious menu = Three forks.
Hours
Tuesday and Wednesday: 12 – 9 p.m.
Thursday to Saturday: 12 – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 12 – 5 p.m.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Yes.
Cuisine
Refined international pub fare with a wholesome local twist.
Reservations
Recommended on Thursdays and Saturdays when the market is bustling.
Atmosphere
Casual, contemporary and warm
Menu
Soup, salads, deluxe pub grub, pizza (gluten-free options), burgers and sandwiches. A variety of mains from near and far – coconut cashew lamb curry, chipotle sticky ribs, steak frites, grilled seafood and sesame chicken Thai noodles – and half a dozen decadent desserts.
Drinks
Selection of affordable ($6.65 – $8.95) wines by the 6-oz glass from Ontario, Italy, Argentina, Australia. Bottles ranging from $28 – $33), local and imported drafts and bottles, martinis, cocktails and a variety of specialty coffees.
Service
Attentive, courteous and knowledgeable.
The bill
$89.88 (before tip) for two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two burger/sandwich combos, two desserts, a coffee and a specialty coffee.
