As featured in the July 26, 2012 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record (photo credit, The Record)

Knowing my appreciation for local food and area farmers, my Guelph relatives insisted I visit Borealis Grille and Bar in Guelph or at its newest location in Kitchener.

So last Friday, I headed east on King to Sportsworld Crossing where I discovered a circa 1889 schoolhouse smack in the middle of Kitchener’s big-box marketplace. Initially, the 123-year-old building didn’t catch my eye but once inside, its history was unmistakable: original narrow-planked floors, tongue-and-groove wainscoting, antiqued walls adorned with enlarged sepia class photographs offered a glimpse of the 19th-century Pine Grove students educated within its very walls. Almost all fixtures are original, save the tin-roof ceiling, which was made by Elmira producers; Borealis also hired local Mennonites to craft the furniture, proving its passion for sustainability and local living surpasses the menu.

“Think globally, eat locally” are words etched on the wall and printed on staff T-shirts; and after meeting our server, Luigi, it really made sense. He highlighted the ‘Taste of Ontario’ menu, clarifying one import: Luigi himself. Two years ago, he moved from the Amalfi Coast after falling in love with a tourist from New Hamburg. He followed her to Canada and says he’s now joyfully learning everything he can about Ontario food.

That’s when the record scratched.

Un minuto — you’re from Italy, where the “slow food movement” ignited, and you’re here to learn everything about Ontario food? I may be a locavore, but that statement begged inquiry.

Sure enough, like the food we were about to savour, his answer was pure and simple: “In many ways, Borealis’ food reminds me of Italy. My mama rarely went to the grocery store because we ate off the land: vegetables, fruit, chicken, eggs, rabbit — we’d grow our own. Beef came from our village butcher. That’s how things are done at Borealis — and you can taste the difference.”

An aha-moment ensued for me. As North Americans, we often romanticize European cuisine, scouring specialty shops for imported products in hopes of garnering a taste of their world-renowned gastronomy. But their techniques and principles are the backbone of the cuisine, yielding remarkable results wherever they’re practiced. Think globally, eat locally.

We started with the panko crusted local goat cheese ($12.50) served with roasted Ontario beets, arugula, Rootham’s red pepper jelly and a beet reduction spread on toasted crostini. Paired with a glass of Niagara Pinot Gris, it was both delicately sweet and robustly earthy.

We ‘deglazed’ with local organic greens ($11 for a large salad we split), with Elmira grape tomatoes, julienne carrots, Niagara red wine vinaigrette topped with fried parsnip ‘chips.’ Fresher than fresh, we were reminded of a “supper salad” just plucked from my in-laws’ farm garden.

For mains, my husband had peppercorn steak ($30): a 10-ounce New York grass-fed striploin from Wellington County seasoned with Borealis peppercorn sauce, grilled vegetables and buttermilk mashed potatoes. Excellent.

I had the brick-flattened chicken ($22) from Harriston Co-op (a town where my husband played hockey as a kid), with a minty salsa verde, roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables that included ample in-season zucchini.

For dessert, we had Williamsford apple pie ($6.99), plated on swirls of caramel. We also tried the crème brulée ($6.99), made with Hawkins Honey-infused vanilla cream and served with ripe local blueberries. Exquisite.

My Guelph relatives were definitely onto something. Borealis — and all it represents — has won me over.

As Luigi would say: “Saluté, Ontario!”

Hours
Sunday to Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Wheelchair Accessibility
Accessible

Cuisine
Local, in-season, socially responsible cuisine and modi operandi

Reservations
Not accepted. The restaurant has 90 seats in the main dining area, 70 downstairs, 60 on the patio and 30 at the bar. With that much space, it’s hard to believe there’s ever a wait, but apparently it’s happened the odd winter night. After experiencing the place, I get it.

Atmosphere
19th-Century schoolhouse conversion with a large addition; great bar and patio. Walls adorned with historical treasures including sepia photographs of serious-faced Pine Grove students. Wall to the washroom lined with framed antique cookbooks from local communities. Family-friendly.

Menu
Changes with the seasons. Summer dinner menu includes flatbreads, appetizers, salads, grass-fed local burgers, several fish, chicken, vegetarian and beef dishes. Lots of organic and non-GMO ingredients. Daily specials including $5-off bottles of wine on Fridays and Saturdays, kids dine for $3.99 on Sundays and two dine for $49.99 on Wednesday (three courses).

Drinks
20 local draught beers on tap (change seasonally), robust selection of local wines, cocktails, martinis, ice wine and cider.

Service
Impeccable. Ask for Luigi. He was friendly but didn’t crowd us, meticulously cleaned the table throughout our meal, asked if we wanted to spread our appetizer and salad over two or three courses and poured our wine “Italian style.”

The bill
$131.61 for two glasses of wine, an appetizer, salad, two mains and two desserts.

In a nutshell
Borealis is loco for local.