Crazy for Stratford's Pazzo

As featured in the December 15, 2011 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.

Stratford transforms into a charming Victorian Christmas card this time of year. Downtown gleams with wreath-encircled lampposts, white lights, garland and red velvet bows. Add gently falling snow, and your heart can’t help but ignite with the magic of the season.

Holiday shopping Stratford’s unique storefronts provides a refreshing alternative to the mall, and a great excuse to eat in a city known for award-winning cuisine. Having lived there several years, I had the privilege of enjoying numerous fine meals prepared by meticulous Stratford chefs, many of whom unite with local farmers to bring fresh, honest, intrinsically good food to your table.

I feel like a kid in a candy store when deciding where to eat in Stratford. But after a recent downtown shopping excursion on a blustery December afternoon, one comfort food came to mind: pizza. Specifically, the best pizza I’ve ever had, found at Pazzo Pizzeria.

Articulating its splendor should come easy to a writer. However, I’m not sure there’s an English word to do it justice. Let’s just say that ‘pazzo’ is Italian for ‘crazy’ and you’d be crazy not to go.

My recent Pazzo reunion started with an old-time favourite: Caesar salad ($9), which is nothing shy of extraordinary. Its tangy, from-scratch dressing has the perfect combination of garlic, anchovy, lemon and Worcestershire. Fresh bite-sized romaine hearts layered amidst crispy pancetta, quality parmigiano-reggiano and airy herbed croutons. You haven’t truly appreciated a caesar salad until you’ve tried this version.

My husband’s antipasti plate ($12) was an assortment of marinated olives, artichoke hearts, pickled cauliflower and beets, roasted shallots, goat cheese, mozzarella, prosciutto, spicy salami, capocollo and arugula. Its fresh, local, quality ingredients bellowed, “Welcome to la dolce vita!” on a plate.

I forgot to mention the bread. Spongy focaccia with a delicately salted crust (prepared at Pazzo’s Bakery next door) accompanies every meal along with a shallow dunking dish of fruity olive oil and syrupy balsamic, demonstrating again that ‘quality’ and ‘simplicity’ forge a powerful union.

Onto the main event: the thin-crust pizza, available in plain or whole wheat. A variety of cleverly named renditions – the don corleone, soprano, Vatican and marco polo, to name a few – are all virtuoso in their own rights. My favourite, the medici ($10), is a spicy little number with hot peppers, kalamata olives, diced tomato, pesto and buffalo mozzarella. The smell alone has imprinted my memory for dentist chair visits when I need to go to my “happy place.” What’s more, it sings ‘O Sole Mio’ when dipped in Pazzo’s signature chili oil.

My husband ordered the ricotta gnocchi ($13) after our server said she could eat it all day and all night. Now we get it. Tender pillows of potato perfection, drenched in a rich Gorgonzola cream sauce balanced with colourful grilled radicchio: delightful.

There was no turning back now so tiramisu with espresso cream ($7.50) and a flourless chocolate square with double-chocolate sauce ($7.50) followed. The quality of the chocolate and coffee percolated through each bite.

The pizzeria’s ambiance– Stratford’s oldest cellar transformed into a sleek but warm urban resto-lounge – is molto cool; yet not so cool that you couldn’t bring your kids. Our two-year-old always enjoys dining at Pazzo.

While we’re visiting family in Stratford this Christmas, I think we might grab a meal from the new ‘Pazzo to go’ take-out menu. Perfect for those frosty late-December days when you feel like eating like kings in the comfort of your own pajamas.

Pazzo Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria
70 Ontario St., Stratford
519-273-6666
www.pazzo.ca

Pizzeria Hours
Sunday to Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Closed Mondays

Wheelchair Accessibility
Through the back door off Erie Street. Ristorante accessible through Ontario Street.

Cuisine
Simple, fresh, quality Italian food made spectacularly. Locavores live here.

Reservations
Recommended, especially during the theatre season.

Atmosphere
Pazzo is divided into two restaurants: the downstairs pizzeria is a swanked-up cellar that’s hip, casual and warm. Pazzo’s street-level ristorante (only open during the theatre season, although occasionally for New Year’s Eve) provides a stunning and formal atmosphere with a more adventurous menu. Take-out meals can be picked up at the Pazzo Bakery next door.

Menu
Amazing salads, appetizers, pizza, pasta, gnocchi and a few gluten-free dinner mains such as risotto, beef short ribs and olive brine braised chicken.

Drinks
An extensive drink list dominates the menu. A variety of martinis, manhattans, sparkling wines and cocktails, local and imported beers on tap and in bottles, premium and bar-brand liquors, selection of whiskeys. Wines are available by the glass ($6-$10), by 500 ml-, 750 ml- or 1,000 ml-carafes or bottles ($38-$75). Dessert menu features Italian liqueurs, grappa, sherry, port and specialty coffees. A few fancy non-alcoholic options as well.

Service
Down-to-earth, knowledgeable, easy-going and attentive.

The bill
$82.49 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, and two orders of appetizers, entrees and desserts.

In a nutshell
Three and a half forks.

Soup-to-nuts dining at The Cellar in Elora

As featured in the December 1, 2011 edition of Dining Out, Waterloo Region Record.(photo credit: The Record)

A cellar conjures all sorts of images: a fruit cellar sparkling with homemade preserves, a root cellar amassing harvested vegetables, a storm cellar providing shelter during inclement weather, and my personal favourite, a wine cellar, aging row upon row of Domaine Romanée-Conti pinot noir. A girl can dream, can’t she?

And then there’s the cellar (read: basement) you’d find in an old fieldstone farmhouse: home to a mishmash of soup-to-nuts sundries and wares with the odd hidden gem. This is what you can expect to find at The Cellar Pub and Grill in Elora.

Tucked behind a Mill Street jeweller, The Cellar’s entrance is authenticated by rickety stairs descending to what appears to be a pub, with exposed beams, wine barrels, a flatscreen and bar. But round the corner, and you’ve entered a dining space adorned with espresso tables, oversized chairs and contemporary art amidst gilt-framed landscapes, silk flowers and cascading ivy. Step onto the deck and you’re transported again, this time to a stonewall patio framing Grand River views.

The eclecticism continues on the menu: Smoked pork Kesseler, pad thai, salmon Wellington, chicken curry, jumbo chicken wings, Cajun calamari and Italian sausage penne to name a few.

While part of me wanted to embrace this eclecticism that’s quintessentially Elora, the Type A in me wanted to focus! What was this place all about – what was it known for? And who better to ask than our server, whose friendliness and wit made us feel like regulars.

Trusting her suggestions, we started with steamed mussels ($11), which were fresh, tender and soaked in a spicy white-wine garlic sauce. We also shared the baked goats cheese ($10), pursed in flakey phyllo pastry and floating in a delicate raspberry ginger sauce. I’m sure it comes as no surprise that this app was heady goodness, I mean let’s face it: when sweet seduces tangy and then rolls around in a blanket of phyllo, nothing short of magic happens on the palate.

Next came the suggested mains, along with my unfortunate desire to stuff them back into the cellar.

My salmon Wellington ($19) was a disappointment, especially since I was on such a roll with phyllo. Unlike the appetizer, this pastry wasn’t cooked evenly, causing the outside to appear very brown while the inside felt like raw dough. The salmon itself tasted burnt to me, and the criss-cross grill marks were quite black in parts. The saving graces for this dish were the chunky, steamed vegetables, fluffy basmati and scrumptious dill sauce that I could’ve quite easily bathed in.

My husband’s AAA NY striploin ($24) was a mixed bag. While he appreciated its simple seasoning and size (no man-versus-beast Medieval Times portions here), he was visibly bummed when it arrived medium, not his requested medium-rare. My husband will eat anything (except creamed corn), but couldn’t understand why this was considered a house specialty.

Then came the desserts: chocolate brownie torte ($6.25) and sticky toffee pudding ($6), both hidden gems, although I say this in trust because I didn’t actually taste the sticky toffee pudding (my husband devoured it quicker than I could say ‘Werthers’). However, he did offer this review: “It had raisins. And cinnamon?” Proof of its delectability was clearly in the pudding.

Now I’m a girl who’s sweet on the underdog, so while I long to write about a rare and magnificent find you must check out immediately, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you of the unpredictability that lies within The Cellar. Treasures – such as those mouthwatering appetizers – are there, you just need to know which shelf of the menu to search.


The Cellar Pub and Grill
13 Mill St. E., Elora
(519) 846-1333

Hours
Monday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday and Thursday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – midnight
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Wheelchair Accessibility
Through the back patio doors.

Menu
Pub grub, barbecue, seafood, pasta, elegant-sounding entrees – a true mixed bag. Ignore the website’s drool-inducing gourmet pizza pics: pizza isn’t on the menu (at least not while I was there).

Reservations
The website recommends it. We made reservations but only two other parties dined while we were there one early Thursday evening in November, along with a few bar patrons.

Atmosphere
An exercise in juxtapositions. Go ahead and wear your jeans.

Drinks
Draft and bottled beers, selection of wines, cocktails, frozen drinks and teetotaler options.

Service
Friendly, attentive, anticipating your next need.

The bill
No pub change. $105.37 (including tax, before tip) for two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts.

In a nutshell
Two forks.

Localicious lunch @ Jacob's Grill

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.

Not the Loo I remember

Oh people, it's been too long. I've vanished from bloggersphere for months now. It started with a move from Stratford to Waterloo when I was... eight months pregnant. I know - insane. When my brother and sister-in-law moved at six months pregnant, I was Judgy McJudgypants, wondering what the heck they were thinking. Never in a million years did I think I would be in their shoes, packing up boxes and watching my dear husband orchestrate our biggest move yet. Only pregnant-er.

Then came Christmas. And New Year's Eve, the day our precious daughter decided to make her debut. Carry the colic and a winter that felt like it would last centuries. Baptisms, birthday parties (our first-born turned 2), and here I am. I'm actually not sure where this blog is going anymore, but if you're patient with me, maybe we'll figure it out together.

So, let's talk about my new old city: Waterloo. Having grown up here, I'm surprised at its refreshing revitalization. Or maybe I'm also seeing the city in a new light since children. My days have been spent exploring Waterloo's many playgrounds and trails, the Waterloo Tennis Club (a return after 20 years - I can't even believe that), the St. Jacobs Market (YUM! More on that later. Oh, and our son is fascinated with taking the train there), Waterloo Park, The Museum, Vincenzo's, Thrive, The Bauer Kitchen, La Patisserie, City Cafe Bakery, Stork, and Romeo Salon and Spa. I've joined a great book club, met some amazing neighbours and I'm consistently amazed at the beautiful mature trees in my neighbourhood and the quality of life Waterloo has to offer.

I'm looking forward to this month's Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival, and next month's Kitchener's Blues Festival.

All's well in Kitchener-Waterloo. And it's good to be home.