culinary events

TICKETED EVENTS

2-day series Mondays & Tuesdays

Day 1  | Panel Discussions  |  Open to the Public 
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Day 2  |  Ticketed Culinary Events  |  Open to the Public

Culinary Events

Colourful Illustration of a Christmas feast under a stray sky
Co-chefs and co-owners of CHARCUT Roast House, charbar restaurant, Rooftop Bar @ Simmons and Alley Burger, John Jackson and Connie DeSousa
Chef David from The Waring House in Picton

The Waring House

Wednesday, November 30th

THE ART OF HOLIDAY CLASSICS

When
Wednesday, November 30th at 7:00PM

Where
The Waring House, Waring Hall, 395 Sandy Hook Road, Picton

Price 
$155 per person (includes cocktail, wine pairings; taxes and gratuity extra)

All the holiday warm and fuzzies will be in the air – and on the menu – at The Art of Holiday Classics, as The Waring House, Picton’s revered historic inn, welcomes into their kitchens Calgary’s dynamic duo, Chefs Connie DeSousa and John Jackson, and Loyalist College’s powerhouse culinary team, Chefs Scott Royce, John Schneeberger and Karin Desveaux.

Expect a multicourse menu of elevated and delicious comfort food, as this ensemble of six highly decorated and seasoned chefs, hosted by The Waring House’s Executive Chef David Correa, come together to celebrate the spirit of gathering over classic dishes, all with rich stories behind them—this is a dinner that will go down in the history books! 

This extravagant feast, with wine pairings by sommelier extraordinaire, Astrid Young, and festive cocktails from Kinsip House of Fine Spirits, will be beautifully showcased in The Waring House’s Waring Hall, which will be dressed to the nines to put everyone in the holiday spirit.

As a bonus, Lesley Chesterman, a food, and media rock star in Quebec, in both English and French will emcee this event. Apart from her twenty years of influential and informative restaurant reviews in the Montreal Gazette, Lesley had a weekly reporting gig on Radio Canada for a decade and continues to make countless other radio and television appearances as judge, commentator, and reporter. Lesley will also speak to her recently released cookbook called Make Everything Delicious which will be available at Zest Kitchen—a perfect guide to cooking at home over the holidays. 

Meet The Art of Holiday Classic Chefs!

Co-chefs and co-owners of CHARCUT Roast House, charbar restaurant, Rooftop Bar @ Simmons and Alley Burger, John Jackson and Connie DeSousa first met in Calgary in 1999 and joined culinary forces, travelling into the esteemed kitchens of Europe, New York and San Francisco before returning to their Calgary hometown in 2009 to open CHARCUT Roast House, where their meat and butchery-focused restaurant became an instant hit with diners and critics alike.  After CHARCUT came the opening of charbar in 2015, an Argentine-inspired restaurant with Italian and Spanish influences. Located in the historic Simmons building along the Bow River in the re-established East Village, it was named Calgary’s best new restaurant for 2015. Since then, they have added a butcher shop and a new breakfast eatery called Chix Eggshop to their growing stable of casual fine dining restaurants. Celebrated for her butchery skills and simple approach to food, you will recognize Connie DeSousa from her appearances on Top Chef Canada, Top Chef All Stars and most recently as a judge for Food Networks Fire Masters. Connie is one of Canada’s most celebrated female chefs.

Chef Scott Royce is a talented, passionate, methodical chef who began cooking professionally while attending George Brown College. He has worked in some of the country’s finest restaurants including Auberge du Pommier, Fairmont’s Chateau Lake Louise and Calgary’s Teatro. In 2006, Chef Scott moved to The County where he became Executive Chef at Waupoos Winery, and also began teaching part-time at Loyalist College. His love for teaching was apparent, and in 2012 he became a full-time staff member as Culinary Lab Technician and Chef Instructor. Chef Scott also runs Seasoned Events, a high-end catering service.

Beginning her culinary career in Toronto in the mid 90s, Karin Desveaux honed her skills in some of the city’s finest restaurants including Ivory, Borgo Antico, Rosewater Supperclub, Winston’s and The Left Bank. From there, she transitioned into high-end catering and eventually became a private chef for a prominent family. Karin moved to Prince Edward County in 2003 to open The Milford Bistro, Harvest and Pinch Gourmet with her then-partner, Michael Potters. Their businesses worked with local producers and winemakers to celebrate seasonality and terroir through food and service. Karin began teaching in the culinary program at Loyalist College in 2010 and takes great pride in her current role of Coordinator and full-time Professor; together with her team, she weaves creativity, excellence, sustainability, and wellness into the program that they share with aspiring chefs of the future.

Chef John Schneeberger began his culinary career washing dishes at a small Swiss restaurant in Toronto at the age of 15. He attended George Brown College in Toronto as an apprentice cook in the early 80’s. While in Toronto he worked in some of the city’s finest establishments including Winston’s Restaurant and Four Seasons Inn on the Park before travelling to work in Switzerland. He began teaching part time at Loyalist College in the Hotel & Restaurant Management Program in 1997.  John now teaches mostly Baking & Pastry. His passion for teaching and beautiful food is apparent to any of his students or guests at the College’s Market and he continues to be an integral part if the Loyalist culinary team.

Waring House’s Executive Chef, David Correa, has been director of The Waring House Cookery School since 2019 and possesses a wealth of culinary knowledge, gained through an impressive career that has spanned decades, earning him many awards and taking him around the world. Most notably, Chef Correa was a Dean’s Honour Roll Graduate of George Brown’s three-year Chef Apprenticeship Program and worked with several well-known chefs from The County such as Michael Sullivan (The Merrill House) and Chef Christian Marchesteiner (Pastry for Culinary Institute of Canada). In 1992, he was a member of the opening team for the Euro Disney food division and was the touring chef to Sir Mick Jagger during the 2002 Rolling Stones World Tour. He also taught at Humber College before starting his own catering business. David is a strong believer in sustainability practices including the local sourcing of food products. He visits local markets in The County as well as making excellent use of herbs and vegetables from the Waring House gardens. His passion for perfecting flavour has been developed through decades of experience working as a chef in numerous cultural settings.

Past Culinary Events

@Merrill House

Tuesday, November 29th

The Art Of The PASTRY

When: Tuesday November 29th at 6:00 p.m.

Where: Merrill House (343 Main St E, Picton K0K 2T0)

Price: $175 per person (includes Champagne, tea cocktail, and Rare Tea Company pairings; taxes & gratuities not included) 

Two of Canada’s most seasoned and revered pastry chefs recently featured on the Food Network’s Wall of Bakers, Toronto’s Joanne Yolles and Montreal’s Patrice Demers, will join Merrill House’s host chef Michael Sullivan for a highly indulgent savoury and sweet dining affair where Champagne, a tea cocktail, and a selection of luxury teas from the Rare Tea Company will make up the libation pairings—naturally. 

Merrill House was built in 1878 and exudes stately, magnificent, Victorian glory. The newly renovated boutique hotel will serve as the perfect stage for this gluttonous feast where each chef has been tasked with preparing BOTH a sweet and savoury pastry. 

Chef Joanne Yolles is about as OG as it gets having started her career 40 years ago attending cooking school at Tante Marie’s in San Francisco. She is also the creator of Scaramouche’s legendary coconut cream pie, still the best-selling menu item some 30 plus years later. Chef Yolles cites a major career highlight as baking for Julia Child. And YES, the coconut cream pie will make a special appearance at this dinner! 

Chef Patrice Demers was named Best Pastry Chef in Quebec in 2018 by the Lauriers Gala. In 2019, he was selected by Ladurée to collaborate on a Christmas Collection that was sold worldwide and also developed dessert programs in some of Montreal’s top restaurants, such as Les Chèvres and Les 400 Coups, creating desserts where fruits and acidity played an important role. Chef Demers, along with his wife, opened up his pastry shop, Patrice Pâtissier, near Montreal’s Atwater Market in 2014, serving desserts that use local and seasonal ingredients. Chef Demers hosted his own television show called Les Desserts de Patrice for five seasons on Canal Vie, and published four cookbooks, the most recent being Parcours Sucré in 2019. 

Chef Michael Sullivan has been the head chef at Merrill House for over 18 years and has come from some Toronto’s finest kitchens such as Auberge du Pommier and The Fifth. With an affinity for French cuisine and pastry, his menus have evolved over the years to reflect the terroir of Prince Edward County. Inspired by recent culinary tours in France and the UK, Chef Sullivan continues to innovate whilst respecting the heritage of his dishes.

Jamie Kennedy’s Farm, Hillier, ON

Sunday November 13th​

THE ART OF COOKING WITH FIRE

When
Sunday November 13th
from 11:00AM to 3:00PM

Where
Jamie Kennedy’s Farm, Hillier ON  (exact address to follow with ticket purchase)

Price 
$115 per person (includes a welcome cocktail, mate, and two glasses of wine)

Are you captivated by staring into an open fire? Does the smell of cooking outside joyfully ignite all your senses? And are you willing to step outside your comfort zone and let nature run its course?

For the 6th event in the Partnership for Excellence series, the spotlight will shine on one of the world’s most ceremonial eating, drinking and gathering experiences—the authentic Argentine Sunday asado (asado de Domingo).

The Argentine wife-and-husband duo, Alejandra De Miguel and Coco Gaona of Cultura Tiempo, are famous for bringing fire to special events and parties across Ontario.

This will be the first time they have been given carte blanche to recreate the authentic Sunday asado for a limited number of guests.

The morning will begin with a suggested arrival time of 11AM, where mate will be passed. From there the day will flow without a strict attachment to time—just like in Argentina.

A mate circle, craft cocktail by Kinsip Distillery, and a Barolo and a Dolcetto from the portfolio of Gibson Family Wines will make up the beverages for this event. You are also invited to bring your own wine.

Top Chef Canada judge, writer, and former food critic for The Globe and Mail, Chris Nutall-Smith will host this event and enliven the experience by engaging Cultura Tiempo with questions and remarks on all things fire. 

A NOTE ON THIS PANEL & EVENT COMBO:

This experience will run as true to form as if you were gathering in Argentina on a Sunday. Please come prepared with clothing layers as there will be a lot of gathering around the fires outside, whilst watching the meat cook.

We invite you to bring your wine to share. Empanadas and salami and cheeses will be served at the beginning and then we will be at the mercy of the fire for the remaining meat courses which should be ready at approximately 1PM.

international wood illustration

@Fawn Over Market

Sunday, November 6th, 2022

The Art of Cultural Collegiality

When
Sunday November 6th seating @4:30pm

Where
Fawn Over Market
22186 Loyalist Parkway
Carrying Place, ON K0K 1L0

Price 
$165 per person plus HST, includes beverage pairings.

All colours, flavours and spices will be on the table Sunday November 6, as Chef Alexandra Feswick hosts The Art of Cultural Collegiality, bringing together a group of six chefs, all with rich, culturally diverse backgrounds for the fifth event in the Partnership for Excellence series curated by @goldandfife_ 

For one night only, Fawn Over Market will undergo a transformation, with the stage set for long table dining, as guests sample an array of dishes prepared by the culinary superstars detailed below. 

Chef Tomer Markowitz, a native of Tel Aviv, will spin out Middle Eastern classics with a contemporary twist, like mind-bendingly good falafel and lamb. 

DaiLo Toronto’s Nick Liu will represent his Hakka-Chinese background by serving two different versions of dumplings that will make your knees weak with flavourful magic—think generous truffle shavings atop brown butter. 

Trinidadian Sally Ramsaran of Sally’s Roti shop in Kingston, who starts cooking at 6AM because everything is made from scratch daily, will be serving the best-you-will-ever-eat doubles as well as curried goat. Her food goes straight to your heart and soul. 

JERKebago’s Chef Joshua Blake will infuse his Jamaican heritage into the menu by including elevated offerings of delectable Caribbean inspired dishes, alongside his famous jerk. 

Chef Kamoy Nicola of Sous Toronto will be paying homage to land and sea with influences from her background in Jamaican, French and Southern cuisine. Her succulent sweet breads and scallops will leave you salivating for more!

And finally host Chef Alexandra Feswick will take over the sweet part of the dinner with a nod to her Ukrainian roots, alongside her Fawn Over co-Chef Marc Dufour. 

Beverage pairings, both local and international, will accompany each course along with a specially crafted cocktail by Kinsip House of Fine Spirits. 

tasting menu drawing by Rachel Joanis

@Littlejohn Farm

Sunday, August 21st

The Art Of The Tasting Menu

When

August 21, 3:00PM

Where

Littlejohn Farm, 908 County Road 10, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0

Price

$225 per person (includes food, wine; gratuity and taxes extra) 

What happens when you pair two revered chefs from two esteemed Ontario properties, where wild produce grows in abundance and the earth’s bounty takes centre stage? 

You get The Art of the Tasting Menu, the fourth of eight exceptional collaborations in the Partnership for Excellence series, a federally & provincially funded program in promotion of the Prince Edward County culinary industry. 

For this rare occasion, Langdon Hall’s Executive Chef, Jason Bangerter, will be welcomed to The County’s magical Agricultural Tourism destination, Littlejohn Farm, by co-owners, Chef Zach Littlejohn and Luhana Littlejohn.

Guests can expect to be taken on a multi-course journey through flavours and flowers, where every ingredient will tell a story, and old and new world wine pairings will complement this exceptional gastronomic experience. 

Chef Bangerter is a highly decorated and influential leader of the Canadian culinary scene; he has worked nationally and internationally alongside many of the world’s leading chefs.  Nestled within the Carolinian Forest, Langdon Hall is one of Canada’s most sought-after Relais & Châteaux country house hotels. 

Renowned for exquisite cuisine that changes to reflect the seasonality of the harvests, Chef Jason Bangerter offers guests an unforgettable dining experience.

The same is true of Littlejohn Farm, where Zach and Luhana host workshops and harvest dinners to teach people where their food comes from.  Visitors leave with the knowledge that they have experienced something truly special which will be forever etched in their culinary memories. 

The journey begins at 3.00 p.m. with a canapé reception and farm walkabout. Dinner follows with a menu created by Chefs Jason and Zach, inspired by the newly-released Langdon Hall: A Cookbook, a stunning collection of seasonally-inspired recipes by Chef Bangerter, with notes on techniques and wine pairings, plus fascinating stories about ingredients, cooking, farmers and purveyors.

Lesley Chesterman, Montreal-based journalist, and restaurant critic who has covered the local and international food scene for many years, will provide opening remarks to this epic collaboration.

And as if that weren’t enough, as a tangible reminder of this dining experience of a lifetime, each guest will receive a signed copy of Langdon Hall: A Cookbook.

Please note: this outdoor experience is part of Littlejohn Farm’s small scale special event series that occurs once per season of the calendar year and therefore, has extremely limited tickets and will run over the course of four to five hours.

Original artwork by @racheljoanis and curated by @somm.app & @dinr.app & @goldandfife_

@The Royal Hotel

Tuesday, June 14th

The Art of Hospitality

When
June 14, seating @6pm

Where
The Royal Hotel
247 Picton Main Street,
Picton, ON K0K 2T0

Price 
$200 per person (includes food and wine; gratuity and taxes extra)

Butter, champagne, decadent dishes – what do you think of when you envision a dinner that’s geared to showcase the grandest of restaurant hospitality? 

All of that will be on the menu, and more, as The Royal Hotel’s team and Executive Chef Albert Ponzo welcome Chefs Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo, the husband-and-wife co-owners of Toronto’s Edulis Restaurant. Chris Nuttall-Smith, Top Chef Canada judge and former national food critic for the Globe and Mail, says Edulis is ‘pleasure bordering or delirium’ and ‘there is no restaurant in Canada that beats Edulis for a one-of-a-kind-very-special-occasion dining experience. They do such an incredible job – constantly striving – and they can stand up to any place in the world.’

The newly opened Royal Hotel, with its attention to detail showcasing hotel and restaurant hospitality of the highest standard, is the perfect venue to host this one-night-only dinner. Expect many made-from-scratch offerings that highlight seasonality from Edwin County Farms and ingredients of the moment, with a strong focus on seafood, vegetables, wild mushrooms and a bread course by The Royal’s in-house baker Sarah Villamere (formerly of Langdon Hall and Fogo Island Inn). 

In true hospitality of the best gluttonous form, a table of local and international wines will make your wine glass a bottomless one. 

This rare occasion is NOT to be missed!

DINNER GUESTS ROOMS

The Royal Hotel is offering an exclusive room rate package for guests of the Dinner only, with 10% off on the Monday/Tuesday (2 night minimum) stay.

@Stella’s Eatery

Tuesday, May 31st

The Art of Women-Owned Restaurants

When
May 31, 6:30PM 

Where

Stella’s Eatery, Waupoos
2470 County Road 8, Prince Edward, ON K0K 2T0

Price
$175 per person (includes food and wine; gratuity and taxes extra)

The Canadian-born chef-owner Amanda Cohen of New York City’s Dirt Candy restaurant will join forces with several of The County’s female dynamo chefs, restauranteurs and beverage purveyors for a one-of-a-kind event in honour of the advances women have made in the culinary industry. Dirt Candy was the first vegetarian restaurant in 17 years to be awarded two stars by the New York Times and Chef Cohen competed on Iron Chef America against Masaharu Morimoto, then became an Iron Chef on the Canadian edition of the show. She is also a James Beard Award semi-finalist and New York Magazine named her 38 seat restaurant The Absolute Best Restaurant on the Lower East Side.

The powerhouse team behind host restaurant Stella’s Eatery, chef-founder Leah Marshall Hannon and co-owner Cristina Meillon, will kick things off by greeting diners to their Waupoos patio for a canapé reception curated by seafood specialist and new County chef-resident Charlotte Langley of Scout Canning and Picton’s Korean-focused Sujeo—think very tasty dumplings.  During the reception, ambassadors from Kinsip Spirits, Stock + Row, Parsons Brewing Company, Trail Estates and Niagara’s Flat Rock Cellars will pour a specially crafted cocktail, beer, cider, wine and bubbles. 

Then it’s dinner time! Chefs Marshall-Hannon and Cohen will collaborate on a menu composed of vegetables (Cohen) and meatier fare (Marshall-Hannon). Providing her complimentary spin on dessert is Chef Samantha Valdivia of Wellington’s two bustling hotspots La Condesa and Koenji. 

Sommeliers Krysta Oben and Nicole Campbell of Toronto’s female-owned organic, biodynamic and natural wine focused agency Grape Witches will be in attendance, having been tasked with pairing local Ontario and international favourites to the dinner menu. 

One of the country’s first and most well-known female restauranteurs, Donna Dooher of Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, will provide opening remarks to this epic collaboration. 

And if that weren’t enough good vibes, the vocal romanticist once described as a full-bodied glass of red wine, Christina Hutt, will provide musical accompaniment.

@Adega Wine Bar

Monday, May 16th

The Art of Curating the Perfect Wine List and Cooking with Wine

When
MAY 16,  5PM TO 7PM

Where

ADEGA WINE BAR
9C DIVISION BLVD,
CONSECON, ON K0K
1T0

Price
$100 PER PERSON (INCLUDES FOOD AND WINE; GRATUITY AND TAXES EXTRA)

For the first ticketed event of the Partnership for Excellence series, double-certified sommelier, Thierry Alcantra-Stewart, owner of The County’s Adega Wine Bar, will welcome two of the world’s top sommeliers, John Szabo (Canada’s first Master Sommelier) and Véronique Rivest. Rivest is the owner of Soif Bar à Vin in Gatineau, selector of wines for Air Canada’s Business Class travellers, and an accumulator of many prestigious wine awards, including placing in the top 12 in the World’s Best Sommelier competition and capturing second place in Tokyo in 2013. She was also the first woman to appear on the podium in the history of the competition.

These three talented sommeliers will be joined by the Governor-General award-winning locavore, Chef Jamie Kennedy, who will prepare an assortment of wine friendly bites (yes, JK’s famous fries will make an elevated appearance) as guests will be invited to sample a diverse portfolio of over 10 different local and international wines—a perfect wine list!  

Edinburgh-born, Ontario-based sommelier, writer, judge, educator and Good Food Revolution’s Editor, Jamie Drummond will emcee this event and prompt our culinary and beverage experts to speak to their wine and food choices. 

PLEASE NOTE: This is a 5 – 7 (cinq à sept) themed event, not a dinner. 

Introducing the artist

“We are proud to support the Partnership for Excellence on this incredible dinner and educational series in PEC. Sharing values of gender equality and diversity, alongside a deep love for true hospitality and appreciation for local connection, Somm™ and DINR by Somm™ couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this experiential, culinary journey. We have commissioned exclusive pieces of art from the artist Rachel Joanis, and we invite you to enjoy these creative imaginations that represent all that this ambitious series will bring.”​

Jennifer Tremblay, Founder & CEO of Somm™, CEO of DINR by Somm™

The Artwork

Rachel Joanis