Spring arrived reluctantly this year, dragging her feet through a cold, wet May. Now that she is here, the weight of the winter months has lifted from our shoulders and Mike and I are ready to take to the roads of the Saugeen Peninsula, seeking new fine dining experiences and the communities they sustain. And so, on a recent evening we turned to the streets of Port Elgin.
One of the best things about driving with Mike on the peninsula is that he never takes the same route twice. On this trip, having left early enough for a ramble, we drove along country roads in the lemon light of a spring sunset, farm fields stretching out along either side, their new-growth greens broken only by the now dark-leafed trees of distant woodlands.
While Mike drove, I admired herds of cows grazing close by their stiff-legged calves and ewes whose lambs cavorted in their meadows. Our path seemed purpose built for our destination: The Berkshire, a farm-to-table restaurant owned and operated by a farming family that includes the husband-and-wife team of Chef Joel Lyons and Pastry Chef, Julie Stulberg.
Like other restaurants we love in the region, The Berkshire is located in what was once a home. We entered by the front door into a greeting area beyond which lay two small dining rooms and a bar towards the rear. To our right was another dining room. This is my favourite of the three, for it features both a fireplace for chilly evenings and windows by which one may be seated.
Greeted as if we were old friends, we were offered a window-side table and happily accepted. We were also offered cocktails, which we accepted even more happily. I ordered a French 75. This is one of the old-fashioned drinks I most enjoy. Its creation dates back to World War I and, the story goes, its name comes from a French light field gun (75mm) in use on the battlefields. What the gun has to do with the perfect combination of gin, lemon juice, sugar, and prosecco delivered to me by a very kind server, I do not know.
We perused the menu, which is really the perfect size: enough variation in each category to keep one coming back to try new items but not so large that it’s impossible to choose. In the end, Mike and I agreed to share a salt-baked beet salad and the bone marrow appetizer to start. I only began eating beets a few years ago for as a child I was sure they not only grew in but were made of dirt. However, I have now been introduced to the joys of beet consumption and this salad was spectacular!
The combination of salt-baked beets with arugula, blue cheese, candied walnuts, and horseradish drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette touched every flavour note on the palette without overwhelming the tongue. The bone marrow takes time to prepare and is well worth the wait. We found the marrow perfectly seasoned and just as rich and fine as could be. The accompanying parsley and caper salad was light and pickle-y enough to ease the richness of the dish just enough.
For the main course, I chose the Schnitzel Luzerne, a variation served with a white wine and mushroom cream sauce. For The Berkshire, schnitzels are the house specialty. Indeed, the restaurant is named for the Berkshire pig, a British breed renowned for its flavourful meat. Truly, they are delicious, but you must plan to take some home unless you’ve arrived at the restaurant having foregone food for the previous five days.
And now we come to dessert. I have only tried one dessert at The Berkshire and I’m not sure I will ever try any other. The Pavlova is quite simply a showstopper! The meringue is perfectly crisp on the outside and pillowy soft within.
The Berkshire serves theirs with a raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Mike and I shared ours (not sure I’ll be willing to share with him next time!) and decided on freshly made blueberry-basil sorbet as our accompaniment. This dessert is one I’ll be trying to recreate at home for the next thirty years, enjoying my failures for the excuse they give me to taste the original once more so I may try again. The perfect conclusion to a perfect meal!