Guelph Archives

I am becoming the street

Here’s a bit I wrote years ago. I am wordy – sheesh. But I don’t believe it’s irrelevant, despite its age. Or maybe it’s tone deaf in our climate today?

Let’s Eat: Atmosphere café + etc. adjusts and pivots during a difficult time

‘It’s been a curious balance of distress and sheer adrenaline, peppered with deep appreciation for the clientele the restaurant has fostered over the years It was March 17 of last year when Nicole Hogg sat down to write layoff notices to her staff. She was in tears. Her staff were like family, and in one…

BEST BITES: In praise of the precious pierogi

Pierogi came to North America with waves of Polish and Ukrainian immigrants arriving throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries Almost every culture and country has some form of dough stuffed with meats, fish or vegetables. From Chinese dumplings, Japanese gyoza and Cornish pasties, to empanadas, ravioli, samosas, and tamales, it really is a handy…

BEST BITES: Hot, sour and very very, tasty

This edition of Best Bites takes a look at the delicious hot and sour soup at one of the longest-serving restaurants in Guelph It’s a shiny Lunar New Year and the hardworking metal Ox reigns supreme for 2021. As with previous Best Bites columns thus far, I’ve been hyper-focussed on comfort. Covid continues to demand…

BEST BITES: A local offering of historic Lebanese sujek

But let’s talk about Sujek. Also known as Sujuk, Sucuc, Soudjouk, Sudzhuk, Sudžuk, depending on where in the world you are. Traditionally prepared with ground beef and spices such as cumin, salt, paprika, and garlic, the Sujek you’ll find at Retour Bistro has all the makings of tradition rehashed.

BEST BITES: Celebrating the tourtière, a French Canadian holiday classic

The tourtière that we know today was first written about in the 1840 French-Canadian cookbook, La Cuisiniere Canadienne For many, there’s very little that flavours this season more perfectly than a tourtière. It certainly continues to reign supreme as a traditional dish in Québec for Christmas Eve’s night-long celebration, le réveillon, and New Year’s Eve meals. To…

BEST BITES: A new food column

Let’s talk about squid. Delicious, versatile squid. Local foodie Lynn Broughton brings you her take on an exceptional local dish and the story that comes with it.

#IsoCookbook is well done

Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation cookbook is alive Taste Detours began working on this book in mid-March 2020 when COVID stunned us all into a radical change of lifestyle — of living — and in our case, a 100% shut down of tours. By mid-April, we had signed on with Jenna Kessler to illustrate the cookbook, and the…

Recipe: The Conscious Kitchen

Our mission is to create a community-based hub that connects people who care about where their food’s coming from, who’s growing and making it, and how it’s impacting the planet. We want to change the food system for the better, and that starts with making sustainable food more accessible and easy for consumers to access. GUELPH

Recipe: Guelph Caribbean Cuisine

A true taste of Trinidadian street food — doubles, traditionally made Roti and curry with their own special blend of fresh seasonings and pepper sauce. Everything is made in house. GUELPH

Recipes: [RE]Fresh Juice Co. + Shannon Doherty

We know first-hand that great food brings people together. As life-long friends, we’ve always bonded over our shared passions for cooking and health, and our drive to share the value of healthy eating with our families. Cold pressed | 100% Organic | Never hpp’d | Always in glassGUELPH At [RE]Fresh we use only the highest…

Recipes: The Friendly Society + Polestar Hearth

…a romantic night out with classy cocktails, and a stunning river view. Since opening in July 2019, The Friendly Society has quickly established itself as a destination in Elora. ELORA Polestar Hearth makes good bread right in the heart of Guelph, Ontario GUELPH

Recipes: Jewels Under the Kilt + FRED’s FOOD Co.

A fruit and nut orchard in Fergus, Ontario…we planted 100 trees. The nuts tasted great. We loved living off the land. We gave them to our friends and neighbours, and for 2 years I would farm, cook and create recipes with our home grown nuts. FERGUS FRED’S focuses on quality comfort foods with an emphasis on…

Recipes: Chef Scotty + Bin 23 Restaurant

When you get a chance to see Chef Scotty, always remember his tag line… “What Love Tastes Like” GUELPH Bin 23 offers a unique dining experience with a seasonal menu options from locally sourced farms, bakery’s, grocers & distributors as well as daily features and desserts all made in-house. GUELPH

Recipe: Eric the Baker

It’s as if Eric and Paula have been on Carden Street for decades — like dear old friends who make you the best food. When they take time off there are nose prints on the windows from all of us willing them back.

Recipe: Na-Ha-Thai’s Kitchen

The taste of Thai food comes mainly from a wide range of ingredients. The blending of spices & herbs, fresh vegetables, variety of meats, coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, and curry paste which vary from region to region contributes to the harmonious tastes unique to each dish. GUELPH

Local restaurants collaborate for free online cookbook

Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation was created in an effort to help local restaurants share their food and Taste Detours tell their stories. While many are polishing their cooking skills during the lockdown, Taste Detours is releasing recipes from restaurants across Guelph, Elora and Wellington County for free. Taste Detours founder Lynn Broughton’s initiative Little Bites:…

Recipes: Elora Bread Trading Co. + Diana Downtown

We visit Elora for some seedy sourdough that harnesses the power of local ingredients, and then to Guelph, where family traditions that began in Pakistan flavour this Aloo Gobi.

Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation

A free virtual cookbook featuring food-people and restaurants from throughout Wellington County, Ontario. We’ll roll out submitted recipe pages two at a time throughout May and into June. These downloadable *pairings* will continue until the book is complete and housed online here for you to access as a whole towards the beginning of June 2020. All art and layout by Jenna Kessler jennakessler.com

Telling Guelph’s stories through the food we share

Lynn Broughton has taken many detours on her way to Guelph and picked up a wealth of cultural and culinary experience in the process. “I love eating with strangers,” said Broughton. “I really like meeting people and finding out their stories, sort of digging for those hidden gems.” Broughton is the founder of Taste Detours,…