Food for Thought with Alex Bielak- Mystery Photo, Win a Lunch Edition

Mystery Photo – Win a Lunch Edition

Food for Thought has been fishing (and catching!) so this week’s column is short and sweet.

My gastro-buddy, Tom, recently sent me the accompanying picture. He ate this interesting dish recently and I challenge readers to identify the components, and where it might have been served. I’ll take the first person to get it right in the comments section for a lunch at one of my favorite spots (see below)! (Several of our compadres are privy to the answer and I WILL know if they blab.)

The Centro Market Chef Street Fight, mentioned in the last column, between Chef Andrew Mcleod (@ChefMcLeod) and Food Trucker, Chef Adam Hynam-Smith (@EGVadam), was a hard fought battle. The chefs are clearly friends, but very competitive, so it was hard to call one over the other: the winner by split decision was… (drum roll please…) Chef Andrew McLeod!

I learned Andrew has exciting plans in the works. Even though he is very much enjoying cooking at a variety
of large and small events this summer, (the evening before the street fight he was part of a team of Niagara Chefs catering to 800 at the recent I4c event!), negotiations are underway with a view to launching a new restaurant in North St. Catharines, helmed by him. Chalk one up for St. Kits, if it all comes together!

The Centro Farmer’s Market is a delight with the potential to do all your shopping there on a summer Sunday morning (9:00 a.m. – noon), while having a coffee from Tamp Coffee. It was great to see Kew Vineyards there too, and I look forward to visiting them in the future. I’ve previously noted their Marsanne Viognier as a standout, but enjoyed sample sips of some other of their premium offerings too. Though we acquired a half dozen bottles at the market, there has been a shocking evaporation rate during my absence chasing salmon.

The innovative folks at Springridge Farm recently announced an exciting fall lineup you might want to pencil into your calendars. They include events with Celeb Chefs Michael Smith (Sept 6th), and Stefano Faita (Sept 20th). Perhaps I’ll be luckier in getting an interview with one of them than I was with Chef Lynn Crawford at the Denninger’s 50th bash (see FFT 61)!

In Hamilton news, Chris DesRoches, owner of the much-delayed 28 Lister Chophouse Grill, recently told me final inspections were underway and they anticipate “hitting the road running” very soon. They’ll need some love from Ham/Burlingtonians and I wish them well.

Finally a bit of cross-fertilization. I was invited to share some of my essential local eateries on the Food Bloggers of Canada website recently. The first of two articles can be found here, and I know readers will enjoy both of these great spots. The second, featuring the second pair is here.

To see all past columns please see (and “like”) the Food for Thought Archives

Alex (Alex can be reached at alex@bielak.ca or on twitter @AlexBielak