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| Fine Dining
in the Park by the Lake... |
This
is my kind of dining establishment.
As a frequent
diner, I can say this place has it right. Delicious food,
healthy approach (slow cooking, natural and fresh), and
killer location.
Now let's talk
about their mission and overall experience of this dining
gem.
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I always have an
unforgettable experience here!
I talked to
proprietor Leanne Ciancone to find out more
about their winning formula. Leanne told me that they
strive to constantly make it better. They're always looking
at new trends in London and New York. "We noticed that
an increase in vegetarian and healthy food options are very
evident. Although we always had a strong commitment to
local farmers and healthy options, we're now revamping our
menu to include an even wider range," she told me.
"We're going to be even more creative and create dishes that
foodies can still enjoy," she went on.
As Spencer's
adds these new menu items, they will aim for reduced
cholesterol, less unhealthy fats, more non-meat options, and
ensure that everything is delicious. Their commitment
to local farmers, the slow cook movement and earth-to-table
freshness will only strengthen.
Link to book site Earth to Table by Chef Jeff Crump of Spencer's sister
property, Ancaster Old Mill. |
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Spencer's server Sandra
elucidates the menu and bartender Randy takes the wine order |
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In addition to
my interview with Leanne, I was also able to sit down
with General Manager Stephan McQueen
and Spencer's Executive Chef Chris
Haworth to ask them more about their
fine restaurant.
Following are some excerpts of our conversations.
Wine Baron:
I've dined here several times and it's always
very pleasant
experience. What's your recipe for success. |
Stephan McQueen
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Spencer's GM,
Stephan McQueen: We try to create an appeal where people
can walk into the restaurant and enjoy. A key ingredient is
the quality. This is the unique ingredient. Make them feel
special. We try to do this for each and everyone that comes
here. Make them feel better when they leave and give them a
place where they feel really comfortable.
WB:
Other elements of an excellent dining experience are the
food and wine. What is it about the food for example?
Spencer's GM: When I first joined, I saw the passion
the chefs put into the food. They're very talented people.
This is a people business. You need good
quality people and good quality product (food). It takes
execution too, and their passion shows there as well. A chef
can know a lot of things, but can he take it from his head
to the plate and convey that passion? They do that here. |
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WB: In
terms of the wine, do you have a certain buying style?
Spencer's GM: I try to buy products that I think are
appealing to people. You can fill the wine list with amazing
wines but people have to order them. I bring in wines that
people can identify with, that have broad appeal. I make
sure we have a good selection. If a customer wants a complex
wine we have that and if they want something that goes with
pizza and is very affordable, we have that too.
WB: How do you select such good people, because it
really shows. They're excellent.
Spencer's GM: As I said earlier, it's a people
business and I spend more time hiring based on their
character. I don't care about their past work experience. I
look for good people. I read a person's character and I
choose them on that basis. So if they don't have the
experience, we train them: "here's how want want our guests
served and treated, here are some tricks of the trade to
make them feel more special." |
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WB:
What haven't I asked so far that you want to tell me about?
Spencer's GM: (Laughs) If you read the trade
magazines it indicates a tough time for many. We're above
the standard of a lot of restaurants right now.
We're having great success. We've had an amazing year. I
think people
appreciate that we're not trying to complicate things, we're
just trying to
do great food, very very simple, and make a great experience
for people,
where they go: "it might be a little bit more than the other
place but boy
it's really worth it." People come back frequently becauseof this. It's a
lot about friendship. We see some people coming back every
night.WB:
What's your favourite item on the menu?
Spencer's GM: Oh, I'm a simple food guy, so I'll take
our dynamite pizza (smiles broadly). But if I was coming in
for dinner tonight I would have the Duck.
WB: How is it made?
Spencer's GM: It's finished with a glaze that the
chef reduces quite
uniquely. It's the flavours and the little things he does.
It's very good! It's tough to get good duck. They did a
great job sourcing it. It's a good gourmet dish to pair with
a Pinot Noir or Merlot.
WB: Sounds enticing. |
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Following the sit-down with Stephan McQueen, I was joined by
Spencer's Executive Chef Chris Haworth.
WB: I come here often with my family. Sometimes I
come to the bar alone and order a wine and the fries. I like
the fries.
Spencer's Chef, Chris Haworth: I'll look out for you.
Yes, the fries are good. They're Yukon Gold. Yellow flesh,
waxy consistency. They're an example of how we care. We care
about everything, from the fries right up to the high end
piece of beef. We care about every detail.
WB: So uh, (listening to his killer British
accent) where did you come from and how did you get here?
Spencer's Chef: I came from the UK. I worked for a
very famous chef, Marco Pierre White, who actually is
breaking into TV here too with Hell's Kitchen UK. He's
Michelin starred. He was crazy, throwing things around the
kitchen. But brilliant. I worked with him in London. Places
like Mirabelle and Escargot. I met my wife Amy in London.
She was originally from Dundas Ontario. She had dual
Nationality. Anyway, she was in London at the time. That was
in 2000. We moved here 2005. I worked for the Ancaster
Old Mill at that time. Then I became Executive Chef
for Spencer's when it opened. |
Chris Haworth |
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WB:
What is it that you do to make the food experience so
fantastic? As a
diner, I can truly say that.
Spencer's Chef: It hasn't really changed from working
in England. We sourced the best produce we could get our
hands on. Everything was local. We used the best that we
could find. The best farmers, the best food. When I came
here I found Canada wasn't on that bandwagon yet for local,
seasonal food. This style of sourcing had been going on in
England for 15 years. When I came here it was just a matter
of finding these excellent foods. The Golden Horseshoe here
is some of the most arable land in North America. I didn't
have to look far (he says modestly). I found
passionate farmers who really care about their produce.
That's what I buy for this facility. Once the growers got to
know about Spencer's and our philosophy of local seasonal
produce, they started coming to us. I get a lot of calls now
and it makes it easier.
I require excellent food that tastes good to start with. I
don't really do
much to it. I give it to you as I get it. I do a minimum to
it. I just cook
it. I don't really dress it up. |
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WB:
OK. I studied under a British chef too. We were taught that
French
Cuisine is the finest in the world.
Spencer's Chef: I'm also classically French trained.
The top schools in
England train people in this discipline. You get taught the
French style, and
the French culinary terms. We use this as our basis. But we
use a lot of
technology now as well. We've got a thermal circulator. We
cook a Rack of
Lamb at 60 degrees C for an hour and 15 minutes.
WB: 60 degrees?
Spencer's Chef: Yes, 60 degrees. You know all the
amazing technology you use for your website?
WB: Yes...
Spencer's Chef: We try to create amazing things
through technology in the kitchen too. So you're not putting
the Lamb in a hot pan, where the meat shrivels and loses 1/3
of its weight. In the thermal circulator, the meat is rare,
medium or well-done evenly all the way through.
WB: I want to see that, I really do.
Spencer's Chef: We've got food in there right now that's
been in for
hours. |
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WB:
Alright, can we look at the thermal circulator?
At this
point Chris took me to the spotless kitchen that I had seen
once before. He showed me the various technologies including
the thermal circulator. They have some remarkable equipment.
As I thought
back later, I was struck with how this Master Chef is
similar to the greatest winemakers I've met. They too talk
about the requirement for good produce, in this case, good grapes. "You can't make a
great wine out of inferior grapes," they've stated more than
once. This is essentially what Chris Haworth was saying. He
takes good raw produce and "doesn't do much to it." He
gently takes good food and cooks it. Sounds simple. In a
sense it is. In another sense it is not - because it takes a
person who has a feel for this, a passion and a commitment.
This is the essence of Spencer's. You have to drive very far
in any direction to find a restaurant of this calibre. I'm
very grateful to live only a short drive away.
Welcome
to fine dining in the park by the lake.
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