LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2017

Ian VandeGraaf

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I an VandeGraaf was just 15 and still in high school when he landed his first res- taurant job—at Capers, in his home town of Belleville, Ont. “The chef there had me making sausages on my first day,” he recalls, “and I thought, this is awe- some!” Four years later, in 2015, he was the top culinary student at Niagara College, finishing the course with a six-month co-op at Chef Stephen Treadwell’s restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake. And he just stayed on, currently working as sous-chef in the open kitchen that backs the elegant dining room. “I felt nervous the first few days; now I love talking to the customers while I cook, telling them about the farms that supply us.” This summer, Treadwell opened a new, more casual property across the street and VandeGraaf added catering and event experience to his resumé. “It’s a con- tinuous learning process,” he says cheerfully. “It’s not work when you love it somuch.”

PAIR IT WITH

Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Brut VQA LCBO 217521, $29.95 James Treadwell, sommelier and co-owner of his father’s restaurant, has put together an iconic list of Niagara and international wines. “Listening to him talk about them with customers is an education in itself,” says VandeGraaf. Together the sous and the somme- lier came up with several great matches for this dish, including a sour beer and an amontillado sherry. Their final choice was Cuvée Catharine, that crisp, sophisti- cated Niagara bubbly made in the traditional method by Henry of Pelham. Contrast rather than complement is the key to this particular match, explains James Treadwell. “The wine’s bright flavours and vibrant acid- ity make it a wonderful counterpoint to the textures and strong flavours in the dish.”

Treadwell’s outdoor patio is one of the busiest

spots in town during the summer season.

“It really does make for a superior product when every ingredient is fresh and local. Our customers expect it—and appreciate it.”

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