LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2024

BARTENDER’S DAY OFF

Playing Favourites with Cassie MacKell The Collingwood native and co-owner of Low Down bar (lowdownbar.ca) shares her top picks for dining and drinking up north this summer.

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1 Lovebird Snack Club, Thornbury Just opened in 2023, it has a really snacky menu with charcuterie and nuts and olives. The owners—Alex Chramow and Emily Fonberg—also own Lovebird Brewing. It’s such a passion project for them, and that comes across when you go. You want to sit there for hours and just try everything. lovebirdsnackclub.com, @lovebirdsnackclub 2 Pom Pom, Meaford They do their own dairy- and plant-based ice cream in lots of unique flavours. It’s such a fun stop for people of all ages. The inside is really bright and colourful. You can grab a cone and walk around the shops in Meaford or go down to the waterfront. pompomtreats.com 3 Muskoka Brewery, Bracebridge They have a huge outdoor covered patio that’s perfect on a rainy day because you can still sit outside and enjoy the social atmosphere even when the weather isn’t great. My favourite is the Muskoka Detour but I love that they have non-alcoholic beers as well. muskokabrewery.com 4 The Common Stove, Orillia This restaurant is just 10s across the board. Everything they do is perfect—the food, the wine, the cocktails, the service. Their menu is based around a wood-fired stove, so you get a lot of items that are charred, and it’s always the best version of that dish you’ve ever had. thecommonstove.com 5 Casero Kitchen Table, Owen Sound They have fresh and flavourful Mexican food, and it’s such a nice crew. They have great cocktails and a good mezcal selection. Sometimes, when I have a craving, I have to get in the car and drive an hour each way for their sweet potato nachos—it’s worth it. caserofood.ca

BY JESSICA HURAS

Since mixologist Cassie MacKell

opened her charming cocktail bar in 2019, Low Down has firmly established itself as a go-to spot in down town Collingwood— particularly in the warmer months, when customers can bask in the sun on its roomy street patio. Born and raised in Collingwood with deep roots in the local restaurant scene, MacKell has the inside track on where we should all be eating and drinking in and around Simcoe and Grey Counties this season.

Aperol is a staple in MacKell’s home bar. “Its bitter, citrus and floral characteristics work perfectly to complement a huge variety of other spirits, juices and wines,” she says. Her favourite way to serve it is with equal parts Aperol and gin, topped with soda water plus a squeeze of fresh grapefruit and lemon.

PORTRAIT: NAT CARON PHOTOGRAPHY; TOP LEFT: SPRING MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

136 FOOD & DRINK SUMMER 2024