Watershed is on the road… In this issue, it’s all about soaking up the summer, supporting the businesses that are working hard to create the food we savour, sourcing special ingredients and finally getting back out in the fresh air to the markets and the shops we love.
Mabel’s Bagels
140 Burnham Street, Belleville
mabelsbagels.com
If you consider yourself a bagel snob, former Montrealer Mabel Lee is your new best friend. The Belleville French teacher couldn’t get to Montreal to satisfy her bagel craving because of the pandemic. So she decided to make her own – launching a home-based business featuring authentic hand-rolled bagels that rival the likes of St. Viateur any day! Addictively crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Try them with her garlicky chive cream cheese.
Luso Bites
206 Main Street – Unit 1K, Picton
lusobites.com
The new Portuguese-inspired luncheonette in Picton’s historic Armoury Building is destined to be a favourite for coffee and casual bites, like Bifana marinated pork cutlet sandwiches and dishes with oh-so-tasty Portuguese sausages, including smoky chouriço, spiced morcela and alheira. Chef and owner Steve Chaves, who moved to the County from Cambridge last year, is excited to share his heritage and cooking techniques, and to make the most of local ingredients for daily specials and weekend pop-up events.
Knuckle Down Farm
251 Anderson Island Road, Frankford
knuckledownfarm.ca
A few acres with organic veggies grown in earnest is a beautiful thing! Hardworking Jenny Cook expertly grows amazing summer squash, black beets and specialty salad greens – along with more than 50 other seasonal crunchables, herbs and flowers. She’s all about connecting people to the local food source, so say hello to her at Stirling’s Market in the Village on Fridays, and sign up for her Community Shared Agriculture weekly harvest of fresh goodness. Oh those peas!
Wildflower Bakery
4 Oak Street, Havelock
wildflowerbakery.ca
Local strawberries and rhubarb are a sweet-tart combo for the handcrafted danishes at Wildflower Bakery in Havelock. Does a morning treat get any better? Well, there are soft, still-warm pretzels and pillowy butter croissants, too! Owner and baker Scott Williams and his wife Lea have a passion for nature, gardening and sustainable food. Their popular pastries and organic breads often highlight produce from their enviable home garden. Just say, yes please!
Redtail Vineyards
422 Partridge Hollow Road, Consecon
redtailvineyards.com
No summer is complete without touring the vineyards of PEC, especially if you’re hankering for a glass of County Chardonnay. Redtail Vineyards focuses on grapes that thrive in the region’s lime-rich soil. Their approach, led by owner Thomas Stallinga, is based on low-intervention Old World methods for classic favourites, and small batch production for their new “alt-wines” – a little different and daring! Come for spectacular sips with a view of the vineyard and lush countryside.
Jamaican Patty House
12 King Street East, Cobourg
facebook.com/jamaican.pattyhouse/
Dreaming of soaking up the rays at the beach and enjoying a handmade Jamaican-style patty with the flakiest of pastries? Add in some tangy-hot jerk chicken, saucy curry or the must-try savoury ackee and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish. A taste of island life is waiting, right in the heart of Cobourg at the cosy snack bar on King Street. The Jamaican Patty House serves up everything fresh to keep you coming back for more. Let’s support this lovely family as they rebuild after tragedy.
Montrose Inn
1725 Old Highway 2, Quinte West
montroseinn.ca
There’s something divine about two-tiered serving trays filled with pretty sandwiches, tea in china cups, and of course, warm scones with jam and go-big-or-go-home Devonshire cream. The tea service, complete with linens and sterling silver, in the dining room, on the verandah or in one of the garden gazebos, is just as fabulous as the grand 1916 building and grounds. Innkeepers Roger and Suzette McIlmoyle have furnished the inn with eclectic antiques and vintage personality.
