Stillwaters: Waterside Dining on the Grand River

Considered 'the Prettiest Little Town in Canada' by Harrowsmith Magazine, it comes as no surprise that thousands of visitors take in the beautiful, quaint, heartwarming town of Paris all year long. Whether it's covered with lush Carolinian foliage, exploding with the colours of autumn, or a perfect postcard setting complete with church spires dusted in a light covering of snow, time spent in Paris is an experience to be cherished. With sensational views over the Grand River, Stillwaters Plate and Pour has been a popular dining destination since it opened in 2013. Owners Matt Cummings and Chef William Thompson of Food Network’s Top Chef Canada have come together to create a warm and welcoming ambiance with extensive menu of globally inspired Canadian dishes and three levels of fabulous outdoor terraces, each offering breathtaking views of the Grand River. A special treat from my cousin and aunt who gave us a gift card to Stillwaters last Christmas, we finally made it to this charming corner of southern Ontario and enjoyed a lovely lunch on a warm sunny summer afternoon.

The Grand River Street entrance to Stillwaters in Paris, Ontario

Panoramic views over the Grand River from the outside terraces of Stillwater

With an extensive menu focusing on market fresh quality ingredients, Stillwaters serves globally inspired Canadian fare from burgers, steaks and pasta to fresh fish and market fresh salads

Mill Street Brewery Organic Lager

The usual suspects for the Stillwater classic Butcher Grind Burger

Chef William Thompson, Food Network’s Top Chef Canada

The Classic Stillwater Butcher Grind Burger and Frites with seasoned beef topped with lettuce,

tomato, red onion and pickle served with zucchini relish and stone mustard

Ontario YellowLake Perch seasoned and dusted with fresh cut fries, 

creamy apple broccoli slaw and charred lemon aioli

Chef William Thompson with Neapolitan-style Margherita Pizza and glass of wine

stillwatersplateandpour.ca

White Chocolate Raspberry Shortcake
Serves 8
Recipe courtesy of Chef William Thompson, Stillwaters

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp baking powder
1/4 lb cold butter, cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of white chocolate pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
extra all purpose flour for dusting
egg wash and sugar to finish
in-season fruit and whipped cream


Preheat oven to 375°F. Using a pastry cutter mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt combining until mixture crumbles. Add white chocolate pieces. In a separate bowl mix together buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture gently, mixing with hands. Flatten dough to 1 inch thickness on a floured table. Cut dough into 3 inch rounds. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 minutes. Cut while warm and fill with your favourite in-season fresh fruit, topping with whipped cream.

Skippa: Casual Japanese Sushi & Sake on Harbord

Tucked away on Harbord Street is Skippa, one of Toronto's newest Japanese sushi and sake bars that siblings Ian and Kati Robinson launched in 2017, specializing in refined small plates influenced by the slightly sweeter flavours of Japan’s Fukuoka region that Robinson became familiar with when he trained under Mitsuhiro Kaji at Sushi Kaji. Named after their father’s sailboat, the 30-seat space and most of the furniture in it was built by the Robinsons themselves. While Kati manages the front of house, Ian takes on the role of head chef, and decides on the menu every day, depending on what’s in season and locally available. Quality ingredients are the cornerstones of Japanese cuisine, and Skippa embraces those same high standards, with a daily-changing menu that features a selection of Ocean Wise fish and produce from small-scale Ontario farms, including Robinson's homegrown Japanese herbs. Skippa's prices are market-driven, with small plates such as Edamame, White Asparagus Sunomono, Grilled Black Maitake Mushroom and Miso Salad or Wagyu Beef from Japan which range from $3 to $13, to chef Robinson's popular 'Trust Skippa' omakase sushi which is competitively priced at just $50. While all of the menu items are worth trying, the sushi is the main attraction. Everything is made to order, and each expertly made plate is served one at a time, so with an ever-changing menu, diners can taste the best of what the four seasons have to offer.

 

The L-shaped sushi bar has a front-row view of the kitchen

Skippa is a beautiful harvest table that was custom-made from a fallen sugar maple trunk

Avocado Salada with red oak lettuce and blood orange

Organic Ontario Edamame

Kaki, also called persimmon, from PEI with yuzu

Masai Moriawase with morsel mushrooms, burdock root and beets, sliced daikon and carrots

Howaito Asparagus Sunonomo with white asparagus and shiso

Tsukune, a Japanese chicken meatball cooked yakitori style with kimone

Nasu: Simmered eggplant with ginger and daikon

Chef Robinson cooking the Tsukune Chicken Teriyaki on Skippa's yakatori grill

Chef Ian Robinson preparing our Omakase behind the wooden sushi bar

The first dish of the 'Trust Skippa' Omakase, Goldeneye Sea bream with steamed rice and dashi

Ocean Trout from British Columbia

Great Swordfish from Nagasaki Japan

New Zealand Sea Bream garnished with olive oil and preserved lemon

Torched Aburi Mackerel

Tuna with black housemade garlic soy sauce

Horse Mackerel from Fukuoka Japan and smoked with Japanese hay

Wild Yellowtail Hand Roll with freshly roasted nori seaweed from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo

Tamago sweet egg roll

Wagyu A5 Striploin from Japan

Coconut Iced Cream with Rhubarb

www.skippa.ca

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen with Chef Nuit Regular

Named for chef Nuit Regular’s hometown in the northern Thai mountain valley where she grew up and met a backpacking Jeff on the back of an elephant, Pai celebrates the traditional dishes from the country’s far-northern tip, which is known for its particularly fragrant and spicy food. Designed to capture the look and feel of the town with intricately carved teak panels from a 20-year old house in Chang Mai, artwork and prints from the area, and an open kitchen that looks much like a traditional Thai market stall, Pai celebrates the most authentic Thai street food experience so far. Originally trained as a nurse in Thailand, Nuit and Jeff opened a humble Curry Shack in the small town of Pai, then made a life changing decision to come to Toronto so that she could share her passion and life experiences through family recipes and street market dishes — and their dream has come true. 

In the last ten years, Chef Nuit and her husband Jeff have transformed Toronto's Thai food scene with their mini-empire of restaurants: Sukhothai, which now boasts 4 locations, Pai and most recently Kiin inspired by Royal Thai Cuisine. Arriving for an early dinner before going to the theatre, we thankfully arrived just before a long lineup of eager diners trailed out the door and onto the street above. Already fans of Sukhothai, we were equally enchanted with the authentic Thai dishes at Pai, such as the outstanding Northern Thai Sausage with sticky rice that we enjoyed in Chang Mai a few years before. With a hip energetic bohemian vibe, deliciously authentic Thai dishes, friendly staff and efficient service, it's no wonder there's a lineup a every night.

Located on the lower level of a heritage building on Duncan Street, Pai Northern Thai Kitchen is one of the latest restaurants from chef Nuit Regular and her husband Jeff

Single Northern Thai beer

Pai's menu of Northern Thai street-style food

Gai Satay: Grilled curry-marinated chicken skewers with peanut sauce 

and Thai-style cucumber dressing

Sweet and spicy Thai chilli sauce

Northern Thai Sausage, made with grilled pork belly, fresh turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, garlic and shallots with sticky rice and northern Thai relish

Pad Cha Hett: vegan king oyster mushroom stir fry with house-made red chilli paste, snow peas, bamboo shoots, basil leaves, wild ginger, peppercorn and black jasmine rice

Khao Soi: fresh egg noodles, golden curry, crispy noodles, coriander, green onions, with choice of braised beef, chicken breast or chicken drumsticks

Fresh mango with Thai sweet coconut sticky rice

Nuit Regular is Executive Chef and Co-Owner of PAI Northern Thai Kitchen, Sukho Thai and the newly opened Kiin which serves Royal Thai Cuisine

www.paitoronto.com

Thai Pad Kee Mao or “Drunken Noodles”

Serves 4-6

Recipe courtesy of Chef Nuit Regular

1/3 of a one pound package of long rice noodles, such as stick vermicelli

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetarian oyster sauce

3 tbsp vegetables or grapeseed oil

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced

1/2 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks

3 white mushrooms, sliced

8 stalks asparagus, cut in half lengthwise, then into 2″ pieces

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Thai bird’s-eye chili, finely sliced - optional

Place rice noodles in large bowl and cover with room temperature water. Soak until soft, at least 1 hour. In separate bowl, stir sugar with water until dissolved. Mix in soy sauce and oyster sauce, and set aside. In large pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not crispy, about 1 minute. Drain the noodles and add to the pan. Add the sauce, peppers, carrots, mushrooms and asparagus and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Add the Thai basil leaves and cook 1 minute. Turn off heat. Sprinkle with black pepper, mix well and serve. For extra spice, top with Thai bird’s-eye chili.

Roasted Potato Galettes with Thyme & Rosemary

These gorgeous herbed Potato Galettes are made with a short list of ingredients, but they completely transform the humble potato into an elegant side dish. A mandoline is key for getting extra thin, consistent slices, but a sharp knife will also do the trick. Rather like mini Pommes Anna, these delicious little potato stacks are tossed with a little melted butter seasoned with fresh herbs and simply layered in a muffin pan and drizzled with the remaining butter. Baked for about and hour until golden brown, the exterior of the little darlings become wonderfully crispy on the outside while the inside stays beautifully creamy and tender.



Herbed Potato Galettes
Serves 6
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living

4 large russet potatoes, peeled 
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, plus whole sprigs for garnish 
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary 
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1/2 tsp black pepper 
2 tsp Maldon sea salt


Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter. Cut the potatoes into 1⁄16-inch-thick slices using a mandoline or sharp knife. Whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, kosher salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the potato slices, and toss until evenly coated.

Working quickly, divide the potato slices among the muffin cups, layering overlapping slices to create a circular pattern, and filling each cup to the top.  Lightly press the centre of each stack to make it compact, then drizzle any remaining butter and seasoning from bowl over top.

Bake in preheated oven until edges and tops are golden brown and centres are tender, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven, and let potato stacks to stand in pan for 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove potato stacks from pan, sprinkle with sea salt, and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.