The Niagara region, with its fertile soil and escarpment, has always been a hot spot for international award-winning wine. The food scene might once have taken a backseat, but that's not the case any longer.
This year's Michelin Guide has three Niagara restaurants listed, with Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Jordan Station having earned a coveted Michelin star. Trius Winery Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fat Rabbit in St. Catharines round out the trio with mentions in the guide. They are all fabulous and have helped raise the bar for the local food scene.
As a foodie, it’s a great time to live in NOTL. But what if you’re a foodie on a budget?
With that in mind I decided to go to the place where future cooking stars, like 2021 Top Chef Canada winner Erica Karbelnik, are receiving their culinary education. Where students from Canada and around the world enrol to learn from amazing kitchen pros like Michael Olsen and our very own Catherine O'Donnell. Where the farm-to-table ethos draws ingredients from some of the most beautiful orchards, gardens and wineries in Ontario.
It’s a very special privilege to learn how to cook in Niagara. It’s equally special to eat this bounty at Benchmark Restaurant, the dining room of the Niagara College culinary, tourism and beverage studies program, located at its Niagara-on-the-Lake Daniel J. Patterson campus.
On this day I was lucky to find Dean Craig Youdale on site. I tell him it’s my first time at the restaurant, and ask if it is considered a hidden gem.
“It's one of the best deals in town. We all know that we live in a tourist area and dining out is not necessarily the most affordable thing. So we're very proud of what we can offer for a reasonable price, and of course, it's all done by students, and what's great is that the people in town really support us.”
The restaurant offers three menus per year (to align with school semesters) but is open to improvisation to capitalize on the full college ecosystem, Youdale explains.
“We have gardens and greenhouses here, so we try to use that product as much as possible. Sometimes they (our horticulture school) come to us and say, hey, we're about to pick our hydroponic tomatoes or peppers, and we figure out a way to use them. That’s the cool part.”
Over in the dining room, this was my order: Pickled Heirloom Beets & Endive Salad; Canadian Dry-Aged Angus Beef with aged cheddar potato pavé, autumn roots, black garlic and jus; and for dessert, Basque Cheesecake with pistachio cream, sable, citrus curd, and a malted milk crumb.
Everything was delicious — and I mean fine dining delicious. Presentation, flavours, portions and service were all on point. The salad was bright and fresh, with a nice balance of sweet and pickled flavours. The beef was incredibly tender and expertly topped off with flaked maldon, the potato pavé (not an easy preparation) was perfect and the black garlic jus was savoury and complex. The only suggestion — a little more jus.
Finally we ordered one of every dessert. The pastry department, led by pastry queen O’Donnell from Willow Cakes and Pastries, has done a fine job turning out students who have mastered choux, curds, creams, and even gelato. The basque cheesecake was a sweet (but not too sweet) work of art.
Youdale explains the restaurant’s philosophy: “It's like wine-making. If you don't start with quality ingredients, you can only do so much.”
The chef takes a lot of pride in making sure he gets those quality ingredients.
“You don't have to mess around with it,” says Youdale. “I had a great quote from a good friend of mine, Chef Michael Smith, and he said, ‘whenever I go to a restaurant and there are 13 things on top of the fish, I wonder, what's wrong with the fish?’ If it's fresh, and beautiful, you don't need to mess around with it.”
I am invited into the kitchen to see the students in action, where head chef Justin Downes tells me “we switch it up with the seasons. We're in Niagara, so lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in the summertime, and in winter we get into braising, so root and cellar vegetables. We source locally as much as possible. We're using people like Tide and Vine (for seafood) and we started using Beverly Creek farms (a small-scale family farm in the Guelph area). He's bringing us lamb and pork.”
With such high-quality ingredients, great flavours and perfect presentation, you forget you are in a teaching restaurant. From the front of house, to pastry, to the kitchen, every function is staffed by students. You wouldn’t know it though, until the bill arrives. Only then do you see the difference, and it’s a pleasant surprise. One three-course lunch was $45 plus tax, and no tipping is allowed, even though you will want to!
The focus here is on education, and the students are technically in “class”, so when you factor out labour costs they are able to create a fine dining experience for a fraction of the price. The placement rate for students graduating is close to 100 per cent. It’s a win, win, win!
Book your holiday staff party or lunch date, or just treat yourself and support the local culinary future while you’re at it. Food, family and community is the best part of the holiday season.
Bon Appetit!
Joy Sanguedolce has taken on the assignment of trying and writing about what makes Niagara-on-the-Lake unique, vibrant and fun. If you have any ideas for this series, reach out to [email protected].
