FoodTop Stories

Eating in Niagara: Oysters, food trucks, BBQs, markets and oven-fired pizza, oh my!

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By Mike Lowe

The first day of autumn may be just around the corner but there are still plenty of summertime meals to be had around the Niagara region.

A couple of my latest food destinations have yielded tasty results worth sharing with fellow foodies.

If you haven’t already done so, bookmark Niagara wineries in your web browser because many are holding barbecues and hosting area food trucks on weekends. I dropped in at Hinterbrook Winery for a Saturday sausage cook-up a while ago and was pleasantly surprised.

The sausage was good but the real stars on the plate were the condiments. A glass of chilled Hinterbrook’s 2011 rose proved a great match with the dish.

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Wine infused preparations included peach salsa with Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc caramelized onions, roasted garlic mayo with Riesling, icewine “Dijon” style mustard and Riesling ketchup. All were made from scratch by Michael Nazareth, below, a chef by trade, founder of business development consulting company Angelus Consulting.

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Most recently, Hinterbrook featured Chef Mark Walpole from Chef @ the Market. Check the news and events link on Hinterbrook’s website for upcoming events.

Speaking of markets, the Saturday morning Niagara-on-the-Lake farmers market also offers some great food experiences. In addition to the aforementioned Chef Walpole, a recent newcomer to the local food truck scene, the Tide & Vine Oyster Company, is often present serving up fresh and succulent seafood treats.

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Some standard menu items include fresh oysters, raw or barbecued, and lobster rolls. From time to time they’ll toss in a new item like lobster claws or fresh fish for variety. Mike Langley and partner Kat Steeves met while working at a well-known Toronto oyster house.

Mike says, “We share a passion for food and wine without having to be extravagant.”

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The business, which was only conceived in March of this year, took off and by mid-June the company was booking through September. Mike, who grew up in Niagara Falls, credits their success to the fact that, as he puts it, “Oysters, and seafood in general were not very well represented with any great passion.”

In the meantime, Mike says, “ Things are moving quickly so we want to stay focused on what we do and don’t let anybody down.” I was first introduced to the fledgling company at the Niagara Food and Wine Expo and from what I’ve tasted so far, they can’t lose.

You can spoil yourself with Tide & Vine’s delicious fruits of the sea at the NOTL market and various area wineries. Check their calendar of events on the website for updates.

In closing, I must mention a fantastic extension of the NOTL farmers market, the Wednesday evening Supper Market. Each week since mid-June food trucks (including the ones previously mentioned) have been serving up great grub from 4 p.m.- 8 p.m.

The reason for the use of past tense here is because, sadly, the Supper Market will end after this Wednesday. The committee has been forced to shut down this well attended event citing complaints from local businesses.

What the area stands to lose is a casual, neighbourhood gathering where customers can mingle, talk to passionate food purveyors and even sip a glass of Niagara wine while they dine al-fresco.

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Whether it’s a crisp, thin-crust pizza from AVella’s, spicy fish tacos from El Gastronomo Vagabundo, or one of Chef Walpole’s pasta creations, the food
and camaraderie is a refreshing change from the norm.

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Niagara foodies unite! Let’s show our support and hope that the market committee can find a new venue to keep the supper market alive for the balance of the season and many more to come.