Food + Drink: Embrace the Flavours of Fall

Legendary loaves

More than 70,000. That’s the number of handmade loaves of classic sandwich bread that Xel Campbell estimates he has baked since he and his wife, Laura, began running Pia’s on Broadway in 2012. Laura’s mother, Pia Wiesen, opened the restaurant in 2009. 

“This recipe really is foolproof,” says Xel as he pulls a pan of freshly baked loaves from an industrial oven in Pia’s kitchen early one recent morning, many hours before the restaurant opens. “It’s salty, it’s got a light, airy crumb with a chewy crust … it’s perfect for any sandwich.”

And sandwiches are exactly what this popular hub on Orangeville’s bustling downtown strip is known for. The round blue sign that hangs outside simply says “Good Sandwiches” — an idea that came from Laura’s father who thought everyone walking down Broadway should know what awaits inside.

A bestseller is the Cobb sandwich, made with house-roasted turkey, bacon, blue cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion and homemade mayonnaise. “Everyone should make their own mayonnaise — it’s so easy,” promises Laura as she sets up at the sandwich station to prepare what will be one of many. 

Xel’s day typically starts at 4 a.m. when he preheats the oven, bakes the loaves that have been rising overnight in the fridge, and prepares the next batch of dough for the following day. He also bakes sourdough on Saturdays and buttery brioche buns for burgers. But the top bread is still the sandwich loaf. “Here in Orangeville, we just like to keep it simple,” he says. “We’ve experimented over the years, but what I’ve found our clientele actually wants is that classic, comforting sandwich bread.”

Späetzle from scratch

The signature German späetzle at Rustik Local Bistro has been a recent star of the restaurant’s social media feeds showing the secrets of how they’re made. A gob of gooey noodle dough is spread onto a wooden späetzle board and then a special tool used to quickly scrape bit by bit into boiling water, a method that makes the noodles soft, but also chewy. Then they are sautéed with butter and herbs, and topped with rotating selections of vegetables and meat. According to owner Brett Jaggard, this warm and hearty dish pairs well with cool autumn weather.

Nothin’ but a hound dog

Mono Centre Brewing’s Hooch Hound Scotch Ale hints at the dark days of prohibition when dogs were specially trained to sniff out bootlegged alcohol. But no need to hide – grab a pint with its caramel, molasses and scotch notes, sink into one of the brewery’s Muskoka chairs and warm up by the fire tables.

Happy crustomers

If you’re planning ahead for Thanksgiving, consider wowing your family with a decadent blueberry pie, one of the specialties at Son of a Chef in Orangeville. Pecan pie is the star of the show at the Rosemont General Store, while freshly picked Canadian apples go into the classics made at Holtom’s Bakery in Erin. The inventive Try Pye from Mulmur’s Maple Grove Farm is three pies in one, letting you enjoy a trio of different seasonal flavours. 

And while pies are available at Downey’s Farm Market in Caledon, visitors might consider sampling one of the thousands of pumpkin doughnuts made daily during the farm’s PumpkinFest September 20 to October 31. “We’ve been making them ever since we opened the doors in 1993; my parents came up with the recipe,” says Darlene Downey, adding that a portion of sales support Bethell Hospice Foundation.

Cider takes flight

Not sure which kind of cider suits your palate? Sample five — draught, dry hopped, pear, applelager or sangria — in a tasting flight pressed on-site in Caledon at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery. Learn more about the production process during a 45-minute guided cidery tour, and from mid-September through November, head to the orchard to fill a bag of Honeycrisp, McIntosh and Gala, Northern Spy or Mutsu varieties. Catch the tail end of their Live Music Series every Saturday afternoon in the Cider Gardens. Orangeville’s Traveling Wannabes are playing on September 28.

Replenish right

Sebastian and Alex Riedelsheimer of Caledon Hills Brewing Company are behind a new not-beer beverage. Northern Hydration is a sports drink — or as the Riedelsheimers like to call it a “recovery drink” — made with pure Caledon spring water, electrolytes, and a choice of natural orange, lemon and lime flavours.

The brothers, once Team Canada junior squash competitors, wanted to create a high-quality post-workout drink without sugar, fake flavours or a nasty aftertaste. Says Sebastian, “You’d have to drink three bottles of a typical sports drink to get as many electrolytes as we provide.”

Let’s break bread 

The Food and Friends: 55+ Social Breakfast Program is a chance for seniors in Caledon to get together for a fun morning meal, make new connections and build community in a relaxed environment. This initiative by the Town of Caledon takes place Friday mornings at the Caledon East Town Hall in the Cafe from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and registration is required.

A slice of the action

The spicy salami and arugula pizza drizzled with sweet, sticky farm honey and a dash of crushed red chili pepper is a fan favourite at Erin Hill Acres’ Courtyard Cafe where every pizza is handmade and baked until bubbling in an Italian wood-fired oven. Wash it down with a lavender lemonade made with culinary lavender grown in their own fields.

Mark your culinary calendar

Sip award-winning wines and savour gourmet bites in the scenic setting of Adamo Estate Winery with Movie Night in the Vineyard on September 26 — a special screening of A Star Is Born featuring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, 9 to 11 p.m.

At Feast of Hops in Erin, your tasting passport lets you nosh on six Culinary Challenger pairings, featuring local restaurants including The Busholme, Jess for You Cafe and Fusionz, and craft beverages from GoodLot Farm and Farmstead Brewing, Heartwood Cidery and Grand Valley Brewery. This fundraiser for the Erin Rotary Club takes place on September 28 at the Erin Agricultural Society Building from 1 to 5 p.m., with live music by The Campfire Poets. 

Then on October 18, after enjoying hiking or mountain biking through the scenic trails of Mulmur’s Mansfield Outdoor Centre, stick around for Hops in the Hills, a tasting event that combines the great outdoors with the love of craft beer. 

And Empty Bowls is back on November 2 at the Alton Mill Arts Centre. Choose a handcrafted bowl, a local gourmet soup, and take the bowl home to remember those less fortunate. Proceeds to local food programs.