Treat Yourself to a Chef’s Table
The drive up to Peller Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake
We started the Chef's Table with an introduction to the kitchen by Chef Jason Parsons.
When I dine at a fine restaurant, I like to do so with a companion – someone with whom I can ooo and aww over the food to our hearts’ content.
When I travel solo, I typically eat at simple places having things like sushi or soup – relatively healthy food. Unlike Tracey, our food and wine editor, I tend to save my money for a tour, concert, theatre, or anything else that is fun.
The one exception to this rule is when I come across a Chef’s Table.
A Chef’s Table is usually located in the kitchen of a fine restaurant. It can be booked by one group or by couples and individuals — all of whom dine together.
Amid the controlled chaos of a busy kitchen, the chef introduces and supervises the serving of a themed tasting menu designed by him or her for the occasion. Wine pairings for each course are common and, if the restaurant has a sommelier, he or she gives background information on the wine chosen for the course and explains why it goes well with the food.
A Chef’s Table is educational, delicious and social. One table. Lots of people, fine food and good wine.
On my tour around Lake Ontario, I attended a Chef’s Table at Peller Estates, a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. There were sixteen of us in an open square table formation. The man on my right was there from Vancouver with this daughter. There were three couples on a getaway, one celebrating their 20th anniversary evening… yes, everyone had a different reason for being there. But there was consensus on one thing. The meal, the entire evening, was fabulous. Here is the menu:
** Our menu at Peller Estates **
Smoked Pork Terinne
Spring Pickle
Rose ~ Private Reserve ~ 2008
“Niagara” Spring Onion Soup
Roasted Onion, Wilde Garlic and Lamb
Gewurtztraminer ~ Private Reserve ~ 2008
Pan seared White Bass
Spring Asparagus, Fiddlehead Fricasse
Sauvignon Blanc ~ Private Reserve ~ 2007
Beef Ribeye
Cider Glazed Rapini, Hot House Grape Tomatoes
Grape Mustart and Potato Gnocchi
Cabernet Sauvignon ~ Signature Series ~ 2004
“Portneuf” BleuBry Cheese
Icewine Grape and Rosemary Tart
Honey Roasted BlueBry Cheese and Riesling Icewine Reduction
Riesling Icewine ~Signature Series ~ 2008
Buttermilk Cake
Fiddlehead Ice Cream, White Chocolate Sauce
Cabernet Franc Icewine ~ Signature Series ~ 2007
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