East side

Picton’s culinary scene is ramping up for a busy season

In our previous edition the focus was on the new places to eat on the west side of the County. One of the main reasons for splitting the County from east to west was because on the east side, Picton has had so many changes this year and almost all of them have happened on the main drag. A few have opened their doors already and are gearing for their first taste of summer craziness. Others are opening soon to make sure they capitalize on the most fruitful time of the year.

Rick and Sonya Szabo standing at the counter of the new Vic Café in Picton.

The new Vic Café opened up this season in the location of the former Subway sandwich shop (which moved just down the street) at 166 Main Street in Picton. The Vic Café had been extremely successful in its old location beside the Regent Theatre, but the Szabos’ vision of what they wanted could not fit within the footprint of the café’s small space. There was also the issue that the old Vic Cafe was too small and limited kitchen-wise to fully execute the vision that the couple had for a menu, so the choice was to move to a bigger location, and Rick and Sonya had always their eye on 166 Main.

“When we travelled as a family we loved going to diners. It’s where we headed to first because you get a feel for the community. The type of place where you can sit at the low counter and talk to your server or the person beside you. Every time we went past this building it would always scream to us ‘I need to be a diner! I want to be a diner!’ When it came available, we knew that was the place that could take The Vic from what it was to what it’s going to be,” says Rick Szabo.

The space is bright, positive and lively, with servers that look great in their uniforms. Service is friendly and attentive. Fans of the old Vic’s menu will be happy to see some of the old favourites making it to the menu along with diner classics like an all-day breakfast. People who don’t eat meat will also be happy to see that the vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful at the new location. The Szabos say the response so far has been stellar.

“It’s rare in life when things exceed your expectations, and that’s what we have here. Awesome staff, great help to build the space and we are overwhelmed by the positive reception from the community so far,” says Rick Szabo.

Don’t miss Wacky Wednesdays at The Vic Café through the summer. You get a platter of food consisting of two burgers, tater tots, a garden salad and two beer for $30. Great for a couple’s night out, or a challenge to any competitive food eaters out there.

With the Vic Café vacating its old location, a lot of interest was generated as to what would come next for that place, and chef Guerin Sykes had the answer with The Marans Dinebar. Sykes opened the doors on March 9 after 63 days of construction. The space has changed dramatically, with lots of textures, monogramed Marans pillows, barn boards, and curated art on the walls. The space feels warm and personalized upon entry, which is exactly what Sykes is going for. This is a family business and most decisions on how to adorn the place came from looking back and involving their family history. Even down to the name, Marans Dinebar which stems from a breed of chicken.

“We like to surround ourselves with things that have sentimental meaning, especially if we are going to be there a lot. The Marans is a heritage breed of chicken from France and it was the breed that we, as a family, made a decision on. We decided on Copper Marans and it represents both the family and that time in the family where we started making an ethical decision to really support the local economy with what we use at the restaurant,” says Sykes, who currently uses 20 or more local vendors for his small dining space.

“You won’t see any Sysco trucks outside here. You see a lot of cars pulling up with trunks opening up filled with produce. The pottery on the tables comes from Wellington Pottery, the wooden food boards were made local woodworker Emerson Pringle.”

Menu-wise Sykes is somewhat limited by his kitchen equipment, but you would never know it by what he creates. He has no commercial equipment and relies on his creativity and his love of combining locally sourced food with international flavours, all with a County twist. A prime example being his Japanese sushi rice maki roll. Ingredients are Walt’s Sugar Shack porkbelly, market veggies, sugar beet powder and pickled red onions. The Maran’s Dinebar will be open every day but Tuesdays in the summer so that this family can get some time together.

A familiar name to the County, but new to the east side of the County is Picnic. The famed catering and food truck entity owned by Rebecca Hunt will soon have an outpost at 192 Main Street in Picton in the same space as a new lifestyle store called Keep, coming online from Kokito owner Shelly Durnin in the next few weeks. The food offerings will focus on baked goods, to-go sandwiches and take-out espresso. Hunt says she hopes it will be a one-stop shop for people starting their day.

“People can come in, order their baked and goods and coffee for the morning, and a sandwich for lunch. Everything you’d need for a day on the go, whether it be work or play,” says Hunt, who also adds that she will also be doing platters and take-aways for groups of people as well.

The new Picnic location is only a few weeks away from opening and Hunt has hinted at a couple of surprises this summer with the new space that she is keeping under her hat for now. Stay tuned to Picnic’s social media for any announcements. The new Picnic location will be open seven days a week, and you can aways find Hunt’s amazing baked goods at The General in Wellington.

Another familiar name to the County is Bree Seeley and the County Yum Club. Seeley has vacated her former location at the roundabout for a great location downtown at 252 Main Street. The name has changed slightly to The Yum Club, but look for the same classic dishes at the new location. The best shawarma around, as well Seeley’s takes on poutine and her esteemed meatloaf sandwich. You can also find some tasty baked goods and other treats at the counter. One thing is for certain, with Seeley and the Yum Club, is that everything she uses comes from an environmentally- minded consciousness and her practises are always looking out for the good of the planet. Great food that you can feel good about eating because of where it came from and how it was produced. Deliciously ethical.

Stella’s Eatery is also coming into its first summer being open, and its focus on casual dining in a relaxed atmosphere has already made waves with County residents as the new place-to-go for a couple’s date night. Chef Leah Marshall Hannon’s concept for the place was based on her great grandmother Stella Pamajewon and her experiences growing up in a small isolated community where hunting and foraging were a way of life. Hannon’s menu honours the legacy of grandmothers and daughters who gather around a fire or table to spend time together. Hannon also wants to celebrate the availability of locally grown ingredients via her menu, while also being conscious of environmental practices and what will be good for the land for future generations. For that reason, the menu is in constant flux and subject to the availabilities of local, fresh, foraged, seasonal ingredients. The restaurant is dine-in only and there are no reservations.

The Blue Sail Seafood Company will also be a new addition to Picton’s main strip, with an opening date yet to be announced. Co-owners Jeff Hounsell and Maxine Tiller hail from Newfoundland and moved to the County from Toronto six years ago. They have enlisted the help of Rachel Morris, who is also a co-owner and general manager. Morris has roots in the County as her mother is from the area, and they own a small farm called Lamb’s Quarter’s just outside of Picton. The location at 266 Main Street will consist of a market and a restaurant and there is rumored to be plenty of fish tanks to look at when the doors open.