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Remembering Ann McColl's Kitchen Shop

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Ann McColl Lindsay and David Lindsay: A Brief History of a Road Less Traveled Hospitality and the culinary arts have always gone hand in hand. In London, Ontario, we have a history of exceptional restaurateurs, chefs and culinary retailers. Among the latter are Ann McColl Lindsay and David Lindsay, the former proprietors of the legendary Ann McColl’s Kitchen Shop, one of Canada’s finest cookware shops. Ann and David met, married and taught school in Windsor, Ontario from 1961 to 1968. They resigned their positions, sold their red brick bungalow, and embarked on a year-long food pilgrimage across Europe while camping in a Volkswagen van. Travelling in the van with a gas burner allowed them to truly enjoy the local terroir. The first six months of their trip , which ended at the French border, is described in Ann’s memoir Hungry Hearts – A Food Odyssey across Britain and Spain . The second volume, Hearts Forever Young, includes their travels in France, Italy, Austria
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Chancey Smith’s Steak and Seafood House at Covent Garden Market

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Promoting The Recognition of Cuisine as a Manifestation of Culture. Hats off to Chancey! Chancey Smith’s Steak and Seafood House at Covent Garden Market I still love a great hamburger or a big, juicy steak, even though I’ve been trying to cut down on my red meat consumption. trü on King Street used to make a superb mini-hamburger with foie gras that melted in your mouth, and you could order it at the bar until midnight. Waldo’s on King makes a truly outstanding burger with organic beef from Field Gate Organics, which is served with generous garnishes and condiments. I swear it is the best hamburger in the city, hands down. Chancey Smith’s Steak and Seafood House has always been a carnivore’s dream because of its great steaks. Chancey Smith’s also has its own delicious ½-lb beef burger, and the twist here is it comes with a suggested beer pairing: Cameron’s Auburn Ale, Paulaner, #9 IPA or India Pale Ale. Chancey’s also has a more upscale ½-lb. buffalo (read American bison) burger, stuf
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The Indomitable Marika Hayek of Budapest Restaurant

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It saddened me to read of Marika Hayek’s passing earlier this week. Budapest Dining Room and Tavern, a local gem with yards of red velvet and charming unintended kitsch continued to evolve while its grand interior remained virtually unchanged. The décor with plush velvet valances and curtained alcoves, brocades, red and gold wallpaper and comfortable armchair seating evokes another era. The Roma “Gypsy-style” aesthetic is also the restaurant's brand. It became both an anomaly and anachronism. The restaurant's two main rooms lead back from Dundas Street and are linked by an arched passageway across the middle, an ornate banquet hall at the far end, and the kitchen at the other end. There is almost always a musician—a piano player with a penchant for delivering uninvited political observations—playing the sentimental melodies traditionally adopted by Hungarian Romani musicians. He plays to the Budapest's patrons between brief monologues. He is part of the idiosy
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