TILTON INN AND ONIONS PUB & RESTAURANT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Original, restful and a foodie favourite

Unique and full of character, this comfortable 1875 country-style inn puts you within easy driving distance to the Lake Region's major attractions. A New Hampshire gem, the picturesque inn is located opposite the Winnipesaukee River in the quiet town of Tilton. The white clapboard inn is owned by Allan and Kathy Powell, a super hardworking couple whose combined hosting élan has been bringing great experience to the table. In 2010, they bought the inn, and after some serious renovations, the establishment has earned an enviable reputation, not to mention several awards. Still, its low key unpretentious atmosphere is what draws the crowds.

Allan who hails from Bermuda is a restaurateur with considerable business acumen. He owned Bermuda’s Wharf Tavern for over 11 years and Freddie's in St. George, Bermuda.  Possessing a UNH degree in Management and Culinary Arts, he then attended Johnson & Wales  U. in Rhode Island for four years.

On any given day, you’ll see Kathy multi-tasking – toting a pile of housekeeping linens upstairs, taking orders in the Onions restaurant, greeting folks at the door, and tending to business in the office. The low-key power couple have the knack for keeping inn folks happy and unbelievably well fed.

A remarkable restaurant and pub

Folks from all over come to partake in the fun pub. Opposite it is the acclaimed Onions Restaurant. The menu has a Bermuda twist to some of its dishes, but most are simply divine creations concocted by chef Bret Mailhot, who’s been cooking for 40 years. He’s worked at the Marriott and even owned his own restaurant in Dallas. The food fare is as exciting as can be. With popular appetizers and main dishes known for savoury flavourings to create dining excitement, the menu offers intense taste delight. Palette- pleasers bring British fish and chips to the table, and there are bangers and a burger of caramelized onions – it’s addictive. 

Char-grilled fare includes lamb, shrimp, steak and chicken.  how about deep fried chicken tenders? How delectable is that? Very, according to one girl who told me they were the best in the county.  her dining companion raved about the eggplant parmigiano  Five sea specialties, such as rustico shrimp is a top hit with its wild mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, black olives, sun- dried tomatoes and garlic. Five main meat dishes make choosing what to have a challenge. Onion Wellington is a fillet mignon with caramelized onion and fish demi-glace wrapped in puff pastry and baked a golden brown. I want to try that one next time. An array of nine tasty pasta dishes  salads  and soups - some which bring Bermudian taste accents boldly into the picture is on thte menu. Their fish chowder is one such example of this. I heard it's sensational. Tilton Restaurant tips its hat off to the island's cooking.  Remember that Bermuda onions are sweet, so no need to be shy about ordering any dish with onions in it.




I had the salmon topped with mango salsa the last night of my four-night stay. It came with a risotto that deserves its own award – the best I’ve ever tasted. The salmon was so tender, I gobbled it up as greedily as I did the crème brûleé dessert. 


Settle into the pub before you eat or have a drink afterwards. You may meet Allan here who enjoys smoozing with guests. But if he’s not visible, he’s probably back in the kitchen. Need anything, ask Allan! By the way, you can eat your meal in the pub; they'll bring it to you.  Their beer list is extensive. I loved the Long Trail and Blue Moon beer. Wine of course is served there. They also serve their own specialty drinks. What a great place!

Rooms Resonate history

The advantage of this place is it makes for an informal eat and sleep stay. Sleep upstairs in one of the well appointed rooms, then head down for lunch and supper. You need never leave the place.

Because some pretty illustrious entrepreneurs spent time in Tilton, rooms are named after these folk. There’s the Thomas Edison room, Henry Ford room and the cozy Lawrence Moss. I stayed in the spacious Charles Tilton room. Each one has its own special décor.

These rooms are pointers into Tilton’s history. There’s a book at the entrance that tells Tilton’s story, naming some if the important men and women who contributed to the town’s prosperity. The inn is certainly a big part of the history. They say there were three fires here in the space of 100 years, and that one girl named Laura was left behind. Paranormal experts were called in after a sighting in the inn, and the conclusion was the inn is indeed haunted.

Tilton Inn and Onions Restaurant & Pub is located at 255 Main St. Tilton, NH. 
Visit: www.thetiltoninn.com
Email: tiltoninn@metrocast.com

Click here to read about NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LAKES REGION

BRÛLERIE DES LAURENTIDES: THE SHANGRI-LA OF COFFEES

                                  100 TANTALZING TASTES AND SMELLS 

Michael Petit is not small in any way when it comes to making perfect coffee. As a former chemist, he knows a lot about blending coffee to produce an exquisite taste.

 In 2011, he began a coffee company, and the results of his hard work are amazing. The coffee sips like silk slipping into your mouth, and the flavours are divine. And they are exciting. In fact, Brûlerie des Laurentides really reflects the beauty and sensual variety reflected in the natural gorgeous setting where each bean is lovingly roasted: the sublime Laurentians in the province of Quebec.

“My family has been in the coffee business for over 50 years – that’s three generations of living and breathing coffee.  I’ve replicated my grandfather’s secret recipe, but with new twists and surprises in each bean. Like making pastry, roasting coffee is a fine art that requires a lot of patience, passion and a sense of timing.”

His father travels around the world searching for that perfect bean - much like someone sleuthing a rare orchid hunt. When the containers bring back the beans from over 15 countries, Brûlerie des Laurentides kicks into a heightened state. That’s when the fine art of coffee roasting comes into play and then ends up in your mouth with magnificent results. Each of the blends is made from seven to 14 different coffee beans with 30% boasting the organic factor.

From these beautiful beans, Michael and his team are able to create 100 different flavours that can’t be found anywhere else on the market!

You don’t even need to open the package to be transported into coffee wonderland. So far, I've had my coffee elixir tasting the maple and the reveil matin flavours. That morning coffee is sweet and so lovely. It really hits the mark.
Smell the chocolate blueberry flavour, the maple pecan one or how about chocolate coconut or chocolate raspberry. And there’s that popular chocolate hazelnut flavour. Exotic flavours include maple/bacon, smoky seventh heaven and amaretto. His more traditional flavours – espresso and filter coffee style – go from strong to mild 

“I produce my own flavour for the coffee. One flavour can take over two years to make that magic moment happen of perfect taste.  And when we get it right, we don’t open a bottle of champagne, we drink endless cups of coffee.”

Michael wants everyone to know how incredible coffee can be when it is roasted right with years of experience and experimentation. That’s why he’s dedicating his life to Brûlerie des Laurentides.

The coffee is sold in more than 300 stores in Quebec, including IGA, Provigo and Metro, or you can purchase it on line no matter where you live. Brûlerie des Laurentides is so in-demand, France and the United States now have their coffee cups filled to the brim with Brûlerie’s special brand.

Buy the half a pound bag or have a big bash coffee party where coffee becomes the conversation piece; buy Brûlerie des Laurentide’s 11-pound bag.
Michael will be at Montreal's Provigo store on Monkland in September.

The website is bruleriedeslaurentides.com

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE: JOUER DEHORS, BON BOUFFE, LA LUMIERE

LYON’S CHEFS, OUTSTANDING ARTISTS AND MAGICAL LIGHTS

Gourmet Arts Gala – a sensory showstopper in la belle ville

Lyon is set to lionize Montréal en Lumière (MEL). Over a dozen stellar chefs from the city are teaming up with some 40 chefs in Montreal’s landmark kitchens. The grand affair is guaranteed to dazzle the palette of diners, wine lovers, cider fiends, cheese and bread addicts, vegan and health conscious  chia and quinoa fans.

The legendary city - France's  capital of gastronomy - has been a longtime  joie de vivre twin-city fit. Lyon boasts over 4,200 restaurants with over 20 Michelin-star awards. Montreal is opening its kitchens to over 40 overseas’ chefs which includes a parade of 15 chefs from the delectable Délices network – a 4-continent global union of 22 cities of gastronomical repute.


MEL is partnering with Beaujolais wines.

 
                                                 

HONORARY  PRESIDENTS

Jérôme Bocuse

Walter’s Basin in Holderness, New Hampshire

                                                                                   

                                 Feasting lakeside after a lovely loon cruise

What a fabulous menu of American cuisine – the best of it. Gary Chaffee, the chef is simply cooking up quality ribs, pasta, seafood and several of your chicken favourites using an unparallel palette-pleasing assortment of flavours. I was delighted to see that gluten-free dishes were on this menu in both the main dishes and appetizers. That’s rare, and it shows that the concept behind the creation of the dishes is sophisticated and mindful of health. Sitting at the lakeside restaurant of Squam Lakes was relaxing and wholly fitting to the royal food I chose to have. I ordered the Ahi-tuna starter on a crispy won-ton adorned with tiny strips of seaweed topped with a crescent of avocado. Deliciously addictive!

 Then came my clam chowder soup that was thick and oh so satisfying; it is freshly made. A thick hunk of brisket arrived as another appetizer on a sweetish bun. Tender and subtly flavoured, this filling creation was original. Diving into a key lime pie perfectly suited my dessert yen. It was so irresistible, I wanted the recipe. I then and sinfully admit I wanted to taste their dessert specialty – though the menu offered an embarrassment of royal choices. This was a bumble berry pie with whipped cream and ice cream on the plate. The sweet raspberries, rhubarb, apples and blueberries filled me until I waddled out like the docks swimming on the lake. 

 

By the way, their exotic coffees with alcohol are the best I have ever tasted in my travels. The Mad River beans (the name of the coffee) are ground freshly in nearby Campton – a coffee coup for New Hampshire’s lake region. The wine list is just right, and their drinks have names that sport humour and originality to reflect their concoctions; some are named after islands in Lake Winnipesaukee. I hear the Rattlesnake is to die for (no pun intended) Come by boat or on land; or even if you have to swim to get there, Walter’s Basin offers bounteous feasting.

www.waltersbasin.com

Feast on Fabulous Fish at the Bay Restaurant

Big on Fish, Big on Taste  

 In Centre Harbor, New Hampshire – a popular but casual resort spot in New Hampshire’s lake region, the Bay Restaurant is the one to put on your place-to-eat-list. Here, the world becomes your oyster, for aside from the exciting choices of unique gourmet burgers, delightful appetizers and savoury salads, including the Bay’s notable noodle one with an awesome oriental mix; a healthy fruit and nut number creation, and other wonderful healthy selections – it is clear that at the Bay, fish rules! It’s featured in three of the four major categories on the menu. In the main meal section, seven of the eight offerings dazzle in title alone: fisherman’s platter. Gluten free Maryland crab cakes, maple glazed tips and shrimp sautee. The dazzling BBQ by the Bay whose ribs come with Jack Daniels BBQ wings, fried shrimp and cole slaw is a bounteous indulgence. And the list goes on. 

My dining companion, Thais St Clair, owner of Sutton House B & B knows about quality cooking. She selected the grilled salmon salad from the Greens category. Flavoured with a sassy fruit salsa. The salmon was tender, and she highlighted her enjoyment of the champagne vinaigrette.


 

I ordered the evening’s specialty: halibut Oscar with fresh lump crab, meat and asparagus topped with Hollandaise. Zucchini, dainty string beans, carrots and flavoured with herbs created a superb dish. The presentation was gorgeous; the green olive oil speckled with red paprika added beauty. The portion was huge, and the satisfaction  level too.

My waitress, Hannah, recommended the Chateau St Michelle – a chardonnay. It was a fine match. For dessert, I went to sin city with a dark chocolate with white chocolate imbedded in it, whipped cream and salted caramel truffle gelato. Thais chose the white chocolate chip raisin bread pudding. I snuck a taste. Wow!

The Bay restaurant is open for its gourmet breakfasts and lunches. It also delivers, but you’ll just have to travel to Centre Harbor in New Hampshire to get the goods. I’m not surprised that Amy Elfline’s penchant for quality and taste is reflected in the restaurant she owns with her husband, Paul. (She’s also a real estate agent for Lamprey in Centre Harbor, and I’ve seen her houses renovations).

The website is: www.themugrestaurant.com

58 Palette-Pleasing Food Trucks all over Quebec!

        PEDRO food app right on your cell for round-the-city feasting

July 19th

Food fans are going to fall for Pedro (no he’s not a Latin lover), just a pretty app for your cell phone that points the way to a great food truck serving up grand specialties in your Montreal area.  What a great idea! Brain child of Gaëlle Cerf and Guy-Vincent Melo – co-founders of  ARRQ, the Association des restaurateurs de rue de Québec (Quebec Food Truck Association) are providing 58 member trucks for residents of and visitors to Quebec cities; many are parked in Montréal  high volume neighborhoods.

Press on the Pedro app to locate your favourite one parked right in your area. Don’t be tricked into thinking, it’s a truck stop for fast food. Not at all! Premier quality food whose recipes as remarkable as your grandma’s are at your fingertips now with Pedro, and many of these trucks reflect some of the gourmet food served in their respective restaurants.

But not all trucks offer their own restaurant, so this is a great way to banish your famished side right on the street. Pedro not only locates restaurants for you, but lets you view the menu real fast and easily. “It’s a personal food-shopping assistant that knows you tastes, alerts you when one of your favourite food trucks is nearby, and even has a look-ahead feature to let you know which trucks are scheduled to be near your workplace,” said Gaëlle Cerf.

So here’s my look at three of the trucks that came for the PEDRO launch. First off, the food is crazy good and super healthy. I tasted delicious Mexican offerings from Mi Corazon’s tempting truck menu. Each sampling was tasty true to Mexican menu flavours. Using spices from Mexico, I sampled spicy Mexican sausages, dishes flowing with fabulous frijoles and cheese, corn dogs and Chipotte with fries and mayo. The names of the dishes are a hoot, such as Poutine “Dirty Martinez” and “Taco Donald Trump” 

As Rafael describes says, the latter:  “It’s mainly tongue and a little bit of brain” This dish is so original: pickled onion, beef tongue, tartar sauce, boiled egg, guacamole and capers. It’s probably the only place where Trump could win popularity! Lemon and strawberry and hibiscus drink was delicious. Eight exceptional dishes were served from Mi Corazon. Head chef, Rafael Martinez, whose parentage is both Mexican and French Canadian, is a “ multiple taco beau creator” –  four different ones offered the day of the launch from the Mi Carazon truck.

Then I moved over for more freshness and savoury tastings at the Landry et Filles truck. I was handed the beautiful buckwheat crepe I sampled. The buckwheat is grown in New Brunswick. My demure crepe was cooked on one side, making it single-sided crusty and on the other uncooked side – it was tender and soft. Fennel and lovely herbs topped salmon. Capers, salad, cream cheese and caviar accented the entire creation, and it was outstanding –  and all this from a truck. I also was served this stunning lemon cookie square covered in a sweet lemony hard coating. It was a royal winner.

 Finally, Super truck offers an assortment of great of…..Well, I’ll let that be your taste bud, served from-the truck surprise!

Pedro is “geolocatable” street food. It is available from the Apple Store and Google Play. Go get it, and enjoy your favourite food from a fun truck.