Cheftimony Snack: Hometown and Back
“ McKellar Confectionery, the legendary, opened-in-1926 Coney Island-style joint that I’ve raved about on the podcast before. We had a fantastic lunch and a quick catch-up with George, the third-generation hotdog-slinger behind the counter.”
Over the July long weekend, my fiancée B and I visited my hometown of Thunder Bay, mainly to visit with my parents who recently made a move out of their long (long!) term house, but also to connect with old friends of mine and, of course, to take in some culinary highlights.
One of the two restaurant standouts was McKellar Confectionery, the legendary, opened-in-1926 Coney Island-style joint that I’ve raved about on the podcast before. We had a fantastic lunch and a quick catch-up with George, the third-generation hotdog-slinger behind the counter.
The second was Tomlin Restaurant, a relative newcomer to the food scene in Thunder Bay, but a powerhouse in its own right. Tomlin really has changed the game in Thunder Bay, and I’ve been lucky to join the team as a stagiaire on a couple of trips. They have an amazing kitchen and prep space, a beautiful room for their guests, wonderful food, friendly and knowledgeable staff…. Yep, I’m a fan. On today’s episode, I describe the three-item dinner that B and I shared at Tomlin and I make special mention of the wonderful Bae’s Haze IPA from Dawson Trail Craft Brewery that washed it down.
I also look ahead to the next two full episodes of Cheftimony. The first will feature three interviews focused on what to drink with our food. Two of the guests will be Peter Van de Reep of Campagnolo Upstairs and Chad McCarthy, a Vancouver lawyer and beer expert. And speaking of beer, I’m planning to meet this weekend with a craft brewer on the Sunshine Coast… Can’t wait!
The next upcoming episode (yet to be scheduled let alone recorded, so it’s a ways out!) will be with a prominent chef in Asia whose background includes time as a lawyer. I’m really, really looking forward to this interview.
OK, join me now in Northwestern Ontario for this snack-sized tour of my hometown of Thunder Bay!