Gentry Manor In Chatham: A Supper Club For Foodies
Belle Vivante – Libations and culinary experiences to curate your beautiful life
By Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh And Tracey Harding
Gentry Manor’s Small Plates Restaurant & Supper Club, 9 Park Street in Chatham is an enchanting experience.
The creative minds of James Lizotte and Thomas Smith, (Co-Owners) have put together a WOW factor dining experience.
“We are trying to create an atmosphere to make you feel like we have invited you to our home,” says Smith. Mission accomplished!
Many of you will know Gentry Manor for its Hair Salon, Fashion Boutique and Spa. The Supper Club experience is of the same impeccable standards as the rest of their business.
The 40-person dining space upstairs is in the historical building once owned by the Masonic Temple. This one-time meeting place has been converted into a gold-gilded show space of beautiful art, eclectic chandeliers and elegant treasures. It is the perfect setting.
The multiple course meals are masterly crafted by Kyle Wagner, Head Chef of Gentry Manor and Willson Hall, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus. He is an artist and genius when it comes to food and a huge supporter of local farmers.
The Belle Vivantes recently visited the manor for “A Brunch to Remember” this summer.
The Gentry Manor team also showed off four beautifully crafted signature cocktails to accompany our menu courses (not all are included here due to space).
The tasting starts off with that WOW factor we mentioned earlier.
The Vodka Caesar is rimmed with a delicate celery salt and pepper combo, Canadian made Dirty Devil Vodka and a hyper-strained Clamato juice. This beauty is garnished with a custom-made, metal, tree-shaped skewer containing spicy salami, pickle, pineapple, cherry tomato and a pepperoncino.
To accompany our cocktail, a blini topped with smoked salmon, crème fresh, pickled onion, dill and caviar, was served.
The Smokey Pooch is a martini glass rimmed in smoked salt, grapefruit wedge and a rosemary sprig. Bombay Sapphire Gin is shaken with grapefruit juice to create a savoury, yet refreshing morning cocktail.
This drink is the perfect pairing for an avocado toastette: a sourdough crostini with avocado, heirloom tomatoes, local crispy bacon, poached quail egg and a marinated tropical fruit salad.
The Mexican Mimosa is Hornitos Tequila combined with blood orange juice and Grand Marnier finished with a splash of Prosecco and garnished with a skewer of maraschino cherries.
Light and refreshing with a kick of tequila, it was accompanied by hand-made scones, Parks Blueberries (Bothwell) preserve and Pardo’s Berrie Farm (Blenheim) raspberry jam with clotted cream.
We were also presented with a choice of single-flower honey samples from Ackroyd’s Honey, (Kitchener) — one buckwheat, the other blueberry — as well as a bubble waffle with whiskey maple syrup, toasted pecans, roasted cherries and cream.
The star of the show is the Honey Deuce. Its a glass of Dirty Devil Vodka, Chambord and lemonade with a skewer of melon balls — absolutely an ideal partner for the Lobster Benedict. We enjoyed this drink with an English crumpet topped with shredded-butter poached lobster and a claw, tarragon hollandaise poached chicken egg and chive.
The creamy Benedict and Honey Deuce together were amazing!
The day ended with a cool glass of Prosecco and a brilliant creation of Captain Crunch cereal coated brioche filled with espresso mascarpone and topped in a caramel drizzle.
We couldn’t help but notice that the room is filled with chatter and laughter.
The wait staff, bartenders and Chef are all on point and the service is seamless.
Afterwards we also enjoyed a little shopping time in the stunning boutique. We guarantee you won’t leave without a unique gift or self-indulgent splurge.
This is truly the beautiful life, Belle Vivante!
The next Supper Club events open to the public at the Gentry Manor this year are on: September 16 (Napa Valley); October 14 (Amalfi Coast); October 22 (Brunch); November 18 (Moulin Rouge); December 16 (Yuletide Gala) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve).
Keep in mind you can also “Take over the Manor” and host a private shopping appointment or event.
