I met the two men behind enRoute’s number one new restaurant in Canada, Jeremy Charles and Jeremy Bonia of Raymonds, located in St. John’s Newfoundland, during their quick visit to Toronto for a Canada AM appearance. To celebrate I brought a bottle of Pierre Sparr Reserve Cremant D’Alsace and some Acadian Sturgeon caviar. We settled into the bar at Canoe for a decadent tasting during which the guys got a little choked up.
When the two of you worked at Atlantica in 2007 you were named the best new restaurant in Canada for the first time and now you’ve taken top spot again with Raymonds. This has never happened before, who was the first to find out you’d made the top of the enRoute list for the second time?
Jeremy Charles – The hostess said there was a phone call for me and I said, ‘Really, right now?’ We were about to give additions to the staff for service and staff meal was going on. I took the phone and looked and it was a 514 number, I thought it was our duck supplier, Marche Transatlantique, but it was Ilana Weitzman. As soon as I heard her voice I knew there was something on the go. I got tears in my eyes, I had to stop and hold the phone away from my face for a second.
Jeremy Bonia – We knew we were on the list, and knowing the caliber of restaurants that opened this year, we were happy to be included. When he got off the phone I thought someone had died. When he told us the news we were absolutely floored. It’s an overwhelming feeling and such an honour.
Jeremy B and Jeremy C
Canoe’s Executive Chef Anthony Walsh has prepared a caviar plate with crackers, brioche, crème fraiche and chives. Let’s try it with the Acadian Sturgeon caviar and see how it is with the Pierre Sparr.
JB – The thing that I like about Cremant d’Alsace is that it’s not too effervescent. Sometimes with a Cremant de Bourgogne it can be almost too foamy, not like this with the tiny bubbles. This is very delicate and clean with pear and green apple flavours and with the caviar you can’t go wrong.
JC – Acadian Sturgeon is from New Brunswick, we serve it at the restaurant. The caviar is beautiful with this sparkling, I’d have this for breakfast.
When you were growing up what were your early experiences with wine?
JC – Growing up my mother never drank much wine and my dad drank beer. But they’ve changed and now all they do is drink wine. I was probably ten years old when I first tasted wine, I think it was Piat D’or.
JB – That was my first wine too, that or Black Tower. I remember Christmastime going to the liquor store with dad, both my parents have very large families and we’d have them over separately so we could fit everyone into the house. Dad would buy alcohol based on who was coming to dinner, this uncle had this rye, someone would have Benedictine, someone would have Kahlua. You know? So that everyone coming to dinner had their drink, then it would sit in the cupboard for the rest of the year. He would stock the liquor cabinet with everybody’s favourites.
JC – With that kind of upbringing it’s so fitting that Jeremy is doing what he does and that’s why he’s kickass at it. He’s so accommodating, he never forgets anyone’s preferred drink.
What are some wines that you’re excited about in the cellar at Raymonds right now?
JB – There’s a Kellerei Kaltern Gewurtztraminer from Alto-Adige 2009, its not overly perfumey, its just a beautiful clean wine. The wines change quite frequently, we have over eight hundred selections. I’m also loving the Domaine Garnier Chablis 2009 and the Perrin & Fils Vinsonbres 2009 Cotes du Rhone.
And what dishes can we look forward to on the fall menu?
JC – Moving into fall we’re looking at rabbits, grouse, partridge and moose, all wild Newfoundland ingredients.
Let’s talk about wine in Newfoundland, you don’t grow grapes but you do berry wines.
JB – First let me say that Ontario is a very influential place where wine is concerned, just look at the wines from the Harbers at Ravine, Charles Baker at Stratus and Norman Hardie. They’ve been super supportive and so great to us.
In Newfoundland we do berry wines very well, using bakeapples (or cloudberries) and partridgeberries. We also do a birch sap wine, there’s sweetness and a definite herbal characteristic to it. It would be interesting to use it in a cocktail, it could almost be used as a sweeter bitters.
What is a memorable wine moment you’ve had recently?
JB – It was in New York at Marea, Michael White’s place, we selected some Italian whites of all things, we didn’t touch red. It wasn’t about trying to find nuances of the wine or the food, it was just – this is a great wine and it works great with these dishes. It was so enjoyable.
JC -We just had pasta and fish, some of the best seafood. It was phenomenal.
When you’re in Toronto what are some of your favourite restaurants?
JC – It’s always a treat to come to Toronto. Anthony Rose at the Drake Hotel, I love arm wrestling with him. I love coming here to Canoe and seeing Anthony Walsh.
JB – The Gabardine is a great spot, and Nota Bene. Actually when enRoute brought us to Toronto the first time we had dinner at Splendido to celebrate. This time we’ll be celebrating at Acadia, we’re looking forward to it.
