Run for the Mill!

Thornbury’s The Mill gets top marks two years after new ownership, a complete reno, and now a new chef and a new menu

by Emily Worts · photography by Richard Galloway

Click Images to Enlarge

t has been a long time since I’ve left a restaurant in a hurry, but that’s more or less what happened after our meal at The Mill in Thornbury. In all honesty, the food was so good I raced home, after peppering chef Nick McGregor with questions, in an attempt to recreate a salad I’d just eaten. In addition to writing, I also cook for a living and it is rare to come across such an inspirational dish in an age of homogenized menus and prefab meals.

The Mill – an iconic restaurant in a historic building on the west side of the Thornbury bridge, just above the Beaver River Dam – has been transformed since new owners Noel and Terry Neelands purchased the property two years ago. The kitchen has been opened up, walls taken down and lighting softened. This past fall a new team, including new manager and chef, have introduced the public to an all new Mill. It is still very much a community hub and a place for everyday dining, but there is a new sophistication to the place that is matched by its menu. I know we are off to a good start when our waitress returns three times to our table in search of our order. It’s not that the Mill’s new menu is that extensive, but rather exceptionally compelling.

My wine, Georgian Hills Vidal Blanc, arrives and I sip on it while contemplating fish cakes or mussels in Thornbury cider, whitefish or trout. When I see Kale Caesar Salad on the menu I know we’re in for a treat. 2012 has been a big year for kale salads, but I have yet to try it in a Caesar version. “Many of our customers are skeptical of the kale but they are always pleasantly surprised,” says our server. Another item that grabs our attention is the Provoleta; similar to provolone, the cheese is marinated in garlic, chili and oregano, then pan seared in a cast iron skillet. John and I share both and chef Nick McGregor thoughtfully splits our salad into two bowls. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal for either John or I, but tonight it is. This is the best Caesar salad I have had in a long, long time. Caesar salad is like my holy grail, and my search is ongoing. Too often I am disappointed with institutional – style dressings, packaged croutons and questionable bacon bits (not to mention watery Romaine). Not tonight. Here is a Caesar Salad worth driving 45 minutes for!

The kale, tenderized by two hours of resting in its lemony vinaigrette, is bright green and looks deliciously healthy. The dressing is the perfect balance of lemon, anchovy, capers and garlic. The croutons are first pan-fried with capers then finished in the oven. Kalamata olives and fresh shaved Grana Padano are a perfect complement to the sweet bacon. That’s right, sweet bacon. First the bacon is fried crispy and drained of fat, then crumbled, tossed in maple syrup and caramelized in the oven. Wow! John scrapes his salad bowl clean like it is a bowl of ice cream. He’s never been enthused by kale, but tonight it’s a different story. The Provoleta reminds me of Greek Saganaki, minus the Ouzo. A traditional Argentinian dish, it is showing up more frequently on inspired menus. Its crust is wickedly golden and the cheese oozes enticingly across the plate. The portion is generous and it is easy to share. To eat it we pile a smearing of cheese onto grilled focaccia along with crispy garlic chips, roasted red pepper and a little arugula. The Argentinian inspiration comes from Mill owners the Neelands, who spend much of their time in Argentina overseeing their boutique vineyard and winery, Solo Contigo. John orders a glass of Solo Contigo’s premium Malbec to accompany his grilled Ontario rack of lamb. A glass is $12 and it is beautifully smooth, not too heavy and great with the lamb.

The rack of lamb’s three pieces (you can also order five) are cured in salt, sugar, garlic, smoked paprika and oregano overnight. This process seasons the lamb and breaks down any toughness. Perhaps not necessary with the already tender rack, but the curing adds another layer of flavour to the lamb. The seasoning also produces an incredible crust when the lamb is cooked on the grill. This is not a conventional preparation, and the change is refreshing. Instead of the traditional mint sauce, chef McGregor prepares a homemade shallot jam, with a vibrant ruby colour due to the fresh beet juice he adds. It’s these extra steps McGregor takes that make his meals stand out. The lamb is served on steel cut oat tabbouleh (again not a conventional preparation, but delicious), which is spiked with mint to satiate the mint craving that inevitably accompanies lamb. I order Kolapore Springs trout. It arrives piled high on top of spicy braised lentils. The trout is served skin side up, something I never do and have never seen. I love it. Kolapore trout is so amazingly beautiful and I am happy to see the stripes and speckles of this fish take centre stage. Chef McGregor’s reasons for serving his fish this way are more about taste than aesthetics. “This is the bacon of fish; it’s where all the tasty fat is,” he says. McGregor cooks the skin nice and crispy in hopes that people will eat it and love it.

For dessert we try a blueberry Mascarpone tart. This is an invention of McGregor’s and we love it. The crust is made from Italian sweet dough called pasta frolla. On top of the thick layer of Mascarpone is a blueberry compote and a sprinkling of fresh blueberries. The tart is a nice light ending to a rich and incredible meal. Upon arriving home I check my garden for kale and my fridge for lemons, garlic, anchovy paste and capers. I jot down hints McGregor dropped in reference to his salad. Tomorrow I will attempt my first Kale Caesar Salad, but tonight I will dream of maple candied bacon.