HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-11-02, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017.
Gusso to expand Part II Bistro to Goderich
to the Blyth location. The new
Goderich Part II Bistro location will
be home to 36 seats and a 12 -seat
patio in the warmer months. The size
of the two kitchens, he said, is also
very similar.
With a prime Goderich location,
right on The Square and close to
dozens of local businesses and in a
town of over 8,000, Gusso has high
hopes for his newest business
venture.
Since opening in 2012, Gusso and
Part II Bistro have been honoured by
various organizations at various
levels.
After winning a number of local
food awards, Part II Bistro has been
honoured at the provincial level by
TripAdvisor over the past three
years, being named the province's
top restaurant in 2015, besting over
28,000 other competitors, and one of
Reader's Digest's top brunch
destinations in Canada last year.
Later this month, Gusso and
Exeter chef James Eddington will be
heading to the Royal Winter Fair to
take part in the Road to the Royal
chef's challenge.
For more information on Part II
Bistro, visit part2bistro.ca.
Taking his show on the road
Award-winning Blyth chef Peter Gusso is opening a second Part II Bistro location in Goderich
at the former home of The Bistro on The Square. Gusso has won numerous local culinary
awards and has been honoured year after year by the travel website TripAdvisor. (Fite photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Award-winning Blyth chef Peter
Gusso is expanding his food empire
into Goderich with the purchase of
The Bistro on The Square in Huron
County's biggest town.
Gusso and his wife Sarah
officially take possession of the
space on Nov. 13. They then plan to
close the restaurant for two or three
weeks in order to make some minor
renovations to both the dining room
and the kitchen ahead of opening in
late November or early December.
In an interview with The Citizen,
Gusso said he had had his eye on
expanding to Goderich for a while,
but the possibility became realistic
earlier this year and negotiations and
planning continued throughout the
busiest summer in Part II Bistro's
history.
To preserve Gusso's brand, the
new Goderich restaurant will also be
called Part II Bistro. It will be a
similar restaurant to the award-
winning Blyth location, but with a
new menu and a patio in the
summer.
Not only did Gusso feel the time
was right to expand his brand into
Goderich, but he now feels he has
the right team in place to ensure
quality at both locations.
All summer, Gusso said, sous chef
Wyatt Ducharme has been doing the
lion's share of the cooking in Blyth
in order to prepare for the potential
move. With the restaurant's busiest
summer ever now in the books,
Gusso says it's clear that the Blyth
location is in good hands.
Gusso plans on doing the majority
of the cooking in Goderich, at
least for the forseeable future,
while many familiar faces
Passing on goodwill
The Jam Jar Pub and Eatery in Brussels has partnered with
the Wolfpack Riding Club for an end -of -season bike night
and, over the course of the entire season, the partnership
yielded a $1,100 donation for the Brussels Legion to help
cover the costs of its recent renovation and accessibility
expansion. Here, members of the club presented a cheque
to Legion President Jamie Mitchell, who said it's been great
to benefit from the generosity of the restaurant and the
riding club. (File photo)
will remain at Part II Bistro in Blyth.
The process began a while ago,
Gusso said, when he told The Bistro
owner Sarah Telford that if she were
ever looking to sell her location that
he would be interested in buying.
They were in contact earlier this year
and the ball really began to roll in
the summer and talks heated up.
Once Gusso and his team is ready
to open the new restaurant, he says
the space will be very similar in size
New digs
The Bistro in Goderich, formerly owned by Sarah Telford,
will be the new home to Part II Bistro's second location. New
owner Peter Gusso expects the new restaurant to be open
in late November or early December. (Photo submitted)
Please don't leave it up to me
By Julie Sawchuk
During the past month I have met
many local people who have read
my monthly column and wanted to
thank me for writing it. They
appreciated the work that I have
been doing to raise awareness
about accessibility in Huron
County and beyond. I am both
flattered and touched by this.
Anyone who has been recognized
for their work would understand
this — it makes continuing to do it
that much easier, and more
meaningful.
The thing is, all of the people
who have commented about the
importance of raising awareness
about accessibility have themselves
the need for a more accessible
environment. Therefore they are
more aware already -
hypersensitive - if you will. This
then leads me to wonder...is anyone
else listening?
Let me be clear — I am not saying
that those who are "able-bodied"
are being ignorant, I just wonder if
they are "unaware". The lack of
awareness may be caused by a gap
or a lack of connection. My friends
(who have learned by travelling
with me) tell me often about places
they have been where no thought
had been given to accessibility.
What I am finding though is all it
takes is the planting of a seed, and
likely a highly valuable nut tree,
and we can't afford to delay
planting. As the population ages,
and the number of people with
disabilities increases, access for all
will become even more necessary.
People with disabilities are often
great advocates for their own
needs. We need to shift who the
advocate is. Forward thinking.
Have a look around. What is the
curb cut-out like? How heavy is
that door? Is there good colour
contrast around the door frame? Is
the doorway to the washroom wide
and is there room enough to turn a
wheelchair around? Is there seating
for a wheelchair user that allows
them to sit with everyone else? Are
there level parking spaces with
enough room to safely get in and
out of the vehicle? Are the items on
the buffet table at a height where
everyone can reach them? Are the
tops of stairways clearly marked
with tactile or bright tape? Are coat
hooks and hangers reachable by
all? How about the height of your
reception desk? Is there access to
the trail or boardwalk that doesn't
require steps? Is there an accessible
viewing area?
One suggestion to a shop owner,
building manager or person in
charge of maintenance will start the
ball rolling. And once you have
established a more accessible
business/school/recreation facility -
talk about it! There are loads of
places that have spent resources to
increase access for all but then fail
to tell their employees and the
public. Like the waitstaff who
didn't know there is an access ramp
at the rear of the building, or the
staff at the school who didn't know
the location of the building's
accessible washroom and couldn't
direct anyone to it.
Wherever you are, look around,
stop and think. If I were...(fill in
the blank - blind, using a walker or
a wheelchair) would I be able to...
(fill in the blank - get in, use the
bathroom, talk to the staff at eye
level)? Then act. Educate your
staff, train yourself, start a
conversation.
Problem solving doesn't have to
cost a lot. A properly placed bar
beside a toilet to help with balance
means freedom. A remote doorbell
means communication. A ramp
means access. Let's change the
conversation and involve everyone
in the movement for access for all.
Correction
In the Oct. 26 edition of The
Citizen, Caleigh Van Kampen of
Peel-Dufferin was mistakenly
identified as the Ontario Queen of
the Furrow for 2016/2017.
Van Kampen was the first runner-
up to Queen of the Furrow Kailey
Donaldson of Halton County.
The Citizen apologizes for any
confusion resulting from the error.
Get breaking farm news
on the Rural Voice section
of our website at
www.northhuron.on.ca