HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-05-03, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012. PAGE 9.
The community is no stranger to
the food of Peter and Sarah Gusso,
but hopefully later this month people
will have a new way to enjoy the
couple’s talents.
While there is no definitive grand
opening date set, the Gussos’ next
project, Bistro Part II, is well
underway. The pair hope to have a
few weeks of experience under their
belts by the time the Blyth Festival
opens in June.
With the paper taken down from
the front window of the former Tasty
Treats To Go Or Stay, directly across
the street from Memorial Hall,
anyone walking by can now see that
major changes have been made.
It was around Christmas when
Peter realized he had to expand the
business. Things were busy at the
couple’s bed and breakfast The
Station House and catering orders
were flying in and food was flying
out and Peter knew the family had to
grow along with the success of the
business.
“We needed to expand. We were
getting a lot of calls,” Peter said.
It was around that time that the
property became available and the
couple began discussing the idea of
opening a casual fine dining
restaurant in Blyth with Bev Elliott,
the owner of the building.
“[Bev] has been really good for
us,” Peter said. “She’s really helped
us out.”
Peter says he and Sarah felt lucky
to move into the building, saying it’s
a prime spot in the village,
especially when the Festival is on
stage.
Peter says originally the pair had
wanted to open a British-style pub
(they spent five years living in the
United Kingdom), but when they
saw the space, they knew exactly
what kind of persona the restaurant
would take on.
Peter says the goal is to offer the
community another option, not
taking anything away from other
local restaurants, such as The Blyth
Inn, saying the food is “excellent”
but that Bistro Part II will simply
offer another option to residents and
visitors looking for something to eat.
With the renovation of several
other storefronts along Blyth’s main
street and a handful of other
businesses in the process of opening,
Peter says he’s just pleased to be a
part of what’s going on in the
village.
“Blyth is really booming,” he said.
“It’s very exciting.”
The restaurant, which will seat
approximately 40 people, will be
ideal for theatregoers, artists and the
actors who come to the village for
the summer, Peter said. Over the
course of redecorating for the last
two months, Peter says he has
worked closely with Eric Coates
from the Blyth Festival in acquiring
Festival posters from decades past
and even unique items such as
costume designers’ sketches from
past Festival productions. These rare
finds now adorn the walls of Bistro
Part II.
Peter and Sarah, both adorned in
blue jeans, said that while the menu
will reflect the fine dining fare Peter
has become accustomed to serving,
people dressed “like him” need not
fear being underdressed.
When he says casual fine dining,
Peter says that all are welcome and
he hopes Bistro Part II will become a
location where people know they
can come to relax, have a bite to eat,
have a glass of wine (eventually, the
couple is still in the process
of obtaining a liquor licence that
should arrive in time for the
summer), and not be rushed in or
rushed out.
Hoping to provide a “unique”
experience, Peter says his menu,
while not finalized, will reflect
his striving to be unique. One thing is clear, the influence this areahas had on the Gussos is evident
in what they’ll be using on their
menu.
Spring rolls will feature sausage
meat from Scrimgeour’s, while a
fish and chips dish will feature trout
from Hedley’s.
You would be hard-pressed to find
a menu item without a local
connection, Peter says, calling the
restaurant a real community
project.
“That’s the way things are going
nowadays. People want to know
where their food is coming from,”
Peter said. “We figure that if we
support the locals, they’ll support us
right back.”
There are still renovations to be
done, Peter says, but the target for
the grand opening is the Victoria
Day long weekend later this month.As far as the workload isconcerned, the couple admits that it
will increase when the restaurant
opens, as they will continue to cater
and run The Station House, but they
both think they’re up to the
challenge.
The hope is that the restaurant will
be open for lunch every day of the
week, opening at 11:30 a.m. and
closing after post-Festival show
patrons have had a chance to finish
up their nightcaps.
There will be daily specials and
they won’t be hard to see, with
chalk boards hanging in the front
window will list the specials each
day.
For more information on Bistro
Part II, e-mail Peter and Sarah at
part2bistro@hotmail.ca or call (226)
523-FOOD (3663).
Bistro Part II aims for a unique experience
Students work on yearbook
The sequel
After success with their bed and breakfast, The Station House, and a successful catering
business, the Gusso family, Peter, Sarah and 10-month-old Georgia, felt it was time to expand
once again and Bistro Part II is the result of that decision. The family hopes to open later this
month, but still has some renovating to do. (Denny Scott photo)
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By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued from page 3
writing experiences with their Grade
6/7 buddies. Everyone added a
number of facts to their animal
schema.
The Grade 6 science students who
attended Sci-tech this week brought
home The Gold as they achieved
stellar results at this science-based
competition. Joseph Pizzati, Jordan
Shortreed and Carson Richmond
came in fourth overall with their
mechanized zip line and Logan
Chalmers, Jessie McNichol and
Samantha Hubbard came in second
overall with their marble drop,
where points were awarded based on
criteria like how many right angles
and drops the marbles negotiated
successfully.
Selected intermediate student
teams will compete on behalf of
Blyth Public School this week. Look
out intermediate teams, the Grade 6
science student have issued you a
challenge, they want to see if you
can meet them or beat them.
In the Grade 7/8 class students are
in high gear now that the end of the
year is close. A number of students
have been privileged to work on
camera and photo editing skills with
Denny Scott from The Citizen.
Please remember to search out
school photos and other
memorabilia for our Celebration of
Education weekend. Grade 7 and 8
students would be happy to scan and
photograph them as you wait.
Contact Nancy Roe if you have any
questions or items to share.