The Village Squire, 1981-05, Page 26Squire's Table
Good food and a bit of Old England in Bruce County
Food lovers who think English food
is grey, boiled and soggy haven't found
Ye Old Stone Inn on Highway 6. en route
to Georgian Bay and some of Western
Ontario's other cottage country.
It's no wonder really. The restaurant in
a lovely old stone building in the tiny
village of Williamsford is a bit off the
beaten track for those of us who hug the
Lake Huron shore as if it's the only water
worthy of our vacation time. But spread
out a little. like Squire's Table did on the
recommendation of a reader and you'll
find Ye Old Stone Inn after a scenic hilly
hour and a half drive north east from
Blyth.
The Inn is cozy, with perhaps 15 tables
and outside lots of (we saw photos to
prove it) cheerful flowerbeds. Inside it's
an interesting hodge-podge where exotic
plants, walls lined with art and draperies
of the red Bruce County tartan vie for
your attention. It's very English; once
inside you can fool yourself into imagin-
ing you've crossed the Atlantic for tea.
The Stone Inn does tea very nicely and
reasonably at 52.50 for scones and
homemade jelly, or muffins. $1.35 for
homemade bread or coffee walnut cake
and fresh cream, in the same price range.
There's a large selection of teas and they
are served in dainty china pots, with an
ornate strainer on the side.
Rich, warm, melt -in -your -mouth
scones started our English dinner on a
recent Sunday. We moved on to a large
crisp, cool salad (we could have had soup
or juice instead) with a blue cheese
dressing that was nothing special.
Faced with a menu offering a large
choice of entrees...trout. seafood, steak,
roast beef, pork chops, meat pie, ...we
opted for steak and kidney pie. It was
excellent, chock-full of meat in a rich
gravy and surrounded with positively
sinful pastry. Fellow diners sampled the
roast beef. tender and rare, and the trout,
sweet, moist and delicious.
Potatoes, either croquettes, home fries
or baked, were very good and the
chopped broccoli with white sauce was
fine. All the main course portions were
large but so good that we ate every
morsel.
We washed the foregoing down with a
carafe of the white house wine that was
quite acceptable. (Anglophiles please
note: Ye Old Stone Inn serves a number
of imported English beers and we
preceded the meal with, of course, a glass
of good sherry.)
And then, in a restaurant that lavishes
such care on the pastry for its meat pies.
we had to say calories -be -damned and
sample the desserts. The raspberry pie,
Ifillirtoeil:
I i rill 1i ;,
4$1,
neatly decorated with ribbons of real
whipped cream, was delicious, tart and
sweet at the same time. The blueberry
pie was better than average and the
English trifle. while not as boozy as some
people like, was excellent and full of rich
custard, a variety of fruit. and whipped
cream.
And then, pronouncing the service
pleasant and efficient, and after an
informative chat with the proprietors, we
paid our $55 tab and headed out onto the
road, full of enough food and good times
to fuel a walk back to Huron County.
In our informative chat we learned that
owners Cynthia and Alistair Fraser
Palmer established Ye Old Stone Inn a
few years ago on their return to Canada
from England. Neither knew much about
restaurants when they started...he's an
engineer and sculptor; she's a former
company director who loves to cook. Now
Mr. Fraser Palmer's heart condition, and
a desire to have more time for them-
selves, has led them to list the restaurant
for sale. But they say they're in no hurry.
All the same, Ye Old Stone Inn is worth
the drive; try and get there before the
Fraser Palmers retire.
Ye Old Stone Inn, Highway 6 in
Williamsford. 794-3103. Major credit
cards accepted.
We
Spring is here!
IN STOCK NOW
Rose Bushes
Box Plants
Shrubs
Shade Trees
Fruit Trees
Onion Sets
Seed Planters
Seed Potatoes
Grass Seed
Fertilizers
Insecticides
Peat Moss
Soil Additives
Garden Tools
have the largest selection of garden
and flower seeds in Huron County. Buy just a package
or in bulk. It's our guess there isn't too much• you
could want that we don't have. If you don't see it, just
ask! We're here to help at
VERBEEK'S
Farm and Garden Centre
Open Daily 8 - 6; Fri. till 9; Sat. till 5
22 Isaac St. CLINTON 482-9333
VILLAGE SQUIRE/MAY 1981 PG. 25
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