Village Squire, 1975-12, Page 423quirr's
a'abir
Dining at the Church
is an early Christmas treat
For people who like an evening out and a
stood meal an evening at The Church in
Stratford would probably be as welcome a
Christmas present as there is.
Since it opened this summer, The Church
has been the sensation of the culinary world
around Stratford. It has been the answer for
many prayers of those who wanted a very
spec rat place. It's the kind of place where food
and atmosphere combine to leave an
impression long after the taste of the food has
faded.
The Church has the added aura by being
about the only place in the area where one can
go star -gaffing. For instance, on the evening
'sited The Church recently the next table
%,‘ as occupied by actor -director William Hutt
and Urjo Kareda, former Toronto Daily Star
drama critic now employed at the Stratford
esti% al and their guests.
There has been a good deal of talk about
the prices at The Church and indeed they
aren't the kind to make you happy the day
before payday, but in relation to other
establishments of the same class they are
quite in line if not a bargain.
The menu, at least on the evening we
visited, was dominated by lobster. This made
it a little difficult for ourselves who don't
enjoy lobster, but the choice was still ample.
The Ig'dy chose deep fried cornish rock hen
served with tomato sauce as her main course
while the gentleman chose the steak cote with
bernaisse sauce.
The lady had carrot soup while the
gentleman had onion soup gratinee. The
carrot soup was spicey and good, served with
croutons. The onion soup was thick with crust
and cheese and very tastey.
There followed a cucumber and yogurt
salad for the lady and a mixed salad for the
gentleman. The former was thick with a zip to
it, the lady reported. The restaurant, of
course, had its own French dressing for the
mixed salad and it was good.
These were accompanied by a basket of
warm fresh bread and a glass of the house
wine, a dry red for this occasion. Something
we liked was that the butter was soft and easy
to spread, although some people insist butter
should come to the table on ice. The bread
was very good.
The main course was served with a flourish
by the waiters. The lady's bird was
accompanied. by squash puree and deep tried
potatoes and the gentleman's steak came
with carrots glacee and new potatoes.
The lady reported the hen was good,
though after sampling the tomato sauce did
not use it and she felt she had tasted cornish
rock hen prepared differently which she
preferred. The vegetables were plentiful and
good. The meal was so filling that she saved a
piece of the hen to take home for a snack. It
didn't, however, prevent her from sampling
the dessert menu.
The steak too was good, more tastey with
the sauce than many estahlishments serve.
The tiny potatoes were smothered 1n butter
and delicious, particularly at this time of the
year.
The meal was topped off with chocolate
mousse for the lady and sherry trifle for the
gentleman. Then it was time to relax over a
cup of coffee. The lady bravely tried The
Church's own special coffee which the waiter
explained is brewed right in the grounds
rather than perculated through the grounds.
The coffee is then filtered to take out the
grounds. It leads to a coffee stronger than a
regular brew, about half -way, the waiter said,
between regular and expresso coffee. The
gentleman, more conservatively stuck to
regular coffee. The lady found the coffee was
not for the faint hearted and could not finish
it.
No story of The Church would be complete
without a few words about The Church itself.
The old church makes an interesting
surrounding for a meal. One wall highly
contrasts to the dark colours of the rest by
being stripped to the red brick and
illuminated with bright lights. The other end
wall is dominated by huge windows which
were not impressive on a dark winter night
but must be very interesting at lunch or for a
summer dinner.
The large floor area has been broken up by
building raised dining platforms down both
sides and across one end of the church. The
soaring ceilings are inspiring but they do
make it hard for one to gain a feeling of
intimacy many prefer in a dining place.
The service at the restaurant is excellent.
We found the waiters (all men) helpful, polite
and with a good sense of humour that makes a
meal more than just a meal.
In all a memorable night.
ti
ti
ti
0
0
0
LICENSED UNDER L.C.B.O.
THE BAVARIAN
TAVERN & RESTAURANT
Highway 21
Hayfield, Ontario. lti
-
OPEN YEAR ROUND
Seven days a week
12 noon to 12 p.m.
Sundays 12 noon to 10 p.m.
German Food lovingly
prepared and served
Gourmet dinner available on special
request
At the junction of Hwys. 4 & $, Clinton
efintorz otiotet
*Banquet facilities
•Luncheons
• [)inners
• Wedding receptions
•Nightly
entertainment
*Fully licensed under
the LCBO
482-3421
VILLAGE SQUIRE/DECEMBER 1975, 41