Story and Photos by Rachel Globensky
Last Thursday evening, Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park was host to a very cool pop-up party: Metro’s Homegrown Tour made its seventh and final stop in our town.
Arriving a little before the event was to begin, my daughter and I made our way to see the falls, where we met Chef Mike Ward, the culinary curator of the evening. Very friendly and gracious, he cheerfully bore with me fawning over meeting a famous TV foodie…
Foodies unite! Celebrity chef Mike Ward and The Eddy’s Chef Chris
Chef Mike’s theme of the evening was foraging, and his menu included wild rice, oyster mushrooms, and fresh berries – all items that can be found in abundance in northwestern Ontario.
Mike and his team from The Eddy (THE best place to eat in Kakabeka, hands down!) had crafted lunch boxes filled with tiny amuse-bouches – tiny, exquisite bites that give a glimpse into the chef’s concept.
Chef Mike’s meal featured food found in abundance in Northwestern Ontario
We heartily dug in to the Wild Rice Chicken Ball, Maple Caprese Canape, Oyster-Smoked Mac & Cheese, and the Haskap Berry Canape, as we sat riveted watching Jean-Paul de Roover work his live looping musical magic a few feet in front of us. Juno award-winning William Prince rounded out the evening with his soulful storytelling, and silky smooth guitar-playing. We watched the smoke from the campfire lazily drift upwards, as the raindrops held off just a while longer…
Watching Jean-Paul de Roover work his live looping musical magic
