Friday, April 24, 2009

Proudly Northumberland

Our executive chef John O'Leary is hard at work meeting new farmers and sourcing out the best products in the county. Tonight's new local menu features a delicious slow braised lamb curry. I would recommend a glass of the Malivoire Gamay Beamsville Bench VQA. I hope you enjoy it.

Cream of Yukon gold potato and roasted onion soup
Laver’s Farm, Warkwarth

Braised lamb in a light tomato curry with jasmine rice.
Topped with creamy cucumber mint sauce
Mitchell’s Sheep Farm, Campbellcroft

Golden honey fritters with vanilla ice cream
River Valley Honey, Stirling

Three-course menu 35.00

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Ontario's Finest Inns and Spas Annual General Meeting

Over the last couple of days I was in Toronto at The Old Mill Inn with the membership of Ontario’s Finest Inns and Spas at their annual general meeting. It was fun to reconnect with fellow innkeepers, trade funny stories and learn about the direction of where the hospitality industry in Ontario is going. The Woodlawn Inn was a founding member of this group in 1990 when it was called the Independent Innkeeper’s Association and there were twelve members. Currently the membership has grown to forty members and the group is now known as Ontario’s Finest Inns and Spas. I served on its board from 1992 to 1999. Earlier this year I was asked to consider serving on the board of directors and at this meeting I was elected to director representing the 13 to 40 room inn category. 

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Proudly Northumberland

We have changed the name of our local foods feature to Proudly Northumberland. This is the same slogan that local farmers use to indicate their Northumberland grown produce. The menu has been well received and guests are always looking forward to chef John O'Leary's new creations.

Our current three-course menu is priced at $39.00.

Proudly Northumberland menu

Maple-butternut squash soup with toasted pumpernickel croutons
Sandy Flat Sugar Bush, Warkwarth

Ragout of free run boar and mushroom with our homemade fettuccine pasta
Century Game Park, Warkwarth

Crème brulee with fresh fruit garnish
Laver’s Egg Farm, Warkwarth

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Taste Northumberland, A new dining room feature

Over the past few years, farmers, and food producers in Northumberland County have organized themselves to create local awareness of where they are and what they produce. Last year, they put out an excellent guide called the Proudly Northumberland Farm Gate Guide. 

If you want a copy for yourself go http://www.northumberlandcounty.ca/ag_highspeed.asp After looking at the guide, we were very impressed with what we saw, and have decided to feature more local produce on our menu here at the Woodlawn. The selections of Taste Northumberland will change often.

Taste Northumberland
The Woodlawn Inn is proud to offer a three-course menu showcasing the finest produce from Northumberland County’s many farms, dairies, and bakeries 45.00

Mixed greens with aged white cheddar, sliced pears, candied
walnuts and honey-Dijon vinaigrette.
Empire Cheese & Butter Co-Op, Campbellford

Lamb Bourguignon, slow braised with red wine, pearl onions button
mushrooms and served with garlic mashed potatoes.
Burnley Hill Farm, Roseneath

Homemade apple tart with French vanilla ice cream.
The Big Apple, Colborne

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Easter Brunch, Sunday April 12th

The Easter Brunch, now a twenty-year tradition is very popular with families. Reservations are available for the brunch so book early. The brunch always sells out! The Easter brunch features an omelet station, many homemade salads, turkey and roast beef, hot vegetables and roast potatoes. A selection of desserts are included and are served to you by our staff.

17.95 per person


Saturday, March 7, 2009

Easter Dinner

I just posted our Easter dinner feature on the website. You can view or, download the pdf at www.woodlawninn.com go to rates, menus and then The Dinner Menu. The Easter feature is available from Good Friday through to Easter Sunday. The normal dinner menu will also be available.

Easter Dinner

Salad
A spring time salad of fresh greens, enoki mushrooms, cucumber, mango
scallions, and poppy seed croutons with sesame-ginger dressing

Rack of Lamb
Pan-roasted, rosemary rubbed, lamb rack with mint-au jus, and baby
potatoes and spring vegetables

or

Atlantic Salmon
Seared salmon fillet with oyster mushroom and chive sauce,
spring vegetables and baby red potatoes

Lemon mousse cake
Almond cake surrounds layers of lemon sponge cake with
white chocolate flakes

37.95

From the vault


From The Vault...
I just received this shot from Chef Garth Derry. Garth worked with our family from 1972 to 1990, The shot is from our former Rendezvous restaurant. The Rendezvous was a very popular Cobourg family-style spot which we operated from 1970 to 1985. Pictured from the left is Chef Garth Derry, Sous-Chef Robert Leo, and Executive Chef and Owner Domenico Della Casa. The chefs were serving a banquet that night with the entree being veal schnitzel with shitake cream sauce.