Drawing from its laid-back attitude and northern charm, Northridge Inn serves up inspired fresh fare – with a local spin.
Michael and Brenda Piraino left their respective architect and draftsman positions in the Niagara area and moved to the Almaguin Highlands area to work on a blueprint of their own: the Northridge Inn and Resort, a lakeside resort in Sundridge that had been boarded up for two years.
Move forward five years and the inn is a perfect showcase of Northern Ontario terrain, nestled on the south shore of picturesque Lake Bernard. Inside, with its warm décor accented by the light of their many fireplaces, the inn exudes casual elegance.
The menu at Adrian’s, the inn’s restaurant, named after the Piraino’s eight-year-old son, reflects all these aspects.
“Our vision was a dining experience that was about the place,” Michael explained.
He says there are correlations between his old career in architecture and creating their inspired dishes: It’s all about design.
Adrian’s menu, which features different dishes nightly and evolves season by season, is structured around “accessible food, kicked up a notch,” Michael explained.
High-quality ingredients are the focal point of the menu, he said, which are prepared simply to let the flavour and quality shine through.
The flavours of Adrian’s are celebrations of fare native to Northern Ontario.
Some of their most popular dishes, though the menu includes more common meats, include game.
The game served at Adrian’s, Michael explained, is bought through a Coldwater-area distributor and is free-range, drug-free and local.
Wild boar, rabbit and venison have appeared on the menu, but Michael says a popular favourite remains their elk dishes.
“The elk we get is all grain-fed,” Michael explained. “It doesn’t have a gamey taste. It has a fine texture.” He added, “If you like a nice steak, you would probably like it.”
Often accompanying the elk is a blueberry reduction, like the recipe featured here. It’s another addition of a locally-available ingredient.
Michael said their wine list also includes many Canadian and Ontario wines, some unavailable at the LCBO.
Their menu is full of healthful fare, Michael explained. They strive to use as little added fat as possible – game, he said, is amongst the lowest fat meat around. In fact, he says elk contains less fat than a chicken breast. Adrian’s dishes are served with a variety of fresh, multi-coloured vegetables.
No detail, even side dishes, is ignored by the Northridge Inn and Resort – perhaps a kick-back to the detail and design-oriented background of its owners.
It’s these touches that have customers, whether drop-ins, inn guests or attendees of the various private functions the Northridge Inn and Resort hosts, coming back.
“There’s always a market for something fresh, high quality and of the area,” Michael explained, adding that the inn’s popularity is also rooted in the high degree of personalized service they provide, as well as its casual, laid-back atmosphere.
Frenched Rack of Roasted Elk:
Either cook entire rack, (preferred) or cut a piece large enough for two servings.
Rub the rack of elk with the dry rub.
Sear the outside of the rack either over an open very hot grill, or in the oven at 500 degrees F.
Once the exterior of the roast has been seared, cover with bacon, and continue to roast at 300 degrees F. until rack is cooked to rare or medium rare at most. Length of time to cook will depend on size of the roast. Check with a meat thermometer.
Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes and up to 20 depending on the size of the rack.
Plate with seasonal roasted vegetables, bicolour mash and blueberry coulis.
Bicolour Mash:
Cut up well washed Yukon gold potatoes, skin and all into one inch chunks, and place into well salted boiling water with whole garlic cloves. One clove per potato.
Boil until tender. Drain potatoes, but leave garlic in potatoes. Add milk or cream, butter salt and pepper to taste and mash.
Cut up well washed and skinned sweet potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a pinch of tumeric and cumin. Bake covered at 400 degrees F. until soft. Mash.
Blueberry Coulis:
• One lb. of fresh wild blueberries.
• 1/2 to 1 cup of maple syrup to taste
• 2 tblspoons of fresh lemon juice
• splash of red wine (optional)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of beef or elk broth reduction (optional)
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan over low to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until berries break down and all ingredients are combined and the sauce is the preferred thickness. Add maple syrup to taste if required.
Seasonal Vegetables:
Elk is a robust meat that can stand up to strong flavours such as roasted or grilled vegetables that are in season. For a roasted vegetable skewer, place vegetables cut up into manageable pieces on a bamboo skewer that has been soaked in water for at least one hour. Combine different colours and flavours of vegetables if desired.
Vegetables that are particularly long to cook (carrots, beets, etc..) can be partially precooked and cooled before putting on the skewer. Baste with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, or other herbs of your choice.
Grill until slightly blackened with grill marks. Finish by roasting in an oven uncovered until vegetables are tender.
