“And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden...” All we need is one day to sweep us off our feet, shake the doldrums and immerse ourselves in adventure, wellness and romance to refuel our tanks. So? Where can we go that doesn’t break the bank or require us to schlep too far, over-pack or over-think? “By the time we got to Woodstock…there was song and celebration.”
Whoa, Woodstock! There is so much happening here. And when did that happen? There aren’t enough hours in a day to check off all the experiences on our bucket list, but let’s give it a shot.
We begin at Early Bird Coffee where independent roasting is taken to the next level. Here, we enjoy a morning macchiato from a selection of South American beans, but the real prize is that we learn how to roast our own! Owner and roaster, Elio Caporicci shares with us a brief history of coffee from Kaffa to Constantinople to Venice and beyond, and then introduces us to his Turkish drum roaster. Here, right in the shop, for all to see, Caporicci roasts beans from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Columbia, Brazil and Ethiopia.
Our Roasting Lab Experience begins with a taste of pour-over coffees from light to dark roasts so that we can understand the flavour distinctions between them, and pair them with a freshly baked pan au chocolate. Then, one hefty scoop of magic green beans is loaded into the drum. With each stage Caporicci removes a handful to show us the chemical change that happens during the roasting process. Once our medium-dark roast is ready, he bags them up for us to take home! It’s such a unique experience to roast the beans that we’re enjoying. What a way to start the day.
Woodstock lies in the heart of Oxford County, the Dairy Capital of Canada, home to the great Cheese Trail. The 21-gun salute at Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese is a display case of twenty-one handmade artisan cheeses. While the base combines traits of Gouda and Appenzeller from top quality local milk, the flavour profiles are imaginative and highlight local ingredients. Dark Side of the Moo is soaked in Chocolate Stout from Woodstock's Upper Thames Brewery; Moo Brew is rubbed in espresso from Early Bird Coffee; Tipsy is inebriated by Palatine Hills Cabernet Merlot; and there are so many others. Fresh cheese curds squeak for poutine; 5 Brothers Smoked beckons a crunchy walnut and cranberry sourdough for the grilled cheese sandwich of my dreams; and Oxford's Harvest Ghost Pepper has a haunting bite that unleashes a poltergeist on my palate, and OMG is it good! Together we sample these cheeses and discuss plans of charcuterie boards to come. Touring the production facilities and the ageing rooms to learn how the cheese is made with labour-intensive care, demystifies the process and deepens our connection to each taste. We leave with a basket of new cheeses to enliven our kitchen.
Just up the road is Wild Comfort where we find solace in playing with aromatics. This is the home of hand-crafted herbal and botanical bath teas of aromatic bliss, shampoo bars made from natural oils, and an assortment of serums and lotions to pamper every skin type.
The lab is a veritable potpourri from which we select and experiment with various scents to create our own customized fragrances. Each of our blends are different, but reflect our own style that we share with each other. I’m making a body butter. The top note is orange, the middle notes are ylang ylang and palmarosa, and the base note is benzoin. The result, and what makes my nose happy, is a soft and subtle whipped-body butter that sings of floral notes in a fresh tropical breeze.
And now to the main event: Felt Soap. “Why do this?” my partner asks. “You’ll see” I reply. With pin in hand, we puncture a felt square with wisps of naturally died felt pieces of different colours for an abstract design. Once our felt canvases are complete, we select naturally crafted soap made within Wild Comfort. We wrap our bars and soak them in warm water as the felt shrinks to envelop them. The whole process is so meditative and relaxing. Is it aromatherapy or concentration on an aesthetically pleasing activity that calms us? The caress of the felt on our hands acts as a gentle exfoliant and, as it lathers, soothes and softens us.
Is chocolate really an aphrodisiac? I don’t know if it makes people fall in love with each other or just with itself, but pure cacao does contain the stimulant, phenylethylamine, linked to feelings of love, as well as amino acids that produce serotonin, the “happy hormone.” It figures that in the heart of the Dairy Capital there would be a chocolate shop. What is astonishing is that nowhere else in Ontario can we find one of this high quality—nowhere. Habitual Chocolate is one of Ontario’s hidden gems. The ingredients here are organic, authentic, local, and the philosophy is as simple as the recipe. It's about savouring each piece—their depth, complexity, richness and smooth mouth-feel. There are soy, nut and gluten free chocolates as well as Keto-friendly options. And, there is almost no waste. This is a conscientious process from fair-trade with cacao farmers in South America and Thailand to the transfer of cacao husks to local Oxford County farmers. Purity can be heard in the snap of the chocolate; the aroma; the flavour profile.
We begin our bean-to-bar experience by sipping on cacao tea followed by a velvety hot chocolate. Sampling a range of chocolate from an Ecuadorian bean to a Nicaraguan chocolate, we discuss the various notes, and attributes that make each variety unique. We learn about the process of making chocolate, and then…the pièce de resistance: we make our own chocolate bark! Our choice is between 75% chocolate and 47% chocolate. We both choose the 75%, pump it into a bowl, and select toppings to mix-in, before spreading it out on a tray to cool. Desiccated ingredients from dried local berries to dried Brie from Gunn’s Hill enable us to create our own ambrosial delights. My partner chooses strawberries and maple-smoked sea salt. For me, it's dried Brie, maple-smoked cocoa nibs, and Covered Bridge potato chips. The Brie is the real show stopper. I never would have considered it before, but it adds a remarkable buttery, creamy texture that is sublime.
After a day of experiences from coffee roasting and chocolate making and cheese tasting and soap felting, we’ve earned our plunge in the spa.
Terra Nova Nordic Spa & Cafe is a world away from traffic and clutter. We feel sufficiently secluded, put away our phones and forget the time. The café offers afternoon tea service with beautiful loose-leaf teas selected by the esteemed tea sommelier, Karen Hartwick, of Tea Leaves in nearby Stratford. Fully licensed, there is also a diverse menu of wine, beer, spirits, and even a High Cocktail Experience paired with gourmet snacks.
We’re here for a luxurious thermo-therapy cycle. Round one: soak in a steaming hot pool, plunge into cold water, meditate in a Eucalyptus steam room, descend into the cold plunge, immerse in a hot tub, repeat. Inside a yurt I unfurl a hammock, lie down, stretch into quietude and fall asleep. And when I awake, oh the places I’ll go! The hot sauna? The infra-red sauna? Another steam-room? The heated water beds? Book a Japanese Head Spa treatment or Ayurvedic Scalp and Spine massage? We’re both in dreamland, together, without rush. We could spend hours here…and we do! Relaxation and wellness are vital ingredients to romance, and what a perfect way to spend the day, or end the day, as we unwind, breathe more fully, and feel more balanced and centred. This is all we needed. This hidden gem with all its lustre is our new favourite getaway.
We could end the day there, but wait, there’s more. Not only is Woodstock chock full of unique experiences, it’s also a haven for dining. My aim for bringing my partner on a romantic getaway to Woodstock is to impress, and there is no restaurant I am more eager to share than restaurant Sixthirtynine. The reaction of people who dine here is always the same: “I can’t believe this restaurant is in Woodstock and not in Toronto.” I beseech any and all foodies to make the short trip to Woodstock to dine at restaurant Sixthirtynine. This is a restaurant of inimitable quality—one whose impeccable hospitality is rooted in genuine conviviality, and whose chef is a phenom with an all-star team that works as a seamless ensemble with both humility and wow factor.
Our nine-course tasting menu is not one that takes hours on end. Each course is timed perfectly within a parade of flavour and texture combinations that are amazing.
A delicate custard with a dollop of crème fraiche is packed into a hollowed-egg shell and crowned with trout caviar and fresh pea shoot as our amuse bouche. Sublime. Is it possible to go up from here?
House-made fresh bread, warm and crunchy, is served simply with whipped and salted butter that melts on contact. This is the warmth that we hope for in a country bread. Wine pairings are offered, but we opt for a versatile rosé to carry us forward.
Apparently, they can’t take Arancini off the menu. One bite and I can understand why a crisis would ensue. It’s not merely the medley of the tangy, nutty Five Brothers cheese with beet aioli, beet gel, and a parsley lemon gremolata, but the soft texture of rice within a crackling cornmeal crunch is such a mic drop that it would make a Sicilian blush.
Two renditions of tartare dishes are set before us. I am a carnivore; my partner is vegetarian. For me, 50-day dry-aged beef, lavished with black garlic aioli and cured egg yolk, is accessorized with sturgeon caviar and chervil on a toasty house made brioche. The rainbow trout tartare with crème fraiche, trout caviar and chervil, equally packs a punch of flavour within velvety smooth texture.
Truffled cauliflower soup, drizzled with parsley oil, soft herbs and crispy leaks, enrobes my palate with each luxurious spoonful. On a cold night, this nourishing bowl is just what the naturopath ordered. East coast scallops are gently seared and set afloat in a rich mushroom dashi broth with dollops of parsnip puree, grilled maitake mushroom, and puffed rice crisp with radish sprouts. This kitchen flaunts a finesse that knows no borders.
And there is more largess. We are so eager to discover our mains after such a range of dishes. Tender roasted chicken with black garlic potato gnocchi in a white wine crème, enhanced with wild garlic oil, is an earthy and lush homage to the terroir. Lamb saddle roasted to perfect tenderness—as though it was sous vide—fulfills the highest aspirations of Ontario lamb. It shares the plate with king oyster mushroom, sunchoke puree and crisp sunchoke chips, a crunchy toss of toasted hazelnuts, and a braised lamb agnolotti with ricotta and pecorino all accented with a honey and rosemary jus. I am telling you: this is absolutely delicious!
Who is this Chef Eric Boyar? Methinks Mr. Michelin needs to meet him. Chef Boyar previously honed his skills at lauded Toronto restaurants like Mistura, Splendido and Crush Wine Bar. Now, along with Jennifer Boyar, who manages the front of house with endearing charm and aplomb, and Chef de Cuisine Sam Vandenberg, who manages the kitchen with the panache and impeccable timing of a Swiss watch, this family-owned and operated small business, conducts a symphony of locally-farmed, seasonal dishes with consummate artistry.
Our finale is a divine maple brown butter tart with maple candied walnuts and maple Chantilly that sings of Ontario and hits all the right notes. Every single course has both disarmed and ignited our palates.
One day in Woodstock is a romantic epicurean escape san pareil.