After a much needed nap from the day's adventures, Cindy and I made our way to The Inn at Mount Julian, Viamede Resort's fine dining restaurant, for dinner. The Inn at Mount Julian boosts a cellar collection of 100 different wines, a 7-course gourmet tasting menu and seasonal dishes, house-cured charcuterie and items foraged directly on site.
The Inn at Mount Julian is one of the two oldest buildings on the Mount Julian property. Based on an 1873 survey and development plan, The Inn at Mount Julian was probably built some time between 1865 and 1875.
We were in beautiful room....
With a stunning view of the Kawarthas...
And a bottle of Riesling.
Life couldn't be much better at that moment...we were definitely two very happy ladies! And certainly made even happier after this 7-course dinner:
Focaccia made with semolina
Goat cheese mousse
Carrot and ginger soup
Heirloom tomatoes with bruleed chevre, pickled ramps.
Seared scallops with zucchini puree
House made pasta with duck egg, wild boar ragout and applewood smoked cheddar
Lemon sorbet with prosecco
Venison served with savoury chocolate reduction
Chai tea creme brulee
Pistachio tortino with saffron creme anglaise and ricotta gelato
This was an exquisite tasting menu. Using the freshest ingredients foraged on site, it is evident that executive chef Ken Van Mackelbergh lets nature inspire his cooking*. Chef Ken's simple yet classic presentation is also on point, complementing the fresh clean flavours found in all his plates. The salad of fresh heirloom tomatoes and pickled ramps, the perfectly seared scallops, and the venison, finished with a decadent chocolate drizzle, were all stellar dishes. Even the lemon sorbet with prosecco palette cleanser was outstanding! The chai tea creme brulee was the tastier dessert of the two; a thick, but not too thick, custard infused with fragrant chai tea, had a flawless hard caramel top and of course, a show-stopping flame to boot. An overall excellent meal which completely exceeded my expectations :)
The next morning, before heading back to Toronto, we stopped by the nearest Kawartha Dairy store for ice cream.
It didn't matter that we just finished a big breakfast nor that it wasn't even noon yet, we refuse to leave the Kawarthas without having Kawartha ice cream ice cream first!
I had such a fun and enjoyable weekend at Viamede! A big huge THANK YOU goes to Valerie Starchurski of Charming Media Inc. and Ben Samann of Viamede for making my stay so awesome.
*Matt Cowan will soon be replacing Ken Van Mackelbergh as Viamede's Executive Chef*
**This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own**
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