Brockville Climate Action Group

Ottawa Citizen / Laura Robin / 14 August 2008

Where can I get a meal that celebrates local products?

The Branch restaurant in Kemptville isn't your only choice, but it's one of the newest and best.

How So?

Bruce Enloe, the chef, says 95 per cent of the foods on his menus are local or organic. "My first choice is local and organic, and if I can't get that, I go with local, and if I can't get local, I buy organic." Ross Batstone, a Metcalfe-area organic farmer who sells to Enloe, says "he's doing for Kemptville-area organic growers what the Green Door did in Ottawa 20 years ago."

How Is the Branch Different?

The Branch is not a vegetarian restaurant. "As far as an all-organic meal that includes meat and dairy, I don't know of anywhere else in the Ottawa area that you could go," says Enloe. "I cured my own prosciutto from a local pig. I make my breads with flour from Mountain Path just down the road. On our Aunty's Platter are two world-class, amazing cheeses from the Oxford Mills Creamery: Tomme de Gaston and Bleu de Sophie."

What's on the Menu?

It changes daily, but typical dishes include a green salad made with local organic greens and homemade yogurt, a caesar salad with Enloe's house-cured prosciutto, the Branchburger with local beef and house-made mustard, poutine with goat cheese curds and red-wine gravy, and Moroccan Salmon, not local but sustainable and wild-caught, served with a fabulous salad featuring local cucumbers and herbs from just outside the kitchen door.

Where Did Enloe and All These Ideas Come From?

Enloe worked as sous-chef at the acclaimed Millennium vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. There, he met and fell in love with Nicole LeBlanc from Ottawa. After volunteering on organic farms in Europe, the couple ended up in Kemptville, where they bought the restaurant with Brent and Jen Kelaher.

Did Enloe Have Trouble Finding Good Local, Organic Products?

"I was surprised at how easy it was," he says. "I thought when I was leaving San Francisco that I was leaving some sort of bubble. But I now have about 15 local farmers that I buy from on a regular basis who all have at least a hand in organic, even if they're not certified. If I bought meat from every organic farmer who turns up at my door, I wouldn't have any more room in my restaurant."

Why Local?

The Branch's menu lists many reasons, such as reducing food miles, lowering carbon emissions and supporting sustainable farming. But Enloe says that "getting to know local farmers is just so great. I think they're the greatest people in the world."

Why Organic?

"I could list you all kinds of studies, but it comes down to a gut instinct," says Enloe. "I remember talking to a guy who owns a vineyard in California. He was watching his kids playing in the vineyard and he said, 'It's simple. Do I want to spray that?'"

Why Kemptville?

"The urban restaurant scene can be very competitive and stressful," says Enloe. "We wanted to make our lives a bit simpler, and be closer to the farmers."

What's This About a "Rubber Boots Buffet"?

Enloe borrowed the concept from chefs in rural France and the name from Vancouver author Timothy Taylor. It's a generous meal of comfort foods, open to everyone but served as thanks to local farmers. Enloe serves his buffet on Sundays from 2 to 8 p.m. It costs $10 for all you can eat, $16 with dessert. Dishes might include everything from quinoa tabouli to chicken pot pie.

Is There Anything Else Involved With This Buffet?

There's live music, with an open stage from 3 to 6 p.m. and some special performers, such as Mike O'Brien of Montreal this Sunday. "It's kind of like a house party every Sunday," says Enloe. It's also the impetus for the new Kemptville Farmers' Market, 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. "There are now 11 regular vendors," says Enloe. "Nothing makes me happier than that."

When else is the restaurant open?

Wednesdays through Saturdays for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Where can I find out more?

See www.thebranch.restaurant.ca or call 613-258-3737.

[ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE ]