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W I L L I B AL D ’ S B I E R G A R T E N : SVIL D LE R
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MY FAVOURITE PLACE – AS IF ANYONE NEEDS REMINDING WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN ‘I wonder whether Byron’s going to mind my
‘Just don’t be too weird about it,’ Cai tells
fanboying this time?,’ I ask my TOQUE partner
me. ‘We want to be able to come back.’ She’s
Cai Sepulis as I take a bite of my sandwich,
definitely got a point. Especially during these
‘because this is literally the best meal I’ve ever
pandemic times, when great places to eat
had.’ Cai just laughs at me. She’s heard this
seem to be in shorter supply than ever. I take
line before. Indeed, each time I frequent this
a swig of my pint – Willibald’s ‘Broken Galaxy’
place – Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery – I
IPA – and then another bite of my sandwich:
say the same thing. Over and over. ‘Honestly,’
the Buffalo Chicken Ranch sammy (fried
I tell her (clapping our picnic table with my
chicken thigh, Martin’s potato bun, iceberg,
non-sandwich-holding hand, for added
pickles, ranch, buffalo sauce). The buffalo
emphasis), ‘I’m not joking. This is the best.
sauce and ranch play off each other perfectly
And when I’m finished my food, I’m heading
– leaving my mouth simultaneously tingling
straight to the kitchen to give Byron a hug –
with spice and cooled by ranch. ‘Have you
or at least a virtual one.’ Chef Byron Hallett:
tried the burger yet?,’ Cai asks, ‘because if you
Willibald’s culinary genius.
