CHAPTER 1: GOODFELLOWS & GOOD COMPANY I was late to the party. My own party. Our own party, really. A day trip affectionately labeled ‘Night Cap’ that TOQUE organized to animate what goes on between the sheets of our magazine. Highlighting some of our region’s best. Food. Drink. Entertainment. When I finally arrive at TOQUE HQ (just after 4:30pm on that Friday afternoon), almost the whole crew had already assembled. And Chef Ryan Goodfellow – of Goodfellow’s Field to Fork in Rockwood – was holding court. As he’s prone to do. Introducing the charcuterie board he’d brought laden with locallyproduced goods. Grey Stone and Mason’s Delight cheeses from Rivers Edge Goat Dairy farm. Soft-cured cow’s cheese from Taste of Craft. Chorizo, soppressatta, and terrine from Trotter’s Butcher Shop. Nuts, seeds and dried fruit from The Nut Case. Organic sprouts from Nature’s Nurturing Farm. And so much goodness made in-house: pickled beans and asparagus, marvelously-textured mustard, and mouth-watering crostini and ciabatta. Presented exquisitely on a live edge board. I grab a tall can of Royal City ‘Exhibition IPA’ and dig in. To the cold beer. The charcuterie. And the conversation too. The buzz in our small office space is palpable. I look over at Cai and mouth the words: ‘It’s gonna be a good night.’ She raises her can of Wellington ‘Kickin Back’, smiles, and nods. Yes, it is.
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