Words by STORY SHEIDOW
O ur plan: To spend an afternoon hopping from restaurant to restaurant, buying only charcuterie boards. By the end of the day, hopefully, we would be full, have dined at four to five restaurants, and only have spent about $30 each (minus drinks). We agreed on a day for BOARD WALK 2020—a Saturday in January. Doing the Board Walk on a Saturday would give us the entire afternoon to “crawl.” We could take our time, and escape the need for reservations. Eager and anxious to begin, we met early afternoon at our first stop.
Piatto , Tagliere di Salumi
range of flavour profiles. The board also included crisp crostini bread and classic grainy mustard. The lovely pink pickled eggs were a definite high point, and the restaurant’s blue cheese was especially sharp compared to others. On Redwater Rustic Grille Kyle: “I like the goat cheese with cranberry.”
Though smaller than the previous board, this was far more meat-heavy, and still ticked most of the “must-have” boxes we gradually created as the day went on. The pickled vegetables included delightfully crisp thick-sliced pickles with cauliflower and cocktail onions, hot peppers, and two types of olives. The restaurant played on their strengths and Italian background by accompanying the board with miniature pizza-style bread, wood-fired in Piatto’s open oven and sprinkled with garlic and herb seasoning. Piatto offered two cheeses—one of which was an incredible basil mozzarella—and three meats: pancetta, prosciutto, and pepperoni. We all especially enjoyed how thinly shaved the meats were. Sliced in that fashion, they really went a long way, and had an incredibly fresh flavour. If you’re a lover of fine meats, then this board is for you. On Piatto Jared: “The Gouda’s good-a.” Kyle: “A pizza take on a charcuterie board.”
The Gahan House, Brewer’s Board
My initial impression of this board was the presentation. Wow. The large stone slab offered a wide array of bright vegetables, from cherry tomatoes and quick-pickled onions to their house-made beer pickles, all paired with an artistically arranged cascade of blue cheese, two types of meat (pepperoni and salami), and two additional cheeses. The bread was an artisanal-style loaf, complete with fresh grill marks. Served with grainy mustard and preserved caramelized onions, this board was absolutely massive. We thoroughly enjoyed the Brewer’s Board, which was named for its use of beer within the offerings. Though there wasn’t a lot of meat, there was a wide variety of components, and it’s always fun trying different combinations of spreads and veggies.
What is Charcuterie?
Redwater Rustic Grille, Cheese Board
Charcuterie (pronounced “shahr- ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and other meat products. But, many people use the term charcuterie to refer to an assortment of meats that are paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheese, and sauces. If you want to offer charcuterie on your menu, there are a handful of basics to understand first, from identifying some of the most popular types of charcuterie, to what makes a really impressive completed board.
We ordered the large size, excited to dig in. This spread offered the most creative arrangement of veggies and sides of the day. It included green apple slices, pickled red pepper, and what we’re pretty sure were pickled rosehips, along with dried cranberries and beet-dipped pickled eggs. It was fun trying all the different combinations. The cheeses were unique varieties of Brie, goat cheese, and Gouda, allowing us to work with a wide
On Gahan Matt: “Good cheese.”
SPRING 2020 www.pei-living.ca
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