“We imagined a countryside French bistro — classic French fare with a twist,” says CEO Michael Leskovec. That twist is the seasonal and local — Cressy mustard, Prinzen chicken, and, for spring, kohlrabi and radishes stud the Countylicious menu.

The Grange has been moving toward full dining service for a few years. “We started modestly with simple, handheld offerings during the summer tourist season in 2022. Very rustic, we had a small kitchen and outdoor seating,” explains Mr. Leskovec.

A renovation created a chef-quality kitchen — and attracted Chef Paul Tobias, formerly of Idlewild, who started in Fall 2024. “I had a vision of taking our culinary program to the next level. Then I met Chef Paul, who has a lot of experience in the County, and we are very much aligned on the project of elevating our presence on the culinary scene.”

“We’ve been doing some really fun stuff, private wine-maker and chef-led dinners of 45-50 people, wine club dinners, really getting a feel for what’s possible in our 200-year-old barn.”

Participating in Countylicious was the Chef’s idea. “He has designed a really beautiful menu, paired with our wines, for our inaugural Countylicious,” notes Mr. Leskovec.

The team is inspired by the Buy Local campaigns getting started in the wake of Canada’s trade war with President Trump. “We’ve always been doing that, what’s going on right now, the focus on local  —  we are poised to take full advantage of the moment,” says Chef Tobias.

“The County has supported local and supported each other for a really long time,” notes Mr. Leskovec. “But there is now added sensitivity in Ontario and Canada, people are more awake to how important it is to support one another within our own economy.”

“The ability to see that through the entire vertical chain, I find it personally so rewarding to support the people around us as a unified ecosystem: the food and the wine pair perfectly together because both are an expression of the land, the soil, the environment, the people — the terroir. To marry it all together — that gives you the je ne sais quoi, that special something unique to this place,” says Mr. Leskovec.

“A chef I knew once said, what grows together goes together — there’s an effortlessness, a naturalness to what we are doing,” notes Chef Tobias. “I am just glad that idea is finding its moment.”

 A two-course prix fixe lunch is $25, and $35 with a glass of Grange Estate wine. Dinner is a three-course prix fixe for $55, or for $65 enjoy a glass of bubbly to start and a glass of Estate wine.