For Picton-raised and Stratford-trained chef Jared Hartley, it’s Countylicious all year round. Officially, the fall edition of the beloved dining festival runs Oct. 23 to Nov. 16. But for Chef Hartley, along with the host of County cooks, local ingredients and farmers highlight every season.

At Hartleys 

Chef Hartley tries to capture the County’s flavours at their peak to use in his menus later on. He turned Laundry’s Farm tomatillos into salsa verde in July, and corn was fresh frozen and made into corn cakes, both of which feature in a beautiful smoked trout appetizer for Countylicious. 

“It’s a labour of love,” he says, of filling his freezers and shelves with preserved fruits and veggies all spring and summer, to complement the heartier fall and winter harvests.

“It’s just a huge part of my life now.” 

The three-course Hartleys menu offers three options for each course, priced at $65. Diners can choose from a mix of inspired new dishes, such as seared duck breast with Asian pears from Kendelson Orchards, and old favourites, like beef tartare from Walt’s Sugar Shack. 

No details are spared — the perfect mix of cream and milk from Hewitt’s Dairy features in the crème brûlée.

“It makes a huge difference, and I’m really proud of how we can showcase these products.”

At the Drake

Chef Amanda Ray of the Drake Devonshire says getting to know the County’s farmers and cooking with ingredients “the same day they come out of the ground” is every chef’s dream. Five years after moving to the County from Montreal, she still feels inspired by the sense of place and the richness of the region.

“I don’t think there’s ever a time of year where you look out and you’re not inspired by the scenery.”

Like Hartleys, the Drake has participated in every edition of Countylicious. This year, it is offering two-course lunch ($30) and three-course dinner ($55) menus focused on the warmth and comfort of the harvest season. A Musque de Provence pumpkin soup — a unique varietal from Vicky’s Veggies — features on both menus and perfectly illustrates this focus.

Chef Ray says Countylicious is also one of her favourite times to reconnect with loved ones and dine at other restaurants in the area.

“It’s a really nice opportunity to bring out the locals,” she says. “These weeks get people dining with friends again, breaking bread and sharing a meal at these local restaurants that we all love but maybe avoid during peak season.”

At Onesta

The dinner menu at charming Onesta is equal parts Piedmont and Picton. 

Serving the locals as a true neighbourhood restaurant is Chef-owner Martin Brzozowski’s number one goal. Along with sous-chef Steven Chamberlain and a small but mighty front-of-house team, Brzozowski uses the season’s produce to deliver a simple yet stunning Italian-inspired menu.

Although an ocean away from Italy, he says he has never felt restricted in his access to high-quality ingredients.

“Every farm stand has everything you could possibly ask for — it’s the best.”

The dinner menu at Onesta is set at $58 for three courses, and while you can certainly chart your own path, it may look something like this: a polenta starter topped with roasted oyster mushrooms from “Nigel the Mushroom Man” at Paper Kite Farms, followed by a house staple, tagliatelle Bolognese. The Bolognese is a true County collaboration: Edwin County Farms beef and Haanover View Farms pork are simmered for hours into a deep, complex ragù.

And there’s no better way to step out into the crisp October night than with the lingering taste of tiramisu for your walk home.

Chef Brzozowski hopes the menu will inspire people to take that walk — or short drive — for a Tuesday or Wednesday night out. Those reservations make all the difference to smaller restaurants in a highly seasonal place like the County. It’s also why his Countylicious menu closely reflects Onesta’s regular offerings.

“We’d like to be the kind of place you can just stop in for a quick pasta or glass of wine, as well as to celebrate bigger occasions.”  

More information on Countylicious, as well as the full menus for Hartleys, the Devonshire and Onesta, see Visit the County.