Going local at Harp & Wylie's

I ask Brent Harper and Scott Wylie, co-owners (along with significant others Lauren and Corinna) of Port Perry, Ontario hot spot Harp & Wylie’s Canadian Grill House, what separates them from other casual fine dining restaurants in the region. Scott smiles knowingly at Brent and says, “Well, our customers really like our rib and chicken wing wraps.”

Wraps? Really? “You’re kidding right?”

Scott proceeds to demonstrate wrapping a folded linen napkin tightly into a rose shape. He explains, “We place the rolled napkin in a saucer, pour a little boiling water over it and serve it with a lemon wedge on top for our rib and chicken wing entrees.” Whew. They had me going there for a minute. Knowing first hand the challenge to opening those non-recyclable disposable wet nap packets with sticky fingers, I give the guys two thumbs up for their attention to detail. And did I mention the coffee bean-lined votive holders on the tables?

One... okay, make that two points for the home team. Then I glean the menu and proclaim a culinary home run.

What separates Harp & Wylie’s from the rest of the pack is — in a word — localicious, the provenance of its centre plate proteins a cornucopia of who’s who for Ontario and locally raised beef, lamb, pork and chicken. And I haven’t even begun to factor in its seasonally-charged sides. Or the regional wines that find themselves morphed into reductions, pan sauces and drizzles.

A case in point is the offerings crossing the pass from the restaurant’s all-brick grill station. They don’t call themselves a Canadian grill house for nothing. With in-town Herrington’s Quality Butchers providing the raw materials... 10-ounce AAA centre cut rib eyes, classic New York strip loins and fork-tender eight-ounce filets, the proof is in the tasting. Anointed with butter then seasoned with the restaurant’s own steak spice blend, each cut is perfectly grilled-to-order then plated alongside Harp & Wylie’s signature grill house tomatoes, homemade red wine jus and choice of herb roasted or garlic mashed potatoes. Always moving forward, the guy’s are looking towards Nestleton, Ontario’s Yellowlees Family Farm to provide the restaurant with its milk- and grain-fed lamb this season, too. Surely this local addition of purveyor will prove a feast for the grill top as well as patrons’ taste buds. And Ocala Winery with its exclusive estate grown and produced stock-in-trade; reds, whites, sparkling, dessert and signature fruit wines will find their way to Harp & Wylie’s fall menu as well. These are local boys, after all, and one shouldn’t be surprised that —whenever possible — they’d like to keep things that way.

With other toothsome offerings the likes of double-loaded Jalapeno-Havarti Onion Soup with cheese on the top and the bottom; the bring-a-ruler-and-measure-if-you-don’t-believe-me Grill House Stack[ed] shaved beef sandwich — which Brent likes to refer to as “the sleeper” — and their customer endorsed vegetarian Green House burger and the guy’s-get-creative signature Harp and Wylie burgers, plus a symmetry of ocean-fresh catches like Shrimp Penne, Oven Baked Filet of Salmon, the intriguing-sounding Seafood Angelina and Gunned (MSC-certified) Chilean Sea Bass and, well, there you have it, something for everyone.

Did I mention Harp & Wylie’s back-of-house cooks’ creations as well? Lamb Chops with Fresh Mint and Chives by Jason Porter? Or the Grill House wild mushroom and smoked gouda Stuffed Chicken breast dish cooked up by Dustin Privett? Both entrees have proven terrific sellers and the owners couldn’t be more pleased. And speaking of pleasing, long time patrons will surely delight in the return of the Coffee Encrusted Strip Loin. Word has it the guys received death threats when they removed this dish from the regular menu and offered it as a feature last summer. Suffice to say, Harp & Wylie’s knows what’s good for them. And so, obviously, do their clientele.

So, what does one do when faced with the daunting task of picking just one fave from the new fall menu to share with one’s gentle reader? I beg the restaurant’s owners to please, pretty please, share its recipe for their succulent Blackened Lemon Drop Scallops appetizer. A take on the Ceviche cooking method where the protein is cured in an acidic-based marinade and served cold, this dish gets kicked up a notch by Chef Harper’s house made blackened spice rub and a quick pan sear. This “value added” treatment produces a blissful counterpoise of hot on the outside, cool in the middle and a fireworks burst of citrus on the palate.

Compliment your dining experience with a selection from the restaurant’s worldly wine list featuring exclusive regional consignment to Harp & Wylie’s only of Nugan Estate’s 3rd Generation Chardonnay 2008 and Shiraz; Innis and Gunn Blonde Scottish Oak Aged Beer; a plethora of whimsical cocktails with names like Wylie’s Poloma and Harp’s Citrus Twist and grill house desserts like the Triple Chocolate Cake that’s large enough for two but so decadent it’ll make sharing hard.

With a decidedly seasonally-charged, locally-purveyed menu, a three season 35 seat patio overlooking lovely Lake Scugog (resplendent in autumn), conversation-enhancing intimate 95 seat dining room and a roster of attentive wait staff that truly know how to make a customer feel welcomed and suffice to say, you’ll want to go local at Harp & Wylie’s every night of the week.

Harp & Wylie’s Canadian Grill House
150 Water Street
Port Perry, ON
www.harpandwylies.com
(905) 982-2103