RE-IMAGINING AN ICON: NOT YOUR FATHER’S STONE CROCK
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
When I was a kid growing up in Kitchener- Waterloo, my dad would sometimes drive the two of us to St Jacobs to retrieve mail for the small publishing company that he and my mom owned and ran. For while my parents worked as professors (at Waterloo’s respective universities) during the daytime, they also ran – as a labour of love – a small publishing house and the business address for their company, Sand Hills Books, was situated along the main drag in the village. While I delighted in these trips ‘to the country’ for several reasons – spotting tractors working farmers’ fields, catching glimpses of Old Order Mennonite kids on their bicycles, smelling the fresh air as we left the city behind, and chatting with my pops about his own childhood growing up in the area – I loved them mostly because we would always stop at the Stone Crock for pies, or apple fritters, or potato salad before heading back home. The definition of happiness: enjoying a Stone Crock fritter in the front seat – windows down – of our ’68 Camaro, or ’74 Mercury Marquis Brougham, or ’77 Lincoln Continental Mk V. (You could say my old man had a taste for legacy cars.)
Mention the words ‘Stone Crock’ to anyone with deep roots in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and their ears will perk up. Indeed, the joint has been an institution for decades – much like Herrle’s Market, or Vincenzo’s, or Charcoal Steakhouse. Founded in 1975, the place – or places, actually (as I’ll detail) – has done one thing consistently well since it opened: provide locals and tourists alike with delicious Mennonite-inspired country-style cooking. Pies. Donuts. Pastries. Salads. And while this foodie destination remains the spot if you’re looking for sizeable mouth-watering treats, today’s iteration sure isn’t your father’s (or childhood’s) Stone Crock. Now comprised of four distinct enterprises – the Bakery (for breads, desserts, and other baked goods), Jacob’s Grill (an expansive 150 seat country- style restaurant), The Market (a grocer and butcher that features everything from craft non-alc cocktails to house-made sausages), and The Pub (a moody tavern that pours Guiness on tap and spotlights dishes crafted with house-made breads, meats, pickled items, and more) – the Stone Crock is a sort of one-stop-spot for dining in or taking out, all the while embodying the spirit of this magical nostalgia-driven village.
On a Saturday in later June, my fiancé Liz and I decided to head into St Jacobs to get re- acquainted with the Stone Crock – this icon of my youth. Specifically, we were keen to try out the Pub for lunch. I had heard great things about the menu of house-made dishes – and also about the spot’s new patio space. And so we made the trek from Liz’s place in Elora and, within half an hour, were turning onto the top of King Street and cruising into the village proper.
After securing a place to park, we made our way through a sea of tourists to our destination: an impressive stretch of buildings that comprise a good chunk of a village block. While there are several entrances into the expansive Stone Crock complex, we chose the glass doorway leading directly into the Market – a brightly-lit space appointed with wood ceiling, exposed ducts, large harvest tables (laden with artisanal fudges and house-made muffins, fresh-cut sunflowers and more), and wall-mounted shelving units showcasing all sorts of goodies. Preserves. Sauces. Wines. At the back of the space: a full butchery replete with massive sides of beef hanging behind glass in a refrigerated walk-in.
‘I’d love to grab a few items from here,’ Liz tells me – her eyes having landed on a line of dressings and sauces from Ontario-based celebrity Chef Matty Matheson. ‘We’ll definitely stop back in,’ I tell her, ‘but let’s have lunch first.’ To beat the Saturday crowds. And because I’m itching for a bite of something delicious.
It’s a short jaunt from the Market to the Pub. About five steps, actually – through an open doorway that joins the two spaces. (Indeed, all four components of the Stone Crock complex are joined by a maze of doorways and hallways.) But while the Market and the Pub are so close in proximity, they embody wildly unique design languages. While the Market is all light and bright, the Pub leans into darker ‘village tavern’ vibes: heavy support beams (that, according to my dad, were hand-hewn by a local Mennonite back in the seventies), cobblestone-style brick floors, subdued lighting, farmhouse chairs, and a large bar. ‘We’ve got a few regional craft beers on tap,’ our server, Jad, tells us once Liz and I have been seated on the Pub’s side patio. ‘There are a couple options from Elora Brewing Co,’ he goes on, ‘and another from Collective Arts. We also have Guinness on tap, and a house lager brewed for us by Schooner in Wellesley.’ With my lager and Liz’s delicious white sangria, we settle into the terrific patio space shaded by large black umbrellas that help protect against the intense June sun and encircled by a trim black fence that’s topped with an impressive array of vibrant planters.
For food, the kitchen – aware of our presence – sends out a smattering of dishes for us to taste. Our first appetizer – the ‘Stone Crock Cold Plate’ – is a sort of ‘plowman’s lunch’ with generous helpings of Hungarian salami, summer sausage, cherry-wood smoked kielbasa, an assortment of cheeses, fresh bread, pickles, apple chutney, and grainy mustard. As a charcuterie addict, I am in love. As a mustard aficionado, Liz has her eye on the grainy stuff that complements the plate. ‘Besides the cheese, we make everything on the dish right next door at either the Bakery or the Market,’ Tara Peers, Manager of Jacob’s Grill and the Pub, tells us when she pops by to see how we’re doing. ‘And everything on the dish can be purchased on their own at the Bakery or at the Market, too.’
It’s a common theme. The taco chips used in the ‘Baked Nachos’, for instance, which we enjoy as a second app, are made from scratch in the Stone Crock Bakery and sold under the ‘Taco Farm’ brand at the Bakery and Market. (If you haven’t tried these chips, do yourself a favour.) These chips also make an appearance on our third and final app, the ‘Warm Cheese Dip’ (three-cheese blend, parmesan crust, dill pickle), offered alongside soft pretzels made from scratch in the Bakery kitchen.
For mains, Liz and I share a ‘Pulled Pork Toastie’ (pulled pork, smokey bbq sauce, Texas toast, mozzarella, side fries), ‘BBQ Burger’ (paddy, onion rings, bbq sauce, cheddar, pickled jalapeno, burger bun, side fries), and ‘Bangers and Mashed’ (weekly-featured grilled market sausages, mashed potatoes, house- made maple bacon baked beans, side honey mustard). The meat from all three of these dishes is butchered at the Stone Crock Market, while both the Texas toast (of the toastie) and soft bun (of the burger) are made in the Bakery kitchen. You get the picture. And all three mains are worth coming back for.
As our meal winds down, the patio fills up. Eventually Liz and I make our way back through the Pub (now also full) and into the Market where Liz takes her time to peruse the goods. She ends up grabbing a couple bags of Taco Farm chips (of course) as well as a jar of grainy mustard (featured on the ‘Cold Plate’) and a bottle of green olive dressing from Matheson Food Company. I choose a chub of summer sausage from the butcher, and we’re on our way. Almost. ‘Wait,’ Liz tells me as we begin to move in the direction of the front door, ‘Let’s grab a couple treats from the Bakery for our drive home.’ Visions of fritters dance in my head. ‘I’m game,’ I tell her, and head from the Market through Jacob’s Grill into the Stone Crock Bakery, where we queue up (it’s Saturday, after all) and wait our turn.
When we reach the front of the line, Liz orders two apple fritters – still warm and utterly delectable. By the time we reach my truck, the fritters have stained the paper bag they’re in – signalling to us that they’re ready to eat. We each take one, and – as I pull the Tacoma onto the main drag – I take my first bite. I am instantly flooded with memories. Open car windows. Tractors on farmers’ fields. Memorable chats with my pops. And riding shotgun in a ’68 Camaro
STONE CROCK PUB
1396 KING ST N, ST. JACOBS
stonecrockinc.com