THE WOOLY: GUELPH’S FRONT PORCH
WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
‘I’ll grab another ‘Purple’,’ I tell Kat when she moseys onto the covered front porch to check on us. ‘Me too,’ Cai pipes in, ‘and we’ll split an order of nachos.’ Good call. ‘With blackened chicken?’, Kat asks – noting an omission to our regular order. ‘You know us too well,’ I laugh – nodding at the suggestion. Indeed she does. After all, we’ve been posting up here – at The Wooly in downtown Guelph – since long before Kat came on board as General Manager of this fabled Royal City pub. And, at least in recent times, we’ve been ordering pretty much the same items when we’re here together: Willibald’s ‘Purple’ seltzers (which The Wooly has on tap – a huge win for the seltzer set) and The Wooly’s nachos (which are among the best in the region). Our go-to afternoon ‘TOQUE meeting’ necessities.
Once Kat heads back inside (after checking on the other folks also enjoying The Wooly’s front porch) I lean back in my chair and soak in this June afternoon. From our perch – the large table at the very end of the portico – Cai and I have clear views out onto the busy intersection of Yarmouth, Suffolk, and Woolwich Streets. Perfect for people watching. Indeed, on any given afternoon this bit of downtown – framed by porch railings, pillars, and overhang – is a living tableau, a theatre of dog walkers, cyclists, and friendly meet-ups (many of which will end up here). On this particular afternoon a troupe of geese with their goslings parade across Woolwich St – stopping traffic along the way like they own the place.
And the theatre isn’t limited to the streets and sidewalks outside. Inside The Wooly you’re sure to find a rogues’ gallery of characters – either seated at the cozy bar (located in a small back room of the century-home-turned-pub), or in one of three dining rooms (each featuring an original fireplace mantle or a bay window), on the back patio (an expansive all-season veranda), or on the front porch – with us.
Characters like acclaimed illustrator Jay Stephens, the creative genius behind The Wooly’s spectacular event posters. Or Josh Gabriel, a local musician with an acclaimed history in the beer industry, who hosts a holiday revue at The Wooly each year. Or ‘Steamwhistle Harry’ Fallon, a brewery rep (for, you guessed it, Steamwhistle) who – when he’s not visiting the Wooly in an official capacity – has been known to croon his way into people’s hearts during The Wooly’s raucous live music nights. Or Mike Schreiner, Guelph’s Green Member of Provincial Parliament who counts on The Wooly as a stronghold of green support. Because, in many ways, The Wooly has played a central role in the ‘greening’ of Guelph.
From the pub’s solar hot water generation to its waste diversion and menu engineering initiatives (that have seen individual diners’ waste reduced from 1.3 to 0.7 pounds), from its role as heavy-lifting fundraiser for Grand River Conservation Foundation watershed projects (resulting in well over one hundred thousand dollars raised) to the environmental initiatives of The Wooly’s parent company, The Neighbourhood Group (a certified B-Corporation that also owns Park Eatery, Miijidaa, and two Borealis locations), The Wooly continues to trailblaze sustainability in the restaurant industry. And its sustainability- forward mission extends to the pub’s suppliers, deliberately chosen for their environmental stewardship efforts.
Suppliers like YU Ranch, an industry leader in sustainable agriculture that supplies The Wooly with grassfed longhorn cattle for its fantastic ‘Smokey BBQ Burger’ (double smoked bacon, aged cheddar, bbq sauce, shredded lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle), its ‘Beef Dip Sandwich’ (house roast beef, swiss cheese, horseradish aioli, au jus, baguette), and more.
And Vision Greens, a regenerative farm in Simcoe that supplies The Wooly with greens year round for its salads. And 3Gen Organics, an organic farm in Wallenstein that supplies the pub with pork. And Barrie’s Asparagus Farm, whose tortilla chips are staples of the ‘Whipped Feta Dip’ (whipped feta & summer squash dip, sundried tomato & parsley pesto, naan), and the ‘Nachos’ (three cheese blend, bell peppers, roasted corn, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, pico de gallo – and sometimes blackened chicken).
And speak of the devil – here they come. While Gordon Ramsey has been known to gauge the talents of a chef by their ability to make scrambled eggs, I have begun to assess the capacity of any pub by gauging the quality of its nachos. Too many toppings and things get soggy. Too little cheese and it’s a total disaster. The Wooly’s nachos are delightfully balanced and deliver fantastic taste without fail. Especially with the blackened chicken. (Chef’s kiss.) And they pair perfectly with our pints of ‘Purple’ – which remind me of grape freezies from my childhood while offering pops of cool nostalgic refreshment on this hot June afternoon.
But, truth be told, it’s not seltzers but rather its selection of Ontario craft beers for which The Wooly is best known. After all, since the pub opened in 1990, it’s been serving Ontario craft on tap – long before there was even a ‘scene’. And Ontario cask, too, from taps that were designed, built, and still maintained by legendary Ontario brewer Charles Maclean. Today The Wooly’s extensive, rotating beer menus (listed on chalkboards throughout the place) feature about ninety percent Ontario beers: from Belwoods, Badlands, Godspeed, Cowbell, and Great Lakes, alongside local favourites like Wellington – which crafts a signature ‘Harvest Lager’ and ‘Harvest Ale’ for the pub. And we’re here for these brews. And have been known to frequent The Wooly’s tap-takeovers whenever they occur (which is, actually, quite often).
Today, though, it’s all about the ‘Purples’. And the nachos. And this front oasis at The Wooly – a most entertaining perch. Guelph’s front porch.
THE WOOLY PUB
176 WOOLWICH ST, GUELPH
thewoolypub.ca