My pandemic reading was Ruth Reichl’s “Comfort Me with Apples” which focused on her Berkeley years (late 1970s) when she gave up cooking to become a restaurant critic. Meanwhile, Ontario moved to Stage 2 and the King William St. patio expansion enticed me to visit – heading to Berkeley North. Could the restaurant, I wondered, be named for the city that had been a hub of culinary creativity led, especially, by Alice Waters and Chez Panisse? Sort of.
Owner Matt Webber shared stories of trips he and his wife, Diana, made to California where they fell in love with the food, the people, the style, the everything. A life shift was underway. Wishing to pursue teacher training at a time when admission here was limited, Matt joined teacher candidates heading to Australia to complete their studies. A poor job market when he returned put him on another plane to a teaching post in London, England. Along the way, he was paying attention to food. With still no teaching jobs when he returned to Canada, he hitched his wagon to Toronto’s Chase Hospitality which invited him to study hospitality via their Excellence Program.
The west coast trips inspired him and Diana to open their own restaurant which they planned while King William St. renovations were completed. Their space, previously a framing gallery, was part of the Templar Flats restoration undertaken by the award-winning Core Urban – architects and urban designers revitalizing the downtown core.
Several of the neighbouring spaces are restaurants and Matt says they all work well together. Two months ago, the group (working with City Councillor Jason Farr and the local BIA) began advocating for a pedestrian mall and patio expansion between James and John. Webber credits Jason Cassis (The French: Equal Parts Hospitality) for spearheading the initiative. Matt is impressed by and grateful to the BIA which each day sets up and takes down the patio furniture and sanitizes tables in between every use.
Marking its 4th anniversary in September, Berkeley North (BN) was listed in OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in Canada for 2019. “West Coast Kitchen” aims to describe the menu with seafood and vegetarian leanings. Their pandemic menu has been harvested from lunch/dinner menus items that were favourites and that perform well as takeout.
One of our starters - Shrimp Tempura – delivered perfectly cooked wild shrimp in a light but sturdy batter seasoned with Old Bay and served with kewpie mayo - popular in Japan. Chef Jonathan Kemeny brings in these little Asian influences.
Classically trained in French cuisine, Kemeny’s credentials are extensive and impressive and include work in famous restaurants in Toronto, New York City, Paris and Italy. A stint in Toronto’s Blackbird Bakery might account for BN’s great bread.
The more we heard about the Fresh Cheese on Sourdough Toast, the more we regretted not having it. It is their signature dish, on the menu since they opened and apparently has a cult following. From his time in Italy, Kemeny learned about the ricotta-like house cheese which he makes every day.
The house cheese is also served on the Fresh Cheese Pasta. The rustic broad noodles were clearly made-in-house and, from the glorious colour, used high-quality eggs with deeply coloured yolks. Mixed with homemade red sauce this simple dish was supremely satisfying.
Ah, but I overlooked another Starter. The Mushroom Dumplings, also a favourite, account for kitchen time spent hand-pinching the delicate wrappers that envelope finely chopped and subtly flavoured mushrooms, which are served with soy, miso, ginger, and garlic. We had the chilli oil on the side.
Our second main was the Crispy Cod Sandwich. A generous portion of cod was indeed crispy and served with tartar sauce, shredded cabbage and delicious made-in-house pickles.
For dessert we shared a rich Tart that layered a high-quality chocolate filling onto a pecan base, dotted with apricot jam.
The wine and beer list offerings are imported and local, and can be included in takeout orders.
Most menu items – including the salads which we didn’t try – are part of their pickup/takeout menu. Berkeley North also has an affiliation with Dundurn Market that distributes BN “essentials” such as their smoked salmon, vinaigrette, granola, BBQ sauce, pasta, and focaccia.
For my first post-isolation patio dining, I give BN top marks. On social media they clearly outlined all of their health and safety precautions. Servers wore face coverings, tables were six feet apart and the handling of dishes, cutlery and service met top standards.
Matt and Diana, both born and raised in Hamilton are very proud of their city, and excited to contribute to the community. Matt cited Danny Meyer’s philosophy of “Enlightened Hospitality” as his inspiration and is committed to building a brand on the idea of customer service – doing all he can to ensure diners have an optimal experience. That we did.
