by
Morri Mostow
Antiquing in the Eastern Townships is
the theme of a feature article published in the May/June 2002 issue of Via Destinations
Canada magazine. Written by myself and husband Doug Long, this three-page article
highlights antique and curio shops from Bromont to Magog, with emphasis on the Knowlton
area. Readers also learn about things to see and do, plus where to stay and eat in our
picturesque area.
With the spring antiquing season upon
us, this article, which reaches more than 532,000 people across Canada, should help
kickstart our summer tourist season. Via Destinations Canada, Via Rail’s onboard
magazine, is published bi-monthly and inserted into major newspapers from Halifax to
Vancouver, including the Globe & Mail, The Gazette, Toronto Star, Windsor Star and six
French newspapers in the Maritimes, Quebec and Manitoba. Sixty thousand copies are read by
train travelers from coast to coast.
Café
Inn welcomes new owner
Bill
Mallinson has escaped the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles for the quiet charm of Knowlton
Last month, he quit his job and bought Café Inn, in the Mill Pond Plaza, from Martha
Deschamps and Michel Cadeau. Bill is Jodi Mallinson’s older brother. Jodi and husband
Nils Fluck co-own the Knowlton designer clothing shop Hurricane Grace.
“It
was time to make a change. I wanted to run my own business, slow down and give myself and
my family a better quality of life,” explains Bill Mallinson. “The Café was a
great opportunity. It is a very successful operation and owning it will let me return to
my former career as a chef.”
Mallinson
has been
in Knowlton for the last three weeks with his oldest son, Wesley (9), who is now finishing
grade 3 at Knowlton Academy. The rest of the family, Charlie (5), Kate (7) and their
mother Tracey, a homeopathic
counselor and holistic nutritionist,
will be arriving from Los Angeles early in June to settle into their new home on Benoît
Ave.
Mallinson
has already introduced a martini bar (Friday afternoons, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.) and plans to
showcase local musicians at the café. Jazz group Das Trio is booked for a return
engagement on Saturday evenings in July and August.
Patrons
will find the tasty menu unchanged, with its gourmet, thin-crust pizzas — provençal,
chèvre, capicolo
or fradioviola (spicy sausage) — and its hearty breakfasts of eggs Benedict, eggs
Florentine, or homemade French toast and waffles. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Chef David
Chantecaille (formerly of the Néroli
restaurant) creates his fabulous table
d’hôte
menus, at prices ranging from $15
to $22 for an appetizer and main course. “His
broiled lobster on homemade fettuccini and his foie de gras mousse are truly
outstanding,” says Mallinson.
The
familiar, friendly staff —Nathalie, Stéphane, Julie and Louis — are staying on
and former owner Martha Deschamps will help Mallinson with the transition.
The
Café is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday (the
kitchen closes at 5 p.m. but coffee, pastries and crudités are served until 6 p.m.), and
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Dinner
starts at 5:30 p.m., giving theatre-goers ample time for a leisurely meal before taking in
a show at the Playhouse across the street. Breakfast
is served from 9 a.m. to noon. Everything is prepared on the premises except for a few of
the scrumptious pastries, which come from a top Montreal patisserie.
Café Inn, 264 Knowlton Road,
Knowlton. Tel: (450) 243-0069.
The Victorian Days in Knowlton Dog Pageant (May 20) is fast approaching. It’s time to cast your votes for the “Best In Store Dog.” Fifteen Knowlton merchants and Pur Animal in West Brome have ballots and ballot boxes at the ready. This fundraiser supports the Montérégie SPCA and the Frontier Animal Society, so vote early and vote often. There are no restrictions.
It only costs 50 cents per vote, and each ballot gives you another chance to win a gift certificate from participating merchants. Winners will be drawn throughout the Dog Pageant festivities on Monday afternoon, May 20, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. in Coldbrook Park.
There’s still time to enter your pooch in the Dog Pageant fun and games. Just fill out a registration form ($3 per dog) at any of the stores displaying a Dog Pageant poster in their window. Pageant dogs will parade down Lakeside, from England Hill Heritage, into Coldbrook park, where they will win treats and prizes awarded by judges Diana Severs, Diana Partington and Jeff Grenier. Dogs and dog lovers are sure to have a frolicking good time!
To get into the spirit of the day, everyone is encouraged to dress in period costume.
Attention treasure hunters. Lawrence Antiques is holding its eagerly anticipated “garage sale” in the courtyard in front of the store next Saturday, May 18. Owner Kirk Lawrence will be clearing items from the store’s basement and from his own attic. Several of his friends will add their wares to the mix. “This eclectic outdoor market will last until we run out of stuff,” says Lawrence, who advises keeners to arrive early.
Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m.
at Lawrence Antiques, 107 Lakeside (corner Victoria), Knowlton. Tel: (450) 243-5556.