At a scenic crossroads in Mulmur Township, hikers and drivers enjoying the beauty of the Niagara Escarpment may be surprised to stumble upon a thriving restaurant in the village of Terra Nova.
The Terra Nova Public House has been open for business since August 20th and is already – thanks to the perseverance of its staff and the support of the local community – experiencing a great deal of success.
Owners Anna Alonso and her husband Troy Gallimore have lived in the building where the restaurant is housed for 16 years. “I fell in love with the house the first time I saw it,” says Anna, although she admits it was in fairly rough shape at the time. “It was basically just a dirt floor and clapboard walls, but I always had the idea that I wanted to do something with the space.”
The building has a storied history, serving at different times as a general store, antique shop, gas station, and post office. Now, as a restaurant, it has a rustic charm, the most prominent feature being the original wooden roof beams.
“We didn’t want too much affectation,” Anna says of the décor, which includes walnut tables and a wall made of refurbished stones, “because the beauty is in the nature all around.”
The renovation was not an easy process, involving “a lot more red tape” than expected, says Anna. “There were a lot of times we thought we couldn’t do it,” but thanks to Troy, who did much of the work himself, and the help of friends and neighbours, they were able to overcome the obstacles.
The couple also had misgivings about the rural location of the restaurant, but it seems that those fears were unfounded. The breathtaking natural beauty surrounding the Public House is part of the attraction and the experience of eating there. Located in the tiny hamlet, in a clearing of sorts, the Public House is surrounded by hills and trees – a warm, welcoming light at the end of the trail.
“When you live in a place like this, it’s hard not to be an environmentalist,” says Anna, looking out of the window at the nearby escarpment. “People want to know where their food comes from, and whether it has travelled 10,000 miles to get to them.”
Not at the Public House: all items on the menu are made from scratch by Anna’s brother, Malcolm Muth, using fresh, local ingredients. Muth, who has over 20 years of experience in the food service industry, has worked in such area restaurants as the Mono Cliffs Inn, Oliver and Bonacini, and Hiding in Hockley.
Anna adds that in addition to their use of local ingredients, they also compost, have their own herb garden, and have installed a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly septic system.
Clearly, the people at the Public House respect the environment, but the restaurant’s success is not solely due to the natural beauty that surrounds it.
“We wanted to be a place that anyone could come to,” says Anna, discussing the menu, which ranges from typical pub fare such as roast chicken wings and braised pork ribs, to fine-dining entrees like braised lamb shanks with sweet potato dumplings.
“I’ve met all kinds of people,” says Anna, “and it’s been a great experience. A lot of work, but a great experience.”
“On New Year’s Eve, there was one car in the parking lot, and some people driving by thought we were dead,” she says, “but really we were very busy. It was all just people who had walked over.”
The Public House hopes to recreate the success of New Year’s on Thursday, January 26, when they will be hosting live music for the first time with Mark Crissinger, whose combination of folk and blues should complement the rustic charm of the restaurant nicely.
Also, the Jim Muth Invitation Cribbage Tournament (named after Anna’s grandfather, a former bartender) is set to take place in March.
“You realize after living here for a while that you’re not in the middle of nowhere.” The local community knows about the Public House and, says Anna, they have been extremely supportive.
“I fell in love with the place, and I’m not going anywhere.”