• Uncategorized

    Approaches to spring…

    So, part of us may be pleased at the warm spring-like weather we are getting; another part of us may be anxious about what it means in terms of global warming. This week at our farm, most of the snow had disappeared as if by magic and the snow fleas were out in full force along with flights of Canada geese honking overhead. This, at the beginning of March… We still have a bit of winter left to contend with and that means celebrating St. Patrick’s day on the 17th of March and Easter on March 31st. In between, Salamanders is providing its usual delicious fare à la Liane and…

  • Uncategorized

    January at Salamanders

    January at Salamanders First off, we would like to send a huge THANK YOU to the many folks that visited Salamanders during the festive season for their family or group party. Everyone, including our staff, had a great time. It was like having a continuous house party. We deeply appreciate the feedback on our food and apologize (not too much) for contributing to your avoirdupois. Next, we want to send an equally huge THANK YOU for one heck of a summer on the patio. We were packed solid most of the time and the ongoing commentary on how the site, food and service came together was very gratifying and encouraging.…

  • Uncategorized

    Your Pooch Needs a Reservation at Salamanders

    In 2020, the Province of Province’s Bill 132 stated that dogs would be allowed on outdoor patios; they are also allowed inside premises where low-risk food such as pre-packaged foods, fresh fruit and snacks are sold alongside wine, beer and spirits. It is up to restaurant owners to decide how to welcome dogs to restaurants. Salamanders policy is as follows. 1) In order to include a dog in your party on the patio, you will need to include it in your reservation. You will all be placed alongside the fence of the patio and your dog will need to be leashed and tied to the outside of the fence. Water…

    Comments Off on Your Pooch Needs a Reservation at Salamanders
  • Uncategorized

    Party Organizer Alert

    To all you busy Party Organizers in the North Grenville and District Area, this is an early alert: if you wish to book your party at Salamanders, please book now! Every year, we have people who wait till the last moment to book their festive season get-togethers and get disappointed because we get completely booked in the very early fall. It couldn’t be easier to nab your preferred dates. All you have to do is phone Liane at the restaurant and discuss when you would like to have your group over and how many folks will be involved. That’s it, that’s all. Once the date is set, discussion on what…

  • Uncategorized

    What makes our guests welcome…

    From time to time, some people arrive at Salamanders without any knowledge of how to behave in a restaurant. It’s quite amazing really, to have otherwise good people order servers around or actually abuse them, argue over the contents of a dish, smash dishes in a hissy fit or refuse to move from a reserved table. This only applies to a select few: the great majority of our guests are calm, courteous and a joy to serve and to be with. So, we thought it might be important to talk about what makes our guests welcome at Salamanders of Kemptville. 1. Our guests need to recognize that we are a…

    Comments Off on What makes our guests welcome…
  • Uncategorized

    What Does “From Scratch” Mean?

    Salamanders cooks “from scratch”. We have been told that our kitchen is the “toughest to work in” because all our dishes are prepared “from scratch”. To create a dish from scratch is defined as making it without any ingredients or materials prepared ahead of time; but what does this mean, practically speaking? Some restaurants cook “in a bag”, meaning that they get their materials prepared elsewhere and they either drop it in the deep fryer or stick it in the microwave. There are literally thousands of restaurants across Canada serving the same dishes that were prepared elsewhere. Restaurants go out of their way to give these pre-cooked meals sexy names,…

    Comments Off on What Does “From Scratch” Mean?
  • Uncategorized

    Busy, Dizzy and Happy – The Salamanders Team

    Busy, Dizzy and Happy The Salamanders Team Since February of last year, all heck has broken loose. Salamanders has been going crazy with our faithful old clients returning from the Covid isolation in droves and new folks “discovering” us. We are very grateful for everyone coming in for a Salamanders “fix” and there are times when we are run off our feet. Part of the issue is the labour issue that you have heard so much about. Liane and Beth have been keeping the place going in the kitchen and on the floor with our faithful few, good people like Ally, Deborah, Glenda, Joel, Maia, Shane… Some other folks have…

    Comments Off on Busy, Dizzy and Happy – The Salamanders Team
  • Uncategorized

    The New Normal

    So, here it is, February of 2022 and we are living in The New Normal. You surely remember the old normal, right? Where there was handshaking, hugging old friends, closeness at concerts, theaters and restaurants, a clean face with no masks, none of that slimy stuff on your hands, travel to other parts of the country and to other countries, all like that. The New Normal talks to being nervous a lot of the time. We are nervous about doing all of the things we were used to before and long to do again. Salamanders has re-opened, after intermittent closures not many of which were dictated by science but more…

  • Personal,  Update

    Waiting for Recovery

    A lot has happened since our last blog in January. We were hoping for a better year and so far, our hopes haven’t materialized completely. What appears to be working, finally, is the vaccination campaign, despite the issues with planning and administration. There is a reduction in the number of Covid cases and we appear to be breathing somewhat easier. Another positive sign is the demand for seeds and plants at the local stores. At the farm, we planted three fruit trees and have put in a full garden, complete with Ma and Pa scarecrows, compliments of our grandson Ayden. As we were doing maintenance chores at Salamanders, we noted…

  • History,  Holiday,  Personal

    So, we’re Canadjuns, eh?

    We are a very recognizable folk, ya know. We have travelled far and abroad, and people in other countries get to spot us pretty quickly. In Paris, for example, all Grandpa Paul had to do when he was doing some work over there was speak one sentence in the language of Molière and the restaurant staff would know that he was from Canada. This gave rise to him recounting the story of the Acadians and the Cajuns, to a rapt audience and extra kind service. People love Canadians. We are kind, polite (almost apologetic), take the time to talk to people and always very helpful. Though there are probably some…