Salamanders

“Time does fly when you are having fun”, goes the old saying. Well, managing and operating a restaurant day after day for 15 years is not always fun, as you can imagine. There are regulatory bodies breathing down our necks, inflation in the marketplace, finding and maintaining staff members and lately, of course, the Covid pandemic. We are still here and many of you make it worthwhile to remain in business and continue serving the community. Over the years, we have seen people come and go, the elders of the community pass on and the kids who came in with their parents as babes in arms flourish into teens. We…

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…

For the past eight wonderful years, Salamanders has held its traditional New Year’s Eve Celebration, ushering out the old and bringing in the new. And every year, we seem to do a little bit extra. This year is no exception. Liane and her team have put together a tasty and entertaining package for you. First, there are a couple of seasonal drinks you may wish to try: our Peppermint Mocha White Russian and savour our special Christmas Cookie. These are designed to set up your taste buds for some classic appetizers, such as our very own Cajun Shrimp Dip, or our Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Spring rolls or some Coconut Shrimp.…

As Canada approaches it’s 150th birthday, did you know that Kemptville will be celebrating it’s 161st? Queen Victoria signed “The Act to Incorporate the Village of Kemptville” on July 1, 1856, to take effect on January 1, 1857. I could go on, but the good people of North Grenville have constructed a fantastic history of our town and can be found here. What also can’t be missed, are the historic walking tours of our communities. Take a look and see how many buildings you recognize today. We, at Salamanders of Kemptville, wish you a wonderful Canada Day. Drop by and say hello if you do your own walking tour…

We are all privileged, in a very real sense. First, we are Canadians; second, we have a chance of a life-time to celebrate a very special birthday, Canada’s 150th. When you consider what other people are going through across the world, we in Canada have a great deal to be thankful for. One of the first things we hear from refugees who find a new home in Canada is how secure they feel compared to how they felt back in their own countries, often in turmoil. So, let’s take the time to celebrate! But not only celebrate – we need to also appreciate. When we sit down as families and…

Seeing as tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, we thought you might like some fun facts about the day. We could be wearing blue instead of green. His colour was “Saint Patrick’s blue,” which was a pale shade. Green began being associated with St. Patrick because he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to pagans. Its popularity was bolstered by the Irish independence movement in the late 18th century. St. Patrick’s Day parades did not originate in Ireland. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in Boston, Mass on March 18, 1737, followed by the New York parade, which first took place in 1762. The first parade in Ireland was…

St. Patrick’s Day or “the day of the Festival of Patrick” is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional date of Saint Patrick. St. Paddy is, of course, the patron saint of Ireland since about the 5th Century (a real old guy). Now it has come to pass that St. Patrick’s Day has developed a number of symbols over the years: *  There is the traditional Wearing of the Green on that day (you know, as per The Emerald Isle); *  There is the Celtic Cross (check the movie Gangs of New York for a rather violent explanation); *  Leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold at…