Farmhouse Tavern’s Alex Molitz is taking on Prince Edward County
Alex Molitz, the chef who helped turn Farmhouse Tavern into a Toronto food destination, is taking his talents to the real-life countryside. Molitz recently left Farmhouse and took a new job as head of culinary operations at the Hinterland winery in Prince Edward County. He’s got big plans for the project. “It’ll change the face of Prince Edward County,” he said. “If everything goes right, this is going to be a game-changer.” Despite the grand plans, he’s taking things one step at a time. Right now, that means developing a simple lunch menu for guests at the winery. The food will be familiar to anyone who’s enjoyed Farmhouse Tavern’s mammoth meat boards and foraged herbs. “It’s going to be rough and rugged, cool-looking food. Food that has a story to it,” Molitz said. He’s looking forward to roughing it a little, although he suspects some things may take a little getting used to. “I have to learn to shovel pig shit,” he said.
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Alex Molitz, the chef who helped turn Farmhouse Tavern into a Toronto food destination, is taking his talents to the real-life countryside. Molitz recently left Farmhouse and took a new job as head of culinary operations at the Hinterland winery in Prince Edward County. He's got big plans for the project. "It'll change the face of Prince Edward County," he said. "If everything goes right, this is going to be a game-changer." Despite the grand plans, he's taking things one step at a time. Right now, that means developing a simple lunch menu for guests at the winery. The food will be familiar to anyone who's enjoyed Farmhouse Tavern's mammoth meat boards and foraged herbs. "It's going to be rough and rugged, cool-looking food. Food that has a story to it," Molitz said. He's looking forward to roughing it a little, although he suspects some things may take a little getting used to. "I have to learn to shovel pig shit," he said.){kind=link}
Do any Toronto chefs bother to stay in one place for more than a year or two?
You ask that like it’s a bad thing? I believe it’s good for a chef to change location, revamp their menu, be creative and reinvent themselves. For them, it’s probably mentally healthy and a good way to stay motivated.
In answer to your question, off the top of my head, I can think of one of Toronto’s best chefs, Keith Froggett, who’s been working in the same kitchen at one of Toronto’s best restaurants, Scaramouche, for over 30 years:
http://www.thegridto.com/life/food-drink/not-young-not-restless-still-killing-it/
I don’t disagree some degree of change is good but it seems many chefs here leave after spending only a year or two in place. It takes a while for a restaurant to hit its stride, so what we’re left with as diners in Toronto is a smattering of promising but not-quite-there places. What’s even more bizarre is many of these restaurants are chef-driven ones (as opposed to an incubator like The Black Hoof, which has proven it can withstand turnover).
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Scaramouche has had the same chef for 30 years and is also one of the best restaurants in the city.