A Chef’s Story at Palatine Hills Estate Winery celebrated Niagara’s seasonal bounty

The gentle clinks of wine glasses. The crisp mahogany skin of roast lamb and suckling pig over an open fire of applewood. Fresh lemon juice squeezed over briny oysters.

Some meals just taste better outdoors—over crackling fire and under the autumnal Niagara sky of Ontario’s scenic wine country, to be exact. In the late afternoon of October 18, guests rolled into Palatine Hills Estate Winery for the Chef’s Story, an event that served up a feast of the finest fall bounty, prepared by the experienced team of Elle Cuisine over open flames and perfectly paired with Palatine’s exceptional wines.

Elle Cuisine has sat at the top of Toronto’s catering scene for more than 10 years. The team, led by chef and CEO Lauren Mozer, has established a strong reputation for putting together luxury events and custom menus for a range of private, corporate and wedding clients across the GTA.

What may surprise you is that Elle Cuisine’s team travels across Ontario—from the Niagara region up to Muskoka and over to Prince Edward County—to delight guests with interactive food experiences for weddings, social events, corporate retreats and more. Always ahead of event trends, the team at Elle Cuisine has launched immersive culinary experiences based on wild escapism, outdoor dining and live-fire cooking.

Juxtaposed against the hustle and bustle of the city, entering the Palatine Hills’ estate off Lakeshore Road felt like a warm embrace. Sounds of live music filled the laid-back atmosphere. Upon entry, guests were greeted with a choice of wine from Palatine Hills. I went with a glass of seasonal peach riesling, a refreshing recipe crafted from juicy peaches. The wine paired well with our first appetizer: fire-roasted grapes, figs and red-wine-poached pears over slices of freshly grilled rosemary focaccia, all drizzled with delicious Niagara honey. Another table served up savoury raw oysters on the half shell and oysters Rockefeller baked on an open flame, with accoutrements that included classic mignonette, cocktail sauce, horseradish and lemon.

A good meal is sort of like a glass of wine: it’s best when it’s not rushed. After our appetizers, I took a moment to take in Palatine Hills, a winery that prides itself on blending history with modernity. The lush vines not only produce delicious, full-bodied wines but also serve as a meeting place for the local community. With events like outdoor yoga, a run club that takes participants through the winery’s meandering trails and live music organized through the Rambler series, Palatine Hills is the place to connect and unwind. Can’t make it to the winery? The Rambler’s Club wine membership delivers the Palatine experience directly to your door every three months.

The dining experience paid homage to the traditions of slow-cooking, encouraging guests to gather around each food station to taste and explore the flavours of each dish at their own pace. Wood-fire smoke was swirled into every dish, each one cooked, plated and served by Elle Cuisine’s chefs.

One station served a maple-smoked trout salad, prepared using a traditional Finnish method of hanging the trout over an open flame, served over a bed of Niagara greens with crispy potato rosti and soft goat cheese, all topped with Niagara honey.

For the main event, chefs slathered a whole lamb and a suckling pig in a porchetta marinade and slow-roasted them over an applewood fire, serving the meat on house-made sourdough buns. Toppings included pecorino, fontina, rapini, peperoncini, and local sweet onions and peppers, sautéed and grilled to perfection. At another station, chefs spooned chimichurri over a plate of roast chicken, serving it with a side of crispy baby potatoes, grilled late-summer corn salad and grilled foraged mushrooms. Guests enjoyed their meals picnic-style at communal tables or on cozy blankets provided throughout the scenic grounds.

As the sun set, Elle Cuisine’s chefs brought out ingredients for the desserts: delicious s’mores and apple crumble. True to the event’s local theme, each serving of apple crumble was topped with a slice of Niagara cheddar—cutting the sweetness with an aged sharpness. The chefs added a fine-dining twist to the classic nostalgia of s’mores by pairing toasty house-made graham crackers and pillowy marshmallows with milk chocolate squares. Guests gathered around the firepit to roast their s’mores, chat and indulge in a few last sips of Palatine Hills wine before ending the night.

Book Elle Cuisine, a long-standing partner of Toronto Life, for your next event.