A top chef is behind Prince Edward County’s new sandwich spot
Charlotte Langley has opened Char’s Snack Shack at Base 31
Chef Charlotte Langley—the founder of tinned-food brand Nice Cans, Top Chef Canada contestant and one of Prince Edward County’s most enthusiastic champions—is cooking up something new.
Langley’s latest endeavour is Chef Char’s Snack Shack, a sandwich counter at Picton’s Base 31, a new community hub built on the grounds of a Second World War air-training base. For it, she’s teamed up with former Pearl Morissette sous-chef Greg Riddell.
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“Greg has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world, and we’re fortunate to have access to some of the freshest produce in the county to build our snacks,” says Langley. “But we’re also in the business of unlocking memories through food. Sometimes that requires processed cheese—and I’m okay with that.”
Starting this June and running through October, the snack shack will operate Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours on special-event days (of which there are many). The menu features a roster of hefty sandwiches including a meatball sub, a deluxe pizza sub and a Philly cheesesteak. The latter is Langley’s take on a sandwich she fell for at Fedoroff’s in Brooklyn.
“I know it wasn’t from Philly, but that didn’t matter when I had it,” says Langley. “All I could think was, How do I recreate this in my life forever?" Built on a freshly baked hoagie bun, the sandwich is stacked high with thinly shaved prime rib and sautéed onions and peppers, then smothered in cheese sauce. An extra serving of cheese sauce comes on the side, just because.
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Langley and Riddell plan to rotate sandwiches throughout the season: potential offerings include a super-fresh stack of fat tomato slices, local cheddar, flaky sea salt and a fennel-pepper spice blend; a grilled summer squash sandwich celebrating the season’s bounty; or, in a nod to Langley’s PEI roots, a classic lobster roll.
Planning a PEC staycation that doesn’t involve a visit to Base 31 but still want to get your hands on one of these sandwiches? Not a problem. Everything at Chef Char’s Snack Shack is available for delivery through Valley Eats, the county’s uber-local answer to a certain service.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
