LAWRENCETOWN, N.S. — Cars lined both sides of the street opening day in late May. And the next, and the next. People have been loving Winemakers Tavern ever since.
And it was a labour of love. Almost two years of planning and hard work.
You’ll notice the décor at Winemakers first. Warm wood, earthy colours, and the old doors that cover one end. There’s old tin roofing as wainscoting, as trim on beams. The gleaming, live-edge birch bar might be the focal point. People sure like to stand there.
While you may think Joanna Gaines came up from Texas to design the new Lawrencetown eatery, it was all Paulette Wade. She has good taste.
There’s big cable spool tops on big wooden barrels for tables in one corner, posts down the centre of the dining area with tables in between. Real wood on the floor and a little wood stove piped into a real brick chimney. Old, yellowed newspapers are wallpaper for a bulkhead high up at one end.
Windows across the front and more four-seaters. Space for 89 people.
There’s a spot for a band and the acoustics are perfect. Solo acts, trios, open mic night. Blues, rock, country, folk. They’ve all been popular since the place opened in late May. Country Hall of Famer Frank Spinney dropped by one night and was coaxed to get up and sing a couple of songs.
You feel at home even before you see the menu, but in the end, it’s all about the food.
THE FOOD
“The whole idea came about because we were looking for somewhere to eat,” says Leslie Wade.
“Somewhere good to eat,” Paulette corrects him.
“We were driving a long distance to find places to eat,” Leslie explains. “So she saw the building, put a bid in. We bought the place.”
The two have military backgrounds and Les has worked in advertising and marketing as well. Paulette is originally from Newfoundland and Les is from Annapolis Royal.
The menu is fairly standard, but most dishes have a twist that make them stand out – like the bourbon barbecued pulled pork, chicken or steak mushroom pie, or the mushroom lasagna. Standard fare taken to gourmet heights. Take the Yorkie Pot Roast – ‘Mile high Yorkshire pudding surrounded with slow cooked beef shoulder, root vegetables, and thick red wine gravy served on creamy garlic mashed potato.’
Head chef and kitchen manager Richard Harmes brings almost 20 years of experience to the business and makes those dishes stand out. He brings in a new dish he’s working on – Bahm Mi, spicy pork shoulder, pickled vegetables, avocado aioli, fresh cilantro or a sourdough baguette. It’s a Vietnamese dish but works easily with the rest of the menu.
Paulette’s impressed. Les says Chef Harmes is a keeper.
LOCAL DRINKS
There’s a big staff and busy kitchen and bar with about a dozen taps. There’s local craft beer from Annapolis Royal, cider from Bear River, plus local wines and a variety of spirits. Joe Lane tends the bar -- those big slabs of birch -- with the taps set into a big piece of gear straight out of a steam punk fantasy.
Paulette calls the place rustic industrial with bright red metal stools and red-upholstered wood chairs making the whole thing pop.
Most things were locally sourced, from the food to the carpentry. The spiced pork shoulder came from the Peasant’s Pantry in New Ross, a traditional deli Harmes highly recommends.
Paulette’s uncle and some local contractors set to work on the old general store and transformed an historical building that was falling into disrepair into a landmark eatery that has been attracting clientele from across the Valley and beyond.
Cars still line both sides of Lawrencetown’s Main Street and there’s a new vibe in the community that has people out and about not just for the food and locally produce wines, craft beer, and cider, but for the atmosphere that makes it a gathering place.
NEW PATIO
Paulette has a party of 20 arriving between the lunch and supper crowds. Les is out behind Winemakers putting the finishing touches on a stunning, 50-seat, terraced rock patio built around a giant willow tree. He’s got less than three days to finish it before the July 1 patio opening.
Those same cable spool tops are set on 45-gallon drums. The red metal stools pop again in the lush green of hanging willow branches, the riverside greenery, and the far-off view of the South Mountain. Old wooden pallets are cut in two to make seats. Sheets of galvanized roofing under wood enclose the space. You can throw a rock into the Annapolis River.
It even has its own menu of everything from cheese sticks, nachos, and onion rings to a Mediterranean platter with pickled zucchini, onions and tomato with grilled artichoke hearts and black olive tapenade. Add pita points and sourdough baguette.
If you look just to the southwest, across the Annapolis River, you might just be able to see Beavercreek Winery, Les and Paulette Wade’s other business.
Les shows off the unfinished second floor at Winemakers. And the third. He and Paulette have lots of plans.
Winemakers’ website might say it best.
“The old corner store that is now the newly renovated Winemakers Tavern, ran for over sixty years and was once owned & operated by Carl Beals and family.
“The Winemakers Tavern brand honours its sister company, Beavercreek Winery. Through the logo, the names of the signature beers and wines and the paraphernalia found around the tavern, Winemakers Tavern acknowledges the original use of the building and what made Lawrencetown a unique crossroads of the valley, making it a historic intersection for travelers heading up and down the Annapolis Valley as well as the South Shore.”
Those old doors that cover the end wall? They all have local family names stencilled on them – Longley, Durling, Lowe, Whitman, Slauenwhite, Stultz.
DETAILS
Winemakers Tavern is located at 498 Main Street, Lawrencetown – on the corner of Lawrencetown Lane and Highway 1.
Hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Winemakers Tavern is closed on Mondays.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winemakerstavernns/
GoOnline: https://www.winemakerstavern.com/
