Something is happening in The River District. Public art in alleyways, community co-ops, wellness boutiques, and specialty shops are popping up and rapidly breathing new life into Owen Sound’s historic strip flanking the banks of the Sydenham River. Now add to that revitalization Shanny’s Kitchen, a new lunch & dinner resto that’s making a name for itself as one of the region’s must-visit dining destinations.
“I feel like Owen Sound has been a missed opportunity,” owner and head chef Shannon MacDougall tells me, referring to the Scenic City’s up ‘til now comparative lack of cozy, upscale restaurants. “I wanted to create a space for people to come together, eat great food, and enjoy the community.”
Walking in under the lamplit sign, the interior feels immediately comfortable and welcoming. Strings of incandescent bulbs drape in relaxed waves from the lofty ceiling’s crown moulding, warmly illuminating wooden tabletops. One bare brick wall is adorned with an eclectic arrangement of multicoloured depression glass; adjacent, a rapture of oversized handmade roses blooms from an archaic, vestigial archway. Across the room, past the rich broad green leaves of thriving tropical plants, another wall shimmers with the playful shapes of vintage copper gelatine moulds.
“The glass and copper moulds were my grandmother’s,” she says. “I wanted to include something of hers in the decor.” A sense of familiarity is certainly the feeling being cultivated here. Mason, our server (and Shannon’s partner), immediately makes us feel at home. A quick look at the well-stocked bar has us ordering smartly curated craft cocktails–an earl grey old fashioned and vibrant blackberry gimlet, both arriving in pinwheel crystal glassware.
Mason brings a plate of warm focaccia accompanied by a small dish of flavourful herb laden olive oil while we study the diverse but concise menu. Stacked with eye-popping options, everything looks incredible and feels very carefully considered. Shannon’s years of travelling and cheffing around Tasmania are given away by conspicuously inspired seafood options – a ‘kitchen clam bake’ miso crusted salmon and grilled octopus are immediate standouts.
“I had people reading the menu and knocking on the glass of the restaurant saying ‘Octopus? Are you crazy?’” she tells me with a tinge of bemused impatience. But she was right to disregard the naysayers and offer it anyway; the meaty tentacles come lightly charred on a tangled bed of citrusy bitter greens and fatty sobrassada sausage. A sprinkling of anchovy dust elevates the dish’s umami factor into the stratosphere.
Though it’s difficult to pick just two more appetizers, we settle on the braised pork belly, and grilled wild mushrooms. The pork is rendered to create an intense reduction of bourbon and maple, balanced by the fresh crunch of shaved apple and fennel. The heaping medley of earthy forest fungi comes on crusty toast next to a foil of peppery cress to appear as though it was foraged.
It becomes clear very quickly that nothing on offer at Shanny’s Kitchen is taken for granted. “Any time I create a dish, I ask myself, ‘am I doing each ingredient justice?’” Shannon tells me. “Like the legs of a table, or the members of a small kitchen team, it only works if everything is working together.” And she should know; with a culinary degree and nearly twenty years of kitchen experience and menu design, it’s apparent Shannon has honed her skills to a knife’s edge.
“I just want Owen Sound to know how much we appreciate all the business. We’ve been overwhelmed with positivity.”
I continue to put my trust in her treatment of seafood by ordering the spaghettini with shrimp. My faith is rewarded with wispy al dente noodles completely enveloped in a sturdy cream sauce, studded with impressively muscular shrimp, ribbons of translucent prosciutto, and generous crumbles of pecorino cheese. And off-the-chalkboard specials menu, as chef’s choice, we’re given a duck duo – hardwood smoked breast and confit leg atop sauteed broccolini beside a truffled mash bejewelled with ruby red pomegranate seeds. Incredible.
“I knew I wanted to create something laid back, casual, but also somewhat challenging,” Shannon says of her vision for the space. “High end, but unpretentious. Most important is that people feel comfortable and make friends.” After only a couple of whirlwind weeks of renovation and a few brief months of being open, they have already created something that feels like it’s been a neighbourhood mainstay for years.
We have to finish the meal with something sweet, of course, so we ask Mason for his help choosing from the dessert card. Out comes a macadamia nut and red currant tart, topped with a subtly spiced chai crumble and sprigs of fresh mint. A handsome espresso machine behind the bar has been catching my eye all evening, so I ask for a specialty barbu, with white sambuca. The intensely dark, bitter roast and sweet licoricey liqueur are the perfect note to end this meal on.
I ask Shannon how she feels after the first couple of months with doors open. After a thoughtful moment, she says “I just want Owen Sound to know how much we appreciate all the business. We’ve been overwhelmed with positivity.”
With summer here and a street-side patio in place, I’ve got a good feeling there’s much more of that positivity to come.
Shanny’s Kitchen is located in the heart of the River District at 948 2nd Ave East, Owen Sound. Open Tuesday to Sunday – lunch service from noon till 3, dinner from 5 till 9. Call 519 372 0505 for reservations.
Written by Joel Loughead
Photos by Frances Beatty Photography
