Rock Star Experience at Tempest
I’ve got to be honest: the name Chef Michael Howell has rock star connotations for me. You see, I was a foodie neophyte about the same time that Michael and his fellow Nova Scotian chefs Craig Flinn, Dennis Johnston and Martin Ruiz Salvador were forming their mighty “eat fresh, eat local” vanguard.
Each of them was becoming known for serving up extraordinary food that made the source of the ingredients every bit as important as how they were put together. Because of both their talents and their passion they quickly became household names. And because I was, ahem, eating up every last bit of food culture I could get my hands on, they were my Julia Childs.
A decade later and I find myself sitting at a table at The Tempest, Michael’s restaurant in the university town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. My dinner guest and I are being served a tasting menu from Chef himself. With each course he emerges to tell us what we’re eating. For a die-hard foodie, that’s like being front row at a Stones concert with Mick Jagger serenading you. Minus the screaming girls flinging undergarments, of course.
The performance space is one that Michael is plenty comfortable with. A trained and accomplished actor whose portfolio includes a stint at the prestigious Shaw Festival in Ontario, he’s been delivering show-stopping culinary experiences to dining beneficiaries for more than two decades. For him, the story arc of a great meal is every bit as engaging as one on stage.
“We have the opportunity in the restaurant business to procure incredible ingredients. And each one of those ingredients become a vital character in the story,” Michael says. “What we do is simply art on a plate and in the kitchen, I get the privilege of being the orchestrator.”
I’d argue that the privilege belongs to the guests in his restaurant; to those of us who get to devour the story from start to finish. What’s so remarkable is that each course really is an act all on its own. From presentation to the moment when the last bite was gone (which, by the way, is the tragedy in this story), we were hooked. There wasn’t one dish we had that wasn’t perfectly balanced from a taste, texture and appearance perspective. The meatiness of a lobster claw contrasted against the graininess of quinoa. The crispy, expertly salted skin of the sea bass perfectly paired with the creamy and subtle saffron risotto.
What was equally notable was the portion size of each dish. They were Goldilocks portions – not too big, not too small. At the end of each one you felt satiated, but not stuffed. And so, when all the elements came together, each dish really became both an experience and an education. Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what Michael Howell intended.
“I educate people through what I do on my plate. With each dish, I’m defending slow food, local products and higher quality ingredients,” Michael explains. “Our own health is indicative of the fact that we eat too much protein and carbohydrates. What I want to teach guests is that we can eat less quantity, more quality, and leave the table even more satisfied.”
And satisfied we were. Just as a great band gets even better after seeing them live, Chef Michael Howell’s rock star status went platinum after our meal at The Tempest.
The Menu
When we arrived we had the option of ordering off the menu or enjoying a tasting menu selected by Michael. We opted for the tasting menu and you can too. Having the opportunity to surprise guests is something Michael loves and is more than happy to do this for anyone who visits the restaurant. Our menu included:
Butter Poached Lobster Claw served on a king mushroom and bed of exquisitely coloured beet-infused quinoa. We paired this with Domaine de Grand Pre’s rose, Verrazano, which was an ideal accompaniment to this dish.
Local ingredients: lobster, king mushroom, beets
Smoked Haddock Chowder with Sweet Williams chorizo sausage. The balance between the cream and the smokiness of the haddock was perfection. Paired with L’Acadie Blanc.
Local ingredients: haddock, sausage (Sweet Williams), milk (Farmers Dairy), herbs (Michael’s garden)
Butternut Squash Agnolotti with quark, Dragon’s Breath cheese, toasted pine nuts, fried sage and balsamic reduction. The texture of the filling was ridiculously soft and smooth.
Local ingredients: squash (Noggins Corner Farm), quark (Fox Hill Cheese), Dragon’s Breath (That Dutchman’s Farm)
Sea Bass on a bed of Saffron Risotto with a Marechal Foch butter reduction. The crispy skin on the sea bass was inarguably the highlight of the meal and a taste memory we won’t soon forget.
Local ingredient: Sea Bass (Sustainable Blue), spinach
5) Chocolate Buñuelos. Chocolate ganache dipped in tempura batter and deep fried to a heavenly state. Served with raspberry coulis and homemade vanilla ice cream and this was a spectacular way for Chef Michael Howell to take a bow.
Local ingredients: Raspberries (frozen local berries)