Page 4 - Leisure Living Magazine: July 16-22 2020 Edition

Page 4/LAKE FRONT NEWS/July 16 - 22, 2020
Fun Facts: Chef
Jamie McFadden
• Age: 50
• Hometown:
Monroeville, Ohio
• Hobbies and Pastimes:
Entertaining/Hosting Dinner Parties, Biking, Travel and Anything on the Water
• Favorite Music: All Genres
• Favorite Film: The 100 Foot Journey
• Favorite Book: The
United States of Arugula
“Great Stories Begin with Unforgettable Cocktails” - Chef Jamie McFadden
“Growing up in the Midwest, how could one ever forget the TV jingle ‘Summer time is Country Time’, referring to Country Time Lemonade. Memorial Day weekend would bring to our refrigerator a three-month supply of cold pitchers of lemonade. Lemons have and always will be one of the many food items that scream summer. As an adult, I enjoy utilizing our Sandy Ridge Sparkling Riesling to create this very refreshing classic cocktail”:
French 75 Cocktail
The French 75 cocktail was originally created at the New York Bar in Paris in 1915. The combination of gin, lemon juice, Champagne and sugar was said to have a kick like a French 75mm gun! Serve on the rocks or make a pitcher and freeze slightly.
In a shaker combine:
2 oz lemon juice
2 oz gin
2 teaspoons simple syrup 1 cup ice cubes
Shake. Pour into Collins glasses and top off with 4 oz of chilled Sandy Ridge Sparkling Riesling. Garnish with 1 lemon slice and 1 maraschino cherry.
Chef Jamie McFadden Continued from page 1
with many cuisines.
In 2018 Chef Jamie’s
passion for “the grape”, his fresh-approach style of cooking, and his attention to detail all led him back to his roots in northwest Ohio, where he renovated and reopened his family’s Norwalk farm as Sandy Ridge Vineyards & Mer- cantile. “My uncles offered me the opportunity to re- furbish the barn and plant grapes. Their spirit and enthusiasm for the project havebeenveryinspiring,” states Jamie. A unique concept for the area, San- dy Ridge features a rustic wine tasting room with scrumptious dishes creat- ed by Jamie and his team using the freshest ingredi-
ents. Food and wine lovers ascend the stairway to culi- nary heaven as they savor Jamie’s signature Crab Mac & Cheese with a glass of Snowbirds Gruner Velt- liner....or succulent Lamb Chorizo Meatballs paired with Sandy Ridge Caber- net Franc. Great wine does indeed meet great food in this space. “We work dil- igently to create a unique tasting room experience utilizing our excellent wines and diverse food se- lections,explainstheChef, adding, “We have been blessed with an incredibly awesome team. They all are extremely outgoing, thoughtful, and sincere. We are very lucky to have such a fantastic crew.”
The warm ambiance of Sandy Ridge features cozy indoor gathering areas surrounded by natural re- claimedwood,andpeaceful and scenic outdoor seating including an immense fire pit and a grill area. The Mercantile is especially in- viting, where guests may treat themselves to freshly baked goods and sweets, enjoy live entertainment, and relax in the company of the McFadden family’s cherished 1928 Model A Ford Roadster, proudly dis- played in the center of the mercantile.
For Chef Jamie, his family and his staff, the
rewards of re-opening this piece of Ohio history have surpassed their greatest vision. The Norwalk com- munity and surround- ing areas have embraced their endeavor in myriad ways, including selecting Sandy Ridge Vineyards & Mercantile for the Best of Norwalk Award and the New Business of the Year Award, both in 2019. When asked what he loves most about his work, Chef Jamie replied, “Having had the opportunity to return home after 30-plus years away, and rebrand a communi- ty landmark. The journey has been very rewarding.”
He credits his parents with instilling in him the inspi- ration to pursue his career path of fine food and wine. “Bothwerewonderfulcooks and gracious hosts. I wish they would have lived to experience Sandy Ridge.” It is this writer’s belief that there just might be a pair of very proud parents who often look down over the rows of healthy vines, the lovingly restored barn and the immaculate, beautiful grounds of Sandy Ridge Vineyards & Mercantile, and if it were possible, would exclaim, “Well done, son. Well done indeed!”
sponsor for King Kong. At dusk on Sunday movie go- ers will enjoy Matt Damon and Christian Bale in Ford vs. Ferrari sponsored by the Kelleys Island Landowners Association.
The screen is inflated at the baseball field. Parking begins at 7pm with guests asked to stay on their golf carts or in their cars to ob- serve social distancing. The films will begin at dusk.
There is no charge. Han- cock-Wood Electric Cooper- ative is a major sponsor.
Film Fest Continued from page 1
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