#FoodwaysFriday - When Historic Places Meet Food: Mallard Cottage

Front facade. Photo by Katie Harvey.

Mallard Cottage is located in Quidi Vidi, a historic and quaint fishing village just outside of St. John's. Mallard Cottage is an eighteenth-century Irish style cottage with a low-hipped roof and centrally located chimney. It is one of the oldest wooden buildings in North America, and has been recognized as such by National Historic Sites of Canada.

The building was a private residence and home to the Mallard family from the late 1700s until the 1980s. After the Mallards left, Peg Magnone took ownership of the property and operated an antique shop from the premises. In 2011, Mallard Cottage was purchased by Todd Perrin, his wife, Kim Doyle and Stephen Lee, and has since been transformed into a restaurant. They modernized the cottage as per necessity; adding plumbing and electricity, but they were careful to remain true to the historic nature of the property. 

Main dining room. Photo by Katie Harvey.

Head chef and owner, Todd Perrin, prides himself on cooking with locally sourced meats and produce. He cooks traditional Newfoundland dishes by using local ingredients. They have a garden where they grow produce for the restaurant, and they do a lot of in-house butchery. Todd explains: 

"I’m a lover of Newfoundland, I’m a lover of Newfoundland food, I’m a lover of old buildings, and wood, fireplaces, all that stuff. So, basically, Mallard is a representation of all the things that I like . . . I wanted people to feel like they weren’t going to a restaurant. I wanted people to feel like they were coming to my house for dinner. So that idea of comfort . . . everything is just where it is because the guy who owned it, that’s where he wanted to put it, and that’s what this place is." 

The ploughman lunch. Photo by Katie Harvey.

I've eaten at Mallard Cottage on various occasions for both brunch and supper. One of my most recent visits, I had the ploughman lunch (pictured above) which consisted of ham, devilled eggs, homemade bread, coleslaw, cheese, mustard and turkey vegetable soup. We ate sitting by the fire, drinking coffee from locally made pottery mugs, feeling as though we were visiting an old friend. A trip to Mallard Cottage is worth it for the architecture alone, and the delicious food is the icing on the cake. Speaking of cake, be sure to check out their cake table when you visit. 

Cake table. Photo by Todd Perrin.

-Katie Harvey

#AdaptingHeritage Forum 2017 - Introducing Jeremy Harnum

Jeremy started working with the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador (WBMNL) in 2008 while still in high school and was inspired to shape his career path for work in the heritage sector. Over the years, Jeremy has played many roles with WBMNL including Tour Guide, Programming Assistant, Assistant Curator, and Museum Manager. Since completing his Bachelor of Arts in Folklore at Memorial University, Jeremy has joined WBMNL Documentation Program and is presently working on new exhibit materials to be added to the Museum for summer 2018. In addition to heritage work, Jeremy is passionate about photography, visual art and music. 

For the forum, Jeremy will be participating in the panel discussion called Heritage in the Landwash – Safeguarding Coastal Traditions where he will discuss his work with the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Forum on Adapting NL's Intangible Cultural Heritage will take place on October 25 and 26. The cost of registration is $75.00, and $18.75 for post-secondary students. For full program details click here. To register click here.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep087 Grand Falls Memory Mug Up Part One

Yvonne Courtney remembering her childhood in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Part One of our Grand Falls Memory Mug Up, recorded in front of a live studio audience at The Classic Theatre on July 14, 2017. We heard stories of horses and goats, sneaking in to the movie theatre with flattened nickels or fake tickets, stories of memorable local characters, the influence of strong woman, and memories about growing up in the community. The mug up was was part of the town's Salmon Festival activities and was organized by the Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society and was a staged interview with six local community members. In part one we hear stories from Andy Barker, Yvonne Courtney and John Edwards.

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#AdaptingHeritage Forum 2017 - Introducing Crystal Braye

Crystal Braye is a folklorist with the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador. She holds a bachelor of arts in cultural anthropology from Wilfrid Laurier University and a masters in public folklore from MUN. Since 2012, she has travelled around the province learning from boat builders and fishermen to enhance the museum's collections and exhibits. Audio and video recordings, photographs, and boat design and construction details are archived and exhibited online and at various locations across the province - including the Wooden Boat Museum headquarters in Winterton.

At the forum, Crystal will be moderating a panel called Heritage in the Landwash – Safeguarding Coastal Traditions. If you would like to hear more about Crystal's work, you can listen to our Living Heritage podcast episode with her by clicking here.

Forum on Adapting NL's Intangible Cultural Heritage will take place on October 25 and 26. The cost of registration is $75.00, and $18.75 for post-secondary students. For full program details click here. To register click here.

Do you know this building in Heart's Content? #Folklorephoto

Do you recognize this building in Heart's Content? This photograph was taken in 1994 and is part of the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation slide collection.

#AdaptingHeritage Forum 2017 - Introducing Dan Rubin

Since arriving in Newfoundland fifteen years ago, Dan Rubin has been deeply involved in local history and heritage, as the founding chair of the Pouch Cove Heritage Society. He was lead author and editor of the book Pouch Cove: Our Home by the Sea which received the Manning award for community history in 2016. But Dan is also a groundbreaking gardener and seedsman.

At the forum, Dan will be discussing his earth sheltered greenhouse project which combines the traditional root cellar with a greenhouse that is built with modern materials. If you would like to know more about Dan's work, you can listen to our Living Heritage podcast episode with him by clicking here.

Forum on Adapting NL's Intangible Cultural Heritage will take place on October 25 and 26. The cost of registration is $75.00, and $18.75 for post-secondary students. For full program details click here. To register click here.

#CollectiveMemories Monday - Chip Bags and Memories

Photos of the framed chip bags and tickets. 

Photo courtesy of Kelly Jones.

On our trip out to Grand Falls-Windsor for the Memory Mug Up event back in July we were told the story behind the framed chip bags that hang in the Classic Theatre on High Street. Listen to the clip below to hear Shawn Feener, the owner/operator of the Classic Theatre, explain the story behind the tickets and chip bags.

What was the first movie you saw in theatres?
Or where was your first date?

~Terra Barrett

#FoodwaysFriday - When Historic Places Meet Food: Sea Salt and Thyme

Sea Salt and Thyme. Photo by Katie Harvey. 

Sea Salt and Thyme is located on Convent Road in the historic and picturesque community of Brigus, Conception Bay North. Formerly St. Joseph's Convent, this building was constructed circa 1860. On September 11, 1861, four Sisters of Mercy, their reverend mother, and her assistant set out from Portugal Cove aboard the steamship Ellen Gisborn for Brigus. This was to be the first foundation of Mercy to be established outside of St. John's. Upon their arrival, the sisters immediately started their work; visiting the sick and teaching music, art and various other subjects. The convent was closed in 1991 and has since changed ownership several times.

In 2017, the building was converted into a restaurant and B&B by Rod Delaney. On the main floor, you can visit the pub or dine in one of  their multiple dining rooms. The nun's old living quarters on the second floor have been transformed into rooms for guests. Rod explains:

"There's a confession booth still up there and intact. There's a clear outline of crosses on the walls. And some of the details within the rooms are definitely loaning themselves to that time and particular type of history."

Spicy blueberry chicken wings. Photo by Katie Harvey.

This past labour day weekend, on a pleasant Sunday afternoon drive around the bay, we decided to stop in and check out this newly opened restaurant. We sampled a variety of items from the menu including: spicy blueberry chicken wings, pickled onion rings, orange ginger stir fry with seared tuna, a lentil burger and beat salad with croutons and balsamic reduction. For dessert, we ate deep fried oreos with a salted caramel sauce.

Orange ginger stir fry with seared tuna. Photo by Katie Harvey.

Although we weren't able to see the upstairs portion of this building, it was easy to imagine the life this building had previously lived. The well preserved architectural details paid tribute to the fact that this was once a religious building where nuns lived and taught. It is wonderful to see old buildings that are dying adapting with time to remain functional.

-Katie Harvey

Living Heritage Podcast Ep086 How do Newcomers Experience Newfoundland? Part 2

Part Two of “NL Stories: How do Newcomers Experience Newfoundland?” - excerpts from an evening of storytelling with new residents of Canada. The event was recorded live on Thursday, June 29, 2017. It was hosted by the Refugee and Immigrant Advisory Council, with support from the Helen Creighton Folklore Society and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. The MC and organizer for the event was Marissa Farahbod, a graduate student in the Department of Folklore at Memorial University, with stories from Leonardo Linares Gutiérrez (from Cuba), Maria Moreno (from Colombia), Yohei Sakai (from Japan), and Ellie King (from the UK).

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