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8 uw oS Zz = Ss = I'm reluctant to reduce 5 chefs' repertoires to a sin- F gle bowl of food — or a so- gc ‘@ called signature dish — but 5 in his simply named "Cop- é pa Plate," it's posse tosee see 9 the essence of N: isday, May 4, 2023 | wh The Chareuterie Bar this week: chile-and-fennel coppa, frizzled wild | leek, apple butter-mustard aigrette and pickled apples showered with three-year- old cheddar. Who needs further em- bellishment? Perfect for sharing, the combined ingredients cap- tured under their function- al title offer flavours much more spartan. "It's a tip of the hat to Waterloo Region, especial- ly with the apples and the apple butter,” says Bennin- ger. “The idea came from O ANDREW COPPOLINO Column simply wanting this new restaurant to showcase a taste of place and what the region has to ‘That focusisn't novel for arestaurant, ofcourse, and especially for Benninger. hting and putting local on a plate has been the foundation of his work since he and partner Nata- lie Benninger opened the former Nick and Nat's Up- town 21 in 2008. You enjoy the dish in the straightforwardly named The Charcuterie Bar. In- side The Fat Sparrow Block in St. Jacobs, it NEW ‘COPPA PLATE’ AT ST. JACOBS SPOT SPARKLES © shares space with The Butcher and Market. Referring to the pair as “culinary companions," Benner says ine con- cept 're sur- rounded by byt the a items being made in-house while you eat them. ‘The experience is anim- mersive one. You can shop for the ingredients while casually sauntering glass of wine or beer in hand amid the bright and colourful cooler cases and food displays. e coppa, for in- stance. Also known as capocol- lo, which means "head of the neck" when sliced, the loin-cut is from a group of Working muscles running ‘ine neck: “that means flavour," Ben- ninger say in the bigger picture, Fat "Sparrow's charcuterie program is the purview of Matheson Duff under the BOOK NOW. TRAVEL. PAY LATER! CRUISES At Book and Go Travel, our Zero Interest” Program gives you a better way to finance your travel! Phone 1-888-801-2463, visit bookandgo.ca or scan the QR code below to see how. (© BOOKANDGO.ca ‘YY 1-888-801-2463 Fgoca sexes SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION “OAC. subject to terms of your Flext cardholder agreement. Offer vald for residents of Canada (excluding Quebed) waterloochronicle.ca For full terms and conditions -your-trip or scan the QR code. mentorship of Spencer Vel- la, whom I profiled in this column earlier. The new coppa plate re- tains Benninger's bold hand when it comes ne building a dish: he's afraid of | big flavours tome sified by contrasting tex- tures and tastes. On the plate, salty, chewy coppa is energized by a local and seasonal in- gredient that Srows b bount fully at this time of and which is liable antici, pated among cooks: grassy-oniony wild leeks. "We take Wellesley ap- Bie butter and mix it wit indrew Coppolino photo A Nick Benninger with a coppa plate on the new Fat Sparrow patio. ur grainy mustard that is on our charcuterie boards. I cook that with the wild leeks in some oil and apple cider vinegar. It's got a bit of heat and just enough to let you know it's there," Benninger says. That results in a dish sparkles. nant on its own, achieves a balance with the rich fatti- ness of the coppa and the buttery nuttiness of the shaved cheddar. "Those pickled apples then are cleansing," Ben- ninger says, adding that the dish would pair well with a lager or a sparkling Clearly, working with simply prepared local - gredients is Benninger his métier. He loves to cook pork and always has — re- call Uptown 21's virtually iconic choucroute garnie that helped Nick and Nat make i The vinaigrette, domi- rosé. See ‘IT’S’, page 9 Planning a home improvement project? @ Wondering about the rules for building a shed, deck, fence or other project? The City of Waterloo Building Standards Division has answers for your most common questions about permits, zoning and other construction information online: waterloo.ca/BuildingPermits If you just want to speak to someone in person, we're available at City Hall during business hours or at 519-747-8712. And during May, we'll also be available on the weekend when you're picking up project supplies. * Saturday, May 6 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Glenbriar Home Hardware 262 Weber Street North, Waterloo * Saturday, May 13 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Home Depot 600 King Street North, Waterloo Drop by our table to chat with a building standards team member, and let us answer your questions! THE CITY OF Waterloo