The Babbling Gourmet

09/23/2025

🚨Good morning lovelies!🚨

Well you guys…I have to cancel our first buffet night this Thursday 😔. I was certain there were enough Butter Chicken fans out there to make a go of it but not this time! 🤷🏻‍♀️

It feels like the opposite of the COVID days when you guys lined up for Ethiopian and Peruvian food like it was McDonald’s!🤣🚗🚖🚙

We’ll give it another go once the September “dust” settles and you have all adjusted to kids’ sports schedules, darker days and the end of summer.🗓️

Feel free to suggest what you might fancy for a buffet. I always love hearing from you all.

Andi xo❤️

09/15/2025

Helloooo my lovelies! Happy “almost autumn” Monday to all of you!🍂🍁🥮

Well…here it is 3 months after my last post and again I’m wondering where the time went. While there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes to keep me busy, a pretty significant health event involving my awesome mother (we’ll call her “Champagne Vicki” to keep things light 🤣🥂) has had me shift gears over the summer. I’m happy to report that all is now super well and good and we’re all thrilled to have things back to “normal”! 💯

In advance of a post about our very first EVER all-you-can-eat buffet (mark your calendars for September 24th! 🚨🗓️), I would like to take the opportunity to extend a most heartfelt thanks to Bruce and Gerald from The Eganville Leader for having selected us for a feature in their “Discover the Valley” magazine.🗞️
I was totalky taken aback by it all.🙏

I would also like to thank the incredible photographer, Eileen Moore, from OttawaFlavours for a gorgeous June shot of the farm.📸🌾

‼️MENU & DETAILS for the 24th will be posted tomorrow!

Can’t wait to see you guys soon!
Andi xo❤️

07/08/2025

🍷Cheers to a fabulous Chilean wine gifted to me by a Toronto-based couple getting married in Barry’s Bay this summer. I have the pleasure of catering their cocktails, dinner, “grazing hour” and late night. One is Polish and the other is from “Chile via Venezuela”🤠.
They came for a tasting and overnight last week and I had a fantastic time making traditional dishes like Smalec, Pastelera de Choclo, Pierogi and candied salmon with Polish beet salad {Surówka z Buraczków} for them. We ate, we drank, we repeated. 🍷🇨🇱🇵🇱

This particular wine got better and better as it sat. I spent the time enjoying it while marvelling at how much the soy, wheat and cutting flower garden have grown with the rain we just had. It’s amazing how much Mother Nature dictates life around here.🌾🚜🌺🌧️

All this to say, it was a pleasure experiencing this wine and I highly recommend it.🙏❤️

06/30/2025

Sunday “reset” has never been this miraculous!☀️🍾

After a very awful week of a flu AND a big wedding yesterday for 90, I literally can’t believe that I got up today feeling normal…fantastic…and ready to go. After a 15 hour day yesterday while still a little “off”, I could not have done it without tremendous support and help. 🙏

Today was “pick up the remaining items” day from the stunning Calabogie location & Hayden and I decided to spontaneously stop at On the Rocks for lunch. I had eaten very little in several days and this could not have been a better choice. 🙌🏻 🦐🍴

A huge thanks to our beautiful server, Paige James, and to the entire kitchen crew for feeding us, bantering with us and providing us with the most relaxing break I could have asked for.⭐️

I would also like to wish “Champagne Vicki” (aka Mummy & Vicki Beattie Marentette) a happy birthday today! We love you so much!🎂❤️

06/12/2025

🚨Happy Thursday to my amazing foodie friends!
Boy, am I ever dropping the ball on page updates. You guys must be missing me so very much by now lol! I can tell you that the ball dropping was all for a wonderful reason which will be shared very soon.😬👩🏻‍🍳

While I don't have THE big announcement ready just yet, we have some absolutely amazing things on the go here at the farm that are going to knock your socks off. Seriously...socks, shoes, flip flops...all of it!💃🏻

🚨The time came this year to make some big changes to things around the farm; our bistro room, deck, processes and offerings. I took some important time off after my surgery to put plans in place for some major "re-dos". With the help of my HH (Handy Hayden) and long-time friend Eileen from OttawaFlavours, we have turned our beloved venue into a more permanent bistro environment. Without spilling the beans too much...here are a few teasers:

✅Weekly all-you-can eat nights at the farm
✅Massive increase in seating both inside and out
✅Wait staff
✅Take out & drive-thru re-start

We are currently working on all of the necessary photography, planning and information and can't wait for the opening PARTY, the first ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT menu and showing off our updated space!📸🖼️

Stay tuned for the upcoming news and buckle up for some outrageously delicious menus this season!

Andi xo❤️

04/20/2025

Happy sunny & joyous Easter to all of my favourite foodies!☀️🐣🐇
Thanks to the beautiful sunshine, I’m slowly getting a bit of mojo back…thank goodness.🕺🏻

It’s also our dear Hayden’s 69th birthday today. Can you guys believe that it’s been 4 years since his surprise 65th drive-thru night? Time has flown by!🎂🥳

Have a delicious day from beginning to end…especially up to the point where our Sens kick Toronto’s ass tonight. 🤣🏒

Andi xo❤️

03/17/2025

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!☘️🇮🇪
May the luck of the Irish be with all of you today!🌈

I am happy to be feeling back to normal after three weeks of self-care and post-operative convalescing. Thank you so much for the notes and emails of shared experiences and for your patience. I really needed that. 🙏

If you are celebrating today, have the best time and feel free to post photos of your "get up" in the comments below. You guys really do know how to get your green on!✅

Looking forward to upcoming kitchen & party time!

Andi xo💚

02/07/2025

Happy Friday to all my foodie friends! Consider this a much overdue post and update after a few months of radio silence. I missed all the holiday greetings and best wishes and for that I am so sorry. I miss all of you here and want to fill you in on a few personal things that may or not be TMI...😬🙏

After years of making excuses for my chronic pain (most notably in knees and feet), I was finally diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and have been getting treatment for several months. I am now bone-on-bone in my knees which makes life a bit challenging. I am deeply affected by weather and have been grinning and bearing the non-stop flare ups since winter started. I am not complaining...just explaining.
The pain and frustration has been a distraction and has me more "farm bound" than usual. This condition certainly hasn't limited or affected our famous dinner bookings and special events, but it may hopefully explain why I have not been as active on here as usual.💊✍️👩🏻‍💻

There's more LOL...

On February 24th, I will be undergoing abdominal surgery to remove all traces of my "female package +" (no...not that package 🤣) which negatively affects me nearly 2 weeks out of every month. Thankfully, the surgery timing does not affect any of our current bookings and I am grateful for an amazing staff that will be on call during this period to assist. 🍷🍽️
Following that, I will be undertaking other pain-management initiatives so I can flutter excitedly through all occasions without limping profusely or making cheesy wincing faces whenever I sit down lol.😫

Of course I will be taking it easy but thankfully cooking does not fall into the "heavy lifting" category.

In an effort to get back into the swing of things with you guys, we are going to have our first DRIVE THRU of 2025 on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20th. So many of you have been asking so we're going to do it. I will drop the menu on Super Bowl Sunday and will keep you in suspense until then. It's inspired by TIKTOK and it's going to be EPIC. Stay tuned for more info on that!

I want you to know that I miss you all very much and look forward to more consistent posts and updates where we get to chat. I have some very exciting things in the works for this year and can't wait to share them over time.

Stay warm and stay tuned!
Love to all,
Andi xo❤️

04/27/2024

So honoured to have served a “Midnight in Paris” themed menu to these amazing volunteers for the Hospice Renfrew Community! While I was busy competing at an event in Arnprior, my girls knocked it out of the park! Thank you ladies!🙏🇫🇷

Lots of love, butter, wine and cream went into this one lol! ❤️🧈🍷🍴

03/28/2024

One more sleep! 🎉
It’s going to be a beautiful day for a drive-thru! Hayden and I are looking forward to seeing you between 4-6pm!

Enjoy this incredible weather everyone!

Andi xo❤️🐣

It’s menu drop time! 🗓️🎉
Here it is my lovelies! Your second drive-thru menu in as many weeks!

We’re taking “fish Friday” to another level with this one. Every meal includes an 8oz portion of sushi-grade salmon marinated and baked to perfection in local maple syrup, soy and a few other secret ingredients…topped with sesame and green onion. 🍣
I’ll be glazing some sweet carrots in brown butter and making my very own creation of “Butter Tart Rice” with roasted pecans and more sugar-bush goodness. All meals include a fluffy homemade brioche bun AND a sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce. All for only $25.00 ALL-IN.

🚨Now for the important details that you love so much:

✅All orders must be placed through Facebook Messenger or email at [email protected] to ensure receipt;
✅Payment in advance via e-transfer to [email protected]. Those of you without online banking may absolutely pay with cash or debit upon pick up;
✅Pick up between 4pm-6pm on Friday, March 29th at 667 Northcote Rink Road. *We may also accommodate special timing requests;
✅Order cut-off is Wednesday by 5pm or until we sell out.

Can’t wait for round 2!

And we're ready to go!
Andi xo ❤️