Metcalfe brings southern barbecue to downtown Elora

ELORA – Nik Potvin worked up a sweat splitting blocks of hardwood to feed two smokers at the Metcalfe Smokehouse, Elora’s newest restaurant.

Potvin is the Metcalfe’s pit master, his expertise honed at Crowsfoot Restaurant in Conestogo before some of the crew behind Elora Brewing Company brought him on to introduce southern-inspired barbecue to the village.

The day begins at 3am, when smokers are fired up with blocks of maple, hickory, cherry and oak, and lump charcoal for added flavour.

Once the smokers reach 225 degrees Fahrenheit, briskets are placed on the grills, slow cooking through the rest of the day.

Before hitting the grills, the cuts sit in a meat locker with a salt and pepper bark. After cooking, they rest for five hours and are at last ready to hit plates.

“Our brisket is an 18-hour smoke, and a 24-hour start-to-finish process,” said Dylan James, chief operating officer of the Elora Brewing Company and now a part owner of the Metcalfe.

The lengthy cook time breaks down tough collagen in connective tissues, turning the meat soft and juicy.

“The real best barbecue is really low and slow,” James said. “We wanted to do barbecue because we felt like it was a real, true opportunity to give the township a new thing.”

Elora is well served with burgers, fresh bowls, streak frites, French-Perisian cuisine and pub fare, James said, but the closest brisket and barbecue is found in Guelph/Eramosa at Ward One, or Crowsfoot in Conestogo.

‘Brand new restaurant’

James partnered withJim Murphy and Jonathan Laurencic, owners of Elora Brewing Company just up the hill on Metcalfe Street, in the new venture.

The Metcalfe officially opened on June 28 with patio-only seating at the former location of the Metcalfe Tap and Grill.

The smokehouse’s name is a nod to the former local haunt, which operated there for 22 years before being taken over by The Badley Steakhouse and Bar, which permanently closed earlier this year.

A bet on opening with a 120-seat patio during the summertime has paid off after two months of business, James said.

A total renovation of the restaurant’s main dining room, accessed from Metcalfe Street, is ongoing with a mid-September opening anticipated.

James said it’ll be like walking into a “completely brand new restaurant.”

Around the back of the building, an outdoor beer garden is under construction, and will be available for private events, along with the dining room.

The former Tartlet space, accessed from the patio and beneath the main dining room, has been renovated for patio bar service and grab-and-go takeout.

Coinciding with next month’s opening of the 80-seat dining room will be a “robust” cocktail experience, orchestrated by James, adding to the watermelon gin refresher, spicy margarita, whiskey lemonade and classics currently on offer.

Alcohol-free options include ginger beer and watermelon refreshers, Elora Brewing’s Gooder IPA, and a black tea with lemonade and honey and poured over ice.

Five Elora Brewing beers are currently on tap, along with a rotational line, and an espresso martini.

Toronto-based sommelier Natalie Pope is overseeing the Metcalfe’s wine list, sourcing from Italy, Chile, Spain and domestically from Prince Edward County and Niagara.

Southern influence, local priorities

The menu leans hard on slow-cooked meat – brisket, pulled pork, sausages, ribs, and chicken breast – with sliders, fried chicken, vegetables, salads and newly added southwest Texas-style fish tacos for lighter options.

The smokehouse unabashedly draws on South Carolina and Texas influences when it comes to food, but James said the operating philosophy is local.

Pork and chicken come from Wellington and Grey counties.

The Metcalfe’s brisket is made from grass-fed beef sourced from Murphy Pastures, a Milton farm owned by Jim Murphy, CEO and co-founder of Elora Brewing.

The wood is chopped at Chris’s Firewood, south of Ennotville on Highway 6.
Live music runs on the patio evenings from Friday to Sunday.

And starting in September, village residents can show a driver’s licence for a locals-only discount on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

“We know a lot about the locals … we know that great music, great food and community brings people together,” James said.