And that’s when he began experimenting in culinary arts. “At five years-old, I was regularly treating my mother to breakfast in bed,” boasts Clements, while sitting in the lounge of the newly renovated eatery. “We’re not talking corn flakes with milk. Nope. She’d be treated to the works – bacon, eggs, toast and juice.”
When his parents left the restaurant business in the mid 1980s, Clements continued to dabble in cooking. “Very few jobs have been non-restaurant related, in fact, its hard for me to stay out of the kitchen” muses the engaging father of two young children.
Prior to graduating from Fleming College in 2001, he apprenticed at Bass Lake Restaurant (the roadhouse his parents once owned), Deerhurst and Cranberry Marsh Cove.
“Deerhurst was just an amazing experience,” he recalls. “The cooking staff was incredible. They really shaped my career aspirations.”
Locally, he made the rounds at Georgian Downs and Fitzy’s Crab Shack before settling into the role of head chef at Thornton’s Village Inn. When Mark and Cathy Porter, owners of the Village Inn, opened Shutters this past September, Clements rose to the challenge. Moving into the long-abandoned historical structure, originally built in 1908 to house the Allandale Railway YMCA, wasn’t easy. “The place needed lots of love. It had major potential, but had fallen into a state of disrepair,” he explains.
The $1 million renovation took approximately a year to complete, restoring the building to its former beauty. Paying homage to its past, Shutters is chock full of antiques and various historical photos of Barrie and Allandale grace its walls.
“It’s just such a gorgeous building. People are thrilled to see it occupied once again,” says the young chef, who also teaches part-time at Georgian College’s culinary arts program.
Breathing new life into the historical site was important to the owners. “We just love the character of old buildings,” explains Mark Porter. “It’s important to keep some of these old traditions going.”
A ghost may even reside at the dining facility. “It’s as haunted as heck,” says Clements with a twinkle in his eye. Legend has it that a cleaning lady was murdered there years ago. “She’s quite active,” explains the chef. “She enjoys turning the TV off and on and rattling the glasses from time to time.”
Ghost tales aside, Mark describes his cooking philosophy as simple. As for his style, it’s updated classical with a twist. “I really like comfort foods,” he explains. Clement’s signature menu item is seafood mac & cheese. “It’s an obvious nod to comfort foods, but, I like to kick it up, and make it decadent with lobster, shrimp and crab.”
His kitchen caters to various taste buds. “We’re not just a straight up chophouse and steakhouse,” Clements points out.
A quick scan of the menu reveals a variety of mouthwatering temptations including Manitoulin Island blackened trout fillet, forest mushroom fettuccini and duck spring rolls. An extensive chophouse selection caters to meat lovers.
Local ingredients play a pivotal role in his recipes. “I think it’s really important to support our local farmers and producers,” he says. “It’s great for the local economy, good for the environment because it reduces food miles; but, best of all you can’t beat the freshness and quality”.
Clements cites Peter Vanderpost’s Kestrel Farms in Essa Township, as an example. “Peter picks the mixed greens in the morning, and delivers them to us that same afternoon (almost year-round). You can’t get much fresher than that.”
As for his greatest compliment? Someone recently told him that a seafood dish he prepared tasted like their grandmothers. “It meant a lot to me because everyone knows grandma’s cooking is simply the best.”
G.L. What’s your favourite gadget?
D.C. My KitchenAid mixer because of its versatility. With attachments you can whip cream, grind meat, make sausages. The list just goes on. It’s a workhorse and I literally use it everyday.
G.L.What’s your favourite ingredient?
D.C. Anything local. But, if I had to pick just one thing -- it’s pepper. I really enjoy the flavour it puts out. It creates a bit of heat and spice. Each type of peppercorn whether black, pink or Madagascar green has its own signature – and I like them all.
G.L. What are your favourite table settings?
D.C. I’m pretty traditional. I like clean, white, rimmed plates.
G.L. What are the culinary highlights in Simcoe County?
D.C. There are so many great producers and family run farms in Simcoe County. I love going to Barrie Hill Farms when the berries and asparagus are in season. I enjoy visiting my friend Peter Vanderpost of Kestrel Farms (organic produce) to see what’s growing on his farm. His heirloom tomatoes and mixed greens are just fantastic. Universal Game Farms in Coldwater offers wonderful game meats. Dickey Bee Honey in Innisfil, the Barrie Farmers’ Market, and Nicholyn Farms are other good finds. For anyone interested in the local food scene, there’s a great new website available www.simcoecountyfarmfresh.ca. It features various local farms and producers, and I highly recommend it.
G.L. Any advice for the home cook?
D.C. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes those mishaps are the mother of invention.
Shutters
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