Yum! Food lovers weekend

Twice a year, the Oliver Bonacini Café Grill in the Westin Trillium House at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ont. opens its doors to food lovers. Hosted by Anthony Walsh and Todd Clarmo, the corporate executive chefs of Oliver Bonacini restaurants, the weekends are opportunities to learn, share and explore the wonderful world of gourmet cuisine.

After a Friday night drive from Toronto, Collingwood surprised my partner and I with about 12 inches (30 cm) of snow. It was only the first weekend of November and we had brought along our mountain bikes expecting to ride. A wine-and-cheese reception in front of the fireplace in the hotel's main lodge gave us a chance to mingle with our fellow food lovers. We were in good company as talk of wine, favourite foods, food philosophies and food memories flowed as freely as the wine.

The next morning, after a late and very enjoyable breakfast of perfectly poached Eggs Benedict and good strong coffee at the café, a walk through the village was a perfect way to gear ourselves up for the afternoon cooking demonstration. Walsh and Clarmo led us through the preparation of a goat cheese tart with locally grown sunchokes and a variety of radishes as well as a dish of black cod with a screech and maple syrup glaze. As we sampled the creations (both of which were incredible), Peter Bodnar Rod, an award-winning sommelier based in Niagara, spoke of the wines paired with the dishes -- the Peninsula Ridge Sauvignon Blanc and Henry of Pelham Riesling.

A cheese-tasting led by maitre fromager of Auberge du Pommier in Toronto, Scott McKenize, highlighted some of the great cheeses from around the world, including a goat cheese from the Loire Valley, an Italian teleggio, a Spanish sheep's milk zamarano and a beautifully aged gouda.

On Saturday night, the group eagerly gathered in the hotel's Panorama Room. All day the chefs had been preparing what was to be a stunning five-course dinner. Highlights included a Queen Charlotte Islands scallop-and-lobster dish served in the scallop shell with a light lemon and fennel risotto. Both the scallop and lobster were so delicately prepared they seemed to melt in my mouth. The ultimate dish, a seared bison tenderloin with a braised bison cheek in red wine sauce had meat so meltingly tender and flavourful that I decided then and there I would be happy to eat only this for the rest of my life! Fantastic wines matched each course and incredible cheeses were on the cheese plate. Four hours later, and totally satiated, it was time for some well-deserved rest.

After another lazy breakfast in the café, it was sadly time to return to reality. Even though I can only speak for my partner and I, I am sure everyone left with the same feeling of complete satisfaction. The grand hospitality and royal treatment was something a person could definitely get used to!

The Westin Trillium House at Blue Mountain and Oliver Bonacini offer the Food Lovers Weekend package twice a year and a Foodie Package year-round. And as a life-long food lover I can easily say they do not disappoint. Mark your calendars for next spring and be prepared to have your senses delighted.