Jonathan Gushue has travelled the world and worked at some of the most acclaimed kitchens in the world. He has now settled in at The Gate in tiny Flesherton, Ontario. (Byron Beeler photo for Vacay.ca)
I have been a fan of chef Jonathan Gushue and his culinary magic for 15 years. When I learned that he and his business partner, Jennifer Bélanger, planned to open The Gate in Flesherton, 35 minutes from my then-home, I salivated.
If you were to predict where a world-renowned celebrity chef would set up shop, Flesherton probably wouldn’t be your first or 50th guess. This town of 590 residents, two hours north of Toronto, is but a speck on the map amid the lush farmlands of Grey County. In fact, it wasn’t the partners’ initial choice for an eatery in the area. But when zoning bylaws delayed their plans for converting an old mill into a restaurant in the neighbouring community Kimberley, they decided to pivot. Quickly. For the next three months, the team dug into renovations.
Vanillla pot de creme, made with hazelnut ganache and praline, is among the delectable menu items at The Gate in small-town Ontario. (Byron Beeler photo for Vacay.ca)
Soon, foodies could say hello to The Gate, a charming, 44-seat restaurant in a 150-year-old building on Main Street. It welcomed me like an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while, and the reunion was such a delight that I know my first visit will not be my last.
Before dining, though, I wanted to know more about Gushue’s career journey that began with the hotel and culinary management courses at Georgian College in nearby Barrie. His first stop was The Inn at Manitou, a posh resort. That stint led him to the Toronto Four Seasons Hotel followed by two years in Japan and the remainder of a decade in England. From 2005 to 2013, he was the executive chef at Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa, an exquisite Relais & Chateaux property where he earned a place on the prestigious San Pellegrino list of the World’s Best 50 Restaurants in 2010. The Berlin, in downtown Kitchener, where he was chef and co-owner, came next. In 2017, he went home to Newfoundland to helm the kitchen at the globally honoured Fogo Island Inn.
Returning to Ontario post-pandemic, a time when many in the hospitality industry were struggling to recover, he found plenty of work as a consultant for establishments such as the Elora Mill and the Bruce Hotel in Stratford. It was at that boutique property where Gushue and Bélanger formed GB Hospitality Services and decided to open their newest establishment.
Vacay.ca: Tell us about The Gate.
Jonathan Gushue: It’s an open-concept, gourmet restaurant with a casual vibe. One exposed brick wall provides a backdrop to the view into the small kitchen. The menu has a Mediterranean focus, with wines primarily from the Mediterranean, but also from Ontario. We created a veg-forward menu for guests to share. We are surrounded by farmland and producers, making it the perfect location for sense-of-place dining.
Vacay.ca: You have had many twists and turns throughout your career. How have all the places where you have worked affected what you do here today?
JG: I have cooked at 11 hotels and seven restaurants. I think they have all had a big part in what I am today and what we do here. A lot of it is learning gradually over time what people want and what people expect. And I’ve come to see that the personality of the property can tell you what to do. I find myself now very mindful of the location. If you pay attention of the property it will tell you what to serve and how to serve it. In a space like this, for example, should it be very casual, quick service, fine dining, a bistro, or a brasserie?
Vacay.ca: What is special about this community?
JG: The people are strong and very engaged. Whether it’s Grey Highlands or the neighbouring Beaver Valley, they are proud of the area and what it has to offer. We were welcomed with open arms. The day we opened in December, people who we didn’t know brought us gifts. We had never seen anything like it before.
Seared Albacore tuna is prepared with roasted pears sourced locally in Ontario’s Grey Highlands. The pears are roasted pears, and the dish comes with charred leeks finished with a cider-and-leek vinaigrette, and smoked pistachios. (Byron Beeler photo for Vacay.ca)
Vacay.ca: How do you create a sense of place?
JG: We let the building dictate stylistically what we do. And what we have done at The Gate is to lean on our neighbours — for their knowledge and for what’s available such as giving us access to producers and their products. For example, there are feral pear and apple orchards nearby. The fruit from these trees has character and unbelievable flavour because the trees have been left on their own.
Vacay.ca: How would you describe your cooking style?
JG: The root of my cooking would be my training which is classical French. It evolved with my time in Japan. Working in England has also had an influence. I aim for a natural cuisine where the food speaks for itself. I find the simplicity with which Mexican chefs put things together is totally inspiring.
MORE CHEFS: Whistler’s Wild Blue Ascends
Vacay.ca: Your resume is peppered with accolades and awards. Which one has been the most meaningful?
JG: That’s a hard question. I think I would say when Langdon Hall made the San Pellegrino list of the World’s Best 50 Restaurants. It was the culmination of everyone working so hard and working together. And everything working in concert so well.
Vacay.ca: You have been described as “deeply intelligent and unreasonable in your quest for perfection.” Is that a fair assessment?
JG: I think the suggestion for perfection is fair. I hope I am not difficult. But a chef once said to me, ‘Remember people are putting this in their mouth.’ I have always gone on the premise that you must respect the product. My father taught me, if you don’t do your best, what’s the point? I don’t believe in smoke and mirrors and I won’t do cheap food. If you treat the product well, it will treat you well.
Hand-cut pappardelle is one of the standout dishes at The Gate. It’s prepared with a simple noodle dough recipe that comes from Emilia-Romagna and is finished with milk, then served with roasted garlic parmesan and pistachio pesto. In true Southern Italian style, olive oil plays a massive part. (Byron Beeler photo for Vacay.ca)
Vacay.ca: Is the rumour that you have a large collection of cookbooks true? And do you have plans for writing your own cookbook?
JG: My collection includes 4,000 books. I am thinking about writing one.
Vacay.ca: You have worked from one coast to the other in Canada and travelled all over the world. Where do you go when you want to stop the world and get off for a while?
JG: Fogo Island, Newfoundland. It’s going home. It’s where they keep you grounded. I associate myself more with Fogo Island now than my hometown, St. John’s, which is quite a different community. Fogo Island was the experience I was always looking for when I went to The Inn. I can’t fully explain what it is like to go to sleep on the island other than it is the quietest, peaceful, most amazing experience.
Vacay.ca: And where would you like to visit where you haven’t been?
JG: The Faroe Islands.
Vacay.ca: Tell us something about you, the chef, that would surprise us.
JG: I cook French but eat Italian. I like simple things like good bread and butter. My death-row meal of choice would be spaghetti vongole — the simple clam dish that my father made.
Lion’s mane mushrooms are roasted in olive oil and finished with a smoked almond crumble and brown butter at The Gate. (Byron Beeler photo for Vacay.ca)
Vacay.ca: Your father’s cooking influenced you. Are your children interested in following in your footsteps?
JG: Definitely not! They have cooked with me and still do, but all three are all in university studying other things.
Vacay.ca: Where do you see yourself in five years?
JG: Here. For eternity. I would like to see The Gate continue to thrive and the Kimberley project finished and moving along with its own community-focused personality. I want it to be a really appropriate restaurant for that area. Working with Jen has been a huge benefit for me in planning and creating these spaces.
Vacay.ca: What would you like your legacy to be?
JG: I would like to leave this world thinking most people thought I was a good human.
