Chef John Armstrong raves about the quality of the heirloom tomatoes that he uses at Ernie’s Coffee Shop in Sault Ste. Marie. (Photo courtesy of Ernie’s Coffee Shop)
Nearly everybody in downtown Sault Ste. Marie knows Ernie’s, the neon-signed diner that boasts tableside juke boxes and freshly baked pies as the sweet punctuation to its comfort food. Reflecting on their legacy, long-time customer, Jordan Reynolds, says, “The owners and staff welcomed you like family. It was simply an all-around good experience. Ernie’s was more than a coffee shop. It felt like home.”
But can Ernie’s still be Ernie’s now that a new owner has taken the reins? John Armstrong thinks so. He acquired Ernie’s from two generations of the Febbraro husband-wife teams, first, Ernie and Judy, and later, Chuck and Donna. Armstrong is a Sault native who returned to his Ontario hometown to embark on a new career as chef/owner.
I sat down with John Armstrong to learn about his challenges in becoming the new leader of a local favourite.
Vacay.ca: You grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and after culinary college, you moved away. Why did you leave?
JA: Just to get out in the world of cooking. Toronto has a really good culinary scene and had significantly more to offer. It was an opportunity to learn with a lot of people eager to teach. There wasn’t a lot going on here. Coming from a small Northern Ontario city of 75,000, Toronto was an eye-opener. A big one.
A prized Nova Scotia halibut is among the highlights of chef John Armstrong’s menu at Ernie’s. (Photo courtesy of Ernie’s Coffee Shop)
Vacay.ca: Six years later you returned. What brought you back?
JA: Returning home at some point was always the number one driving force. I wanted to own my own place. For the few years that Ermie’s had been for sale, I was keeping my eye on it. Finally, I just pulled the trigger and said, if I am going to move home, this could be my only opportunity for a long time. I might as well jump on it, do my own thing and see what happens.
Vacay.ca: What were your challenges in honouring the legend while at the same time making it yours?
JA: Having grown up eating here, it was humbling to take over. The name. the neon sign and the juke boxes had to remain. I wanted to keep this landmark alive. I kept some standard menu items with a focus on simple food and few ingredients. The Febbraro family were really supportive. I received some backlash at first for making menu changes, but that faded quickly and the reception since has been very positive.
Vacay.ca: Are you pleased you made the choice?
JA: Yeah, I’m super stoked about it. The last five years have been a long road. We opened a month before COVID shut us down.
Vacay.ca: How did you cope with that?
JA: As best we could. It was a big learning curve. We set up a wood-fired BBQ and a curb-side market outside the front door. They took off. When we were allowed to move inside again, we put up panels between the booths and continued to offer takeout. We developed a fantastic following. I’m very grateful for that and proud and happy at what we accomplished.
Picnic tables and juke boxes are part of the colourful history of Ernie’s Coffee Shop. (Photo courtesy of Ernie’s Coffee Shop)
Vacay.ca: Which of these accomplishments comes to mind first?
JA: We broke the mold. Many small, independently owned restaurants in Northern Ontario communities seem to follow a formula. They’ve taken examples from big chain restaurants offering a large portion of meat, served with a variation of potato or pasta and a salad. Lots of food and lots of choices, but not a lot of change. Over the last couple of decades, they have gotten away from offering whole, humble local, real food.
Vacay.ca: How do your offerings differ?
JA: We change the menu consistently, offering seasonal, local foods. If we can’t source locally, we look to Ontario, then Canada. As much as possible, we make everything in-house, working with local farmers. Right now, tomatoes grown outside are in full swing and we put tomatoes on everything and anything. There’s nowhere else in this part of the world right now where you will get such beautiful heirloom tomatoes dressed with good olive oil or good vinegar and homemade ricotta.
Vacay.ca: And what happens when tomato season is over?
JA: By the end of summer, I can get tired of cutting finicky super ripe tomatoes and I look forward to fall and getting into squash, pumpkin and root vegetables. We do a few different squash plates, for example, and customers start asking, “When’s the squash thing coming?” It happens every year and we get excited. You get a certain amount of energy working with good food.
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Vacay.ca: How do you convey this energy to your team?
JA: I tell them if you are not putting energy and excitement into what you are doing — even if it is as simple as stirring a sauce — the result isn’t going to be as good as when you are excited and enjoy what you are doing.
Vacay.ca: What would you like Vacay.ca readers to know about Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region?
JA: It has untapped agricultural food potential and it is an outdoor paradise that no one – not tourists or residents — use to its full potential.
Vacay.ca: When you are not cooking and running Ernie’s, what do you like to do?
JA: Things to get me outside. From September to December, I love bird hunting. In summertime, I forage for mushrooms. Both are activities related to cooking.
Vacay.ca: Have you travelled very much in Canada?
JA: A couple of years ago, I made an effort to bop around Montreal, Quebec City and as far east as PEI where I spent a couple of weeks working in the food sector. The abundance of seafood and the quality of the produce was amazing.
Vacay.ca: Where in the world would you most like to visit?
JA: Croatia, for sure. Anthony Bourdain sparked this interest. And then, anywhere in Eastern Europe because I love that style of cooking — fermented vegetable, pickled things, cold water fish and rye-seeded bread.
Vacay.ca: Complete this sentence, when I travel, I never leave home without. …
JA: Hand sanitizer. I am such a germaphobe. And my Filson duffle bag and Barbour jacket.
Vacay.ca: Where would you like to be in five or 10 years? And what would you like to be doing?
JA: Here in The Soo, because it’s such a beautiful city. I’d like to open a second restaurant. A quaint, even quirky little place that has a different vibe from the romance of the diner.
