By Emily Stonehouse

When I first scheduled an interview at Features Brasserie in Fort Irwin, I set aside an afternoon. 

Not because I planned to spend the entire day out there, but because I assumed it would take me a while to get there. 

When I arrived in less than half an hour from the village of Haliburton, the owner and operator of the new establishment, Steven Rowell, had a chuckle on my behalf. 

“It’s a lot closer than people think it is,” he said. “I’m actually closer to Haliburton from here than I was when I worked in Eagle Lake.” 

Nestled in the heart of the little Fort Irwin Cove, Features Brasserie offers a warm and inviting atmosphere; with soft colours, bright windows, and debatably the most impressive bar offerings in Haliburton County. 

Rowell opened the business with his co-owner, Alex McCracken, and the dynamic duo certainly know their way around the kitchen, having both worked in a variety of restaurants and accommodations for over 30 years. “We both have diverse experience in the industry, and we bounce off each other,” said Rowell. 

“I’ve been in the industry for 37 years now,” he said, who noted that he got his start working at Pinestone as a teenager, before exploring the culinary world both locally, and across the country. 

Having dabbled in everything from fine sushi restaurants in downtown Toronto, to exploring high-end French and Italian restaurants around the province, Rowell brings a wealth of experience to the role in the new restaurant. 

And his heart has always been in the Haliburton Highlands. After years working at Sir Sam’s Inn in Eagle Lake, Rowell was seeking a new opportunity, and he knew the building in Fort Irwin had been sitting vacant since the former tenants, Till Death BBQ, relocated their establishment. 

Rowell saw the opportunity to bring something a little different to the community, and he jumped on it, opening the doors officially on July 15, just this past summer. “We intentionally kept things quiet for the first little bit,” said Rowell. “We wanted to settle into a little bit of a routine, but it’s been great so far. It’s been so much fun.” 

Upon opening their doors, the owners quickly figured out ways that they needed to accommodate their local audience. With the original vision of the restaurant being to solely offer lunch and dinner, that vision shifted when a demand for breakfast was put on the table. 

Now, the restaurant is open from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., every day except Wednesday. On Sundays, they close at 3 p.m., “so we can have one hour of a weekend,” laughed Rowell. 

He said that at 6:30 a.m. most mornings, there is a lineup at the door, waiting for their morning cup of coffee. 

And Rowell believes that the coffee is the best in the county. Working closely with Oliver Zielke of Rebel Elixir Coffee Roastery, Rowell has spent months carefully formulating a blend that is unique to the restaurant, and people come from near and far to get their hands on it. Rowell has started selling the custom coffee in bags, for those wanting to brew their own at home. 

The bags of coffee are lined up next to the homemade pies, savoury pastries, and sweet treats that the restauranteurs offer each morning. They also sell some basics, such as bread, eggs, and milk, to save the locals a trip into town, and maybe entice them to stay for a slice of pie and some lively conversation. 

But what is a brasserie? “It’s a French term,” shared Rowell, when asked, “and it is an offering that is very casual food, very family-oriented, but with a pairing of fine wines and spirits.” The restaurant logo is “comfort food refined,” which is exactly what the menu dons. 

The lunch menu offers a variety of palatable pleasures, such as fresh warm sandwiches, homemade fish and chips, daily quiches, duck drumettes, and of course, McCracken’s famous pickle soup, which has hit the international stage through culinary competitions. “People travel for hours for this pickle soup,” said Rowell. 

And each meal has the option to be accompanied by one of the many wines, spirits, or local beers that the restaurant carries. 

Rowell’s passion is as a sommelier; with nearly 30 years of professional wine experiences under his belt. He did his training in 1997, and has been educating himself around the culture of wine ever since. “Back then only 20 people were allowed in the training course each year,” he said, “and only four or five would graduate.” 

Rowell noted that all of his wines, alcohol spirits, liqueurs, and craft beers come from small, award-winning Ontario Craft producers. “Nothing from the standard LCBO list,” he said. “I purchase directly from small producers.”

When I set aside an afternoon to feature the new addition to the culinary scene in our community, it was because I thought it was a distant drive. In reality, I spent much of the afternoon exploring the food, the wine, the coffee, and of course, the conversation. Rowell’s passion for the industry is palpable; always looking at expanding the offerings at the local establishment, and catering to the needs of his community. 

Features Brasserie is located at 5014 Haliburton Lake Road.