Bluebird: Worth the drive to Stratford
It’s worth the short journey to the Festival City to experience Aaron and Bronwyn Linley’s new venture, Bluebird Restaurant. Here are a few of my thoughts from my recent food column in Metroland Media papers.
Chefs often move around as they seek unique challenges and test themselves against new opportunities in different kitchens in different cities.
The culinary pair of Aaron and Bronwyn Linley ran the successful Bijou in Stratford for more than a decade; they then operated a boutique catering business before they headed to Toronto in 2018, each to pursue new aspects of their careers.
But the homing instinct is a strong one: they’ve returned to the Festival City to open their new venture, Bluebird, located in the space that was once The Mill Stone and the beloved Down the Street.
“We decided we wanted to be closer to family and friends,” says Aaron Linley. “We wanted to be closer to our community.”
Both are Stratford Chefs School grads, where they met; their return and the reawakening of 30 Ontario St. was met with eager anticipation by that community when they opened in November.
A narrow, long space, Bluebird’s front bay window looks onto Ontario Street; the rear window onto York Street and the Avon River.
In between, the decor is quaint and cosy with what might be called warm whimsy, including a vintage brass bird cage.
The eclectic ambience is ideal for Bluebird’s bistronomy menu, a style that evolved in 1990s France blending casual bistro cooking with a gastronomic experience.
For more, visit Waterloo Chronicle.
