Catering: Jake and Humphreys’ Bistro delights diners with mastery in deceptively simple dishes

We dream of a day.

Someday we’ll create the thing. One day we will live there. One day we will be our own boss. If we’re lucky, an opportunity – a big break or a helping hand – will help make those dreams “someday” come true. For chefs Janet Duncan and Klaus Ristanovic, the opportunity that clarified their foggy day dream of owning a restaurant was a house on New Hamburg’s Main Street.

“We were both working at Waterlot at the time and one day decided that we would like to have our own restaurant,” says Duncan. “It was a bit of a pipe dream, a ‘it’s never going to happen’, but we’ll try.”

For the previous half-century, it was a family home where its former owners raised 13 children. Although the 1860s house required a lot of work, the simple boxed building had good framing and a lot of potential. They bought it in 1995 and spent the next 15 years living upstairs, cooking in local restaurants, and paying off the mortgage. Additional funds were spent on gutting, modernizing and transforming the ground floor into a restaurant, doing much of the work themselves with the family.

They opened Jake and Humphreys’ Bistro in 2010. His namesakes, two beloved moggies, are immortalized in the stained glass in the front window.

Since then, the co-chefs have created delicious meals from their small kitchen, while their dining manager, Christine Jovanovic, and a waiter have taken care of the guests. Before the pandemic, enthusiastic and promising students would be supervised in the kitchen.

“It was good because it was built regularly, every year. At the end of 2019, we knew we were going to break another record, ”says Duncan.

“Well, in a way, we broke another record,” Ristanovic adds, referring to the business impact of the pandemic. The federal wage subsidy program allowed them to keep core staff and continue with a take-out menu against a backdrop of reduced incomes and fewer seats.

The two chefs met while working in the kitchens at Waterlot – Ristanovic worked at the French restaurant for 18 years, being its longest-serving chef. The bistro is part of the legacy of the iconic old restaurant that continues in the region.

Jake & Humphreys’ Bistro is an upscale casual spot. Their menu is steeped in Western European tradition and features a few Asian-inspired dishes. The soup and fish offerings are usually renewed weekly. Here we are mastered in deceptively simple dishes that showcase succulent meats and well-crafted flavors.

Their gazpacho ($ 7) has lively, balanced and fresh tomato flavors. Diced cucumber, tomato and onion provide a crunchy contrast to a velvety soup, while the frozen celery sorbet adds a sweetness to the herbs.

Grilled Shrimp with Julienned Vegetable Salad ($ 15) includes a crunchy white coleslaw, intertwined with carrots and strips of peppers. The smoky, nutty flavor of its Korean-inspired dressing complements the plump, sweet shrimp char. A scattering of black and white sesame seeds completes the dish.

Speckled with black pepper, Pan-Roasted Arctic Char with White Wine Butter Sauce ($ 26) features a plump, moist coral streak. Grapefruit and orange supremes and fleshy blueberries balance its richness. Accompanied by braised red cabbage, jasmine rice, and tender, crunchy vegetables, it’s easy to see why it’s a guest favorite.

Mixed vegetables, cabbage, and rustic mashed potatoes accompany the New Zealand rack of lamb ($ 22, half rack). The rich and flavorful chicken demi-glace flecked with rosemary is wonderful with the buttered chops.

A well-made caramel is always a treat, and the browned puddle accompanying the J&H Brownie ($ 8) is a joy. Along with the deep dark brownie wedge is a scoop of homemade caramel ice cream. A better person than I would have shared this dessert (although I did share the free chocolate toffees).

Duncan and Ristanovic have worked diligently for 15 years to make their “someday” a reality. A decade after opening, Jake and Humphreys’ Bistro showcases their satisfying and often intimate continental dishes and is a testament to their persistence, skill and talent.

“It was a long-held hope and dream, and there were times we thought it wouldn’t even happen,” Duncan says. “And then it happens. “

Bistro Jake & Humphreys

196 Peel Street, New Hamburg

519-622-1143

jakeandhumphreys.com

Facebook: @JakeandHumphreys

Instagram: @jakeandhumphreys

Twitter: @jakeandhumphrey

Hours: Wednesday to Saturday: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (last place: 8 p.m.); Sunday to Tuesday: closed.

Menu: A casual upscale continental restaurant with some Asian-inspired dishes. Soup and fish options usually change weekly. Wheat flour is in the kitchen, but most dishes are gluten free; vegetarian options available on request. Wine and beer available for take out. Food and wine menus posted on the website.

Payment: Cash, debit, electronic transfer, Mastercard, Visa

How to get your food: Pre-ordered pickup.

Dinner in: Patio and dining room. Reservations recommended. No delivery.

Accessibility: Limit. Entrance to the restaurant is via a series of steps, without an automatic door opener. The toilets have grab bars and a “comfort height” toilet. Parking on the street.

The law project: $ 88.14 for two starters, two main courses and one dessert.

Ordering food in the time of the coronavirus: As restaurants make day-to-day decisions, check their social networks or call them for updates. Lists of restaurants open while dining halls are closed can be found at bit.ly/3d2JV74 and wilmotstrongertogether.ca; a crowdsourced list is on Facebook’s Food In The Waterloo Region at bit.ly/3d1cKAX.