After a brief hiatus and a long-awaited change of locale following the successful release of her fourth studio album in 2018, folk-pop singer Emma Cook recently released a new 11-track album that aims to proivde listeners with a different perspective than her previous projects.
Unlike the introspective and experiential storytelling of records like Living Proof and Same Old Song, Cook’s 2021 album, Fight Left in Me, sees the acclaimed artist look outward in an effort to portray the untold stories of (mostly) women whose identities are often tangled up with those around them.
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with the multi-talented musician, who filled us in on a few of her favourite food and drink spots in her new home of Huntsville, ON.
Breakfast
I’m a sucker for baked goods and discovered Windmill Bakery one morning when the power was out and I was desperately searching all over town for my morning coffee.
When I arrived there was a pretty big cohort of people waiting for their morning fix including the hydro workers I have since learned that Windmill is a Huntsville staple and for good reason. They have a delicious array of breakfast sandwiches, croissants, apple fritters and freshly baked bread and the coffee was good too!
Lunch
Long patio lunches are one of the things I miss the most since having kids—we have a few picky eaters and it’s hard to get anyone to sit still long enough for me to enjoy a glass of wine. So I was pretty excited to find That Little Place By the Lights which is an adorable little Italian restaurant on the main street in Huntsville.
In the summer, the patio in the back is super chill, with picnic tables set up looking towards the river and park. Unlike most fancy pizza places, they also have a “normal cheese pizza” as my 7 year old calls it, which doesn’t have any of that yucky green stuff (aka basil). They also do a mean plain pasta with butter. These guys know how to make homestyle Italian food, and I live for their mushroom ravioli, best paired with a glass of Pinot Grigio.
Dinner
I’ve always had a thing for chip trucks—as a kid I would always look forward to them when we went to cottage country. With two kids and a dog, we don’t do a lot of sit down restaurants these days, and a few years ago, before we called Huntsville our permanent home, we came across Smokin’ Hot BBQ, and I can without a doubt say they make the best burgers I have ever had.
The women who started it were obviously onto something and what started as a little chip truck quickly turned into a massive BBQ operation, with throngs of people lining up on the weekends for delicious two day smoked ribs, burgers, cornbread and poutine. My kids are on board for the insane cotton candy covered milkshakes. Summer Saturday night plans in Huntsville should include eating a Smokin’ hot burger while sitting in a red Muskoka chair in their parking lot location and listening to a live country band. Perfection.
Drinks
Huntsville has a new craft brewery [called Canvas Brewing] and the beer is fabulous! In the summer they have a huge rooftop patio where you’re allowed to bring outside food in from the many great food trucks dotted around. They often have live music so it’s a win win for me!
