By MAGGIE M , Editor  http://thewedge.LIVE

Laurie Anne Brennan founded the NOAL Pantry and Local Eatery, a name that stands for, Natural Organic Artisan Local, in August 2016. She hails from a large, close-knit family in Lombardy. She sharpened her culinary skills in Toronto to bring them back to Smiths Falls and build her dream business, a retail dining model that is on the rise worldwide–out of necessity.

The current NOAL location is on Main Street, just East of Beckwith, Smiths Falls. It is conceivably the healthiest place to dine away from home (in many cases, better than home.) All produce, grains and meats are procured locally first, regionally second; there is no avoiding the 3,000 mile coconut.

Brennan’s advocacy extends to local business support. She is committed to helping businesses in town and nearby. This includes local farmers. As we sat conversing, a fledgling grower of garlic and pumpkins, Terry Graydon, Highland Organics, joined us in conversation. Another entered with a fresh beef brisket. Rarely do you see food arrive fresh daily from the hands of the producers. It is more often a chain supplier with cans and cartons filled with processed ingredients.

“I use Impression Printing, I shop at HD Office supplies, my high chair is from The Gilded Monarch, I use a local electrician, local natural gas service and local plumber. My main suppliers are Two Rivers Food Hub, J Quattrocchi, Valley Custom Cutting, and then I also shop at Modern Thymes and Foodsmiths,” Brennan enumerates off-the-cuff. This Chef lives her profound beliefs: opens her wallet locally.

While Brennan is cooking up unique dishes in the kitchen, one of her missions can be read in words inscribed on the wall:

When you BUY from a small MOM/POP business you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a MOM put food on the table, a DAD pay the mortgage or a student pay for college…”Our Customers”…are our shareholders…and they are the ones we strive to make happy. THANK YOU for SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Her main mission rolls off her lips frequently.

“This is my baby. I don’t have children,” Brennan shares. “I want people to eat good food.”

To say this woman is photogenic would undermine the heart that beats with a genuine love of people. The most invisible and disenfranchised are on her mind, always. Brennan is a Chef who nurtures with food–no reservations.

This writer was served an inordinate number of courses; but, I experienced first-hand the depth of its quality, freshness and flavours across the menu. We barely touched the menu.

Here was my meal (most was packaged to consume over days). It was a feast, not a meal.

Pumpkin Soup with Biscuit MAGGIE M FAVORITE : 5 STARS (organic long island cheese pumpkin grown by Highland Organics with Cortland Apples grown by Barkley’s Apple Orchard, Red Thai Curry, coconut milk and organic chicken bone broth.) IMAGE ABOVE

Shoots Sprouts and Leaves side salad MAGGIE M: “perfect balance with exceptional dressing”, “a little heap of health.” (Red sorel, pea sprouts, red leaf, shallots, shredded black radish, shredded carrots, apple cider vinaigrette with honey (Tony Berger‘s) and Perth Pepper and Pestle Mustard.) IMAGE ABOVE

Salade Folle MAGGIE M’s FAVORITE : 5 STARS (Organic mushrooms salad, organic Carleton Mushroom Farm‘s portobello and cafe mushrooms sauteed with local garlic supplied by Two Rivers Food Hub, red onions from Foster Family Farm, shallots from Waratah Downs Farm, Kricklewood sunflower oil and house made raw honey (Tony Berger) and apple cider vinaigrette. Cider vinegar from Barkley’s Apple Orchard. Served on a mix of shoots. Sprouts and leaves suppliers: Burt’s Greenhouses, Patchwork Gardens, Forman Farms.)

NOAL Signature Sandwich (Organic pork loin coffee rubbed, Perth Pepper and Pestle burger mustard, spicy Bombay red pepper jelly, caramelized onion, aged cheddar on organic multi-grain bread.)

Nourishing Bone Broth (Highland beef broth, simmered for 24 hours, from knuckles and shanks. The marrow in the broth is anti-inflammatory and a cure for many ails.)

Braised Brisket Sandwich (Highland beef, pasture-raised in Lanark Highlands, caramelized onions, Perth Pepper & Pestle Mustard and horse-radish, served on brioche, with pan-roasted potatoes in sunflower oil from Curran, Ontario) (brioche is made with 75% non-gmo bread flour from Quebec and 25% sifted bread flour from Homestead Organics with Rosecamp Farms eggs, Sunflower oil from Kricklewood Farm, our bread starter named Princess Daisy Candycane Allen, named by Brennan’s 5-yr old niece Gracelyn, and yeast.)

Mac and cheese MAGGIE M : “exceptional!” “extra cheese pieces bursts with flavour” (Canadian wheat durum semolina pasta noodles sauce is made with St. Albert Aged Cheddar and Mozzarella and Glengarry Fine Cheese Celtic Blue, Reid’s Dairy Cream topped with fresh house-made hollandaise, torched.)

Organic Chicken Sandwich MAGGIE M: “anything but boring chicken salad!”(Celery Quattrochi, rainbow carrots from Patchwork Gardens, red onions from Foster Family Farm, mayonnaise, local lettuce, tomatoes from Suntech, Haas avocado, organic multi-grain bread.)

Egg Salad on Biscuit (simple egg salad with mayo and green onions, local leaves and a warmed buttered tea biscuit made from Brennan’s granny Olive Holden’s recipe.)

DESSERTS AND BEVERAGES

Braided Spicy Challah Bread (Spiced citrus-rich challah (egg) brioche braided with local honey, local eggs, local cream, Kricklewood sunflower oil, sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds.)

Maple Sticky Bun MAGGIE M: “Amazing!” (Made with citrus spiced rich brioche with cranberries, orange and maple syrup…lotsa butter!!!)

Back: Carrot Cupcake MAGGIE M : “luxurious, 100% healthy dessert” (Carrot cake is made with local carrots, local eggs, local maple syrup, pumpkin and sunflower seeds with cream cheese icing from local, chevre Glengarry Fine Cheese.)

Middle: Maple Cream Butter Tart with Pumpkin Seeds MAGGIE M: “best I ever had!” 5 STARS (Butter tarts are maple cream butter tarts with local eggs, cream and maple syrup and lard crust.)

Front: The NOAL Brownie MAGGIE M : “Moist and too good for one sitting!” (Gluten-free brownie is made with dark cocoa, local eggs, local cream, organic cane sugar.)

Dutch Cocoa Hot Chocolate (house-made chocolate syrup with maple syrup and vanilla. Hot chocolate is made to order with milk and 10% cream topped with whipped cream and shaved organic chocolate.)

The wedge.LIVE recommends NOAL. 5 STARS !

Price category for two : $15-35 (no license) Breakfast and Lunch. Dine-in OR Take-Out.

NOAL Pantry & Local Eatery, 5 Main Street East, Smiths Falls, Ontario

Check Trip Advisor: Rated 5 on 5 Here is the link.

This is a Chef to watch!