If there’s one thing that can be said of the magnificent red barn that beckons from the corner of Highways 311 and 200, it’s that exciting new things are always happening there.
In recent months, Whitetail Meadow has expanded its offerings to cater to a much broader demographic. No longer just a wedding venue, the company now includes the Whitetail Café and Gift Shop.
In a few weeks’ time, the restaurant’s menu will expand to include the savoury award-winning barbecued meats that Tortuga Smokehouse has become known for: slow-roasted ribs, prime rib, pulled pork, brisket, and chicken—all made in house.
Niverville resident Adrian Bruce is the master chef and founder of Tortuga Smokehouse. Bruce has been barbecuing on a competitive scale for the better part of ten years. Last year, he and his team were dubbed grand champions at the Manitoba barbecue championship.
With specialty cookers that can be taken on the road, Bruce’s company also offers catering services for events of any size. Last year, at one event alone, he and his team served more than 2,000 guests.
“We come from the competitive catering world,” says Bruce. “The sit-down [dining] is still a space we have to grow into. But it’ll be hardcore barbecue. No burgers and fries. You could not get any more genuine barbecue than what we’ll serve at [Whitetail]. Every piece of meat is inspected and hand-cut, then seasoned and cooked [from scratch]. It’s what we call real food. That’s something that we’re very proud of.”
Bruce’s specialties go beyond fall-off-the-bone meats, though. Some of his popular side dishes include mac and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, and Mexican corn.
The from-scratch model he applies to his meats also applies to his side dishes and meat rubs, as well as one of his more unique creations, the barbecue parfait.
Like it sounds, the parfait is a savoury layering of baked beans, brisket, mac and cheese, pulled pork, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce served in a 20-ounce cup. On the menu at the Whitetail Café grand opening in early March, it was a popular option for the hundreds who stopped by the restaurant that weekend.
David and Jen Neufeld are the proprietors of the Whitetail Café and Gift Shop. David says they were pleased at the number of people who poured in on opening weekend, some to dine and others to browse the wide array of items in the shop.
For the time being, the café and gift shop are open from Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“What we’re trying to do is tiptoe into the market and find where our place is going to be,” says Neufeld. “Once we gauge demand, then maybe we’ll expand our hours.”
Neufeld, too, is a foodie who knows his way around a commercial kitchen. At present, the menu primarily consists of homemade soups, artisanal sandwiches, and a variety of salads.
Beginning this spring, the Tortuga barbecue experience will be offered on weekends with the anticipation of expanding to weekdays if demand requires. As well, the duo anticipates offering barbecue dinners on special occasions like Mother’s and Father’s Day.
“This venue is just such a genuine fit [for us],” Bruce says. “The reason why the relationship [with Whitetail] was appealing to me is that the Neufeld family, the ownership group, have [garnered] great respect within the community. But also, there’s parallels in terms of standards of service, quality food, and presentation. That’s very important to us, too.”
Bruce, who was working alongside Neufeld in the kitchen on opening weekend, says he took the time to appreciate the guests who were coming and going from the café and gift shop that day.
What intrigued him was the fact that, after their arrival, people were in no hurry to leave. The ambience is such that people are enticed to linger and enjoy each other’s company.
For Neufeld, the idea to include Tortuga Smokehouse in the café partnership stemmed from the Black Earth barbecues and barbecue supply line that Whitetail is now a dealer in.
And since there are few restaurants within the region that specialize in southern-style barbecue, it gives diners from around the southeast one more reason to make the drive to Whitetail Meadow.
“We sell ourselves as a destination location,” Neufeld says. “We want people to come in for an ice cream cone or a sandwich, maybe find an interesting book or a gift item. And maybe they’ll walk our grounds. We’ve got 30 acres with miles of paths that cut through our woods here.”
