A Glorious Meal at The JW Marriott in Muskoka + Air Canada Lounge Rule Changes

It’s always great to get away to the wonderful J.W. Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa. It’s doubly great when you get a fabulous meal from one of Canada’s top chefs, and assisted by one of the top names in French cuisine, with wine pairings to boot!

My wife and I were invited to take part in a six-course tasting menu at the resort on the weekend. It was a perfect June day, with sunny skies, temperatures around 21 C, and no visible smoke in the sky.

We were treated to appetizers (including parmesan fritters) on the sun-splashed patio, as well as glasses of Prosecco.

We then retreated into their lovely Italian restaurant, Teca, for the next five courses. Chef Massimo Capra was in charge, but he was assisted by a team of 57 other cooks (!), including French Master Chef and Toronto restaurateur Didier Leroy.

We started off with a salad called Rinforzo, which Capra said is a specialty in Naples. It featured romaine, escarole, cauliflower, large, sliced capers, roasted peppers, green and black olives, and hot red peppers. The olives were terrific, and it had a nice kick from the hot peppers.

Next came a small dish of roasted ricotta cheese, topped with zucchini, ramps, pickled shallots, vincotto and extra virgin olive oil. Tasty, and beautiful to look at.

We were then served a terrific poached pickerel dish with fresh herbs, asparagus, peas, julienned carrot slices, leeks and celery. It was moist and tender and delicious. (Capra said he likes to poach cold-water fish, but prefers grilling fish from warmer waters.)

Each dish was matched with a wine chosen by the resort’s sommelier, who did a terrific job. All the wines came from Lifford Wine and Spirits, the largest wine consignment agency in Ontario. We had Vermentino, a crisp Wilhelm Walch Pinot Grigio 2022 from Sicily (easily the best Pinot Grigio I’ve ever had), an Astoria Prosecco 2021 and a Solosole Vermentino 2021 for the whites. For our last two courses, we had a very good Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino 2020 and a sublime Poggio Al Tesoro “Il Seggio” 2020, which is a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Wowza.

The Rosso di Montalcino was served with a tremendous pasta dish; fresh pillows of agnolotti filled with wild boar, in a butter, sage and cranberry sauce. The final dish was a beautiful rack of lamb crusted wit olives and green onions, and with roasted cherry tomatoes on the side.

Capra and Leroy kept it light for dessert, with a lovely panna cotta mixed with a bit of yogurt for depth of flavour) and served with strawberry and rhubard. A perfect June dessert for Ontario.

Our waitress, Rebecca, was outstanding; very polished, professional and fun to talk with, and both Capra and Leroy came out of the kitchen to chat with guests.

Leroy told us he’s opening a French-Japanese place near Avenue Road and Wilson Ave. in North Toronto later this year. I was lucky enough to dine at Capra’s Kitchen in Mississauga a couple years ago, and loved it.

It’s always a treat to stay at the JW Marriott The Rosseau, which sits high on a bluff overlooking Lake Rosseau; about 15 minutes north of Port Carling. The views are tremendous, and there’s a great indoor/outdoor pool, kayak and canoe rentals, oodles of Muskoka chairs, a pontoon boat for lake tours, and much more.

We had a lovely room on the weekend, with a comfy king-sized bed, a sofa bed, big screen TV for watching the Canadian Open golf tourney, and a huge bathroom with double sinks, a shower and a nice bathtub. There was also a two-burner stove, a microwave, a mini-fridge and a coffee maker, as well as a fireplace.

In addition to Teca, the resort’s Muskoka Chophouse serves up great steaks, as well as crab cakes and a popular dessert called “S’mores in a Jar.”

The resort also has a Hydrotherapy Spa, which I haven’t had the pleasure of trying. As well, you’re just a one-minute drive from The Rock, a fine Muskoka golf course that’s laid out among patches of exposed Canadian Shield. 

The resort also is great in winter, with skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more.

AIR CANADA AND AEROPLAN MAKE LOUNGE CHANGES

As a long-time Air Canada Aeroplan member, I got an email this morning from Air Canada about changes they’re making to their lounges, including a rule that allows customers into the lounge only when their flight is three hours away. “We put a lot of care into creating an enjoyable experience in our Maple Leaf Lounges and Cafés. Offering you a place to relax and recharge every time you visit is core to this commitment,” the note said. “If you’ve visited one of our lounges recently, you may have waited in a line at the door, waited for a seat once inside, or observed other guests doing so. This is not the experience we want for you, nor the one our teams wish to deliver. “To address this, we are making significant investments across our network, including expanding seating capacity in our hub locations, introducing new menu offerings, and implementing eGates with digital identification to facilitate a quicker entry process to our lounges. In addition to these investments, we are implementing new policies to ensure our lounges are more consistently available for you and all our eligible travellers.       Important Policy Updates “Effective June 13, 2023, access to Maple Leaf Lounges, Air Canada Cafés, and Signature Suites will be limited to three hours prior to scheduled departure time. Please note that this policy does not apply during flight connections or flight delays. Last fall we announced the discontinuation of complimentary access to the Maple Leaf Lounge for Aeroplan 35K Members as of June 1, 2023. These members will continue to receive two Maple Leaf Lounge passes per year.       “Our goal with these changes is to create the best possible experience for you and all our lounge guests, ensuring we maintain the exclusive atmosphere and comfortable respite these lounges were designed to offer,” officiails said. “Longer term, you can look forward to significant improvements to our lounge network. “We are building new locations across our network, including the newly opened Aspire | Air Canada Café at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) and our newest Maple Leaf Lounge, opening in San Francisco (SFO) later this month. There’s more to come as we continue to build a best‑in‑class lounge experience for you.” Here’s a look at the new Aspire | Air Canada Café at YTZ.

IHG REWARDS DEAL

MORE WAYS TO GET TO IRELAND

In early June, Air Canada reactivated seasonal routes from Vancouver and Montreal to Dublin, which will complement its year-round flight between Toronto – Pearson and the Irish capital, reports aviacionline.com.

“Our customers in Ireland will benefit from even more travel options, a direct link from Dublin to our three hubs in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto during the summer season, as well as convenient onward travel options to destinations throughout the Americas. We look forward to welcoming our customers on board,” said Bláithín O’Donnell, Air Canada’s Country Sales Manager in Ireland.

DAILY GETAWAYS GOES LIVE: GREAT DEALS FOR U.S. TRAVEL

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