“We want to make great food, and we want to have fun doing it.”
The Second Wedge has always been about crafting a thoughtful story. Now a partnership with Foundry Kitchen is the latest flavourful addition. As The Second Wedge approaches its 10th anniversary in December, the Uxbridge brewery has a book’s worth of stories to tell, but few chapters are as memorable as the past few years.
They were forced to pivot significantly due to COVID-19 pandemic closures. No sooner were they gaining momentum in 2022, the Uxbridge tornado destroyed their premises—requiring co-founders and owners Rob Garrard and Joanne Richter to rebuild.
Restoring the brewery was no small feat. Today the space looks better than ever, but it needed one last touch: Enter the Foundry Kitchen.
The two businesses were well acquainted. “We were already regulars,” says Foundry Kitchen owner and chef, Steve Lovisa, noting that it was his family’s proximity to the brewery is one of the reasons they love living in Uxbridge.
Lovisa, a classically trained chef, had been running Foundry Kitchen and Bar in Port Perry since 2016 and was looking to team up with The Second Wedge during the pandemic. That led to Foundry Pi—a satellite pizza kitchen housed in a converted shipping container in The Second Wedge’s beer garden.
On just their second day of operation, Lovisa and his pizzaiolo (pizza chef) were inside the container when the tornado swept through. Thankfully both escaped uninjured and they were excited to return to the space when it re-opened. Then late last year opportunity knocked once again.
With Lovisa’s Port Perry restaurant at the end of its lease and the building in need of repairs, Lovisa approached The Second Wedge to see if they would be open to him and his team coming on board.
Foundry Kitchen at The Second Wedge was born.
A New Beginning
Even after the brewery’s extensive rebuild from the tornado, the addition of the Foundry required an entirely new space. When the Port Perry restaurant closed its doors in December, Lovisa spent the next five months at The Second Wedge constructing a brand-new kitchen, complete with a large counter that opens into the brewery.
“It’s beautiful,” says Lovisa, proudly showing off the sparkling new kitchen. “In an older restaurant you’re always getting some surprises, but here because we built from the ground up we got to know every last bit of it.”
“We want to make great food,” he adds, “and we want to have fun doing it.”
The Foundry Kitchen’s previous incarnation had been known widely as a fine dining restaurant—a label Lovisa rejects. It was, in his view, simple food that was just really tasty. While the new space does not offer the same expansive menu, it has given Lovisa the opportunity to get creative.
Along with their fan-favourite pizzas out of Foundry Pi which operates seasonally as a separate kitchen outdoors, the Foundry Kitchen offers a creative variety of appetizers and shareables, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and a popular Sunday brunch to accompany the weekly Uxbridge Farmers’ Market (open seasonally).
Yet don’t think for a moment that the kitchen is simply offering pub fare. Along with the staples, Lovisa serves up sophisticated offerings like tartare (he proudly grinds his meat in-house), traditional Mexican offerings, and vegan-roasted brussel sprouts dressed with tahini, lemon and zaatar.
Lovisa sources ingredients locally whenever possible, both to keep costs manageable and to support local businesses like his own. While he maintained some of the previous restaurant’s standard dishes, he also enjoys being playful with the offerings, and reflecting the splendor of the seasons.
For The Second Wedge, the partnership has been a great fit. “Steve really cares about beer,” notes Richter. “That’s why he’s been a perfect partner.”
Lovisa and his team are already working on beer and food pairings, which will soon appear on the Foundry Kitchen menu.
What’s Next
The Foundry Kitchen is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, and is already a hit with customers.
Summer offers live music in the beer garden and a running club for active patrons. Lovisa notes that they’ll keep Foundry Pi running ”probably until about Thanksgiving,” after which all food service will move indoors. Richter will resume hosting weekly trivia and other crowd pleasers. While the colder months have typically been slower for foot traffic at The Second Wedge, Richter and Lovisa are both hopeful that the addition of The Foundry Kitchen will give locals and tourists alike a reason to come—and come hungry!
No matter the season, The Second Wedge and Foundry Kitchen partnership is built to last. If you haven’t been to The Second Wedge yet this season, head on out for a beer indoors or in the beer garden. Just…be sure to bring your appetite.
Visit The Second Wedge and Foundry Kitchen
Check out The Second Wedge and Foundry Kitchen for yourself and let us know what you enjoyed the most. Tag @DurhamTourism in your social posts so we can follow along!