A Chat With Liam Potvin

If you’re looking for internationally inspired, contemporary Canadian, farm-to-fork cuisine, chef Liam Potvin is your man. Impassioned about supporting local farmers, Potvin takes inspiration from the global marketplace; he enjoys Mexican, Japanese, French food and more, and uses local ingredients like venison, bison and fresh local produce to create eclectic dishes with Canadian flair.

Potvin’s passion for cooking started at the age of 10 when he began helping his parents cook meals in the family kitchen and would jot down recipes he made in little notebooks (he still has those notebooks to this day). He continued to develop his cooking skills in the years that followed with part-time jobs in food service, like flipping burgers at fast-food joints and working his way through various roles at an Italian restaurant. But it wasn’t until his wife encouraged him to follow his passion and talent for cooking that he began to take a serious look at turning his culinary skills into a career. That route eventually led him to The Social Bar + Table in Port Hope, Ont., a popular community favourite that utilizes its strong relationships with local farmers, producers, breweries and wineries to serve up tasty, unique cuisine. Potvin was drawn to The Social Bar + Table for its ethos: delicious, fresh food made from local ingredients to support a small community. 

In fact, from a foodie point-of-view, Potvin feels that Durham Region has a lot to offer. “You can go down the road in Port Hope to Algoma Orchards and pick some apples, or go to Osland Farm Market to grab some eggs,” Potvin points out. “Or you can go to Pingle’s Farm Market in Hampton for fresh produce, and then there are the local wineries, cideries and breweries. We have so much available in this area.”

When asked to name his favourite spring ingredient, Potvin responded with an enthusiastic, “Ramps!”  Similar to wild leeks but with a smaller bulb, tall stalk and long, broadleaf at the end, ramps were once a lesser-known, under-utilized ingredient but have grown in popularity because of their garlicky flavor.  

“I think they’re really unique and interesting and also quite versatile,” Potvin says. “You can use the tops to make pesto or throw the bottoms into pasta. If you have some leftover, you can pickle them for infusions in the fall.”

Though the pandemic hit the culinary industry hard, Potvin is excited for what’s to come. He’s been devoting much of his time
to creating new menus
for a new restaurant that
The Social Bar + Table launched in June 2021 called TwentySix. We have no doubt that Potvin will put TwentySix on the map, just like everything else he has touched.