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9 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,N ovem ber 29,2018 w aterloochronicle.ca It's more than a myth - there's a legend that has evolved around the gigan- tic smoked pork hock at The Olde Heidelberg Res- taurant and Tavern [http://www.oldhh.com/]. The deliciously rich chunk of meat is part of the culinary history of the re- gion, and it's a phenome- non that includes tourists travelling from Toronto. Roughly a decade ago, word got out in Toronto that the smoked chunk of pork demanded a visit, even from 100 kilometres away. Soon, buses of hungry visitors de-boarded and packed the dining room during the summer, ac- cording to Heidelberg co- owner Gayle MacMillan. "A Chinese gentlemen from Toronto ate here, and he wrote an article in a To- ronto Chinese newspaper," says MacMillan who has owned the business with husband Bob MacMillan for over three decades. "That was about 10 years ago. Since then, we've been crazy busy, and we get bus loads and large groups," she adds. In summer, they'll serve as many as 1,200 hocks. Located a few minutes from the popular St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, the Hei- delberg, by virtue of its 1860 founding, indeed warrants the "olde" spelling. The venue is part of a scattering of pubs and food establishments, especially in the region's four town- ships, that can be described as serving "Waterloo Coun- ty fare" or country pubs and taverns that serve dishes traditionally associ- ated with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. (I have to add parenthet- ically that with the closing of the Blue Moon in Peters- burg, that number is sadly getting smaller.) Such cuisine is meat- heavy - specifically pork - and that is highlighted by the Heidelberg's "no trim" menu features of dishes of bread and meat only - there are no vegetables allowed on these plates: spare ribs, country sausage, pork hock, crispy broasted chicken and pigtails all foreground the meat. Although it doesn't brew its own beer any lon- ger, the Heidelberg was one of the first on-site micro- breweries in Ontario, pre- dating operations such as the original Brick Brewing Company. You could once sit at your table feasting on pork hock while looking in- to the brewery facility in the next room. Originally called the Great Western Hotel by its founder Heinrich Muller, the Heidelberg was a stage- coach stop between Kitche- ner and Millbank. It's now a stop for the hefty pork hock, also known as the classic Bavar- ian schweinshaxe. The cut of pork, located just above the animal's ankle and just below the ham section, is prepared and smoked by Stemmler's Meat and Cheese, less than a block away on Lobsinger Line. In the large Heidelberg kitchen, the pork hock needs a low and slow brais- ing to soften the tissues and break down the tougher cut into the tender, fatty and juicy rich meat. Add to it some mashed potatoes and some sauer- kraut, and you've got a dish that Edna Staebler would be proud of. The popularity of the dish crosses all cultures, it should be noted. "A lot of other people like the dish too," MacMillan says. "Not just the visitors from To- ronto." That makes it truly a dish you don't want to skip. Just make sure you arrive hungry. Andrew Coppolino is a Kitchener-based food writ- er and broadcaster. Visit him at waterlooregioneat- s.com or email: apcoppoli- no@rogers.com. DON'T SKIP THIS DISH: SMOKED PORK HOCK AT THE OLDE HEIDELBERG RESTAURANT AND TAVERN The smoked pork hock at The Olde Heidelberg Restaurant and Tavern Andrew Coppolino photo OPINION THE DELICIOUSLY RICH CHUNK OF MEAT IS PART OF THE CULINARY HISTORY OF THE REGION ANDREW COPPOLINO Column I've had a lifelong fasci- nation with vintage Santa dolls from the 1950s. Our daughters refer to the dolls as "sneaky San- tas" because of the mischie- vous look in their eyes. We sometimes see them in the antique markets during the holiday season, though they're becoming harder to find. So, I finally decided to purchase one from the St. Jacobs Antiques Market this past week and I'm thrilled with both the craftsmanship and the ar- tistic flair of Santa's "sneaky" appearance. At AntiqueTrader.com, Polly Hackett-Morey writes: "A golden age of toy Santas came about when 78.3 million Baby Boomer children (born 1946-64) cre- ated an immense market for huggable, sturdy Santa toy dolls. About 100 toy companies in the United States, and 12 in Toronto, Canada, were busy making them." Over the years, I have photographed many vin- tage Santa dolls at the an- tique markets and have no- ticed how they can vary greatly in shape, size and material. The one I recent- ly purchased is plush with a hard rubber face, mea- sures 16 inches in height and is a bit smaller than the majority of vintage Santa dolls I see. "The mid-1950s produced several forms of about 24- inch sturdy Santa dolls, with very well engineered shapes easy to cuddle," writes Hackett-Morey. "Most famous of these is the Rushton Coke Santa from 1957, which is 17 inches tall." I've also noticed how Santa dolls that were pro- duced years later have far less mischievous character and charm. "Santa dolls made in the United States in the 1950s have expressive, detailed faces," writes Hackett-Mo- rey. "Over time, faces lost their details to take on a more cartoon appearance. Dolls made overseas rarely have detailed faces. Any face that is fairly smooth, that is, doesn't look like an old man (but is not meant to be a baby) tends to date to late 1960s to 1970s." Like the antique orna- ments my family unpacks each year when we deco- rate our Christmas tree, holding my vintage Santa doll from the 1950s feels like holding a piece of history in my hands. "During the Great De- pression, the world didn't have money for extras like fancy Christmas decora- tions - homemade goods ruled," writes Hackett-Mo- rey. "Santa was a soothing character and a welcome respite after all the horrors of war. The postwar eco- nomic boom helped people lavish their large families with lots of toys at Christ- mas, instead of just a few things on the tree or in a stocking. The name-brand- ed licensed toys, starting with Barbie in 1959 came later. Santa had the field until the 1960s when cheap- er, less child-friendly dis- play-type dolls drove out more expensive U.S. toys." The world seems partic- ularly tumultuous these days, and an uncertain fu- ture has created a sense of global anxiety. Perhaps the "sneaky Santas" are be- coming scarcer because they bring comfort and joy to an increasing number of families like mine. Marshall Ward is a freelance writer and artist. Email is welcome at mar- shall_ward@hotmail.com. SNEAKY SANTAS Marshall Ward recently purchased this vintage Santa doll from the 1950s at the St. Jacobs Antiques Market. Marshall Ward/Photo THE GOLDEN AGE OF SANTA TOYS BRING JOY TO FAMILIES LIKE MINE, SAYS MARSHALL WARD MARSHALL WARD Column SUBMIT YOUR HOLIDAY BAZAARS AND EVENTS AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA