By Thomas Smith
Walking into Feast and Fusion, you are greeted by bright colours and a collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles memorabilia. A handwritten menu board with cheeky names like This Little Piggy greet you to let you know that yes, their food is homemade, and yes, it is made with love.
Then the mouth-wateringly cheesy aroma of pizza hits you.
Mitch Alexander and his partner Vincent Parkhurst are thrilled to have celebrated their grand opening of Feast and Fusion on Friday, May 23.
“I started cooking with my Mom and that is where I learned really good, healthy, from-scratch cooking,” said Alexander.
Alexander, a resident of Burnt River, began working in kitchens as a young adult, with his first job being at the Cow and Sow in Fenelon Falls. After graduating high school, he decided to go to culinary school and has loved his decision ever since.
Parkhurst, a Fenelon Falls resident became immersed in the culinary world while living in Montreal and never left, even when he moved back to Fenelon Falls.
Feast and Fusion began as a catering business while Alexander worked at the Lotus Indian Bistro in Fenelon Falls. Three years ago, Alexander met Parkhurst working at the bistro and have been inseparable ever since.
Alexander says that independence and the ability to control what is offered attracted him to open his own restaurant. Getting the chance to work with Parkhurst has been icing on the cake. Fully supported by Alexander’s husband, Adam Brant, they were stoked to see the former location of Bottled Up Meals and A Slice of the North become available on the market.
“It’s really cool here,” said Alexander. “Kinmount has a lot of potential. We hope we are going to bring something special here. Right now, the dining here is pretty limited.”
Brant says that the name Feast and Fusion comes from the Indigenous practice of feasting, with the fusion part of the name coming from the Italian-inspired foods and Alexander’s own innovative creations.
The restaurant’s opening was intentionally kept subtle to ease them into opening before getting things going at full bore.
By the Sunday of the Victoria long weekend, they completely ran out of cheese and were able to close their restaurant on the Monday. As I write this article, they post on their Instagram that they have sold out of dough, speaking to the quality and popularity of their offerings.
As 90s kids, Alexander and Parkhurst were big fans of the TMNT cartoon. With the cartoon turtles’ love of pizza, the pair decided that having the turtles around would be a fun and thematic way to show that they are family friendly. Alexander has yet to decide if Donatello or Michaelangelo is his favourite. Parkhurst says that Leonardo is likely his favourite, as he has become the unofficial mascot of their restaurant.
“My real favourite is Splinter,” said Parkhurst, earnestly.
Alexander’s culinary inspirations include Lynn Crawford and Massimo Capra.
“Pizza was an obvious decision because we had the oven and I love pizza,” said Alexander. “We kind of have an Italian theme.”
Feast and Fusion’s menu include a selection of pizzas, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, soups, loaded bagels, salads, and a selection of desserts.
Currently, they have three signature pizzas with a portion of the proceeds going towards charity. The Cat’s Meow pizza uses a white sauce base, with chicken, tomatoes, feta, parmesan, herbs, and a choice of one to 10 anchovies. Proceeds from the pizza go towards the cat sanctuary at the Highlands Cinema.
“We just love animals, and what Keith does at the theatre is super cool,” said Alexander.
The Sumac pizza utilizes a white base and is topped with sumac-infused caramelized onions, shawarma spiced chicken, tomatoes, olives, and herbs. The sumac offers a citrus note that compliments the buttery, rich flavours of the caramelized onions and shawarma chicken. The proceeds from The Sumac go towards the SUMAC Free Food Pantry and Community Garden in Fenelon Falls. SUMAC stands for the Sacred Unity Mutual Aid Collective, a nonprofit that Parkhurst and Alexander had a hand in starting.
“The Sumac is the most creative and delicious pizza we have,” said Alexander.
Their third signature pizza, called The Laughing Buddha also uses a white sauce base topped with vegan cheese, Beyond Meat sausage, vegan meatballs, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, and artichokes. Proceeds from the Laughing Buddha go towards The Dharma Centre of Canada (that is based in Kinmount). The Dharma Centre is a charitable organization that provides meditation masters, innovative scientists, artists, and healers the space to practice and teach meditation. The Dharma Centre is also dedicated to the study of philosophy, religion, and performs charitable works throughout Canada.
Feast and Fusion will also have a pay-it-forward board, allowing people to pre-purchase food for others that need it.
“We want to have big, bold flavours, but still feel homey,” said Alexander.
Well aware that Kinmount relies on the seasonal influx of business, Alexander has aspirations to remain open year-round. They also hope to offer delivery soon. With Alexander’s father recently retiring, he is hoping to recruit him to their team to assist them with deliveries.
Currently working as a duo, Alexander and Parkhurst are confident that they will be able to stay open until at least 9 p.m. on the weekends, catering to visitors leaving the Highlands Cinema.
Working together is a dream come true for the couple.
“We work really well together,” said Alexander. “It’s like we don’t even have to talk.”
“It’s easy,” said Parkhurst, noting that he does appreciate the opportunity to boss Alexander around.
All of the sauces that are used on their pizzas are made from scratch and they try to source as many Canadian ingredients as possible.A lot of their produce comes from a farm in Bobcaygeon.
Feast and Fusion does its best to adhere to dietary restrictions and has dedicated an entire oven to gluten-free products.
In the future, Alexander and Parkhurst hope to extend their menu with a Thai peanut inspired pizza, using their own butter chicken recipe. They also plan on organizing a colouring contest for kids, with free pizzas as prizes for the winner’s family.
Their rustic red sauce is lovingly homemade with traces of veggies like celery and onions. The pizzas are filled generously with thick, golden-brown cheese. Baked to perfection, the pair have perfected the ratio of topping and cheese to their deep set crust, which has a satisfying crispness.
Feast and Fusion is currently open on Thursday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. They are also currently open by chance on Wednesdays, with intentions to open later once they have more staff.
They are also currently looking for additional staff, encouraging high school students looking for a job to apply.
“We have no issues with things like tattoos or coloured hair,” said Alexander with a laugh.
Feast and Fusion is located at 4090 County Road 121 in Kinmount.