By Doug Eglington
On this warm spring evening in the charming village of 
Bronte, there’s a gentle breeze coming off the lake and laughter fills the air on the patios of southwest Oakville’s much loved urban eateries. To toast the new season and share his journey from dishwasher to restaurant impresario, we’re fortunate to be joined by local gastronome, Doug Greco.
Q) Is it true that your mother’s terrible cooking drove you into the kitchen?
Absolutely. I took a job as a dishwasher at a decent restaurant because it came with a free meal. My father used to say, “If you don’t like it burnt or well-done then don’t eat here.” He was so right.
Q) Why give up being “young and hot,” as they say, at the back of the house?
Without formal training as a cook, I had to sweat it out on the line and work my way up in the kitchen under a lot of great chefs. But I was hungry for more after a while, as there wasn’t a lot of money or prestige to be found in the back of the house. Now, decades later, that’s all changed and today’s celeb chefs have amazing star power and huge followings. Today you’ll find me “old and seasoned” as the saying goes, in the front of the house and dealing with all manner of issues. I’m still a hands-on guy and genuinely love the business, but young and hot I’m not!
Q) You’ve built a collection of specialty restaurants, a catering powerhouse and now Taste Marketeria, all within Bronte. There’s got to be a story…?
It all began when my lawyer partners David Bowker, Robert Lush and I got together and opened The Firehall, our casual cool bar and hot grill. Our wings, arguably the best in Southern Ontario, became the talk of the town. Next came Cucci, our modern Italian restaurant. Hard work and determination soon earned Cucci a spot on the list of the top 100 places to eat in Canada, despite the fact that the Star called it, “One of the best restaurants you’ve never heard of.”
It’s been full-on openings ever since; Plank, Tavolo and Taste, plus crazy ongoing renos and expansions as well.
Q) Are Bowker and Lush behind the bar or involved in day-to-day operations?
No, the pair of them are not so good at making gnocchi so they stay out of the kitchen. We’re very close, it’s a great partnership and we talk all the time. But it’s best if they just come by when they’re up for a good meal.
Q) Your pig’s ear salad has gone the way of the dodo bird? I thought it was a favourite, along with the “dumb son”?
Ha-ha! We change our menus every three months—our chefs can be wonderfully creative. They work hard to develop relationships with local farmers and bring in seasonal produce.
Having said that, there are some quintessential customer favourites that we’d be hard-pressed to lose. I imagine there’d be a revolt if the killer wings came off the menu at The Firehall.
Q) Let’s talk for a moment about the Chef’s Academy that’s taken off at Taste.
It’s a bit of a sexy concept for us. A boutique food shop run in concert with our growing catering division. We’ve found a way to have some fun carrying the freshest, finest local food items selected and used by our chefs.
Expect everything from yummy baked goods to in-house-made lasagna, flattened chickens and take-out sandwiches. The coffee bar is bustling and the Chef’s Academy, where our chefs host cooking demos in their custom-built theatre, is a big hit.
Taste kind of links everything we’re good at together and gives us a relationship in the everyday lives of our customers. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends so I’m pleased that it’s taken off and I can go home again at night.
Q) You must eat well. What’s on the menu at your house this evening?
Well it won’t be Plank’s American tapas. that’s for sure. I have two small kids so if I’m lucky it’ll be “small plates” of Kraft dinner again…I guess some things never change.
Doug Eglington is a South African who sells European appliances to
Canadians.
