The Merrill Inn, on the main street of Picton one block from the worn downtown shops and designated a significant architectural structure, is a step back to provincial Victorian elegance. Back to a time when agriculture nourished the economy, canneries were plentiful and ships would take produce from Picton over to New York state. Tourism is the new economy these days, and innkeepers Amy and Edward Shubert are keeping pace.

Amy is a good cook in her own right, with county fair ribbons for her fruit pies, but now she and Edward have lured talented Michael Sullivan from Toronto to run their restaurant. The menu accurately describes his style as “elemental French cuisine with North American sensibilities”. My wife, Lis, and I were overnighting between St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.