"People tend to look to a restaurant for more than food," said Mark Morgensen, chef/owner of the Black Birch Restaurant on the Hockley Road. "They care about the food, but they want a pleasant evening as well. I work to make a good ambience in my restaurant so that no one feels hurried - they can just relax and enjoy their meal."

To add to that ambience, Mark brings in entertainment twice a week: a guitar player, Norman Leota, strums through the evening on Thursdays and there are jazz musicians playing and singing on Saturdays.

Mark came to Hockley Valley, about 18 months ago, when an acquaintance of his, David Watson, heard he was looking for a place. David knew a couple who wanted to purchase the property on which the restaurant stands but needed to secure a tenant for the business as part of the deal. They offered Mark the premises and he decided to take the plunge.

Mark had been a partner in a restaurant/spa combination just the other side of New -market. However, for him, the restaurant was not a success and he sold the business in 2007. He took the summer off to think and to look for another place in a more urban setting.

In spite of thinking that he wanted to stay in a town, when he came to see the property in Hockley, he liked the vibe of the building. As a boy, Mark had gone to school in Tottenham and he told me it was like coming home.

He said, "I felt comfortable when I walked in the place."

There was plenty to do by way of upgrading in the kitchen and renovations in the dining area but he opened on November 15, 2007. The owner of Creemore Coffee dropped in while the work was going on and Mark opened an account with him.

"It's great coffee," he commented. "Our customers really like it."

Naturally, a restaurant is a continuing work in progress. Last year, the septic system was updated and now the restaurant has 50 seats.

Also, the means of attracting customers in this area have taught many lessons.

"The music wasn't drawing people at first," said Mark, thinking it over. "But music is such a prevalent thing here that I kept the musicians coming. People look forward to hearing them now."

Mark changes the menu on a regular basis and is always on the look- out for new wines. He recently took on two new wines from Featherstone Winery in Niagara. "Why not go with Ontario wines?" was his comment. "There is some nice wine coming out of the Niagara region. It's good to shop close to home."

Many local residents remember the restaurant when it was "The Woodside" and they have come to the Black Birch to check it out.

"People appreciate having a restaurant in their neighbourhood," Mark noted.

Along with this, the Black Birch is now open seven days a week.

Commenting on this, Mark told me, "I met Melissa McTeer whose cooking I really like - good taste, nice textures - she subs for me two days a week - usually Tuesday and Wednesday."

In answer to my question, Mark told me, "It is worth it to open Mondays, when all the other fine dining restaurants are closed. Sometimes, people want to eat out on a Monday, so they come here."

Going back a bit in Mark's personal history, he went to U of T to study chemistry. In his second year, he moved into a house with friends and found he had a flare for cooking. In his fourth year, he realized he did not want to be a chemist.

So, he went back to school, to George Brown College and then got jobs working with good chefs. His mentor, Chris Klugman, is a well respected chef, currently in Summerhill, Rosedale.

Of his future, Mark is happy where he is.

"I just like cooking," he replied to a question about his ambitions. "I offer a fresh cuisine; it's all about the quality. The better the food, the more simply you cook it. If the food is substandard, you have to work harder with it to make it taste good. Some of the best food is simple. We cook fresh daily and this time of year is great. I buy the best steak I can and serve it simply, with just a little red wine reduction. I drop into a farmers' market on my way to work and I've been working to know the local farmers. Now I can get my lettuce from a green house in Hillsburgh - it's so good - so fresh. I'm primarily a French or Italian cook, but I'll cook anything."

He finished the espresso he had been sipping.

"I just want to be part of the community," he said. "And I'd like to have a 100-mile restaurant."