The return of seasonal eats at Old Cut Boat Livery

By Care Lucas

Old Cut Boat Livery has been owned and operated by the Ferris family for 95 years. What was once the home of the Old Cut Inn, operated by Harv and Ev Ferris, is now a bustling but serene setting for boaters and foodies alike.

Today, the property is owned by the Ferris’ grandson Ray and his wife, Amie. They have breathed new life into the space, and co-own The Chip Ship—one of the many seasonal food businesses in the area. Now in its eighth season, The Chip Ship closes for the winter and reopens in April.

“It’s always nice to see the familiar faces and returning customers come back after so many months,” Ray Ferris said.

The Chip Ship is known for its fresh French fries, hotdogs and burgers. Popular choices on the menu include the Buffalo chicken poutine and the Double Double—a Quebec-style poutine topped with deep-fried cheese curds. But one dish out-shines the rest: The Original Dill Pickle Fries.

Ferris said the inspiration for the dish came from the Dill Pickle Pizza at The Catherwood and the Kiln in Vittoria. Originally, it was to be a one-time feature. But people kept coming back for more and eventually the dish went viral on social media.

“I, frankly, had no clue whatsoever how much people really like dill pickles,” Ferris said. “We really caved into the demand from our customers… We added it as a full-time menu item.” And Ferris wouldn’t regret it.

The Dill Pickle Fries attract tourists from far and wide. Recently, a family drove three hours from Windsor to try them. And if you think that’s far, visitors from Australia enjoyed them so much, they ordered The Chip Ship’s Dill Pickle hoodies at Christmas so they could represent the business down under.

Ferris said there’s never a bad day on the job because the customers are all there to enjoy themselves.

“They sit channel-side at our picnic tables. They watch the boaters go up and down. They watch the ducks and the geese. They watch the happy anglers come in with fish,” he said. “It’s not just about the food, it’s the location that offers an experience to people as well.”

Old Cut Dairy Bar & Pizza Co.

Old Cut Dairy Bar & Pizza Co. shares that location and sentiment. “We always wanted a spot on the Old Cut,” owner Courtney Marshall said. She opened in 2022.

“We just thought it would be really cool to have a neat dessert place with different things than just ice cream.”

At the time, Marshall noted that residents in the area would have to attend a local fair or drive to Canada’s Wonderland to find fair-foods like funnel cake. It prompted her to bring funnel cake, as well as treats like flurrys or giant lemonades, to her establishment.

Marshall spends a lot of time researching new ingredients. Last year, she created the Reese’s Explosion— chocolate and peanut butter sauce, with chopped up Reese’s peanut butter cups and whipped cream, topped with more peanut butter sauce on a funnel cake. This year, during a trip to Florida, she discovered that popular cereals like Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch and Lucky Charms make delicious flurry filling, so she’s adding that to the menu.

After her first season, Marshall decided to introduce pizza as well. She went to great lengths to perfect the recipe, even attending the World Pizza Expo in Las Vegas for inspiration. She has since added wings to the menu too.

But Marshall said she owes a lot of her business’s success to her staff. Some of her staff are as young as 15. She said it has been rewarding to see how the older staff members have mentored the younger ones. She’s watched friendships form in what she considers to be a positive space where her team can develop real-world business skills in a safe and supportive environment.

She wants her customers to relax and smile in a clean, friendly and fun atmosphere. Marshall even maintains a fun billboard sign in the hopes that it will make people laugh.

“If I can make them laugh or take their mind off their problems for three minutes, then I succeeded. That’s why I do it.”

The Old Cut Dairy Bar & Pizza Co. reopens the weekend of May 3 and their hours will expand soon after.

Both businesses feel lucky to operate in such a beautiful location. “We are surrounded by so many wonderful people down there,” Marshall said. “We’re really lucky people.”

“My wife and I are fourth-generation operators [of Old Cut],” Ferris said. “I couldn’t bear to see our family business that had been in the family for three generations [when my parents were retiring] leave our family.”

Originally printed in The Good News, May 2025.