Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

2012

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide Discover what’s on our tables

Touring Wine Country • The Apple Pie Trail • Ontario’s Top Farmers’ Markets Veg, Vegan and Local • Fishin’ for Dinner • Follow the Cheese and Beer Trail

Experience The Taste of

ONTARIO’S SPECIALTY CHEESE Ask For These Ontario Produced Specialty Cheeses Made From 100% Canadian Milk At Your Local Specialty Cheese Shop & Where You Dine.

Niagara Gold St-Albert 7 Year Aged Cheddar Comfort Cream

Evanturel

ST. ALBERT, ONTARIO

St-Albert Cheese Co-operative Inc., enjoys worldwide renown for exceptional quality cheeses, which we have made for over 116 years. Since 1894, five generations of dairy farmers and craftsmen have worked to maintain St-Albert’s long tradition of quality. The products are all naturally aged.

The unique taste of St-Albert cheese is internationally known, whether it be aged or mild cheddars or their famous curds.

Niagara Gold is a semi-soft, washed rind cheese fashioned after recipes developed by the Trappist Monks of the Loire Valley. This is a cheese with nutty, earthy overtones and mellow, buttery flavours. This luscious cheese is delicately mild and sweet when young and gains pungency and piquant qualities with age. The rind may be eaten or JORDAN STATION, ONTARIO trimmed depending on your taste.

THORNLOE, ONTARIO

Evanturel is a supple, bloomy rind cheese with a striking streak of vegetable ash running through it. The ash lends an earthy tone to this beautifully rich, mushroomy flavoured cheese with a fresh milk finish. The ash actually draws some

7 Year Aged Cheddar has a very pleasant stronger aroma and more slightly acidic note than a younger 5 year aged cheddar. This cheese has a drier more crumbly texture, given its low moisture content. When eating, you will get slightly acidic note that will develop into wonderful fruity milk note characteristics as it warms in your mouth. It will be slightly buttery and exhibit crystallized granules.

Comfort Cream is a camembert-style soft, white bloomy rind cheese with a silky, creamy, golden interior. Rich flavours of fresh truffles prevail with an intense, buttery palate and a long, tangy finish. This delicate and luscious artisanal cheese is hand salted, hand turned and hand wrapped.

of the water out of the cheese, making it very creamy.

Evanturel is an artisan cheese - handmade in very small batches.

Enjoy The Great Taste Of Specialty Cheeses Made From 100% Canadian Milk At These Restaurants: Canoe, Toronto 416 364 0054 www.oliverbonacini.com/Canoe.aspx Nota Bene, Toronto 416 977 6400 www.notabenerestaurant.com Royal York, Toronto 416 368 2511 www.fairmont.com/royalyork One, Toronto 416 961 9600 www.onehazelton.com

Black Hoof, Toronto 416 551 8854 Cava, Toronto 416 979 9918 www.cavarestaurant.ca Bymark, Toronto 416 777 1144 www.bymark.ca Drake, Toronto 416 531 5042 www.thedrakehotel.ca

Inn on the Twenty, Lincoln 905 562 7313 www.innonthetwenty.com Vineland Estates, Vineland 905 562 7088 www.vineland.com Cowbell, Toronto 416 849 1095 www.cowbellrestaurant.ca Harbord Room, Toronto 416 962 8989 www.theharbordroom.com

welcome Editor Dick Snyder Art Director Craig Sinclair Contributors Greg Clow Pamela Cuthbert Davin de Kergommeaux Dan Donovan Suresh Doss Konrad Ejbich Maia Filar Kait Fowlie Val Howes Chris Johns Ivy Knight Lynn Ogryzlo Agatha Podgorski

Welcome to the 2012 Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide

Photography and Illustration Nick Craine Ashley Capp Pamela Cuthbert Suresh Doss Publisher Paul Alsop Associate Publisher Rebecca LeHeup

Wine Country Ontario

Advertising Paul Alsop Rebecca LeHeup Wendy Lyall Inquires: 647-827-1705 or 613-471-0102 Printed in Ontario.

Circulation: 125,000 copies The Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide is a collaboration between the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) and City Bites Media Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

All information is current at press time. The publisher cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy of all information and will not be responsible for errors, changes or omissions.

OCTA Executive Director Rebecca LeHeup City Bites Media Inc. 26 Dalhousie St., Suite 200 Toronto, ON M5B 2A5 647-827-1705 citybites.ca Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance 215 Spadina Ave., Suite 166 Toronto, ON M5T 2C7 416-644-3601 ontarioculinary.com

Niagara’s 13th Street Winery.

We are blessed in Ontario with an incredible mix of rural and urban experiences that allow us to enjoy and revel in the best of both culinary worlds. For visitors, we offer the vast and varied dining experiences of our major cities, as well as the more low-key activities of the surrounding regions. We recognize — and celebrate — that it’s these regions that provide the ingredients, and we’ve seen a staggering growth in interest in what goes on outside our urban walls over the past few years.

Thank goodness for that! Our farmers and producers should be the new rock stars! It’s our hope that this guide will help locals and visitors alike to discover the faces behind the food, the people and places truly at the root of the wonderful ingredients we enjoy everyday.

In these pages, we highlight the regions of Ontario that are pushing the farm-to-fork philosophy further, and creating the kinds of connections between producer and eater that tell the stories of our land in a meaningful way. We hope you discover those stories for yourself, and share them with your friends — and then please share them with us @ontarioculinary and @citybites.

Bon appetit, Rebecca LeHeup

Paul Alsop

Dick Snyder

Executive Director

Publisher

Editor

Ontario Culinary

Ontario Culinary

Ontario Culinary

Tourism Alliance

Adventure Guide & CityBites

Adventure Guide & CityBites

Cover Images - Top: Steven Elphick; Middle: Ravine Vineyard - Steven Elphick; Bottom: Laura Berman - GreenFuse Photos

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 3

Thunder Bay

2012

Contents 6 A Taste of Ontario Farmers’ markets, great Canadian food books,

social media tips, Michael Stadtlander’s gourmet art project, Oktoberfest and our newest wineries.

10 Toronto Eats Gourmet neighbourhoods, hotel dining, food trucks, how to eat local, beer in the city and top locavore shops.

17 Wine and Dine Great food and wine awaits in Wine Country Ontario.

20

Cheese and Beer Trail Discover Ontario’s artisanal cheese makers and craft brewers, sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada.

22 Eating Green Local hot spots for the vegan and vegetarian.

24 Savour Stratford The annual festival grows bigger and better each year.

25 Catch of the Day Top spots to dine on the freshest Ontario lake fish.

26 Clean Eating, Clean Living How to relax, rejuvenate and eat gourmet.

28 Dine and Dash Culinary adventures for mom, dad and junior gourmands.

30

An Apple a Day The Apple Pie Trail has activities – and treats – for everyone.

32 Spirits Get a taste of Ontario craft distilleries.

34

Signature Experiences Unforgettable Ontario activities with a “signature” gourmet twist.

4 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Index 26 Algonquin Park

28, 30 Collingwood

8, 22 Kitchener/Waterloo

6, 8, 22, 28 Ottawa

26 Port Severn

26 Alton

28 Georgian Bay

8, 17 Lake Erie North Shore

28 Owen Sound

8, 17, 26, 32 Prince Edward County 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 28, 32 Toronto

30 Apple Pie Trail (Collingwood)

22 Gravenhurst

22 Lancaster

28 Paris

22 Ripley

17 Twenty Valley

22 Athol

32 Grimbsy

22 London

17 Pelee Island

25 Sarnia

6 Uxbridge

22 Barrie

6 Guelph

25 Midland

24 Perth

25 Sarnia Lambton

8, 22 Vankleek Hill

8 Beamsville

13 Hamilton

17 Milford

22 Peterborough

7 Singhampton

8 Vineland

32 Bloomfield

8 Harrow

20 Muskoka

22, 26 Picton

22 St. Catharines

17 Wellington

22 Bracebridge

17, 26 Jordan

20 Neustadt

22 Plainfield

22 St. Thomas

26 Windsor

22 Burlington

22 Jordan Station

13, 17, 28, 32 Niagara

22 Port Credit

13, 28 Stratford

17, 26 Windsor-Essex

22 Cambellford

25, 28 Killarney

8, 17, 22 Niagara on the Lake

25 Port Dover

22 Thornloe

22 Thunder Bay

Thornloe

Killarney Park

Alqonquin Park

Ottawa Vankleek Hill

muskoka Lancaster

Manitoulin Island Bracebridge

Gravenhurst Port Severn

hastings kawarthas Plainfield Campbellford Peterborough Midland Belleville prince Picton edward simcoe Apple county Milford Barrie Pie Trail Bloomfield Athol Collingwood Uxbridge Wellington durham Oshawa Singhampton Creemore Alton

Owen Sound

Guelph Kitchener/Waterloo Ripley Neustadt huron

perth

Woodstock sarnia lambton

chatham kent

Port Credit

Vineland Hamilton Grimbsy Niagara on the Lake Beamsville St. Catharines Jordan Jordan Station Paris Niagara Falls Twenty Valley oxford niagara

Stratford

Goderich

Sarnia

Burlington

norfolk London Port Dover elgin St. Thomas

Behold our bounteous land!

Newcomers to Ontario are in the enviable position of discovering for the first time the breadth of delicious offerings that spring from our land and lakes. This map is your guide — a starting point, really, for your gourmet forays. The Index at

Illustration: Nick Craine

the top of the page indicates the pages on which the named town, city or region is mentioned. The map highlights

Lake Erie North Shore windsor-essex Windsor

our major highways for guidance, but of course there are innumerable local roadways to navigate and explore. And explore you must — great things and great people await!.

Harrow

Pelee Island

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 5

MARKETS

Tasty Farmers’ Markets A few of the best for local products and community vibe

By Maia Filar Evergreen Brick Works This community environmental centre takes the farmers’ market to the next level with a commitment to organic and non-GMO foods from all over southwestern Ontario.

550 Bayview Ave., ebw.evergreen.ca, @EvergreenCanada Sat 8 am - 1 pm, year-round T&T Waterfront Night Market

St. Lawrence Market brings great taste to downtown Toronto.

St. Lawrence Market

T&T is the pan-Asian supermarket perfect for picking up the cheapest lobster tails in the city, but for three nights in July (20-22) it hosts a waterfront night market with Asian-themed street food from more than 150 vendors.

222 Cherry St., waterfrontnightmarket.com,

LITERATURE

Culinary Guides The Ontario Table is an indispensable book for any culinary adventurer in Ontario, local and visitor alive.

Lynn Ogryzlo talks to chefs, farmers, producers and shop keeps to assemble a glorious portrait of eating in Ontario, with recipes and wonderful insights.

Lynn’s picks...

Classic Canadian Cooking: Menus for the Seasons

By Elizabeth Baird Elizabeth Baird, who hails from Stratford, is one of my culinary heroes and her cooking style comes right from the heart. Although this book is about Canadian cooking, it can’t help but be Ontario-centric with lots of Baird family recipes.

James Lorimer & Company, $19.95

@wnmtweets

TORONTO’S DOWNTOWN MARKETS St. Lawrence Market

ONTARIO FARMERS’ MARKETS

Officially one of the top 10 markets in the world —

Byward Farmers’ Market

thanks National Geographic! — rumour has it the

Founded in 1826 and now one of the oldest and

tradition began in the late 1700s when a local

largest in the province, Ottawa’s market occupies

man started selling carrots and fish out of the

four blocks near the National Gallery, with

barrel by the waterfront, known then as Front

260 year-round outdoor vendors selling local

Street. The tradition continues five days a week

produce, game and more.

at the South Market with 120 vendors selling

GET THERE: About 5.5 hours, 450 km east and

meat, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, baked

then north from Toronto. byward-market.com,

goods and dairy. Come on Saturday, grab a

Daily 6 am - 6 pm

breaded eggplant sandwich with peppers and onions at Uno Mustachio’s in the basement of

Guelph Farmers’ Market

the South Market, and then head across the

The market has remained the heartbeat of

street to the North Market, where Ontario farmers

this town since 1827 — worth visiting for its

have been selling their goods since 1803. Today

quaintness and park space alone.

it’s eggs, elk meat, homemade pies, hand-rolled

GET THERE: 70 min., 93 km west of Toronto.

red fife pasta and more. Sundays the market

4 Gordon St., guelphfarmersmarket.com

is closed but the north side has more than 80

Sat 7 am - 12 pm, year-round

antique vendors from dawn until 5 pm. Tip: If you want more info, the zany and charismatic

Uxbridge Farmers’ Market

Bruce Bell gives informative and fun market

Established in 2002, this is a standout if you’re

tours. Check him out at brucebelltours.ca.

looking to shop honest-to-goodness local. The

92-95 Front St. E., 416-392-7120,

vast majority of vendors are town residents,

stlawrencemarket.com, @StLawrenceMkt

so the community vibe is strong. Opens June 3.

South Market: Tues-Th 8 am - 6 pm;

GET THERE: 80 min., 80 km northeast

Fri 8 am - 7 pm; Sat 5 am - 5 pm

from Toronto.

North/Farmers’ Market: Sat 5 am - 3 pm

291 Brock St. N., uxbridgefarmersmarket.ca

Antiques Market: Sun 5 am - 5 pm

Sun 9 am - 1 pm

6 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Anita Stewart’s Canada

By Anita Stewart This Canadian culinary champion’s latest book is a beautiful tale of culinary traditions. Anita founded Canada Food Day and my new tradition is to collect friends and family to celebrate the day with an Ontario feast based around these recipes.

HarperCollins Canada, $34.95

The Harrow Fair Cookbook: Prize-winning Recipes Inspired by Canada’s Favourite Country Fair

By Moira Sanders, Lori Elstone and Beth Goslin Maloney I love a good county fair because most of the food and recipes come from time-honoured traditions. This book is about more than food; it’s about a food community, an edible culture and the people of Essex County sharing the best of themselves with us.

Whitecap Books, $29.95

Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm

By Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann Local food is a personal journey, and Jeff and Bettina share their journey by way of stories and recipes that make you wish they were your own. Shop at a farmers’ market, cook from this book and let Jeff and Bettina be your guides.

Random House of Canada, $45

CHEF BUZZ

The Singhampton Project User’s Guide

Michael Stadtländer’s newest fantastical feast

The Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide is designed to provide inspiration and information for touring and exploring the province.

Using Toronto as a hub, each page of the guide gives succinct travel details to get your started. We recommend you gather your own specific directions and information before setting out. Below are some resources for getting around.

By Dick Snyder Perhaps Ontario’s most resolutely local and sustainably obsessed chef, Michael Stadtländer is a legend among gourmands of every stripe. He’s an inspiration to chefs, and a force of wonder and delight for diners. At his property in Singhampton, near Collingwood (a couple hours drive north of Toronto), he occasional hosts fantastical feasts, often geared to the season. A highlight this summer is his collaboration with French landscape artist Jean Paul Ganem to create seven gardens scattered over the land. These “living sculpture” spaces will each have a unique dining area, and dishes will be created using the garden’s vegetables and bounty from Stadtländer’s vast Eigensinn Farm.

Aug. 10 – 26, 1 pm. $275/person + HST. 519922-3128, singhamptonproject@gmail.com, earthday.ca/singhamptonproject

Jean Paul Ganem

Via Rail Operates province-wide. Major connection points include Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Niagara Falls, London, Windsor.

1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7245) viarail.ca Rental Cars Major operators at Pearson International Airport, Union Station, Hamilton International Airport and Toronto Island Airport.

Thrifty Call Rental 1-800-THRIFTY (847-4389) thrifty.com National Car Rental 1-877-222-9058 nationalcar.ca

Follows for Foodies Ten must-follow Twitter streams, as picked by @OntarioCulinary.

Start here for deep insight into culinary tourism in the province. @SavourStratford for all things delicious in Stratford Perth County. Danielle Brodhagen is the force behind their food scene. @valhowes for culinary insights in Ontario (and beyond). Val is the food editor for Reader’s Digest Canada. @spotlightcity keeps the news flowing on the flourishing food truck scene in Ontario, as well as breaking news on local eats. @ShareOntario gives visitors insight on all sorts of events and experiences.

@WineCountryOnt shares updates about Ontario’s wine news, tasting events, new releases and more. @OntCraftBrewers tweets about beer events, special releases and previews. @FoodDayCanada is the voice of Canada’s original

Avis Car Rental 1-800-879-2847 avis.ca Entreprise Car Rental 1-800-261-7331 enterprise.com Public Transit TTC: The Toronto Transit Commission operates subway, bus, streetcar and rail transit.

416-393-4636 ttc.ca Go Transit: A network of GO buses and trains spans the province.

Operates out of various train stations.

1-888-GET ON GO (438-6646) gotransit.com

tastes from across our bountiful country.

Buses Greyhound 1-800-661-TRIP (8747) greyhound.ca

@GoodFoodRev is a local food broadcast with a

Megabus 1-800-461-7661 ca.megabus.com

culinary activist Anita Stewart, highlighting great

global perspective.

Coach Canada 1-800-461-7661 coachcanada.com

@Ocean_Wise a great resource for finding

BIXI Bikes BIXI is a short-term bicycle rental operation with stations around the city. Take out a bike as many times as you want for 30 minutes or less with no additional fees; usage fees for longer trips apply.

Toll free: 1-877-412-BIXI (2494) toronto.bixi.com

restaurants committed to serving sustainable seafood and lake fish. @SavourOttawa is the definitive word for all things food related in Canada’s capital.

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 7

BEER

WINE

The Best of Oktoberfest

Tour these wineries

For oom-pah and great local beer, these are the places to be this fall

By Konrad Ejbich Ontario wine aficionados love their local wines and many have taken to visiting the wineries for a pleasant day trip. It’s an entertaining way to learn more about how their favourite juice is made.

Here are five recently opened winery destinations worth visiting.

By Greg Clow

Jason Code

Hinterland Wine Company Prince Edward County Breaking new ground by focusing on the artisanal sparkling wines in “The County”, newlyweds Jonas Newman and Vicki Samaras quickly established themselves as the region’s premium producers of classically styled bubblies. They use modern, traditional and ancestral methods in their historic cow barn.

1258 Closson Rd., RR #1, Hillier, ON, 613-921-7003 hinterlandwine.com, @hinterlandwine

Oktoberfest at Beau’s in Vankleek HIll.

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest

Steam Whistle Oktoberfest

Oct. 5-13, 2012

Sept. 2012 (date TBD)

The largest Bavarian festival in North

Steam Whistle’s one-and-only beer may

America — and second largest in the

be a Czech-style pilsner, but that doesn’t

world behind Munich’s — K-W Oktoberfest

stop them from breaking out the dirndls,

attracts nearly a million people to the twin

lederhosen and litre steins to join in the

cities each year for nine days of cultural

German celebrations. Expect live music

events, family activities, tournaments, live

and dancing, pretzels and sausages — and

entertainment, a Thanksgiving Day parade

since it takes place right at the brewery, you

and lots of beer, sausage and schnitzel.

can be sure that they won’t run out of beer.

Various locations in Kitchener-Waterloo;

Steam Whistle Brewery, 255 Bremner

888-294-4267, oktoberfest.ca,

Blvd., Toronto; 866-240-2337,

@kw_oktoberfest

steamwhistle.ca/oktoberfest, @steamwhistle

Beau’s Oktoberfest Sept. 28-30, 2012

Oktoberfest Ottawa

This family-friendly festival is focused

Sept. 28-30, 2012

heavily on great beer, with ales and lagers

This annual fundraiser for the Rotary

from Beau’s and other Ontario craft

Club of Ottawa Kanata Sunrise promises

breweries on tap and cask, and a series of

to deliver “food, fun, froth and fräuleins.”

talks and presentations on various beery

There’s plenty of live music ranging from

topics. There’s also live music, Bavarian-

oom-pah to alt-rock, and Ottawa’s HogsBack

inspired food from local restaurants, a

Brewing Company is on hand to sling local

Kinderfest area for the kiddies and more,

suds all weekend long. It all happens about

with proceeds going to various charities.

a 30-minute drive southwest of Ottawa.

Vankleek Hill Fairgrounds, 92 Main St. W.,

Clark Fields Park, 93 Houlahan St.,

Vankleek Hill; 866-585-2337, beaus.ca/

Barrhaven, ON oktoberfestottawa.com,

Oktoberfest, @beausallnatural

@oktoberfestott

greg clow writes for canadianbeernews.com and beerboozebites.com.

8 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Ridgepoint Wines Twenty Mile Bench This hillside estate is widely known for its rare and delicious red nebbiolo wines. There’s a quiet dining room offering casual Italian fare, including antipasti, pasta and pizza. Open year-round, it provides a quiet venue for wine tastings or private events, with views overlooking vineyards and the Niagara Escarpment beyond.

3900 Cherry Ave., Vineland, ON, 905-562-8853 ridgepointwines.com, @RidgepointWines GreenLane Estate Winery Lincoln Lakeshore A former sommelier at Toronto’s tony Four Seasons hotel, Robert Paul has succeeded in resurrecting an old winery that was flipped several times. With a new name, new attitude, a terrific new winemaker and very old riesling vines, he’s managed to gain the attention of the province’s elite wine experts. Winner of the 2012 Best White Wine in Ontario award at Cuvée, the industry’s top wine competition.

4679 Cherry Ave., Beamsville, ON, 905-562-7207 greenlanewinery.com, @GreenLaneWinery Colaneri Estate Winery Niagara Peninsula With its impressive Romanesque design, this colossal family-owned winery maintains a narrow focus on producing concentrated wines from kiln-dried grapes. Specialties include appassimentoand ripasso-style dry wines as well as luscious recioto-style dessert wines. Large tasting room and banquet facilities overlook the vast sunken winemaking area and vineyards beyond.

348 Concession 6, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON 905-685-2100, colaneriwines.com, @ColaneriWinery Muscedere Vineyards Lake Erie North Shore A small, family-owned winery making fresh, crisp whites and rich, powerful reds from all estate-grown grapes. The vineyards are tended and harvested by hand, and aged in the small underground barrel cellar. A covered patio and traditional wood-fired pizza oven are busy every day of the summer season. The hospitality is free.

7457 County Road 18, RR#4, Harrow, ON 519-965-1075, muscederevineyards.com, @MuscedereWine

CREAMY & CHEESY SCRAMBLED EGGS

Breakfast without the scramble.

Making a full breakfast needn’t be messy. Introducing Culinary Parchment cooking and baking products from PaperChef. The non-stick, easy way to protect cookware and prepare delicious morning meals.

Don’t just make breakfast. Create it.

GREAT RECIPES: PAPERCHEF.COM

NEIGHBOURHOODS

Urban Foraging Four great Toronto ’hoods to explore

By Agatha Podgorski

borealgelato.ca, @borealgelato).

THE JUNCTION Attracting artists and

are commonplace with hotspots like

entrepreneurs to its converted industrial

Cowbell (1564 Queen St. W., 416-849-1095,

and warehouse spaces, The Junction is

cowbellrestaurant.ca, @mcutrara) and

Toronto’s youngest hotspot. Organically-

Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (1710 Queen

inclined locals stay for the gems like

St. W., 416-534-6700, localkitchen.ca,

takeaway lunches from The Sweet Potato

@localkitchen) on the strip. After dark,

best wine lists with menus to match. Long

(2995 Dundas St. W., 416-762-4848,

discover devilishly good cocktails with an

days with late nights in Riverside call for

thesweetpotato.ca, @thesweetpotato),

attitude at Parts & Labour (1566 Queen

cocktails and small plates at Toucan Taco

handmade chocolates and other

St. W., 416-588-7750, partsandlabour.ca,

Bar (686 Queen St. E., 416-461-9663) or

delectables at Delight (3040 Dundas St. W.,

@partsnlabour) or rub elbows at Grand

Prohibition Gastropub (696 Queen St. E.,

416-760-9995, delightchocolate.ca,

Electric (1330 Queen St. W., 416-627-3459,

416-406-2669, myprohibition.com).

@delightchocolat), or artisan Canadian

grandelectricbar.com, @grandelectricTO)

cheese from Junction Fromagerie

over cold pints, loud tunes and pig-tail tacos.

Krysta Oben curates an Ontario-centric wine list at Cowbell

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE Roncesvalles has always been known for (delicious)

(3042 Dundas St. W., 647-344-8663.

Junctionfromagerie.com). Relax north of

RIVERSIDE DISTRICT Riverside might

Polish staples like flaczki at Café Polonez

the city’s grandest park over an espresso

be Toronto’s best-kept secret. Mornings

(195 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-532-8432,

at Crema Coffee (3079 Dundas St. W.,

are welcomed by the drool-inducing scent

cafepolonez.ca) or babka at the late

416-767-3131, cremacoffee.ca, @cremaTO),

of fresh baked bread wafting from St.

Granowska’s Bakery. The area has emerged

a “teapresso” at Tea Blendz (2877 Dundas

John’s Bakery (155 Broadview Ave., 416-

as the newest hotspot for all things local

St. W., 647-346-2307, teablendz.com,

850-7413, stjohnsbakery.com) or crispy

and delicious. Savour some barbeque at

@teablendz) or house-made lavender

croissants at Bonjour Brioche (812 Queen

Barque (299 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-532-

marshmallows at Little Fish (3080 Dundas

St. E., 416-406-1250, bonjourbrioche.

7700, barque.ca, @BarqueBBQ) or enjoy a

St. W., 416-604-3474, @littlefishcafe). After

com). Afternoons offer sweet vegan and

croque madame during Toronto’s hippest

a day of meandering around the area’s

gluten-free treats at LPK’s Culinary

new brunch at The Westerly Kitchen &

creative corners, evenings in The Junction

Groove (718 Queen St. E., 416-461-6440,

Bar (416 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-551-

beckon for spicy margaritas with friends

lpksculinarygroove.com, @LPKinToronto),

6660, thewesterlyrestaurant.com,

at La Revolucion (2848 Dundas St. W.,

while Olive & Olives (779 Queen St. E.,

@westerlykitchen). Rounding out the

416-766-0746, @LaRevolucionTO).

416-551-8181, oliveolives.com) is to

long list of offerings is some of the

oils as Tiffany’s is to diamonds. Those

most interesting comfort food on the

PARKDALE Though a little rough around

looking to indulge should stop in for

grid at newly opened Pizzeria Defina

the edges, here you’ll find creative cuisine

sustainable “buck-a-shuck” oysters with

(321 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-534-4414,

served up with elaborate craft pints and

killer house-made serrano hot sauce at

pizzeriadefina.com), Hopgoods Foodliner

esoteric wines. Neighbourhood hub Good

Hooked Inc (888 Queen St. E., 416-828-

(325 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-533-2723,

Catch (1556 Queen St. W., 416-533-4664,

1861, hookedinc.ca, @hookedinc). Not so

hopgoodsfoodliner.com) and The Ace

goodcatch.ca) is known for its local

brave in your eating habits? Release your

(231 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-792-7729,

event board, while The Mascot (1267

inner sugar-loving child at Desmond &

theacetoronto.com, @TheAceToronto)

Queen St. W., 416-533-2888, themascot.ca,

Beatrice (750A Queen St. E., 647-352-

— but be warned, reservations are

@wearethemascot) offers coffee, art

2257, desmondandbeatrice.com) or The

recommended. The strip boasts some

and a window into times when it was still

Canadian Pie Company (798 Queen St. E.,

serious shopping with fresh baking at

all right to slow down. Brunch has folks

416-781-4743, thecanadianpiecompany.com,

Mabel’s (323 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-534-

heading to Keriwa Café (1690 Queen St. W.,

@CanadianPieCo). When the sun goes

2333, mabelsbakery.ca, @MabelsBakery),

416-533-2552, keriwacafe.ca, @keriwacafe)

down, visit Table 17 (782 Queen St. E.,

artisanal Ontario cheeses at The Thin Blue

for duck confit French toast, while sunny

416-519-1851, table17.ca, @table17) or

Line (93 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-840-6966,

afternoons mean racing the heat to consume

PicNic Wine Bar (747 Queen St. E.,

@ThinBlueLine), and daily churned ice

a cone from the Boreal Gelato Company

647-435-5298, picnicwinebar.com,

cream at Chocolateria (361 Roncesvalles

(1312 Queen St. W., 647-352-7717,

@picnicwinebar) for some of the city’s

Ave., 416-588-0567).

10 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Ashley Capp

Chalkboard menus and whole-hog dinners

The Local Explorer A few tips from a curious local epicurean

By Chris Johns Host of CBC Radio’s flagship show Metro Morning, Matt Galloway is an avid cyclist and culinary adventurer. Here are some of his favourite neighbourhood eats.

Christie Pitts I love Banjara Indian Cuisine (796 Bloor St. W., 416-963-9360, torontobanjara.com) — we’ll either eat in or get takeout to bring to the park to watch baseball or play with

North York/Richmond Hill

the kids. The okra dish is incredible.

905, eating in little strip malls and

Leslieville

shopping malls and takeout places, in

I’ll often stop at Bonjour Brioche,

part because there’s just a lot of great

either halfway into my ride or on

food there and because I don’t know

my way home, to get a coffee

enough about it. My kids demand

and something to eat. It’s a great

noodles so we go to Sun’s Noodle

place and they’re wonderful.

(4350 Steeles Ave. E., 905-947-8463,

(812 Queen St. E., 416-406-1250,

sunskitchen.com) in the Pacific

bonjourbrioche.com.)

Mall on the second floor. We’re

Culinary adventurer and radio host Matt Galloway.

CBC

I’m trying to spend more time in the

there once a month at least.

Where to buy, dine and

and Eat , Ontario Go Forth enjoy locally in Kingston

EXPERIENCE THE LOCAL FLAVOURS OF KINGSTON

and local chefs. ry guide to local food Kingston’s new culina Y! DA TO PY DOWNLOAD YOUR CO

From sipping local wine on Kingston’s welcoming restaurant patios, to exploring Canada’s oldest market guided by one of our renowned chefs, we invite you to become a part of culinary history with us!

kingstonfood.ca Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 11

Savour every moment with GE Café

TM

Savour every moment with GE Café

TM

Restaurant Restaurant inspired inspired appliances appliances Restaurant inspired appliances inspired appliances Restaurant inspired appliances Restaurant inspired appliances

Your kitchen...

Your kitchen... the perfect the perfect placeplace for preparing for preparing a fabulous a fabulous meal,meal, or justorrelaxing just relaxing with w

Your kitchen... the orperfect place for preparing aplace fabulous meal, orthe just relaxing with erfect place for preparing Your kitchen... a fabulous the perfect meal, place just relaxing for preparing Your withkitchen... a fabulous the perfect meal, just relaxing for appliances preparing with aoffer fabulous meal, or feel just relaxing friends friends and family. and or family.

GE Café GE Café appliances offer look the and look andof feel a modern of awith modern stainless stainless steel

E Café appliances offer friends the and look family. andfamily. feel GEofCafé a modern appliances stainless offer friends steel the and lookfamily. and feel GE ofCafé a kitchen, modern appliances stainless offer the look and feel of aadvantages modern stainless steel restaurant restaurant kitchen, combined combined withsteel the with the latest cooking cooking advantages enjoyed enjoyed by topbychefs. top ch friends and GE Café appliances offer the look and feel of alatest modern stainless steel

Restaurant inspired appliances restaurant kitchen, combined with the latest cooking advantages enjoyed by top chefs.

ombined with the latest restaurant cooking kitchen, advantages combined enjoyed withby thetop latest restaurant chefs. cooking kitchen, advantages combined enjoyed withby the top latest chefs. cooking advantages by top hunger chefs.

Redefining Redefining at-home at-home entertaining, entertaining, GE Café GE satisfies Café satisfies the enjoyed foodies’ the foodies’ hunger for performance for performa

entertaining, GE Café Redefining satisfies the at-home foodies’ entertaining, hunger for GE performance Café Redefining satisfies the at-home foodies’ entertaining, hunger for GE performance Café theguests! foodies’ hunger for performance appliances appliances while while letting letting you focus yousatisfies focus on your on your guests!

Your kitchen... the perfect place for preparing a fabulous meal, or just relaxing with

Redefining at-home GE Café satisfies theonfoodies’ hunger ing you focus on your appliances guests! while letting focus guests! while letting you focus your guests! friends and family.

GE Café appliances offeryou the entertaining, look andon feelyour of appliances a modern stainless steel

for performance

restaurant kitchen, combined with the latest cooking advantages enjoyed by top chefs.

appliances while letting you focus on your guests!

Redefining at-home entertaining, GE Café satisfies the foodies’ hunger for performance appliances while letting you focus on your guests!

Visit gecafe.ca

TM

Visit Visit gecafe.ca gecafe.ca

Visit gecafe.ca

Visit gecafe.ca

Visit gecafe.ca

Ride the Ravines On Sunday June 17, pedal your way to a greener city in support of accessible cycling in the GTA.

Restaurant inspired appliances Join us for a family-friendly ride through the heart of the

Your Don kitchen... the placeforfor a fabulous meal, or just relaxing with Valley, and helpperfect us raise money Bikepreparing Works—a community bike space at Evergreen Brick Works. friends and family. GE Café appliances offer the look and feel of a modern stainless steel 9am–noon | Ride the Ravines

restaurant kitchen, combined with local the food, latest cooking noon–4pm | Ravine Rodeo with live music, drink and more!advantages enjoyed by top chefs.

Redefining at-home entertaining, GE Café satisfies the foodies’ hunger for performance Register now at ebw.evergreen.ca appliances while letting you focus on your guests!

Evergreen Brick Works | 550 Bayview Avenue | Free shuttle bus from Broadview Station Evergreen is a national charity that makes cities more livable.

Get involved or donate today.

Visit gecafe.ca Presenting Sponsor

Lead Community Partner

LUXE DINING

MOVEABLE FEAST

Hot Hotels

By Maia Filar Hotel dining kicks it up a notch with these recent openings and coming-soons.

Suresh Doss

A few jet-set dining rooms Food truck fever is sweeping Ontario.

Roll with It

Stock Restaurant Trump Toronto Stock, on the 31st story of the Trump,

Daniel Boulud comes to The Four Seasons.

is opulence incarnate. Chef Todd Clarmo, who spent that last 15 years

Café Boloud

as part of the Oliver & Bonacini family

The Four Seasons

of restaurants, puts out a traditional

After shuttering his Vancouver digs,

menu focusing on meat and seafood.

Michelin-star chef Daniel Bouloud

Highlights include blue crab and

is coming to Toronto, where he will

avocado dip starter ($20), a $110 Waygu

serve a contempo-casual and classic

striploin and a chocolate cart designed

French menu with highlights from all

by pastry chef David Chow (formerly

six of his New York restaurants. He

of The Drake Hotel). The estoric wine

aims to create a relaxed atmosphere

list comes courtesy of Canada’s first

with a focus on farm-to-table dining.

Master Sommelier, John Szabo.

The bar will feature the famous db

325 Bay St., 416-637-5550,

burger and croque-monsieur to go

stockrestaurant.com, @STOCKToronto

with a carefully selected wine, beer, and cocktail list. Reservations can be made now for the summer opening.

60 Yorkville Ave., 416-964-0411, fourseasons.com/toronto/dining,

Street food fever has swept the province as an army of mobile food trucks roll out diverse eats to cities across Ontario. Recent rallies have taken place in Stratford, Hamilton, Toronto and in Niagara. What can you expect on the menu? A diverse selection of globally inspired food, from fish tacos to lobster rolls.

Look for ceviches, smoked meat, fried chicken, schnitzel and even oysters.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ facebook.com/ontariofoodtrucks Creativity knows #foodtruckeats no bounds!

@FSToronto, @DanielBoulud Daisho by Momofuko

Stock marries tradition and opulence.

David Whittaker

Shangri-La Hotel Just the validation Toronto has been waiting for: a New York City cultstatus celebrity chef who’s picked this town to launch his bourgeoning empire. Get ready for three-stories

10 Ways to Eat Local 1 Get into a tight jam with a jar of Ontario preserves and a crusty baguette.

2 Ask an Ontario farmer for the best places to eat.

TOCA

from the king of casual dining, as

The Ritz-Carlton

David Chang fires up the stoves

Chef Tom Brodi, who opened TOCA,

in (fingers crossed) August with a

recently resigned, and while we

freshly snatched-up Matt Blondin

await word of his replacement, rest

from Toronto’s Acadia as executive

assured that local flavours still take

sous. Adjacent to the Shangri-La

6 Visit Wine Country and enjoy a glass as the sun sets over the vineyards.

top billing via a resolutely local wine

Hotel, Daisho will serve communal

7 Send a Tweet to @OntarioCulinary and ask for ideas.

list, as well as an in-house cheese

meals for parties of four or more,

8 Gorge on fresh Niagara cherries during July.

cave stocked with exemplary

while the other two floors will feature

9 Pick your own produce at farms across the province.

Canadian curds.

a noodle house and tasting menu.

181 Wellington Street West,

momofuku.com/restaurants/toronto,

10 Create the ultimate local sandwich with Ontario cheese, produce and condiments.

416-585-2500, ritzcarlton.com

@davidchang

3 Three words: picnic, picnic, picnic!

4 Rent a BIXI (toronto.bixi.com) and visit some markets (see p. 6).

5 Ask your chef where your meal came from, then go visit the producers.

Sponsored by Foodland Ontario

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 13

On Tap

Local Brews Where to find craft beer in Toronto

360 Restaurant is one of Toronto’s finest dining destinations, located atop Toronto’s most famous landmark, the CN Tower. Featuring spectacular 360-degree views of the city, and an inventive, locally sourced, seasonal menu, 360 Restaurant is an inspiring gastronomic experience in an unsurpassed setting. 360 Restaurant boasts an extensive array of wines from 14 counties, with over 550 labels from its innovative cellar in the sky.

To book the ultimate dining experience, call 416-362-5411 or visit cntower.ca

Complimentary elevation with the purchase of a main course.

Date: Apr 20, 2012 Job#, Filename & CNT10525_culinary_guide_Fnl Version#:

Ad Size:

3.5” wide x 4.625”

Bleed:

Artist: BB

Safety/Live:

Acct. Mgr: AM

File Built at:

100% (1:1)

Insertion Date:

Line Screen:

300 dpi

Approvals:

Date:

Pub: Approvals:

4/0 4 Col Process

Client: Campaign: Ad#:

# Colours:

PMS

PMS

Ship Date: Date:

Signature:

Prod Artist:

Copywriter:

Proofread:

Studio:

Acct Mngr:

Art Dir:

Acct Dir:

Client:

Signature:

By Agatha Podgorski Toronto craft brewers are hard at work. In the east are the creative folks at Mill Street Brewery & Brew Pub (55 Mill St, 416-681-0338, millstreetbrewery.com, @MillStreetBrew) brewing up ginger lagers and lemon tea pale ales. In the north you’ll find Black Creek Historic Brewery (1000 Murray Ross Pkwy, 416-7361733, blackcreekbrewery.ca) churning out its 100-metre dark beer from hops grown on site. The west end is home to Great Lakes Brewery (30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd, greatlakesbeer.com, 416-2554510, @greatlakesbeer) and seasonal specialties like Niagara Peach Wheat Beer or Autumn Pumpkin Ale. Beer aficionados will find all they crave and more at hot spots like Burger Bar (319 Augusta Ave, 416-922-7423, theburgerbar.ca, @burgerbar), home to local success story Augusta Ale of Kensington Brewing Company (319 Augusta Ave, kensingtonbrewingcompany. com, @drinkgoodbeer). For the best in pints and pub food plus a view of Lake Ontario, head to Against the Grain Urban Tavern (25 Dockside Dr, 647-344-1562, atgurbantavern.ca, @AgainstGrainTO), possibly the city’s best patio on which to enjoy the perfect pour. The family run Bar Volo (587 Yonge St., 416-928-0008, barvolo.com, @BarVolo) is a gem of an old-style pub in the heart of the city, specializing in craft beer, “everything Ontario” and serving food until closing at 2 am.

For those looking to do more than relax over their pint, there’s the Old Toronto Beer Tour (416-662-6312, beerloverstour.com, @BeerLoversTour) experience. Folks start at Steam Whistle Brewery (255 Bremner Blvd, 866-240-2337, steamwhistle.ca, @SteamWhistle) in Toronto’s historic railway roundhouse and visit heavy hitters like Amsterdam Brewery (21 Bathurst St, 416504-6882, amsterdambeer.com, @AmsterdamBeer) and Granite Brewery (245 Eglinton Ave E, 416-322-0723, granitebrewery.ca, @granitebrewery) along the ride. Also of note is the Toronto Beer Festival (beerfestival.ca, @TOBeerFestival) happening July 27.

It features Taps ‘n’ Tunes, a cask crawl and various brewmaster’s dinners around town!

FOOD TOURS – COOKING CLASSES – POP UP DINNERS OUTDOOR CULINARY ADVENTURES

Taste and tour at Steam Whistle’s Roundhouse.

14 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 CAC.QuarterPgAd.Final.indd 1

11/05/12 4:36 PM

Local Purveyors Where to get the tastiest goods

By Agatha Podgorski All the Best Fine Foods Seriously delicious prepared foods created exclusively in house from produce sourced through local farms. Quirky events like the Bacon Jam Jam and tutored tastings have people coming back again and again.

1101 Yonge St., 416-928-3330, allthebestfinefoods.com, @allthebestff The Cheese Boutique The Pristine family has got gourmet grocery down to a science.

Here you’ll find the best in local cheese alongside beautifully aged prosciutto, the silkiest olive oils and the best in locally baked breads.

123rf.com

THE SHOPS

presents

Executive Chef Series FEATURING Jason Bangerter

John Horne

JUNE 7, 6-8 P.M.

SEPT. 13, 6-8 P.M.

Mike Crockford

Jason Rosso

45 Ripley Ave., 416-762-6292, cheeseboutique.com, @cheese_boutique Culinarium A truly local Ontario food experience, this locavore haven offers up unique treasures from across the province. Find your red fife flour or foraged fiddleheads here in season.

705 Mount Pleasant Rd., 647-430-7004, culinarium.ca, @Culinarium_TO Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens Don’t let the big-box grocery name fool you; this former hockey shrine caters to even the most developed foodie palate. Check out their 18-foot cheese wall or the chocolate-by-the-chunk boulder.

60 Carlton St., 416-593-6154, loblaws.ca/60carlton, @loblawscarlton The Mercantile Designed with aesthetics in mind, this gourmet shop is chockablock with unique and delicious foods ranging from truffle salt to Brix chocolate to grind-your-own Fair Trade I Deal Coffee.

297 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-531-7563, themercantile.ca Stasis Local Foods Julian Katz has made it his mission to preserve Ontario in all the best possible ways. Here you will find delectables like lavender squash

JUNE 21, 6-8 P.M.

SEPT. 20, 6-8 P.M.

Eat. Mingle and Dine with top executive chefs at St. Lawrence Market Events include a five course meal with alcohol.

Register at 416.860.0727 or info@themarketkitchen.ca

For more information visit

stlawrencemarket.com Special thanks to our exclusive online partner

jam and oddities like horse apples and heart nuts lining the shelves.

476 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-553-1079, stasispreserves.com,

Thousands of restaurants. One website.

@StasisPreserves Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 15

WINE COUNTRY

Wine and Dine Delights Plan your visit to Wine Country around these great taste experiences

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE Once the capital of Upper Canada, Niagaraon-the-Lake is proud of its modern role as capital of the Shaw Festival as well as of

By Konrad Ejbich Where there’s good wine, there’s good food. The two are inseparable, like participants in a hug. So if you’re looking for fine food markets and artisanal food suppliers, head straight to the nearest wine region. For details and information, visit winecountryontario.ca.

Canada’s most productive wine region. In the “suburbs” you’ll find Strewn Winery’s restaurant La Cachette, with its lovely garden patio. Jackson-Triggs, Stratus and Southbrook are as interesting for their buildings as they are for their wines. Don’t miss Hillebrand Estates’ annual music festivals, their tasting room or their sophisticated Vineyard Café. St. David’s is home to several notable wineries including Coyote’s

Folks are coming to “the County” from every

Run, Château des Charmes and Ravine

direction. In Ontario’s newest officially designated wine region, vineyards are

Great tastes in Wine Country Ontario.

popping up in every corner, with many

Henry of Pelham

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

Vineyard and Restaurant, which offers intimate multi-course wine dinners in the historic Woodruff House tasting parlour or

clustered near the intersection of Chase

NIAGARA ESCARPMENT and

casual fare in its modern country bistro.

and Closson roads. Stop by Closson Chase

TWENTY VALLEY

GET THERE: 105 min., 130 km west and

to taste massive chardonnays, Hinterland

An hour and change from Toronto, the real

then south from Toronto.

for snappy sparklers and The Old Third for

excitement for wine lovers begins. Cave

voluptuous pinot noirs. Due south, another

Spring Cellars in Jordan offers the complete

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE and

intersection — this one in Wellington —

package with outstanding wines and

PELEE ISLAND

marks one of the area’s culinary hotspots:

memorable dining at Inn on the Twenty.

Just a half-hour from Windsor and Detroit,

East and Main Bistro. Local wines are proudly

Voted Canadian Winery-of-the-Year two

the wineries of Essex and Pelee Island

served in all the County’s best eateries.

years in a row, Tawse Winery boasts bio-

benefit from the country’s longest summer.

Next Stop: Slickers County Ice Cream in

dynamic vineyards, brilliant wines and

Visit Amherstburg during the Shores of

Bloomfield for “a cold one.” Near Milford,

a spacious tasting room overlooking a

Erie International Wine Festival and enjoy

another trio of off-the-main-road wineries,

glassed-in production area. At Flat Rock

all the region’s wineries and food producers

all with award-winning chardonnays:

Cellars, enjoy a glass of “Rogue” with a

in one fell swoop. Many are centred around

Exultet Estates, Lighthall Vineyards and

tasty local snack. Try 13th Street Winery

Harrow, including the granddaddy of them

Long Dog Winery. Along with your new

for pairings with artisan charcuterie.

all, Colio Estate Winery. Nearby, check out

favourite bottles, pick up a block of fine

Just down the road, in a 200-year-old

Viewpointe Estate with its stunning vistas

aged cheddar at the century-old Black River

former inn, Henry of Pelham Family

across Lake Erie, Sprucewood Shores and

Cheese Co. in Picton, for a memorable wine

Estate winery runs its cozy retail shop.

Colchester Ridge. You may run into some

and cheese party back home with friends

Next door, check out the Coach House

local winemakers at Calabria Pizzeria in

(if you’re inclined to share).

Café by Erik Peacock.

Cottam, where the fresh Lake Erie perch is

GET THERE: 2 hours 30 min., 220 km

GET THERE: 90 min., 120 km west and

as good as it gets. Birdwatching, walking,

east of Toronto.

then south from Toronto.

hiking and cycling are popular activities on Pelee Island. Once you’ve built up an

Rebirth of Cool The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration takes place July 20-22 in and around Niagara Wine Country with lectures, luncheons featuring local wineries and chefs, an incredible brunch at Ravine Vineyard, demonstrations, workshops and more. For wine geeks and newbies alike! Follow @coolchardonnay. Tickets: coolchardonnay.org.

appetite, head to the Pelee Island Wine Pavilion for an open-air barbecue and a refreshing glass of wine under the island sun.

GET THERE: Lake Erie North Shore is 4 hours and 20 min., 370 km west and then south from Toronto. Pelee Island is 5 hours, 380 km west and then south (plus ferry ride) of Toronto.

konrad ejbich is a wine writer and broadcaster in Toronto. Follow him @WineZone.

•

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 17

Images courtesy of Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership (OTMPC) and Niagara Tourism Partners.

Experience the big wonders and small pleasures of Niagara. Where else can you dine overlooking the world wonder of Niagara Falls or a rolling vineyard in the same trip?

Whether you visit Niagara-on-the-Lake, rated Canada’s #1 Wine and Food Destination

by TripAdvisor, get your fresh fruit from a roadside farm stand, or take the back roads to discover our welcoming wineries, plenty of unique culinary experiences await.

So what are you doing this weekend? Get away for a food-filled escape to Niagara.

a place of wonders...big and small.

www.visitniagaracanada.com

The Great Ontario

Railway City Brewing Co. Whether it’s a fruity seasonal pilsner or a full-bodied ale, each Railway City brew has a flavour as unforgettable as its name.

Try: Iron Spike Blonde, Dead Elephant Ale.

Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese Within the rolling hills of Oxford County, Shep Ysselstein produces smallscale artisan cheeses in an authentic Swiss style using traditional recipes.

Try: Gunn’s Hill Soft, Gunn’s Hill Hard, Gunn’s Hill Artisan Curd.

Pine River Cheese Local milk is meticulously graded to make 14 varieties of cheese, including an 8-year aged cheddar and some organic varieties.

Try: Colby, Monterey Jack, Caramelized Onion Cheddar.

635 Hwy 21 S., R.R. #4 Ripley, Huron-Kinloss, 519-3952638, pinerivercheese.com

445172 Gunns Hill Rd., Woodstock, 519-424-4024 gunnshillcheese.ca

168 Curtis St., St. Thomas 519-631-1881, railwaycitybrewing.com

Neustadt Springs Brewery A historic microbrewery in the old-world village of Neustadt.

Pop by for a tour of the underground caverns and pure crystal springs. Try: Neustadt Scottish Ale, Neustadt Lager.

456 Jacob St., Neustadt 519-799-5790, neustadtsprings.com

Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Seriously hoppy brews come in psychedelic looking bottles with quotes under each cap. Don’t let the whimsy fool you!

Try: Flying Monkey Amber Ale, Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale. 107 Dunlop St., East Barrie 705-721-8989, theflyingmonkeys.ca

Windsor London

Barrie Toronto

Jensen Cheese Established in 1925 by Arne Jensen, a master cheese maker from Denmark. Cheddar is a specialty, using old-world curing processes to maximize flavour.

Try: Mild Cheddar, 4 Year Old Cheddar, Vintage Reserve Cheddar.

Amsterdam Brewing Co. Sample some of the 10+ beers on tap and hear learn about traditional European brewing. Try: Oranje Weisse, Big Wheel.

21 Bathurst St., Toronto 416-504-1040, amsterdambeer.com

37 Evergreen Hill Rd., Simcoe, 519-426-4523, jensencheese.ca Upper Canada Cheese Co. Unique flavours come courtesy of a rare Niagara herd of Guernsey cows, a recipe developed by Trappist Monks and minimal processing. Try: Guernsey Girl fresh cheese, Comfort Cream, Niagara Gold.

Great Lakes Brewery Small batch brewing and local ingredients keep Ontario beer enthusiasts committed.

Try: Devil’s Pale Ale, Crazy Canuck Pale Ale.

4159 Jordan Rd., Jordan Station 905-562-9730, uppercanadacheesecompany.com

30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Toronto, 416-255-4510, greatlakesbeer.com

Black River Cheese Old-world craftsmanship dating back to its 1901 beginnings as a co-op for local farmers.

Try: Maple Cheddar, award-winning Mild Cheddar, and Aged Cheddar (up to 6 years).

913 County Rd. 13, R.R. #2, Athol 613-476-2575, blackrivercheese.com

Muskoka Brewery Freshness and independence rule at the Muskoka brewery, where a selection of easydrinking beers is handcrafted in the heart of Muskoka.

Try: Mad Tom IPA, Summer Weiss.

13 Taylor Rd., Bracebridge 705-646-1266, muskokabrewery.com

Illustration: Nick Craine

Cheese & Ale Trail Thornloe Cheese Old-fashioned techniques and fresh local milk from the district of Temiskaming give Thornloe cheese its trusted reputation.

Try: Casey Blue, Evanturel, Temiskaming.

Sudbury

999697 Hwy 11 N., Thornloe 705-647-7441, thornloecheese.ca Empire Cheese & Butter Co-Op The only cheese factory in Northumberland County, making cheese open-vat style for 135 years, to give maximum flavour.

Try: Marble Cheddar.

R.R. #5, 1120 County Rd. #8 Campbellford, 705-653-3187, empirecheese.ca

Maple Dale Cheese Cheddars are a specialty and a crowd-pleasing fresh curd is made daily. The roadside store is packed with gourmet treats.

Try: “Outrageously Old” 6 Year Cheddar, Fresh Curd, Roasted Garlic Cheddar.

2864 Hwy 37 N., R.R. #1, Plainfield 613-477-2454, mapledalecheese.com

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Beau’s very first batch won best beer at the 2006 Toronto Golden Tap Awards, and an extensive selection has been racking up the accolades ever since.

Try: Lug Tread Lagered Ale, Wild Oats series.

10 Terry Fox Dr., Vankleek Hill 866-585-BEER, beaus.ca

Ottawa

Belleville

Barley Days Brewery The brewery uses local ingredients to make three steadfast brews and seasonal ales. Try: Wind and Sail Dark Ale, Sugar Shack Ale. 13730 Loyalist Parkway, Picton 613-476-7468, barleydaysbrewery.com

St. Albert Cheese Manufacturing Five generations of farmers have maintained St. Albert’s trusted recipes, from melt-in-your mouth curds to spiced-up cheddars.

Try: Mild Cheddar, Cheddar Curds, Canadian Swiss.

Glengarry Fine Cheese A passionate family farm, making cheese from their own Holstein cows. Try: Figaro soft cheese, Lankaaster Traditional Gouda, Barely Blue.

150 St-Paul St., St-Albert, 613-987-2872, fromage-st-albert.com

5926 County Rd. #34, R.R. #1 Lancaster, 1-888-816-0903, glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 21

FRESH

Raw Talent Doug McNish puts vegan gourmet on the table

By Kait Fowlie Doug McNish is more than just a passionate chef — he’s a local food activist changing the way people think about raw vegan cuisine. Classically trained, McNish has always had a knack for turning people on to new flavours.

But it wasn’t until he cut meat from his diet that he found a whole world of living food that excited his senses like nothing else. He switched to a raw diet, losing over 100 pounds and gaining a new appreciation for life and food.

McNish makes raw vegan options an accessible and inspiring part of food culture. He has lent his expertise to Toronto restaurants Live Food Bar (264 Dupont St., 416-515-2002, livefoodbar.com), Urban Herbivore (64 Oxford St., 416-927-1231, fressenrestaurant.com) and Raw Aura Organic Cuisine (94 Lakeshore Rd., 905-891-2872, rawaura.com). He’s won over French food enthusiasts at the luxe Windsor Arms Hotel (18 Saint Thomas St., 416-971-9666, windsorarmshotel.com), and he’s woven organic vegan cuisine into high-end food service outlets like Taboo Resort, Golf & Spa (1209 Muskoka Beach Rd., Gravenhurst, 705-687-2233, tabooresort.com).

McNish recently published Eat Raw, Eat Well: 400 Raw, Vegan & Gluten-Free Recipes. It offers a straightforward guide to raw food for beginners and seasoned pros alike.

•

Top Veg and Vegan Tables Burlington

St. Catharines

Kitchener/Waterloo

Kindfood From rice bowls to vegan cupcakes, Kindfood prides itself on its contribution to the food revolution. The colourful cafe in downtown Burlington supports local, organic and Fair Trade practices.

Rise Above Bakery This small vegan bakery in the heart of the city serves vegan lunch, dinner and unique baked goods.

Seven Shores Urban Market and Cafe This cafe and market features local food products ranging from produce to pantry items.

The cafe offers a slow-food approach to cafe fare, serving all-day breakfast and daily soup, sandwich and mains.

399 John St., 905-637-2700, kindfood.com

Port Credit Raw Aura Doug McNish was formerly executive chef at this all-raw, full-service restaurant.

Classic dishes ranging from Italian entrees to nacho platters, all made with sustainably harvested ingredients.

94 Lakeshore Rd E, 905-891-2872, raw-aura.com

Thunder Bay The Growing Season Juice Collective Stop by for a hearty sandwich on artisanal bread and an energizing smoothie made with wheatgrass grown on site.

120 St. Paul St., 289-362-2636, artisandoughnuts. blogspot.com

Peterborough The Planet Bakery Home to the famous rosemary walnut burger, and serving a family-friendly menu of brunch and lunch items and tummy-pleasing desserts.

374 Water St, 705-741-5243

Ottawa Auntie Loo’s Treats Ottawa’s first and only vegan bakery does small-scale, scratch baking with results that have garnered national attention. The countless cupcake flavours, creative squares and bakeshop staples are so good you won’t miss the dairy.

507 Bronson Ave., 613-238-

201 Algoma St., 807-344-6869

2566, auntieloostreats.ca

London

Ottawa

Veg Out It’s not all salad at this vegan joint. Tempeh wings and chili cheese fries are a few of the comforting choices, served alongside an extensive beer and wine roster. Raw and gluten-free options are just as inspired.

646 Richmond St., 519-850-

The Green Door This pay-by-the-pound vegan/ vegetarian buffet serves up hearty bean salads, thick stews and curries. An extensive organic dessert menu is free of refined sugars. Organic beer and wine also available.

10 Regina St. N., Unit 4, 519-342-0916, sevenshorestrading.com

Toronto Vegetarian Haven These guys truly know their veggies – they also run the Toronto Vegetarian Association and the Vegetarian Food Festival.

Artful dishes range from stir-fries to salad rolls, with lots of creative faux-meat concoctions. The dessert display is truly impressive.

17 Baldwin St., 416-621-3636, vegetarianhaven.com

Toronto Kale Toronto’s first vegan, organic, macrobiotic eatery offers a selection of lightly cooked or raw dishes. Make your own salad from a vast bar selection, or choose from an ever-changing list of curries, stews or rice dishes, all selfserve and sold by weight.

2366 Yonge St., 416-792-5253, kaleeatery.com

198 Main St, 613-234-9597, thegreendoor.ca

8688, vegoutrestaurant.com

Raw and Veg Festivals Toronto Raw/Vegan Festival June 9 - 10, 2012 Learn from Ontario chefs, environmentalists and nutritionists; get the scoop on the hottest products in the raw world. By donation.

918 Bathurst St., torontorawveganfestival.com Rawstock Vegan Food and Music Festival Aug 25,, 2012 Conscious Eating Niagara presents its first raw and vegan food festival, featuring local artists, environmental activists, holistic nutritionists and farm fresh food.

Kinsmen Hall, Niagara-on-the-Lake, rawstockniagara.com

Raw chef Doug McNish makes activism delicious.

22 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Vegetarian Food Festival Sept 7 - 9, 2012 The largest vegetarian event in North America is on its 28th year, with more than 100 exhibitors. Free. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W.

Please enjoy responsibly.

We’ve got a wine for that.

Discover Inniskillin Canada’s Original Premium Estate Winery

inniskillin.com Please enjoy responsibly.

STRATFORD > 2 hours > 150 km west of Toronto on Hwys 401W/7-8W/8

Savour Stratford Great food takes centre stage

By Ivy Knight In Ontario, autumn is ushered in with, among other culinary happenings, the Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival.

Creative partnerships between producers and local chefs are celebrated with free music concerts, artisanal markets and street theatre. They all converge in Stratford’s heritage garden district for an exhilarating weekend that celebrates the best food, wine and entertainment that Perth County has to offer.

This year’s celebrity guest is chef, author and television personality David Rocco. On Saturday night, visitors can join in the BBQ, Blues and Brews party with southern BBQ, blues music, craft beer and local wines.

24 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Sunday is the Grand Tasting, an outdoor buffet of the finest ingredients presented by skilled chefs who have turned them into

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival The festival runs Sept. 21-23. Get more information on events, tickets and accommodations at visitstratford.ca.

delectable bites you’ll remember all year long.

Why all this culinary action concentrated in this place? Perhaps because Stratford

the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance

practically qualifies as a literal definition for

(ontarioculinary.com), the festival show-

the word “quaint.” It’s the perfect outdoor

cases Stratford stars like Ruth Klahsen,

setting to enjoy the bounty of a truly

whose Monforte Dairy cheeses are revered

glorious festival weekend. Stroll along the

across Canada.

river path purchasing local food from

“Historically, farming and the culinary

farmers and purveyors: a basket of fresh,

arts have had a huge impact on Stratford,

juicy Concord grapes, artisanal cheeses,

and the theme this year revolves around

some spicy local garlic, crisp Cortland

heritage and farming,” says festival

apples, earthy candy cane beets, wildflower

director Danielle Brodhagen.

honey and fresh bread.

Voted Best Culinary Experience by

•

Entertaining, educational and delicious… that’s what Savour Stratford is all about.

Fish

Catch of the Day Taste the dishes with Ontario’s freshest fishes

Purdy’s Dockside Eatery The Purdy family has been fishing the southern basin of Lake Huron for over a hundred years. Their Dockside Eatery on

Fish and chips from Purdy’s Dockside.

the St. Clair River in Point Edward (about

By Dan Donovan

3.5 hours west of Toronto) is a popular

variety of preparations. Before you leave,

spot to enjoy the best fish and chips

pick up some of Ross’s smoked whitefish

Henry’s Fish House

around. (Open from May 18 to Oct. 6.)

to enjoy with salads at home.

As unlikely as it seems, this plane or boat

Choose from pickerel, whitefish or buttery,

21 Channel, Killarney, 705-287-2214

access only restaurant is a very busy spot

flaky yellow perch. Country music star

serving hundreds of patrons each day.

Tobey Keith has even eaten there, though

Erie Beach Hotel

Over the almost 40 years of its history

we don’t know which fish he picked.

A step back in time, the Erie Beach Hotel,

Henry’s has been famous for it’s pickerel –

Point Edward, Sarnia; purdyfisheries.com,

about 1.5 hours west of Toronto, is an

light and flaky, always fresh. A second

@PurdyFish_Girl

immaculate 1950s style hotel with a flair for cooking fish. Lake Erie Perch is a

location in Midland, about two hours north of Toronto, is now open, serving the same

Herbert Fisheries

treasure of a lake fish; flaky, sweet and

great quality fish with a different view.

While visiting Killarney Provincial Park, five

buttery, it is perfect for a light batter and

Frying Pan Island, Sans Souci, Georgian

to six hours north of Toronto, be sure to

quick deep-fry or a simple dredge in flour

Bay, 705-746-9040 and Doral Marine

stop at Herbert Fisheries and enjoy some

and a pan-fry.

Resort, Midland, 705-528-1919;

fresh-fried local whitefish. Whitefish is a

19 Walker St., Port Dover, 519-583-1391,

henrysfishrestaurant.com

lush, fatty fish that lends itself well to a

eriebeachhotel.com

•

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 25

SPA AND RELAX

Clean Eating, Clean Living

By Valerie Howes Indulgence doesn’t have to be about overdoing it — on the contrary, it can mean slowing down to take care of your body and nourish it with relaxing treatments and healthful meals. At these Ontario spas, rejuvenate with scrubs, balms and lotions based on edible ingredients, and a delicious guilt-free lunch.

Claramount Inn and Spa in Picton, Prince Edward County, uses a vitamin-rich pear and green apple body polish as part of the Relax and Renew package. Eminence Vitality Facial and Eminence Back Bliss Hot Stones treatments complete your therapeutic experience and afterwards you can linger at the colonial manor in the indoor-outdoor saltwater pool as long as you like. Savour tasty greens with local artisan cheeses, seasonal fresh fruit and house-made sesame flatbread as part of your spa package. $278. 97 Bridge St., Picton. claramountinn.com, 800-679-7756 Who says spas and booze don’t mix?

The Millcroft Spa Centre for Wellbeing’s Malt and Barley Scrub and Soak offers a healthy skin slough with malt and barley grains, followed by a soak in the property’s Ofuro hot tub, with a cool glass of local craft beer in hand. Lunch dishes at the Spa Café are prepared with mostly regional and seasonal ingredients.

Treatment: $100; lunch menu items: $14-$18. 55 John St., Alton. vintagehotels.com/millcroft, 800-383-3976 If you’re more about the merlot, try The Wine Country Spa Experience at Inn and Spa on the Twenty in Niagara region. After a grape seed and sugarcane polyphenol gommage, let your therapist wrap you in warm grape extract mud to draw out your skin’s impurities and leave it soft and moisturized. A quick rinse-off with the multi-jet Swiss shower followed by a coating of Divine Body Balm will leave you primped and ready for a spa lunch of lighter fare, such as hearts of romaine salad with pork

Stephen Elphick

Rejuvenate and relax, local-gourmet style

Claramount Inn and Spa combines delicous local cuisine with blissful spa experience in Prince Edward County.

belly and sourdough croutons.

back and feet. As your mask works its skin-

$378. 3845 Main Street, Jordan.

tingling magic, a hydrator massage allows

innonthetwenty.com, 800-701-8074

you to sink into a deep relaxation. After a

On the lakefront in Muskoka, hidden

post-treatment green tea — packed with

among the pines, Christie Mills Inn and

antioxidants — you’ll make your way into the

Spa is a place to pamper your body and

waterfront dining room for a healthy lunch

your palate. Refresh with The Peppermint

made with seasonal ingredients. Your

Green Tea Revitalizing Experience — a

afternoon is then devoted to a mani-pedi.

eucalyptus steam, followed by hydrating

$250. 263 Port Severn Rd. N., Port Severn.

peppermint green tea mask on the face,

christiesmill.com, 800-465-9966

Burn, Baby Burn!

•

Plan to feast your way across the province? Try these calorie-busting gastronomic activity packages.

On an Escape the City... Canoe and Beach Dining Adventure with Culinary Adventure Company, you’ll paddle out to the Toronto Islands to tuck into a gourmet picnic on the beach.

Zen out in Algonquin Park this summer on an Arowhon Yoga Weekend Retreat. Three gourmet meals per day are balanced out by seven yoga classes during your stay.

$135, culinaryadventureco.com, 800-656-0713, 416-565-1730

$808.03, wolfdenexpeditions.ca, 519-622-2661

From May through September, try Looking and Cooking with Wild Edibles. On a chef-guided hike through Northern Ontario’s Temagami Forest, you’ll forage for mushrooms, cedar, dandelion leaves and more of nature’s bounty.

Prince Edward County’s Terroir Run promises “great legs, great body!” Run through wine country in this annual 10K event, to finish up at Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard for woodfired pizza and the finest of the County’s wines.

Take a Wine Trail Ride with Windsor Eats, cycling and sipping between three vineyards and feasting on local, artisanal fare at your last stop.

$85, smoothwater.com, 888-569-4539

$75, terroirrun.com, 416-451-3162, 613-471-0102

$100 (including bike and helmet rental), windsoreats.com

Here is the caption for the photo.

Valerie Howes is the food editor for Reader’s Digest Canada. Follow her @valhowes.

26 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Our Key to the City

Only In

Visit Ontario’s premiere wine region, Landmark Shops and renowned Signature Kitchens.

Discover for yourself why we are The Culinary Capital of Canada.

Call for reservation assistance and more: 1 888 619 - 5982 or visit w w w.niagaraonthelake.com

KID GOURMET

Dine and Dash Culinary adventures for junior gourmands

By Valerie Howes From the toothless crawlers to the too-cool-for-school teens, every kid craves great grub with a side of excitement. Here are seven action-packed ideas for all ages.

In Whitby, less than an hour’s drive east of Toronto, the diaper set can have a ball in a play area with giant building blocks, slides and toy food sets, before getting into a high chair for homemade fare. At Beans and Babes Café, toddlers munch on grilled-cheese sliders, pancakes or veggie platters made with mostly local ingredients, while parents recharge over Fair Grounds gourmet fair-trade coffee, roasted and ground in Ontario.

Age rating: 0-3. beansandbabes.ca

Rent bicycles and helmets at Bike Works, part of the Evergreen Brick Works facility, and explore the woodland and river trails

ciders as their parents sample winter wines.

Age rating: 8+. applepietrail.ca Download the Bieberrific Map to

in Toronto’s Don Valley. Next drop into

Stratford and take a walking tour of Justin

the Farmer’s Market (see p. 6 for more)

Bieber’s fave hometown haunts. (See p. 24

for the Saturday cooking series, Hands in

for more Stratford.) In between scoping out

the Bowl. Little ones make finger foods

the Biebs’ top busking and skateboarding

to tantalize their developing taste buds

spots, walk the strip and troll for snacks,

with help from Mom or Dad.

like spag-bol at Madelyn’s Diner and ice

Age rating: 4-7. ebw.evergreen.ca.

cream at Scoopers.

For winter fun, hit the Apple Pie Trail

Age rating: Tweens+. visitstratford.ca/justin

(see more on p. 30) on a guided family snow-

Weave through the Fox Islands of Georgian

shoeing adventure. Spot wild animal tracks,

Bay, about five hours north of Toronto, in a

tramp along the escarpment and warm up

motorboat loaded with kayaks and gourmet

with hot cider in the woods. Final destination:

food. With guides from Killarney Mountain

Georgian Hills Vineyards, where kids sip

Lodge & Outfitters, paddle six kilometres,

locally made Meredith’s elixirs and sparkling

taking in the mountains and wildlife of Philip Edward Island, then tuck into a steak lunch with fresh-baked bread and homemade desserts on the granite shores.

Age rating: 12+. killarney.com Saddle up at Nith River Ranch near the

Get out of town!. Bring your cooler and fill it with fresh, healthy, local food.

Surprises await you in Oxford County.

www.oxfordfresh.com

town of Paris, about a

Killarney Mountain Lodge.

90 minute drive west of Toronto, for the teen or family overnight camp-out. Explore

Tramp the escarpment and warm up with hot cider in the woods

the trails and terrain of Brant County on horseback — doing cattle work along the way — until you arrive at your campsite.

Next, flame-cook steak and potatoes, and settle round the campfire for a night under the stars. At sunrise, a hearty cowboy breakfast awaits.

Age rating: 12-29. nithriverranch.com This summer, chefs-in-the-making at the Urban Element Teen Camp in Ottawa (five hours east, then north, of Toronto) venture out for fresh ingredients at the market or a local farm to transform into tasty dishes like homemade pizza, burgers and ravioli.

“follow us on Facebook and Twitter” 1-866-801-7368

28 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Age rating: 13-15. theurbanelement.ca

•

valerie howes is food editor for Reader’s Digest Canada.

Apple Pie Trail > 1.75 hours > 145 km north of Toronto on Hwys 400N/26W toward Collingwood > applepietrail.ca

An Apple a Day

By Pamela Cuthbert Sometimes, it’s the new kid on the block that appears out of nowhere and takes home the trophy. And so it is with the Blue Mountains Apple Pie Trail, a varied network of more than 30 businesses that stretches between Collingwood and Owen Sound, a couple of hours north of Toronto.

Now in its fourth year, this “family” of orchards, farmers’ markets, eateries, hotels and outdoor attractions took the top culinary award at the 2011 Ontario Tourism Summit.

In fact, this area has been apple country since European settlers discovered that the moderating effects of Georgian Bay, together with the Niagara Escarpment, provides a microclimate suitable for apple farming. Once a treasure trove of biodiversity, many of the early orchards have long been abandoned or ploughed under for development. But lately, the region has become a crossroads of past and future, with apples that still thrive wild

‘The Red Prince is an amazing apple for garnishing a salad. You don’t want to mess with it.’

Pamela Cuthbert

For laid-back fun and tasty treats, the Apple Pie Trail can’t be beat

Apples in their natural state at the Trail’s popular Apple Top Farm.

driving up with family from their Niagara

attraction with dining and adventure

home. “We would tour apple farms and

packages, hits its peak in autumn. Many of

do some apple picking. I remember

the destinations, such as Apple Top Farm,

there being more apple farms then.”

are seasonal. The Johnson family opens

Korten is now part of a team that

the historic barn doors to the public during

promotes local apples, exploring new

harvest, which generally means the months

ways to incorporate the fruit into dishes.

of September and October. Here, you’ll

He can rhyme off a dozen ideas he’s

find various certified-organic apples like

already executed, such as sweetening a

Paula Reds and Empires, cider vinegars

spicy scallop starter with fresh apples,

and other farm produce such as squashes.

making a savoury pudding to pair with pork

With just 27 acres of orchard, it’s a small

and cultivation of new commercial

tenderloin, creating assorted chutneys

operation. “We see a lot of people come

varieties like the popular Red Prince,

and, naturally, making crumbles and

through these doors,” says Helena

grown in Thornbury.

pies. A fan of the Red Prince, which is a

Johnson. “The Trail has been very popular.”

Chef Jeremy Korten of the

cross between a Golden Delicious and the

No one knows just how many are

Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill in Blue

Jonathan variety, he says, “It’s an amazing

visiting, explains Kristin Ellis of the Blue

Mountain’s Westin Trillium House

apple for garnishing a salad. You don’t

Mountain marketing association. The Trail’s

(westinbluemountain.com) resort

want to mess with it.”

remembers visiting the area as a child,

30 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

The Apple Pie Trail, a year-round

members hope to develop a means to track numbers as well as post signs along the

route. “It’s tough to get the right road

area’s Scenic Caves (sceniccaves.com)

signage,” says Ellis. “It would be a wonderful

sent us out for the open air of hiking

achievement, but we’re not quite there

the Mountain and Bruce Trail. We set

yet.” In the meantime, the Trail’s printed

aside downtime at the very pleasant and

and online editions of a brochure and map

accommodating Westin property, then

are the only sources for navigation.

squeezed in the thrill of the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster (bluemountain.ca),

Trail with my family, the lack of signage

toured a few quaint galleries (don’t expect

made for a meandering adventure. Winding

pomaceous portraits), and, thanks to an

our way along concession lines and dirt

unusually warm fall, swam in the clear

roads, even stopping at one point for a

waters of Georgian Bay.

jaywalking rooster, we stumbled upon

On our last afternoon, inspired by

finds like The Farmer’s Pantry. Listed

the well-equipped kitchen in our bright

as “Attraction #23” on the Trail map, this

and spacious room, we decided to take

charming spot is a pick-your-own orchard

a parting trip: from orchard to oven.

with a small petting farm where kids can

Unpacking a peck of beautiful spys from

ogle bunnies, goats and other cute creatures.

Apple Top, we baked a pie while the sun

Apple crumble at the O&B Café Grill Blue Mountain.

There were more things to do

lingered behind the trees. The room was

than we could manage in a short stay.

fragrant with butter and spice. Glasses of

An amble through the busy, friendly

iced apple cider from the nearby Georgian

Collingwood Downtown Farmers’ Market

Hills Vineyards (georgianhillsvineyards.ca)

(collingwooddowntown.ca) turned up

awaited as the pie cooled. Fork in one hand, map

apple-cinnamon butter. Exploring the

in the other, we began planning our return.

CAPTIVATING VIEWS, COUNTLESS MUST-DO’S

•

O&B Cafe Grill Blue Mountain

On the autumn weekend I toured the

The Blue Mountains Apple Pie Trail Visit applepietrail.ca to find out more about the dozens of partners in this wonderfully delicious trail. Email crunch@applepietrail.ca and follow @ApplePieTrail.

pamela cuthbert writes about food in Toronto.

Beauty, history, culture, and celebration—and a thriving local culinary scene—make Ottawa a favourite destination of anyone in search of uniquely Canadian experiences. Visit online for Ottawa getaways such as this summer’s Experience Van Gogh package including admission to the exhibition and a Van Gogh inspired dinner at Le Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures.

Ottawa is home to Canada’s top chef

WWW.OTTAWATOURISM.CA • 1-888-OTTAWA-8 Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 31

SPIRITS

When the Spirit Moves You

The tasting room at 66 Gilead.

Steven Elphick

Get a taste of the Ontario craft distillery scene

By Davin de Kergommeaux Craft distilling may seem romantic, but in Ontario it’s an expensive undertaking.

Small-batch whisky makers must negotiate regulations requiring whisky be aged for at least three years. Despite this, several intrepid souls have found ingenious ways to get into the game. Their approach?

Non-whisky tasting experiences, often only available at the distillery, that will tantalize the visitor’s taste buds.

Take 66 Gilead Distillery in Bloomfield (66 Gilead Rd., Bloomfield, Prince Edward County; 613-393-1890, 66gileaddistillery. com, @66Gilead). Their one-of-a-kind Canadian Pine Vodka will permanently change how you feel about sipping vodka.

Its fresh pine aromas and citrus palate culminate in a long clean luxurious finish

that whispers, “more please. Now. I mean it!” Sure, you can mix it, but when it’s this tasty, why would you?

Their Loyalist Gin is about as local as it gets. An elegant full-bodied potation, it draws its signature notes from juniper berries picked right at the distillery.

66 Gilead welcomes summer visitors seven days a week, on weekends and by appointment during the spring and fall.

John K. Hall at Kittling Ridge Estate Wines & Spirits in Grimsby (297 South Service Rd., Grimsby, Niagara; 800-6946798, kittlingridge.com) took a different approach to fund his whisky dream. A winemaker by profession, Hall stuck to his roots when he opened Kittling Ridge. Winemaking is seasonal though. In his downtime, Hall began fermenting grain to make whisky.

CULINARY IS TABOO

800.461.0236 32 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

tabooresort.com

His Forty Creek whiskies are now all the rage with Canada’s connoisseur community.

About 10 minutes from the distillery, the picturesque Forty Mile Creek that tumbles over Beamer Falls on the Niagara Escarpment makes an ideal spot for a family picnic.

Along with award-winning Kittling Ridge wines and whiskies, a host of local delicacies are for sale in the distillery shop.

Still Waters Distillery nestles on the northern edge of Toronto (150 Bradwick Dr.,

Toronto’s Great Whisky Bars

Top 5 Ontario Craft Spirits

Via Allegro More than 1,000 single malts, Canada’s largest selection of bourbon and Canadian whisky, and nearly 6,000 wines, all served in one of Toronto’s top Italian restaurants.

Still Waters Single Malt Vodka, $34.95 This luxurious vodka is available at the distillery or the Vintages section of the LCBO.

1750 The Queensway W., 416-622-6677, viaallegroristorante.com

Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whiskey, $64.95 Matured in barrels made from local oak trees. Available at the distillery or LCBO.

and Barry Bernstein decided to make

The Ceili Cottage This cozy 60-seat traditional Irish pub adds an outdoor patio in summer. The Cottage serves a wide selection of Irish, Canadian, American and international whiskiess.

Forty Creek John’s Private Cask No. 1, $69.95 Dubbed “The Spice Monster.” At the distillery or LCBO.

Canadian single malt, their wives thought

1301 Queen St. E., 416-406-1301,

they were crazy. That whisky is now

ceilicottage.com, @TheCeiliCottage

66 Gilead Canadian Rye Vodka, $36.95 May be purchased during a distillery tour.

Unit #26, Concord; 905-482-2080, stillwatersdistillery.com, @StillWatersD).

When single malt aficionados Barry Stein

maturing into a rich and complex indulgence.

In the meantime, craft spirits lovers are already raving about their much-awarded Still Waters single malt vodka. It is so creamy and rich you could almost top a sundae with it. They are naturally gregarious folks, so

•

if you drop by Still Waters you’ll almost certainly be invited in for a tour.

The Feathers Canada’s Companions of the Quaich recently recognized The Feathers for its selection of over 400 single malts. This traditional English pub opened in 1981.

962 Kingston Rd., 416-694-04437, thefeatherspub.ca

66 Gilead Loyalist Gin, $43.95 Bursting with local flavours and aromas. At the distillery.

Davin de Kergommeaux is the author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert. Visit canadianwhisky.org.

Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012 > 33

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES

A Taste of Something Special These unique experiences are truly like no other

By Rebecca LeHeup In 2011, the Canadian Tourism Commission launched their Signature Experiences Collection to showcase the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that can be found across our country. In Ontario, a number of the Signature Experience’s showcase our taste of place — in fact, they showcase many great tastes of Ontario.

If you seek something scrumptious, try the View to a Thrill with Niagara Helicopter Tours, where you’ll fly high above the falls and then land in a local vineyard for a local lunch with wines from the region.

Test your nerves and taste buds with the Unique Sky High Adrenaline Rush on the CN Tower, where you’ll take in a breathtaking view of one of the greenest cities in the world and follow the rush with lunch at 360 Restaurant, where they emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared in their scratch kitchen.

For more hands on culinary adventures why not take in the Rails, Trails and Ales with Northern Edge Algonquin or the Culinary Bounty of the County at Huff Estates Inn and Winery in Prince Edward County.

A definite must for all first-time visitors to Ontario is the Extreme Canadian Icewine Experience: Inniskillin Icewine Tour and Tasting at Inniskillin Winery, where you’ll learn all about a wine that has international acclaim.

What better way to complement a visit to the nation’s capital then by Exploring Canada’s Flavours in a Unique Culinary Destination at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa?

Truly magnifique.

Walking on the edge at the CN Tower.

•

To find out what type of travel explorer you are and learn more about the Signature Experience Collection, visit canada.travel.

34 > Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide 2012

Flying high above Inniskillin Winery.

September 12 to 23, 2012

Bridging the gap between chefs and producers to bring you a taste of fresh local food.

Durham Region’s annual culinary festival puts local food in the spotlight. Chefs from our best casual and fine-dining restaurants team up with local producers to create mouth-watering dishes using fresh-from-the-farm ingredients. Fixed price meals start at $15 for lunch and $20 for dinner.

Discover new dining experiences and enjoy delicious local food. Make your reservations early!

www.DurhamSavourtheSeason.ca

I

1-800-413-0017

enter now for a chance to win a weekend getaway for two worth $500!

Enter at www.DurhamSavourtheSeason.ca.

PROMO CODE: OCTA

STRATFORD your culinary getaway

Some would say our passion for great food is bigger than our passion for the theatre.

Innovative chefs, cool spaces and local producers make Stratford an award-winning culinary hotspot with an array of culinary adventures offered all year round.

Culinary pairings at Savour Stratford Tutored Tastings | Wander the Savour Stratford Bacon and Ale Trail Stroll the Savour Stratford Chocolate Trail | Culinary ghost walks with Pubs, Pilsner and Spirits tour Award-winning Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, presented by GE CafĂŠ Appliances | Foraging Treks for wild food | Chefs Series presented by GE CafĂŠ Appliances | Culinary Walking Tours Come and awaken your senses with a visit to visitstratford.ca/savour and browse our Culinary Guide.

TM