The Niagara Parks is loaded with authentic natural, historical and cultural experiences, but on the Feast On The Parkway Culinary Crawl I learned that culinary prowess is just as natural to the Parks as a hiker is to the Bruce Trail. Here are some highlights of their five restaurants that are worthy of a trip to try. Queenston Heights Restaurant, Chef Bill Greenan made the House-Made Gnocchi Carbonara, Double-Smoked Ontario Bacon, Hamilton Cremini Mushrooms, Baby Arugula in Pecorino Romano Cream served with Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir. Whirlpool Restaurant, Chef Tim Vanderlaar made the Spicy Butternut Squash Bisque and […]

When one is in Montreal, what else does one do but make a pilgrimage to eat a glutinous smoked meat sandwich? Well it’s not really a touristy thing to do because these stacks of glistening, savoury meat are so good, they’ve made a name for themselves honestly. What I wasn’t prepared for was the roller coaster ride! I’ve been to Reuben’s on St Catharines Street for Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and they were really great, but this time I went to Schwartz on Saint Laurent. I knew I was close when I saw the line-up of about 30-people deep […]

Continued from Part I... The softly lit room is relaxing even with the dozens of waiters running around, busy with their activity. One comes over and I’m asked if there are any preferences or allergies. While I don’t eat wheat or dairy, I say nothing. One of my biggest concerns in restaurant eating today is peoples expectation to opt out of ingredients in a chefs dish, “could I have the cassoulet without duck please?” Aughhh. If we restrict a chef, any good chef, from creating something really delicious then why are we eating out? If not to taste a […]

Toronto Life Magazine ranked it the best restaurant in Canada, but that’s not why I wanted to go. I first read of Toqué (pronounced to-cue) and Grand Chef Normand Laprise in the book, The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski. The book is about the height of Haute Cuisine in France, the greatest chefs Bernard Loiseau, Paul Boucous, the Troisgros Brothers, Normand Laprise and Claude Perraudin to name a few and the conception of the Michelin Star ranking system. It’s a story of the chefs struggles to reach the top in an impossible world and the affect it has on a […]

It was my first taste of Montreal poutine. Yes poutine has been around for a while and so have I, so why haven’t our paths crossed before? Well, I just can’t get past the concept of mushy fries. Yes some people put gravy on their fries but, I don’t. I like my fries crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, hot and neat. But I was seduced by the creative poutine dishes I was reading on each posted menu down Rue St Denis, I couldn’t help but be swept away by the poutine wave. I tucked into a […]

A butcher by trade, Pascal Miche was bit by the tomato bug at an early age. It was his great grandfather Omer Miche, that made tomato wine from an overabundance of tomatoes in his garden. When he was a very young boy Pascal helped his great grandfather make wine until one day he decided to study winemaking.   On the farm in Baie-Saint-Paul in Charlevoix, Quebec Pascal and his wife grow over 6,000 heirloom tomato plants. The older varieties have more flavour, they’re sweeter and acclimatized to our area so they grow better in Charlevoix. The name Omerto is […]