From the boreal forest to the tundra; from the Prairie grasslands to Ontario’s Carolinian woodlands, Canada is stunningly rich with flora and fauna. Bio-diversity is our most valuable heritage. With 71,000 species which have been scientifically described and another estimated 69,000 * species yet to be named and classified, it becomes crystalline that the protection of our ecological heritage is absolutely paramount.
When Chef Donna Dooher and her life partner, Kevin Gallagher, opened Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, Toronto seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Journalists and diners had been close to heart broken when Mildred Pierce, their wildly successful restaurant closed. Joanne
On the Twenty is where the regional food movement really took hold in Niagara. It was Ontario’s first winery restaurant. From the time the beautiful dining room (s) opened overlooking the Twenty Valley with its first super-chef, Michael Olson, local
Wolfville is a gracious university town with towering-trees lining old-fashioned streets. It is also in the heart of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, the best growing area in most of the Maritimes. This is where Champlain first really settled; where the
Scaramouche Restaurant with its incredible team – Carl Korte (General Manager) and Keith Froggett (Executive Chef) has been setting the bar as high as it gets in Toronto’s dining scene for decades. Few other restaurants in the country have been
Morris East was created by the inimitable Jennie Dobbs. After 6 years of working in finance in the UK, Jennie decided to return to her hometown of Halifax to fulfill her dream of opening a restaurant. Morris East is tiny
Lorenzo Lesoto demonstrated his perfectionism in November (2010) when he was preparing his entry for Gold Medal Plates. He is a natural teacher – focused and very skilled. James Chatto described the medal winning effort. “He built his dish around
Robert Noel’s stated goal for his restaurant is to “be the best wine bar experience east of Montreal.” Make no mistake, this is a huge undertaking with the various backward liquor laws we have in Canada. Located in the coastal town
Spinnakers’ motto is “Our beers feel local” — so local in fact that I’ve seen owners, staff and brew masters from other local breweries gather at the traditional 4 p.m. for the ritual of cracking the “firkin”….or two if a second
ulla opened in summer 2010 and is located in Victoria’s Historic Chinatown. Owners, Chef Brad Holmes and Sahara Tamarin’s passion for flavor, technique, warm hospitality and friendly attentive service sets the restaurant apart. Chef Holmes’ philosophy highlights local organic products whenever
East & Main is a seriously happening bistro in Wellington, the heart of Prince Edward County wine country. Proprietors, David O’Connor and Kimberly Humby, have teamed up with Executive Chef, Lili Sulllivan, to create an atmosphere and menu in the
Chef Bryan Steele has taught and mentored dozens of Canada’s new wave of top chefs. In his role as Chef/Instructor at the Stratford Chefs School, which holds classes in his kitchen, he has, in many ways, laid a foundation for
Chef Michael Noble always seems to be at the top of his game. We first met when he was the shining star of DIVA at the Met in Vancouver way back in the 1990′s. His recipes grace the pages of
Located in one of the great, low slung red brick buildings so often found across the Prairies, The Artful Dodger Café & Music Emporium is a testament to the ingenuity of co-owner Carol Cairns. As a full fledged art gallery
Little Louis’ Oyster Bar dedicates its menu to stylishly celebrating the food life of the region. Tucked up a set of stairs on the second floor, this warm and inviting dining room is absolute proof that a climb doesn’t keep
The slogan is “We’re NOT authentic Mexican; we’re modern with a twist.” And I’d add, that Habaneros is the most Canadian taco bar I’ve ever seen….ingredients and talent are both locally grown. The food is ‘chef inspired’ (cocinero inspirado)
A brand new Gastropub from Mark McCrowe the brilliant (and totally industrious) Chef/Owner of Aqua Kitchen | Bar. He recently won the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award from the Canadian Culinary Federation of Chefs and Cooks (CCFCC) and competed in
Chef Bruce Enloe is a self-confessed ‘local food geek’. Bruce eloquently echoes the thoughts of many participants in Food Day: “When we opened the branch, I made a promise to myself that I would start shopping at my door…and that
While Chef Brock Windsor was working at Sooke Harbour House, he was dreaming of a place of his own. Now, with his wife/partner, Ayako, he has realized the dream. Ayako is the innkeeper and Brock does the cooking. Stone Soup
There are very few restaurants that have a Hall of Fame for their suppliers. Let’s face it, most eateries don’t think that way. We love it!!! Eat Drink Magazine had this to say: “Bijou Restaurant is a culinary tourist’s dream… The
Chef and Owner Tobias Pohl-Weary explains his menu as ‘modern Canadian cuisine’. He has been in restaurant kitchens since he was 14 beginning, as many of our top chefs have, as a dishwasher — but not at any restaurant
For as long as it’s been around Diva @ The Met has championed locally- sourced and ultimately seasonal ingredients. As Executive Chef of the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver and its restaurant, Chef Hamid Salimian fits the philosophy perfectly. Chef Salimian is
One of the neatest restaurants in Quebec, Les Jardins Sauvages, is owned and operated by Chef Nancy Hinton and forager/farmer François Brouillard. Aside from being a country eatery, they create and sell a line of products derived from wild plants
Crave Kitchen and Wine Bar is dedicated to the art of local! Regina-native Executive Chef Jonathan Thauberger has just returned after a 20 years cooking away, most notably at Burrowing Owl in the south Okanagan. He was part of that
The extraordinary sensual beauty is overwhelming. Across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as it was years ago for me, the Olympic Mountains are awash in pink and blue and purple. The sea calls. Sooke Harbour House, and its visionary
SoBo, short for ‘Sophisticated Bohemian’, is the creation of Lisa and Artie Ahier, Tofino locals; community-oriented Canadians of soul and distinction.The food is made in a kitchen brimming with hard work and love. SoBo is the kind of relaxed dining
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