Canada’s Best Foodie Road Trips
Did Robert Frost enjoy Mexican cuisine? With a wooden sign indicating “tacos” to the left and “no tacos” to the right, the question springs to mind as I take the path much more travelled by and end up at Cantina Muskoka.
Set atop a granite ridge overlooking the Muskoka BeerSpa, the mural-bedecked food truck joins forces with a neighbouring churros, ice cream and Marguerita stand to lend some literal and figurative Mexican flavour to the complex of pools, cabins, hammocks and patios sprawling across the 12-acre property on the shores of Clear Lake.
Overhearing another visitor refer to the resort as “Chuck E. Cheese for adults,” I’m tempted to protest. From the raspberry and dulce con leche soft-serve I just inhaled to the beer-braised short rib ciabatta sandwich I lunched upon at the nearby Clear Lake brew pub, the BeerSpa provides yet another example of the culinary coups underway in Ontario cottage country cuisine.
It’s the same story across Canada, with the four food trips that follow highlighting the best of local and seasonal bounties.
Simcoe-Muskoka-Thornhill, Ontario
Lighthouse45, Rawley Resort, Port Severn
Steps from the western entrance to the 386-kilometre-long Trent-Severn Waterway, and minutes from Highway 400, Rawley Resort has accommodated boaters and road-trippers since 1922. The bucolic waterfront property has become increasingly luxurious as it has expanded over the years, with the new Lighthouse45 restaurant being the latest expression of this upmarket evolution.
Lighthouse45
Lighthouse45
Lighthouse45
Lighthouse45
Lighthouse45
Lighthouse45
Lighthouse45
Helmed by Chris Locke, the trailblazing chef behind Toronto’s Marben farm-to-table eatery, Lighthouse45 seats 77 in its Art Deco-inspired dining room and another 30 on its roomy dock-facing patio. The menu, meanwhile, leans heavily into locally-and-seasonally sourced ingredients from nearby farms, butchers, wineries and breweries. Standout dishes include local asparagus gorgeously grilled alongside marinated chickpeas, white bean hummus, pickled onion and sunchoke chips; and delicately pan-fried Arctic char accompanied by grilled bok choy, herb chutney and green-lentil daal.
Cliffside, Muskoka Bay Resort, Gravenhurst
Few restaurants whet the appetites of both diners and golfers quite like Cliffside does. Set atop a 300-foot precipice overlooking Muskoka Bay’s Doug Carrick-designed 18-hole track, the restaurant recently became the domain of executive chef Brian Norrish, who formerly captained the kitchens of Toronto’s upscale North 44 and Rosewater Room eateries. Like the high-ceilinged dining room itself, menu items such as a pan-seared local trout fillet and a six-ounce beef tenderloin fillet finished with Cafe de Paris butter are best described as elevated.
Cliffside Restaurant
Cliffside Restaurant
Cliffside Restaurant
Cliffside Restaurant
Cliffside Restaurant
Frilu Restaurant, Thornhill
While Ontario cottage country awaits its first Michelin-starred eatery, Frilu provides a sublime suburban pit stop for returning Torontonians. Incongruously sandwiched between a nail salon and paint store, Frilu is owned by its executive chef, John-Vincent Troiano, who applies what he learned at three-Michelin-star eateries such as Copenhagen’s Noma and San Francisco’s Benu to full effect.
As the Michelin Guide’s incognito inspectors note, “There is a saying that we should dance like nobody’s watching. This adage feels true of chef Troiano, who cooks to his own rhythm. Smoke, game and refined sauce-work figure prominently on what might be the only tasting menu for several kilometers. A tiny space packed with talent, the sparsely decorated nook leaves everything on the plate, with high-quality product from their own farm coupled with an intriguing Japanese element that feels natural.”
Trading Post Cabin and the Icebreaker, Port Severn
Who knew tiny Port Severn was such a hotbed of culinary variety? Steps from Rawley on the village’s namesake road, the rustic-chic Trading Post Cabin serves espresso-based beverages and teas, fresh-baked pastries, towering bagels and sub sandwiches, mini pizza and bowls. The latter are undeniably creative, with one breakfast-oriented bowl deliciously combining mixed greens, feta cheese, avocado, sweet onion, shredded cabbage and tomatoes, and topped with olive oil vinaigrette and balsamic mayo drizzle.
Across the street on what recently became Rawley property, the Icebreaker looms large when it strikes Ice Cream O’Clock. Set in a decommissioned 50-foot paddlewheeler, the whimsical sweet shop scoops a wide range of Kawartha Dairy desserts that can be inhaled on the boat’s upper deck.
Muskoka BeerSpa and Clear Lake Brewery, Torrance
Much has changed in the forests cloaking the town of Torrance since Clear Lake Brewing Co. opened in 2017. Steps from its Muskoka chair-strewn lawns and buzzing patio, the two-year-old BeerSpa’s stunning outdoor complex encompasses hot and cool pools, saunas, outdoor showers, a steam room, swings, hammocks, and the aforementioned mobile Mexican eateries. Spa services include a beer-infused foot scrub and rub, with a cabana bar pouring Clear Lake’s diverse brews alongside customizable Cottage Springs vodka drinks.
Muskoka BeerSpa and Clear Lake Brewery
Muskoka BeerSpa and Clear Lake Brewery
Muskoka BeerSpa and Clear Lake Brewery
Muskoka BeerSpa and Clear Lake Brewery
Muskoka BeerSpa and Clear Lake Brewery
Set on a ridge overlooking the spa, 13 overnight cabins include in-room beer taps, complimentary snacks, and impressively kitschy VHS collections. Locally baked pastries are delivered to overnight guests each morning, while Clear Lake’s menu comes through at lunchtime with maple glaze-drizzled fried chicken balancing atop a fluffy waffle. BeerSpa guests also have access to a compact beach, kayaks and paddleboards on Clear Lake.
South Okanagan, B.C.
Home Block Restaurant, CedarCreek Estate Winery, Kelowna
A 30-minute electric bike ride south of downtown Kelowna — more on that e-bike shortly — Home Block wastes no time setting road-trippers’ watches to vacation time. For one thing, it overlooks the CedarCreek vineyards that spill down toward the sunset-facing Okanagan lakeside. For another, Chef Neil Taylor’s prix-fixe wine-paired lunch and dinner menus highlight ingredients sourced from the onsite gardens, CedarCreek’s vines, and local farmers, foragers, and ranchers. Taylor’s terroir-to-table approach is best exemplified in dishes such as slow roast porchetta with crispy fingerlings, peppers, onions and salsa verde; and cedar-planked sockeye salmon with charred asparagus, piquillo and anchovy, and grilled lemon.
Chute Lake Lodge, Naramata
Chute Lake Lodge
Chute Lake Lodge
Chute Lake Lodge
Chute Lake Lodge
Chute Lake Lodge
After taking an early morning shuttle bus from downtown Kelowna to the Myra Station parking lot, e-bike riders cross the Kettle Valley Rail Trail’s 18 restored railway trestles. On the food trip, riders pass through two tunnels, en route to this lakeside lodge. Home to rustic-chic cabins, glamping tents and lodge rooms equipped with fireplaces and plush bedding, Chute Lake Lodge fills e-cyclists’ tanks deliciously with dishes ranging from prime rib panini — piled high with sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers, cheddar cheese and mozzarella, horseradish aioli, and romesco sauce — to a charcuterie board of Helmuts sausage, assorted cheeses, fresh local fruit, house jam, roasted nuts, olives, marinated vegetables, crisp pickles, crostini and warm baguette.
The Restaurant at Poplar Grove, Penticton
The Restaurant at Poplar Grove
The Restaurant at Poplar Grove
The Restaurant at Poplar Grove
The Restaurant at Poplar Grove
The Restaurant at Poplar Grove
As if the e-bike descent from Chute Lake to Penticton isn’t glorious enough already, the venerable Poplar Grove Winery puts it over the top with the tapas-style dishes served in its airy dining room and picturesque patio. Executive chef Stacy Johnston and chef de cuisine Minette Lotz join forces on sublime dishes such as Pacific scallops with fennel cream, sour cherries, smoked bacon, and pickled garlic scape.
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar, Penticton
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
Steps from the beach in downtown Penticton, the soaring ceilings and stylish decor of this recent addition complement cuisine that showcases local farmers and vintners, with Chronos winery’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon pairing deliciously with dry-aged B.C. ribeye and Canadian caviar. Steelhead trout and a lentil and chickpea fritter continue the local theme, with creative cocktails including the Negroni Sbagliato made famous on TikTok.
Eastern Townships, Que.
Brome-Missisquio Wine Route
Prepare to be very pleasantly surprised by this wine route that ambles 120 kilometres through Quebec’s Eastern Townships. The pastoral circuit passes through quaint towns like Lac Brome, Sutton and Cowansville, and includes 22 wineries, 21 restaurants, and dozens of farms. But it also brings artisans, boutiques, hotels and spas into the mix, which should satisfy everyone in the car.
Le Hatley Restaurant, Manoir Hovey, North Hatley
Le Hatley Restaurant
Le Hatley Restaurant
Le Hatley Restaurant
Le Hatley Restaurant
In-house dining at this upscale Relais & Châteaux inn on the shores of Lac Massawippi is guided by the seasons, with the summer menu focusing on freshly harvested Atlantic fare such as sea asparagus, sea spinach, and seaweed, all of which are artfully prepared by Chef Alexandre Vachon with house-made butter and vinaigrettes. Grown on the verdant estate, wild foraged shiitake mushrooms star in a dish of Gaspé Peninsula Lobster, snow peas and lobster cream, with unexpectedly refined wines from the surrounding Eastern Townships joining 750 labels from 22 countries in Hovey’s cellar.
Bistro West Brome
Asparagus, beans, heirloom tomatoes and herbs proliferate in Bistro West Brome’s expansive vegetable garden, which chef Ugo-Vincent Mariotti harvests to magnificent effect in a four-course table d’hôte menu. A Quebec rack of lamb, for instance, is accompanied by herbed kefta, tzatziki and roasted garlic sauce, while grilled octopus and squid with grilled vegetables and chimichurri tops fresh homemade pasta. Wine pairings make the most of the terroir surrounding the bistro’s home base, the luxurious Auberge West Brome, with standouts being the 2019 St-Pépin Réserve from the Domaine les Bromes and the 2020 Cuvée Royale from Château de Cartes.
Le Riverain, Ripplecove Hotel & Spa, Ayer’s Cliff
Set in the luxurious Ripplecove hotel, Le Riverain’s elegant Victorian dining room combines wonderful views of Lac Massawippi with a progressive menu of local cuisine and an impressive selection of wines. Chef Steeve Rondeau does some of his finest work on the seven-course tasting menu, which ranges from venison tartare and B.C. smoked black cod to Quebec duck Margret and a granita combining Campari, orange essence and vodka.
Prince Edward County, Ontario
Prince Edward County Taste Trail
Prince Edward County Taste Trail
Prince Edward County Taste Trail
Prince Edward County Taste Trail
Prince Edward County Taste Trail
Strewn as it is with all things epicurean — wineries, breweries, restaurants, farmers’ markets, cheesemongers, the list goes on — foodie road-trippers do not necessarily need to follow a designated route across this verdant island off the north shore of Lake Ontario. To avoid being overwhelmed, however, a 40-stop Taste Trail guides visitors across The Country, with blue road signs indicating delicious stops along the way.
Drake Devonshire, Wellington
This stylish urban outpost is home to an airy dining room and tiered patio that spills down to the shores of Lake Ontario. The creative summer menu from executive chef Amanda Ray is pleasingly sharable, with a locally-sourced charcuterie board including house-made pickles, preserves and sourdough, and oysters by the dozen accompanied by mignonette, horseradish and lemon. Diners may not be as open to sharing delectable mains, which include locally caught pickerel with fermented green beans, Green Ridge Farms asparagus, charred cherry tomato, fingerling potatoes, and Gribiche sauce.
Vic Social, Picton
Gastronomy’s playful side shines through at this new diner-style eatery on the lively main drag of the largest town in Prince Edward County. Inspired by the pop culture of the 1970s, ‘80s and 90s, the 3,200-square-foot indoor-outdoor space offers retro-style booths and a high-top bar bordered my a black and white record player mural.
Outside, picnic tables, Muskoka chairs, sit-down video-game consoles and games such as foosball and cornhole are arranged across covered and open-air patios. The menu, meanwhile, features elevated diner classics such as white-truffle parmesan fries and next-level boozy milkshakes topped with ice cream sandwiches.
Wander the Resort, Wellington
Wander the Resort
Wander the Resort
Wander the Resort
Wander the Resort
Wander the Resort
With a new restaurant set to open this fall, the best cuisine may be yet to come at this Scandinavian-style cottage resort on the sandy shores of Lake Ontario. This is not to say that anything is amiss at present. On the contrary: Before or after lounging in beach cabanas, chilling in the heated pool, or taking complimentary bicycles out for a spin, Wander the Resort guests can dine on dishes ranging from Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri and Roasted Sunchoke to Harissa Glazed Chicken with puffed wild rice and rapini.
