Great links, and the reasons why.
-
My favourite restaurants
-
Off the tourist track. Warm and quirky decor. Nice people. Tell 'em Elena sent you.
-
On the water in Port Dalhousie. Entrust your wine selections to sommelier/co-owner James. You'll be delighted.
-
Chef Erik Peacock raised the bar when he opened his intimate resto in downtown St. Catharines 20+ years ago. Still a must!
-
Super wine list. Great events. Another in the Beckta hospitality family.
-
Steve Beckta delivers hospitality to the max. Menu and wine list both more than hold up their ends!
-
The site of the single greatest dining experience of my life, celebrating my mother's 80th birthday. Where the book on service was written.
-
Crowded, run down, rude service. A strange choice for my faves list? Let the owner choose your meal, and you won't be sorry.
-
Tiny place so book ahead. We stayed at the Inn - a great mid-week package.
-
The absinthe experience is not to be missed.
-
Danielle Murray is as warm and comfy as the food she serves.
-
-
My favourite wineries - NIAGARA, ONTARIO
(really hard to keep the list this short!)-
The original gravity winery in Niagara - I have a real soft spot for this one. It was my "ground-floor" opportunity in the wine biz.
-
Buy what you love while you are there, because it will sell out before you get back!
-
Tastings are in the warm, welcoming Wine Lodge. Home of the 2012 Wine King.
-
They know how to bring food and wine together. Plan to be here around lunch time! Or book a cooking class.
-
David Johnson and Louise Engel are really good people making really good wine.
-
Stunning grouping of historic buildings. Love their Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Four Diamond dining. Winemaker Brian Schmidt @benchwineguy is a great follow.
-
Thomas Bachelder's winemaking got them off to a famous start - winner of "The Judgement at Montreal." Taste at Jackson-Triggs in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
-
I'm enamoured of their sparkling. This winery has also brought a new respectability to Gamay that is more than deserved!
-
Do the terroir comparison between their Red Paw and Black Paw vineyards. Tres cool.
-
Primo food and wine destination in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. Bistro, food shoppe, entertainment. Oh, and the tasting room, of course!
-
Their event schedule is rich and the amphitheatre is an unparalleled location for al fresco entertainment.
-
Winemaker Derek Barnett has consistently produced a solid portfolio since the day this winery's doors opened.
-
Full disclosure - I helped to create the "customer experience" at this landmark winery, so obviously this one's a must-visit!
-
Groundbreaking winery. First LEED-certified building in Canada. Perfecting the art of assemblage.
-
Not sure where to place this geographically, but it HAD to be on the list! This unique project delivers Chardonnay and, soon, Pinot Noir, from Niagara, Burgundy and Oregon.
-
-
My favourite wineries - PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONTARIO
(so many more here I need to visit!)-
Taste iconoclast Deborah Paskus's idiosyncratic Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
-
Check out the "port." And the dry stone bridge - very unusual.
-
Matt Kramer (Wine Spectator) recommends the Chard. I say try the Pinot Noir too.
-
Dan and Lynn Sullivan are the salt of the earth. Their wines are the fruit of the earth.
-
TO escapees James, Victoria and Steven are producing wine with great passion.
-
-
My favourite wineries
Lake Erie North Shore, Napa, Sonoma, Willamette Valley, Yarra Valley, Rutherglen, Mornington Peninsula, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Hunter Valley to come ...