Why we’re packing up and hitting the road to Jordan, Ontario

Why we’re packing up the car and heading southwest to Niagara Region

THE DIRECTIONS

read like a treasure map. Drive past vineyards, an old chestnut tree and duck ponds until you see a minimalist black barn (designed by gh3 architects). This is where Toronto’s Designagency, fresh from a Broadview Hotel redo, brought The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette

Winery to life, crafting an interior that champions co-chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson’s delicate, French-inspired food. Think persimmon-glazed duck (pictured) and house-made Cabernet Franc. Local ingredients echo the surroundings, as does the gabled interior. “We kept the overall design subtle, focusing on such details as metal inlay in the concrete tabletops, which trace the paths of Niagara rivers,” the designers said. Other custom work includes an installation of black string lights over a central harvest table, and a backlit display of regional photographs by Xavier Girard Lachaine. The open kitchen gives the chefs and diners clear sightlines, and a touch of theatre.