Where to find local fare on the go
No summer drive is complete without stops along the way to eat, and southern Ontario is rich with hot spots to find delicious local food. Here are some of our favourites. Blueberries on Hwy. 7 July and August are the season for blueberries, and nowhere are they plumper and tastier than bought from a stall at the end of a farm driveway. A drive along Hwy. 7 from Peterborough to Ottawa will take you past many stalls, with berries picked fresh that day. Often, the vendors will offer homemade pies, too. Mmmm! Burgers at Webers near Orillia Cottage-goers claim Webers makes the best burgers anywhere, period, which makes the Hwy. 11 restaurant a popular stop, but don’t let the long lines fool you — service is quick and efficient, even on the busiest days.
Kids love eating in the converted railway carriages, while the park-like setting, just a few kilometres north of Orillia, makes a great stopping-off point on the drive north.
Perch at Port Dover The fish is fresh from Lake Erie, and the perch is the tastiest of all. You can’t visit Port Dover, an hour south of Hamilton, without enjoying the fish and chips, either seated in a restaurant or standing beside a stall. The sleepy town transforms into a biker destination whenever the 13th of the month falls on a Friday, but that won’t happen this year until November. Apple pies at the Big Apple You can’t miss the giant red apple on the south side of Hwy. 401, at exit 497 between Colborne and Trenton. It’s so big you can go inside and climb to the top, where you can look out over a petting zoo that includes llamas and donkeys. But people-in-theknow don’t come here for the animals and the kiddie train rides — they come for the apple pies that are thick and baked fresh on the premises. Half a million people visit each year. Pigtails at the Lancaster Smokehouse, near Kitchener If you like roasted pig tails — a German favourite — head over to Kitchener and several BBQ restaurants will be pleased to serve them.
One of the best is the Lancaster Smokehouse on Lancaster St. W. Service can be fast or slow and the decor is “rustic,” but the pigtails are delicious, as are the brisket and the pulled pork. Pancakes at the Caledon Family Restaurant Start the drive off right with a stop for pancakes on Hwy. 10 in Caledon, just south of Escarpment Side Rd. It’s not a big place, so be prepared to wait for a table if you arrive mid-morning on aweekend, but the food will be worth it. Breakfast is served all day long and alongside lunch, and the pancakes are the best you’ll find anywhere. They’re made from scratch with the ingredients baked right in, including fruit preserves and even chocolate chips. Poutine in Ottawa Still the best place for fresh poutine is from the chip trucks in downtown Ottawa, a few steps from Parliament Hill. You can’t go wrong if you order a medium or a large: a layer of fresh fries, gravy and cheese curds is topped with another layer of fries, gravy and cheese curds, so the centre becomes a fabulous cheesy glob of delicious, greasy carbohydrates and fat. Think of it as an occasional treat. Rib fests throughout Ontario The destination changes every weekend as the barbecue aficionados gather at rib fests throughout southern Ontario. Choose your weekend, then go online to rotaryribfest.com to find out which town is hosting a culinary competition.
There’s usually a choice of two or three each weekend throughout the summer until Labour Day. Don’t just enjoy the ribs and grilled chicken — where else can you buy blooming onions?