Feast Ontario Style

Tales of a Food Writer – Lynn Ogryzlo

As Ontario’s Local Food Ambassador I’ve travelled the province uncovering its hidden treasures from amazing resorts to charming country villages and mouthwatering food festivals. In between I have savoured toasted garlic fudge a the Perth Garlic Festival, enjoyed a romantic field dinner at Cross Wind Farms and chowed down on the sloppiest, juiciest ribs at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market – oh yum.

I discovered Ontario’s most delicious food in the most unlikely places. Travel through Hensall, the bean capital for amazing cassoulet, Perth County the pork capital and home of the Bacon and Ale Trail or the dairy capital, Oxford County and savour your way through the Cheese Trail. I also discovered many resorts that excel at making Ontario food a focus for what they do best.

In Oxford County, Elm Hurst Inn’s executive chef Michael Davies takes his cheese very seriously. I used this historic inn as a base to visit as many stops along the Cheese Trail as I could. At the inn, try Michael’s all-local cheese platter or enjoy one of his cheesy features such as the delicious cheddar soup.  What a great time you’ll have!

Blue Mountain Resort is the centre of Ontario’s apple production and also home to the Apple Pie Trail. The Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood is at the beginning of the Trail and is a great place to take advantage of everything apple pie from the different  stops along the way. Then when you’ve over indulged (as I did), have fun working it off with many of their 4-season outdoor activities, it’s great for the whole family. When you leave, don’t forget to buy a bushel of farm fresh apples to continue your apple love affair.

One of my favourite culinary destinations, the Millcroft Inn & Spa was once a knitting mill providing yarn and blanket. Executive Chef James Buder crafts delicious dishes from fresh, organic and natural foods that are available to him throughout the fertile and unspoiled Hills of Headwaters. Bring a good pair of hiking boots because the tranquility of this place along with Buder’s cuisine will captivate you.

The Hills of Headwaters, or Headwaters as the locals call it, is quintessential Ontario equestrian country with rambling ranches and graceful horses. It’s also a delicious rural landscape with farmers the likes of Amaranth Springs, Besley Farms and Hockley Valley Resort growing amazing food. At Hockley Valley they have a 4-acre vegetable garden providing over 80% of the vegetables for Restaurant 85 and Cabin. Some of it is preserved to enjoy year round. What a refreshing experience to bask in the authentic flavours of the summer when you’re dining in January or February.

You’ll find more gardens at Briars Resort and Spa. Executive Chef Trevor Ledlie plans his menus a year in advance. It’s a great culinary collaboration between Inn owners and a chef who knows it takes as much time to nurture a tiny seedling into a fully mature plant as it does to simmer the ingredients into a luscious meal for his guests in the Briars’ dining rooms. Foods this fresh are thrilling on the palate.

When I was at the Westwind Inn I remember sitting in a large Adirondack chair watching a herd of deer pass through the forest. The Inn is as peaceful and remote a place as any in the heart of Ontario. The owners forage the wilderness around them for wild fiddleheads, leeks, morel mushrooms, edible flowers and more. You can try asking for  their favourite picking  spots but it’s like asking a fisherman for his favourite fishing hole – they’ll never tell. I’m told it I sat in the chair long enough, I might catch a glimpse of a flock of wild turkey, or perhaps even a moose. At Westwind you are allowed to shoot them, but only with a camera!

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Perfect getaways for kids

Need a perfect getaway with your kids this summer. Resorts of Ontario can help and in fact, our resorts excel at providing a superior family oriented experience. We specialize in the family experiences by providing kids programs specific to age group. You can rest easy knowing that your child is being cared for by trained staff whose job is to make sure all the kids are having fun. And while your kid is off on daily adventures, you can go for some of your own fun or relaxation by taking in a game of golf, treating yourself to a favourite (or newly discovered) spa treatment, or just sitting in quiet area of the natural Ontario resort settings.

Some of the activities your child(ren) will enjoy at our resorts are mountain biking clinics, golf clinics, learning to fish, wakeboarding and waterskiing, tubing, playing games and more. While each resort is different the bottom line is having fun. At Blue Mountain their Kids program, will keep your little one smiling all day with their different themed adventure days, plunges in their pools and even tennis clinics. Kids Korral at Horseshoe Resort, will take your kids through the discovery of something new each day by teaching different activities and skill levels based on the age group your child fits into. Cleveland’s House Resort’s – Cleve’s Kids Club offers “Ontario’s largest and most extensive children’s program.” Here your kids have an emphasis on fun and learning in a safe environment up to 18 years old. At Cleveland’s House, they also have programs to get the whole family involved with their talent shows, amazing family race nights, bon fire nights and more. At Fern Resort, your family will have so many fond memories that you’ll be looking forward to your return visit. Whether you go for the kids programs, the entertainment, dance parties to cooking classes they offer something for everyone. The VIK Club (Very Important Kids Club) at the Delawana Inn, Spa and Conference Resort is a supervised day camp for children ages 3-12 and includes arts and crafts, rock climbing, land sports and water activities, and more. There are several resorts that offer children’s programs and I encourage you to visit the family resorts section of our website.

As the day winds down, you can catch up with your kids on their fun-filled day over some of the fantastic meals prepared by the resort chefs. Don’t worry, the chefs still have kids in mind and prepare meals for the palates of youth and adults alike with a variety of menu options to choose from. When you have finished your meal, relax and sit back for some of the nightly entertainment provide which includes everything from water skiing shows, family friendly comedians and shows and even outdoor movies.

There is still lots of time left in the summer, so pack the car and come on up to our place for your great family friendly adventure.

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Skiing & Snowboarding in Resort Country

Skiing/Snowboarding in resort country is a fantastic way to escape the winter blahs and feel the rush of setting off down hill through groomed trails and fresh powder. Being a fairly new snowboarder, I have certainly been excited with the early and massive accumulations of fresh snow this winter at the different  Ontario ski resorts. Depending on the area you are looking to travel to there are many options to get out and try this activity.

For central Ontario, Blue Mountain Resort near Collingwood is an excellent choice for those looking to get that Ski Village feel offered out west. The village offers a variety of restaurants and nightlife opportunities to keep your energy pumping long after you have left the hills for the day. The resort offers an outdoor heated pool which is always fun on a winter’s day. Horseshoe Resort outside of Barrie and Orillia has been working hard at updating their Terrain Park and is a great place with options of staying at Horseshoe or Carriage Ridge Resort. Further down the road is Mount. St. Louis Moonstone which is just a quick drive from Christie’s Mill Inn and Spa and Muskey’s Landing.

 

In the Haliburton Region Sir Sam’s Skiing offers 12 trails of great fun and with Sir Sam’s Inn and WaterSpa located near the base of the hill, you can stay in comfort and give your muscles some much-needed relaxation through hydro therapy. Also nearby is Pinestone Resort, Sandy Lane Resort, Bonnie View Inn and Halimar Resort all offering their own comfortable accommodations and winter fun activities.

 

For those visiting the Ottawa area Calabogie Peaks Resort offers the convenience of 23 runs at the resort. For those looking to take in the Capital, you can also book ski packages through Brookstreet Hotel and have the best of skiing and history while staying at a great hotel.

 

Muskoka is often thought of as a summer destination for the pristine lakes but those that have visited the area in winter know that Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is a great place to get out an enjoy some downhill fun. With it’s longest run being 580 meters (1902 ft.) there is a great opportunity to explore and have fun on the slopes for a day. There are many resorts to stay at in Muskoka that are just a short drive to the ski hill including Deerhurst Resort, Beauview Cottages, Cedar Grove Lodge, Bondi Cottage Resort plus many others.

 

If you are in the Greater Toronto Area and don’t want to venture far, Hockley Valley Resort is just a quick 45 minute drive north. With 15 runs, both an upper and lower level terrain park and state of the art snow making, there is a long season ahead for those looking to take advantage of the convenience Hockley Valley offers.

 

Regardless of which part of Ontario you are looking to visit, skiing and snowboarding gives you a great way to get out and experience an adrenaline packed sport that is fun for first timers and lifetime skiers. While you might be intimidated to try this out, each of the ski areas mentioned offers lessons to help you get the hang of it, which at the end of the day makes the hills that much more enjoyable. Come on up to our place for great skiing.

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