Sadly the top ten new restaurants in Canada, as defined by EnRoute Magazine, won’t include any from the swath of the Golden Horseshoe, from Mississauga through Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton to St Catharines. The last time a “local” restaurant cracked that list was in 2010 when Quatrefoil in Dundas was deemed worthy. (I’ll suggest some possible reasons for why that might be in a moment.)
The good news is two excellent restaurants, Backhouse in Niagara on the Lake, and The Berlin, in Kitchener, both within relatively easy reach of Hamilton, stand a very good chance of making the list. Your online vote for them, or 34 other candidates for the top 10, might also be rewarded with a trip for two to a nominated restaurant of your choice, plus some spending money.
Interestingly both spots have something in common apart from great chefs and a focus on local, seasonal food: It’s a whomping great adjustable woodfire grill on which many of their dishes are cooked. I’ve eaten several times at both spots and they’re worth the detour, and worthy of your vote. In fact I reviewed The Berlin for the Waterloo Region Record and it attained the highest fork rating I’ve awarded to date.
En Route’s annual list is hotly awaited by foodies across Canada: always a pleasure to read, it is not
