Discover our favourite flavours from South Eastern Ontario!
The Top Ten Things We Ate in South Eastern Ontario
South Eastern Ontario’s rural vibes mean loads of flavours are made using ingredients from right around the corner. Think of everything from freshly churned ice cream and tasty dry ciders to creamy cheeses and bright wines. Here are the top ten tastes (in no particular order) we just cannot get over from our trip!
1. The Speculaa Ice Cream at Pump House Creamery
Where: The Pump House Creamery, 2 King St E, Gananoque, ON. (View Map)
Okay, seriously, Pump House Creamery in Gananoque was home to some of the best cones we have ever tasted. Their espresso ice cream made you feel like you were sipping on an affogato, and the lemon was just so lemony.
Our fav though? The speculaa ice cream. Anyone who has tasted a Dutch speculaa cookie before knows the brilliance that lives in its crumbly texture and gingerbread-like flavour. Now picture that crushed up into a creamy vanilla ice cream. We even saw the pre-crushed cookies sitting right on the counter!
Pump House Creamery makes everything in-house so we loved grabbing a cone and taking it down to the water to enjoy.
2. The Celtic Reserve Bleu Cheese
Where: Glengarry Fine Cheese, 5926 Hwy #34, RR#1, County Rd. 34, Lancaster, ON. (View Map)
This blue cheese is sure to make you feel anything but blue. Looking for something a bit more on the mild side? Take this wheel for a walk into your mouth. It’s oh-so-creamy and good enough to eat the whole wheel yourself (we won’t judge).
We loved enjoying it straight from the package as is but we could also envision it on a flatbread with drizzled honey and apple or with crackers and a simple glass of cab-sauv.
3. Finbarr’s Honey
Where: Springfield Farm Organics, 18709 County Rd 25, Apple Hill, ON. (View Map)
Springfield Farm Organics is a Feast On-Certified farm that grows garlic, oats and some potatoes. Our fav treat from this farm though? The fresh honey made by co-owner Finbarr.
Since moving to Apple Hill into a charming farmhouse, owners Eleanor and Finbarr have created a beautiful farm and disc golf course to be enjoyed in Southeastern Ontario. Finbarr has also taken up beekeeping and let us tell you, his honey should not be missed! Changing with the season from light to dark, it’s a treat any time of year.
4. Cynthia’s Kofta at Maison Maitland
Where: Maison Maitland, 1258 County Rd 2, Maitland, ON. (View Map)
We need to talk about the beauty and FLAVOUR of these koftas we tried from Maison Maitland. So juicy and delicious, we loved how they paired with the other sides made together for this meal.
Now here’s the catch. You gotta put in the work to try these bad boys! You’ll love it though. Maison Maitland offers up cooking classes throughout the year in both private and group settings in a beautiful 1800s home.
If you want to try some of the awesome dishes we had for dinner, be sure to sign up for the Middle Eastern Cooking Class.
5. Furnace Falls Blueberry Maple Lemonade
Where: Furnace Falls Farm, 504 Old Briar Hill Rd, Lyndhurst, ON. (View Map)
When we visited Furnace Falls there were a LOT of flavours we tried that we wanted to add to this list. The trick is you need to keep an eye on their event list in hopes you get to try some too! We could have written about the bronze fennel from the garden we chewed on, the amazing samosas made with red fief instead of chickpeas or the thinly sliced smoked venison we ate for dinner. Wow.
What we can’t miss telling you about though, is the homemade blueberry maple lemonade we enjoyed. Now a signature drink at each of their events, Furnace Falls makes this blueberry maple lemonade in-house and it’s absolutely to die for. Not overly sweet, it’s the perfect drink for a hot summer day.
6. The Coffee Caramels at Pickle & Myrrh
Where: Pickle & Myrrh, 110 Main St E, Merrickville-Wolford, ON. (View Map)
Pickle & Myrrh is one of the cutest darn shops we have ever been in. The perfect addition to what is one of the cutest darn towns we’ve ever been in, Pickle & Myrrh makes their own drool-worthy caramels in a variety of flavours and we fell head over heels for the coffee ones.
Whether you’re enjoying it as a treat with your morning coffee, after dinner or just because in the middle of the day, you really can’t go wrong. Think you might like to visit? Check out the stops we loved in Merrickville!
7. The 1793 Fortified Wine from Stonehouse Vineyard
Where: Stonehouse Vineyard, 21065 Lochiel Rd, Alexandria, ON. (View Map)
This jammy, sweet little number is a fortified Frontenac Noir. We loved the way it sings on your palette as soon as it hits! With notes of black cherry, plum and blueberries as well as nuts, baking spice and oak we LOVED it in summer but can definitely picture ourselves sipping it fireside when the cold weather hits.
Want to enjoy some on-site? Call in advance and order one of their tasting packages and then enjoy it out in the vineyard for a truly spectacular view!
8. The Dill Pickle Pizza from Esca
Where: Esca Gourmet Pizza + Bar, 317 Pitt St, Cornwall, ON. (View Map)
Cornwall pizza is a bit of a thing. Normally known for its cheese-on-top approach to a ‘za, Esca’s dill pickle pizza strays from that a bit but was certainly something to write home about!
Combining tangy with savoury, this dill pickle pizza has an aioli base with mozzarella, and house-made dill pickles AND it’s topped with even more dilly. In short…it was dilly awesome.
9. The Cheeseboard at Stone Crop Acres
Where: Stonecrop Acres, 5242 Smiths Rd, Morrisburg, ON. (View Map)
You know what? A lot of wineries do charcuterie and cheese boards and we love that. We have to say, Stone Crop Acres hits it out of the park! This small but mighty board is perfect for sharing and is Instagram-adorable to boot.
Served up on a dainty stone platter and accented by fresh flowers, the Stone Crop Acres cheeseboard highlights many of the area’s delicious cheeses (including that aforementioned Celtic Reserve Bleu) as well as a fresh and warm ciabatta bun, a selection of charcuterie and some fruits and veg too!
10. The Pumpkin-Infused Cider from BUSL
Where: BUSL Cider, 75 Quabbin Rd, Mallorytown, ON. (View Map)
Listen, we know pumpkin has often been overdone, particularly in the drink space. This cider, however, is anything but tired. In fact, we were kind of floored.
A yearly fav, this cider infuses real pumpkin puree but isn’t overly sweet. Keeping true to its dry nature while still providing those autumnal notes, BUSL Cider knocked our socks off with this one.
Get out there and explore!
Want to start checking out this part of the province? We don’t blame you! Check out PART 1 and PART 2 of our trek through South Eastern Ontario!
