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When it comes to amazing restaurants and food businesses owned by Black Canadians, many assume that they can only be found in Toronto. We’re here to share that that’s not true.
While it’s true that many of us live within the Greater Toronto Area, 57% of Canada’s Black population are spread across Ontario, meaning that no matter what part of the province you’re in, it’s possible to find a Black chef, baker, mixologist, or restauranteur honing their craft with verve and passion.
At BLACK FOODIE, part of our focus is showcasing the best Black-owned restaurants in North America to help open the world’s palates to food from across the African diaspora. This happy task includes visiting restaurants in different cities, so as part of the Great Taste of Ontario (GTOO), the BLACK FOODIE Team travelled from Brampton to Whitby to meet a selection of Black restaurateurs behind some of the province’s most unique food business concepts.
Here are a few road trip highlights that we hope will inspire a food adventure of your own!
Nyla’s Room
Oakville, ON trufflesandgelato.com/oakville-nylas-room
Nestled in the heart of Oakville, Nyla’s Room is owned and operated by Hurbert and Kerry Kumaasi, a husband and wife team whose love of gelato started on their first date and has continued through to the creation of their two businesses, Bliss Gelato and Nyla’s Room. Named after their firstborn, Nyla’s Room is a gelateria and bakeshop offering an exquisite selection of award-winning house-made gelato alongside expertly crafted chocolates, pastries, and Jamaican soups.
This stop was one of our favourite experiences thanks to the elegant Afternoon Tea service hosted by the impeccably graceful Onita who’s an expert on tea blends, pairing delicate flavours, and making guests feel like royalty. As Hurbert notes, “we aim to create a space where you can feel like a human,” and that sentiment is infused in every moment in their elegantly-designed business.
From the appropriately named Heavenly Bites filled with chocolate and hazelnut cream to decadently herbed scones, classic fruit tarts, and petit fours, this unique experience deserves to be part of your downtown Oakville experience. Just be sure to make your reservation early as weekend slots for afternoon tea can get booked up quickly!
Four All Ice Cream
Waterloo, ON fourall.ca
Waterloo is home to an eclectic creative community of makers and the locals who love them, so it’s no wonder that bespoke ice cream shop, Four All has been operating in the city to critical acclaim since 2016, thanks in part to their focus on using natural and locally-sourced ingredients in every batch. Owner Ajoa Mintah explains that her company’s philosophy is to “create ice cream for the people,” and we certainly enjoyed being on the receiving end of that focus as our group included foodies who were dairy free and plant-based.
At Four All, ice cream is always in season and the stream of regulars ordering pints, scoops, and ice cream cakes filled with dairy-free, vegan, and original recipe flavours certainly showcase that to be a bonafide truth. The flavours available at the brightly painted shop are inspired by the unique approaches to food in Ajoa’s family of four, featuring classics like Vanilla and Chocolate Milk alongside nostalgic and rotating flavours like Apple Caramel and Cream of Earl Grey with Honey— a delightful combination of citrus-tinged bergamot mixed with honey ice cream. We absolutely loved the choices behind the glass and highly recommend the Chocolate Chai dairyfree sorbet and the Spice Girl ice cream taco for an innovative twist on an old classic!
Ajoa started selling her ice cream wholesale from her Waterloo-based factory and continues to stock confectionary shops and markets across Ontario, so if you leave Four All wanting more than what’s in your cone, check out the list of stockists on the shop’s website to get your fix closer to home.
Bar Sazerac
Hamilton, ON barsazerac.ca
Make it a point to be in Hamilton for happy hour so you can visit Bar Sazerac, a cozy cocktail bar with hidden rooms just waiting to be discovered. In the main room, drinks master Kyle Ferreira approaches the ancient art of libation with proven know-how and creative sensibilities that will wow even the most knowledgeable of connoisseurs.
Our group entered Bar Sazerac knowing we’d receive quality service, but none of us could’ve guessed that Kyle would create cocktails perfectly attuned to the glimpses of our personalities he observed in the short time we spent there. We were delighted at his creations which included a hibiscus-based citrus cocktail with a perfect foamy head, to an innovative take on Caribbean Mauby — a dark brown drink with a licorice-like flavour made with the bark of the Mauby tree — served in a rocks glass with a dehydrated orange slice. Linger at Kyle’s counter to be one-on-one with a true professional or take your place under the huge art installations in the corners of the bar’s front room to truly enjoy the Bar Sazerac experience.
Whether you’re an ER doctor looking to decompress or a wine-lover eager to explore the world of spritzes and sours, Kyle’s hospitality will make you feel right at home because his focus as a business owner and host is simple, “I want to give whoever is coming that night the experience that they need.”
Black-owned businesses across the country are gems that are just waiting to wow you with flavours, quality, and decadence — so let them! Make it a point to add any of the businesses in our passport into your regular rotation for a hearty dose of culture and the satisfaction of shopping local.
