We took a trip to Ontario’s West Coast to see what’s new and exciting out that way – and let us tell you, there is a lot going on.
Whether you are looking for a culinary experience, a craft brewery tour (that ends on an amazing patio!) or afternoon tea with locally crafted desserts, Huron County is waiting with open arms and a plethora of date squares.
We took a tour of the county and spent some time getting to know the local restaurateurs, farmers and producers – and the best part? You can do the same thing.
Huron County is currently offering a Taste Your Own Adventure Tour which is a self-guided tour that allows you to visit one (or all) of the participating restaurants and sample some of their signature dishes for a small fee of $5.00.
Here’s a little taste (pun intended) of everything that Huron County has to offer!
We began our adventure at the Port Albert General Store, which has been around for a long, long time – since 1841 to be exact. It is currently grocery store, a convenience store, a gas station, a farm produce market, fishing pro shop, propane exchange station and will soon also be a full service restaurant! The General Store dinging space is undergoing renovations and will soon be open. They promise a menu with a heavy focus on local ingredients.
Next up we hit a double-whammy and spent some timeat Queens Bakery and Part ll Bistro, which are conveniently right beside each other. Those date squares we mentioned earlier? Queens Bakery is a must if you love them as much as we do!
If you fancy something a little less sweet, with a lot more bacon, then make sure you visit Part ll Bistro and try their Maple Bacon Pierogies topped with a farm fresh egg.
All of this amazing food was making us very thirsty, so we took a detour and popped into Feast On certified Cowbell Brewing for a pint of their Huron County Lager.
We had lunch at Beach Street Station, which sits right on the water, offering a view almost as fantastic as the food (which was really fantastic). We would drive back to Huron County (twice!) for just one more bite of this Peach Jam Flakie!
As if we hadn’t just had enough dessert, we then made our way over to another Feast On certified spot in the area. Cait’s Cafe is a local favorite for pastries, baked goods and hot beverages. We got a taste of their famous croissants. They did not disappoint!
We chose to head on over to Maitland Market and Bayfield Berry Farm next. We spent some time with the farmers and producers of Huron County. It’s a great spot to pick up a taste of the area for friends and family unable to join you on your edible adventure.
In true Culinary Tourism Alliance style, we were still hungry for more of Huron County.
We capped off our day with a trip to the patio at Eddington’s of Exeter. Chef James Eddington has been a Feast On ambassador since the first weeks of the program. He works with producers in the area on a daily basis and even runs his own farm in the summer months.
While we enjoyed a taste of their fresh, house-made salsa, we reflected on all the incredible places we stopped that day.
The restaurants, cafes, breweries and farm markets we visited were only a fraction of what you will find in the county. Huron is one of the largest food-producing regions in Ontario, and as we drove the country roads from Godrich to Blythe to Bayfield, that much became very evident.
Learn more about all the experiences you can find in Huron County:
