5 Foodie Road Trips That Will Get You Somewhere
If you’re dreaming of having the best foodie experiences in Ontario, we’ve got your back. Where else can you visit and sample products from craft breweries, distilleries, and cideries, cheese makers, and award-winning eateries that reflect the diverse flavours of Ontario’s Highlands?
Following a food and drink trail is not a shot in the dark where you head off into the great unknown, it's an all-over foodie immersion where there’s a new gastronomic experience waiting with every dish served and every pull of the tap.
Explore the local award-winning and awesome food and drink offerings that are all around us. Set out on a culinary adventure on one of these foodie road trips that will get you somewhere.
A Wildly Authentic Foodie Experience – Hastings County
Hastings County is an agricultural centre which means you can sample edibles here that may be only days or hours from farm to plate (or glass). Delicious cheeses, flavourful ciders, award-winning wines, yummy baked goods, and yes, water buffalo meat and cheese all feature prominently on the Hastings County food trail. You won't go hungry here.
Tasty Highlights:
- Potter Settlement Winery is turning the wine making industry on its ear with their Marquette wines.
- An espresso from Tinhouse Woodworking and Espresso Bar will perk you up while you browse for fun, artisanal finds.
- Charcuterie aficionados will love the selection of Italian cured and cooked meats and buffalo milk cheeses at The Barn Chefs.
- Discover all the ways you love cheese at Ivanhoe Cheese, just outside of Madoc.
- Taste what sets water buffalo meats and cheeses apart from the herd at Ontario Water Buffalo Company. Book a guided farm tour to see for yourself these gentle animals.
Sipping & Savouring in Lanark County
Wander through picture-perfect small towns of Smiths Falls, Perth, Carleton Place and Almonte for a foodie experience that's both walkable and the perfect daytrip. You will need to have an appetite or plenty of room in the car for all the goodies you will bring back from here. Lanark County is jam packed with restaurants, breweries, a distillery, and specialty foods like cheese, pie, donuts, chocolate and more. Many of these locations are also found on the Lanark County Sip & Savour Trail.
Tasty Highlights:
- Try fresh and unique brews at Bridge Masters Brewing Co., a hip and fun brewery located just steps from downtown Perth.
- Find unique flavours of craft spirits at Top Shelf Distillers, located on the outskirts of the town of Perth.
- Chocoholics will want to stop by Perth Chocolate Works in Perth or Hummingbird Chocolate Makers in Almonte to select their favourite flavours, or find new ones.
- In Almonte, Dairy Distillery has perfected their own unique take on vodka, Vodkow, made using dairy permeate.
- Black Tartan Kitchen in Carleton Place is an award-winning fine-dining restaurant that's a must try for lunch or dinner.
Culture, Cafés, and Comfort Food – Haliburton Highlands
Whether it’s a fine dining restaurant tucked away in a rural hamlet or an award-winning micro-brewery, the Haliburton Highlands have their fair share of edible experiences. Take a trip through densely forested terrain and pass through the communities of Haliburton, Minden, and many others. Stop and explore to see what foodie secrets lie hidden there.
Tasty Highlights:
- Stay and savour a gourmet, one-of-a-kind meal created by Chef James at Heather Lodge.
- The folks at Boshkung Brewing Company believe it’s ‘always beer o’clock,’ and who can argue with that? Try their award-winning brews while overlooking Mirror Lake.
- Savour a fine dining meal prepared by the renowned Chef Christoph at Rhubarb Restaurant.
- Find homestyle from-scratch breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at Molly’s Bistro Bakery – don’t leave without trying one of their famous desserts.
The Great Taste of Ontario Road Trip is Here
What? You haven’t heard of the Great Taste of Ontario Road Trip? No worries, this program is brand new but will become your go-to for curated itineraries that will tease your taste buds with single-day or multi-day road trips through Hastings County, Ottawa Valley, Lanark County, Frontenac County, and Haliburton Highlands.
Download your passport and hand-picked tours of some of the best food and drink destinations in the region. Whet your appetite with food and drink trails and itineraries, curated just for you.
