This rural Ontario spot is Canada's best restaurant, according to annual list
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'It's just good European cooking through the Quebec prism, which is local ingredients and understated plates. Simplicity, which can underwhelm some people but always impresses the aficionado because it's so much harder to do well.'
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This year, Canada's 100 Best changed its methodology from a linear point system to reflect the judges' 'most passionate enthusiasms.' Richler thinks this recalibration, as well as an ever-expanding panel, has improved the depth and quality of the list from top to bottom. He highlights the strength of restaurants in the 80s and 90s, such as The Fish Man in Richmond, B.C., (No. 89), Riviera in Ottawa (No. 88), Naagan (No. 92) in Owen Sound, Ont., and Fat Rabbit (No. 97) in St. Catharines, Ont., as well as the top 50.
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The ' Buy Canadian ' movement is growing. With a new sense of patriotism, many are skipping trips to the United States and considering domestic destinations instead. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians crossing the land border dropped 32 per cent in March, and air travel fell 13.5 per cent compared to the same month last year.
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Richler hopes that people use the list as he does — to travel and eat well while doing it. On his next visit to Montreal, he plans to visit the restaurants that did better on this year's list than last, such as Mastard (No. 40) and Bar St-Denis (No. 27).
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He was taken by the calibre throughout the list, especially when he reflected on the dining scene in 2014 when he started Canada's 100 Best.
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'I didn't feel then as emphatically as I do now that 100 is a modest number of restaurants to put on a list in this country. There are fantastic things going on, coast to coast,' says Richler. 'The quality of the dining experience in our best restaurants is emphatically fabulous and something to be proud of — and worth travelling for.'
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Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2025 — The top 10
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Restaurant Pearl Morissette (Jordan Station, Ont.)
Mon Lapin (Montreal)
Alo (Toronto)
Edulis (Toronto)
20 Victoria (Toronto)
Eight (Calgary)
Beba (Montreal)
Quetzal (Toronto)
Published on Main (Vancouver)
AnnaLena (Vancouver)
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Canada's Best New Restaurants 2025 — The top 5
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Le Violon (Montreal)
LSL (Toronto)
Linny's (Toronto)
DOPO (Calgary)
Takja BBQ (Toronto)
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Canada's 50 Best Bars 2025 — The top 10
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Bar Pompette (Toronto)
The Cloakroom Bar (Montreal)
Civil Liberties (Toronto)
The Keefer Bar (Vancouver)
Atwater Cocktail Club (Montreal)
Library Bar at Fairmont Royal York (Toronto)
Prophecy (Vancouver)
Missy's This That (Calgary)
Cocktail Bar (Toronto)
jjacques (Quebec City)
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The Province
2 hours ago
- The Province
Whistler has a new brasserie — with traditional tortière and a connection to TV's Mad Men
Along with his uncle Jay, James Paré is co-owner and operator of two other Whistler restaurants, Quattro and Caramba Beef tartare and bone marrow. Brent Harrewyn photo Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. With Lorette Brasserie, Whistler's restaurant scene is expanding with rich, hearty servings of Quebecois cuisine. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'Our impression was that there was nothing really like this in Whistler,' said Lorette co-owner James Paré. 'People will do French or whatever, but no one is really doing what we're doing. And I feel like the culture is growing. Customers are becoming more aware and more excited to try different things. We have some unique flavours and some items that people are excited to try, and maybe not just one night, but maybe a couple nights in a row.' Along with his uncle Jay, James is co-owner and operator of Lorette's parent company, Paré Restaurant Group, which includes two other Whistler restaurants, Quattro and Caramba. Caramba serves European-inspired comfort food, including steak, duck, and pasta, while Quattro is Italian. For their new restaurant, the Parés wanted to draw on their Quebecois heritage. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The recently opened Lorette Brasserie brings hearty, rich food in the Quebecois tradition to Whistler. Brent Harrewyn photo 'We knew cretons for sure would be on the menu, and that tourtière was going to be on the menu,' James said. Cretons, a pork paté with pear served on toast, was a favourite of his when he was a kid, Jay said. 'Tourtière was something we had usually at breakfast time and special occasions.' A traditional French Canadian meat pie, the Lorette version of tourtière is made with suckling pig, confit duck, 'grandma's ketchup' and pan-seared foie gras. However, it's temporarily off the menu, probably until fall. 'It's such a heavy dish,' James said. Other plates include rillettes, a cured salmon spread served on crostini; petites pois à la Francaise, a braised peas and lettuce dish with lardons, baby gem, and lemon cream; coquilles St. Jacques, scallops and morels with comté and pomme purée; and beef tartare and bone marrow. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Endive with Fuji apples, bleu d'elizabeth, herbs, and walnut vinaigrette is one of the hare plates on the menu at Lorette Brasserie. Brent Harrewyn photo Trained in the classical French culinary arts, James developed the menu with Lorette head chef Shane Sluchinski for six months before the Parés opened the doors on April 26. 'We did a lot of tastings, with Jay and myself, and we did a lot of collab that way as well, where we kind of just cooked food, tried it, and said, 'Oh, that'll be great with a nice Pinot Noir' or whatever,' James said. 'We were always trying to think of what that was going to look like. We haven't had to make a ton of tweaks, because we cooked so much of it.' The wine list is petite. 'We wanted to keep it nice and tight while appeasing all palates,' Jay said. 'It's predominantly French, with some BC wines that are French-focused as well.' Signature libations include the Montreal Margarita (Altos Plata tequila, china china, lemon lime, sea buckthorn cordial) and Lorette Fizz (Citadelle Jardin d'Ete, a French gin, with Lillet Blanc, lime, honeyed Riesling, and elderflower orange blossom foam). For beer, the brasserie is pouring an exclusive, a full-bodied, layered blanc from Whistler's Coast Mountain Brewing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We were down at a Seahawks game with Kevin [Winter, co-owner of Coast Mountain] last year,' James said. 'And he just said, 'Hey, I want to brew a beer for you guys.' When we tasted it for the first time, we were stunned.' Family photos, including one of Jay's mother who was Canada's first certified female ski instructor, add to the chic rustic charm of the restaurant's interior. She helped inspire the brasserie's name. 'My late mom's name was Lorene, and Jay's mom's middle name was Loretta. We were sitting at the bar one day and Jay said, 'What about Lorette?' And I was like, 'Oh my God, I love it. So we stuck with that from that point forward.' Another notable Paré is Jessica, who is perhaps best known for her role in Mad Men as the character Don Draper's French-Canadian wife Megan, the actor is one of the many cousins that show up for the annual 200-strong Paré Labour Day family reunion in Quebec. 'She needs to endorse us,' said James. 'We need to get her here.' Read More
Toronto Sun
5 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
As Trump taunts Springsteen, these Republicans stick with 'The Boss'
Published Jun 06, 2025 • 5 minute read American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen performs during Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris's campaign rally at James R Hallford Stadium in Clarkston, Georgia. Photo by Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, an ally-turned-critic of President Donald Trump, says he recently reached out to another target of the president's ire: rock legend Bruce Springsteen. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Springsteen opened his European tour by calling Trump 'unfit.' The president fired back, dismissing The Boss as a 'dried out 'prune' of a rocker.' As a regular Trump punching bag, Christie could relate. Christie 'fell in love' with Springsteen and his music when he first saw him perform some 50 years ago – and loyalty to party or president won't change that. 'The politics, if I take some hits – and I do take some hits – that's fine,' he said. Christie is far from the only Republican standing with Springsteen, with several Republican operatives saying the rocker's music is bigger than politics – even if that means they have to compartmentalize a bit. 'I don't think it matters that he is a liberal,' said Chris Pack, a longtime Republican operative whose office wall has images of Republicans such as former speaker John A. Boehner and former president George W. Bush alongside the framed lyrics to Springsteen's 'Darkness on the Edge of Town.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'These amazing life lessons aren't Democratic or Republican lessons. They're just lessons,' said Pack, who described Springsteen's music as a soundtrack to his life, with 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' inspiring him to leave state politics in New York and take a shot at national politics in D.C. 'I can compartmentalize his politics. … I get that politics is a full-contact sport, but you have to be able to turn that off.' Pack is just one of the fervent Springsteen devotees who work in Republican politics. They exchange messages in Springsteen-focused group chats, endure ribbing from colleagues (especially now) and try to convert the skeptics. For Mike Marinella, a spokesperson at the National Republican Congressional Committee who was born and raised in Springsteen's hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, the artist is a hero. But Marinella is clear that his Springsteen love is just about the music. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Freehold loves Bruce for the art, not the politics,' said Marinella, whose uncle bought the music store where Springsteen bought his first guitar. The Republican operative even remembers making a pizza for Springsteen during his high school job at Federici's Family Restaurant – immortalized by a signed take-out menu that now hangs on Marinella's office wall. 'He is a hometown hero, even if we don't always agree with what he says.' Pack and Marinella exemplify Republicans whose love of Springsteen is bigger than politics, conspicuous in a world where everything – sports, music, movies, arts – is political. Springsteen's politics are no secret: He has endorsed every Democratic nominee since 2004. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But the rift with Trump, someone known to disown Republicans who buck him by supporting his opponents, has made the relationship between the Republican political class and Springsteen more challenging. Not a single member of New Jersey's congressional delegation responded when asked about Trump's feud with the Jersey icon, nor did the three top Republicans running to be the party's gubernatorial nominee. And when Pack spoke of a 'ton' of Republican Springsteen fans in Washington, he declined to provide names. 'I don't want to out people,' he said with a laugh. Christie, whose relationship with Springsteen has gone through rough patches, questioned New Jersey Republicans declining to back Springsteen. 'What the public wants from their politicians more than anything else is authenticity, and so it is not only weak personally, but it is also stupid politically, to act as if you don't have an opinion,' he said, noting that Springsteen is arguably the greatest entertainer from the state, alongside Frank Sinatra. 'If you are a New Jersey person and you are trying to claim you don't have an opinion on this, people know that you are full of it,' he added. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Phil Murphy, the New Jersey Democrat who succeeded Christie as governor, agreed. 'Bruce Springsteen is a Jersey – and American – icon,' said Murphy. 'If you want to win an election in this state, you don't criticize The Boss.' A representative for Springsteen declined to respond to questions when asked about the artist's rift with Trump and exchanges with Christie. Springsteen's music has long been intertwined with politics, most notably during the 1984 presidential election when President Ronald Reagan invoked Springsteen, whose 'Born in the USA' was topping the charts, to say his Republican agenda was 'all about' trying to 'make those dreams come true.' Springsteen disagreed and let it be known days later. Politicians including Reagan and other right-wing commentators at the time treated 'Born in the USA' as a patriotic anthem – in reality, it is an anti-war protest song that tells the story of a Vietnam veteran unable to find his way in the country. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Anyone who is surprised by Springsteen's position on the current administration … isn't maybe the truest Springsteen fan they think they are,' said Frank Luna, a former Republican campaign operative who has worked for multiple New Jersey Republicans and lives on the Jersey Shore. 'The people who, over the years, have told Bruce Springsteen to shut up and sing are the same people dancing in the aisles to 'Born in the USA' with an American flag.' While Springsteen's politics have appeared consistently liberal, the politics of some of his fans – and the men and women he wrote about for much of his career – have shifted. Much of his early work focused on the plight of the working class versus the rich: His 1980 ballad 'The River' tells the story of a working-class couple looking to make it out, his 1984 song 'My Hometown' is about the boom-and-bust nature of some small manufacturing towns and his 1978 song 'Badlands' is about greed, wealth and feeling unseen. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But where Democrats were once seen as the party of the working class, under Trump the GOP has made such successful inroads with working class Americans that a recent CNN poll found Democrats and Republicans are tied when it comes to public perception about which party better represents the middle class, a marked departure from the last decades. 'A lot of it has to do with the flight of industrial jobs. The jobs he remembers, the jobs his dad had at the rug factory, don't really exist in the U.S. anymore,' said Marc Dolan, the author of 'Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll,' invoking Springsteen's 1978 song 'Factory' about what his father's factory work gave him and took away. Dolan said he believes Springsteen is aware of this shift, which may be why he made these comments abroad. 'He is very good at pulling the audience in, making them feel like they are having a collective experience, but also challenging them,' said Dolan. 'He has never been one to totally turn off his audience. He is one to put them in a pickle where they don't know how they feel for a bit. But … how do you challenge the congregation without them leaving the church?' Pack was intentionally vague when asked why he thought so many New Jersey Republicans declined to respond to questions about Springsteen amid his spat with Trump. 'Don't wanna piss off the boss,' he said. 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Cision Canada
8 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Tim Hortons Battle of the Donuts contest offers Canadians a chance to win $10,000 and a trip to the Tims Test Kitchen for the best donut idea Français
TORONTO, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Got a sweet donut idea that could be the next big thing at Tims? Tim Hortons ® is giving Canadians the chance to win $10,000 and a trip to the Tims ® Test Kitchen. "At Tim Hortons we're passionate about our donuts, we have been since 1964, so celebrating National Donut Day has always been a big deal for us," says Chef Tallis Voakes, Director of Culinary Innovation for Tim Hortons. "We can't wait to see how creative Canadians get with their donut ideas. From bold new flavours to playful twists on Tims classics, this contest is about big imagination, and just maybe, the next iconic Tims donut." Starting today to celebrate National Donut Day, Canadians can submit their donut idea in the Battle of the Donuts contest for a chance to win $10,000 and a trip for two to the Tim Hortons Test Kitchen in Toronto to make their winning donut with Chef Tallis. Plus, Canadians may even see the winning donut in Tim Hortons restaurants one day! Now until July 4, donut afficionados can submit their idea with each entry judged on the following criteria: Creativity: is the donut unique? Popularity: is the donut likely to be a crowd-pleaser? Feasibility: can the idea reasonably be turned into a Tim Hortons donut? A Tim Hortons panel of experts will conduct several rounds of reviews until three donut ideas remain. Then it's up to Canadians across the country to vote for the winner. The voting phase begins in the fall. Rules apply. Age of majority residents of Canada only. No purchase necessary. Submission period starts June 6, 2025 and ends July 4, 2025. Limit of 1 submission per person. Visit for official contest rules. ABOUT TIM HORTONS In 1964, the first Tim Hortons ® restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario opened its doors and Canadians have been ordering Tim Hortons iconic Original Blend coffee, Double-Double™ coffees, Donuts and Timbits ® in the years since. For more than 60 years, Tim Hortons has captured the hearts and taste buds of Canadians and has become synonymous with serving Canada's favourite coffee. Tim Hortons is Canada's largest restaurant chain operating in the quick service industry with nearly 4,000 restaurants across the country. More than a coffee and bake shop, Tim Hortons is part of the Canadian fabric and guests can enjoy hot and cold specialty beverages – including lattes, cappuccinos and espressos, teas and our famous Iced Capps ® – alongside delicious breakfast, sandwiches, wraps, soups and more. Tim Hortons has more than 6,000 restaurants in Canada, the United States and around the world. For more information on Tim Hortons visit SOURCE Tim Hortons
