Latest news with #RPMBakehouse

Hamilton Spectator

Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list for 2025 is here. Here's who took the top spot — and which Toronto restaurants made the cut

Get in the car — the best restaurant in Canada is an hour and a half drive from Toronto. Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Jordan Station has taken the No. 1 spot on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list, released Monday evening. The annual ranking of the country's best fine-dining restaurants comes at a time when Canadians are looking to support local businesses in lieu of vacationing in the U.S. this summer. Located at the Pearl Morissette winery on Jordan Road, the restaurant sits about 15 minutes west of downtown St. Catharines. 'We'd be lying if we said it wasn't a goal with the restaurant from the first day,' says Eric Robertson, who runs Restaurant Pearl Morissette with co-owner and fellow chef Daniel Hadida. 'We've been near the top (of the list) for a few years and it motivates us to refine our offering with the guest experience.' The restaurant opened in 2017 with the goal of highlighting Canadian-grown ingredients and their growers. While the locavore movement was already in full swing by then, the restaurant opted to open closer to the farmers (the property also has its own farm and orchard). 'We're in the Niagara region but at the time, we're looking out on the road and seeing how peaceful it was on a Friday night at 7:30,' recalls Hadida. 'And then we realized there's not a single car driving by and we had an empty dining room for the first year.' Restaurant Pearl Morissette executive chefs Daniel Hadida, left, and Eric Robertson. But word spread quickly among foodies, turning the spot into a destination dining experience where the seasonality of ingredients determined what was on the menu each week. The restaurant serves about 55 guests each night (the tasting menu is $205 per person), and there's a $265 per person chefs' table option — a curated experience featuring ingredients that didn't make it onto the regular menu. 'I'm very pleased to have such a Canadian experience at the top of the list in a year when we're all looking more inwards and looking for reasons to travel within the country,' says Jacob Richler, editor-in-chief of Canada's 100 Best, noting that Pearl Morissette has consistently hovered near the top in previous years. 'Pearl Morissette does an amazing job of putting a region on a plate, the travel is worth it.' A dish from Restaurant Pearl Morissette. For those unable to splurge on the $200 price tag, the restaurant opened RPM Bakehouse in 2022, a breakfast and lunch spot serving espresso-based drinks, breakfast sandwiches, viennoiserie, cakes, salads and tarts. The bakery also sourdough loaves as well as jams and spices sourced from the farm. 'Spring lamb is coming in, so parts of it will be used at the restaurant while the shoulder is being braised and used in a sandwich at the bakery,' said Robertson. 'We're using whole animals in the bakery, so instead of having a butcher shop, we're working directly with farmers.' Of the 100 restaurants in the list, 29 are located in Toronto and include other fine-dining favourites that have also appeared in the Michelin guide such as Alo (3rd), Edulis (4th), Restaurant 20 Victoria (5th), Quetzel (8th), Sushi Masaki Saito (16th) and Aburi Hana (29th). Montreal came in second with 24 entries, Vancouver has 14 restaurants, Calgary has five restaurants and Ottawa has four. The full list is on the Canada's 100 Best site . Restaurant Pearl Morissette , first place, 3953 Jordan Rd. (Jordan Station) Alo , third place, 163 Spadina Ave. Edulis , fourth place, 169 Niagara St. Restaurant 20 Victoria , fifth place, 20 Victoria St. Quetzal , eighth place, 419 College St. Hexagon , 14th place, 210 Lakeshore Blvd. E. (Oakville) Langdon Hall , 15th place, 1 Langdon Hall Dr. (Cambridge) Sushi Masaki Saito , 16th place, 88 Avenue Rd. Aburi Hana , 29th place, 102 Yorkville Ave. Dreyfus , 42nd place, 96 Harbord St. Sushi Yugen , 43rd place, 150 York St. Taverne Bernhardts , 45th place, 202 Dovercourt Rd. Canoe , 50th place, 66 Wellington St. W., 54th floor LSL , 51st place, 2066 Avenue Rd. Linny's , 52nd place, 176 Ossington Ave. Actinolite , 53rd place, 971 Ossington Ave. Bar Isabel , 54th place, 979 College St. Bar Prima , 57th place, 1136 Queen St. W. Casa Paco , 58th place, 50C Clinton St. DaNico , 59th place, 440 College St. Shoushin , 62nd place, 3328 Yonge St. DaiLo , 63rd place, 503 College St. Takja BBQ , 68th place, 962 College St. Lake Inez , 69th place, 1471 Gerrard St. E. Don Alfonso , 70th place, 1 Harbour Square, 38th floor Osteria Giulia , 72nd place, 134 Avenue Rd. Famiglia Baldassarre , 73rd place, 122 Geary Ave. Alma , 75th place, 1194 Bloor St. W. Prime Seafood Palace , 80th place, 944 Queen St. W. Mhel , 81st place, 276 Havelock St. Barberian's Steak House , 93rd place, 7 Elm St. Giulietta , 96th place, 972 College St.