Canada Archives - Culinary Travels

Eataly Brings the Flavours of Cortina d’Ampezzo to North America

17 February 2026

Through March 29, Eataly’s North American locations are spotlighting Alpine cuisine inspired by Italy’s storied mountain resort.

There’s a certain kind of comfort food that belongs to the mountains: molten cheese, crisp-edged polenta, forest mushrooms and something warming in your glass. This winter, Eataly is tapping into that Alpine menu with a limited-time “Cortina” program across its North American stores, inspired by Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites.

Running through March 29, the regional activation brings Northern Italy’s high-altitude flavours to Eataly’s restaurant concepts, including La Pizza & La Pasta and Eataly Ristorante. Menus lean into hearty, cold-weather fare: Fontina DOP fondue enriched with black truffle butter, crispy polenta topped with lardo and rosemary, spinach tagliatelle with mushroom ragù and Grana Padano DOP, and pillowy potato gnocchi paired with roasted squash and fonduta. Pizza gets an Alpine spin, too, with the Misto Bosco layering mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onion cream and speck.

The beverage list channels après-ski energy, featuring Dolomiti beer alongside winter-ready cocktails such as “Pass the Torch” and “By the Fire.” It’s the kind of lineup that makes an urban dining room feel, briefly, like a chalet.

True to Eataly’s “eat, shop, learn” model, the Cortina experience extends beyond the table. A dedicated retail capsule showcases products from Italy’s Alpine regions, including cheeses, cured meats and sweets. At La Scuola, Eataly’s in-house cooking school, guests can sign up for Northern Italian–inspired classes, from hands-on pasta-making to wine and cheese tastings.

A Panini Fest Cortina, launching February 16, adds a more casual option at quick-service counters, including a speck-and-taleggio Cortina Panino served on a fresh baguette.

Founded as a global Italian marketplace and retail concept with more than 50 locations worldwide, Eataly has built its reputation on spotlighting Italy’s regional diversity. This season, the focus is firmly on the Alps — no ski pass required.

A Classic Cocktail Bar Arrives at Le Germain Hotel Toronto

3 February 2026

An intimate new lounge tucked just off the hotel lobby revives the glamour of the old-world speakeasy.

In the dead of winter, when the city feels more like something to endure than explore, it helps to have a reason to make plans. Mercer Lounge, the newest addition to Le Germain Hotel Toronto, offers exactly that. Now open (and just in time for Valentine’s Day plans), the intimate cocktail bar is designed as a quieter counterpoint to Toronto’s high-energy dining scene.

Located just off the hotel lobby, across from the bustling PUNCH restaurant, Mercer Lounge takes its cues from classic European hotel bars, where atmosphere matters as much as what’s in the glass. The space is anchored by a double-sided fireplace, with plush seating and warm lighting that set a relaxed, composed tone without feeling precious.

The cocktail program centres on the classics, with a particular focus on martinis. The signature Freezer Door Martini is stored at a precise temperature and poured tableside from artisan bottles, with variations ranging from classic gin or vodka to extra-dirty, Gibson, Vesper, Espresso, and Cosmopolitan styles. A concise list of classic cocktails, fine wines, and spirits rounds out the menu.

The menu of small plates incorporates subtle British-Indian accents — a quiet nod to PUNCH next door — with offerings such as fried mozzarella topped with caviar, gunpowder pâté with pork shoulder and kasundi, tuna tartare with guava-yuzu dressing, and North Indian–spiced chicken tenders served with yoghurt and chef’s sauce.

Adding to the atmosphere, Mercer Lounge hosts live vocalists on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m., blending house remixes with original tracks for a laid-back, lounge-driven soundtrack.

Hotel lobby bars are often overlooked, but Mercer Lounge aims to be a destination in its own right. It’s a place for a pre-dinner drink, a late-night martini, or an easy winter evening out. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until late, the lounge does not require reservations and offers valet parking.

Dine Under the Stars at Emerald Lake Lodge’s New Sky Dome

20 January 2026

At Emerald Lake Lodge in British Columbia's Yoho National Park, an intimate glass-walled dome invites guests to enjoy a new kind of mountain dining.

On winter nights at Emerald Lake Lodge, when the lake is frozen still and the forest falls quiet, a new glow appears just beyond the main lodge. The Emerald Sky Dome, a clear-walled, softly lit dining space tucked into the trees, offers guests an intimate way to experience the Rockies.

Designed for a single group per night, the dome hosts just two to six guests around a custom-built wooden table, turning dinner into a shared moment rather than a traditional restaurant reservation.

Evenings begin indoors with a drink in the Kicking Horse Lounge before guests are led outside to the dome, which sits beside the Kicking Horse Patio. From the outside, it’s a warm beacon against the snow; inside, the atmosphere is calm and understated, with soft lighting, alpine greenery, and Canadian-made décor that reflects the lodge’s rustic elegance.

Dinner takes the form of a six-course blind tasting menu created by Chef Valerie Morrison, who has spent three decades shaping the culinary identity of Emerald Lake Lodge. The menu draws from the lodge’s Rocky Mountain roots, reimagined with a modern, refined touch.

One Table, One Evening

What sets the Sky Dome apart is its sense of privacy. There’s only one seating per night, allowing guests to fully settle in and enjoy the experience without distractions. The evening unfolds over two to three hours, giving plenty of time to linger between courses and soak in the views beyond the glass.

Available Tuesday through Saturday from December through early spring, the experience suits special occasions — anniversaries, proposals, small celebrations — but doesn’t feel reserved only for milestones. It’s just as appealing for travellers looking to mark an unforgettable night in the mountains.

The tasting menu is priced at $185 per person, with optional wine, cocktail, or non-alcoholic pairings available. Reservations are now open.

Inside Saskatchewan’s Rising Food Scene

25 November 2025

Chefs across the province are redefining prairie cooking with fearless menus rooted in local ingredients.

By Cathy Senecal

Southwestern Saskatchewan is all blue sky and cumulus clouds over rolling hills and endless grasslands. Across its small towns, a new guard of chefs is reimagining the province’s bounty with menus rooted in prairie flavour.

Harvest Eatery, Shaunavon

After cooking in renowned restaurants in Alberta and B.C., Garrett “Rusty” Thienes returned home to Shaunavon to raise a family and now creates a stir as chef and co-owner, with his wife Kristy, of Harvest Eatery, an award-winning steakhouse between Grasslands National Park and the Cypress Hills.
“I had this idea for a chill yet high-calibre restaurant that makes top-notch food you could eat in jeans and a T-shirt,” says Thienes, wielding a grinder over sizzling steak in the theatre kitchen beneath a faux tin ceiling.

With 99 per cent of its supplies sourced within 60 kilometres, Harvest Eatery has plenty to play with, from Speckled Park beef—“best beef in the world”—to bison from Wigness Farms, wild boar, rabbit, chicken, pork, durum wheat, mustard, chickpeas, lentils, mushrooms and both farmed and wild fish. “Some of the best experiences are outside urban centres, with a few exceptions. We’re a bit more fearless and inventive,” Thienes adds. “Creative chefs want to tell Saskatchewan’s food story alongside producers who are growing and raising incredible ingredients.”

According to Thienes, foodies who give Saskatchewan a chance will be “amazed as much by the hospitality as the food.” He proves it with one of the best tenderloins in the province, served in a dining room decorated with local art that hums with the buzz of regulars.

Schoolhaus Culinary Arts, Regina

In Regina, chef and entrepreneur Aimee Schulhauser echoes this theme of warm hospitality. “Saskatchewan’s cuisine is rooted in place, full of heartfelt hospitality,” she says.

A graduate of Calgary’s SAIT, Schulhauser now runs a catering business, Tangerine, as well as Schoolhaus Culinary Arts. The school offers a fun night out where friends learn to cook together and then eat their creations. “Non-foodies enjoy the hands-on, interactive experience, and foodies love learning new techniques,” she says. (I mastered the butane torch while caramelizing mini parfaits.)

She has witnessed Saskatchewan’s culinary scene evolve over two decades. “When I first entered the industry 20 years ago, the ‘meat and potatoes’ stereotype was just starting to be challenged. Now, we have chef-driven restaurants, farm-to-table experiences and unapologetically prairie flavours.”

Free Bird, Lumsden

At Free Bird in Lumsden, avocado toast is elevated with pico de gallo, red grape tomatoes, herbs and chili oil on buttery sourdough, served with a soft egg on the side. It’s a playful take on what chef JP Vives calls “common food done uncommonly well.”

Vives opened Free Bird in 2019 after training and working in B.C. and Saskatoon. For him, culinary trends grow out of close chef-producer relationships. His tie to Babco Meats, which started across the street from the restaurant, brings organic beef, pork and chicken directly into his kitchen. “I often buy from Lincoln Gardens, too. I’m just taking these amazing local ingredients and adding my own twist to make simple, good food,” he says.

Trigo Food + Drink, Lafleche

Adam Henwood, owner-chef of Trigo, exemplifies Saskatchewan’s do-it-your-own-way spirit. After 17 years as a lawyer, he left big-city Alberta for Lafleche (population: 373) and reinvented himself in the kitchen. Today, he serves multi-course tasting menus that spotlight a different country every five months.

“Trigo is doing something completely unique, offering a dining experience using local fare yet authentic to a featured country,” he says.

When I visited, the theme was Georgia. Henwood orchestrated a supra, a traditional Georgian feast, pairing marigold-petal sauces with beetroot and spinach pâtés, serving cheese bread with Georgian wine and encouraging diners to slurp juice from steaming dumplings. In a room barely big enough for a dozen tables, the air filled with Georgian music as mains of beef kharcho were paired with red wine from the birthplace of viticulture.

Between courses, I dash down the town’s deserted main street to catch the setting sun tinting the grassy coulees—a moment only possible when fine dining unfolds in the middle of Saskatchewan’s Wild West.

A Little Slice of France Off the Coast of Newfoundland

25 November 2025

The culinary connections between Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Newfoundland and Labrador embody sustainability and locality at their finest.

By Sabrina Pirillo

Just 25 kilometres off the southern coast of Newfoundland sits the archipelago of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a collectivity of France since 1985 and the last remaining vestige of New France. It’s a quintessential French experience without setting foot in mainland France—only a short flight or ferry ride from Fortune in Newfoundland and Labrador.

French Connections
The French are known for their mastery of bread, wine and cheese—and on Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon those traditions thrive, adapted to the islands’ windswept North Atlantic setting. Fishing was once the cornerstone of life here, and the remnants of that heritage can still be experienced on Île aux Marins, or Sailors Island, where weathered houses tell stories of a community tied to the sea.

Back in Saint-Pierre, with its brightly painted houses and European flair, restaurants celebrate this blend of old-world culture and island terroir. At café and boutique L’Essentiel, chef-owner Nathalie Goupilliere sources raw milk cheeses, charcuteries and wines from small producers and local businesses. Nearby, Ligne Verte, a hydroponic farm, produces vegetables and herbs year-round, supplying the region’s vendors and restaurants with a steady supply of fresh greens.

On neighbouring Miquelon, agriculture has flourished since the 19th century, with farming, livestock and coastal fishing shaping the island’s food identity. A gourmet tour might include a visit to Saveurs Fermières goat farm to sample artisanal cheese while learning about the surrounding landscape. It’s also where visitors can discover La Brasserie Artisanale de l’Anse, the archipelago’s only brewery. Founded by Laura and Gwenaël, the microbrewery produces Miqu’Ale, a beer brewed with local ingredients. Their collaborations extend across the water—like a partnership with Newfoundland’s Port Rexton Brewing Company—creating unique beers that bridge French and Canadian shores.

Canadian Roots
Across the water in Newfoundland and Labrador, chefs are similarly committed to land and sea, with a focus on foraging, preservation and zero waste. Here, culinary traditions are rooted in perseverance—making the most of what nature provides, often against the odds.

Less than an hour from St. John’s, in the coastal town of Cape Broyle, chef Alex Shaw leads immersive experiences that highlight this philosophy. As culinary director of the soon-to-open Cape Retreat Culinary Program and through her Alder Cottage Cookery School, Shaw brings guests on foraging walks, cooking classes and dining experiences that tell the story of Newfoundland’s resourceful foodways. The retreat itself will feature six sleek, modern cabins and a glass-fronted culinary hub, all designed to showcase sweeping views of the rugged coastline and North Atlantic.

She works like an artist whose palette is the forest and the shore, treating every ingredient with respect. Scraps become broth, stems transform into pickles, peels turn into powders. Where others see waste, she sees preservation—making sure each element is honoured to its fullest potential. Her approach reflects the province’s culinary culture: fresh, local and deeply tied to both resilience and creativity.

Together, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Newfoundland form a culinary dialogue across the North Atlantic—rooted in resilience, tradition and a shared respect for land and sea. For travellers, it’s a chance to taste two cultures at once, linked by history and sustained by place.