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dinner

Hot Dining: Not Your Average Grill

Located in the Lord Elgin Hotel, Grill 41 is open daily.

Located in the stately Lord Elgin Hotel, Grill 41’s name pays homage to the year the hotel was built (1941). The vibe inside is warm yet refined (but not too refined, the lounge offers flat screen TVs and there’s some interesting people watching to be had on Elgin Street). Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the menus offer traditional choices as well as unique items, such as crispy duck with savoury crepes, Canadian cheddar mac and cheese, and a to-die-for banana bread pudding. 100 Elgin St., 613-569-2126.

One Day, Three Meals: Charlottetown, PEI

© Tourism PEI

By Cynthia Dennis

Breakfast

Casa Mia Café, 131 Queen Street [map]

If you’re not quite feeling the greasy diner, but you’re not exactly on the yogurt-and-granola train, Casa Mia Café in downtown Charlottetown is where you’ll find hearty, healthy flavours in dishes like potato pancakes with ham, cheddar and green onion or the full country breakfast with local sausage and house-recipe potato hash. Owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team, Casa Mia is one of the only joints in town serving a proper latte or cappuccino to accompany your traditional breakfast with an upscale twist. Big tables and Wi-Fi are added perks. Spread out, relax and, for the love of Pete, order a side of potatoes made with caramelized onions.

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Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Windsor, Ontario

Taloola Café

By Waheeda Harris

Breakfast

Bring your appetite to The Lumberjack, a friendly spot tempting diners with country breakfasts, omelettes, sweet offerings from the Sugar Shack or the make no decisions option with the specials – the Timber Special offers a bite of everything – eggs, bacon or ham, flapjacks or French toast, home fries and toast. With a bottomless cup of coffee, a stop here will make a morning even better.

The Lumberjack, 475 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor ON 519-254-5538

Lunch

Healthy, organic, fair trade and tasty – these words are the mantra of Taloola Café, located near the historic Walkerville neighbourhood. Whether it’s one of the hearty grilled sandwiches, rice bowls, or small  plates featuring a mini antipasti selections of cheese, dip and raw veggies, from ominivore to vegan, anyone can find several options to satisfy midday cravings on this comprehensive menu. And if gluten, sugar or dairy are diet enemies, not to worry there are sweet options made just for you too.

Taloola Café, 396 Devonshire Road, Windsor ON 519-254-6652

Dinner

Locals will encourage a visit to Via Italia, a Windsor nabe dedicated to all things Italian. Indulge in antipasti, primi and secondi with Nico Chefs Nick Politi and Joseph Graziano who focus on culinary traditions from Calabria and Sicily. Selected imported ingredients and several house specialities are must haves, such as grilled squid with arugula, radicchio and mixed greens or house-made gnocchi with ricotta, asiago, mozzarella and parmesan cream  – bellisimo!

Nico Ristorante, 851 Windsor Street, East Windsor ON 519-255-7428

Hot Dining: Pretty in Pink

Pink Elephant Thai. Photo by KK Law

You don’t need rose-coloured glasses to appreciate Pink Elephant Thai, an aptly named, decidedly modern, magenta-wrapped downtown spot that yields a mouth-watering range of Thai specialties from its upstairs open kitchen. Before dinner, check out the cocktail action from a (pink) stool at the downstairs bar. Menu highlights range from barbecued squid with chilli dipping sauce to deep-fried soft tofu to a delicious “Three Princesses” trio of dessert sticky rice. Don’t miss the daily soup-and-small-plate happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m.—Tim Pawsey

Hot Dining: Great Brunch Spot

Jak's Kitchen has a variety of tasty, fresh brunch dishes.

Anyone who loves brunch (and really, who doesn’t?) should make a stop at Jak’s Kitchen. This isn’t your average pancakes-and-eggs joint though: open Tuesday to Sunday, this restaurant offers a variety of tasty, unique breakfast and lunch dishes daily. Some favourites include the C’est Bon omelette (smoked salmon, goat cheese, arugula, and spinach), banana bread French toast, and the Croque Monsieur (capicola, gruyere, and diablo sauce). Even better, it’s a great bang for your buck, with dishes ranging from $7 to $13. Also open for dinner. 479 Bronson Ave., 613-230-2088.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Stratford, Ontario

Photo by Mandeep Flora

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is our series highlighting the best local restaurants across Canada. Today we are featuring top restaurant picks in Stratford, in southwestern Ontario, known for its picturesque streets, Shakespeare festival and modern-day Romeo, Justin Bieber.

Have a tip for your city? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook.

By Waheeda Harris

Breakfast

Despite this resto’s moniker, the first meal of the day can be savoury and sweet at Let Them Eat Cake. Choose from a multitude of options such as the de rigeur eggs and toast, eggs benedict, waffles, pancakes or Stratford scrambles to make sure you get protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals in one bite. Head over to the town’s main street, Ontario Street, pick up a Balzac’s Coffee and stroll the strip of boutiques and galleries.

Let Them Eat Cake, 23 Albert Street, Stratford, 519-508-2253

Lunch

For the midday break, choose from the sustainable and tasty fish and seafood options at Simple Fish and Chips. From the traditional battered halibut or haddock, diners can also choose from Ontario lake yellow perch and lake pickerel, lobster risotto, mac ‘n’ cheese, pot pie or halibut dishes inspired by spicy Indian, Thai or Jamaican influences. Walking along the Avon River and admiring the swans will be a perfect post-lunch afternoon excursion.

Simple Fish and Chips, 118 Downie Street, Stratford, 519-275-0400

Dinner

Reward yourself before or after a visit to the Stratford Festival with a sumptuous meal at this modern French bistro. The daily menu reflects the seasonal offerings of Perth County and the inventiveness of Chef Aaron Linley, and the pretty interior and excellent service is sure to put any diner at ease. Save room for a sweet treat to finish the meal, made in-house by Chef Bronwyn Linley (Aaron’s wife).

Bijou, 105 Erie Street, Stratford, 519-273-5000

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Sherbrooke, Quebec

Photo by Michel Gagnon

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is our series highlighting the best local restaurants across Canada. Today we are featuring top restaurant picks in Sherbrooke, Quebec, which is a two hour drive east of Montreal.

Have a tip for your city? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook.

By Waheeda Harris

Breakfast

The first meal of the day starts with all the right fixings at Eggsfruits – from café au lait and smoothies to bagels and eggs a multitude of ways, this cafe will help fuel your day of wandering the streets. Walk off breakfast with a tour of the Sherbrooke’s 11 fresco murals, which celebrate the city’s history and citizens.

Eggsfruits, 4200 King Ouest Sherbrooke AC 819-562-8686

Lunch

Savour the European way to dine with a table on Restaurant Le Bouchon‘s terrasse, or when the temps turn cooler, a spot near the window in the light-filled modern dining room. The contemporary French menu includes favourites such as bavette de boeuf or pork filet with citron and Dijon, but those in the know will order confit du canard, a regional specialty. Finish with a dessert plate with selections from Fromagerie de la Gare, a well-known local cheese boutique.

Restaurant Le Bouchon,  107 Rue Frontenac, Sherbrooke QC 819-566-0876

Dinner

Fine dining and exploration go hand in hand on The Orford Express, a refurbished train that takes guests from Sherbrooke to Magog and back, as they experience a four course dinner, a video and audio history of the area, live music and the opportunity for an after-dinner stroll by the Magog waterfront. Quebecois hospitality make this a memorable dinner on the rails through the Eastern Townships.

The Orford Express, Marche de la Gare, 806 Place de la Gare Sherbrooke QC 819-575-8081

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Pemberton, British Columbia

Photo by splityarn

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is our series highlighting the best local restaurants across Canada. Today we are featuring top restaurant picks in Pemberton, British Columbia, which is a half hour drive north of Whistler.

Have a tip for your city? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook. (more…)

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Poached Breakfast Bistro. Photo: Penny McKinlay

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is our series highlighting the best local restaurants across Canada. Have a tip for your city? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook. Today we are featuring top restaurant picks in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

BREAKFAST

Poached Breakfast Bistro shares a downtown location with late-night hangout Flint, and it’s got some really inventive and delicious brunch food that is beckoning line-ups out the door. Recommended by Saskatoon-based food blogger Penny McKinlay, this bistro serves up a few must-have dishes. (more…)

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Saint John, New Brunswick

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is our series highlighting the best local restaurants across Canada.  Have a tip for your city? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook.  Today we are featuring top restaurant picks in Saint John, New Brunswick.

The patio at Saint John Ale House.

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Hot Dining: Happy Mother’s Day

Photo copyright Kickstand/Istockphoto.com

It’s just plain wrong for Mom to do any cooking on May 8, which means pretty much every restaurant in town is holding a special brunch, buffet, tea or dinner. Popular brunch destinations for Mom include Fleuri Restaurant, Oru, Italian Kitchen, Market by Jean-Georges and Bacchus Restaurant. To avoid maternal disappointment, make your reservation early—and don’t forget the flowers.—Sheri Radford

Hot Entertainment: WinterPride

WinterPride photo by Ryan Shanoff courtesy GayWhistler.com

Break out your ski gear and get ready to party as WinterPride takes over Whistler from Jan. 30 to Feb. 6. If dances, dinners and martini parties aren’t your style, how about snowmobile tours, tubing and dogsledding? This week-long gay-pride celebration has something for everyone.—Sheri Radford