Food + Drink Summer 2025: Explore Headwaters’ Local Culinary Scene

In the Spotlight: Manitoulin Island rainbow trout

The Manitoulin Island rainbow trout at The Globe Restaurant in Rosemont is pan seared and paired with a honey mustard crust and tangy lemon beurre blanc — a savoury dish that lets the natural flavour of the fish, sourced from the pristine waters of Lake Huron, shine.

“The fish from our own lakes doesn’t get any fresher than this,” says head chef Jay Klausen, who joined The Globe in 2023 and is passionate about featuring Ontario-grown ingredients. The rainbow trout is a staple on The Globe’s menu, though the side dishes change seasonally and include locally grown red cabbage, parsnips, carrots, mushrooms and potatoes.

To follow on a sweet note, their signature in-house chocolate mousse is a French classic served with fresh fruit and mint.

Mrs. Mitchell’s: A Class Act for 45 Years

It’s difficult not to demolish the warm, comforting sweet potato muffins and hot drop biscuits that come with the lunch menu at Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant long before the main arrives. At this Violet Hill hot spot, built as a Mulmur schoolhouse in 1889 and converted into a restaurant in 1980, these tempting baskets have been on the menu since the start.

Owner Heidi Baufeldt, who took over from her mother, Maureen Baufeldt, 14 years ago, says the sweet potato muffins and hot drop biscuits were inspired by family trips to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where her parents fell in love with the town’s historic charm — so much so that when they opened, waitstaff wore 17th-century period costumes.

While the main menu has evolved over the years (as have the staff uniforms, which are now much more comfortable), two original desserts are also still on offer, depending on the season: a decadent raspberry cream pie in summer and a delicately spiced pumpkin cream pie in the fall, with the proceeds of the latter going to the Headwaters Health Care Centre. Happy anniversary, Heidi!

Messages in a Bottle

Made with Canadian cereal grains, Ontario hops and pure maple sap tapped from the trees of Terra Cotta Conservation Area, the new Tree Hug Wilder Sap Ale from GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co. is a collaboration with Credit Valley Conservation Foundation and Wilder Climate Solutions. Proceeds support the acquisition of ecologically significant land.

Full of flavour (and zero tariffs), Caledon Hills Brewery’s All Canadian Lager is crafted with locally sourced barely, corn, wheat hops and Ontario water. Grab takeaway cans at the brewery or stop in for this patriotic pint at their beer garden.

Flower Power

Purple Hill Lavender Farm’s culinary lavender can be added to honey, mixed into marinades or dashed in a cocktail. At Hereward Farms’ Lavender Lounge, sip on a smooth lavender latte made using a handcrafted lavender syrup and topped with a sprinkle of culinary lavender.

And Mono’s Avalon Lavender Farm offers in-person visitors its line of lavender products, which has included Lavender Simple Syrup and Lavender Peppermint Tea. Hibiscus, Butterfly Pea, Chamomile and Passionflower are four new honey flavours from The Heritage Bee Co.’s Sleep Well collection, specially formulated to promote wellness and a restful sleep.

Let’s Go Nuts

Erin residents craving their favourite pain au chocolate aux amandes from Bistro duPain will have to take a scenic countryside drive now that the French bakery and crêperie moved to a new — and much bigger — location in Primrose on Highway 89 five minutes east of Shelburne.

Pistachio cannoli gelato made with hand-chopped pistachios and crushed cannoli shells is a star at ice cream company Caledon Creamery — and available at Gather Cafe in Alton, Blissfully Baked x The Little Almond in downtown Bolton, ​​and Molto Bene Pizzeria in Caledon.

Where’s the beef?

Stock up for backyard BBQ season with a whole, side or half side of Angus beef direct from Heatherlea Farm Shoppe, and select the exact cuts, length of dry aging and packaging specifications you need. Visit our Headwaters Farm Fresh Guide for more local meat options.

Gourmet in a Green Setting

A roasted harissa chicken sandwich, Wagyu beef carpaccio and a hamachi starter up the menu at Fescue restaurant at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s new Heathlands Clubhouse. Chef Jamie Huynh says he hopes his elevated “19th hole” vision will “break the stigma of a typical golf course restaurant.”

Inspired by the Caledon countryside, Fescue’s verdant decor incorporates the perennial grass it was named after. Cocktails also wink at the spot with names like Down The Middle, featuring lime-leaf-infused rum, vanilla and gooseberry syrup, absinthe, and lime.

Mark Your Culinary Calendar

Direct from the farm to your plate, Lennox Farm’s Field to Fork dining series aims to let diners truly experience what local food means as they meet the growers and dine on the freshest ingredients under the open sky, prepared by local chefs — on June 21, July 26, August 16 and September 20.

You can also dine alfresco at 4th Line Cattle Co.’s Farm to Fork event on June 26 featuring a feast in the field that uses fresh produce alongside the farm’s pasture-raised beef.

On July 26 Creemore’s French restaurant, Chez Michel, transforms the Creemore Village Green into Paris in the Park, a cheery spot to enjoy a glass of wine, share a good meal by chef Winston Barrett and watch the world go by. “It’s our favourite event of the year,” says owner Milynne Charlton. “Chef Winston sets up an outdoor kitchen so you can see what’s cooking. We’ve got an oyster bar, lobster ravioli with a lobster cream, steak frites, mushroom bourguignon …. You can even bring a picnic blanket, grab some takeaway and enjoy the live music.” Dinner service starts at 5 p.m. and reservations are highly recommended. Bon appétit!

Then it’s a full weekend of foodie fun in downtown Orangeville starting with In Good Spirits on August 22. Visitors sip and saunter around Mill Street while sampling locally produced craft beverages including beer, wine, cider, spirits and creative cocktails from the best mixologists in town. The next day, Taste of Orangeville hosts top chefs from more than 14 local restaurants who share bite-sized evidence of their cooking prowess.