The Month in Yum - July And The First Week of August in One Swoop

July has come and gone, life has been hectic, some terrible, no good things happened and now, it's on to August and, I hope, an okay end to a difficult summer so far.

So, I will just highlight some of the fun stuff I didn't get to share for July and then tell you about some of the shenanigans I have been up to this week in Westport Ontario.

Sand and Pearl Oyster Bar

One a rare day off, Shack took me for lunch at Sand and Pearl in Prince Edward County. If you don't think a drive out to a spot just a skip hop and a jump from the Sandbanks isn't a worthy endeavour, we can't be friends. It's about 200km from Toronto so you are looking at a 2.5 hour drive but once you get off of the 401, it's a pretty drive and that is what lazy summer days are for anyway.

the screened in porch will remind you of the cottages of your childhood but with waaaay better food

This is, in my humble opinion, one the hidden gems located in this super trendy region where you can enjoy a romantic date over oysters while a family of five sits at a picnic table out back, feasting on fish and chips while their kids run around in the grass.

Retaining the look of an old school, screened in cottage porch on the outside while still keeping things cool and modern, this place serves up fresh, delicious seafood (don't worry, they do a burger for all of you crazy non fish eaters), a nice little wine/beer selection with a great oyster bar inside.

We went for the seafood tower. For $130 we got a dozen oysters, some Fogo Island crab, 4 perfectly springy tiger shrimp, something called caldosa (scallop and shrimp ceviche served in a bag of Doritos which was AMAZING) and the tastiest smoked trout salad that I have had in ages. I had a crisp rose and Shack had a local cider and we both agreed that this will happen again before summer ends.

Beautiful Stratford Ontario

It had been a couple years since I had been to Stratford so I jumped at a chance to return for a three day media trip. I was introduced to a bunch of new restaurants, a brewery and a distillery that share a fabulous old lumberyard, a couple new shops and go to visit with an old favourite or two.
I wrote about it here, for Auburn Lane  and included a more in depth look at my favourite places to eat
There will be more to come, both here and on Auburn Lane.

finally had a great lunch at Avling, the newest brew pub in Leslieville 

Really fun Plating Dinner at Victor Restaurant

As someone who writes about food, I am invited to a ton of events, openings, evenings that introduce new, seasonal menus etc so I am always really appreciative of innovative and fun ways to entertain us. This summer, I was thrilled to join the wine makers at Joiy on a sunset cruise around Toronto Island and then, in July, I was invited to take part in a fun spin on those Paint while you drink wine nights at the lovely Victor Restaurant

my plate, right before I destroyed it lol

After Executive Chef Lanny MacLeod gave us a quick demo on plating tips and tricks, we all chose a plate and sat down to platters of salmon and rosti, jars of pickled things, bottles of sauces and gels and we designed our own brunch plate. Of course, we all proceeded to then eat our beautiful creations, followed by a few dishes off of their dinner menu to sample as well. Kudos to BPR PR for such a fun, creative way to get our attention and keep us engaged - trying to get a room full of bloggers and writers to focus can be like herding cats.

Last week I came to Westport to visit family for a week so it's been mostly floating in the lake, a bit of kayaking, drinking wine with my sister and playing with babies but I have managed to find a couple really great places to eat and drink.


We made reservations to eat the Scheuermann Winery and I will be honest, I didn't know what to expect. We went when they first opened and it was just a small tasting area, not much in the way of wine at that point and so I envisioned something small and quaint.

Imagine my shock and delight when we walked up the path from the parking lot to find this!


They have a really great wood fired oven that pumps out designer pizzas for lunch all week and on the weekend, they feature a handful of specials with some lovely desserts as well. The night we were there you could get steak, lobster, steak and lobster or a lamb chops all served with little roasted potates, some red pepper and a slab of grilled pineapple.

We had a couple bottles of their 2016 Vidal, shared a pizza to start and then proceeded to the mains. After a hiccup or two involving a medium well done steak situation, our GIANT medium rare steaks with lobster tails arrived (mine with blue cheese of course) and the Kid finished his meal with a slice of lime custard pie. 

I cannot stress how AMAZING our servers were - twin sisters who work at McDonald's in Kingston and who could work in any great restaurant, anyway and how beautiful this spot is. 

Dancing Moon Gallery and Tea Room

So, my sister, who lives about a 7 minute walk away, took me to check out a tea house that she thought had just opened up. We went inside the Dancing Moon Gallery and Tea House , fell in love with this tiny, three table tea house and made a reservation for the next day. After a bit of poking around, it seems that they have been there for at least a year and my sister just didn't know it. How you miss a tea room in a tiny town like Westport is beyond me, but I am glad we know it's there now.

An old friend was coming for a long, overdue visit so I took her and my sister for tea and it was delightful. A three tiered affair with four kinds of tea sandwiches, some fruit and little desserts and a pot of tea ran us just under $50 for the three of us and it was perfect. We ate almost everthing and agreed that we couldn't squeeze in another bite by the time we left. Service is impeccable, place is charming, food is delicious - a perfect spot for lunch when you are in Westport.


It's also the first full summer for the Westport Brewing Company , a cute, little brew pub with some tasty food and a really nice deck at the back, looking out onto the water. It's mainly charcuterie and cheese boards, warm pretzles and small bites with a couple local wines if you are not a beer person.