Checking out 'The County'

After our visit to Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake and Toronto in June, we focused on showing our UK friends, Christine and David,

 the beauty of Eastern Ontario.

Our first stop was a trip to Prince Edward County, 

affectionately known as 'The County',

 now an established wine growing region.

We stopped for lunch at Lake on the Mountain

to take in the gorgeous views

 Everyone who visits is intrigued by

'The Mystery of the Lake-on-the-Mountain'

  The unknown is how the lake is fed and from where???

 Well, we weren't going to solve the mystery,

 so might as well have something to eat!

Chicken avocado wrap

 

Chretien family recipe for 'old fashioned tourtiere'

We ended our County trip with a visit to Waupoos Cider....delicious!

They also make wine, so their fields are dotted with growing vines, overlooking Lake Onario.

One of the other attractions of the County, is 'barn quilt spotting'.....well we were in luck....we found one!

Thanks for a lovely day, PEC.....off to visit Kingston next.

Victoria Day Weekend

The May 24th weekend is the unofficial start to Spring! 

Long weekends are always a perfect time to relax,

 and visit with friends & family!

 Mine started early with lunch on Friday at my 

favourite restaurant, Days On Front, with 2 great ladies!

I tried their burger, topped with caramelized onions, 

which was fabulous!

 Our whole family was invited to good friends, on Saturday, for a nature walk on their charming property located on a lake.

If anyone needed a break, there was a quaint little 'shack', with a fully stocked fridge, to quench your thirst!

They have the most beautiful yard, with a Coy pond, a huge variety of plants & flowers, and unusual art.

Since it was also their 'twin' dogs' birthday, 

the table was set in tribute to them!

Supper was superb and the array of desserts 

was enough to satisfy any sweet-tooth!

To top off the weekend, we headed to Prince Edward County to try out a restaurant that had been on our 'must try' list.....The Acoustic Grill.

Their 'roasted chicken sandwich', with curry mayo, was a hit!

'The County' (as it is lovingly called), 

is the home to quite a few micro-breweries.  

A light pilsner from Parsons Brewing hit the spot!

The weekend ended all too soon!

March Foodie Tour!

We are extremely lucky to be living in an area where fabulous restaurants abound; some only a short drive downtown and 

others worthy of a day trip.

Our first trip took us to Prince Edward County for lunch at

 Agrarian Bistro in Bloomfield,

to meet up with old friends.

Along our country route, we passed my favourite runoff...

It was so much fun to find our friends in good spirits

 and full of laughter!

We dined on on Fish and Chips

and finished off the meal with butter tarts and creme brule

We had such a fabulous time!

A few weeks later, we joined friends for dinner at Megalos Restaurant in downtown Kingston, before going to the theatre.

Their 'prix fixe' menu had very generous portions and was delicious.

I started with a huge salad...

.....then a 'huge' burger!

Desert was included, but I couldn't eat another bite, so took it home for another day....peanut butter cake.....yummo!

As all good things come in 'threes', 

my honey and I celebrated our recent anniversary at

Le Chien Noir Bistro, also in downtown Kingston.

They also have a 'prix fixe' menu.  The menu has a 'french' slant to it with many surprising additions.

I started with a roasted squash risotto, where instead of rice, the chef used cauliflower, finishing it with shaved pecorino romano.

then on to more traditional french fare, mussels

and, in case you haven't figured it out yet, my favourite desert, creme brule!

As spring is just around the corner, I took a short drive to see how my stream looked today.....almost all the snow gone, 

but still gushing water.

100 kilometer journey

Given that it is a long weekend here, I took the opportunity of an extra day off to travel within a 100 kilometer radius of home.

First up, a trip for lunch to Perth, Ontario.

There are many wonderful restaurants to choose from, but decided on

The Stone Cellar

What caught my attention was the lure of this burger:

A Nutty (Veg) Burger A blend of pecans, peanuts and almonds ground in our kitchen, mixed with fresh herbs and vegetables, crisp Bibb lettuce and tomatoes, then crowned with our house peach jam. Served with fresh greens, fresh fruit, balsamic vinaigrette and sweet potato fries topped with a local maple syrup drizzle.

All washed down with local brew....

Next up, a trip to the village of Westport for a car show at the local church.

There was something for everyone:

For fans of the movie GREASE, a replica of 'Greased Lightning'

Then, back to Kingston for a fabulous dinner at Le Chien Noir

Final outing; off to Prince Edward County for a stroll in Bloomfield
and lunch at Agrarian Market and Speakeasy

A first for me; Eggs Benedict poutine!

Yummy poached eggs with hollandaise, bacon and parmesan sitting atop crispy fries!

The crowning glory of the weekend;
ice cream from Slickers Ice Cream

Happy long weekend!

Lunch in Prince Edward County

After varying temperatures in May, the first weekend in June turned out to be a lovely 20 degrees with sunny, clear skies

 and a warm gentle breeze.

The prior week, a welcome rain brought relief to the parched ground and filled giant mushrooms with tiny drinking fountains.

It was time for another road trip to the 'county'!

My favourite part of the trip is taking the ferry across Adolphus Reach

First stop: Bloomfield, with its quaint shops and charming locally owned restaurants

The last time we were at Agrarian for lunch, there were so many choices we wanted to try, that we knew we had to go back to sample something different

I started with a chilly glass of '8 Man English Pale Ale' from one of our local breweries: 

Mackinnon Brewing

...which helped wash down a crispy local perch sandwich

Delicious!

Our next stop was a visit to Domaine Darius to pick up a few bottles of the delicious Port that I had tasted on my last visit.

The gardens had been planted and were starting to burst with colour

I love their use of different mediums to show off their green thumbs!

We ended this glorious weekend with a trip
 up to Chaffey's Locks to visit
The Opinicon Resort, currently being restored to its former glory......

....to enjoy some home make ice cream

While strolling the lock, I noticed a most fascinating tree.....rings of its history were exposed and weathered making it a lovely tableau!

Ah, Welcome June......