Article appeared Sept 2024 on Vacay.ca

For many, Port Hope is a day-tripper’s destination, often to see one of the twice-yearly salmon and trout runs on the Ganaraska River. For others, it’s a drive-by sign on the 401 highway enroute to Prince Edward County, Kingston, Montreal or Toronto. For me, it has provided an easy and pretty escape from the noise, traffic and summer heat of Toronto. Anyone who spends more than a day here will discover plenty to see and do, in the town itself and in the surrounding countryside of Northumberland County.

Port Hope, which bills itself as “Ontario’s favorite small town,” sits on the shores of Lake Ontario, a little over an hour from Toronto and two and a bit from Kingston. This town is so steeped in history, the entire downtown has been designated a heritage site. It was built in the late 1800’s on both sides of the Ganaraska River which picturesquely intersects the town. Port Hope was a hub for 19th century trade and transportation. The river once powered mills and distilleries and lends the town considerable charm. Torontonians and Americans built summer estates on the lake in the 1920’s and the railway brought travelers to the hotels. The Opera House entertained the locals. Today Port Hope has one of the best preserved main streets in Ontario, Walton Street and is home to Trinity College School, the iconic Capitol Theatre, as well as a lively Saturday farmer’s market. The devoted community has made a huge contribution to the success of Port Hope’s preservation of the heritage of the town.

A self-guided walking tour takes you through several gorgeous, leafy neighbourhoods and past a fascinating range of building styles, fun for the architecture buff and amateur alike. The historic, often grand exteriors of the buildings on Augusta, Dorset and King Streets are completely worth the hills. There are also a number of notable houses on Sullivan, Ridout and Baldwin streets. View the fast-flowing Ganaraska River from the bridge on Walton Street. In and around Walton Street, there are many home decor, vintage, antique and book shops and plenty of restaurants, pubs, cafes and gelato spots. The street has stayed true to its predominantly Victorian 19th century architectural roots. Music plays a role in the local scene, with a jazz festival in August and regular jazz and open-mike nights at a number of pubs and restaurants. A swimmable beach and a pretty Waterfront Trail east of the beach are great ways to begin or end the day on foot.

The 58th Port Hope House Tour

If a guided excursion is more to your liking, these can be arranged through the tourism board. The Port Hope Heritage Foundation also conducts a tour of selected historic houses every fall. This year is Port Hope’s 58th House Tour, which takes place on Saturday, October 5th. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with homeowners who take great pride in how they have transformed their heritage homes. It is sponsored by local businesses and supports the Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organization which works to preserve buildings of architectural merit.

This year’s tour takes place in and around the downtown and will take you through eight buildings, including the Art Deco-era Capitol Theatre, now a designated historic site, as well as the interiors of an eclectic mix of buildings in historic neighbourhoods showcasing intrinsic Ontario architectural styles, including Regency Ontario Cottage, Victorian Row House, Empire, and Edwardian. Two of the local churches offer reasonably-priced lunches and of course, there’s a wide selection of restaurants in town to choose from as well. Comfortable shoes are necessary for this tour!

Last year’s tour (which required driving) took us just north of Port Hope through the beautiful pastoral countryside of Northumberland County, to hamlets such as Canton. Batterwood House, which has been on the tour in the past, was the former home of Vincent Massey, Canada’s first Canadian-born Governor General, who had important connections with Canton.

https://porthopehousetour.com/

www.visitporthope.ca

The Capitol Theatre

The Capitol Theatre, which opened in 1930 at the beginning of the Great Depression, was one of Canada’s first movie theatres and is one of the last fully restored “atmospheric” movie houses still in operation in Canada. An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie house design that was popular in the 1920’s. The main auditorium features murals depicting a Norman Courtyard and moving clouds projected onto a blue ceiling to create the feeling of being outdoors. The Capitol is exceptionally well-preserved with much of its Art Deco-era exterior and interior detail remaining intact after over 90 years of almost continuous operation.

The Capitol was also one of the first cinemas in the country to be built expressly for talking pictures. The theatre opened with the musical comedy Queen High starring Charlie Ruggles and Ginger Rogers in her first feature musical film. After it closed in 1987, a group of local citizens restored it to its former glory in the 1990’s. The theatre was designated a national heritage site in 2016.

Recent productions have included the long-running Kim’s Convenience and the off-broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors. Horror writer Stephen King visited Port Hope in 2016 when his It movies were filmed here and shown at the theatre for a release party. Quite a few scenes from It were shot in Port Hope’s Memorial Park. There’s even an It tour which goes through all the film locations where the movies were shot.

https://capitoltheatre.com/

Farley Mowat, legendary Canadian Writer

The prolific Canadian writer and environmentalist, Farley Mowat, played an important part in the history of Port Hope and the Farley Mowat boat house is a famous landmark in the town. The house is also a good starting point for the tour. Situated on the river in Ganaraska Park, the 24-foot overturned walrus-skin boat was constructed using 38 tons of limestone, so my guess is the structure is here to stay! Mowat, who died in 2014 at the age of 92, was one of Canada’s most widely read authors. His 42 books have been translated into 26 languages and have sold more than 17 million copies around the world. Mowat was born in Belleville, but spent the latter years of his life in Port Hope with his wife before his death in 2014. I wandered into Furby Books on Walton Street and picked up a copy of Farley Mowat’s Gorillas in the Mist, based on the film with Sigourney Weaver. I read it on a recent trip to Mexico and his clear, engaging style had me hooked in minutes.

https://kawarthanow.com/2016/10/02/farley-mowat-boat-roofed-house/

The Great Farini, Human Cannon Ball

The Great Farini walked on a tightrope across the Ganaraska River in 1859. This was the first of many acrobatic performances he would go on to perform around the world, including the human cannon ball act. The Farini Garden, located near the intersection of Walton and Mill Streets, on the Ganaraska River, was named to honour William Hunt whose stage name was The Great Farini. He spoke seven languages and is credited with discovering the lost city of the Kalahari in 1885, as he was one of the first Westerners to cross the unexplored portion of the Kalahari Desert. He retired to Port Hope to paint, died in 1929 at the age of 90 and is buried in Union Cemetery.

Floods and Fire

Port Hope has a history of fires dating back to the 1800’s and in 1980 suffered a fire and a flood in the same year, which destroyed a number of its buildings, The flood of 1980 destroyed the Old Fire Hall along with a row of buildings next to the Waddell Hotel. The flood was followed by a fire two months later which destroyed the newly renovated block. Due to the efforts of the community, many of the buildings were rebuilt and restored, with the unfortunate exception of the fire hall. The Public Library, along with the Capitol Theatre, are two of the few historic public buildings in the town to never have been gutted by fire. In spite of all these natural disasters, Port Hope has an architectural legacy quickly apparent with even a quick tour of the town.

The Town Hall is the most recognizable building in Port Hope, as it’s visible from almost every vantage point as you drive into and around the town and it is a key part of the Queen Streetscape. Located just south of the downtown core, it is surrounded by lawns and gardens. In 1893, the Town Hall was gutted by a fire, which left only the walls standing. Within a year, the building was reconstructed and reoccupied by Town Council. While much of the original building was lost, the exterior reconstruction was completed in a similar style.

Hotel Carlyle & Restaurant

Located in the heart of downtown, Hotel Carlyle has a rich and somewhat unusual history. Originally built in 1857 as a branch of the Bank of Upper Canada, the beautifully restored building has also been a lively pub, a dairy, a surgeon’s residence and also his operating room. The spacious bank vault is now a private room in the restaurant for group entertaining.

The 10-room hotel, with wonderful views of town and the pretty St. John’s Anglican church across the street, is within easy walking distance of Walton Street. I was given a tour of the hotel by Elise Furmann, one of the owners and was impressed by the hotel’s tasteful, yet whimsical decorating style. No one of its ten rooms are alike . Cow photos and cowhide rugs abound, an homage to the original dairy. Exposed brick walls, fireplaces and contemporary furnishings and fixtures create an industrial-chic vibe which works well with the 19th century architecture. The hotel is a collaboration between Elise, Ingrid Laurin, and Tim Badgeley and Dean Howett of Atelier on John, whose shop specializes in custom drapery.

The Carlyle Inn’s restaurant menu, wine & cocktail list has been thoughtfully curated by a local chef, using locally-sourced ingredients, offering up a range of dishes from burgers to beef tenderloin. The restaurant has a beautiful oak bar, banquet-style seating with stylish decor and cool chandeliers, with a pretty covered patio on a quiet side street.

https://hotelcarlyle.ca/

The Waddell Hotel

Try to book a room with a private terrace overlooking the river if you can. The beautifully restored Waddell, which sits on the banks of the Ganaraska, was designed and built by a Toronto architect, William Thomas, in 1845. Thomas designed over 100 landmark buildings in Canada, many of which are still standing (including St. Michael’s Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto, as well as the Commercial Bank on Wellington Street, the face of which is preserved in the atrium of BCE Place in Toronto). The Waddell Hotel, like the Carlyle, was originally designed as a bank, with two retail spaces and a hotel on the upper floors. Several of the large, elegant rooms in the hotel have fireplaces and private terraces overlooking the river. The Trattoria Gusto restaurant, bar and patio, located in the hotel, has wonderful views of the river and this Italian restaurant is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike.

https://www.thewaddell.ca/

The Beamish House Pub

Have a few pints and a burger on the generous patio of the Beamish House or watch the game at the oak bar inside. An English-style pub, this has become a local watering hole and is also popular with tourists. Originally known as the Cochrane House, it has music on the patio most Sunday nights. The two and a half story frame building, which over the years has been a warehouse, a dairy, an auto dealership, an appliance store, a pet food store and an antique shop, is an early example of the Greek revival style so common in Port Hope. The entire building was actually moved twice, once in 1876 and again to its current spot in 1985. It was designated an historic building under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1986.

https://www.beamishhouse.com/

The Ganaraska Hotel or “The Ganny”

Play euchre, pool or darts with the regulars at “The Ganny”. Built in 1837, this hotel was first granted a liquor license by the police chief in the 1850’s and is now a popular old-style tavern. It has a large patio in the back with regular music nights and an Open Mike Jam night on Wednesdays with local musicians.

http://www.ganny.ca/

Wesleyville and the Lakeshore Road

Last but not least, the scenic Lakeshore Road which runs from Port Hope west towards Toronto through a historic area called Wesleyville reveals another layer of Port Hope’s roots. The road was once the path of the indigenous people (Massassauga Nation) who walked along Lake Ontario to gather and harvest fish. By 1800, the trail became known as the King’s Road. In 1801, the crown granted 300 acres of land to the indigenous people and a neighbourhood formed. By the 1860’s, Wesleyville was thriving with homes and farmsteads. There was a church, school, post-office, blacksmith’s shop, tavern, cobbler, carpenter and machine shop. The church and school were closed in the late 1960’s due to Ontario Hydro’s acquisition of property. The Wesleyville United Church and its cemetery were not included in the acquisition. The church, built in 1860, was destroyed in a fire in 2010 and has been under restoration by local volunteers. The 19th century village of Wesleyville, which includes a caretaker’s cottage (with a live-in caretaker) and a schoolhouse, is also under restoration, with the efforts of the Port Hope and area community.

Relax at the end of the day

Stroll to the beach to relax at day’s end and swim in the clear waters of Lake Ontario. Grab a burger after your swim at the Sunnyside Diner or Olympus Burger, which are both within walking distance of the beach. Back in town, have a glass of wine at The Waddell, a beer at The Ganaraska Brewery, a cappuccino at Millies, or a meal at one of the many restaurants. Shop for vintage furniture at Dwellissimo, a gift or hand-crafted item at Bibelot or Penney & Co., browse in Furby Books, or find something for your home at Atelier on john.

Attractions around Port Hope and Northumberland County

Farmer’s Market

Port Hope has a lively Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. Try local baked goods, hot perogees and fresh-from-the-farm produce like wildflower honey or peas from the pod. Shop for handicrafts made by local artisans.

Laveanne Lavender Farm

Surround yourself in the glorious scent of lavender and relax on one of the wrought iron benches dotting the Laveanne lavender fields. Try your luck in the labyrinth and leave with a dried bouquet or one of the many scented products in the gift shop. Open April to August.

https://www.laveanne.ca/

The Barn Quilt Trail

Attention Photographers! Go on a country tour and try to locate the barn quilts (with a downloadable map). The Barn Quilt Trail was started to honour the history of Port Hope’s barns for their architectural significance and economic contribution to the local economy. I enjoyed driving through the rolling hills of Northumberland County to find the quilts painted on the sides of participating barns.

https://barnquilttrails.ca/

Dancing Bee Farm and Observatory

Meet the honeybees and talk to an expert beekeeper at Dancing Bee. Try a honey tasting and learn more about bee farming and the huge importance of bees for the environment and local food production.

https://dancingbeeequipment.com

Haute Goat Farm

You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy Haute Goat Farm, a beautiful animal farm on 200 acres of land, where you can not only pet cute baby goats, but you can see adult Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Huacaya Alpacas, exotic chickens, Kune Kune pigs, Icelandic horses and more.

www.hautegoat.com

The Ganaraska Forest

Just a half hour north of Port Hope, the Ganaraska Forest offers hundreds of kilometres of trails for year-round fun. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and nature appreciation are popular activities throughout the forest.

https://grca.on.ca/forest-management/about-the-ganaraska-forest/

https://vacay.ca/2024/09/port-hope-oozes-friendly-small-town-charm-and-history/

https://www.vacaynetwork.com/10-things-to-do-in-belize-without-a-beach-towel/

Most tourists go to Belize for the coral reefs, diving, snorkelling and for the beaches. These are great reasons to visit, but there is much more to Belize. The true heart and soul of the country can be found inland and the southernmost districts in particular are the undiscovered gems. Fewer tourists here makes for an authentic experience.

The Toledo District is the most southerly and least populated region in Belize, near the Guatemalan border, with views of Honduras across the sea. It is surrounded by lush rainforest, criss-crossed by meandering rivers and studded with living Mayan villages and several classic Mayan ruin sites, including Lubaantuun, the largest Mayan ceremonial centre in Southern Belize. Explore rainforest grottoes and rivers where iguanas and crabs climb invisibly on tree branches of mangrove, mahogany, palm and Spanish cedar. It’s possible to explore the culture and food of three distinct ethnic groups in one day – the Creole, Maya and Garifuna cultures co-exist peacefully here. The mix of these cultures, with influences from the Caribbean, Mexico, Africa, Guatemala, China and East India, make it the perfect place for a festival.

The town of Punta Gorda is the hub for exploring the Toledo District, with a number of lovely inns and lodges. Nearby Stann Creek District is home to a wildlife sanctuary and a national park and the villages of Placencia and Hopkins provide accommodations for those exploring the area. There are a number of local guides who can provide boats, equipment and even lunch.

Once you’ve tried a few activities on this list, then head to Placencia’s or Hopkin’s beaches for a well-deserved rum punch made with the local One Barrel rum or for a Belikin, the national beer.

Following are 10 things you can do that don’t involve a beach:

Do the Cacao Trail Tour (hint: you must like chocolate) The tradition of chocolate-making in Belize traces its origins back about 1,500 years to the Mayans. Cacaofest is an annual event in the Toledo district which takes place every May and celebrates the Mayan chocolate-making tradition. Cacao beans only grow in the south, which gets the most rainfall. You can do the Cacao Trail Tour any time of the year – visit a Mayan Farm, tour the cacao orchards and crack open a cacao pod to taste the fresh fruit, which is a bit slimy but tasty. The juicier the flesh, the better the fermentation and the higher the cocoa’s quality. Learn about the fermenting and drying process, watch the cacao being roasted and then see how the beans are turned into velvety chocolate.

This year’s Cacaofest was the weekend of May 19 & 20th. Activities included a Cacaopod-breaking ceremony at the Maya House in Mafredi Village, a Chocolate Gala at Copal Tree Lodge (a decadent evening of wine, chocolate, cocktails, capapes and live music), a Cacao & Culture Day in Santa Cruz Village with chocolate-making demonstrations, and cultural activities like the traditional Maya Deer Dancing. Proceeds go to support the Mayan cacao farmers. You can try fresh corn tortillas made on a stone in the traditional Mayan way. Legend has it that tortillas were invented by a Mayan peasant to feed his hungry king and the recorded use of tortillas dates to 10,000 BC. Jipijappa Baskets and beautiful, hand-loomed shoulder bags can be purchased from Mayan women who have woven them in their homes and villages. Participating in these activities can make a real difference to Mayan families who often survive on subsistence farming.

www.chocolatefestivalbelize.com
www.mayabags.org

Visit a Butterfly Farm – geek alert! – learn what makes a butterfly happy (hint: bananas). Marvel at the strenuous journey a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly whose life span is only two months. The worker/guides at Ya’axkin Butterfly Farm near the town of Dandriga in Stann Creek show the visitor new eggs on a banana leaf, striped black & yellow caterpillars resting on tree branches, and a hand-made frame created for the bright green pupa (or chrysalis) which looks like abstract art. The reward at the end of the tour is the sanctuary, where hundreds of brightly coloured butterflies fly freely. Photo ops abound for close-ups of the beautiful, fluorescent Blue Morpho and the aptly-named Owl butterflies. The farm is owned by Javier Saqui, a 24-year-old Mayan who just won the 2022 Belize Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Office of the Prime Minister of Belize.

www.facebook.com/yaaxkinButterflyFarm

Have a Mayan ruin to yourself – (hint: arrive early in the morning or after 3:00 pm). Toledo is an ancient centre of Mayan culture and has the largest concentration of Mayan villages in Belize. The Lubaantuun site is nestled in the foothills of the Maya Mountains of the Toledo District, above a tributary to the Colombia River, where wild coriander grows on the ancient paths that run through the unnamed, overgrown Mayan ruins. Lubaantuun is a Mayan city from the Classic Period (700-900 AD), where the famous Crystal Skull, sought after in the 2008 Indiana Jones movie, Kingdom of Crystal Skull, is said to be from. The Crystal Skull, thought by many to have mythical qualities, was apparently found here in 1924. While you might not run into Harrison Ford playing an archaeologist, you might run into a working archaeologist. Lubaantuun consists of 14 major structures, including two ballcourts, grouped around 5 main plazas and was built with large stone blocks laid with no mortar.

Nearby and easily done in the same day, is Nim Li Punit, another ruin site from the Classic Period, where the Giant Stone Heads, which represent ancient kings, can be viewed. Also in the area is Uxbenka, really off the beaten path, as it isn’t yet an official tourist destination. It can be reached through the village of Santa Cruz and is a bit of a thrill for those who’d like to see an ancient city in its “raw” state. See how the Mayans used terracing to tame the jungle. Be your own guide or ask villagers for directions, which can be part of the fun. Uxbenka was an important ceremonial centre when nearby city states, like Nim Li Punit, Lubaantuun, Caracol (in Cayo District) and Xunantunich (also in Cayo) battled for domination with Tikal in Guatemala.

Tour a Spice Farm – (hint: bring a camera) See and smell a dazzling number of spice trees and flowers at the Belize Spice Farm and Botanical Gardens in Toledo. Pick nutmeg, coconut, limes and vanilla bean right off the tree. Photographers can take close-up photos of stunning flowers including the Black Orchid, the national flower of Belize and the dramatic & colourful Bird of Paradise. The tour is on a comfortable, tractor-towed wagon-mobile driven by a knowledgeable and friendly Mayan guide. He takes you off-road through the rainforest on narrow trails with overhanging bougainvillea, stopping to point out the spices and flowers along the way. The large restaurant can accommodate crowds and the store sells fresh spices to take home. The Spice Farm is building a lodge on its property which is scheduled to open this year – imagine waking up to the fragrant scent of rainforest flowers and spices and the sounds of macaw and toucan birds.
www.belizespicefarm.com

Do a Cultural Tour – Visit a Garifuna village in Toledo or Stann Creek – (hint: bring a sense of rhythm.) Experience their unique style of drumming and learn about the rich history of the Garifuna people (Garinagu) and also about the traditional drumbeats and dances that influence music throughout Belize and Central America. The Garifuna people are of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry who originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. They were exiled to the Honduran coast in the eighteenth century after a rebellion on the island and they subsequently migrated to Belize and also the coasts of Nicaragua and Guatemala. They speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creole. Today, their language is a mix of Arawak, English, Spanish, French and west African languages.

Every year on Nov. 19th, a festival and public holiday called Garifuna Settlement Day, celebrates the arrival of the Garinagu in Belize, with drumming and dancing starting the night before and running into the early morning, when they re-enact the arrival of their ancestors in small paddled boats. This is a time of feasting on traditional Garifuna foods like cassava bread (ereba), conch soup, hudut (a coconut stew with fish and plantains) and dares (banana tamales). The major festivities are in the town of Dandriga and also in and around Punta Gorda, with parades, street music and traditional dancing. The drumming can often be heard throughout the year in the town of Santa Cruz, in Toledo and also in Dandriga and Hopkins in Stann Creek District.

Dine (or stay) at a luxury eco lodge. (Hint: Bring an appetite) Watch the sun set through the rainforest canopy from the attractive verandah of the Garden Table Restaurant at Copal Tree Lodge in Toledo, while sipping wine and eating a dinner made with rainforest herbs, spices and fruits from the property, finishing the meal with the house-roasted coffee. Copal Tree Lodge is surrounded by 12,000 acres of rainforest preserve in the Maya mountains. The lodge’s farm supplies most of the food served at the restaurant. You may be thinking “Farm to Table”, or “Bean to Bar”, which it is, but with the recent introduction of a rum distillery on the property, it is in fact “Farm to Flask” as well. After dark, howler monkeys can often be heard in the distance. The lodge offers on-site adventures including hiking in the Maya mountains, kayaking the Rio Grande, horseback riding, chocolate-making classes, coffee cupping, cocktail mixology classes with Copalli Rum and tours of the Jungle Farm. www.copaltreelodge.com

Go on a Jungle Cave Tour. (Hint: bring your own shaman) Near San Antonio Village, the Toledo Cave System was formed two hundred million years ago by seeping rainwater which carved caves (actuns) from the rock. In ancient Maya culture, these mineral caves served as portals between the surface world of the humans and the underworld of the gods, called Xibalba. Echoes bouncing off the cave walls can play with your sense of time and space. Thousand-year-old artifacts of Maya shamans can still be found in some of the caves. Cool breezes from deep in the earth suggest the presence of ghosts.The caves have wonderful rock formations and a rich variety of ferns, heliconia flowers and huge, shade-loving palms which flourish under the tall tree canopy.

Kayak on a Rainforest River – (Hint: Be prepared to get a bit wet!) Tours are available in Toledo on the Rio Grande and also the Moho River. The Moho is a slow, meandering river in southern Belize that meets the Caribbean south of the town of Punta Gorda. The river is remarkably warm, owing to underwater heat vents along its course. Its relaxed pace means that after putting in, paddlers can follow the river in either direction, though generally starting by heading upstream makes the return trip easier. This is a true jungle experience and some of the tours combine guided paddles with hikes. Those looking to swim can find a spot on the banks to pull over and experience the warm waters of the Moho.

Visit a Waterfall – (hint: bring a bathing suit) Escape the heat and go for a hike on a trail that follows the Rio Blanco river in the Rio Blanco Nature Reserve in Toledo. The river flows through wide, shallow pools before cascading over a 15-foot drop. Explore the park with a local guide and then chill out on your own, swimming in the pools. You can often see hummingbirds and dragonflies bathing in the spray of the water.

Go birdwatching – (hint: bring your binoculars! ) Toledo is the southernmost district in Belize and receives the most rainfall. This makes the rainforest lusher and the moisture from the Caribbean Sea enhances this. This district has bird habitats from the coastal marshes to the ridge tops of the Maya Mountains. Think Mangrove/Littoral Forest, Wetland, Lowland Pine Savannah, Broadleaf and Submontane Wet Forest. You can choose a 2-3 hour early morning trek close to the town of Punta Gorda, or a full-day outing, visiting numerous watering holes, nature reserves and other bird-friendly spots.

If you go:

Tours can be easily set up with local tour companies such as Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours (https://m.facebook.com/ToledoCaveandAdventureTours) with Bruno Kuppinger, Owner/Operator or withPG Tours www.pgtoursbelize.com with Jo Audinett, Owner/Operator. Cotton Tree Lodge www.cottontreelodge.com and Copal Tree Lodge www.copaltreelodge.com
also set up tours for guests.

Accommodations:

Coral House Inn, Punta Gorda

https://www.coralhouseinn.com

Blue Belize Inn, Punta Gorda

https://www.bluebelize.com/guesthouse/

Copal Tree Lodge, Punta Gorda

https://www.copaltreelodge.com

Cotton Tree Lodge, Punta Gorda

https://cottontreelodge.com

Hickatee Cottages, Punta Gorda

https://www.hickatee.com

Maya Beach Inn, Placencia

https://www.mayabeachhotel.com

Ceiba Resort Hotel, Placencia

https://ceibabeachresort.com

Panama City boasts an abundance of rooftops, reflections, angles and curves. The sheer scale of the buildings in the “Dubai of the Americas”, many over 60 stories high, make for dazzling, if dizzying, panoramic views. The skyscrapers of downtown confuse the mind with their deep plunging verticals and mirrored windows, revealing 360 degrees of vertiginous skyline, sprawling city grid and the undulating Gulf of Panama coastline. The more human-scaled buildings in the old town, Casco Viejo, provide equally compelling views over the Spanish colonial-era network of red tile roofs, melding together the old with the new.

Where better to find a great rooftop bar?

Panama City emerged as an international centre for business and trade after the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914. Today it’s the wealthiest city in Latin America. With continued foreign investment and the recent canal expansion, the city is poised to continue its transformation. For us, this means sizzling nightlife and great bars and restaurants. Panama has 14 of the 25 tallest buildings in Latin America and The Marriott (originally the Trump Ocean Club), has the highest floor count, at 70. Many of the hotels offer exceptional rooftop bars and pools for guests.

In spite of the financial boom, the city is still grounded by its cultural influences and history. Casco Viejo, where Panama City was founded, is a UNESCO-designated historic district. Following the destruction of the first settlement by Captain Henry Morgan in 1671, the Spanish moved the city to the rocky peninsula where Casco Viejo still stands. Surrounded by the imposing rock wall originally built to defend the city from invaders, Casco is a step back in time. As urban expansion pushed the boundaries of Panama City further out around the turn of the century, the city’s elite left Casco Viejo and the neighbourhood rapidly deteriorated into a slum, with crumbling architecture. Fortunately, most of the buildings have now been lovingly restored and the neighbourhood revitalized, home to many restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels and renovated historic buildings.

From any elevated vantage point in Casco Viejo, the town stretches out before you in a labyrinth of churches, plazas and palaces while the modern towers of downtown rise up like sharp-edged glaciers across the bay. Continuously changing cloud formations add drama to every view.

With a delicious cocktail in hand made from fresh local ingredients, it’s easy to fall in love with Panama City.

The top ten:

Downtown and Area:

1. The JW Marriott Panama (originally the Trump Ocean Club)
Punta Pacifica District

To get a seat on the patio of the spectacular rooftop bar on the 66th floor of this 70-storey, sail-shaped building, get here early. The incredible infinity pool looks like it slides off the side of the tower, so it’s just as well we can’t swim in it. It’s just for show but it adds an element of glamour and sophistication.

The building was taken over in 2018 by JW Marriott following a dispute, where the Property Management company reportedly had to use a crowbar to strip the Trump name off the building. The JW Marriott is the tallest building in Panama and in Central America. The tower apparently resembles the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, which is the tallest in the world at 163 floors.

www.marriott.com/hotels

2.BITS (Bar in the Sky) Rooftop Lounge, Hard Rock Hotel (also known as the Megapolis Tower 1)
Marbella District

A glitzy, glamorous venue, the rooftop bar of the Hard Rock Cafe, “BITS,” is on the 62nd floor of the 63-storey Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis. This indoor and outdoor lounge is stylish and upscale, with sprawling red & pink satin lounge chairs and comfy couches. It has wonderful views of La Cinta Costera (the coastal beltway which has a 2.5 km pedestrian walkway running along the waterfront to Casco Viejo) and exquisite cocktails.

https://es.hrhpanamamegapolis.com

3.W Panama
Campo Alegre District (Business District)

The W Hotel in Panama City is the Marriot W Brand’s first Central American property. The W Hotel’s WET Deck is a pool bar on the 15th floor of the 50-storey W Panama Hotel. It’s a fairly recent, sleek, modern addition to the Panama City rooftop bar scene. Centrally located, it has the sought-after W vibe, views over the Cinta Costera and the downtown skyline, as well as a pool you can swim in.

https://www.marriott.com/

Casco Viejo (Old Town):

4.Tantalo Hotel Rooftop Bar

Tantalizing food and wonderful views are yours on the rooftop of the industrial-chic Tantalo Hotel at Happy Hour. As the sun sets over the red tile roofs of the white colonial buildings of Casco, we wash down delicious fusion-style tapas (think quinoa and chickpea salad, sautéed octopus with coconut milk) with a Michelada, a Mexican cocktail made with beer, tomato juice, lime and hot sauce. The glowing dome of the Iglesia Merced is so close I feel like I can reach out and touch it. Tantalo is a ten-room boutique hotel with a bar and restaurant on the ground floor, but the rooftop terrace is the main attraction.

www.tantalohotel.com

5.Gatto Blanco, Hotel Casa Nuratti

Next door to Tantalo is another fantastic rooftop bar, Gatto Blanco, which is on the top of the Hotel Casa Nuratti. It has an intimate atmosphere with live music Tuesday nights. Wednesdays are ladies nights, with $1 glasses of sangria. Walk through the stylish lobby to get the elevator to the rooftop.

http://hotelgattoblanco.com

6.Casa Casco Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

The five-storey Casa Casco building has three floors of restaurants; the independently-run Marula, Naciyn Sushi and Mano de Tigre. On the fourth floor is the nightclub, Casco Club and at the top, the decadent terrace bar. The cuisine ranges from Japanese to Central American fusion. From the roof, watch the locals gather in the charming Plaza Herrara below, an historic hub of the neighbourhood or peer into the large rooms of the stylish American Hotel on Avenida Central. Then watch the sun set over the old town, coming to rest on the beautifully restored Hotel Central on the Plaza Independencia.

http://casacasco.com

7.Salvaje

One of the coolest bars in Casco – Salvaje (which translates as Wild) is a local favourite not on the tourist map. It is located near the walled entrance to the old town. If you decide to walk to the roof of the lively bar five stories up, you can meander through the crumbling, historic building with its wide, plant-filled balconies, reminiscent of Havana, Cuba. It’s noisy, so try not to get a table next to a loudspeaker pumping out local and international music. The cuisine is Japanese fusion which combines local Panamanian with Japanese ingredients. Watch the Panama City skyline disappear as the sun sets across the bay.

https://salvajepty.com

8.Las Clementinas Hotel & Rooftop Bar

The hotel was named after Clementina Herrerra, an eccentric and successful female Panamanian entrepreneur in the 1950’s. Ask for a refreshing Panamanian Mojito made with clementine juice, clementine segments and Seco, an alcohol distilled from sugar cane, lime juice and basil leaves. There’s also a popular Sunday brunch at Mahalo Restaurant next door, run by two Canadian sisters.

www.lasclementinas.com

9.Lazotea, Hotel Casa Panama

A small bar, with big views. Lazotea was apparently the first rooftop bar in Panama City to have a swimming pool you can actually swim in. It has one of the best rooftops in Casco, with views across the bay. Located near the entrance to Casco, it is at the top of the Hotel Casa Panama, which also houses Restaurante Santa Rita. The cuisine ranges from Central American to French, with a range of European dishes.

Avenida Eloy Alfaro Corner with Calle 11, Old Town, Panama City 0801 Panama

10.Capital Bistro

This unassuming, yet elegant and often overlooked little restaurant/bar is near the entrance to Casco and so close to the water, you can see the fishing boats of the Mercado de Marisco (fish market) coming in to shore for the night and watch the sun set over the bay. The sparkling little lights on the patio make the evening magical and the signature cocktail list and menu from the Capital Bistro Restaurant below ensure an unforgettable experience.

http://capbistropanama.com

See article in magazine:

https://tasteandtravelmagazine.com/2020/12/top-ten-rooftop-bars-in-panama-city/

I’m driving through the deepening dusk into the town of Boquete. Just as the last glimmer of light is fading, a mountain rises spectacularly out of its shroud of mist, revealing a ghostly pointed peak for an instant, only to disappear into darkness. I feel a thrill of anticipation, sensing I’m heading somewhere special.

I had wanted to see Panama for years, in part to knock the Canal off my bucket list. Panama also intrigued me because of its geography – a land bridge between Central and South America, the Pacific Ocean on one side and Atlantic on the other. It has been a crossroads for the migration of many ethnic groups, from the Americas to Europe, from the time of the Spanish conquest until today and a transit zone from east to west, attracting Asians and Europeans, many of whom now live here. I wanted to learn how that influenced the cuisine, coffee and culture.

Panama has been billed for years not only as a top tourism destination, but also a retirement haven in part due to its tropical climate, abundance of sunshine, beaches and natural environment. When I recently read about the small mountain town of Boquete, near the Costa Rican border, I knew it was time to make the trip. Nestled in the highlands of Panama at an altitude of 1200 metres (3900 feet), in the region of Chiriqui (an indigenous word that means “Valley of the Moon”), boasting year-round spring-like temperatures and billed as Panama’s Breadbasket, its Flower Capital as well as the ‘Napa Valley of Coffee’, I didn’t think Boquete would disappoint me.

“Is the restaurant open?” we inquired at Butcher Chophouse. The rain had started to come down in sheets and the whole town was in blackout. “Yes, we cook with a generator when the power goes out.” Tasty, tender steaks with glasses of California Merlot arrived promptly, while the sound of the rain lent the room an intimacy a sunny patio could not afford. Arriving off-season added to my experience in unexpected ways.

I began to look forward to the drama the intermittent showers and almost constant mist lent the bucolic countryside, which reminded me of the Yorkshire Moors. When the early morning farmers market was rained out, the makers, indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé from the nearby mountains, Ecuadorian Incans and California ex-hippies, scrambled to save their merchandise from the deluge. Seconds later, everyone was laughing as the water came down and the swollen River Caldera rushed by. Then the sun came out again.

The town’s ever-changing vistas of Baru Volcan, an inactive, climbable volcano, are breathtaking. The 3,475 metre (11,401 foot) volcano, Panama’s highest peak, often appears to be floating, the misty rain clouds covering its base. The clouds, or “Bajareque,” move and shift, changing the panorama of the surrounding hills on the quarter hour. The Swiss-style houses which dot the hills around town crawl with coral and magenta bougainvillea, making Boquete feel like a tropical Swiss village. Apart from year-round hiking and mountain-climbing and an abundance of rivers and waterfalls, Boquete has an evolving farm-to-table cuisine derived from indigenous and Spanish cultures and the best coffee I have ever tasted. The town of only 20,000 (6,000 ex-pats) has over 80 restaurants, including Panamanian, Italian, Peruvian, Chinese and Argentinian, with coffee shops on every corner.

The construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th Century brought workers and settlers from China, France, Africa and Italy as well as Germany and the nordic countries. Unlike other regions in Panama, African populations in Chiriqui remained small. The gastronomy of Chiriqui derives mainly from the indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé and Spanish culinary traditions. Flavours here are milder than those of its South American or Caribbean neighbours. Common ingredients are corn, rice, wheat flour, plantains, cassava, beef, chicken, pork and of course, seafood. The word “Panama” means abundance of fish.

I order a traditional Panamanian lunch on the Panamonte Hotel’s breezy front patio — slow-roasted porkbelly with fried plantain in a guava-smoked onion BBQ sauce, sweet corn crepes with smoked beef filling and corn fondue — along with a delightfully fresh micro-green salad on a plate decorated with edible flowers. The Panamonte prides itself in serving both traditional and foreign dishes, all with local ingredients. The 102-year-old colonial-style hotel is an institution in Panama, bringing people regularly from Panama City.

I’m talking to the “anthropologist of Panamanian Gastronomy,” Charlie Collins, owner and Executive Chef of the Panamonte, who tells me plantain is a staple in Panamanian cooking. The Chiriqui region is considered the breadbasket of Panama because it supplies plantain, other vegetables, grains, fruits, milk, coffee and meat products to the rest of the country. Plantain is endemic to the American continent, unlike bananas, which originated in Africa.

“I chose the name T’ACH as the title of my second book because the word means both “plantain” and simply “food” in the indigenous Wounan language, so important was the vegetable to their survival,” Charlie tells me. His beautiful book is chock full of traditional recipes representing each of fourteen regions in Panama. T’ACH won the Best Book of the World in 2018 in the culinary heritage category by the Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards. Charlie worked in upscale hotels in the U.S. and the Virgin Islands before returning to Panama where he now manages the hotel founded by his grandparents in 1946. He is working on his third cookbook, called T’ACH II Contemporary Panamanian Cuisine.

Next day I line up at El Sabrosón, a restaurant frequented by locals where we order from an array of Panamanian dishes displayed behind a glass case. The menu is pretty basic – roast chicken with white rice and plantain fritters, rice in beef sauce with plantain fritters and corn empanadas, grilled shrimp with rice and salad. All very tasty, cheap and can be washed down with a soft drink or a Balboa (a local beer and also the currency). A great bocadillo de jamón, or ham sandwich, can also be had at the popular Boquete sandwich shop.

Sunday I’m invited to a Father’s Day BBQ at the casual, yet upscale Boulder 54 Restaurant (named for the massive boulder dominating the lounge and also for the restaurant’s 54-label wine list) which specializes in world fusion cuisine with Asian, European and local Panamanian flavours.

The restaurant is busy and we are helping ourselves to whole pig filet mignon, which has been on the open-air grill all day. Boulder 54 is known for their events, such as the Gueria de Brasa or “War of Charcoal”, a BBQ held on U.S. Memorial Day weekend. Chris Young, Owner and Executive Chef, brings out a plate of octopus with a curry, lemongrass and coconut sauce. I ask him the secret of his rich sauce. “It’s my Instapot”, he says, although I know it owes as much to his U.S. chef training and use of fresh, local ingredients. Chris, who moved to Panama in 2010 from Kansas, has written a cookbook called “Feed the Crave” for home cooks — a collection of his favourite grilling recipes, with mouthwatering dishes like Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Coffee Sauce & Mushrooms and Cherry Glazed Pork with Chocolate-Infused Sweet Potatoes.

Raul Camacho presides over the Father’s Day proceedings with Chris. Raul, from Central Panama, is an expert in indigenous cuisine and won the national “Top Chef” competition, which was to demonstrate to an international audience how to cook Panamanian food. We try the Caribbean Ceviche, a seafood cocktail made with cod, sole and trout, lime juice, onion, cilantro, garlic and habanero pepper. The secret of a ceviche is the acidity of the citrus which “cooks” the fish without a heat source. After dinner, Chris introduces me to “Jambu”, a small flower he buys from local herbalists, which opens up the tastebuds — it gives my coffee an extra kick. Next time I will try it with a glass of wine.

“The Pope referred to coffee as the mountain wine,” Cesar, my guide at the Finca Lerida Coffee Estate, tells me. Finca Lerida is renowned for its Geisha coffee, named for the area in Ethiopia where the beans originated. It wasn’t planted for a long time because it was so delicate and needed more space than other beans.

There are two types of coffee bean, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is the highland coffee, which only grows over 900 metres (2950 ft) above sea level (we are currently at about 1600 metres (5,250 ft) and the coffee is grown as high as 2000 metres (6,650 ft). The mildly-caffeinated Arabica beans are used to produce Geisha, considered the champagne of coffee, which is traded on international markets for up to $350 U.S. a pound.

The Geisha I taste has a mild, distinctly floral quality a bit like jasmine tea. It truly is delicious, but even the less famous beans here produce a creamy, rich coffee, with aromas of molasses, honey, chocolate, hazelnut and wine. Year-round sunlight, a cool climate, volcanic soil and the right amount of rain produce the perfect micro-climate here for coffee-growing.

My drive down the mountain at sunset takes me past the ledge-built houses of the coffee farmers. The local women walk home in their colourful naguas. I watch the birds dip and dive through the mist and reflect on how I will miss the moody volcano, the flowers, the birds, the cafe con leche, the empanadas, the impromptu, unapologetic downpours, the equally sudden bursts of sunlight, the ghostly silhouette the primordial cloudforest imprints on the horizon at dusk.

Restaurants
Boulder 54 Restaurant – Jaramillo, Chiriqui – @boulder54
Panamonte Inn & Spa -Avenida 11 de Abril, Boquete www.panamonte.com
Butcher ChopHouse – Avenida Central, Boquete
Tre Scalini – Avenida Central, Boquete
RetroGusto – Avenida Central, Boquete ilretrogusto.com

Accommodation

Vista Volcan Bed & Breakfast – Jaramillo, Chiriqui – www.airbnb.com
Panamonte Inn & Spa – see above

To view article in Taste & Travel Magazine:

https://online.flowpaper.com/79d4074f/tandtmagissue36/#page=75

Article appeared in the Globe and Mail

Phoenix is Rising From the Ashes

Phoenix, Arizona

Metropolitan Phoenix, aptly nicknamed “The Valley of the Sun,” has been experiencing an urban revival. The moniker was coined in the 1930’s to boost the first wave of tourism and the name stuck. A building boom in the 1990’s created increased gentrification and a transformation over the next decade in the downtown core, bringing a new wave of tourists and Phoenicians interested in urban attractions. The city that, in spite of its colourful history, always longed to be like others, is now justifiably proud of itself. Like the mythical bird the city was named after, a symbol of renewal, Phoenix is indeed rising once again.

The saguaro-studded blocks north & south of Portland Street are home to many small restaurants, bars, coffee houses, artist studios, galleries, music venues, boutique clothing stores, bike shops and two lively markets. It’s hard to find a public space or building which has remained mural-free in the once-scruffy Roosevelt Row Arts District (RoRo), which has been credited with helping transform downtown Phoenix. The vibrant paint colours, made blinding by the intense sunshine, depict themes whimsical and abstract, trompe l’oeil or optical illusion — it’s easy to get distracted, so keep your itinerary loose.

The align%3DleD:RE, which opened in October 2016, is perfectly situated in the cultural heart of downtown Phoenix. At the intersection of Portland Street and Central Avenue, beside Portland Park and a light rail station, it’s close to attractions like Roosevelt Row, the Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard Museum, the Arizona Opera, the downtown campus of the University of Arizona and convention centres. In the former Lexington Hotel, this 105-room boutique hotel combines high-end, reclaimed warehouse furnishings with a playful, art-filled environment. FOUND:RE and its Cultural Curator Michael Oleskow, have done an exceptional job of sourcing contemporary Arizona art to complement the local art scene and feature a new artist every month in The Studio. A nude, wigged Burt Reynolds languishes on an outsized mural behind the front desk. The heated outdoor pool and bar area becomes a funky party space with a plastic green Tyrannosaurus Rex cut-out, real palm trees and a large mural of a 1950’s beach scene.

Cast-iron metalwork details throughout the rooms enhance the industrial chic vibe in chandeliers, doors and tables. Rooms have high, exposed ceilings, concrete floors with custom area rugs, platform floating beds and period wallpaper. Balconies with modern sofas allow visitors to watch the sun rise and set behind the mountains surrounding the city. Tim Sprague, of Habitat Metro, is the local developer behind the FOUND:RE hotel, Portland on the Park and Portland Place, luxury condos built to accommodate a condo boom, although the FOUND:RE is their flagship property. Tim says, “The FOUND:RE completes our vision of transforming Portland Street back into the gem of downtown Phoenix it once was.”

Phoenix’s heyday was the Art Deco era. A two-hour walk from the hotel becomes an architectural tour — Deco-inspired public buildings include the Hotel San Carlos, the Luhrs Building, Phoenix City Hall and the Westward Ho. The DeSoto Public Market was built in 1928 and renovated in 2014. The Hotel San Carlos, a favorite getaway for Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant and Clark Gable escaping paparazzi in Los Angeles, it remains virtually unchanged since the 1930’s. The Hilton Garden Inn, a renovated bank building, was the location for the opening scene of the movie “Psycho”. The Luhrs Building was known for its wild parties during the Prohibition era. John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan have both stayed at The Westward Ho, a hotel built in 1928 and closed in 1980, which now provides affordable housing to the elderly.

Downtown Phoenix’s vitality owes much to its colourful past – and the vision of local entrepreneurs, artists and developers such as those behind FOUNDRE:RE, who are building a strong foundation to attract Phoenicians, new residents and savvy tourists. Like the desert that surrounds Phoenix, it seems the future of this human-scaled city is limitles—8187319p;

Eat and Drink

MATCH Restaurant

FOUND:RE Hotel’s MATCH restaurant is an expansive space, with a patio, and a menu of shareable plates inspired by global street food, with a commitment to local sourcing. Executive Chef Matthew Hobbs takes advantage of a wood-fired grill and a Forno Bravo wood oven. Beverages include local Arizona and international wines, Arizona craft beers and cocktails.

FOUND:RE Hotel

1100 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.

602-875-8080

www.matchphx.com

Tom’s Tavern

A landmark restaurant and bar in downtown Phoenix, originally opened in 1929 and a gathering spot for mayors, governors and celebrities. In a new location, it’s now owned by Chef Jim Gallen, who has updated the menu, but carries on the tradition of American comfort food in a diner-style environment. Famous for their burgers and brisket chili.

2 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix

602-257-16882

www.tomstavernaz.com

DeSoto Central Market

A gourmet food hall spearheaded by Chef Stephen Jones, one of seven Arizona chefs invited to cook at the James Beard House in 2015. In an airy vintage building that was once a car dealership, it houses a variety of restaurants, including DCM Burgers, Walrus & The Pearl oyster bar, Adobo Dragon, with Asian and Latin American fusion cuisine, The Larder + the Delta serving southern-style cooking, gourmet coffee, tea and toast at Tea & Toast Co., juices & salads at Radish and a Deco-era bar.

915 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA

http://desotocentralmarket.com/

Phoenix Public Market Cafe

A casual urban hangout for breakfast, lunch and dinner offering fresh market cuisine with ingredients sourced directly from Arizona’s largest farmer’s market. Hearty sandwiches on house-baked bread, robust salads, fresh pastries and slow-cooked meats from the wood-roasted rotisserie are complemented with a cup of fresh-ground coffee or a glass of local wine at the full bar.

14 Pierce St., Phoenix

602-253-2700

http://phxpublicmarket.com

Mother Bunch Brewing

In what was once a market building for a local supermarket chain, it’s an ideal brewpub environment and is run by husband and wife team Julie Meeker and Jimmy McBride (brewer).

http://motherbunchbrew.com

825 N. 7^th St., Phoenix

602-368-3580

Local Secrets

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Montreal’s Culinary Festival turns Five

MTL à TABLE 2016 – Nov 3^rd to 13^th

Montreal, Quebec

By Diane Penwill

MTL à TABLE, Montreal’s annual culinary festival, has 150 restaurants participating this year (22 new ones) and crosses 12 neighbourhoods. Districts that have become recognized for food in recent years, like Little Burgundy, Griffintown, St. Henri and the newest, Ahuntsic, compete with classic gourmet destinations like Old Montreal, The Plateau and Mile End. No matter how large a Montreal event becomes, here it can still feel like an intimate, relaxed community event.

Tourists and locals will have the chance to discover some of the city’s finest cuisine and to meet the chefs who put Montreal on the global food map. Participating restaurants will offer prix-fixe menus for $15 (brunch), or $21, $31 or $41 (dinner) and $21 (late-night meals). MTLàTABLE is highlighting two restaurants, Toqué! and Europea, who bear the prestigious Relais & Chateau insignia. These two famous restaurants have created $69 menus exclusively for this event.

MTL à TABLE has partnered this year with Les Vins de Languedoc, and will be featuring wines from this distinctive wine region in the South of France. Meet innovative French winegrowers and sommeliers from Vins du Languedoc, who will be holding tasting sessions. Meals come with Languedoc wine pairings.

The annual wine fair, La Grande Degustation Montreal, which has become important on the Canadian wine scene, takes place Nov. 3, 4 and 5^th at Place Bonaventure. The spotlight this year is on South America.  Argentina and Chile take center stage with 50 internationally renowned merchants, over 1200 products, including 800 different wines. The feature grape variety is Syrah (used to produce excellent wines around the world including the famous Crozes-Hermitage appellation) and the featured spirit is whiskey, with sampling opportunities of whiskeys from 20 Scottish, Irish, American and Canadian producers.

Throughout the festival and into December, 3-hour guided walking tours are offered on the fabled cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, with stops to taste culinary delights, and to visit historical landmarks. Four of the six tasting locations are sit-down restaurants, including a sampling of beer and Quebec cheeses at Bistro-Brasserie Les Soeurs Grises, who brew their own beer on-site, in a renovated former nunnery. Other food stops include a local gluten-free baker, an authentic English-style fish‘n chip shop, a rustic Portuguese restaurant and a final stop for “poudding chomeur”, a classic Quebec dessert.

“Our Cheeses”, who represent Quebec cheeses, organized a contest among participating restaurants to create an original recipe featuring local cheese.  Fifteen winners were chosen and their cheesey creations will be highlighted on their menus throughout the week. The Parisian-styled brasserie, Chez Lévêque, in Outremont, specializes in French classics and has been a neighbourhood favourite since 1972. Their winning recipe is a savoury rendition of a mille feuille – a layered beet mille feuille, with Bleu Bénédictin cheese, walnuts and greens. Restaurant de l’Institut, the training restaurant of students from the Institut de Tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), created, under Chef Mathias Théau,a braised veal shank with butternut squash, roasted cipollini onions and romanesco broccoli topped with shavings of Canotier de l’Isle cheese.

Other opportunities to explore include a bean-to-bar chocolate expedition through the Plateau and Mile End districts to taste nine types of chocolate, drink a chocolate infusion, a traditional Mexican chocolate drink and finish the day with a savoury chocolate-based meal.  Ride a giant bicycle with Party Bike (or Vélo Festif) Montreal, all the while tasting hors d’oeuvres and shooters, in the newest foodie destination, the Ahuntsic neighbourhood. Or go for a Happy Hour tour in one of the hip neighbourhoods of Little Burgundy and St. Henri, or in the Quartier des Spectacles, once home to Montreal’s former Red Light District.

Many Montreal attractions offer special packages during MTLàTABLE such as a visit to the Grevin wax museum followed by a Chocolate Dinner, a Food & Cinema evening with the Cinemania Film Festival or a Dinner at the Montreal Opera. Live music and dance with jazz, traditional French music, Spanish Flamenco dancing and Portuguese fado will be at various restaurants around town.

“MTL à TABLE helps position Montréal as one of the world’s leading gastronomic destinations. We know that tourists love to come here and eat well,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

For more information:

www.tourisme-montreal.org/mtlatable

http://www.languedoc-wines.com/en

https://www.ourcheeses.com/

http://vacay.ca/2016/11/montreals-culinary-festival-turns-five/

Maple Leaf Tavern, Gerrard Street East, Toronto

Taste & Travel Magazine caught up with Todd Morgan, Owner and Operations Director of the Maple Leaf Tavern in Toronto, as well as the PORT Restaurant in Port Hope.

Article by Diane Penwill

Q

Maple Leaf Tavern has been a dive bar for decades. What made you choose to buy it?

A

I saw the potential immediately. I liked the vintage of the building (1910) -  freestanding, with curb appeal and walk-by traffic. It has a fascinating history; it’s been both a tavern and hotel – and once had a skating rink in back.  It was apparently called the “Kick and Stab” because of the number of fights that would break out inside.

Q

What about your background brought you to this point in your career?

A

I grew up in Pickering. Instead of going into Civil Engineering, as my father thought I would, I took a year off university and drove to B.C.. I worked in Whistler and the experience I had there led me to Ryerson where I did a B. Comm in Hospitality and Tourism.

I worked as a concierge at the Marriott Eaton Centre and valet at the Royal York. I moved on to Earls, becoming Bar, then Night Manager and also did a stint at Milestones, before I started working at PORT. My father, a contractor, had purchased the land around PORT, originally a marina and we worked together on the design. I was looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity in Toronto when I discovered Maple Leaf Tavern.

Q

You’ve recently appointed Jesse Vallins as Executive Chef. Can you tell me about that choice?

A

Jesse is well-respected in the Toronto hospitality community as a hard-working, hands-on chef and his vision of the guest experience is aligned with ours. He is certified as both a sommelier and a cicerone (a guide) and will be bringing his approachable, yet refined cooking style from Toronto’s The Saint Tavern and Trevor Kitchen.

Q

And the menu? Any similarities to PORT?

A

Yes and no. We’ll carry over some of our favorite dishes, such as the Albacore Crudo, our signature Brussel Sprouts and Pickled Eggs. We’ll have a wood-burning grill and we’re re-introducing mutton, a traditional tavern food on menus. We plan to have as much organic, seasonal sourcing as possible, and will work with direct trade and craft producers from around the world. We’re also going to have the best Caesar salad in the city.

Our 120-seat tavern will offer both local and international craft beer, along with IPA and Pilsener on tap. The wine list will include Ontario and international wines, with top-notch cocktails inspired by a NYC bartender.

Our goal is to make the tavern a Michelin 1-Star restaurant – upscale, in line with what people in Leslieville and area are looking for. The service will be top calibre, but approachable, in keeping with the tavern tradition of the era and restaurants such as New York’s Minetta Tavern and Balthazar.

Q

What was involved in the renovation? Any major surprises?

A

The 6,000 square foot building will be consistent with the style of the era, preserving the Art Deco features, such as brass railings and millwork paneling. We uncovered the original brick and long-forgotten windows and we’re keeping the sign, but adding marquee lighting. We purchased the building in August 2013. That was a very bad winter, so we couldn’t begin construction until March. The cold winters created many problems, with the water and electrical system. We had to rebuild over 30 % of the ground floor and restructure the rooftop, adding 2 ½ feet of ceiling height to the basement, to convert the old boiler room. One surprise was an old cigarette machine we found from the 1980’s that plugs in and lights up – it charged $1.50 a pack! It’s going at the front door.

Q

Have your travels influenced any of your ideas or decisions?

Yes, the road trips I did with my parents. We would drive to Florida every year, but take a different route each time, travelling through many states. My own travels through Europe, Nicaragua and Costa Rica taught me a lot about supporting local culture.

http://www.tasteandtravelmagazine.com/media/issue_21/todd_morgan/T&T21_todd_morgan.jpg

Our cab pulls up in front of a decaying industrial building, our driver as confused as we are. Taxis still get lost in the South-West Borough, or Le Sud-Ouest, in spite of the area’s reputation as the new go-to part of the city. I spot a bright lime-green truck with “Grumman ‘78” stencilled in block letters. Bingo. Music and laughter filter out of a garage behind. Grumman, a restaurant on the western edge of St. Henri, started the food truck movement in Montreal. It’s located in what was originally a stable that kept horses for the city’s firefighters in the late 1800’s. Grumman is one of a number of adventurous new eating and drinking establishments carving out a reputation in this part of Montreal once known more for its Irish slums than for restaurants, bars and pastry shops. It’s just one of the reasons people are heading southwest.

Neighbourhoods with a past

“Less than ten years ago, there were biker gangs hanging out in St. Henri and it was violent,” the bartender tells me. St. Henri is one of six neighbourhoods in the South-West Borough, which includes Griffintown and Little Burgundy (Le Petite Bourgogne) on the north side of the Lachine Canal – where most of the action is. The Atwater Market is at its heart and the borough is bordered roughly by Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG), the Ville-Marie expressway, LaSalle, Verdun and Westmount. McGill Street is an unofficial eastern border — and the borough is within walking distance from Old Montreal. The unassuming St. Henri boasts a number of buzzy, busy restaurants such as EVOO, Henri, H4C (in a renovated post office), Ludger, Bitoque, Sumac and a popular pie shop called Rustique.

A man walks past us on a Griffintown Street with the word “Irish” on the back of his t-shirt. The name Griffintown came from an Irish word for “hardship” and it was the home of the city’s mostly Irish labourers in the building of the Lachine Canal, the Victoria Bridge, the Old Port and the Grand Trunk railway. In 1847, 70,000 Irish settled here (Montreal’s population at the time was 50,000). They were shunned because they were neither English nor French and many died of typhus. The now-derelict warehouses where they once worked rub creaky shoulders with shiny, modern condos built for a new generation of Montrealers. The defunct Red Rose flour mill, on the edge of the canal, is lit up at night. Its glimmering grain elevator is a reminder of the area’s roots since it appears in every view of the St. Lawrence River.

At the lively Griffintown smokehouse, Le Boucan, we gorge on all manner of things smoked — pulled pork, chicken and meatballs – and a salad of slivered beets and smoked almonds. Le Richmond, in a beautifully renovated 1880’s power plant, houses two Italian-themed restaurants — a bistro and a dining room—and a market, terrace and café. The bistro opened just 4 months ago; the restaurant at the same time as Grinder, known for their decadent steaks. The cozy, bohemian Griffintown Café has a lively brunch, music, comfort food and great burgers. Other popular Griffintown favorites are Code Ambiance Wine Bar, Shinji for sushi, Nini’s Meatballs and Nora Gray.

As Oscar Peterson looms life-size in front of me, I think I’m having a deja-vu moment from a jazz era I wasn’t even part of. It turns out to be a mural dedicated to “O.P.”, dubbed by Duke Ellington the “Maharaja of the keyboard”. Little Burgundy was once the home of countless jazz clubs and the residence of jazz musicians like Oscar Peterson. Its European-style grid of streets and squares are worth a stroll, if only to see the hand-painted murals dedicated to the jazz greats.  I spot several in homage to O.P., as well as Oliver Jones and Rufus Rockhead.  Oscar used to let his fingers fly over the keyboard in “Oscar Peterson Park” — even the teeniest parkette is named “Jazz Men Park” – perhaps the friends shared a late morning coffee here. The city was internationally known for jazz in the early 20^th century and Montreal’s annual Festival International de Jazz is the largest jazz festival in the world. Little Burgundy’s jazz clubs have now been replaced with shops and places to eat & drink, although many of the original homes are still here.

“We’re just hillbillies with a garden out back.” The chef-owners of the legendary Joe Beef restaurant in Little Burgundy are characteristically humble about being named one of the World’s Best Restaurants 2015 by the U.K.-based Restaurant magazine, the first time since 2010 a Canadian restaurant has made the list. At the unpretentious Joe Beef, which the classically-trained chef-owners David McMillan and Frederic Morin opened in 2005, the playful blackboard menu lists French dishes such as Lapin Escabeche and Cheval Cru along with Foie Gras Double Down (a play on KFC). The restaurant is an homage to an Irishman, Charles McKiernan, who was given the nickname Joe Beef during his years as quartermaster for the British Army during the Crimean War. He ran his famous waterfront tavern in this very building, which was popular with sailors and labourers. He helped striking canal and textile factory workers as well as the down-and-out, by providing bread and soup. He kept a menagerie of wild animals in the basement – four black bears, ten monkeys, three wild cats, a porcupine and an alligator. Story has it he would bring the bear upstairs to restore order if required. Little Burgundy is also home to other culinary institutions — The Burgundy Lion and Liverpool House and newer restaurants like Vin Papillion, as well as pastry shops — Patrice Patissier and Mamie Clafoutis.

Connecting neighbourhoods

The Lachine Canal, once an intrinsic part of the economic vitality of the city, is still a social artery linking east and west, creating vibrant communities along its stretch. It has a 12-km bike path which starts in the city of Lachine and ends in Old Montreal. Montreal is an extremely bike-friendly city and continues to add to its over 150 km of bike-only lanes. The canal, built in 1825 to allow ships to bypass the Lachine rapids in the St. Lawrence as they headed to the Great Lakes, was widened to provide hydraulic energy for Montreal’s early factories.  The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway (by Queen Elizabeth) in 1959 made the canal unnecessary and factories closed. Now kayakers and other boats enjoy the water in good weather.

The Atwater Market, open year-round, is a neighbourhood gathering point, especially on a Saturday and the 1930’s Art Deco building with its clock tower can be seen for miles around. I can’t see either on this bright October day for the heaping piles of pumpkins for sale. Inside the cozy interior, we try chocolates from Chocolats Genevieve Grandbois, cheese from Fromagerie Atwater and charcuterie from the butcher shop Boucherie Les Deux Freres.

Rue Notre Dame stretches from the eastern tip of the island, making its way through Old Montreal and the Southwest borough to Lachine, changing up its eclectic menu of restaurants, bars, pastry shops and stores as it heads west. The blocks from Guy to Atwater make up the Antique District. Along with about 50 antique shops, new art galleries open regularly, such as the contemporary Arsenal.

The South West borough’s new vitality owes much to its colourful past and the history of its struggles – a strong foundation to continue to attract local explorers, new residents and savvy visitors.

To view it on Vacay.ca:

http://vacay.ca/2016/01/montreals-new-place-to-chill/

For more information:

www.tourisme-montreal.org

Accommodation:

Griffintown

Hotel Alt

http://www.althotels.com/en/montreal/

Old Montreal

Hotel Bonaparte (Old Montreal)

http://www.bonaparte.com/en/auberge/

Hotel Nelligan

http://hotelnelligan.com/hotel-nelligan/

Hotel St. Sulpice

http://www.lesaintsulpice.com/

Think staying at a jungle lodge in Belize means roughing it? Think again. This boutique lodge, perched on 12,000 acres of pristine Maya rainforest, with 3,000 acres of its own coffee, sugarcane and cacao plantations, organic farm and rum distillery, redefines the meaning of luxury. At Belcampo Lodge, in southern Belize’s Toledo District, breathtaking views, modern design and indigenous gourmet cuisine, inspired by the region’s Creole, Maya, East Indian, Garifuna and Mexican cultures amplify the natural experience.

A high-end treehouse, Belcampo has 16 private suites perched so close to the treetop canopy, you take in the fragrant rainforest air in huge, hungry gulps. An automated lift provides a shuttle to the loftiest rooms, although the walk through old growth rainforest is spectacular. At night, be lulled to sleep by a gentle cacophony of bird sounds. Try the open-air shower or hot tub and feel like a tree monkey in one of Belize’s intermittent rain bursts. Wrap-around balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows and blue & white-stripes give the rooms a fresh, Mediterranean feel. Every detail of the lodge, from the woodwork to the artwork, is sourced from local artisans. Groups can reserve the entire top floor — with private entertainment area, butler service, observation deck,  saltwater infinity pool, private wet bar, lounge and barbeque. And over 70% of the food served comes from the lodge’s own farm. No surprise it won the 2014 Conde Nast Award for Best Eco Property in Central & South America.

The lodge is part of Belcampo Farm, based in Oakland County, California. Belcampo Belize was originally a fishing lodge called El Pescadore before Todd Robinson, an avid marine conservationist, bought it and turned it into Machaca Hill Lodge. In 2009, Belcampo Farm’s CEO, Anya Fernald, partnered with Todd to transform this rustic eco-lodge into an agritourism hub. Anya’s high-profile career was launched at the Slow Food Foundation in Italy and she ran the Slow Food Festival in San Francisco for Alice Waters in 2008.

Since its inception, Belcampo has been dedicated to developing economic stability in the region through agriculture. It’s the largest private employer in the Toledo district and is very staff-focussed, with fair wages and a healthy lunch program. The restaurant serves only locally-sourced, humanely-raised meats which they cure themselves. Fish and seafood is caught or raised through sustainable methods, supporting small scale, local fishermen. The lodge’s goal is to be completely self-sustainable by 2018. They are already impressively close to producing not only all of their own indigenous vegetables, herbs, fruit, poultry (chickens, ducks, guinea fowl) and livestock (sheep, pigs), but also coffee and cocoa beans, vanilla and rum.

Renée Everett, Belcampo Belize’s Chef and Culinary Director, who has been with the lodge since October 2013, tells me “My job is constantly evolving. It’s the most fun I’ve had and the hardest work.” She is originally from Chicago, where, fresh out of culinary school, she worked for several well-known restaurants. Renée’s career really took off when she was a contestant on ABC’s reality cooking show “The Taste”. Celebrity chef Ludo Lefevbre offered her a job at his new restaurant Trois Mec in Los Angeles and Renee moved to L.A. Her decision less than a year later to decamp to Belcampo? “A recruiter called me on a Friday and I could think of a million reasons not to go,” she says, “but by Monday I found myself thinking, Belize – why not?”

An average day for Renée doesn’t take her much beyond the limits of the Belcampo property. The farm-to-table menu comes primarily from their own farm, but what isn’t, is sourced from the Mayan villages and Mennonite towns nearby, or from the local Punta Gorda farmer’s market. Creole on her mother’s side, Renée finds there are many similarities between Belizean Creole food and the style of cooking she grew up with. Staples in Belizean Creole cooking include rice & beans with stewed or baked chicken, pork or beef, seafood and fish including conch and snapper and ground cassava, potatoes, cacao and plantain. Renée does Tuesday evening theme dinners, and along with traditional Creole dishes, such as Dogtooth Snapper with stewed tomatoes, sweet pepper, onion, rice and collard greens, she will do a Garifuna stew like Polo’s Seafood Tapado, made with shrimp, snapper and conch, coconut broth, plantain and yam or Bundiga, a fish stew, often made with snapper, with coconut milk and green banana dumplings. Garifuna staples are fish and seafood with coconut and ground cassava or yams. Her East Indian dinners include Lamb or Beef Korma, and Tandoori Chicken with naan bread, Chana Masala (a chickpea dish) and eggplant with cardamom and ginger.

Renée’s favorite dishes include the Puerto Rican-inspired Jibarito (pronounced “He-ba-rito”) sandwich, made with plantain bread, and a Farm Chicken Escabeche (escabeche means smothered), a “Mexican onion soup” which uses slow-cooked soft onions, jalopenos and sour vinegar brine. Her Seafood Fritters, with locally-caught conch, are worked with cassava to make a flourless batter with eggs which is deep-fried, yet light. The “Running W Beef” dish is a hanger steak with pad thai, using natural peanut butter, coconut milk & almonds.

Renee has recently introduced the “Snorkel with a Chef” program. She dives for conch and lobster in the nearby Bay of Honduras with a spear and cooks them up for guests right on the boat. She takes groups on horseback foraging for cohune nuts. Belcampo also offers sunset cruises on the Rio Grande river (which the lodge banks on), a jungle spa, bean-to-bar chocolate courses (for adults and kids) and coffee-roasting demonstrations. The rum distillery is to be finished within the year, with a bar – on-site mixologists creating artesanal rainforest rum cocktails? I’ll be back to try one!

Renée works closely with Richard Brinckmann, Vice-President, Belcampo Farms Belize since November 2014. Richard manages the farm’s gardens, plantations and livestock operations. Richard also owns and runs an 880-acre farm in Belize with his partner, Marty, as well as a bed and breakfast called Sirmoor Hill Farm. They ran a successful retail florist business for 26 years in Gainesville, Florida, before making the decision to retire to Belize in 2006.  “The farm took on a life of its own,” says Richard. “Plants grow much differently in a wet, tropical climate. Growing everything from fruit trees to pasture on our own farm gave me a lot of experience and insight into how do so on a larger scale.” With an undergraduate degree in horticulture and a graduate degree in landscape architecture, Richard was originally hired by Fernald to design and redo the landscape for the lodge and create their agrotourism program. When the firm decided they needed an overall farm manager, they went to Richard.

Belcampo Lodge has helped put the Toledo district, one of the poorest regions in Belize, on the tourism trail. This means you can discover an untouched stretch of Central American rainforest, without having to compromise on comfort.

Diane Penwill is a Toronto-based writer and photographer whose Spring 2013 article for T&T on Croatia was nominated for the International Golden Pen Award.  Diane blogs at www.savouryplanet.ca.

Visit it:

www.belcampobz.com

www.belcampofarms.com

www.sirmoorhillfarm.com

www.travelbelize.org

To see the article as it appeared in the magazine, click on the link:

http://www.tasteandtravelmagazine.com/media/issue_20/belize/FLASH/index.html