As a relentless foodie, my recent trip to Spain took me in search of the perfect paella. One often sees romantic images of groups of happy people swilling wine and serving themselves helpings of delicious rice and seafood from a large round pan in the middle of the table. I wanted to find out if these images had any truth. It all looked so fun and moreish.

So I headed off to Valencia, on the glorious southeast coast of Spain, the traditional home of paella. Upon arriving, I couldn’t tell if I was more excited to try the paella, which I could see on almost every restaurant patio, or the rich, heavy red wine the guests were drinking. 

My deep dive into Spanish paella culture taught me that there are many different types of paella. Valencian paella could contain any combination of green vegetables, duck, chicken, rabbit, or even snails. Paella de marisco is the more common one I was familiar with, consisting of rice cooked with stock and saffron, and garlic, with mounds of seafood poking out of the top.

Paella mixta contains seafood as well as meat. The meat could be chicken, rabbit, or chorizo sausage for extra spiciness. 

After my all-too-brief time of eating, drinking, and shopping my way through Valencia and its surroundings, it was time to head back to Ontario. But the minute my feet touched home soil, my mouth was watering for another steaming dish of aromatic, spicy paella.

I did some research and found a few local places that do justice to the dish. 

If you prefer to eat at home (while someone else does all the work), go to Monastery Bakery in Oakville, and they do a seafood paella to take home and impress your friends.

For a restaurant paella experience, I headed to Burlington and stumbled across Barra Fion Tapas and Barrel. As well as many delicious Spanish tapas dishes like patatas bravas, they also serve three different types of paella (making it hard to choose just one). The traditional version had chorizo, seafood, and poblano pepper. The seafood lover’s paella had mussels, jumbo shrimp, and other seafood, and for vegetarians, they had a forest mushroom paella with artichokes. After mulling over the menu, I decided to stick with the traditional paella — and as expected, it didn’t disappoint. 

Peruvian paella is similar to Spanish and often has the added ingredient of the spicy aji amarillo, the Peruvian yellow chili pepper. El Inka Peruvian Cuisine in Burlington serves an excellent Peruvian paella or arroz con mariscos as it is known.

Lastly, my quest took me to Bronte in Oakville, where I discovered Casa Mia Latin Restaurant. They also featured an excellent Peruvian paella. There was fragrant rice cooked with saffron and smothered in seafood, which was exotic and delicious.

One doesn’t need to head all the way to Spain to experience the wonders of a paella, although I can promise you that, for all its cultural beauty, Valencia is certainly worth the trip. 

by Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright

Local Links

Casa Mia Latin Restaurant, Oakville
casa-mia-café.com 

Barra Fion Tapas, Burlington
barrafion.ca

Monastery Bakery, Oakville
monasterybakery.com

El Inka Peruvian Cuisine, Burlington
elinka.ca

It wasn’t all that long ago that craft beer took Ontario by storm. In 2015, after much grumbling by craft brewers and beer drinkers alike, the provincial government introduced new measures aimed at making it easier for small local brewers to deliver their products to Ontario’s growing population of beer geeks. Since then, Ontario has seen a boom in both the quantity and quality of craft beer. It seems like nearly every region has a renowned brewery, and post-secondary schools have been expanding access to brewing programs.

However, it might be time for craft beer to take a back seat – said no one ever – but, hard cider is also trending in popularity.  With fall just around the corner and local farmers’ fields lined with apple trees weighed down with fruit, there is no better time of the year to round-up local cideries. 

West Avenue Cider House

84 Concession Road 8 East, Freelton  |  Westavenue.ca 

West Avenue Cider is where authenticity and tradition meet big city lights. This small-batch cidery has been awarded Best Cider in Ontario for several years running. Heritage apples are rare in Canada, so West Avenue planted thousands of trees in their orchard to ensure their heritage ciders remain authentic. Using only the best ingredients, coupled with a slow fermentation process, West Avenue releases new ciders every month that are seasonally inspired by their Cider Maker.  Try Legend of the Fall, a Spanish-style sour cider, or Autumn, fermented with wild yeast, unfiltered and unpasteurized. 

Carlisle Cider Co. 

1453 Milburough Town Line, Carlisle  |  Carlisleciderco.com

 
A family farm with decades of history, Carlisle Cider Co. has come to be known as one of Ontario’s most renowned apple farms and packers. While the third generation has expanded its offering, they have never lost sight of quality, integrity, and community. Carlisle is a small and simple town, and Carlisle Cider Co believes their hard cider should be that way too. They pay homage to their farming roots, dating back to the late 1800s, and keep their line of products narrow (so as to never spread the love too thin). Each cider was inspired by a special place in their little town. Discover all three: Tally Ho Valley (flavour of crisp green apple and fresh grapefruit zest), Chapel on the Twelve (flavour of apple and white apricot blossoms), and Progreston Falls (flavour of ripe bosc pear and vanilla). 

Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

1137 Boston Mills Road, Caledon  |  Spirittreecider.com

 
A cidery, a bakery, and a farm shop – there isn’t much Spirit Tree Estate doesn’t offer when it comes to apples. This small, community-focused cidery is located on an environmentally-friendly property in Caledon. After years of running a successful farm market and pick-your-own operation, owners Thomas Wilson and Nicole Judge wanted to create a legacy for their family – a modern cidery that honoured old-world traditions. Today, they create craft ciders made on-site with Ontario apples, pears, and seasonal flavours. Try their Pumpkin Spice Cider, made from pumpkins roasted in their wood-fired oven, or their Apple Cranberry Cider Spritzer for a refreshingly sweet-tart flavour. 

You can find many local ciders in the LCBO – but they don’t carry everything. Be sure to visit your local cidery to explore all they have to offer (including yummy grub, great views, and wonderful conversation).  

By Anneliese Lawton

I’m partial to a meatball. They’re incredibly versatile and easy to make, and for me at least –they’re nostalgic. Over the years, I watched my Nonna handroll at least a thousand meatballs as she hovered over her speckled linoleum counter. My mom minced meat and garlic, and then hand-mixed and rolled them right on our kitchen island. As for me – I have three kids and zero time – so my meatballs come from places like Burlington’s Platter Company (self-proclaimed best meatballs in town). Everyone in my family seems to like something different, so we stock up on their beef/pork and chicken meatballs. They’re gluten-free and pair phenomenally well with their house-made pappardelle. (P.S Their honey garlic meatballs are great for game day). 

Our family recipe was never written down, and the ingredients were never measured. When my grandmother passed away, her meatballs went with her. And to me, those meatballs tasted like home. I spent years trying to replicate her recipe until I discovered Nonna’s Oven in Oakville. Their 50-year-old recipe is authentic, perfected, and tastes…well, like home. Made of veal and pork, the foundation of the recipe is exactly like my grandmother’s. She measured everything by eye, and yet every meatball was full of the same perfect flavour, every time. There was always a dusting of bread crumbs, at least one egg, fresh-cut parsley, salt, and pepper. The meatballs would simmer for hours in my family’s homemade tomato sauce. The walls of my grandmother’s kitchen absorbed the aroma of basil and garlic. 

Few things can beat the comfort of a big bowl of pasta and meatballs on a chilly autumn night. And it seems like every family has its own secret recipe for this old-time favourite (hopefully your family actually wrote it down). A little milk here, some ketchup there, maybe even some parsley or cheese. They’re easy to freeze, and many recipes can be gluten-free or even vegan. (Try Familia’s Fine Food‘s handmade gluten-free beef meatballs in a rustic tomato sauce). With this much variability, they also make the perfect side dish.

If you love fall flavours, then a simple turkey meatball, blended with stuffing seasoning, milk, bread, sautéed onions, and celery is a fool-proof Thanksgiving meal. Serve over mashed potatoes with cranberry sauce, gravy, candied yams, and Brussel sprouts – and you have an entire Thanksgiving meal without the stress of making a turkey. 

For a vegan twist, lentil and mushroom stuffing meatballs with sweet dried cherries are the perfect mix. Again, they pair perfectly with mashed potatoes – but this time, try a vegan mushroom gravy to keep it friendly for your herbivore friends. If you’re nervous about trying your hand at a vegan ball – try Baranga’s on the Beach in Burlington. They serve a vegan meatball made of eggplant, tomato, and fava beans.

For other fun fall flavours, try adding apple butter and all-spice to Swedish meatballs for a spiced apple flavour. Or mix pumpkin puree, sage, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg into ground turkey and serve over spaghetti squash for the perfect fall dish.

Do you like to keep things traditional? Brick Oven Bakery in Burlington has oversized meatballs, perfect for a main dish. Add fresh pasta and a crispy loaf of ciabatta bread for a warm and hearty comfort meal. 

Our favourite thing about meatballs? They’re the perfect menu item to experiment with – and when you add seasonal ingredients, you may just be crafting a family recipe that will be passed down for generations.   

By Anneliese Lawton

There’s nothing like the fresh smell of apples, cinnamon, and sugar in the fall – baked in a pie, mixed in with some oats, and even topped with ice cream. But there’s one apple dessert that really frits the bill this season – golden, crispy, and warm apple fritters. They’re essentially an apple donut; apples dipped in a simple batter then deep-fried in oil. The real magic happens after they’re garnished with a light dusting of cinnamon and sugar. While fritters are relatively easy to make from home (and the perfect way to wrap up a day at the orchard), many local cafes and bakeries

The Sunshine Doughnut Co., Burlington

This Burlington doughnut shop didn’t arrive on the scene quietly in 2016. In fact, when the owners of Son of a Peach Pizzeria, Kim and Bartholomew Nadherny, staked out their location with a giant freestanding doughnut, no one could ignore it!

Almost half of Sunshine Doughnut’s customers travel from the GTA for the enormous doughnuts and oversized apple fritters. The $5 fritters are made fresh daily with hand-chopped local apples, topped with cinnamon sugar and a vanilla bean glaze. They’re made in small batches, and you are advised to order ahead. They seem to sell out.

Aveiro Bakery, Oakville

Aveiro Bakery in Oakville uses authentic Portuguese recipes passed on by generations. They offer artisan bread, custom cakes, and breakfast treats. Head Baker and co-owner Ricardo De Oliveira brings 15 years of experience to the bakery. Co-owner Priscilla De Oliveira is involved with day-to-day business matters, including customer service. Baked fresh every day, customers rave about how delicious the $3.75 apple fritters are at Aveiro’s.

Wallflower Doughnuts, Oakville

Wa llflower Doughnuts is perfectly situated within the Tribeca Coffee shop in Downtown Oakville. A co-brand for the six-yearold company, Wallflower Doughnuts’ co-creator Monika Kruszka launched her tasty line of treats in July 2021. Her signature style has been to adorn her doughnuts like a piece of art. Recognizing that an apple fritter requires its own identity, her unique version dons a Southern Comfort flavoured glaze, unlike any other, and they sell them for $50 for a baker’s dozen.

Monastery Bakery, Oakville

Mo nastery Bakery has been tucked away in a small strip mall in Glen Abbey in Oakville since 1990. This popular shop started small and kept expanding over the years, evolving into a one-stop shop for unique and essential food needs, as well as providing handmade bread, pizzas, pastries, cakes, and more. Everything is baked fresh in-house, and many agree that Monastery’s $1.69 apple fritters are at the top of the list.

Sweet Paradise Bakery, Waterdown And Hamilton

Sw eet Paradise Bakery has two locations – one on the Hamilton Mountain and the other at the edge of Burlington and Waterdown on Dundas Street. They describe themselves as an authentic Italian scratch bakery. They use no preservatives or additives, and have been known for their breadmaking and baking for more than 30 years. The owners advertise that their $1.25 apple fritters are the best in the city!

Copper Kettle Café, Waterdown

Copper Kettle Café in Waterdown identifies itself as “Your Waterdown Café with Fritters” on its website. Family-owned and operated, this shop offers a full food menu for patrons to sit in and enjoy. They also serve specialty coffees from local suppliers Firebat Coffee Roasters and Reunion Coffee. You can enjoy a great cup of coffee for $2.75 and spoil yourself with a fritter at the same price. If you adore the pillowy apple delight as much as I do, make an outing out of it. Try one a week and let your tastebuds decide.

by Michele Bogle