I know this newsletter is usually about the best thing I ate in Toronto, but we’re making an exception this week for road trip season and the buzz around Niagara’s Restaurant Pearl Morissette. The fine dining spot has been racking up major awards, including the top spot on Canada’s Best Restaurant list for a second year and No. 3 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. It’s also one of only two Canadian restaurants with two Michelin stars (the other is in Quebec).
It’s pricier than what we normally cover here, but nearby is its sister spot, RPM Bakehouse: a casual bakery and café open for breakfast and lunch. No reservations needed, and you can still get a standout meal or snack at a much more accessible price.
RPM Bakehouse‘s Caramel Sticky Bun, $7.25 3839 Main St. (Jordan, Ont.)
“Carnally attractive” is how RPM Bakehouse co-owner Daniel Hadida would describe the purpose of a sticky bun, which in its current iteration is draped in thick, luscious buttery caramel and topped with a hazelnut streusel (a berry version is next as Ontario’s growing season ramps up). It has a pillowy bounce when pressed with a fork, contrasted by the hazelnut streusel topping and a not-too-sweet flavour thanks to the slight saltiness in the caramel that won’t leave your teeth hurting. “The dough is very moist and tender, and we taste it at the end of the day to ensure it’s still moist and fluffy without having to use preservatives,” he said. “It has to be loud, oversized and exaggerated. We sheet the dough a few centimetres thicker so that it stacks higher.”
RPM Bakehouse first opened in January 2022 as an extension of Restaurant Pearl Morissette, located just a four-minute drive away. Since local bylaws restricted how much the restaurant could build on the existing property, when a space opened up on Jordan Station’s Main Street, the restaurant’s co-owners and chefs Hadida and Eric Robertson took it. ”
I wanted something that worked with high-quality Canadian ingredients at a more accessible price point,” said Hadida, adding that opening a bakery forced them to seek out a better grain supplier to match the restaurant’s mission of using hyperlocal and hyper-seasonal ingredients. The result is a bakery and café where the menu is always changing based on what’s available from nearby farms (including the restaurant’s own). Come early to avoid the lines and secure a seat on the outdoor patio, where dappled sunlight through the trees gives everything a golden glow.
The buckwheat financier topped with hazelnuts ($4.50) is a wheat-free option (Hadida warns kitchen is not gluten-free). Baked until the outside develops a thin crust with toasted nuttiness; slice it open and salted caramel from sticky bun oozes like lava.
The oversized sable ($4.50) is a buttery cookie with cranberry jam filling that cuts clean.
For lunch, the restaurant has a sandwich menu that balances familiarity with local produce creativity. Sourdough grilled cheese ($16) where aged white cheddar melts into crevices between asparagus spears (previous cabbage grilled cheese didn’t go over as well with diners). The porchetta comes from whole pigs the restaurant receives, marinated with ramps, roasted to fork-tender doneness with crisp skin ($20). Pearl Morissette wines by the glass ($18) or to take home; grab extra-tart sourdough ($10) that freezes well for panzanella.
Since it’s wine country, Hadida recommends the Cave Spring’s Winery Tasting Room (3836 Main St., Unit 5) across from the bakery, plus Mason Vinyard (3882 King St, Lincoln) and Malivoire Wine Company (4260 King St, Beamsville), both within a 10-minute drive. Pearl Morissette’s main restaurant and bottle shop is a short drive away at 3953 Jordan Rd. Visitors can sign up for a farm tour with samples of in-house juices ($50 per person; email to book). Roadside stands are open for the season, including The Red Barn Farm Market and Bakery (4297 Jordan Rd.) for local fruit and baked goods. For something non-food, Prudhommes Antique Market (3125 N Service Rd, Vineland Station) is an antique market on the lake with a multi-level converted old house.
