Reading Time: 4 minutes The Caribbean Kitchen (inside Kitchener Market) 300 King Street East Kitchener, ON  N2G 2L3 (519) 568-8292 www.thecaribbeankitchen.ca The vendors upstairs at the Kitchener […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes East African Café 50 Ontario Street South,Kitchener, ON N2G 1X5(519) 342-0216 Downtown Kitchener’s popular Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant, East African […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Filipino food is growing in popularity of late. The long-standing J & P Filipino Store on Madison Avenue in Kitchener […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I do enjoy a bowl of congee in cooler weather, and I enjoy as much exploring the different textures and […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes After the pandemic closure, TWH Social Bar & Bistro at the Walper Hotel is open and back at work with […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute This time of the year, I dive into Concord grapes … but wait! There’s a variety called the Coronation grape […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes Sugar Run Rum Bar, while it has night club hours, is more like a relaxed lounge, according to co-owner Kypp […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Dating from a week or so ago, from Rosel’s Facebook page … “WE ARE BACK!! We are so excited and […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Slices Restaurant is open for business, pretty much as per usual. At the corner of King and Water, the diner-style, […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ken Sushi HouseBlair House256 Phillip StreetWaterloo, ON N2L 6B6(519) 883-7272kensushihouse.ca My first visit to Ken Sushi House, ensconced in “Blair […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Tempeh [TEHM-pay]As interest in vegetarian and vegan diets has grown significantly over the past decade or so, it’s interesting to […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Located in the heart of Stratford, Stratford Chefs School has just announced a new scholarship it will be offering. The […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Juniper Dining Co. 3 Elm Street   Paris, ON   N3L 2L6  (519) 302-2200  juniperdiningco.ca   Self-described as a bouchon, a Lyonnaise-style bistro, Juniper […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Grand Trunk Saloon30 Ontario Street SouthKitchener, ON N2G 1X2519-578-8282info@grandtrunksaloon.com I’m sure it has been a very long time – if […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Walper Hotel closed during the pandemic, but it recently announced that it has a target of August 14 as […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Pho Vietnam K & W in downtown Kitchener has recently re-opened. That’s good to see, given our current circumstances. The […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes The plums we get in Ontario are, for the most part, either European or Japanese types, the latter actually Chinese […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Poke is a delicious treat to eat — and it can be a cool one too, in this hot weather. […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute A less familiar Mediterranean fruit — and one that has had a certain historical prominence as an export in Sicily […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes On a Tuesday afternoon at two o’clock, the dining room at Kitchener’s Lancaster Smokehouse is oddly quiet. Usually, the place […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes We should be seeing some nice plump Ontario raspberries soon. More than even fresh local strawberies, I favour raspberries. The […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chopan Kabob has been in business for five or six years or so. It’s solidly a family-run operation that has […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you didn’t know, this is “Plastic Free July.” But no matter the date, it’s important to eliminate needless single-use […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Gol’s Lanzhou Noodle is celebrating two years at their Waterloo location — and what a difficult time it is to […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes I wrote about Nuestro 88, located in Deer Ridge Centre along the furthest reaches of King Street East near Sportsworld […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Given the fact that restaurants have started to re-open — at least their patios — I thought I would revisit […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute An update to something I’ve written about previously — the iconic (and delicious) Jamaican patty. Kevin Thomas of Big Jerk […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Kypp Saunders’ name is a familiar one to those in the food and beverage industry in Waterloo Region. A few […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes The store has been around since 1981, in different locations and with other owners, but Sam Nabi and Julia Gogoleva […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Do you hear it? May 20 is “World Bee Day” and Friends of the Earth wants us to create a […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Carly Blasutti and Ryan Murphy operated Mama and Papa Catering for a few years before opening the charming and delicious […]

Reading Time: 1 minute Arrabbiata [ah-rah-bee-AH-tah]The multi-syllabic word has to do with “anger” or “angry” in Italian, but it also makes for one of […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Local food businesses and chefs are finding that online demonstrations and virtual classes — usually via Zoom — are a […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes A nip or two of cheese and a crisp, cold glass of wine go well together despite wine connoisseurs who […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes The restaurant and food and beverage industry is slowly being dismantled. Moving forward, we have no idea what’s in store […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute I’ve never had this cheese before, which is a really stupid comment: there are hundreds and hundreds of cheeses. And […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes [Published previously, this story describes Eggs Benedict and Hollandaise, as made by Chef Darryl Howie. Darlise Café will re-open for […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Sign the petition! #SaveYourLocal … If you are an employee impacted by layoffs or someone who values local restaurants and […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes Like you, I’m weary of what I call the “Covid Enclosure Movement.” I’ve anointed it with an historical name in […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Operating since February, 2016, Together We’re Bitter Co-operative Brewing (TWB) calls itself a “multi-stakeholder cooperative” in which workers and community […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Located on Erb Street East near Peppler Street in Waterloo, in what is known as the “Spur Line Crossing Centre,” […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes The popular Crazy Canuck Restaurant’eh has two locations — one in downtown Kitchener, tucked inside the Corporation Square building at […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I feel awful. And I know a lot of people feel that way. I’m watching — from a distance — […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Having home-made crème fraîche available in your larder need not be for gourmets only. In fact, even with the intervention […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Masala [mah-SAH-lah]Masala is a tricky character to get to know. Not a specific spice like, say, cinnamon, masala is hard […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Welcome to The Wednesday Word! Most Wednesdays, we’ll post a culinary word or phrase along with its meaning. It’s just […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes University Club 20908 Road Ring University of Waterloo Waterloo, ON   N2L 3G1 (519) 888-4567, ext. 33801  https://uwaterloo.ca/university-club/   Two local chefs with connections to […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Chef’s Table in The Kitchen at LOT42 on Ardelt Avenue, Kitchener, is having a dinner event on February 15. […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes You can tell while observing him during class that instructor Tim Simpson loves sharing his knowledge of the fundamentals of […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes A bit of time behind a desk at a computer was enough for Reeghan Peister to make a change. The […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes The ubiquitous chicken wing is ready for kick off and will most certainly win game MVP – Most Valuable Poultry […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Pupuseria Latinos Restaurant  25 Eby Street South  Kitchener, ON   N2G 3K6 (519) 743-7985 facebook.com/pupuserialatinos/ Call it “My Breakfast with Andres.” I joined […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute This Saturday is both Chinese New Year and Robbie Burns Day — but it’s also the Uptown Waterloo BIA’s inaugural […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Nothing against parsley, sage and thyme. But I love rosemary. The woody, shrubby herb that has a crisp, slightly astringent […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes B at The MUSEUM 10 King Street West Kitchener, ON   N2H 2G8 http://bhere.ca/themuseum/ I love sandwiches. The balance of carb […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Izna Japanese Donburi House 137 King Street East Kitchener, ON (519) 570-1304 www.iznadonburi.com Imagine you’re outdoors: a busy street corner […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s sad to learn today that a long-time mainstay in the food scene in Waterloo Region is closing its doors […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I’ve become interested in Indian cuisine, including cooking some dishes at home. It’s a way to try some different techniques […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Mashawi Charcoal Grill and Shawarma572 King Street NorthWaterloo, ON N2L 6L3(519) 880-8008www.mashawi.ca [Originally published in The Kitchener Post] The menus […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes [Previously published in The Kitchener Post.] Chicken, generally, can be a humdrum affair, especially the white meat—and even if it’s […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes There are times when simplicity dictates. When all you want is a quick, wholesome bite that isn’t fussy and complicated […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes This Friday is the Local Community Food Centre (LCFC), foragers’ and Hunters’ Banquet: it’s an annual fall event that supports […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Both in the culinary world and here in Waterloo Region, Detroit-style pizza is relatively little known. But, holy smokes, is […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chef Dan McCowan of Red House in Uptown Waterloo is the featured chef at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery’s (KWAG) Feast […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Fans of Jamaican cooking know very well Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine in downtown Kitchener, the popular restaurant the late Jim Nicholas […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I ate at Restaurant L’Express on Rue Saint-Denis in the Plateau area of Montreal a few years ago: if I […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes The popular breakfast Eggs Benedict is a unique, sort of self-reflexive dish: it’s essentially eggs with an egg sauce. And […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes A culinary institution since 1930, Harmony Lunch  in Uptown Waterloo has seen a rejuvenation and refurbishment since Fat Sparrow Group […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute I always snicker slightly (but silently) when ordering fettuccine or spaghetti “alla puttanesca” at a restaurant: it translates as “prostitute’s […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes I once received a phone call from a reader in Gadshill, just north of Stratford, who was curious about a […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes At one time, the website of Kitchener’s Downtown Business Improvement Area listed 20 coffee outlets in the city’s central business […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s a suitably porky time of the year while we are in the full throes of Oktoberfest, so here’s a […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Hey! Ya gotta book today! Me, Relish Cooking Studio and MP Tours are headin’ out into the wilds of Oxford […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Thanks to local baker and food entrepreneur, Aura Hertzog, I discovered the kouign-amann a few years ago. It’s simply a […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes There is little else better than slathering good, fresh butter on good, fresh bread. It is its essentiality, its long, […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes The cool month of October, and K-W Oktoberfest, bring the annual feting of our German heritage in Waterloo Region, but […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes There are a couple of good bakers – and locally based businesses – making a decent bagel in Waterloo Region. […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Guadalupe Sanchez Diaz beams when she talks about the dishes and cooking at her restaurant, Latinoamerica Unida, in Cambridge. That […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Downtown Kitchener’s west end “Innovation District” just got a lot more delicious. A popular Guelph noodle house — Crafty Ramen […]

Reading Time: 7 minutes [Previously posted] Inside, it looks a bit like something you might see on a Bourdain episode as the cook-turned-culinary-celebrity traipses […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Because it doesn’t use a bacterial culture or rennet (an enzyme), ricotta cheese is technically a “dairy product,” but it’s […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I just wanted to give a quick shout-out and thank you to the downtown Kitchener restaurants and food stores participating […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Zane Caplansky, a Toronto-based chef and celebrity cook you may have seen on various Food Network cooking shows, including alongside […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Apostrophes: I’ve been collecting them from local markets and produce sections. Of course, I kid. A versatile and popular piece […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes I’ve eaten at Bloom Restaurant at Conestoga College at its various locations over the years, from its early home on […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Because it’s apple season, it’s also cider season. As the apple harvest rolls in, the ciders get made. They are […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes In September of 1899, the Carnation company launched “Carnation Sterlized Cream.” The company eventually changed the name to “Carnation Evaporated […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes Executive chef Scott Hergott attended Waterloo Collegiate and Conestoga College for food and beverage management — elevation about 390 metres […]

Reading Time: 6 minutes Restaurants are first among equals when it comes to building a neighbourhood: if you want to re-vitalize a city block, […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Saturday, September 28, is the 2019 Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival, an annual event that started in 1976, which […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Pasta comes umpteen ways to your table: alfredo, arrabbiatta, con vongole and more. But a favourite of mine is carbonara. […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Naranj Blossom Mediterranean Restaurant Upper level, Kitchener Market 300 King Street East  Kitchener, ON   N2G 2L3  (519) 573-1353 https://www.kitchenermarket.ca Family […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I want to explore new worlds! During the last 15 years, I’ve been very happy to support, promote and advocate […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes With all due respect to New York, I prefer Montreal bagels. I like their slightly sweet, less fluffy and more […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Laminated doughs, viennoserie and artisan sugar confectionery: theory meets practice — with an eye to raising the standards of the […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes MiMO Thai Kitchen104-318 Spruce StreetWaterloo, ON  N2L 3M7(226) 647-8866Cost for two: $30-$40Open daily Thai food at Thai restaurants — and […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Taste of Seoul154 Victoria Street SouthKitchener, ON  N2G 2B5(226) 929-6507www.tasteofseoul.caOpen Monday to Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Located in what might […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes As a region grows in population, it can also potentially grow in what I call culinary “sophistication.” I don’t mean […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Stroll the streets and discover the rich and varied food scene of downtown Kitchener! Those of you reading and continuing […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s early in the afternoon on a very bright, clear day on Metcalfe Street in the heart of Elora. The […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Of her brief time at Arabella Park Beer Bar in Kitchener’s busy neighbourhood enclave, Belmont Village, Emily Schlieper says loves […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes You see them everywhere as you drive through Waterloo Region’s countryside – road side stands known as Farm Gates offering […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes I hear periodically that we should “cook our own food from scratch.” That’s true, but it’s not that simple. I […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes [This article appeared previously in The Kitchener Post] There are two types of people in the world: those who like […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Pho Tran Viet-Thai Restaurant 809 Victoria Street North Kitchener, ON  N2B 3C3 (519) 744-6066 www.photran.ca Open daily [This article appeared […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Please check in here for news and information about walking tours in Waterloo Region and Perth County. A downtown Kitchener […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute Join me at the Stratford Writers’ Festival and “Appetite For Words” on October 26.

Reading Time: < 1 minute I will be at the authors’ table at Taste Real Wellington County on Sunday, June 23.

Reading Time: 4 minutes Wuddup Dog is open daily for business. If the pandemic wasn’t bad enough, the hot dog joint with a huge […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Open regular hours; dine-in available ***** Royal Paan#7-509 Wilson Avenue,Kitchener, ON N2C 2M4(519) 893-7226 [Previously published] I’m not a vegetarian, […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Here’s a little shout-out to National Organic Week in Canada, September 7-13. It’s the “largest annual celebration of organic food, […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Red Eye Cafe and Donuts has new hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 […]