Photos by Nataschia Wielink

Stoked for Sandwiches
The old-school deli sandwich gets a deliciously modern face-lift at this playful, women-owned spot in Fonthill. It all starts with the bread: doughy focaccia, made fresh every morning by the Stoke Deli team, serves as the base for each sandwich. Hot out of the oven, the slices are finished with a brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of chili, fennel and sea salt, before getting topped with a pile of delightful condiments.

“In the summer, there are so many fun things coming into season, which we preserve into condiments for our guests to top their sandwiches with,” says Cait Bermuhler, who owns and operates the deli with her wife, Jess Marshall.

“Soon we’ll start processing a whole whack of chili peppers from our friends at Chez Nous Farm for all of our hot sauces. Some of our favourites are their Habanadas and Serannos, which we pickle and then incorporate into our Hot Sauce for Beauties, along with wild blueberries and quince from just down the road.”

Then, there’s the filling. The options range from traditional — a mortadella sandwich with stratciatella, artichoke caponata and crispy greens, for example — to funky, like Stoke’s chicken shawarma sandwich, a deli twist on the classic wrap.

Another favourite on the menu is the Brunch Bowl. Built on a base of halloumi, maple chili butter, RPM Bakehouse sourdough croutons and a perfectly fried egg, the bowl is crowned with whatever’s just been harvested. In spring, it might be tender asparagus from Thwaites Farms; by midsummer, roasted fennel and broccolini from Grumpy’s Greens take over. Come late July, Chez Nous Farms’ heirloom tomatoes steal the show. Even the condiments are deeply seasonal — like the Pickle Plate’s white strawberries from Tigchelaar, pickled with anise seeds.

“We draw inspiration from our travels around the world,” says Bermuhler, “as well as the incredible produce grown here in Niagara.”

Stoke Deli Bar
1501 Pelham Street, Fonthill
stokedelibar.ca | 905.324.7357 | @stokedelibar

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Life’s a Beechwood Doughnut
Birthday cake, turtles cheesecake, apple fritter and classic cinnamon sugar: these are just a handful of the decadent — and vegan — flavours on the menu at Beechwood Doughnuts.  Located  in  the  heart  of  downtown St. Catharines, the bakery is known for their wide selection, which is inspired by customers and rotates weekly.

“We often ask our community what they’d like to see on the menu and try our best to make their dreams come true,” says Tayler Book, founder of Beechwood Doughnuts. “We like to get creative.”

From the whip-stuffed coconut cream doughnut to Niagara inspired peach fritters, peaches ‘n’ cream cronuts and peach cobbler doughnut, every bite at Beechwood is plant-based and planet friendly. Guests who visit with a reusable container to take home their doughnuts get a discount, too.

Beechwood Doughnuts
165 St Paul St., St. Catharines
beechwooddoughnuts.com | 905.682.6887 | @beechwooddoughnuts

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A Niagara Twist on Italian
Italian dishes are made with a Niagara-On-The-Lake twist at Kitchen 76, the onsite restaurant of Two Sisters Winery. Thanks to its proximity to the vineyard, the menu here is deeply wine-inspired, and every dish comes with a recommended pairing. The roasted chicken, for example — which is sourced from an organic farm in Quebec and is served with Italian sausage, farro, tomatoes and lemony rapini — is best enjoyed with a glass of Two Sisters barrel fermented chardonnay. Try the ravioli, one of many homemade pastas on the menu, and wash it down with a sweet sip of riesling

“Being in Niagara, menu inspiration comes naturally,” says Kitchen 76’s chef Lanny MacLeod. “With such incredible local produce and dedicated artisan food makers all around us, we try to honour what’s in season. Our menus are a marriage of Niagara’s finest, Italian imports, and a philosophy rooted in simple, authentic Italian cooking.”

If you’re looking for a place to start, MacLeod suggests the burrata, a menu staple whose summer version features garden peas, savoury pancetta, and a hint of mint. Enjoy it with Two Sisters award-winning sauvignon blanc, the chef says, for the perfect bite.

Kitchen 76 at Two Sisters Winery
240 John St., E., Niagara-On-The-Lake
twosistersvineyards.com/kitchen-76 | 905.468.0592 | @twosisters_vineyards

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Where Food, Wine and Art Meet
Something magical happens when food, wine and art meet. In the Niagara Benchlands, that magical something is 13th Street Winery. Established nearly 30 years ago, the winery features a tastefully curated art and sculpture gallery, which guests can enjoy while sampling some of 13th Street’s exceptional VQA wines.

For hungry visitors, there’s the Vineyard Kitchen Bistro, with its seasonal menu offerings — butter-poached lobster arancini and roasted chicken tacos, to name a few — as well as weekly live music.

“Our tagline is ‘food, wine, art,’” says Ruth Peters, 13th Street’s marketing director. “Our vision is to create a destination where these elements intersect and provide an oasis for our guests to explore, escape and experience Niagara wine country.”

Try everything on the menu, but save room for dessert: from butter tarts to peach pie, the winery’s bakery items will have you under their spell.

13th Street Winery
1776 Fourth Ave., St. Catharines
13thstreetwinery.com | 905.984.8463 | @thirteenthstreetwinery

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Every Day is a Pique-Nique
What if every day was as peaceful and laid-back as a picnic in the park? That’s the idea behind Pique-Nique Café and Wine Bar, a charming St. Catharines wine bar with upscale dining, specialty coffee and a mouthwatering selection of baked goods.

Behind a glass counter, you’ll find fresh baguettes and brioche loaves, as well as a rotating selection of handmade croissants. We recommend the spanakopita version: a spiral croissant loaded with spinach, feta, garlic and herbs, topped with locally sourced honey from Longfellow Garden Farm.

“We make everything from scratch and are inspired by tradition in the way that handmade products are made,” says Katy Hodgson, the restaurant’s owner. “We grow as much of our own produce as possible on our family farm. When we don’t have something, we are so lucky in this agricultural commu- nity because we can just call upon our neighbours.”

Pique-Nique’s breakfast and lunch menu is bread-forward, featuring sourdough tartines, a jambon beurre baguette sandwich and a warm brie toastie. Once you’ve eaten, fill up your picnic basket with items from the café’s retail shop — a bottle of specialty wine or artisanal jam, perhaps?

Pique-Nique Café and Wine Bar
166 Russell Ave., St. Catharines
piqueniquecafe.ca | 289.362.6132 | @cafepiquenique