North Bay Eats (Well)

What's the best meal you’ve ever had on vacation? Have you ever travelled to have a food experience? According to the American Culinary Travel Report, around half of you just said yes!

People travel for food – that's the fact; one that’s becoming clearer in Northeastern Ontario. "Food tourism" is when travellers pursue "unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences," and it’s becoming one of the primary drivers of travel, according to the Culinary Tourism Alliance.

Without a doubt, I am one of those travellers, having built entire trips around a dinner reservation, a particularly noteworthy street food stand, a craft brewery, or a fresh market. As a food tourist, I want to know where food tourists are headed throughout Northeastern Ontario! 

Welcome to North Bay

In case you’re not familiar with North Bay, it’s a scenic, medium-sized city of 52,000. Nestled along the shores of the gorgeous Lake Nipissing, it enjoys a great reputation due to its fine sport fishing and recreational opportunities. Rich in history, the area is also beginning to develop a culinary identity of its own.

Each of these dining establishments has something different and unique to offer their customers, tourists and locals alike.

Cecil’s Brewhouse & Kitchen

Highlights: Great, juicy burgers (think fried cheese!) and the crisply refreshing Temagami Amber Ale.

Located in downtown North Bay, Cecil’s Brewhouse & Kitchen is a great meeting place, hangout spot, and overall location to grab a bite and an onsite brewed beer.

Serving bar, grill and pub food, Cecil’s take on unique dining experiences shines especially through their beer. Their onsite-brewed beer uses the Smart Brew system, with beers created especially for the brewhouse. It doesn’t get closer to home than that! Cecil’s brand beer is fresh, cold, and available on tap. You’ll know your beers are coming from close to home with names such as Nipissing Lager and the Algonquin White Cap Wheat Beer. Up for a nice, frosty pint anyone?

In order to try as many offerings as possible, try ordering one of the beer flights, which will allow you to sample up to five varieties at once. From the light and refreshing Wyld Blueberry Wheat Ale to the darker and smoother Continental Winter Ale, beer lovers are sure to find something to delight the palate. Don’t worry – if someone in your company is more comfortable with the "old favourites," those are available, too!

The Opera Bakery Café

Highlights: Soup & salad combo with homemade bread, gluten-free sweets, and mouthwatering specialty cakes.

Also located in downtown North Bay, the Opera Bakery Café is a great spot to grab a coffee and a quick bite for lunch while sightseeing and shopping.

Located inside a former watchmaker’s shop, the establishment itself is visually unique – the perfect complement to Baker Kiera Hardie’s unique, seasonal and homemade offerings. Another Canadore College Culinary Management graduate, Kiera has even worked for celebrity Chef Susur Lee as a Pastry Chef!  

While the bakery café places an emphasis on light lunches and specialty coffees, patrons can also plan ahead and order specialty birthday cakes, custom wedding cakes and other sweet treats for special occasions – like the 6” Triple Chocolate Cake pictured above (drool).

------------------------------

While these establishments are by no means the only ones pushing the culinary envelope in North Bay and Area, they stand out in our books. Do you have a favourite North Bay eatery? Let us know – Facebook, Twitter, or via email!

Showing 'Edited Body' is no longer supported.