Readers may notice that some places they expected to see listed are not. There are two reasons for this. One is, I cannot possibly visit every small bakery to find out how good it is. Secondly, I have high standards when it comes to this kind of thing, and there are some places that even though are popular, just don't leave me with that "wow, that was great" type of impression. The list follows for your enjoyment.
Ontario
Brockville and Kingston
Tait’s Bakery
Original Brockville location; 31 King Street West (downtown)
Uptown Brockville; 2123 Parkedale Ave. (north of Hwy. 401)
Kingston; 101 Dalton Ave.
This is a Brockville institution and three families have
owned and operated it since 1908, the first being the Tait family. I remember my Mom taking my sister and I to
the downtown location for a treat when I was five years old when my Dad was at
a work-related meeting nearby. I have
not been to the Uptown or Kingston locations, but the downtown shop is
excellent. Good breads, pastries,
cookies, and cakes. The doughnuts are
very good, especially the cinnamon sugar or apple cider fry cakes—as deep-fried
doughnuts are called in Eastern Ontario.
The sandwiches are very good and affordably priced for lunch. The downtown location is near Brockville’s
scenic St. Lawrence River waterfront, Canada’s first railway tunnel, and the
impressive square in front of the courthouse.
Campbellford
Dooher’s Bakery
61 Bridge Street
Nothing bad comes from this bakery. Amazing donuts, butter tarts, and cookies are
the most popular items, but they make and sell a complete range of goods. Everything is homemade and completely tastes
like it too. Dooher’s to me is the most
complementary counterpart that Central and Eastern Ontario have to Culbert’s
Bakery in Goderich in the southwestern part of the province. This is another place where a customer has to
show up early in order to be sure of getting something. There are always lineups, especially on
Saturdays in the summer. Campbellford is
a popular stopping point for recreational boaters on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Ferris Provincial Park is also located on the
southern edge of town with camping, trails, and the really amazing suspension
bridge over the Trent River below Ranney Falls.
Also nearby is the Empire Cheese Factory, one of the best independent
cheese factories still operating in Ontario.
Cornwall
Riley’s Bakery
248 Pitt Street
(613)932-6810
The cookies, tarts, and pastries are great, and the bread is
excellent. The shop offers very good
sandwiches and salads for take-out at lunch.
This is very popular with downtown businesspeople and there is always a
lineup at that time. It is worth taking
the short detour into the downtown area on Pitt Street instead of going to the
usual fast-food chains on Brookdale Avenue (Highway 138) or Vincent Massey
Boulevard (Highway 2).
Goderich
Culbert’s Bakery, 49 West Street (just off of The Square
toward the beach)
(519)524-7941
“The home of tasty pastry.”
This family business has been open since 1877. Everything is homemade. The jelly-filled and cream-filled doughnuts
are the most popular items. Call ahead
to order or show up at 8:00am when the shop opens. They run out quickly and there is always a
lineup on the sidewalk and people sit in their cars and wait. The shop was damaged during the devastating
tornado that struck Goderich in 2011 but later re-opened once repairs were
complete. It still looks like the 1950’s
inside. There’s even a sign behind the
counter with the slogan; “If you want to prosper and keep alive, eat Culbert’s
pastry, phone four-six-five,” which was their original telephone number. During World War II, Culbert’s delivered
their famous doughnuts to the Royal Air Force training base that was north of
the town at Port Albert. My late friend
Frank Wilcox was training there and recalled eating them. The airmen did not have much money so they
would often split a single doughnut between two or three of them. Culbert’s Bakery has become a highlight of
many family visits to Goderich’s beautiful beaches or camping at nearby Point
Farms Provincial Park.
Grand Bend
Grandpa Jimmy’s Scottish Bakery
36 Ontario Street N. (Highway 21)
Everything in this shop is homemade and it shows. The cakes, cookies, and tarts are
excellent. As the name suggests, there
is an emphasis on treats from Scotland, Britain, and Ireland. The fern tarts and Empire cookies are my
favourites. They also have a great
selection of quality tea and coffee with tables and chairs. Grandpa Jimmy’s has become part of camping
trips and day visits to the nearby Pinery Provincial Park. Go to Grandpa Jimmy’s and not to the Tim
Horton’s across the street!
Mildmay (honourable mention)
87 Elora Street (Highway 9)
Butter tarts from Harley’s Pub/The Coffee Perk. This is not a bakery, but a coffee shop
attached to a pub. They are undeniably
the best butter tarts I have ever tasted that did not come from my
grandmother’s kitchen. I worked as a
radio news reporter in the area of Mildmay for a couple of years and Harley’s
sometimes supplied butter tarts for press events. Reporters were often almost fighting for the
last one. I introduced the tarts to my
family and friends and they became known as “beer tarts” because they’re made
in a pub. Each Thanksgiving when we all
meet for the last camping of the season at Inverhuron Park near Kincardine, I
always pick up a few to take for everyone to enjoy. Make sure you phone ahead though and place an
order, they run out fast.
Pembroke
Klasis’ European Bakery and Café Ltd.
361 Isabella St.
Excellent European-style pastries. Excellent sandwiches too. Worth the extra time taken by driving into
town from the Trans-Canada Highway (17).
Westport
Westport Bakery, 33 Main Street
(613) 273-7245
This is the most recent discovery I made and was quite
impressed. It’s a small shop owned by a
Swiss couple, so some of the products are European, including Berliner
doughnuts. The cookies and butter tarts
are very good. The sausage rolls are
very good and make a fast item to heat up in a toaster oven for a light lunch
or dinner. Several pies were also on
display. Westport is a very scenic
village in the Rideau Lakes area. The
drive from Kingston on the Perth Road (County Road 10) or from the north on
County Road 36 are among the nicest in Eastern Ontario. Foley Mountain Conservation Area is located
just north of the village off of County Road 10. The view is excellent.
Québec
Gatineau
Fidélice
625 boul. de
la Gappe (vieux Gatineau)
262 boul. St-Joseph (Hull)
425 chemin Vanier (Aylmer)
The very best in fine cakes and pastries. If you are in Ottawa, it’s worth the drive to
Gatineau. Excellent for special
occasions. They also make their own chocolate
at Easter.
La Balade
des Douceurs
166 rue
Montcalm (Hull)
(819)205-7088
Very good artisan breads.
White and olive are the most popular.
St-André-Avellin
Boulangerie
artisinale Grains de Vie Inc.
3, rue
St-Julie est
(819)983-1884
This is a
great small shop. The bread is the main
attraction. I highly recommend olive
with herbs or the strong cheddar. They
sell the best chocolatines I’ve ever had too.
The shop sells other merchandise from the surrounding area, including
chocolates, meats, and cheese from the very good Fromagerie des Folies Bergères, located nearby in
Saint-Sixte.
Val-des-bois
East side of Route 309 near south end of the village.
« Boulangerie » is the only word appearing on the sign outside. No telephone number or website is
available. This is a family-owned
business in a small village surrounded by lakes and forests. Hours are sometimes unpredictable, but if you
happen to be passing through on Route 309, it’s worth checking to see if the shop
is open. The raisin buns and chocolate
chip biscuits are really good. There is
a complete offering of all breads, cakes, and pastries. Nothing from here is a disappointment.
Wakefield (La Pêche)
Boulangerie Wakefield Bakery
813 chemin
Riverside
(819)459-1528
Very good
pastries, pies, and doughnuts. Their
Nanaimo bars are the second-best I’ve ever had.
The first best were made by my late childhood neighbour Mrs. Fraser. It’s a great place to grab a snack before
going for a hike in Gatineau Park or a walk along the Gatineau River in this
attractive little village. Parking is
often the only challenge. Wakefield is a
20 minute drive north of Gatineau and Ottawa and is a popular destination on
weekends. There’s always a farmer’s
market nearby on the field by the Alpengruss Café every Saturday with a really
good selection of local produce, meat, and cheese.
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