Culinary Road Trip: Stratford, Ontario

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The Red Rabbit has progressed since this photo was taken, but we think it's a great photo of Jesse Larsen.

Stratford, Ontario, is not only a cultural haven for world-class theatre, but also for a world-class creative community which includes actors, artists, playwrights, writers, musicians, and many uniquely talented professionals, all of whom contribute to the vitality of the city. Stratford has a deserved reputation for being a hotbed of culinary talent, including farmers, growers, bakers, chefs, culinary instructors and restaurateurs.

Stratford is known internationally for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival which runs from April to October. The Festival’s primary mandate is to present repertory productions of William Shakespeare’s plays, but it also produces a diverse variety of theatre, from classic Greek tragedies to more contemporary works. The Festival and the renowned Stratford Chef School have contributed to the formation of a distinctively vibrant dining culture and restaurant community.

One of the standout features of Stratford's successful gastro scene is its relaxed but more intellectually driven, approach to food. Gastronomes, foodies and restaurant enthusiasts have long disputed whether The Prune, Rundles and more recently The Bruce, is the premier fine dining restaurant in Stratford. The Church (soon to be the Revival House) in its hey-day was also a bench mark for fine dining. There are of course many other notable farm-to-table restaurants which include: Bijou, Mercer Hall, Monforte on Wellington, Wawa Grub, Pazzo Taverna & Pizzera. We are anticipating the re-opening of Down the Street and new contenders: The Red Rabbit and Revival House. Here are a few photos of a recent culinary trip to Stratford.




























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