Niagara has been called the most romantic place to spend a weekend by many, but why do so many choose to call it their forever home? Yes, it is one of the most beautiful places in all of Ontario. Yes, two Niagara-based communities have been placed in the top 100 Best Places to live in Canada, but what really makes people stay? In our opinion, it’s the wine and food.
As of 2014, there were a staggering 88 wineries in the Niagara Region and hundreds of delicious restaurants (that normally serve local, delicious wines that pair nicely with their menu). Whether you’re hosting friends and family or just looking for a weekend escape, wine tastings, wine tours and mouth-watering bistros await your discovery. In this entry, we introduce to you our Top 3 Wineries and Top 3 Restaurants in the Niagara Region that you can both sip and savour at.
Let’s start with our Top 3 Restaurants.
The Yellow Pear Kitchen
Location: St. Catharines
Specialty: Farm-to-Table Brunch
Though it may be small, The Yellow Pear boasts all that Niagara offers. This Brunch restaurant puts the emphasis on family and all that comes together when you connect over food. Tucked away in a strip plaza in St. Catharines (by our new Village on the Twelve community), this 28 seat bistro was honoured by being placed on OpenTable’s Top 100 Best Restaurants in Canada in 2018.
Originally a food truck, finding the kitchen space allowed them to begin growing their presence in the Niagara culinary scene. Each week, The Yellow Pear creates a new menu but always keeps their famous Eggs Benny on tap. If you’re looking to eat at this hidden gem, but sure to book ahead because those 28 seats will fill up before you can even tap on the OpenTable app.
Tide & Vine
Location: Niagara Falls
Specialty: Sea Food
Famously known around the Niagara Region as “The Oyster House”, this contemporary Niagara Falls restaurant has been shucking their way into the hearts of locals and international visitors since 2012. Offering a flexible menu for inspired palettes, Tide & Vine has made it their mission to bring the sea to Niagara while showcasing the bounty of local and seasonal items that surround them.
Another food truck in origin, this local masterpiece has acquired quite the impressive roster of accolades since opening including:
- OpenTable Dinner’s Choice 2018, 2017
- 2016 Small Business of the Year – Niagara Chamber of Commerce
- Recipients of the Niagara Wine Festival & RBC 2016 Niagara Licensee of the Year Award
- Recipients of the 2015 Niagara Falls Tourism & Hospitality Entrepreneur Award
- TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence – 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
- Home of the 2013 Canadian Oyster Shucking Champion
Whether you’re in the mood for seafood or good company, Tide & Vine is ready to welcome you with open arms and is located just a short distance away from Legends on the Green (our premier Golf Community).
OddBird.
Location: St. Catharines
Specialty: Chalk Board Menu
There’s a charm to the oddness OddBird serves. Their chalkboard menu is constantly full of tantalizing food and drink options that entice every taste bud in your mouth. As noted by a patron on Trip Advisor, “The menu is like a greatest hits album,” and we could not agree more. Located a short drive away from Village on the Twelve, Oddbird is located in the heart of Downtown St. Catharines and is always full of excited patrons ready to try a cocktail made from the oddest of ingredients or a plate of their famous fried chicken.
If you’re in the mood for a funky atmosphere, great chefs, amazing drinks and outrageously good food, do not pass on this restaurant.
A glance towards Niagara reveals expansive valleys and hills of Ontario’s best wine country. Resting throughout the region are hundreds of sommeliers, winemakers and farmers that are working tirelessly to create the perfect tasting wine. Here are our Top 3 Must-Visit Wineries when moving to Niagara.
The Hare Wine Co.
Location: Niagara-on-the-Lake
Voted the #1 on Trip Advisor’s “Things to do in Niagara-on-the-Lake”, The Hare Wine Co. is stemming from the ground with force as one of Niagara’s newest wineries. When you step into The Hare Wine Co., you will sense a shift in time to the founding days of this vibrant and abundant agricultural area. Featuring premium varietals and icewines, The Hare Wine Co. also houses some of the best gourmet pizza in the Niagara Region.
Located between Legends on the Green and Village on the Twelve, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, look out for the big brick building with a copper Hare out front. Inside, you’ll find congenial staff that are ready to transport your palette to paradise with a delectable wine tasting menu.
13th Street Winery
Location: St. Catharines
Wine. Food. Art. 13th Street Winery has captured all of the necessary ingredients to create the perfect relaxing escape. 3 generations of agricultural expertise have culminated to offer visitors an experience like no other. Wander through their enormous property to discover unique sculptures, the perfect Instagram backdrops and (most importantly) bodacious wines.
Just a short drive away from Village on the Twelve, this winery is on the outskirts of St. Catharines but should not be passed up. From peppy sparkling wines to their award-winning Gamay Noir, 13th Street Winery’s unique terroir cultivates the perfect wine to toast all of life’s special moments.
Wayne Gretzky Estates
Location: Niagara-on-the-Lake
Something extraordinary happened when The Great One turned his attention away from the hockey rink. Nestled on the outskirts of Virgil, a small village within Niagara-on-the-Lake, Gretzky Estates Winery curates delicious and approachable wines from the best grapes in Niagara AND the Okanogan. However, what sets them apart from all other local wineries is their on-site distillery that creates a bold Sherry Cask Whisky.
Priding themselves on the same commitment Wayne made on the ice, Gretzky Estates believes it takes a team of truly passionate people to create world-class results, and we can vouch. With a breath-taking patio that turns into an ice rink in the winter, an appetizing menu and a wide selection of whiskies, beers and wines, Gretzky Estates is a must-visit when doing the wine route in Niagara.
Doesn’t that sound like paradise? When you discover the lifestyle of Silvergate Homes, all of this becomes a reality! Wineries around every corner and mouth-watering culinary experiences are waiting to be enjoyed.
Interested in learning more about our homes for sale and our communities? Contact us today or come and visit one of our model homes located in Niagara! We look forward to welcoming you and yours to the Silvergate Homes Family.