How To Plan Your Perfect Day at Niagara Falls. The Non-Traditional Way at Wayne Gretzky Estates & Trius Winery

If you're trying to find ideas and inspiration for a quick getaway to escape the city life just for a little bit at least, this is one article you are going to want to read! Now bare with me here as you are all probably rolling your eyes at the title of Niagara Falls, because quite frankly even I can admit that Niagara Falls as a getaway destination can feel unoriginal and overused. Everyone and their mother has probably gone to Niagara Falls at least once in the past few years, and when you have a distant friend or relative visiting the city the first place you think of taking them is to visit the Falls. Don't get me wrong, if you have never been to Niagara Falls going here is a must as it is most definitely one of Canada's biggest tourist destinations. However if you want to experience Niagara Falls in a non-traditional way for those of you who have been here many times already, this is one travel itinerary that is going to be perfect especially if you appreciate good food and wine.

Accommodations at White Oaks Resort & Spa

Now where to stay? Researching hotels, motels, AirBnBs, hostels can be a time-consuming and stressful experience in finding your nightly accommodations. I'm going to keep it simple for you here and just tell you straight up to stay at the White Oaks Resort & Spa. Nestled on 13 acres in the heart of Niagara area attractions, this modern and stylish facility delivers luxury hotel services and offers a host of outstanding amenities. This Four Diamond accommodation has award winning dining options, amazing fitness facilities, and is literally just a few minutes walking distance from the Niagara Outlet Mall. Yes, walking distance. It's literally across the street! The hotel is sitting in prime real estate close to all the Niagara attractions.

Breakfast at LIV Restaurant

So how does one experience the award winning dining options here? You most definitely need to check out LIV Restaurant inside, and personally having a good breakfast to start the day is a must! My recommendation on what to get here are their Avocado Eggs Benedict and the Maple Walnut Cappuccino Pancakes. They were both phenomenal and easily one of the best breakfasts I've had all year. The Avocado Eggs Benedict comes with two poached eggs, smoked virginia ham with hollandaise sauce, on a toasted english muffin with a breakfast potato. Probably my favourite of the two though was the Maple Walnut Cappuccino Pancakes swirled with espresso, maple, and crushed candied walnuts. The ambiance is also incredible surrounded by big windows that lets in tons of natural light, clean white linen table cloths, comfy chairs, and real flowers at every table to brigten your mood.

The Great Winery Tour at Wayne Gretzky Estates 

After a delicious breakfast to start the day, drive ten minutes away to the newly opened Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery. It is indeed THE Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time and what many may not know is his grandfather used to run a wine-making operation when he was a child. Now open in Niagara On The Lake, explore the estate by booking The Great Canadian Winery Tour which is a 45 minute guided tour of wine Wayne's way! Learn how Wayne Gretzky's dream of opening a world-class winery was realized and discover the process behind crafting his favourite wines. You will visit the vineyard and barrel cellar while of course enjoying his many wines throughout the tour. The tour is offered daily starting at 11AM for $25 per person.

Whisky Bartender Experience at Wayne Gretzky Estates

Once you have your fill of wine (for the time-being), register for their Whisky Bartender Experience with a 45-minute interactive cocktail lesson hosted by their best bartenders. You'll get insider tips on how to create the ultimate whisky cocktail, while sharpening your own bartender skills when learning the basics of preparing garnishes, simple syrups, shaking, and muddling. Best of all? You get to drink your very own Whisky cocktail creations right after! This work shop is offered daily at 1PM and 3PM for $35 per person. They are also known here for their Whisky Cream and I ended up buying a bottle to bring back home after tasting it during this experience. It's life changing and will spike your coffees and teas to new heights. A must buy in the gift shop after for a nice souvenir to bring home!

Lunch at Whisky Patio Bar

It's midday by now after an afternoon filled with food, wine, and cocktails, so I think it's time for... you guessed it, more food! While you are still at the Wayne Gretzky Estates, hop on over to their outdoor Whisky Patio Bar to enjoy some of their signature pub style dishes and drinks for lunch. As their menu for food is relatively small you easily can order everything off of it which includes the "Gretzky Beef Ribeye Burger," "White Bean, Smoked Bacon, Root Vegetable Cassoulet," "Butternut Squash Soup," and for dessert the "Gretzky Beaver Tail." One massive recommendation from me here is to order their "Farmer's Tea." The flavours may change depending on the season but ask them here to infuse the tea with their signature Cream Liqueur (the bottle where I mentioned earlier to buy for yourself at the gift shop). The fruity flavours of the tea, mixed in with the cream liqueur is unlike anything you'll ever have and on a cold Winter's day it warms your body from the inside out. It's perfect. The Whisky Patio Bar is also right beside a private skating rink. When the weather is right you will be able to bring your own skates or rent them to have a fun-filled day skating on the rink!

Tasting Stars - Sparkling Experience at Trius Winery

The great thing about spending the day at Wayne Gretzky Estates is it neighbours another winery right beside it. Literally a few minutes walk away is Trius Winery, a winery that has mingled with the A-list celebrities in 2016 as it was invited to be part of the 2016 Oscar festivities. When you arrive make sure you sign up for their new "Tasting Stars - Sparking Experience." It's an interactive tour where their wine experts will guide you from vine to cellar to explore everything sparkling, which is exactly what Trius Wines are known for. You'll begin the tour at Ontario's 2015 Winery of the Year with a stroll through the vineyard before descending into Canada's largest underground sparkling cellar surrounded by 350,000 bottles! This tour is offered at various times everyday for $25 per person.

Dinner at Trius Winery Restaurant 

You can't end a day of adventure without satisfying your stomach with a good meal. For dinner head on over to the Trius Winery Restaurant where they will provide you with all the luxuries associated with fine dining in an approachable and joyful way. Wine pairings are also a must when dining here and I think the reason why is quite self-explanatory. To really get the full experience of tasting the food here from Chef Frank Dodd who uses local ingredients from neighbouring farmers, growers, and producers, I highly recommend getting the 5 course Trius Tasting Menu for $89. This dining experience will give you a complete picture of the landscape of the Niagara food scene from start to finish which will include an Amuse Bouche, Mushroom Truffle Broth, Duk Egg, Atlantic Scallop, Wine and Fruit Inspired Popsicles, Birch Syrup Basted Beef Cap Steak, Apple Pie and Petit Fours for dessert. 

Hero Certified Burgers - Taste The Hero Difference

If you're anything like me I am always craving for a big, juicy burger to devour. I'm a carnivore through and through. Years ago when I was still working downtown in the Financial District in Toronto I was first introduced to Hero Certified Burgers on my lunch breaks. Being a huge Leafs fan, Hero Certified Burgers ran a campaign where they were selling collective Leaf cups and a special Leafs burger where the Leafs logo was grilled onto the bun itself. I admit, back then I had no idea what Hero Certified Burgers was all about and I just wanted my collectible cups (in fact I still have them on my work desk to this day), but life has a funny way sometimes of bringing things full circle and now as a food blogger I've been able to experience and appreciate Hero Certified Burgers in a whole new way!

Proudly Canadian, Hero Certified Burgers is a restaurant chain franchise that serves real, wholesome food that is sustainably raised. That means that they only ever use all-natural, fully traceable 100% Canadian Angus beef from local farmers raised range-fed without hormones or antibiotics. Not only does this taste better in flavour and texture, but it's better for you - with no added chemicals.

One of my first impressions of Hero Certified Burgers years ago was that I loved how customizable the burgers are. They probably offer the most options for toppings and sauces out of any fast-food chain for your burger so be rest assured you can create your dream burger every time you go. From crispy onions to fire roasted peppers, fried egg, guacamole, mango and cranberry sauce, an array of 30 different topping and sauce choices to choose from will turn your fast-food burger into gourmet!

With such a vast menu I did have to take some time to figure out exactly how I wanted to construct my burger, but here is what I decided to get and let me tell ya... it was glorious! A side of poutine and crispy chicken strips tied the meal perfectly together.

Egg Burger - 4 oz Burger, Fried Egg, Bacon, Tomato with my personalized toppings of guacamole, sauteed onions, and cranberry sauce.

Heavy Hitter - 2x 4oz Burgers, Cheddar, Relish, Tomato, Onion, Hero Sauce with my personalized toppings of fire roasted peppers, guacamole, and mango sauce.

If these pictures are not enticing enough for you yet to visit your local Hero Certified Burgers, I have one more surprise up my sleeve! When you go up to order your next burger here, say the promo code "FRYDAY" to get yourself a FREE order of fries with the purchase of a burger (excluding the Junior burger). So make sure you come taste the Hero Difference where fast food can be high quality and delicious! No matter what you order here, know that it will be REAL GOOD.

FRANK Restaurant at the AGO - Georgia O’Keeffe Prix-Fixe Menu

Creative expression comes out in many forms. Some are expressed through writing, some are shown through music, and others express themselves through art and visual interpretations. As a food blogger over the past three years I've had some really special meals, devoured some amazing dishes, and learned a lot about the culinary culture along the way. I've seen food used as a vessel for creative masterpieces where a chef will pour their heart and soul into creating a dish that truly showcases their own personality and artistic expression using a blank canvas that we all know as "the plate." FRANK Restaurant at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) is a prime example of how food, creative expression, and art can intertwine with one another, because quite literally this restaurant is situated inside one of the most famous art installations in all of Canada. Finding inspiration through art here is in every corner of this building, so it's no surprise it shines through in every dish that comes out of the kitchen at FRANK Restaurant. 

I came to FRANK Restaurant and the AGO last week to try their limited-edition menu inspired by the once-in-a-lifetime Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition that is taking place right now inside the AGO, making its only stop in North America. Georgia O'Keeffe (November 1887 - March 1986) was an American painter and a trailblazing figure in American modernism best known for her iconic paintings that shows her deep connection to landscape, architecture, and nature.

Renee Bellefeuille is the Executive Chef at the Art Gallery of Ontario and her creative expression comes out through cooking. She's created a marvelous three-course lunch/dinner prix-fixe menu that is inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's timeless art pieces, which focuses on local and seasonal bounty with a New Mexico flair, a place that Georgia took a lot of inspiration from in her art work.

With 20 years of culinary experience, Bellefeuille has worked at some of the city's premier dining establishments including the Drake Hotel, the Consulate General of France in Toronto, and even alongside Jamie Kennedy with whom she worked as a Pastry Chef for five years. Now that she has found herself working at the AGO, where food inspires artful conversation, Bellefeuille leads an extraordinary team of chefs that combines global flavours and locally sourced ingredients to produce aesthetically pleasing dishes that satisfy the senses.

Her exquisite culinary ability has brought her the opportunity to create this limited-edition Georgia O'Keeffe inspired prix-fixe menu. The lunch menu is $35 and the dinner menu is $45. There is also a prix-fixe dinner and exhibition combo at $65 that packages the Georgia O'Keeffe art exhibit entrance fee and dinner prix-fixe menu all in one. Both lunch and dinner menus are the same with a difference in their dessert served at night.

Below you will see the Georgia O'Keeffe $45 prix-fixe dinner menu that has three courses: starters, mains, and dessert.

STARTERS

Bean Salad - fava bean, cranberry bean, grilled poblano pepper, dinosaur kale, heirloom tomato, puffed wild rice, roasted tomato vinaigrette

Goat Cheese - mixed seed flatbread, preserved lemon, fennel fronds, nasturtium oil, hisbiscus dust

MAINS

Grilled Trout - charred green onions, white bean, dill pesto, toasted sunflower seeds, artichoke and cultured cream puree

Duck Confit - dandelion greens, whipped ricotta, puffed quinoa, sea buckthorn, elderflower vinaigrette

DESSERT

Chocolate Rhubarb Tart - bourbon white chocolate mousse, sea salt praline nougatine, rhubarb gastrique

Ontario Wild Rye & Sweet Potato Cake - burnt citrus, toasted birch syrup meringue, goat milk caramel, graham cracker dust

Bonus Dessert (Not on the Georgia O'Keeffe prix-fixe menu, but on the regular menu)

The Georgia O'Keeffe Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario is running right now until July 30th, 2017. Make sure you head on down to the AGO to experience creative expression two fold. First on the walls and then on your plate! Let all your senses be awaken. To purchase your tickets to the Georgia O'Keeffe Exhibit please visit here, and to reserve your table at FRANK restaurant please visit here. Enjoy!

Touro Brazilian Steakhouse & Bar

If you're a meat lover like I am, an experience like visiting a Brazilian Steakhouse is like no other. It's table side service of an all-you-can-eat buffet that brings you an endless array of premium cuts of meats at your fingertips. Quite frankly, "bring your appetite" here is an understatement because no one leaves a Brazilian Steakhouse hungry no matter how little you ate beforehand. Trust me, I barely ate lunch prior to coming here for dinner and I only got through a few rounds of meat before my stomach could go no further. You'll soon see why.

If your interest has been piqued, Touro Brazilian Steakhouse & Bar in Richmond Hill is the place to go for an authentic Brazilian steakhouse experience. The servers (or Gauchos who are traditional cowboys from South America) are literally flown from Brazil to work here, where they walk around table to table with the various meats on skewers slicing it directly onto each diner's plate. There is a process on how to get these Gauchos to come to your table to serve you which you will learn in a little bit.

When you are first seated at your table inside you'll soon be enamoured at their interior design and ambiance. It is simply stunning! With high vaulted ceilings, dangling chandeliers, and even a mural on the wall of the "Christ The Redeemer Statue" in Brazil, it's a restaurant you'll be more than comfortable and happy to spend a few hours in.

You'll first get served their signature "Cheese Bread" which is basically to me just little blocks of pizza heaven, a great warm up to what lies ahead. Your host will then direct you to their Appetizers Station that is fully stocked with hot and cold starters. I've been to other Brazilian steakhouses in the past and this is by far the best Salad/Appetizers Station I've seen. They have various DIY salads, quiona, corn, and roasted red pepper salad, soup, pasta, mashed potatoes, meatballs, and even a nacho station! You know how I said earlier that even on an empty stomach I barely got through a few rounds of meat? Well it's most likely because I pigged out at the appetizer station before hand. The food was just so good! Maybe an amateur mistake, but I have no regrets! My plate of appetizers was absolutely delicious and a great start to my meal! Their mashed potatoes was definitely a favourite of mine.

Before you get up and leave your seat you should now know how the process of getting the table side meat service works. You are given one circular card per guest at the table when you get seated. One side is green, the other side is red. Think red light, green light. When you want the Gauchos to walk to your table to serve you a slice of meat make sure your card is flipped up to the green side. Once you need a little break from the meats (you're possibly doing the meat sweats already), or when you simply will be not at your table flip your card over to the red side and this will signal to the Gauchos to stop coming over. It's as simple as that! Now that you understand this process it's time to eat!

The most iconic cut of meat here is called Picanha, a very popular cut of beef in Brazil which is beef top sirloin with a thick cap of fat. This is a must try when you come here and another favourite of mine.  Other cuts of meat they serve is Chicken Leg, Top Sirloin, Leg of Lamb, BBQ Chicken Wings, Pork Ribs, Garlic Steak, Pork Sausage, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast, Beef Short Ribs, Parmasean Sirloin, and Flank Steak. And yes, if you're stomach can handle it all those cuts of meats are indeed all-you-can-eat! There is no limit as to how much you can have, so feel free to just indulge to your heart's content.

Another pro tip. You can't go to an authentic Brazilian steakhouse without ending the meal off with some Grilled Pineapple! After consuming all these cuts of meat your taste buds will be craving something a little different, a little sweet. I like to see it as dessert and it's probably one of the favorites for many people that come here. This is a MUST try! I will also admit I don't always necessarily eat this at the end of my meal. I've been known to start off with it as well. Cause ya know, there are no rules on how to eat here. Eat whatever and as much as you like!

For people who may be not as interested or have the stomach for an all-you-can-eat fare, they do also offer an A-La-Carte menu. Also on some special nights, a live Brazilian dance show performs at the restaurant giving guests some added entertainment throughout the night.

If you're looking for a night out with your friends or want to find a special place to spend a birthday or anniversary, Touro Brazilian Steakhouse & Bar is the place to be. It's sophisticated, it's delicious, and it's loads of fun. You will not be leaving hungry after your meal here. You'll be leaving satisfied. Make your reservation now by visiting here to start your Touro experience! Happy eating!

New Spring Menu At Aroma Espresso Bar & Contest Details

You read that word right. Spring. It means that winter is now behind us. The snow has melted. T-shirt weather is on the horizon, and a brand new spring menu is now at Aroma Espresso Bar! Aroma Espresso Bar is spicing things up a little this year with the launch of brand new menu items and making some tweaks on some old favourites. With the launch a few days ago on April 18th, the new spring menu features a Harissa Tuna Sandwich and an option to add Spirulina (a natural algae powder) to a variety of drinks.

Harissa Tuna Sandwich

My personal favourite off of this spring menu is the new Harissa Tuna Sandwich which packs the heat but nothing that is too overbearing on your taste buds. Harissa is a North African hot chili pepper paste and used here as a hearty spread and foundation for this sandwich. It's stuffed with albacore tuna, hard-boiled egg, tomato, red onion and pickle, and served on a hearth-baked soft sesame and semolina bun, with a side of Kalamata olives.

Warm Grilled Chicken Salad

Aroma has always made some very delicious salads and I can definitely thank them for getting me into quinoa these days, because I got obsessed with it only after having their Quinoa Salad here. A popular choice among customers before, their new Warm Grilled Chicken Salad now comes with roasted garlic, eggplant, and roasted red pepper. A fantastic upgrade to an already great salad.

Beverages are of course what many go to Aroma for primarily, so it wouldn't be a new spring menu without some great new and innovative drinks. Spirulina shots are available for a limited time and you can add them to an Ice Lemon Mint or any other fruit smoothies or juices. Spirulina is rich in natural nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and a great source of iron. Instead of taking an espresso shot, next time change it up at Aroma and take a healthy dose of Spriulina in your drink instead. And yes, it will indeed turn your drink green!

An Aroma signature, the Ice Lemon Mint is also featured on their spring menu and of course you will find all their other beverages and food you have already come to love including those addictive chocolates!

To celebrate the launch of their new spring menu, I want to give you all an opportunity to win a $50 gift card at Aroma! Don't just take my word for it, have a taste yourself. Head on over to my Instagram page HERE and enter! The deadline to enter is this Sunday, April 23rd, 2017 at 11:59PM EST. A winner will be randomly chosen and contacted the day after.

For 5 bonus entries to the contest, leave a comment and your Instagram handle below and let me know what your favourite thing to get at Aroma is! Good luck everyone!