Michelin stars awarded to Ontario restaurants outside Toronto for first time ever
Published September 19, 2024 at 9:31 am
It’s been a big week for three restaurants outside of Toronto that have received coveted Michelin stars.
Yesterday, Hexagon in Oakville, Pearl Morissette in Lincoln (a small Niagara region town) and The Pine in Creemore (located in Simcoe County) were awarded Michelin stars, making them the first Canadian restos outside of Toronto and Vancouver to receive the prestigious culinary distinction.
Hexagon, a contemporary French restaurant in downtown Oakville that also received a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence this year and made the list of Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants, was awarded one star for high-quality cooking.
The guide begins by complimenting the restaurant’s stylish interior and wrap-around terrace before praising Chef Rafael Covarrubias’s “soigné works that are refined, original, and substantial.” While the menu offers some classic staples such as oysters and beef tartare, it also allows diners to indulge in off-the-beaten-path creations such as Hokkaido scallop with potato foam, brown butter and roe.
Beer tartare from Hexagon
Hexagon offers a tasting menu for those who want to trust the chef to guide their journey.
Another restaurant that made the cut–and which is also on the Top 100 list released earlier this year–is the much-lauded Restaurant Pearl Morissette. The Niagara Region restaurant received one Michelin star for high-quality cooking and a Michelin green star for gastronomy and sustainability.
The restaurant, part of a 42-acre winery, orchard, farm, and bakery, is helmed by Chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson and is known for its seasonal and ever-changing tasting menu. The guide praises the free-range pork slow-roasted over a peach wood fire and glazed with sweet potato miso, as well as the sweet portion of the meal.
A seasonal seafood dish from Pearl Morissette
Another honoree is The Pine, a Chinese restaurant in Creemore that received one star for high-quality cooking. Housed in a former gas station, the restaurant is run by Chef Jeremy Austin and his wife, Cassie, and is inspired by Austin’s years of working in China.
“A meal here draws on authentic flavours delivered with striking creativity and conviction on an ever-evolving menu,” the guide says, praising the “gorgeous tea egg,” dried fried string beans salad, carrot jiaozi dumpling and more.
View this post on Instagram
The tiremaker-turned-tastemaker recently expanded the bounds of the guide to cover “Toronto and Region” two years after its first foray into the city in 2022. Prior to 2022, no Canadian restaurants were featured in the guide because its inspectors did not cover the country.
A Micheline inspector told The Canadian Press that its diners travelled as far outside of Toronto as Collingwood, Hamilton, Cambridge and Niagara Falls.
Toronto and the surrounding region now have 15 restaurants with one Michelin star, and one restaurant with two stars: Sushi Masaki Saito.
Alobar Yorkville and Yukashi have lost their stars, while Nordic restaurant Frilu closed its doors in July.
Four more restaurants have also received the Bib Gourmand, a designation for eateries with good food at a moderate price.
They are Berkeley North in Hamilton, Guru Lukshmi in Mississauga, and Rasa and Conejo Negro, both in Toronto.
– With files from The Canadian Press