Renowned Pearl Morissette chef to collaborate with Hamilton restaurant

Hamilton foodies have a new event of the season when two of the area’s most acclaimed culinary forces collide next week.

Award-winning restaurant Berkley North is set to host the Chef De Cuisine of Restaurant Pearl Morissette, Liam McLoughlin, on Jan. 16 and 17 for a culinary collaboration. “His impressive talent is sure to elevate the already great Berkeley North to amazing heights,” wrote the Hamilton Downtown Update newsletter.

Berkeley North sits near the Hamilton Art Gallery at 31 King William St. and is known for its high-end, local dishes. Owners Matt and Diana Webber say they were inspired to open Berkeley North after a trip to California. They enjoyed restaurants that highlighted sharing plates with consciously sourced ingredients.

“After dinner in Berkeley California we had the idea to open a restaurant in our hometown and bring our experience up North,” they wrote on the website. They have won several awards including OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants in Canada in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The restaurant used this success to expand into a satellite location at 303 Dundurn St. S.

Meanwhile, the Restaurant Pearl Morissette, connected to the winery of the same name, has quickly grown into one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country. The five-year-old Lincoln restaurant has twice been cited as one of the top five dining experiences in Canada. It was also noted as the best “destination restaurant” in the country.

Much of this success is due to McLoughlin, who has been with the restaurant since its inception. However, the ambiance, style and service have also been acclaimed.

Berkley North and McLoughlin have collaborated several times. This time they’ve prepared a seven-course tasting menu complete with drink pairings. Reservations are $100 and can be made by emailing [email protected].