Top 50 Restaurants in Canada 2013: Numbers 31 to 35

Report by Vacay.ca Staff

The Vacay.ca Top 50 Restaurants in Canada 2013 countdown continues with some surprises, including a sushi restaurant in Montreal and a giant name in the culinary industry in Toronto. Also in this segment is the top restaurant in Saskatchewan.

Here are restaurants 31-35.

31. PANACHE at Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City, Quebec
Chef: Julien Dumas
Website: www.saint-antoine.com/en/dining. Cuisine: French, Quebecois
Telephone: 418-692-1022 (toll free: 888-692-2211). Twitter: @aubsaintantoine
2012 Rank: New entry
Price Range: $45 and up for main courses on the dinner menu.
You Must Order: The succulent Saint Apollinaire duckling ($45), glazed with mountain cranberries and turnip, and requires 45 minutes to cook.
Need to Know … from Vacay.ca Writer Mary Alice Downie: Newly hired Dumas trained with Alain Ducasse in Paris. In tune with the philosophy of the owners of Auberge Saint-Antoine, Dumas has a passion for local and seasonal food. He likes to use the whole ingredient, “including carrot tops,” said Ingrid Lemm, sales director for the hotel. Panache, the boutique hotel’s flagship restaurant, has a farm on Ile d’Orleans, which is five kilometres from Quebec City and supplies fruits and vegetables. The restaurant’s menu changes every two weeks, depending on what’s in season. “They don’t even have a freezer,” Lemm said. “Just a small drawer for ice creams and so on.”

Read more about Panache and Auberge Saint-Antoine in Vacay.ca

32. PARK, Montreal, Quebec
Chef: Antonio Park
Website: www.vicpark.com. Cuisine: Japanese, Korean
Telephone: 514.750.7534. Twitter: @ChefAntonioPark
2012 Rank: New entry
Price Range: $24-$50
You Must Order: The sushi — and lots of it … and then go back for more. And repeat the next day. Park has a private fish import licence, allowing him to get a fresh and diverse range of products.
Need to Know … from Judge Mayssam Samaha of Will Travel for Food: Chef Antonio Park and his eponymous one-year old establishment has drastically changed the sushi restaurant scene in Montreal. He has introduced us to the freshest catches and the most innovative combination of flavours inspired by his multicultural background. The Park sushi experience is one not to miss!

33. MORRIS EAST, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Chefs/Owners: Sandy Cooley, Dan Vorstermans
Website: http://www.morriseast.com. Cuisine: Gourmet Pizzas
Telephone: 902-444-7663. Twitter: @morriseast
Price Range: $8-$18 for lunch, $10-$19 for dinner.
You Must Order: You won’t go wrong by ordering any of the delicious pizzas Morris East has to offer. Try the Spicy Pepperoni ($16) or Roasted Vegetable, featuring goat cheese, reduced balsamic and fresh basil ($17). A gluten-free options is also available.
Need to Know: Pizza in Canada has wrongly been relegated to the category of fast food. When done right, as it is at Morris East, it is complex, wholesome, delicious and beautiful.

34. WECZERIA, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Chef: Dan Walker
Website: www.weczeriarestaurant.ca. Cuisine: French Bistro
Telephone: 306-933-9600. Twitter: @Weczeria
2012 Rank: New entry
Price Range: Dinner entrees range from $24-$30; there’s a stellar wine list, including excellent selections from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley like Laughingstock Vineyards’ Portfolio cabernet blend.
You Must Order: The menu changes daily, but keep an eye out for Diefenbaker Lake Steelhead Trout ($28).

Need to Know … from Vacay.ca Managing Editor Adrian Brijbassi: What’s refreshing about Walker’s establishment is his attitude and his devotion to Saskatchewan produce. The walls of Weczeria, a 55-seat eatery on Saskatoon‘s Broadway Avenue, feature photographs of the farmers who supply Walker’s food. He’s a fixture at the city’s farmers’ market, snapping up produce for the restaurant’s menu — which changes daily.

See the video and read more about Weczeria on Vacay.ca

35. SHOTO (Momofuku), Toronto, Ontario
Chef: Mitchell Bates
Website: momofuku.com. Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Telephone: 647-253-8000. Twitter: @momofuku
2012 Rank: New entry
Price Range: $150 for a tasting menu of roughly 10 courses.
You Must Order: The tasting menu.
Need to Know: When diners in Toronto want to know what the fuss is about David Chang and his cuisine, Shoto is where they should go to satisfy their curiosity. Daisho and Noodle Bar, the other Momofuku restaurants in the same luxury building next to the Shangri-La Toronto hotel, are excellent, but the Shoto experience is one of the most unique in Canada, thanks to an ever-changing tasting menu.

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More About the Vacay.ca Top 50 Restaurants in Canada 2013

Restaurants 6-10: See the video covering Toronto’s favourite and others
Restaurants 11-15: See the video covering 5 great chefs
Restaurants 16-20: See the video covering the 2013 People’s Choice winner
Restaurants 21-25: See the video featuring Araxi in Whistler, B.C.
Restaurants 26-30: See the video showing Brooklyn Warehouse in Halifax
Restaurants 31-35: See the video featuring Momofuku in Toronto
Restaurants 36-40: See the video and read about the top restaurant in New Brunswick
Restaurants 41-45: See the video for these restaurants
Restaurants 46-50: See the video covering the beginning of the countdown

2012 results, judging and more information: Visit the Top 50 Restaurants webpage for full details

Foodie of the Year Contest: Vacay.ca is giving away a luxury getaway that includes airfare, hotel accommodations and dinner to the Top 50 restaurant of the winners choice. See details here.

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