Must-Try Restaurants In Durham Region For Local Food Lovers

Collage of images including a salad topped with steak and a bison burger

Left to right: Harvest Bowl at Nest at Trail Hub | Bison Burger at Slabtown Cider

Durham is home to some of the best farmland in Ontario and has hundreds of producers who supply kitchens across the region with incredible produce, meat, and other products like maple syrup and cider.

Feast On® is a certification program that recognizes restaurants and suppliers who have demonstrated their commitment to using local ingredients on their menus and in their offerings. Managed by the Culinary Tourism Alliance, the Feast On® certification makes it easier for food lovers to find and support local food. It is a celebration of Ontario grown food and drink, and badge of honour for those who are certified.

In celebration of Local Food Week, Durham’s Feast On® certified restaurants and suppliers have shared dishes that highlight the use of local ingredients.

Bistro ‘67

Aerial image of a seared pickerel dish from Durham College's Bistro '67

Seared Pickerel

Durham College’s Bistro ‘67 is an on-campus restaurant led by talented staff and students of the hospitality and culinary programs. In true farm-to-fork fashion, the view from the dining room includes the urban farm that students of the food and farming program look after.

The seared pickerel dish is served with three sisters succotash which features vegetables from the on site fields and greenhouses. The potatoes used in the croquette and the pickerel are both sourced from Ontario.

Just off the lobby of the Centre for Food is The Pantry, a retail food store filled with an assortment of foods prepared by the staff and students in Durham College’s culinary classrooms and labs. Every Friday they offer a “Fill Your Freezer” promotion where if you buy three frozen pantry items, the fourth one is free! Also on Fridays is the “Fresh From The Oven” deal where you can purchase a box of six of the featured baked good for $12.

Bistro '67 | 1604 Champlain Avenue, Whitby

Lowlands Fire Food

Image of a pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven from Lowlands Fire Food

Sesame Chicken Pizza

This pizza starts with a sesame seed crust and an Empire Cheese Co-op mozzarella base. It is topped with Orono’s Kendal Hills Farm shiitake mushrooms and chicken that has been roasted in a wood-fired oven. Garnished with sunflower sprouts from City of Greens in Bowmanville and a house-made garlic dill sauce.

Owner/Chef Max Barill says, “the sesame seeds toast in our wood-fire oven combining well with the chicken and grilled mushrooms and the sprouts add a real freshness to the whole pizza.”

Lowlands Fire Food | Oshawa Food Truck Corral Location | Pump House Location

Slabtown Cider

Image of a bison burger from Slabtown Cider on a picnic table with a glasses of cider and beer in the background

Bison Burger

For their bison burger, Slabtown Cider uses fresh ground bison from Thunder Ridge Bison Company which is less than 10 kilometres north of the cidery. Loaded with bacon jam, scallion aioli, brie cheese, crispy onion, and a barbeque sauce made with their own Hazy IPA beer.

They recommend pairing it with their Honey Habanero Cider that is made with Ontario apples, local honey from 3 Boyz Bees, and habanero peppers.

Slabtown Cider | 4559 Concession 6, Uxbridge

Nest at Trail Hub

Image of a harvest bowl from Nest at Trail Hub full of seasonal Ontario ingredients

Harvest Bowl

A generous, main course salad that is built using locally sourced seasonal ingredients; making each bowl a real taste of Durham Region. The salads are made up of unique lettuce blends and micro greens from Mighty Harvest in Whitby and are topped with Ontario proteins and cheeses.

“Nest on the Patio is open Wednesday through Sunday at Trail Hub and reservations are recommended,” reminds Chef Brian MacAskill.

Nest at Trail Hub | 722 Chalk Lake Road, Uxbridge

Other Feast On® Options In Durham Region

While you’re exploring and enjoying all of the delicious culinary experiences that Durham Region has to offer, we’d love to know what you loved the most! Tag @DurhamTourism on social media so we can follow along and share.

For more information on local food in Durham Region, please visit Invest Durham’s Local Food page.

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