LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2026

INSIDE SCOOP

LOCAL TRAVEL Around the World in Ontario BY JESSICA HURAS Across Ontario, small cities and suburbs serve authentic dishes from every corner of the globe, from Sri Lankan hoppers to Turkish kebabs to Lebanese shawarma. Together, they map out a delicious road trip of international flavours. THE WORLD IN SCARBOROUGH You’ll find food of unparalleled diversity in Scarborough’s unassuming strip plazas. Try delicate Sri Lankan hoppers at New Kalyani (newkalyani.com), sizzling kebabs at Konak Turkish Cuisine (konaktoronto.ca) and peerless Jamaican patties at Patty Time (2919 Lawrence Ave. E). 1

ARMCHAIR TRAVEL Read Up!

Recommended by our trusted contributors, these books are sure to inspire future trips.

ERIC VELLEND, FOOD EDITOR In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (Crown, 2001) This hilarious tale from the legendary travel writer prepared me for Australia’s dangerous fauna, which I encountered on a regular basis.

CHRISTOPHER ST. ONGE, FOOD STYLIST & RECIPE DEVELOPER Tacopedia by Déborah Holtz and Juan Carlos Mena (Phaidon Press, 2015) Part cookbook, part anthropological study of Mexico’s many regional taco iterations. I’ve been chasing them all down ever since.

MICHELLE RABIN, RECIPE DEVELOPER Gjelina by Travis Lett (Chronicle Books, 2015) The food at Gjelina is seasonal, vibrant and deeply connected to its ingredients. It captures the spirit of California cuisine beautifully.

2 GERMAN IN KITCHENER

3 LEBANESE IN OTTAWA Taste Ottawa’s

4 FINNISH IN

5 CHINESE IN MARKHAM When visiting Markham, enjoy dim sum at Ding Tai Fung (@dingtaifung_to) or take a tour of

THUNDER BAY Discover this unique Nordic community on Lake Superior via crepe-like pancakes at Niva’s Restaurant (nivas.ca), coffee bread from The Pulla Lady (thepullalady.com) and rustic rye loaves or cardamom buns from Current River Bakery (currentriverbakery.com).

JAMES CHATTO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Acquired Tastes: The

Explore Kitchener’s German roots with sauerbraten at the historic Concordia Club (concordiaclub. ca) or schnitzel at Metro Restaurant (kmetro.ca). Come fall, Kitchener Waterloo Oktoberfest (oktoberfest.ca) takes over with beer gardens, festive music and hearty Bavarian fare.

Lebanese influence with shawarma from Shawarma Palace (shawarmapalace.ca) and fresh manakish at Aladdin Bakery (@aladdinbakery). In July, the Ottawa Lebanese Festival (ottawalebanesefestival. com) brings five days of food, music and culture.

Lives and Recipes of Eight Culinary

Ambassadors by James Chatto, W.L. Martin and Joseph Sproule (Aevo UTP, 2026) Lasagna, sweet potato congee, the Daiquiri… Eight historic recipes and the individuals who carried them from one culture to another.

the two food courts at the Pacific Mall (pacificmalltoronto.ca).

On the way home, stock up on Asian

FROM ONE OF OUR OWN

ingredients and tropical fruit at FreshWay Foodmart (freshwayfoodmart.com).

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———————— TRAVEL 2026