Thank you Barb, your anniversary post inspired JT and I to make our way to Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) this past Christmas for a quick holiday. We stayed at Harbour House a relatively new boutique hotel just off the beaten path in NOTL. We stayed at this place shortly after it first opened 8-10 years ago and it was lovely, this time was no different. JT booked us into a gorgeous room with a fireplace and we were upgraded to a suite — now that’s sweet!
We arrived on Boxing day (December 26) with no weather issues at all, which was a little surprising since they had predicted a bad storm to come through and dump 30cm (12 inches) of snow in the area. We waited and waited and eventually it did snow, but not nearly as much as predicted. NOTL is a picturesque village with nice restaurants, quaint shops and lovely homes, some of which have been converted to B&Bs. It is also very close to Ontario’s Wine Country.
We ate lunch at the Oban Inn, which is always a treat with lovely views of their manicured gardens. We shared the Dungeness Crab Cakes with Micro Greens, Horseradish Espresso Remoulade, Grilled Pineapple Salsa ($16). For my main I enjoyed Icewine Salmon Gravlax, Carrot Slaw, Citrus Creme Fraiche ($12) it was delicious. JT had the quiche with field greens. I would recommend this restaurant highly. Service was also excellent.
Dinner our first night was at Zee’s a restaurant in The Shaw Club a sister hotel. We shared the Cheese and Charcuterie platter with 5 items for $25. On it was TIGER BLUE rich, aromatic with an intense blue flavour, in the style of stilton, ROARING 40’S BLUE cow’s milk, full flavoured blue with a honeyed, slightly nutty quality, rindless, smooth and creamy and a cheddar which they had to substitute. The Charuterie portion was made up of HOT SOPRESATTA from the Calabria Region, red wine, chili spices and salt, texture of prosciutto, robust and spicy and CHORIZO blend of pork, pork fat, smoked dried paprika, distinct smoke flavour, cured and smoked and neither of these impressed us either, not spicy or smokey tasting. JT had the Nova Scotia Lobster Poutine which included house cut fries, a generous serving of butter poached lobster, white cheddar cheese curds, red wine veal jus and a home made hollandaise sauce. JT’s meal was excellent, although it would not have been something I would order. I had the Warm Mushroom & Smoked Bacon Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese, Sautéed Mushrooms & Smoked Bacon, Parsnip Chips & Apple Cider Vinaigrette ($10) and sadly it was neither warm nor did it have many mushrooms, so even at the low price of $10 it was disappointing.
Our hotel included a wonderful breakfast both days, made of a hot egg dish, pastries, cheeses, meats, scones, preserves, yogurt and fruit. There was also cereal, but who eats cereal on their vacation? Let’s just say we didn’t leave hungry! Our first full day we decided to brave the weather and head down to Niagara Falls, NY to do a little shopping at Walden Galleria which turned out to be nothing special. Lunch was at Bravo Italian Cucina which I suspect is a chain. We both had the soup and salad combo; I had the Italian Wedding soup but was lacking in flavour and JT had the Lobster Bisque which had good lobster flavour but was too creamy for my taste. Our waiter was very talkative and we enjoyed the interaction. Would I go back? Doubt it, nothing special. We returned to NOTL by way of the Rainbow bridge and although we both now have Nexus, I prefer to go the human route when we buy things outside of the allowances. With both cases you must declare what you bring in, but at least the human factor gives us the possibility of not having to pay the taxes and duty on the items (free trade my foot). And this time the lady clearing us in chastised me for not buying enough! Go figure.
That night we ate at the Cannery another sister hotel/restaurant. This is a slightly larger hotel catering to more family style stays. Most of the restaurants in NOTL are casual, so for the most part people don’t really dress up but JT and I always do! I started with Sea Scallops which were Seared Sea Scallops, Petite Village Salad, Seedlings, Smoked Paprika Oil ($18) it was delicious (I didn’t take photos because it was too dark), JT had the caesar salad. My main course was an appetizer portion of Spicy Udon Noodles which were Tapioca Noodles, Spicy Yuzu Sesame Sauce, Pork Dumplings, Shiitake Mushrooms Prawns, Matchstick Vegetables ($15) again, delicious and a perfect portion for me! JT had the appetizer portion of the Tagliatelle Pasta which was Semolina Broad Noodles, Pulled Braised Lamb, Wild Mushrooms, Truffle Paste, Asiago Shards ($15); we both enjoyed our meals. Having said that, the overall impression is kind of Cracker Barrel style decor, bright lighting and not much cozy ambiance.
Our final lunch was at an old favourite at On the Twenty in Jordan, Ontario a short drive from NOTL and an exceptional restaurant which is connected to Cave Spring Cellars an award winning winery. We ate a lovely table overlooking their perennial gardens which were romantically blanketed with snow. I started with Heirloom Beet Salad of smoked goat cheese, Dave Irish’s breakfast radish, pickled red onion, pistachio brittle, honey mandarin vinaigrette ($12) and JT had the butternut squash soup ($10) and both were exceptional. I then had the Vintner’s Platter in-house smoked salmon, pâté en croute, house-made mustard, pickles, charcuterie, artisanal cheese ($19) which could have easily been shared and JT had the Grilled Venison Burger with Juniper berry-infused tomato relish, feta cheese aioli, baby arugula, fresh-cut fries, house-made ketchup ($17) which was OUTSTANDING. We each had an espresso for dessert. Service is always exceptional and the ambiance is lovely. If you ever come up to this area, you must dine at On the Twenty.
We made our way back home to find our driveway and walkways had been cleared of the massive dump of snow we got while we were away. We really do have the loveliest neighbours.
I miss Niagara-on-the-Lake and the next time we are fortunate enough to visit, we will definitely check out Harbour House Hotel – I agree, details can often make all the difference in the quality of your stay… and the food, oh my! That beet salad looks divine. What a great visit Eva.
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Thanks Kelly, they really did a nice job, but I suspect that most of the hotels in that area do, they just can’t afford not to.
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Eva I am glad you had a good time!
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Thanks Zsuzsa, I do hope your kitchen nightmares are over.
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cereal always makes me sad unless it’s for a midnight snack, lol..nothing like a beautiful vacation and hot breakfast and yummy food!!
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Thanks SM, it was a lovely time indeed!
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What an ideal get away spot! Glad you were spared the worst of the weather while you were there. I’m drooling over that gravlax…the food and accommodations both look top notch. It’s been a snowy start to our winter here…I’m ready for Spring!!!
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Thanks Liz, I know exactly what you mean, I’ve had it with winter too!
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Eva, getting away for Christmas at least once is one of my biggest dreams… and I envy you this short stay in such a wonderful hotel eating such fantastic food.
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Thank you kindly Sissi, it was a lovely little get away indeed!
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Sounds like a lovely trip. We were in Jordan a few years ago and stayed and ate at On The Twenty…nice to know it is still good.
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Thanks Karen, I’ve heard the hotel is lovely too; I’ve always been hesitant to stay there because Jordan is so small and limited.
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How beautiful Eva!! Niagra Falls is my all time fav destination. We are planning for a Canada visit soon, hopefully we will be able to check this out too. Though with 12 inches of snow frozen in my front and backyard, I can’t say I am too crazy about snow right now. Lovely post, and happy anniversary!!
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Thanks Minnie, there are a lot of great places to stay in NOTL, hope you can make it up!
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I love your winter wonderland. How pretty. Your front yard looks as pretty as a postcard. What a wonderful weekend escape. I would love to stay at that hotel. Like you say, great attention to detail. And being upgraded to a suite is always a great start to a holiday xx
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Thank you kindly Charlie, now that I’ve been back at work for a few days I wish I was still there!
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Looks like you had a magical time Eva. Glad that our anniversary trip inspired you to go back to NOTL — thanks for the shout out! Your post makes me want to go there in the winter time too, which we have never done. I imagine that it is very cozy and relaxing to sip wine by the fireplace while the snow falls…
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Thanks Barb, it was lovely. The hotels were a lot fuller than expected, which was great. It sure was pretty with the snow.
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I just love all the little details you pointed out. A place that goes out of its way to make you feel at home is something special.
My kids would love all those snow pictures 🙂
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Thanks Sawsan, it really is all about the details. If I could, I would mail you some snow!
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The view from your room is beautiful. My husband will love all the snow..this year there ain’t any snow…a rainy and mild winter. No fun at all..
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Hi Angie, a rainy winter is just so gross, if it’s mild and sunny it could be lovely. I have a feeling our winter will be brutal since we were spared last year. We’re bracing ourselves.
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I agree … great way to get away and relax after the stresses of the holiday season. A little pampering is always appreciated.
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Thanks Maria, it was a lovely change.
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What a delightful get away, I love the Niagara area, never been there in the winter, We had tons of snow on Boxing Day also and some more 2 days later. It is so cold, low single digit, everything is frozen.
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Thanks Norma, it’s completely different in the winter, so pretty with the snow. It’s snowing like crazy right now, I can see another 10cm (4 in) falling today—payback for last year I suspect! Who knew Mother Nature would be vindictive 😉
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What a nice get-away for you both and how fortunate that the snow wasn’t nearly as bad as predicted. I do not like driving in a snow storm, having seen too many accidents traveling to-and-from Michigan. Your suite was quite nice and your meals sound delicious. This would be the kind of trip I would love to take one Winter. One needn’t always go South to have a nice Winter holiday. 😉
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Thanks John, the nice thing about NOTL is the short drive but you still feel like you’re away. I hope you do have a chance to experience NOTL one day, they have lovely plays in the summer time, called the Shaw Festival.
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Look at all that snow you came home to! I wonder what we’ll see upon our return (in FL right now). I’m definitely glad you got over your stomach bug before your trip. The food looks and sounds divine! You know how much I love the area. One of these days we’ll get back there and I’ll insist we try On the Twenty. 🙂
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Happy New Year!
Thanks Kristy, lucky you to be in Florida. Hope you have nice neighbours to shovel your driveway too!
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What a wonderful time you look to have had! It’s so magical that it is snowing there while it is hot and humid here! It makes looking at your snow pictures a huge relief! 😛
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I just can’t imagine hot and humid in January, but then again, I’m sure it’s the same for you but opposite! It truly was a lovely time.
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