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Posts in the Restaurants category

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The Planet Bakery

When it comes to moving, I am the ultimate procrastinator. The job always seems so daunting and I am always in disbelief at just how much junk I can actually fit in one little bedroom. Not to mention I have the arm strength of a 6 month baby and am completely useless when it comes to heavy lifting. The only good thing about moving day was that I got to have another meal in Peterborough.

 

My wonderful parents met me at 8am to get the party started. By 2pm, we had barely made a dent in the packing so we decided we needed a food break. Both of my parents are vegetarian so we went to this cute little vegetarian shop in downtown Peterborough called The Planet Bakery. 

Every time I visit this shop, I can’t help but think of one of my best friends, Sam. The orange floors remind me of the bright orange walls in his old apartment and just everything from the minimalistic design, to the mismatched recycled chairs, to their openness and friendliness of the atmosphere just screams out Sam Robertson. I could easily see him working his chef magic here.

We were so hungry that we ate most of the food before I thought to take a photo to share with you guys. So the only thing I have pictured is their rosemary walnut burger. SOOO good! Moist and flavourful, it sits on a fresh Focaccia bun with basil mayo, melted cheddar, and a sweet and savoury cranberry-onion confit. YUM!
We also had their green apple & old cheddar sandwich, as well as their cranberry and brie sandwich. I personally preferred the crisp freshness of their green apple sandwich over the sweet tartness of the cranberry.

 

These flavourful dishes will make even the biggest meat lover opt for a vegetarian option every once in awhile.

The Planet Bakery

374 Water Street,

Peterborough, ON

 

The Magic Rolling Pin

I can’t believe I almost ended my Peterborough experience without a stop to the Magic Rolling Pin! It’s a place you might easily miss as it’s tucked away a little bit in a residential area… this adorable quaint house turned restaurant is full of warmth and grandmothery (definitely not a word but the only appropriate way to describe this place) charm.

table setting at the Magic Rolling Pin in Peterborough by Sounds Like Knock

Think doilies, fresh flowers, floral printed couches, fine china, and the sweetest servers ever.

I’m not a huge fan of chicken, crepes (unless I’m in Paris) or fruit in an entrée so I was a little sceptical when our server suggested the grilled chicken crepes but her voice was so trusting that I went ahead and ordered it. And goodness was I ever happy I did. Grilled chicken, carmalized onions, apple and havarti layered inside their homemade crepes, and covered in a rich cream sauce. Every single bite put a smile on my face. On the side, they had a beautifully presented salad drizzled with their homemade poppy seed dressing.

Grilled Chicken Crepes from the Magic Rolling Pin in Peterborough by Sounds Like Knock
The whole experience reminded me of when I lived with my gramma and would come home after work to the most amazing home cooked meals.

home baked goods from the Magic Rolling Pin in Peterborough by Sounds Like Knock
Desserts at the Magic Rolling Pin in Peterborough by Sounds Like Knock
I usually opt out of dessert as I’m much more partial to savoury and salty over sweets. However, the displays of home baked goodness at the front were just too delicious to pass up. I had a raspberry coconut delight which is a tart filled with raspberry jam and coconut custard that was just the right amount of sweet and crumbly. I’m craving another one as I type this now. For only $2/tart, I really regret not ordering a bunch to take home.
raspberry cocunut tart from the magic rolling pin in Peterborough

The Magic Rolling Pin is also a great place if you just want to meet up with a friend for a spot of tea. Their premium loose leaf tea is served in the sweetest little tea cups.

I absolutely loved loved loved everything about this place and want so badly to go back! Definitely on my list of things to do next time I find myself back in Peterborough.

 

They have fairly short hours and are usually very busy so make sure you make a reservation as to not be disappointed!

The Magic Rolling Pin

302 King Street,
Peterborough, Ontario
Monday-Friday 11-5
Saturday 10:30-4

P: 705-745-6556

The Sapphire Room

I finally popped by the Sapphire Room in downtown Peterborough and was quite impressed with their atmosphere and decor. Think 50′s glam with a bit of naughty and jazz mixed in. It was fairly quiet on a Thursday night but I’ve heard that Sundays are quite poppin’ with their trivia nights.

The Sapphire Room Peterborough

The Sapphire Room Peterborough

The Sapphire Room Peterborough
I loved the soft glow of the lights and the wall of framed album covers. Such a great decorating idea.
The Sapphire Room Peterborough

The Sapphire Room Peterborough

The Sapphire Room Peterborough
Though I’m more of a beer, or gin and tonic kind of girl, sometimes I like to class it up with martinis.

 

Their mile long drink list includes some of the more traditional drinks as well as a bunch of their own specialties.

The Sapphire Room Peterborough

I was pleasantly surprised by their food menu as they had some unique dishes for reasonable prices. I opted for “Wrapped in Bacon” which was Rumaki, water chestnuts, wrapped in bacon with a chipotle whiskey sauce. The saltiness of the bacon was an interesting mix with the cold water chestnuts. It’s different and had some mixed reviews, although I’d probably order it again. I also ordered the “Cheesy Goodness” which was artichoke, hot pepper vodka cheddar fondue with corn chips. It was a great sharing dish and at 2 items for $12 , you can’t really go wrong. 

The Sapphire Room Peterborough

If I wasn’t leaving Peterborough in a few weeks, I’d definitely come back for a girl’s night or for after dinner drinks.

 

The Sapphire Room

137 Hunter St W
Peterborough, ON K9H 3R2
705-749-0409

Reggie’s Grill House


Last Sunday, as I was working away, I looked up at the tv to see an amazing burger on the food network’s “You Gotta Eat Here“. And then all of a sudden, I heard him say “Peterborough”. WHAT!?!?! PETERBOROUGH ONTARIO?!? How have I not heard of this place?!? Clearly if John Catucci was telling me that I had to eat there… who am I to disobey? So the following weekend, I had no choice but to head to Reggie’s Hot Grill in East City.


The bf opted for Jerk chicken. And although I’ve never been a huge fan of jerk spice, the moist, melt in your mouth chicken breast had me going in for a second bite. Ok… maybe also a third when he wasn’t looking. His side of fresh cut onion rings were crispy, delicious with a mild spice seasoning.

My Bayou blue burger was definitely a guilty indulgence. The oozzing blue cheese chipotle sauce was extremely rich and flavourful and the bacon was cooked just the way I like it. Cooked but not overly crispy. The blue cheese chipotle sauce dripped all over my plate which led to the delicious discovery of how good my french fries tasted covered in the sauce.

 

Though I can’t see myself eating here all the time, I will be heading back to satisfy my next burger craving.

 

Reggie’s Hot Grill

89 Hunter Street East,

Peterborough, ON

K9H1G4

 

La Petit Bar

My week isn’t quite complete without a visit to Le Petite Bar on Water st in Peterborough. Although it’s only 7 months old, this cozy little restaurant has made quite an impression with its made in-house charcuteries, cheeses from the neighbouring shop (Chasing the Cheese),  and home made mustards and desserts. It’s a very intimate setting with only 7 tables and a few bar stools, so be prepared to stand if you pop by on a Friday or Saturday night.

le petit bar front window

I’ve started coming here every Thursday after work with colleagues and have been slowly making my way through their meat and cheese options. With a frequently changing list of options, I’ve rarely had the same thing twice.
Meat and Cheese at le petit bar

Along with your chosen cheeses and meats, you also have dills, olives, apples, dashes of their amazing house mustards, arugula, and sometimes chutneys or honey.

I’ve had so many of their meats and cheese and I’ve never once been disappointed by my choice. Their servers are happy to help you pick out pairings that go well together. I personally have a soft spot for their creamy rich pates and flavourful blue cheeses.

I had the pleasure of speaking with many of their staff and it was quickly evident how passionate they all are and how much they all genuinely love being a part of Le petit bar. Jamie, the mastermind behind the food is given creative license and from my experience, he’s been hitting it right on target. Billy and Sarie are my usual servers and they’re both knowledgeable about the food and attentive without being over bearing.

Meat and Cheese at le petit bar
Mad Tom IPA at le petit bar peterborough
Their beer list is somewhat limited, though I do like the fact that they only carry microbrews. I usually grab a bottle of the Mad Tom IPA which is flavourful and fragrant and pairs well with most of their meats. They have one tap and it pours Kings Pilsner. It’s fairly hoppy with a bitter finish. Not my favourite beer until one of the servers (Billy) introduced me to what he calls the “Billy Torpedo”. The simple mixture of the King’s with a splash of ruby red grape fruit juice completely changes how the beer finishes. If you’re hoping for a larger variaty of beer, their neighbour, St Veronus might be more up your ally. But I’ll write about them in a later post. My colleague Catherine is a major fan of their creative cocktails. Their crisp and refreshing Thyme for Collins is a crowd pleaser. But for these cold winter days, Catherine always starts her meal off with some Apple Cinnamon Hot Toddy. YUM! This image below is their “Real Housewife”.

cocktail at le petit bar peterborough
Though I always opt for cheese and meats over sweets, we decided to splurge one day and also get their dessert board. I was so excited about it that I completely forgot to take a picture! It had candied oranges dipped in chocolate, chocolate meringue on top of whipped cream, lavender shortbread cookies, decadent mini brownies, and a little bowl of berries and pomegranate. Everything came in a pair so it was perfect for two of us to share. I’m not partial to sweets but I do find myself day dreaming of that dessert board.
Their delicious meats, cozy atmosphere, and steller service keeps me coming back! If you ever find yourself in downtown Peterborough, make sure you make a pit stop here!

 

Le Petit Bar

399 Water Street

Peterborough, Ontario

 

The Works

Many of my cube mates were buzzing about the new burger joint that opened down the street. Call me a sheep but I obviously had to go see what all the commotion was about.

What struck me at first was their kind of industrial meets Canadian log cabin themed decor. I loved the way the place looked, right down to their light bulb salt and pepper shakers, to their measuring cups as glasses.

The first time I went to the Works, although my burger was good, I wouldn’t have classified it as being one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.  I ordered a Johnny Be Goat (Beef patty with spinach  red peppers, and goat cheese). It was slightly on the dry side and almost excessively too large. Since it was their opening week, I decided to wait a month before going again to see if things changed once they had some time to settle in. I must say, I was much more impressed by both the service and the quality of the burgers the second time around. I opted for their Downtowner(gouda cheese, bacon and avocado) with chicken breast  and was pleased at how thick, yet moist and juicy it was. The boyfriend choose the ROF beef burger (onion ring, jalapeno, banana and chipotle peppers) and it was as big as mine was the first time, but much more moist.

All in all, it’s a cute place but if you’re going for lunch, make sure you give yourself enough time as it does take 20 mins for the burgers to cook. And if it’s your first time, you’ll be spending at least 5 mins trying to decide from their giant list of burger choices.

 

The Works

123 Simcoe Street Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario

Phone: (705) 874-7474

 

Hot Belly Mamas

Moving to Peterborough and not knowing a single person here has made a table for one become a standard in my life. And I have to say, I kind of love it! Though I do miss sharing plates and being able to try more than just one dish. Alas, one dish is better than none, so off I went to my first stop, Hot Belly Mamas. This restaurant has made leaving Toronto a little less painful.

Hot belly mamas Peterborough
Menu at Hot belly mamas Peterborough
There eclectic decor is quite a site for the eyes and imagination. Every where you look, there are interesting photos, articles and items. It reminds me of your cool uncle’s basement where there’s a good story behind every piece.

Hot Sauce at Hot belly mamas Peterborough
Hot belly mamas Peterborough Spicy Cajan Catfish

The menu includes a mix of southern dishes including po’ boys, blackened chicken, pizzas, and roti. But what keeps me coming back is their cajun catfish. Mildly spicy battered catfish that is oh so perfectly cooked, sweet potato frites, and a salad all for $13.99 makes my belly and wallet happy.

Joined to the Olde Stone Brewing company, you can be sure to have a delicious pint of beer. If you like a full bodied beer, their stout and old wild ale are fragrant and flavourful.  Another thing I loved was how friendly and welcoming the staff are. On my last visit, they gave me a little lesson on the history of Wellington beer.

 

As much as I try to make an effort to visit new restaurants, I often find myself going back for some delicious New Orleans’ comfort food. If you’re passing by Peterborough, I’d highly recommend making a pit stop here.

 

Hot Belly Mamas

378 George Street North
Peterborough, ON, K9H 3R3

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