"We pick as close to service as possible. When we do tomatoes, tomatoes get picked, they never see the fucking fridge. Ever, ever, ever."
—Shane Harper, Farmer, Restaurant Pearl Morissette
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may remember me writing about Restaurant Pearl Morissette in the Niagara Benchlands.
In 2024, they were awarded the first Michelin star in the region, as well as a Green Star for sustainability. Then earlier this year, Canada's 100 Best named them the
"We pick as close to service as possible. When we do tomatoes, tomatoes get picked, they never see the fucking fridge. Ever, ever, ever."
—Shane Harper, Farmer, Restaurant Pearl Morissette
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may remember me writing about Restaurant Pearl Morissette in the Niagara Benchlands.
In 2024, they were awarded the first Michelin star in the region, as well as a Green Star for sustainability. Then earlier this year, Canada's 100 Best named them the
What is clear is that this place is not only the best in Canada, it's one of the best dining experiences anywhere in the world. It's that good. And I think the above video by Vice does a great job outlining what co-chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson have created with their restaurant and farm in the Bench.
Everything they serve is immediately local and/or Canadian, and they're constantly experimenting. Equally admirable is their commitment to reshaping Canadian cuisine and putting it on the world stage.
You hear that throughout the video. At one point Hadida says, "I'm interested in slightly better. So I'm willing to go significantly harder to achieve slightly better." That's what it takes to be exceptional at anything, and I think Canada could use more of this kind of attitude.
What is also clear from the video is that farmer Shane Harper needs his own YouTube channel. As a general rule, I have deep respect for anyone who approaches their work with passion and enthusiasm. He has that in spades.
When we closed on the development site for Project Bench at the end of 2023, our team went for dinner at Restaurant Pearl Morissette to celebrate. It's one of the top-rated restaurants in Canada, it's 8 minutes from the site, and so it was the sensible thing to do. Their architect — gh3 — is also our architect.
I still remember when chef Eric Robertson brought out the amuse-bouche to start us off. He explained what it was and then reassured us that we would not be needing Uber Eats after this fine dining experience. We would leave full, deeply satisfied, and with a new appreciation for the Niagara culinary scene.
He was, of course, right about everything.
So it's no surprise that the following year, the restaurant earned both a Michelin Star (the very first in the Niagara region) and a Green Star for sustainability (only the second ever awarded in Canada). After having eaten there, we all knew it was only a matter of time.
Fast forward to today and they have yet another reason to celebrate. Canada's 100 Best dropped their 2025 list of the best fine-dining restaurants in the country on Monday and #1 on the list was none other than Restaurant Pearl Morissette.
What is clear is that this place is not only the best in Canada, it's one of the best dining experiences anywhere in the world. It's that good. And I think the above video by Vice does a great job outlining what co-chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson have created with their restaurant and farm in the Bench.
Everything they serve is immediately local and/or Canadian, and they're constantly experimenting. Equally admirable is their commitment to reshaping Canadian cuisine and putting it on the world stage.
You hear that throughout the video. At one point Hadida says, "I'm interested in slightly better. So I'm willing to go significantly harder to achieve slightly better." That's what it takes to be exceptional at anything, and I think Canada could use more of this kind of attitude.
What is also clear from the video is that farmer Shane Harper needs his own YouTube channel. As a general rule, I have deep respect for anyone who approaches their work with passion and enthusiasm. He has that in spades.
When we closed on the development site for Project Bench at the end of 2023, our team went for dinner at Restaurant Pearl Morissette to celebrate. It's one of the top-rated restaurants in Canada, it's 8 minutes from the site, and so it was the sensible thing to do. Their architect — gh3 — is also our architect.
I still remember when chef Eric Robertson brought out the amuse-bouche to start us off. He explained what it was and then reassured us that we would not be needing Uber Eats after this fine dining experience. We would leave full, deeply satisfied, and with a new appreciation for the Niagara culinary scene.
He was, of course, right about everything.
So it's no surprise that the following year, the restaurant earned both a Michelin Star (the very first in the Niagara region) and a Green Star for sustainability (only the second ever awarded in Canada). After having eaten there, we all knew it was only a matter of time.
Fast forward to today and they have yet another reason to celebrate. Canada's 100 Best dropped their 2025 list of the best fine-dining restaurants in the country on Monday and #1 on the list was none other than Restaurant Pearl Morissette.
This is well deserved and an incredible accomplishment for the team. It's also a testament to the extraordinary food and wine that is today coming out of the Niagara Benchlands region. It's clearly some of the best in the country and the world, and it's only getting better. (RPM is also on France's La Liste.)
I obviously have a vested interest in the Bench region, but I also just love celebrating Canadian successes. I want us to be the best at everything we do, and that's what this team is shooting for. So if you're in the market for a truly exceptional culinary experience, I highly recommend you check out RPM.
This is a copy of the 1912 edition of the Michelin Guide to France. Most of you have probably heard of Michelin star restaurants, but some of you may not be familiar with how it all started.
First published in 1904, the Michelin Guide is, as you might suspect, a product of French tire company Michelin. And since the beginning, this free guide has had a pretty clear objective: Its goal was to get you to drive more.
At the turn of the 20th century, there were only a few thousand cars on the road in France. This guide tried to change that by giving you places to go, as well as telling you where to stop along the way should you need to change a tire or two.
However, its famous starred ranking system for restaurants was not introduced until 1931, and the criteria for said ranking was not revealed until a few years later:
One Star: "A very good restaurant in its category" (Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie)
Two Stars: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" (Table excellente, mérite un détour)
Three Stars: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" (Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage)
Curiously enough, Canada has no Michelin star restaurants. I’m not exactly sure why, but I have heard that it’s because we’re not giving money to the right people. Maybe that’s wrong. I don’t know.
I do, however, find it interesting that this celebrated restaurant ranking system started as a marketing tool for motorists. Oftentimes you never know where a new idea might lead you.
P.S. I’m also not sure how the above 1912 copy is the 13th edition when the first Michelin Guide was supposedly published in 1904.
This is well deserved and an incredible accomplishment for the team. It's also a testament to the extraordinary food and wine that is today coming out of the Niagara Benchlands region. It's clearly some of the best in the country and the world, and it's only getting better. (RPM is also on France's La Liste.)
I obviously have a vested interest in the Bench region, but I also just love celebrating Canadian successes. I want us to be the best at everything we do, and that's what this team is shooting for. So if you're in the market for a truly exceptional culinary experience, I highly recommend you check out RPM.
This is a copy of the 1912 edition of the Michelin Guide to France. Most of you have probably heard of Michelin star restaurants, but some of you may not be familiar with how it all started.
First published in 1904, the Michelin Guide is, as you might suspect, a product of French tire company Michelin. And since the beginning, this free guide has had a pretty clear objective: Its goal was to get you to drive more.
At the turn of the 20th century, there were only a few thousand cars on the road in France. This guide tried to change that by giving you places to go, as well as telling you where to stop along the way should you need to change a tire or two.
However, its famous starred ranking system for restaurants was not introduced until 1931, and the criteria for said ranking was not revealed until a few years later:
One Star: "A very good restaurant in its category" (Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie)
Two Stars: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" (Table excellente, mérite un détour)
Three Stars: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" (Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage)
Curiously enough, Canada has no Michelin star restaurants. I’m not exactly sure why, but I have heard that it’s because we’re not giving money to the right people. Maybe that’s wrong. I don’t know.
I do, however, find it interesting that this celebrated restaurant ranking system started as a marketing tool for motorists. Oftentimes you never know where a new idea might lead you.
P.S. I’m also not sure how the above 1912 copy is the 13th edition when the first Michelin Guide was supposedly published in 1904.
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