• Blog
  • Guides
  • Journals
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Links
  • Interviews
  • About
  • Home

Dave's Travel Corner

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

journals

Visitor submitted travel journals. Submission guidelines


The Kawarthas’ Lantern Restaurant Guides the Vacationer to a Gourmet Heaven

July 15, 2015 by Habeeb Salloum3 Comments

Ontario - Peterborough and the Kawarthas - Lantern Restaurant & Grill - McCracken's Landing on Stoney Lake where boats dock to reach restaurant at sunset 1As our group of ten sipped on Stoney Mules on the patio of the Lantern Restaurant & Grill located on the edge of Stoney Lake in the Kawartha region of Ontario, I was content. At that moment, while enjoying this drink made of vodka, ginger-rhubarb shrub, mint and club soda, I could understand why this part of the province is so much in demand by tourists.

The tree covered shoreline and the beautifully designed restaurant combine to make it an alluring eating place where one can dine and feel the enticement of nature. So beautiful is the region that the Ojibwa gave it the name kawartha meaning ‘land of shining waters’.

In this aura of the outside world, the Lantern Restaurant stands as a beacon calling vacationers to fine dine amid the fresh country air. Located at McCracken’s Landing on Stoney Lake, 45 kms (28 mi) north of Peterborough, this dining place is a gem of gastronomic ingenuity created by its two co-chefs and co-owners, Geoff and Lesley Kirkland.

After our drink on the spectacular patio with a breathtaking view of the lake, we entered the warm and inviting atmosphere of the restaurant. It had a feeling of an elegant eating place.

Ontario - Peterborough and the Kawarthas - Lantern Restaurant & Grill - Co-owner & co-chef Geoff Kirkland 2 Ontario - Peterborough and the Kawarthas - Lantern Restaurant & Grill - Stoney Mule drink 1Our waiters were well-mannered, well-trained and well versed about every item on the menu. The restaurant ran like clock-work. In the words of Geoff, the policy of the restaurant is a happy staff makes for happy customers that makes for happy shareholders. On the edge of the beautiful waters of Stoney Lake, this entrepreneur had well-described a cycle of success.

Both Geoff and Lesley’s goal is to offer the best that Peterborough and the Kawarthas have to offer from farm to table in that area. Using only local ingredients, they have achieved a level of creativity in offering new dishes in the Peterborough area. They have classic dishes but with what they call innovative and modern twists. Because they rely on the ingredients from the farms within their vicinity, they have a seasonal rotating menu as well as daily food and drink specials.

For example, the night we visited the establishment, we were offered their tapas-style Chef’s Special, a mélange of everything fresh from their kitchen that evening. The meal that followed was no less innovative, tasty, and memorable. It started with a creamy rich mushroom soup paired with steamed then grilled artichokes accompanied by a tangy dipping sauce. For the entrée, we had a tender flaky baked perch sitting atop small cubes of roasted spiced potatoes and grilled asparagus with a lemony slightly tangy sauce dribbled all over. Texture, flavour, and presentation were phenomenal. This luxurious dinner ended with a flaky light butter tart from which oozed a slightly runny hot filling, the likes of which our group had never come across. Albeit Peterborough and the Kawarthas are known as ‘Butter Tart Country’ (there’s even a tour in this region that features only in this tart!), this version boggles the palette. So light and refreshing, its partnering with a cold homemade scoop of ice cream spooned over rhubarb-strawberry sauce was the finale of fine dining for that evening.

As we crossed the evening shimmering waters of Stoney Lake, the taste of that fine meal remained with us. In fact, the next morning, while standing in line at our lodging for the buffet breakfast, my mind raced back to the Lantern Restaurant & Grill. Yesterday evening I dined like a king and today, while in line, I had returned to the mundane.

For Further Information, Contact:
NOTE: the Lantern is now Hobart’s Lighthouse – visit: www.hobartslighthouse.ca

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism: 1400 Crawford Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 6X6; Tel: 1-800-461-6424; E-mail: info@thekawarthas.ca ; Website: www.thekawarthas.ca


Related posts:

Kafe Restaurant, Ubud Indonesia – November 2009 Iquitos, Peru – Guides Exploring Richmond’s History, then Taking the Highway to Heaven A Taste of Heaven Can food broker peace? Mamnoon Restaurant, Seattle

Filed Under: North America · Tagged: Art, Drinking, Food and Wine, Ice Cream, Restaurants, Wildlife

Comments

  1. Michael Zullo says

    July 17, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    Very good article, Habeeb. We enjoyed it a lot. We have several friends in Toronto. I’m forwarding them your article and putting a trip on our future travel list when we return to the Ontario providence.
    M and G
    New York City

  2. zahra says

    July 19, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Hi
    I am eager to visit this part of Ontario, thanks for sharing 🙂

  3. Habeeb says

    July 23, 2015 at 1:19 am

    Many thanks for your comments. Believe me, it’s well worth the visit. The Lantern Restaurant & Grill is an excellent spot to try fine-dining in Ontario’s cottage country. Make sure to go during the summer or early fall.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want an avatar to show with your comments? Get a free Gravatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow @DaveDTC

Get FREE Email Updates

Categories

Journals — Home

  • Africa
  • Antarctica
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Caribbean
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • North America
  • South America
  • South Pacific
  • Other

Latest Posts

  • The Vawter Family – Vawters on the Water
  • Escape to Bodega Bay
  • Are you a modern pilgrim? Visit Norway
  • Follow the Nomadic Footprints in Kyrgyzstan – Inte…
  • Can You Travel with CBD Oil? Products Worth Consid…

Explore

  • Above the Clouds
  • Guides
  • Highlight of the Month
  • Interviews
  • Journals
  • Press Releases
  • Videos

Prepare

  • Book Reviews
  • Pack List
  • Quiz: Geography
  • Quiz: Travel
  • Tour Booking
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel Products

Share

  • Contribute
  • Forums
  • Links
  • Photos

About

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Contributors
  • Email Dave
  • Media Coverage
  • Media Kit
Hi I'm Dave. After a life changing trip in 1996, I began this site as a creative outlet to educate, inspire and share travel experiences. Read more...
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Return to top of page
Copyright © 1996–2021 Dave's Travel Corner · All Rights Reserved · Log in

7ads6x98y
X
Sign Up for FREE Email Updates