Uncovering local ingredients on Kingston’s menus

By Abbey McCauley

Kingston stands out as a city with a thriving restaurant scene. The secret to their success lies in unique flavours, delectable pairings, and, above all, locally sourced ingredients.  

The Kingston region is lucky to be home to farmers and producers, committed to growing fresh and nourishing ingredients. A number of local restaurants are Feast On® certified, signifying their dedication to using locally grown and made food and beverage. Read on to explore eight Kingston restaurants that showcase the best home-grown food. 

Otter Creek Kitchen 

2792 Princess St 

Otter Creek Kitchen offers world-class beef right here in Kingston. They serve 100% Wagyu beef born and raised on their family farm, Otter Creek Farms. Their burgers, sandwiches, salads, and poutines are made with flavours that complement their beef. As a certified Feast On® restaurant, Otter Creek pairs their signature beef with other local ingredients from regional businesses, such as cheese curds from Wilton Cheese Factory.  

Open: Wed – Sat (11 am – 8 pm), Sun (11 am – 7 pm)   

View menu | Contact: 613-583-0801 

The Everly

171 Wellington St, Unit 103  

The Everly is proud to boast a seasonal, rotating menu, working with over 20 farmers and food producers in the Kingston area. Their summer menu is filled with fresh produce ranging from Patchwork Gardens cucumbers to Salt of the Earth Farm broccolini. Try the cheese agnolotti, beef tenderloin, or lemon tart to experience their prominent summer flavour, lemon!  

Open: Tues – Sat (4 – 10 pm)  

View menu | Contact: 613-547-5864  

Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse

195 Ontario St  

Surf and turf featuring local ingredients? Dianne’s is the place! This Feast On® certified downtown gem is where the flavours of Kingston, the East Coast, and Mexico meet. Highlights of their summer menus include the seafood poutine with fresh coconut green curry sauce, mixed mushroom tacos with crisp salsa, and grilled Mexican street corn paired with lime mayo.  

Open: Mon – Sun (11: 30 am – 11 pm)  

View menu | Contact: 613-507-3474  

Toast & Jam

1530 Bath Rd  

Toast & Jam Café, a Feast On® certified spot for breakfast and lunch, uses delicious breads and baked goods as the foundation of their menu, supplied by their sister bakery, Bread & Butter. The bakery makes everything from scratch in-house, using ingredients sourced from the Kingston community. This summer, Toast & Jam’s menu is filled with sandwiches and salads made with crunchy local greens from Patchwork Gardens and summer vegetables.  

Open: Wed – Sun (8 am – 3 pm)  

View menu | Contact: 613-766-3423 

Mesa Fresca

1347 Gardiners Rd  

Mesa Fresca’s Mexican fusion cuisine is elevated by the efforts they make to curate a local dining experience in Kingston. Their masa flour tortillas, salsas, dressings, sauces, guacamoles, and syrups are made fresh in-house every day. Mesa Fresca uses ingredients from nine local suppliers on their menu, from the meat for their tacos and burgers to the vegetables in their salads.  

Open: Tue – Sat (11:30 am – 9 pm)  

View menu | Contact: 613-389-6372  

Bella Bistro

4050 Bath Rd  

Treat yourself to pizza and pasta, made with local ingredients, at Bella Bistro. A glance at their summer menu reveals dishes made with Enright Cattle Company beef, Hannover View Farms pork, the Fungi Connection mushrooms, and Forman Farms tomatoes. At Bella Bistro, their commitment to supporting local farmers shines through, guaranteeing a superlative dining experience.  

Open: Wed – Thurs (4 – 9 pm), Fri – Sat (11:30 am – 9 pm)   

View menu | Contact: 613-634-4050

Wharf & Feather

2 Princess St  

Find pub-style gastronomy with fresh ingredients at Wharf & Feather, one of Kingston’s certified Feast On® restaurants. Local offerings on their menu include bread from Pan Chancho Bakery, gelato from Mio Gelato, and goat cheese from Mariposa Farm. One of their main dishes, MacKinnon Fish n’ Chips, is made with MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Company original lager batter. Visit Friday through Sunday to try their new summer BBQ features, served with seasonal vegetables and baked potatoes.  

Open: Mon – Sat (7 – 10 am, noon – 11 pm), Sun (7 – 11 am, noon – 4 pm, 5 – 11 pm)  

View menu | Contact: 613-549-8400  

AquaTerra

1 Johnson St  

Enjoy AquaTerra’s waterfront view while indulging in Feast On® certified plates of community-sourced ingredients. To combine global flavours with the freshest local produce and meats, they partner with over 40 Ontario suppliers, including Maplescapes Farms, Quinn’s Meats, the Fungi Connection, and Beking’s Poultry Farms. From the eggs Florentine at brunch to the grilled lamb chops at dinner, each farm-to-table dish at AquaTerra honours the bounty of the Kingston region.  

Open: Mon – Fri (6:30 – 10:30 am, noon – 2 pm, 5 – 9 pm), Sat (7 – 10:30 am, noon – 2 pm, 5 – 9 pm), Sun (7 am – 2 pm, 5 – 9 pm)  

View menu | Contact: 613-549-6243  

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