I knew making friends with the trio of lambs that ambled up the pasture to bleat hello at Littlejohn Farm might be a mistake.
Perhaps I should have lavished more attention on the decidedly less adorable chickens as now, seated at a long family style dining table lit with candles and festooned with fall root vegetables, I have a plate of said new friends in front of me. Steaming and succulent-looking. One look and all my vegetarian resolutions are out the window. I am a hypocrite and I don’t care — it's maybe the most delicious lamb I’ve ever tasted.
I am on a farm just outside the small town of Wellington in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, a short drive from Toronto, to soak up the best of the season. As the vibrant reds, yellows and rusts of the fall foliage recede behind the setting sun, Luhana Littlejohn guides us through the rows of kale, corn, and squash that she and her husband Zach raise and cook up on their agrotourist property.
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The pair have a meet-cute story right out of a rom com. Picture two young strangers, she a girl from Salvador, Brazil and he a boy from Stouffville, Ontario striking up a conversation one night at a train station in Bayonne—a chat that continued over 34 days walking the El Camino del Santiago trail together. What emerged was a shared dream to one day own and live on a sustainable farm… and the rest is history.
The couple opened up the property to the public for communal dinners and events eight years ago, inviting guests to dive into the cooking and enjoy the literal fruits of their labour. And now, after inexpertly rolling and stuffing agnolotti—and assembling canapés of gougères with concord grape jelly, herbed cheese and house-made charcuterie, we are feasting. Almost every bite has been raised on this land and pulled from the earth that very day—the freshness and care unmistakable in every morsel.
It quickly becomes clear that my days in the county will be devoted to such rapacious pursuits. Upon arriving at the Drake Devonshire Hotel (the famously revamped farmhouse filled with quirky art installations and windows for days overlooking Lake Ontario), all plans for a jog along the local beaches are dashed by the sight of Adirondack chairs lined at the water’s edge—replete with blankets and stemmed glasses brimming with chilled local sparkling rosé.
I get my endorphins vicariously by watching a brave couple emerge from the outdoor sauna to gamely wade into the chilly waves, very pleased with my own cold-hot circuit of sipping and snuggling into my new woolly nest.
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That evening over dinner in the Drake’s restaurant while nibbling on chef Amanda Ray’s (Montreal’s Bar George alum) fried eggplant with silken tofu and baba ghanoush, talk turns to the innovative young chefs, artists and hoteliers from the city who have set up shop in the county.
It seems the newcomers who put down roots during the pandemic have brought their friends and the area is a-buzz with foodie festivals like Countylicious. I make a mental note to come back in February for the annual Barn Burner fundraiser where Montreal chefs face off against local talent in a hockey tournament before serving up a dinner that’s in a league of its own.
Post-dinner, full but still thirsty, we hit Wellington’s main drag, falling into Upstreet, where, to our surprised delight, the jolly barkeep Craig produces two microphones for some impromptu screechy karaoke.
My gang of merrymakers is less than thrilled that we are not given the same privileges (no mics for us!) down the street at the Bar Duchess, but we are immediately cheered by the stiff craft cocktails—and the chance to belt out Wheatus’ Teenage Dirt Bag along with the (not at all screechy) live singer and bartender.
The next day it’s wine-tasting time, reason alone to visit the county as you’re unlikely to get a superior sip anywhere else due to limited production. Prince Edward County’s cool climate and its fossil-filled limestone provide the ideal terroir for Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays which some have compared to Burgundy’s.
First up is Huff Estates with a quick stop at the adjoining Oeno Gallery for stroll though it’s large sculpture garden dotted with more than 60 installations. We then wander the rows of grapes and get a peek at the fermentation tanks and barrels, sipping house pinot as we stroll.
Next is Clossen Chase in Hillier, where we nibble charcuterie as head winemaker Keith Tyers pours chilled glasses of their two distinctly different Chardonnays. Like the perfect parent, he refuses to reveal which of the two (Churchside or South Clos) he prefers.
Our last stop is at Base31, an innovative repurposing of one of the British Commonwealth Air training sites built during World War II. 70- acres of military airplane hangars and their slightly dilapidated green barracks are gradually being developed into entertainments spaces (the Drill Hall regularly hosts iconic Canadian bands like Blue Rodeo and Men without Hats), art galleries, interactive children’s gardens, open air food markets and multicoloured pickle ball courts.
The most captivating? The Exhibition Hall which is home to a restored Lancaster Bomber KB 882 and a room adorned with actual love letters from a soldier to his hometown sweetheart.
Exercise comes at last on my final day with a walk at Sandbanks Provincial Park. The day is overcast, so the beach’s famous turquoise water and white sands are not on prime display, but climbing the dunes to gaze out at vast Lake Ontario feels like the pilgrimage we all needed.
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