I will throw down the gauntlet and state that there are many foods prepared in Waterloo region that could rival any dish anywhere and anytime.
While there are many other examples I could give, here are just a handful of world-class eats, whether they are made by restaurants or food manufacturers. Some are well known; others fly under the radar.
One great way to start the day is with a fresh, warm bagel with cream cheese — even run-of-the-mill cream cheese. No offence, New York, but the Montreal-style bagel wins a head-to-head taste-off hands down.
Montreal-style bagels might have a touch of sweetness from honey that balances perfectly with their wood-fire bake. Woodfire Bagels and City Café in Kitchener (the latter open, by the way, this Labour Day Monday) have lovely flavour and can stand up to the renowned St-Viateur Bagel of Montreal.
According to City Café founder John Bergen, the recipe is simple, but the result is delicious.
“It’s low salt, some sugar and rye flour for moisture retention,” Bergen said. “There are no eggs because it can make them dry. They have a 24-hour fermentation, then it’s boil and bake in a wood-fired oven.”
For another pastry, Kitchener-based Bosanski Burek has been making eastern European phyllo pastries in Kitchener since early-2000. A popular snack for morning, noon and night, the burek (or borek) is likely originally a Turkish creation.
The Bosanski burek comes out of the…
