Discovering Perth, Ontario, Restaurants, Where Pie Is Perfection

In Perth, Ontario, restaurants don't just take the cake. They also make the pie!

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The community of Perth, Ontario is just a short, one hour drive from my home in Ottawa but it's in a class all of its own when it comes to food. The handsome, historic town of 6,000 boasts a long list of restaurants, bakeries, pubs, and cafes tucked into the fetching limestone buildings of its downtown core. Always one to eagerly form neighborly bonds, I set out to Perth with two friends, a pair of stretchy pants, and a cooler in the trunk of the car to keep any perishable purchases preserved. While many foodie quests begin with savory appetizers and conclude with dessert, this trip would be happening in reverse. At the very top of my list was a visit to the Perth Pie Co's new headquarters, a delicious pilgrimage I'll be making again and again. If you're in search of Perth, Ontario, restaurants, I hope you'll follow in my footsteps for at least part of your quest, as my experience was absolutely delicious! 

The Perth Pie Co: An Emerging Local Legacy

"Why pie?", you may ask. I think the better question is why NOT pie! I've never been disappointed when I've discovered a small town bakery specializing in one product and I had to find out first hand why the Perth Pie Co was getting so much buzz. 

Since 2006, the Perth Pie Co has been gracing Perth, Ontario restaurants - and some further afield - with delicious pies. And, of course, they've been serving their loyal clientele scrumptious pies straight from their oven (or the freezer, for folks who like to take things home and bake on demand.) In 2013, the bakery changed hands and new owner Kassy eagerly applied her tremendous baking talents, rolling out nearly 2 dozen varieties of goodness. 

Those varieties includes classics like blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, and tart cherry pie, seasonal delicacies like mincemeat and pumpkin pie, and some out-of-the-ordinary fillings like haskap berries, "bumbleberry" (raspberries, blackberries, apple, and rhubarb), and maple-pecan pie. There's also custard pies, curd pies, and savory meat pies. And perhaps the nicest thing you can buy is found on their "suspended menu", which means you can purchase a cup of coffee or piece of pie and leave it with the staff to passed on to someone in need. 

I visited the Perth Pie Co during the early days of the shop being set up at its new location (that's 12 Gore St East - they used to be on Foster St) and saw first hand how the shop was being gussied up in an adorably vintage way. While it's not really intended as an eat-in cafe, there'll be some snugly spots to curl up with a slice of pie or butter tart and enjoy a hot drink - their grinds come from Fluid Solar Roasted Coffee from nearby Clayton. 

I'm not the only one who fell in love with the Perth Pie Co. Read my friend Laura's blog post about our trip and you'll see why Perth is so universally adored. 

While I was VERY keen on exploring their pie selection, I couldn't help but notice that they share their space with Artizen Kombucha. They're in the process of setting up kombucha on tap - six varieties to be exact. It will be the largest kombucha filling station in Ontario and, especially for nearby folks searching for kombucha in Ottawa, this will be a must-visit destination.

But it wasn't kombucha I was interested in. I wanted all the pie! After an agonizing decision making process, I nabbed the last fresh raspberry peach pie in the shop and grabbed a 'take and bake' frozen tart cherry pie and chicken pot pie as well.

As you can tell from Ryan's gleeful face, we couldn't wait to slice into the luscious raspberry peach pie. All the fruit is fresh and the combination of the raspberries and peaches were perfectly balanced to give us a delicious taste of summer. We may (or may not!) have had two slices of pie each, it was just so wonderfully delicious. 

The Perth Pie Co's pastry is some of the best I've ever tried. It's so rich and flaky and manages to be substantial and tender at the same time. The slices don't crumble when you serve them and there's no dreaded disaster when the first slice is removed from the pan. 

It wouldn't be a proper pie review if I only tried one variety. It was time to give the savory selection a try! The Perth Pie Co's chicken pot pie was undoubtedly the finest chicken pot pie I've ever tried. If I'm being honest, my feelings towards the dish were modest at best in the past. I couldn't understand why everyone would always rave about about pot pies. But this pie changed everything!

It was densely packed with fresh vegetables. I don't think I had ever seen a savory pie before that didn't contain disgusting, square, processed carrots. I could actually identify all of the pie's content. Amazing! And the chicken within was fresh, white meat, not the grayish cubes of gristle-y pressed meat found in mass produced pies.  Are the the best meat pies in Ottawa, Perth, and the surrounding region? Absolutely!

Ryan - a passionate consumer of pot pies - had a few reservations. He prefers his pot pies to be more on the saucy side and this particular pie is more densely packed with meat and veggies. It isn't filled with free flowing gravy. If you prefer a runnier, juicier pot pie, keep this in mind. But aside from this difference in opinion (really, what was Ryan thinking), I think it's fair to crown the Perth Pie Co the undisputed winner of all the Perth restaurants and cafes I visited. But it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tasty local food.

Perth Pie Co: Address and Hours of Operation

Closed Monday
Open Tuesday - Friday 10:00 - 5:00
Open Saturday - Sunday 10:00 -4:00

Contact: 613-200-8743 
Website: ​http://www.perthpieco.ca/

Hearty lunch at the Rocky River Cafe

For a yummy lunch, my choice among all the fantastic Perth (Ontario) restaurants is the Rocky River Cafe (8 Wilson St East). And I'm not alone! The locals I chatted with couldn't say enough about it. One thing in particular that was enthusiastically recommended was the onion rings. These were no ordinary appetizers! The onion rings are coated in a sweet batter not unlike a doughnut before being deep fried, coated with powder sugar, and drizzled with maple syrup. It was like an onion doughnut, a curious combination of sweet and savory that wasn't unpleasant and made for a good appetizer - albeit one split among a few people. I'm not sure I could handle a full plate. 

The Rocky River Cafe is well known locally for its generous sandwiches and burgers and I very much enjoyed my club sandwich - though I wasn't a fan of the somewhat deconstructed Caesar salad. Must I really crumble my own bacon? It was a distraction from what was an otherwise delicious dish. The coconut cream pie was a good dessert but I must admit that after visiting the Perth Pie Co, I was missing the smell of their fresh fruit pies. 

Homemade chocolate and desserts at the Perth Chocolate Works

Of course, no Perth (Ontario) restaurants list would be complete without adding some chocolate to it. You can't expect a girl to live on pie alone, do you? The Perth Chocolate Works, located in the Code's Mill building (17 Wilson St East), has been in business since 1998. They specialize in making gourmet chocolate, including classic truffles and chocolate dipped treats like pretzels and my absolute favourite: chocolate dipped marshmallows! 

The Perth Chocolate Works also offers a selection of imported British treats, including preserves and candies. ​It's the perfect stop for getting a sugar fix and taking a stroll in Stewart Park across the road. That statue I'm posing with (with my "marshkebab" in hand) honors famed equestrian Ian Miller, Perth's most famous son, and his legendary horse, Big Ben. 

Other Perth (Ontario) restaurants well worth checking out.

Perth has a fantastic dining scene and by no means is this a comprehensive list. But if you're looking for a few ideas to start your foodie journey, these would be good places to start. 

If you're craving enchiladas and are looking for a Mexican restaurant in Perth, you're in luck. Mex & Co (55 Gore St East) is a popular local spot featuring Mexican food with a California twist and a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the water.

The Hungry 7 (34 Dufferin St) doesn't look like all that much from the outside and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a off-highway greasy spoon. It's anything but! People rave about how fantastic the food is, particularly the hot sandwiches.

O'Reilly's Ale House (43 Gore St East) offers a good selection of local draft beer and pub classic like wings. The brisket sandwich and fish and chips are particularly popular.

Coutt's Coffee Roastery and Cafe (57 Gore St East) - as if I could make a food list and not include coffee on it! This is the place to go for freshly roasted coffee along with other cafe treats like cookies, muffins, and light lunches. They have nice waterfront seating too.


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