For decades, Creemore was best known for its eponymous brewery, a popular stop on the gastro-pilgrims’ camino to Michael Stadtländer’s Eigensinn Farm, some 20 minutes away. Today, the charming little village, tucked into the eastern edge of the Niagara escarpment, is a culinary destination in its own right, attracting curious diners from Toronto, an hour and a half to the south, and from across the country. They come to eat at The Pine, a restaurant that relocated from Collingwood in 2024, taking over the premises of a garage and body shop at the edge of town.
Owners Jeremy and Cassie Austin did a lot of the reno themselves, giving the high-ceilinged space a clean, minimalist look with white walls and modern Scandi-style furniture. Six of the two dozen seats look directly into the open kitchen — a fine vantage point to watch the intricate plating of the tasting menu’s 18-or-so courses, each one a visual work of art involving props, natural objects and unique artisanal ceramics. With only one seating, the friendly, attentive service never feels rushed and there’s time for a narrated introduction to each dish’s concept and ingredients. Some of the latter come from Cassie’s family farm or from the restaurant’s small back garden, a gravel-paved area with wooden planters brimming with flowers and herbs. At one point during the meal, guests are led out there for a refreshing interlude, the leg-stretching equivalent of a sorbet. Inspired by his years cooking in various parts of China, chef Jeremy’s food is complex, surprising and provocative. The Pine sets it all in a clean-cut and delightfully unpretentious frame.
–James Chatto
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