Restaurant Pearl Morissette
Restaurant Pearl Morissette’s continued place at the head of our list is a testament to the power of collaboration. Even before it opened in 2017, owner-chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson shared a vision of a kitchen that would run on transparent communication, not ego. Ingredients were to be grown on the property’s farm or in the gardens created by resident forager/gardener Deirdre Fraser, or else sourced from artisanal producers with sound ideas on sustainability — and nothing from outside Canada. Those foods would inspire a carte blanche tasting menu that could change weekly, daily or even between services. Never mind if guests don’t know what to expect. Each carefully explained course will become an initiation. Instead of being mere witnesses to a performance, they too will be part of the collaboration.
The chefs have stayed true to these ambitions, growing in knowledge and confidence over the years, gradually refining every detail of the operation. The crusty sourdough bread may be the best you’ve ever eaten; non-alcoholic cocktails and juices, precisely paired to the menu, are a revelation. The wine program features global producers who share Pearl Morissette winery’s rigorous, often obsessive approach to both farming and cellar work. Sommelier Scott Cowan wants to take that further, exploring wines grown in foreign vineyards that echo Pearl Morissette’s terroir. “For me,” he says, “there is a quiet spiritual homeland between wines of similar soil expressions.”
Central to it all is the quality of the food. Every dish tastes absolutely delicious, whether it’s as opulent as the sea urchin beurre monté that sauces grilled West Coast halibut crowned with tatsoi and a spoonful of caviar, or as simple as eight tiny sourdough gnocchi floating in a bowl of concentrated chicken stock, a last burst of umami before the dessert courses begin.
Many great restaurants take pride in the well-rehearsed repetition of excellence. RPM turns that concept on its head, generating a more organic harmony and daring to encourage spontaneity. To dine there is to participate in an adventure that feels personally curated by Hadida, Robertson and their team — a bespoke experience full of delights and surprises.
–James Chatto