15 Best Places To Taste The Saskatoon Culinary Scene

Haven't heard of Saskatoon? Most people haven't. Located about 300 miles north of Montana, it's quickly rising in popularity thanks to landing the number 18 spot on the New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2018 list. In addition to the opening of the Remai Modern, the recently opened modern museum that's put this obscure Canadian destination on the art map thanks to its impressive Picasso linocut collection, Saskatoon has a burgeoning culinary and craft drink scene.

Known as "the bread basket of Canada", Saskatchewan (Saskatoon's province) is home to 44 percent of the country's farmland-a major reason why this city's eateries and bars offer some of the freshest seasonal ingredients around. Not to mention "Top Chef Canada" season one winner, Dale Mackay, founded three well-received restaurants here.

From multi-course meals incorporating locally foraged herbs and produce to authentic perogies at what could be the only perogie drive-thru in the world, here's our list of top spots to eat and drink while in Saskatoon, Canada.

You're not going to find more authentic pierogies than at Baba's Pierogies (unless you head to Eastern Europe, of course). While it may not look like much from the outside, this Saskatoon establishment has been whipping up perogies, cabbage rolls and homemade beet borscht by hand, with love, for over 32 years. All the magic happens in-house. In a rush? Baba's Pierogies is home to what is believed to be the only pierogies drive-thru in the world.

For a one-of-a-kind dining experience, take a seat at The Hollows, a locally owned/operated restaurant located in Riversdale in the historic Golden Dragon building. Chef Christie Peters forages daily for locally cultivated plants, roots, vegetables and herbs to add to her seasonally-inspired cuisine. Dishes, which place an emphasis on sustainability and preservation of ingredients, are served on an eclectic variety of dinnerware in a former Chinese-Canadian restaurant whose retro-60's aesthetic creates a unique dining ambiance.

Hearth is a new neighborhood restaurant that features fresh and locally foraged food in innovative dishes that highlight the best ingredients of the season. After operating as a catering business for a number of years, owners Beth Rogers and Thayne Robstad focus on serving unpretentious, ingredient-forward prairie cooking at their casual, laid-back spot.

This cozy bakery sources all their grains from organic Saskatchewan farmers and highlights an incredible variety of grains such as red fife wheat and heirloom grain in their bread and pastries. All of The Night Oven's goodies are handmade, in-house in firebrick ovens¾trust me, you can tell the difference! Moreover, all their grains are milled in-house by a large handmade mill. It doesn't get fresher than this.

Saskatoon is a culinary enthusiasts dream. Interested in made-in-Saskatchewan products, food production and how things actually get from farm to fork? Head to SaskMade Marketplace. Open seven days a week, you'll have a selection of farm fresh eggs, local produce, meats, fish and more. In addition, they offer walls of locally produced gourmet treats including Saskatoon berry jams, syrups, chocolates, honey and pies.

Bringing together traditional farming with modern technology to best utilize the land and natural resources, Black Fox Farm & Distillery is one of the few farm-to-still distilleries in North America. Founders John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote are grain farmers turned distillers that grow 90 percent of what is used in their products. From honey and haskap berries to pumpkin flowers, the farm is overflowing with quality produce. Their oaked gin won World's Best Gin in London UK in 2017 so be sure to have a taste while at the distillery.

This family ran restaurant offers up innovative Asian-Canadian cuisine inspired by the ingredients and cooking methods of Cantonese, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines. Without M.S.G or flavor additives, Odd couple features a menu full of flavor-packed hits including vegan spring rolls, maple Thai basil pork ribs, bbq pork fried rice topped with thick layers of bacon and Vietnamese noodle bowls. Excellent for family-style feasting!

9 Mile Legacy is Saskatoon's first nano-brewery and specializes in varietal craft beer, from west coast IPAs and oatmeal stouts to sours and experimental styles of beer. Co-founders, Shawn Moen and Garrett Pederson grew up on farms nine miles apart from one another, left their careers to work in commercial breweries with intent to refine their beer-making skills and end up returning home to start 9 Mile Legacy.

This French patisserie in the heart of Saskatoon's Riversdale district is the perfect spot to sit back, relax and indulge on some sweet treats. Little Bird Patisserie and Café offers a variety of pastries, cakes and cookies, many of which are Saskatoon berry flavored. This charming patisserie also features an extensive menu of teas and coffees to sip on. Stop by for high tea or at lunchtime for a selection of made to order sandwiches, soups and salads.

Back to Coffee Beans could be one of the most unique shops in all of Canada. This coffee shop/ antique store/ ice cream parlor in the 33rd Street neighborhood is charming, quirky and full of character. It's a treasure trove waiting to be explored. From dolls and jewelry, to tea sets and figurines, you could spend hours just looking through all the bizarre knickknacks and interesting items. Enjoy a cup of coffee or a haskcap berry ice cream when you need a shopping break.

Get Saskatoon'ed at Lucky Bastard Distillery, Saskatchewan's premium micro-distillery with a passion for bottling unique libations that include their popular Gambit Gin, a New Western Dry Gin that's produced in small batches using botanicals that include Saskatoon berries. Take a complimentary tour, complete with tastings at their regal event space.

For authentic Eastern Chinese food, packed with complex flavors including cumin and cilantro, check out Number 1 Noodle House. Known for their Shanxi knife-cut noodles, you can't go wrong with a spicy plate of cumin lamb fried noodles. These dense, chewy noodles are incredibly satisfying and offer a texture unlike any other noodle you're likely to come across! Fun fact? The "chef" who "hand" cuts these noodles is a robot imported from China.

From the team that brought Ayden Kitchen & Bar and Sticks and Stones to Saskatoon, Little Grouse on the Prairie opened its doors in February 2016. With a kitchen helmed by Dale MacKay protégé Jesse Zuber, Little Grouse on the Prairie focuses on scratch-made pasta using local flour and ingredients. Guests are encouraged to enjoy alla famiglia style dinners, allowing them to try a variety of inspired Italian dishes. Little Grouse features Saskatoon's first open kitchen eating bar, making for a lively, interactive dining experience.

Situated in the newly opened Remai Modern, Shift is a part of Oliver and Bonacini restaurant group. This thoughtful, Canadian-inspired restaurant aims to connect the food to the landscapes by working with the seasons and the farmers to craft Canadian favorites from chicken pot pie and tourtière to prairie staples like perogies and Diefenbaker trout. Using locally grown ingredients as much as possible, Shift offers guests contemporary cooking for lunch, dinner, light bites and weekend brunch.

Park Café is a retro diner spot known for its hearty plates of comfort food. Don't miss out on brunch¾they make a killer eggs benedict and offer all your brunch favorites from French toast and pancakes to build your own omelets. Plus, you can even order a plate of different types of bacon! If you haven't had beef bacon, peameal bacon, back bacon or schinkenspeck before, now's your chance to get it all. On one plate!