Looking for food-related stops off the 417 between Ottawa and Montreal
Boston hound here (actually northern MA near the NH border) travelling with my wife to Ottawa for the first time.
Long time traveller to Montreal and Maritimes in past.
This will be the first time travelling the 2 hour drive on the 417 between Ottawa and Montreal, and travelling in sections of Ontario and western Quebec where neither of us have been.
Does anyone have recommendations for food-related stops between the two cities, which are relatively close to the 417?
We already have plans to stop and view the Elk Ranch in Kanata, and for a brewery tour at Beau's All Natural.
When we travel, we are huge fans off visiting area vineyards, breweries, and cideries, as well as coffee roasters and cheesemakers. In general, we enjoy visting places where people care about their craft and product.
TIA Ontario Hounds.
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When I lived in Ottawa, I used to make that run every weekend to our cottage on Lake Champlain.
I'm sorry to say that it's pretty much a wasteland. The only possible stop that I could recommend is at Oka, Quebec, where the monks of the abbey make the eponymous cheese. Note that it's on the north shore, and you'll have to take a ferry across to Hudson to get on the 417, which may or may not give you a bit of break from the drive.
Eastern Ontario is flat and featureless, and all the towns on 417 are small, farming-centric communities, without any chowish stops that I can recall. Casselman is the largest town, about halfway between Ottawa and Montreal, and all I can remember there are non-descript burger joints. I usually bailed out of Ottawa as soon as I could on a Friday, as the traffic was terrible, but I never found a decent place that I would plan on stopping at along the way. I'd push on to Valleyfield (skipping the Montreal traffic), and stop at my favourite greasy spoon there, Le Bidon.
