Three Ontario restaurants named among top 50 best restaurants in the continent

The number one restaurant in the country, according to Canada’s Best 100, due to their elevated wine-country cuisine. (Zach Keeshig)

Three restaurants in Ontario are among the top 50 places to eat in North America, according to a new ranking.

In the inaugural list, North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, two restaurants in Toronto and one in the Niagara region — the latter of which cracked the top three — were mentioned.

Restaurant Pearl Morissette, the only two-star Michelin restaurant in Ontario, was named the third-best restaurant in the continent for its hyper-local, farm-to-table menu.

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“The tasting menu-only experience showcases dishes like grilled West Coast geoduck with pickled spruce tips, Nubian goat with overwintered parsnips and blackened barley koji that acts as a chocolate ganache dupe,” 50 Best says.

Next up is the west-end Toronto restaurant, Quetzal, at 11. The upscale Mexican restaurant received its acclaim for its smoky dishes using Canadian ingredients — something the Michelin Guide also recognized, awarding it with one star.

“The restaurant’s ambitious bar programme is a highlight too, spotlighting mezcal and tequila in imaginative cocktails along with thoughtful non-alcoholic options of reimagined Mexican classics,” the list reads.

The last restaurant for Ontario comes in at 44 with mhel, a Korean-Japanese fusion restaurant. 50 Best applauds the Dufferin Grove restaurant for its seasonal small plates and its sake-dominant drink list.

The top two restaurants in North America, according to 50 Best, are New York’s Atomix in first, for its 12-course tasting menu “masterpiece” and Montreal’s Mon Lapin in second, for its wine list and ever-changing menu.

Here are the top 50 restaurants in North America, according to 50 Best:

1. Atomix, New York, N.Y.
2. Mon Lapin, Montreal, Que.
3. Restaurant Pearl Morissette, Jordan Station, Ont.
4. Smyth, Chicago, Ill.
5. Tanière3, Quebec City, Que.
6. Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, La.
7. Kalaya, Philadelphia, Penn.
8. Single Thread, Healdsburg, Calif.
9. Le Bernardin, New York, N.Y.
10. Le Veau d’Or, New York, N.Y.
11. Quetzal, Toronto, Ont.
12. Baan Lao, Richmond, B.C.
13. Benu, San Francisco, Calif.
14. Californios, San Francisco, Calif.
15. The Four Horsemen, New York, N.Y.
16. Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, Penn.
17. Moon Rabbit, Washington D.C.
18. Via Carota, New York, N.Y.
19. Chubby Fish, Charleston, S.C.
20. Locust, Nashville, Tenn.
21. Saison, San Francisco, Calif.
22. Montréal Plaza, Montreal, Que.
23. Kono, New York, N.Y.
24. Aska, New York, N.Y.
25. Lazy Bear, San Francisco, Calif.
26. Kato, Los Angeles, Calif.
27. Kann, Portland, Ore.
28. Published on Main, Vancouver, B.C.
29. Le Violon, Montreal, Que.
30. Emeril’s, New Orleans, La.
31. Kasama, Chicago, Ill.
32. Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, Penn.
33. Saga, New York, N.Y.
34. Albi, Washington D.C.
35. Jungsik, New York, N.Y.
36. Corima, New York, N.Y.
37. Dōgon, Washington D.C.
38. César, New York, N.Y.
39. Café Carmellini, New York, N.Y.
40. Penny, New York, N.Y.
41. Buzo Osteria Italiana, Bridgetown, Barbados
42. Holbox, Los Angeles, Calif.
43. Alma, Montreal, Que.
44. Mhel, Toronto, Ont.
45. Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, Colo.
46. Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, Calif.
47. Providence, Los Angeles, Calif.
48. Quince, San Francisco, Calif.
49. Stush in the Bush, St. Ann, Jamaica
50. Beba, Montreal, Que.