Before I left Turkey, and returned to Canada, I vowed that I would take the time to explore and rediscover the nation which I grew up in. In doing so, I wanted to ensure that I didn't overlook or take for granted all that was immediately around me in Toronto and the surrounding area. The moment I touched back down in Toronto a little less than a month ago, it immediately dawned on me that there was a wealth of experiences to be had here.

I can't tell if in my younger years I took for granted what was always within my grasp or there has been a tremendous growth in the city and surrounding area during my extended absence, but it's clear that things have changed.

I was fortunate enough to take this mindset to Durham Region which, for those who don't know, is located in Southern Ontario, just east of Toronto. However, I want to take a moment to stipulate that Durham Region isn't a place that just merely resides in Toronto's shadow. In stark contrast to that notion, I would argue that more Torontonians are actually moving out in that direction than vice versa at this point.

Durham Region has its own culture which is seemingly strengthening by the day, and that's coming out in what it's producing from a food and beverage standpoint. I'd venture to say that's largely because the land is ripe for growing Ontario goods, and that's recently collided with some bright, creative minds who are looking to do some interesting things in relation to boiling, braising, and brewing.

I spent two days driving around the region with a particular focus. Firstly, I was in talks with the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance to ensure that I was visiting restaurants which genuinely focused on sourcing locally, something that has become increasingly important to me, and always has been important to them.

Their idea with their recent campaign is to recognize restaurants that put dollars back into the pockets of Canadian farmers, but also delicious, fresh food in the mouths of happy patrons. The monicker for their campaign is known as "Feast On," and you'll likely want to take note of the restaurants on this list!

My secondary goal was to do a thorough job driving throughout the nearly 2500 square kilometre region, finding innovative and interesting destinations to stop, such as breweries with a propensity to push the boundaries. For reference sake, the Regional Municipality of Durham includes the Town of Ajax, the Township of Brock, the Municipality of Clarington, the City of Oshawa, the City of Pickering, the Township of Scugog, the Township of Uxbridge, and the Town of Whitby.

In short, this post is my attempt to do homework on where to eat and drink in Durham Region so you don't have to! What I found, experienced, and discovered is worth recounting (at least in my humble opinion).

Restaurants in Durham Region to

Place on Your Radar

Now, it goes without saying that there are more than two restaurants that are worth visiting in Durham Region, but these are two restaurants which embody that farm-to-table, focus on local sort of esteem. Beyond that, these two restaurants provide innovative meals at attainable prices. It's also worth mentioning that, not surprisingly, they're both "Feast On" Certified.

Riddle me this - how many times have you sat at a restaurant in which you're literally looking out over the farm where the food came from?