Treadwell

The restaurant’s name says it all: Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine. Perched at the mouth of Niagara’s original canal system, the location is both idyllic and deliciously fitting.

Of course, that name has been some time in the making. Chef/owner Stephen Treadwell crossed the Atlantic in 1982 in search of fresh fields and quickly gained a reputation for regional excellence. It is now his name that hangs over the door.

It is both the culmination of a lifetime’s work and the start of another. Keeping his focus on fresh and his reason guided by season, Treadwell has crafted a regionally rooted menu with a twist–on the back is a roll call of the local producers and suppliers. As an edible reflection of the best the Niagara Peninsula has to offer, Treadwell’s is about as firmly rooted in the local terroir as possible.

After more than two decades of crafting success for others, Treadwell is charting his own course. Joined by his son James, an accomplished sommelier in his own right, the father-son team is guided by a simple desire to do the right thing.

“When you have control over the creative aspects of a restaurant, you have control over the source of your ingredients,” said Treadwell. “Even cooking in this region for as long as I have, I have been wonderfully surprised by all the incredible ingredients we have found for the menu.”

Treadwell is quick to note that many of us have forgotten the richness of the local larder. While the winter months have us all foraging a bit further afield, those same purchasing patterns can create blinders over time–for both professional and home cooks.

What has emerged, thanks to Treadwell, is both a restaurant and a reminder of all the delicious gems in backyards across the country waiting to be rediscovered by chefs and cooks of every honest stripe.

Recipes

• Sliced Prosciutto with Preserved Lemon, Shaved Pear, and Arugula
• Heirloom Tomato Tarts
• Pan-Seared Whitefish with Sweet Pea and Corn Risotto
• Rosemary Creme Brûlée