Niagara on the Lake Part 2

Ok, so as promised here is part two of what else you can do in Niagara on the Lake that was an additional cost to what was provided in the Travel Zoo deal (see last post).

My fiancé really wanted to check out a Pizzeria he found online called Pieza Pizzeria located only a few minutes drive from The Pillar and Post on 188 Victoria Street.  They serve up Napoletana style pizza, a style that’s found in Naples.  Maurizio, the owner and certified Pizzaiolo, was born and raised in Napoli and knows a thing or two about authentic pizza pies.
Heck, their pizza oven was even imported from Napoli! It only burns hard wood and reaches the ideal temperature of 750 degrees to bake your pie in 2 minutes or less! Impressive.

​The restaurant itself was quaint and painted bright blue and white. It looked to have been set up in what used to be a family home. The plates the foods were served on were painted with flowers, sheep, chickens and even octopuses, with warm colours and an old world feel. The waitress informed us they even sold the sets and I was shown upstairs to what looked like private party room and a display of a plates, bowls and spoon rests. They were really quite charming.

​ I’m a big fan of white pizza and ordered Za’Anto (Fior di latte mozzarella, fresh ricotta, mushrooms and prosciutto) for $19. I was hungry and thought I would be able to finish a whole pie to myself but ended up taking half back to the Inn (and it ended up being eaten as a midnight snack). It was delicious and you could really tell you were eating great quality ingredients.  It’s really perfect for a causal lunch or dinner. Heads up! Its closed on Monday’s and Tuesday’s

​Another great location that we ate at was called Treadwell and came highly recommended from Katie’s brother in law.  We reserved a spot for lunch. The menu was a bit more expensive than what you would find at Pieza Pizzeria and is located on the main strip (114 Queen Street).  The brunch menu had something for everyone, savoury or sweet and the atmosphere was chic and stylish.  I treated myself to cinnamon French toast with caramelized apples and blackberries and maple syrup, again for $19. It was a real treat.  If sweet isn’t your style they had sea scallops, beet salads, eggs benedict on an English muffin with pulled pork and a charcuterie board with local ingredients.  This place is pretty popular and only serves brunch on Sunday’s starting from 11:30, reservations are highly recommended.

​When in Niagara on the Lake, you’ll want to visit some wineries. We visited two more than what were included in the package deal.
One that Katie recommended to us was Colaneri Estate Winery. It’s a family owned and operated winery situated on the St. David’s Bench.  The property itself is so beautiful and it looks as though you’re driving up to a mansion. It’s bended into the shape of a C, the idea of owner Mike Colaneri, not only to represent the family name but to embrace the view of the vineyard.
 The Romanesque building itself is 31,000 square feet but still partially under renovation. The retail store inside overlooks the production area filled with barrels and tanks and when phase two of the project is complete it will also include a walk out patio with views of the vineyard. I can only imagine what this property would look like in the summer when the trees are in full bloom.
​The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and we ended up walking away with two bottles of their Traditional Ripasso style red wine ($21.95 a bottle). We enjoyed the cherry, raspberry and nutmeg notes and found it would be easily paired with any meal. Katie indulged in some sweet ice wine.

We made a pit stop at Gretzky’s Winery & Distillery since I enjoyed my last visit there so much. Instead of sampling the wines like I did previously, we hit up the whiskey bar. I don’t know too much about whiskey, but I remember my friend Breanne telling me how much she enjoyed their Canadian cream whiskey. “It’s like adult chocolate milk!” the woman behind the bar told us. It truly was, it felt like such a decadent treat and Katie and I both ended up buying a bottle at $34.95. We also sampled the No. 99 Red Cask whiskey which is finished in red wine casks from the estate and an almost sort of ‘Rose’ whiskey which the bartender compared to Fireball. They were a bit strong for us (maybe one day!) and we were happy to stick with the Canadian Cream.

​The last winery we visited was Konzelmann Estate. This property looked more like a castle and the inside was just as beautiful.  It’s Niagara’s only lakefront winery, located on the shores of Lake Ontario.  We had a quick visit, but sampled some wines in their retail store before settling on their unique Peach Wine ($15.95) and Gewurztraminer Late Harvest ($14.75)
Their Peach Wine is made from their neighbours fresh, local peaches. It’s light and crisp and won me over immediately.  My partner enjoyed the Gewurztraminer which was smooth with floral aromas and flavours of pineapple and lychee. We had a really great experience with the friendly staff who helped us find our perfect match.

​If you have some extra time, perhaps swing by the Falls before you head home, it was about a 25 minute drive away. I hadn’t been since I was a kid and seeing it almost frozen over was pretty whimsical. Note that parking near the falls was about $20 for us to have a quick peek and take a few pictures.

It was a pretty perfect way to end the weekend! I’m already looking forward to going back and hitting up a few more winery’s (and breweries! We drove past so many but even my puppy eyes couldn’t make my fiancé stop the car!) If anyone has any other suggestions of where to visit next time I’m in the area please let me know below!
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