NOW Magazine Online Edition

How often have you wondered where you can get a decent meal in cottage country? Turns out you don�t have to stay in T.O. to eat well during the summer. NOW has scoured the regions to discover the best in fine dining.

Northumberland/Prince Edward

The Restaurant on the Knoll

The Restaurant on the Knoll at the Isaiah Tubbs Resort (West Lake Road, RR #1, Picton), 613-393-2063, 1-800-724-2393, www.isaiahtubbs.com

The town of Picton boasts some pretty decent spots, including Currah�s Caf� and Restaurant (252 Main, 613-476-6374). But in cottage country, the waterside view�s the thing. We recommend the restaurant at the Isaiah Tubbs Resort overlooking the dunes of Sandbanks Provincial Park. Fish specials of the day are featured, and prices � unlike those at some of the other haute spots � aren�t out of whack.

The Painted Peppercorn (172 Main, Picton), 613-476-8225

Here's something new in Picton, a cozy café - consistently packed at lunch - offering a menu stressing local produce. You don't often come across a small-town eatery serving spinach and cheddar pie, with a walnut crust no less. The atmosphere is brightened by local artists' work on the walls.

Muskoka/Huntsville/ Parry Sound

3 Guys and a Stove (Highway 60, just east of Huntsville), 705-789-1815, www.whoscomingfordinner.com

Chef/owner Jeffrey W. Suddaby, host of the cooking show Who�s Coming For Dinner (CH Global, Sundays at 9 am), specializes in healthy dining, so this isn�t the place for prime rib and cream sauces. But it�s a nice change from the predictable fare the big inns are pushing.

FRESH KUTZ MARKET AND GRILL (195 Wellington, Bracebridge), 705-646-2106

The thing about great places with reasonably priced food: the locals know all about them, so it's not easy finding parking at the mall where you'll find this eatery. Look for seafood chowder and fresh fish delivered directly from T.O. and well priced lunch specials ($7.25 for grilled chicken on a bun with fries and soup). And there's an open kitchen - chef Dave Mann doesn't mind if you keep an eye on him. Caution: closed Sundays.

Niagara

THE CHARLES INN (209 Queen, Niagara-on-the-Lake), 905-468-4588, 1-866-556-8883, www.charlesinn.ca

NOW�s go-to guy for out-of-town theatre, Jon Kaplan, recommends this one in the Shaw fest area, first opened in 1832. The refurbished dining room, helmed by chef William Brunyansky, still boasts the original chandeliers and has a terrific view overlooking the lake. Pay special attention to the farmhouse cheeses.

The Epicurean Café (84 Queen, Niagara-on-the-Lake), 905-468-0288, www.epicurean.ca

It's not often you can recommend an eatery that operates cafeteria-style, but a terrific setting and totally fresh fare at decent prices make the Epicurean a desirable destination. Grab a grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper and chèvre sandwich and settle in on the patio under the giant butternut tree. We're talking lunch here; sit-down dinner service is pricey.

Elora/Fergus/Kitchener/Stratford/London

DOWN THE STREET (30 Ontario, Stratford), 519-273-5886, www.downthestreet.ca

The best place to smash the stodgy Stratford stereotype is this hip bar and grill steps away from the Avon Theatre. Check out the frites � they�re for real � in the steak-frites combo, and, yes, those familar-looking people sockin� it back at the bar are the same actors you just saw onstage.

YORK STREET KITCHEN (41 York, Stratford), 519-273-7041, www.yorkstreetkitchen.com

Eight years ago this Stratford haunt was just a takeout window on the street offering design-your-own sandwiches. It's bloomed since into a funky, wild lime-green-painted sit-down spot that offers excellent soups and grilled sandwich specials, all ultra-fresh. Killer butter tarts, too. Yes, you can still design your own s'wich.

Barrie/Collingwood/Midland/Orillia

Octopus�s Garden ( 5198 Line 5 North, RR #1, Hillsdale), 705-835-6591, 1-877-249-2374, www.octopusesgarden.on.ca

At this Hillsdale spot you can be sure that all the ingredients in your gazpacho come out of the garden you�re looking at. Octopus�s hard-working team � they also run a year-round catering business for skiers and cottagers � offers pre-dinner tours through the orchards, where you can sample heirloom fruits and edible flowers, and the place is surrounded by Crown land on three sides so you can eat in the midst of nature � dining in the eco-tourist mode.

Fancy's Fish and Chips

FANCY'S FISH AND CHIPS (5 Bell Farm Road, Barrie), 705-728-9594, www.fancysfishandchips.com/div> If you're gonna ingest those trans fats, you might as well do it courtesy of people with plenty of experience. The Fancy family have been in the business for over 50 years, operating fry-up stops in Toronto and cottage country. But everything isn't old-school and deep-fried. Check out the raw oysters and the crab cakes.

Bench Bistro

Oakville/Hamilton/Burlington

THE BENCH BISTRO at EastDell Estates (4041 Locust Lane, Beamsville), 905-563-9463, www.eastdell.com

Eat out while taking in a view of rolling vineyards, Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline � it�s one the biggest pleasures at Bench Bistro. And complement your meal with VQA vintages fermented on site. The restaurant is surrounded by over 5 kilometres of nature trails so you can walk off the food you�ve just stuffed yourself with. Note that on Sundays the dining room�s open for brunch but closed for dinner. 3

Georgian Bay/Grey County/Lake Huron/Owen Sound

Ted's Range Road Diner

Ted's Range Road Diner (2 km north of Hwy 26 on the Meaford Tank Range Road), 519-538-1788, www.meaford.com/rrdiner.htm

This one-of-a-kind spot is a steel Quonset hut in the middle of a cow pasture. Sounds like a must-miss until you hear about the super breakfasts and game burgers, including caribou, buffalo, elk and emu. Ted's got game in a stir-fry, too. Closed Tuesdays.

Check NOW�s August Hot Summer Guide

(out July 28) for our picks of cool bakeries, ice cream haunts and other sweet spots.