I am not normally a sweet(s) guy, but rather a brewery boy. Although the Georgian Bay area has several craft breweries, other than the first day’s stop at my no-longer-a-craft-brewery Creemore Springs[1], the prescribed routes were not conducive to brewery ‘hopping’. So, I put my bitter tooth aside and took up investigating the quality of the local tarts. Geoff and Dave did a good job of identifying the country stores and bakeries along the routes so minimal additional effort was required.
Bring your napkin and join me on Tim’s Tart Tour.[2]
Day 1: Monday 29th May
Creemore Bakery, Creemore
OK, strike one.
It didn’t take long for us to discover that this part of the province sleeps or is hungover through Monday and Tuesday. Well, at least the brewery was open for beverages but without any sweets or sweet deals; the prices were upscale-bar rather than those expected at a craft brewery.
Giffen’s Country Market, Glen Huron
More promising here. The streetside sign advertises fresh pies and tarts.
Nel, one of CCCTS’s NCR tart experts, declined to be my taste tester. I think she was well aware of the forthcoming climb that we would have to endure in the heat. True to my mission, I purchased 3 raisin tarts: one for my evaluation, one for the other NCR tart expert Geoff, and finally one for co-organizer Dave. Dave had guilted me into bringing him a tart as payback for the Witbeer sample he gave me in Creemore.[3]
I dutifully packed the tarts at the top of my pannier keeping them warm in that solar oven. We then addressed the climb out of Glen Huron. I wish I’d paid attention to the local geographical names before I chose to ride today’s long route: Mad River and Devils Glen. Much to my chagrin, the roads in this area follow the survey lines, instead of gentler grade cow-paths. Seems we miss the glen. The glen has a ben’ and it sen’ us up a 6km 3.5% grade hill.
Sidebar to this sidebar: Why do cyclists eat tarts, energy bars, or beverages?[4] Well, it’s obvious, we burn a bunch of calories.
An example is this hill:
For those who failed high-school science, skip to the next paragraph. The potential energy required to raise me, my bike, my luggage, and the tarts up the 200m of this hill is about 235 kilojoules. The human body, not sure mine, is more efficient than an internal combustion engine and works at 20%-25% efficiency. A reasonably maintained bicycle chain drive is about 95% efficient. This means I expended a minimum of 1100 kJ to deliver those tarts to the top of the hill. That’s 263 (food) calories[5]. A typical tart is 350-390 calories. I should have eaten ¾ of a tart or drank ½ liter of beer to recover at the top.
After the day’s exhausting ride, I did my tart assessment before happy hour. WOW! Flakey crust, and a runny filling which required oral dexterity to avoid a mess. Warning: If you buy any of these, don’t attempt to eat while driving. Geoff, quiet as he usually is, seemed impressed too. Dave, to whom I delivered his tart later, questioned why he received less than half of a tart. Eventually, Dale confessed to extracting a delivery charge. All approved of the product from Giffen’s Country Market. IMO it exceeds those of Loughlin’s Country Store in Hallville which is a very high bar[6].
Day 2: Tuesday 30th May
Ravenna Country Market, Ravenna
A pleasant stop soon after a 5.7km 5% climb.[7] The store is an excellent stop. Its floor suggests that it has been a general store for a long time although it is now less of a have-everything-place.
Consumed only 1 raisin tart. OK, but definitely not up to the high standard set yesterday.
However, Bonnie (and the others who took bites) attest to the excellence of the brownie cake.
However, Bonnie (and the others who took bites) attest to the excellence of the brownie cake.
Kimberley General Store, Kimberley
Strike two.
TripAdvisor has favourable comments about the tarts. But, it’s Tuesday. Closed.
So, we cut out the part of the route that went to the store. Tart assessment awaits another day.
So, we cut out the part of the route that went to the store. Tart assessment awaits another day.
Big Bay General Store, Wiarton (sort of)
Strike three.
Reputed to be the best homemade ice cream in the region. Family run. Sadly, a death in the family resulted in reduced days of operation.
Lloyd's Smoke Shop & Pool Hall, Wiarton
Apprehensive about stopping for ice cream here. I was concerned that this business may have an arrangement similar to Almonte’s Hummingbird Chocolate Factory’s with Canopy Growth and Tweed. Not my style. That said, unfounded rumours had it that they made an ice cream with whiskey. Sadly, not available[8]. The selection was small and standard, so I resorted to a standby of salted-caramel. Didn’t enjoy it as much as I normally would because it was necessary to eat it outside in front of the store in the direct sun.
Day 4: Thursday 1st June
McGinty’s Cafe, Meaford
We approach McGinty’s with great expectations since it was well recommended by the Day 2 short route riders. We lounged over coffee and sweets waiting for the non-availability of lobster sandwiches across the street[9]. Of course, I had to consume a tart. Acceptable, but admittedly Giffen’s has set the bar very high.
I wondered if Bill and Peter were discussing who is going to grab Tim’s tart as he is preoccupied with taking the picture.
I wondered if Bill and Peter were discussing who is going to grab Tim’s tart as he is preoccupied with taking the picture.
Thornbury Bakery Cafe, Thornbury
All groups converged on the Thornbury Bakery.[10] Fortunately, we got there first, and got our orders in, and commandeered the tables in the shade.
Again, I was obliged to sample the tarts. Unfortunately, it gravitated towards commercial standards for both the crust and the contents. That said, the cafe redeemed itself with the sandwiches. My smoked salmon bagel was excellent. The roast beef and cheese on a bun I was carrying in my pannier, paled to Bill & Angela’s roast beef provolone sandwich.
Day 5: Friday 2nd June
Tiny Treats European Deli, Lafontaine
This is definitely a gem of a place.
We were very lucky to get there before the noon lunchtime rush of the local residents and workers. The character of the place starts with the sign beside the door which says: “Paczki do Polski”, which translates as “Parcels to Poland”. Where else would you have the opportunity to have a schnitzel sandwich? The second day of carrying my poor roast beef and cheese on a bun. There is no way that, even if it was ‘fresh’ could it compete.
I admit, I wimped out in my task. The only remaining tarts were pecan and I really hoped for raisin. In hindsight, I should have bought one anyway, but I was very worried about tanking on the forthcoming hill out of Thunder Beach. The baklava looked much more enticing. And isn’t it essentially a tart made with multiple layers of flatter pastry and with honey? Another WOW.
G-Ma's Ice Cream and Bakery, Penetanguishene
It started as a search for ice cream, thank you, Bill. Not a good business model: 38 flavours of Kawartha Dairy ice cream; how much time does it take to choose? Muskoka Mocha was the flavour of choice.
On the counter, there were four lonely tarts, the only remaining of the day’s baking. G’Ma likes to talk, and told us that the tarts are a loss-leader because of the effort required to make them[11] . For me, she packed the last two plain in a box cushioned by serviettes. Bill liberated the pecan ones.
Once again, I enlisted Geoff to assist in the assessment. Definitely worth the stop, but not topping Giffen’s, but definitely worth the detour[12] .
Day 6: Saturday 3rd June
Cheeky Mama Bakery & Café
I found this place while reviewing the routes for possible places to replenish fluids. It was a ½ km detour off of both routes, albeit involving crossing highway 12. But how can one avoid a bakery whose main webpage is this?
Yes, cheeky, but true to its claim, a tart haven.
Once again, our group was fortunate to arrive before the crowds; ours and others. For quite a while, the line was out the door. I treated Geoff to a blueberry tart whereas I had my standard raisin. Another WOW, perfect crust and caramelized filling. Geoff’s blueberry tart was not just a tiny blueberry pie but rather was the blueberry topping on a tart filling. Phil enjoyed a maple bacon. There was no way I was going to brave that[14].
The sandwiches looked excellent and several riders purchased them for later[15].
Em's Café, Coldwater
Yet, another magnet to which we all were attracted. Busier than usual, I presume, because of Pie’Oneer Day. The raisin tart was standard bakery affair, but as I say, we’ve been spoiled.
Again, several cyclists ordered excellent sandwiches. I didn’t; this time, lunch was leftover pizza[16] from an excellent dinner in Midland. Somehow no one was interested when I offered my 3-day-old roast beef and cheese on a bun sandwich.
Hewitt’s Farm Market & Bakery, Warminster
Seems, all were tired of Tim’s tart tour; or more likely, the multiple hills with sections of 10% grades encountered after the long break in Coldwater. Nonetheless, I forced the group to stop, albeit more like an F1 tire change, then a tour of a local market. Hewitt’s is more a vegetable market and less a bakery. I had to ask where to find tarts. The only option was a variety 6-tart pack: 2 each plain, raisin, & pecan. No time to sample; just load in a pannier and join the group for the dash into Orillia.
Sadly, they did not travel as well as previously boxed tarts. By the hotel, they had partially disintegrated, much like Bill’s sandwich from Cheeky Mama’s[17]. Geoff again humoured me by accepting one. Hungrily, I inhaled a couple. The rest, I packed with the hopes they would survive the ride to Barrie and the drive home. Once back in Ottawa, son Brad provided his assessment: the crust is very much like Aunt Nancy’s; very good; that’s pretty high praise.
Final Assessment
Admittedly, I am not an expert on tarts; but I’ve been on enough CCCTS NCR day, hub & spoke, and pannier trips to have been forced to sample the wares of many bakeries. I conclude that tarts of the Georgian Bay area can proudly compete with those anywhere.
Thanks to all who joined[18] me on Tim’s Tart Tour.
Footnotes
[1] I own it now. Well part of it anyway, through my Molson-Coors stock. Might own one nail in a picnic table.
[2] Additional thanks to Bill Bourne for assistance with route modifications to explore additional gems.
[3] The short route, taken by both planners, did not go past Giffen’s.
[4] Sorry, beer not some fancy Gatorade® or energy drink.
[5] Calories from food are really 1000 calories; so the conversion from kJ to kCal is 1kJ = 0.239 calories.
[6] I lost my tart privileges from my sister after I commented that Loughlin’s were better than hers.
[7] I am noting a trend that the route creators don’t opt for the longer routes.
[8] Unknown if the earlier group had consumed it all and swore to secrecy.
[9] Nel consumed one Tuesday. The owner said they ran out of lobster on Tuesday. Nel claims she did not have the last one. I am suspicious, but can only say, we lost out.
[10] Although there are other excellent bakeries & cafes in town.
[11]She said the money is in the ice cream. They roll up the streets in winter, and revenue might just cover the rent.
[12] Only 1 block off, but if we’d been smarter we could have avoided a hill before the bike trail.
[13] © Cheeky Mama’s Bakery & Café. Copied from https://www.cheekymamabaking.ca/
[14] I haven’t recovered from the disappointment of having a bacon tart on the Guelph hub & spoke.
[15] The turkey club that Jojo’s new friend Eric had looked delicious. Bill’s, apparently was still delicious after its transport to Coldwater, although it seems it needed assistance from all of the King’s men. Superman as he is, Angela got the intact half.
[16] Without the nose-running, sweat-producing, hot pepper puree. Very glad that I’d got that on the side.
[17] Guess both Bill and I need lessons on packing delicate food items in panniers.
[18] In-person, or vicariously.