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Blog Archive

New Foodie Spot: House of Donair in West End Kingston


Mixed plate of chicken shawarma and donair plate and House of Donair restaurant sign.

Congratulations to House of Donair for opening their fourth and newest location in the west end of Kingston on Bath Rd! Serving up Lebanese cuisine from tabouli, falafel, kibbeh, pitas and shawarma, as well as dishes with a twist from donair poutine and donair pizza! Bae and I stopped in recently for lunch for his and her meals. My absolute favourite was the intensity of the flavours of the chicken and sauces served on the potato aka you best like garlic. We enjoyed the below meals and will certainly be returning soon!

MIXED PLATE

Mixed plate of chicken shawarma & donair served with salad, rice, hummus, garlic paste, pickled turnips, pickles + pita bread.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA PLATE 

Chicken shawarma plate served with salad, rice, hummus, garlic paste, pickled turnips and pickles.

Where: 1755 Bath Rd, Kingston | Corner of Bath rd & McKewan Dr
Rosalyn Gambhir
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My Favourite Kingston West End Restaurants You Have To Try


As we know, Kingston is a city that is renowned for its thriving culinary scene. While many have associated downtown Kingston with the city's most notable culinary offerings, the west end of Kingston is often overlooked when it comes to foodie destinations. However, those who have taken the time to explore Kingston's west end have discovered that it is truly a unique area with several hidden culinary gems and having moved to the area a few years ago, I've discovered quite a few special spots.

So whether you're in the mood for takeout, a special night out, authentic ethnic cuisine, or something in between, there are plenty of options to choose from. Below you'll find my list of favourite local drool-worthy spots:

Macaroni and cheese burger and iced latte beverage on table.

LUNCH & DINNER SPOTS

Bella Bistro

GO Italian Restaurant

Days on Front

Ottercreek Kitchen

The Pasta Shelf

Mesa Fresca

Red House West

Smoke N Barrel 

Golden Damrei

Shawarma El Mina

Pita Land

House Of Donair

Bustini’s Food Truck

Mozzarella cheese bites and fully loaded chimichanga.

GREEK FOOD

Greektown Grill & Takeout

Minos Take Out West

PIZZA

Mamma Mia Pizzeria

Riverhead Brewing Company

Score Pizza

Arancini rice balls and all dressed pizza.

BRUNCH & CAFÉ

Toast & Jam

Juniper Cafe

Patriam Coffee

Nora's Coffee + Sandwiches

Carmelinda's

FISH & CHIPS

Rose & Crown

Gourmet donuts and breakfast avocado croissant.

BAKERIES & DELI

Bread & Butter Bakery

MAC'S Chocolate & Bakeshop

Baltic Deli

SUSHI

Kino's Sushi

Akira Sushi

Sapporo Sushi


Chicken shawarma plate and a variety of sushi.

What are your favourite spots? Leave them in the comments.

Rosalyn Gambhir
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Napanee Foodie Spot: Fool's Kitchen



Say hello to Fool's Kitchen - a new Asian fusion restaurant located just 30 minutes from Kingston in Napanee, Ontario and is an absolute must-try! It’s already booking up quite quickly so definitely call for reservations and takeout orders.

You won’t be disappointed as the dishes are so dang flavourful from dim sum, Vietnamese pho, Chinese bbq pork + chicken and so much more. Prep work starts as early as 3am in the morning and it certainly shows! So if you’re wanting to head out for a scenic foodie day trip, add Fool’s Kitchen to your foodie bucket list. Bae and I were thoroughly impressed and bellies full afterwards. Drool-worthy indeed!

Also, the service is just amazing and the staff are so friendly!

Scroll down to see a few of the dishes we sampled:

SUI MAI (PORK & SHRIMP DUMPLING)

Chinese canton-style open-wrapped dumpling with pork.

CHICKEN PHO

Vietnamese noodle soup with a homemade broth filled with spices like roasted star anise, noodles, grilled bbq chicken thigh and served with lots of mix-and-match toppings. A perfect dish to share.

SESAME MAPLE RIBS

Half rack of fall off the bone ribs marinated overnight, grilled, baked and glazed with the sweetest organic maple syrup. Served with house-made Japanese sweet potato chips with a spicy mayo and Japanese-style salad.

HAR GOW

Steamed translucent dumplings filled with shrimp.

Sesame maple ribs with har gow dumplings.

VIETNAMESE FRIED SPRING ROLLS

A crispy and crunchy entrée bursting with flavours. Minced pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms and vermicelli wrapped in rice paper and then fried to a golden brown.

Vietnamese fried spring rolls with tea.

SHANGHAI SOUP DUMPLINGS

This appetizer is bursting with deliciousness and is a must-try! It consists of a paper-thin steamed wrapper enveloping a dup of seasoned pork filling and hot flavourful soup. 

JAPANESE SWEET POTATO CHIPS

These housemade chips are a purely addictive snack!

Shanghai soup dumplings with Japanese sweet potato chips.

Open 11am-2pm for lunch and 4pm-7pm for dinner. Closed Sunday and Monday.

For reservations and takeout, call 613-354-9888

Where: 19A Market Square, Napanee, ON

Rosalyn Gambhir
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New Winter Wellness Outdoor Experience: Stoked Sauna Co.


Stoked Sauna Co. and cheese fondue.

There’s a new steamy winter wellness outdoor experience called Stoked Sauna Co. at the Frontenac Club! This gem of an oasis is the perfect wellness moment you need this season for your mind and body to unwind, and feel relaxed and refreshed. And it’s right in downtown Kingston.

Stoked Sauna Co in Kingston Ontario.

Each 75-minute guided session uses the natural nordic practice of sauna bathing. With three rounds within the sauna, while also enjoying time on the patio in between by the fire, you also have the opportunity to try the ice baths if you're brave enough!

 Did you know it offers so many health benefits from soothing sore muscles⁠⁣, to improving your heart health and boosting your mood⁣?!

 It’s a must-try experience whether you go solo, with a friend or as a group.

Non alcholic cocktail and Frontenac Club restaurant menu.

And once you’re all good to go, you can head inside the Bank Gastrobar at the Frontenac Club for an après spa menu to end your experience with an amazingly curated drink and a delicious meal from a cheesy fondue, split pea soup or candied salmon.

WHAT TO BRING?

Swimsuit, flip flops, water bottle and your favourite winter hat or headband.

Book your session online: www.stokedsaunaco.com

Where: 225 King St E, Kingston, ON

Rosalyn Gambhir
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New Restaurant: Heist Restaurant and Wine Club in Downtown Kingston


The wait is officially over!

📍: Kingston, Ontario

The brand new and most anticipated spot in downtown Kingston has officially opened its doors and I had the pleasure of being invited for a sneak peek of Heist Restaurant + Wine Club with bae and my mum. This foodie adventure was truly unique and a spectacular experience. From pasta, and pizzas to seafood and classic dishes, this restaurant is absolutely stunning - having been a bank before, the CaraCo Homes family ventured into the restaurant space to plan the most perfect culinary destination with the most beautiful space. It’s so warm and inviting.

p.s. online reservations are available, click here!

Tagliatelle bolognese and restaurant menu.

Scroll down to see a few of the dishes we sampled:

Beef carpaccio and arancini.

BEEF CARPACCIO

Baby arugula, grana padano, truffle aioli, crouton. Simply melts in your mouth!

ARANCINI 

Crispy saffron, lemon + sweet pea rice balls,  homemade tomato sauce + grated grana padano. The flavours are so complimentary of one another!

PAN SEARED DEEP SEA SCALLOPS

With grilled corn, leek crema + toasted pistachio. Highly recommend!

GRILLED LAMB SAUSAGE

Creamy polenta, charred rapini with a grainy mustard demi.

Pan seared deep sea scallops and grilled lamb sausages.

MEZZA RIGATONI VODKA

Made with pancetta, scallion, chillies in a vodka-tomato-cream sauce. You might have to wear your stretchy pants as portions are quite generous and the dish itself is so nice, especially in the winter.

TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE

Slowly braised ragout of pork, beef + veal with sweet onion, fresh basil, shaved grana padano, d.o.p. tomato sauce. 

Tagliatelle bolognese and mezza rigatoni vodka pasta.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Pan-roasted chicken cutlet with tomato sauce + buffalo mozzarella. Such a perfect dish to share

DESSERT 

As our meal was coming to an end, our bellies were filled with so much goodness that we decided to share a tiramisu. The dessert menu aka the getaway included other wonderful options such as fruit + sorbet, banana toffee pudding, vanilla crème brûlée, flourless chocolate torte and vegan cheesecake. So many drool-worthy sweet treats to try! 🤤

Outdoor sign of Heist Restaurant + Wine Club in Downtown Kingston next to tiramisu cake

NEXT UP

I’m already thinking of my next visit - I’ll definitely be ordering the lobster and prawn dumplings, pan roasted potato gnocchi, and Australian lamb!

Congratulations to the entire HEIST team! Our dining experience was truly wonderful from the food, service and ambience. Kingston is so lucky to have this great new addition to its culinary scene! 🎉

Where: 168 Wellington St, Kingston, ON

Rosalyn Gambhir
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Let Me Reintroduce Myself


Hi, I’m Rosalyn! 👋

Dozen donuts from Coffeeway and portrait of Rosalyn Gambhir smiling

For those of you who are new here, I thought I’d reintroduce myself. Originally from Montréal, Québec, I moved to Kingston to attend Queen's University as a Queen's Engineer back in 2008 and well, I’ve stayed ever since. 

I met my other half who completed me in every way possible. Together for over ten years now - this Kingston native, my partner-in-crime and foodie accomplice has brought out the best in me one day at a time. Our passion for cooking and trying new things led me to creating a foodie bucket list in 2012 of restaurants to try out in Kingston and document my experiences on my blog, which was well before Instagram was super popular. (I may have just aged myself LOL 🫣🤣)

Whether it's exploring the local food scene, going to amazing local events or taking foodie road trips to nearby towns, I'm all about being a tourist in my own city and beyond. This site and my social channels are all about allowing you to discover hidden gems in your own backyard and supporting our truly wonderful restaurants, businesses and passionate individuals behind the scenes, while also sharing who I am as a person, my likes, my life, my adorable pup Dakota and more.

Rosalyn Gambhir
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[name=Rosalyn Gambhir] [img=https://i.imgur.com/9rNiMGU.jpg] [description=Rosalyn Gambhir is the gal behind the blog The Staycationer. Whether it's exploring the local food scene with her foodie partner-in-crime or taking in the view from her favourite cafe, Rosalyn is always a tourist, looking for the next exciting adventure within Kingston, Ontario and beyond. The Staycationer allows you to rediscover hidden gems in your very own backyard.] (facebook=https://www.facebook.com/thestaycationer) (twitter=https://twitter.com/rosalyngambhir) (instagram=https://www.instagram.com/rosalyngambhir/)

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