If you’re a foodie, a history buff, or someone who believes that food tells the story of a place and its people, then Where We Ate: A Field Guide to Canada’s Restaurants, Past and Present by Gabby Peyton is an absolute feast for the senses and the mind. With a delightful blend of cultural history, vivid storytelling, and reverence for the places that define our culinary experiences, Peyton has crafted a work that feels like both a memoir and a love letter to Canada’s restaurant landscape. Gabby Peyton – writer. traveller. cheese eater.
Gabby Peyton is a celebrated food and travel writer, culinary historian, and restaurant critic based in St. John’s, NL. Her passion for food started early, blossoming into a career that spans more than a decade of writing and exploration. This is her debut book and has won the Gold award in the Culinary Narratives category at the 2024 Taste Canada Awards. Peyton’s writing reflects her relentless curiosity about the stories behind the food we love and the places that bring us together around the table.
Spanning from pre-Confederation inns to today’s vibrant dining scene, the book traces the evolution of Canadian cuisine through 150 restaurants that shaped how we eat — from iconic institutions to beloved local gems. Peyton’s narrative isn’t merely about what was served; it’s about why and where we ate, and how immigration, social change, cultural movements, and community formed the backbone of Canada’s rich dining heritage. Chapters are organized chronologically, allowing readers to journey across time and geography, illustrating how dishes like poutine, donairs, California rolls, and even nori-wrapped hot dogs at Japadog entered the Canadian palate.
What makes this book unique is its narrative intimacy. Peyton doesn’t hesitate to let the history seep in through charming essays, archival menus, evocative photos, and — in a treat for home cooks — 15 recipes inspired by featured restaurants. It’s part travelogue, part cultural commentary, and part restaurant guide, but always deeply personal. You can feel the author’s affection for these eateries in every description, whether she’s recounting the elegant heritage of an old Montreal establishment or the joyful nostalgia of a long-closed diner.
Speaking of recipes, Harvest Eatery of Shaunavon, SK and Chef Garrett “Rusty” Thienes thought you’d like to try his Smoked Southwestern Brisket in our Recipe section. While you’re enjoying the dish go to Gabby Peyton – writer. traveller. cheese eater. to purchase the book and plan your next road trip around historical and impactful dining experiences. You can also win a copy in our Giveaway section.
Critically, Peyton also addresses how certain voices and cultures were historically marginalized in Canadian dining. Her honest acknowledgements — like noting the relative scarcity of early Indigenous restaurants — enrich the narrative and remind us that culinary history is inseparable from broader social history. This reflective approach elevates Where We Ate, making it more than a simple list of restaurants: it’s a thoughtful exploration of how food, identity, and belonging intertwine.
For anyone planning a cross-country road trip, it’s a perfect companion; for armchair adventurers, it’s an engaging read that invokes wanderlust and hunger in equal measure. Readers have praised the book for its breadth, heart, and the way it evokes memories of meals past while inspiring future dining plans — a testament to Peyton’s narrative skill and deep understanding of Canada’s culinary soul.
In short, Where We Ate isn’t just about restaurants — it’s about the soul of Canadian food culture, and readers will come away not just hungrier, but richer in appreciation for the meals and moments that shape our lives.