Still a five-star joint and just getting better. This year the butcher's stock was even more…read moreamazing, and not just the meats. Don't tell anyone, but I fell off the veg wagon *hard core* during our stay in Bala this year. I couldn't resist, and I was soooo glad I didn't. This year's meaty samplings included whole, marinated chicken; beef kebabs; pork tenderloin; jumbo tiger shrimp; sea scallops; beef burgers; lamb sliders; and prime beef steaks. The quality of meat here is blow-your-mind amazing, and most of it is cut, filleted, or ground right before your eyes. You can pre-order rarer meats, too, like bison, duck, elk, and rabbit. Also available are a selection of amazingly delicious cheeses including real smoked cheddar and black truffled goat. As well as gourmet crackers, chips, dips, and spreads. Not to mention tidbits like addictive Milford Bay smoked trout, brie wheels, charcuterie, and homemade frozen cookie dough to take back to the cottage. Insane. Staff is wonderfully friendly, a local family who loves what they do -- we visited nearly every day for 9 days, and they always recognized us, chatted with us a few minutes, and thanked us profusely for our business (I think we're putting the youngest through uni). And they're still trolling the lakes on their adorable pontoon boat, delivering your orders or stopping by your dock if you flag them down to let you browse that day's selection. This place has to be, without a doubt, one of the best butcher shops and gourmets on the planet, let alone Bala.

This place is not inexpensive but you get what you pay for. This place is filled with premium…read moremeats, seafoods and cheeses. Premium comes at a price. But this is Muskoka cottage country and why not splurge. I have never bought a bad product here. The lamb, beef and fish has always been very fresh and very good. They have a great selection of frozen items as well. Also a place to get really good cheeses. A small selection but all of them top grade.

Great butcher. Very nice people. The best, beautifully…read moremarbled steaks that I have purchased in years.

If you love a great steak, Big Daddy's is the place to go!…read moreStopped in our way to the cottage and what an amazing selection of fresh cut meats. The ribeyes are amazing! The chicken is better than any I've had from others. Love their chicken pot pies. We ended up getting our whole week's worth of meat there. Couldn't resist the hamburger patties and the back bacon. We even picked up a few items to keep frozen for when guests come up. This butcher shop is hands down the best in MUSKOKA!

We liked this place so much we returned the following day…read more The first visit I had a quite good iced chocolate chai. (I'm always excited to find chocolate chai.) The berry scone was amazing as well. I wished the tea place we went to the day before in Gravenhurst (Blue Willow Tea Shop) made their scones as good as this. Farmer's Daughter's scones were sweet and didn't need jam. The chocolate chip cookies were fantastic as well. I liked the husband's edamame avocado bean salad. The son got a pasta combo for $18.99. I really liked his mac and cheese; the pasta salad was fine. I wasn't a fan of his peanut butter chocolate chip cookie (too much pb, not enough choc) The daughter really liked her potatoes dauphinois. Her side of roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, and broccoli were fine, but the pierogies were exceptional. This place drains your wallet little by little. I suggested it because I thought it would make sense to have a cheaper lunch but I'm not sure it was. Especially by the time we got dessert. (But it was worth it!) The next day the husband and I had the lentil wrap - he ordered it the first day and was a fan. It was kind of like Amy's brand of samosas but better and fresh. It definitely grows on you. The daughter was not as into her chicken with cornflake breading. The son got the lasagna but thought the previous day's mac n cheese was better.

Lovely little gourmet grocery store and cafe. We picked up a few very tasty homemade rice krispy…read moretreats, a delicious coffee, and some homemade strawberry plum jam. Service was friendly. If they stayed open a little later they could get a lot more service. I walked in 5 minutes before closing and they locked the door behind me. My husband said 6 or 7 people walked up and were turned away in the 10 minutes I was in. Sandwiches looked good, I wish I could spend more time. Lovely baskets and plants as well.

This butcher shop is awesome. Fresh meat, a variety of different cuts. If you want to be…read moreadventurous and get a large thick high quality steak for grilling, this is the place to come!

Very strong produce aisles. Filled with a great variety of fruits, veggies, greens and more. I was…read morethere in mid-August, so cannot speak to other months, but it was all super-fresh and kept well in the fridge and counter for the following week. Solid selection of cheeses and deli meats. Plenty of options for just about everything else too. Prices seem reasonable. Lots of parking.

I was at the store on a Saturday morning, in the first week of December. It struck me as I walked…read moreacross the front of the store, looking down each Isle for my wife, I couldn't help noticing the crisp displays on the shelves. I did find her but took a few minutes to actually look at the Christmas displays and the seasonal products along the front of the store. We continued on around the store and it remained just as crisp. My experience tells me that the store didn't come to look this neat by one good nights work and a few dedicated employee's. Everyone working there must be a part of the whole look. I have been an infrequent shopper at this store but I have to recognize the effort, it means this store cares about what I buy and take home.

Ever tried smoked trout? Well, it sucked compared to Milford Bay Trout Farm's smoked trout…read more Trust. I've tried many a smoked trout, and they were all anemic, bland, and paled in comparison. Milford Bay trout is pure gold, baby. Natural hardwood dry smoking -- rather than wet smoking like most -- means the texture is firmer, drier, and much more appetizing than most smoked trout (much of which I find a bit slimy). The secret family recipe for the marinade flavors the trout like no other I've sampled, making it distinctly Muskoka. As a result this stuff tastes like trout bacon, and I could eat a whole fillet to my face. You can visit the farm itself where they encourage you to catch your own trout from their stocked pond, or you can purchase smoked trout, mousse, or gravlox there. Milford Bay Trout Farm also sells its trout in various specialty food stores throughout the Muskoka Lakes region. Husband and I always eat our weight in trout when we're in Muskoka, then pick up five or six fillets to bring home to family and friends -- and we're guaranteed a hero's welcome.

From the owner: Milford Bay Trout Farm is a purveyor of Fine Smoked Trout Filets and related products in the heart…read moreof beautiful Muskoka, a family-run business since 1973. Our smoked trout filet and pate recipes were created by the genius mind of my father, the late Rolf Uhde, back in the early '80s and have left an impression on many an astute palette. The gravlox, my personal favourite, although somewhat more expensive than the smoked trout filets themselves, is a refreshing alternative to salmon lox and must be enjoyed with a cube of 10 year old cheddar, a glass of your favourite Pinot Grigio and a 'wicked' sunset. The fresh filets are so nutritious and quick on the barbecue and will highlight any surf'n'turf plans you have for the menu.

We chanced upon this place when we visited Parry Sound and was just wandering around in downtown…read morekilling time. One of us said, look, a Whole Foods!! And we took pictures in front of it, the teeniest Whole Foods in the world, to send to our friends who are used to the gigantic real Whole Foods Market chain. (Just to be clear, this place is not related to the chain,) Then one of us want to take a look inside, and we thought, why not. This place is small, but crams an amazing variety. It's like a Whole Foods shrunk in size (like, into its cafe area) but not in variety. There are many brands and products Wholefoodies will recognize, like Quorn chicken, Bragg's apple cider vinegar, Annie's mac and cheese, Kashi cereal, and more. And some that even the real WFM stores don't always carry: a barrel of local honey, herbs and tea in bulk jars. They have a few cheeses (no big cheese case here), and a freezer of bread, meat, vegan meat and other stuff. Naturally they don't have as many choices of brands, but I can't think of much that they don't carry. So if you happen to be in this neighborhood and somehow miss your WFM, make a stop here!

This place is amazing! I love all of their food! They also allow you to buy half cooked egg rolls,…read morewhere all you have to do is cool them some more and enjoy at a later time and they are perfect! As we'll, with given notice they will often allow you to purchase your food before the opening time (an hour or so before nothing exaggerated) but you will likely need I pay in cash, and it will be done at their side door (my cousin described it as a drug deal... Handing off money for a brown paper bag) The best Chinese food in North Bay! And just a note this place is a takeout only, no sitting inside.

They're actually Chinese…read more "LOLOLOL I just saw one of your reviews for the GCK. WE ARE ACTUALLY CHINESE."