Restaurants in Ajax

Brothers Alex and Mark Rechichi always enjoyed constructing hearty, Dagwood-esque sandwiches, but noticed that most of the breads they employed in these edible masterpieces literally crumbled under the pressure of supporting a glorious quantity of healthy meats, veggies, cheeses, and sauces. Naturally, the brothers fell in love when they discovered the sturdy pita, which was both nutritious and versatile. Flatbread in hands, the two brothers founded Extreme Pita in 1997 with a goal of delivering enormous, structurally sound sandwiches to the masses. Since then, the eatery has spawned franchises throughout the U.S. and Canada, where customers can enjoy a variety of pita-based creations ranging from made-to-order wraps to pizza-style flat bakes to jalapeño cheddar chips. Extreme Pita's locations put an emphasis on reducing their carbon footprint by implementing an array of green practices, such as recycling and reusing, using energy-efficient light bulbs, and warming pitas with the sighs of a dragon.

She may be from Whitby, but Shelagh Pirkl is no stranger to hot weather and hotter flavours. She spent years eating her way across California, enjoying the fresh, flavourful cuisine of Mexican-American regions. Along the way, she and her husband Darren—a California native—decided to bring their findings north. So they opened Los Cabos Cantina & Grill, which is named after the Baja peninsula to perfectly capture the eatery’s Mexican-Californian cuisine.

Inside, diners feast on everything from corn-dusted red-chili calamari and monterrey club sandwiches to traditional enchiladas blanketed in melted cheese and wrapped in papier-mâché. Chefs can customize meals to the customer’s preferred spiciness level, and they can also create gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegan options. Live music, an outdoor patio, and freshly muddled margaritas lure guests into the eatery’s laid-back Californian atmosphere, though tempers occasionally rise during Leafs games and Monday night football.

A candle burns in every window of Candlelight and Memories’ periwinkle century home. It’s the first sign of owner Pat Montgomery’s mission to establish the spot as a serene sanctuary. In the tearoom, companions can sip more than a dozen varieties of tea while nibbling warm fruit scones. Hundreds of handmade wooden toys, quilts, and candles fill the adjacent gift shop, contributing to the shop’s rustic aura. In addition to afternoon tea, Candlelight and Memories hosts children’s parties, opening their upstairs loft for dressing up, making crafts, and planning cookie-jar heists.

Chefs at Crepe Delicious swirl paper-thin layers of batter onto their piping-hot crepe griddles, perfuming the air with the enticing aroma. Shortly after, the cooks lift away delectable crepes ready to be stuffed with savoury ingredients. The crepes themselves weigh in at only about 130 calories each with just 3.5 grams of fat, but they sate appetites during any meal.

Inspired by the potent flavours of southern India, the chefs at Karaikudi Chettinad Restaurant season orders of chicken, goat, and vegetables with the Chettinad region's signature spice blends. These savoury morsels are soon roasted in the kitchen's fusion-powered tandoor oven or simmered in fragrant gravy. House-made servings of cottage cheese emerge steeped in butter sauce and travel to tables during dinners or weekday lunch buffets, which feature an array of meat-filled and vegetarian-friendly items.

The restaurant’s high-ceilinged dining rooms seat up to 100 guests, and feature an archway of recessed lighting as well as dark wooden columns that keep the floors from shaking hands with the ceiling. Leafy potted plants add verdant splashes of colour to the orange-hued space.

Inspired by its owners’ pack of six rescued malamutes, who make cameo appearances around the restaurant, Working Dog Saloon dishes out animal advocacy alongside its menu of pub fare. Locally sourced ingredients nestle between slices of focaccia burger buns or dapple pizzas named for labradors, malamutes, and Balto, the sled dog whose 1925 journey to Nome, Alaska inspired the modern Iditarod. Wolfish appetites can wash down meals with home-brewed Dogger Lager and Doghouse wines, whose proceeds benefit homeless animals. Annual fundraisers, such as pet photos with Santa and the Walk 4 Rescue 5-kilometre walk, further advance the dog-friendly cause.

Inside Working Dog, sleds and harnesses hang from wooden columns and timber-panelled walls, and a painting of a malamute with perky ears grins above a stone-flanked fireplace. The pub also caters special events and hosts private parties amid ceiling-hung twinkle lights and flat-screen televisions, or outdoors on a spacious patio.